Hard copy

Also called: paper copy or printout

A hard copy is the physical and tangible reproduction of a text or image. Usually it is an edition or print on paper. In audio (music) and video, the term can refer to CDs, DVDs and other permanent storage media. Copy refers to both the content (copy or content) and that it is the tangible a copy or reproduction of an original.

What is hard copy?

The term hard copy existed before the dawn of the digital age. A hard copy is originally a manuscript that has been edited and proofread and is ready for print. Often, prior to the final printing or printing of a book or document or the production or broadcast of a film, a proof copy is created that models the final edition.

Today, hard copy primarily has the meaning "not digital. A hard copy version of a publication is also condescendingly called dead tree version, referring to the paper on which it is printed.

Examples of hard copy

• Books
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Reports
• Paper documents
• Flyers
• Brochures