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Glossary of Printing & Graphic Terms
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Glossary of Printing & Graphic
Terms
For a full list of our printing
services click here.
Hello! Peter Pressman here . . . welcome to this fine collection
of Printing and Graphic Terms.
When I entered the printing industry, I was a young pup -- eager
to learn, but green behind the ears. A very dear friend gave me
sound advice after I survived an embarrassing situation on the
press floor (a costly $$ error, and entirely my fault). "You need
to get the basic printing industry knowledge under your belt --
NOW," my friend told me.
And he directed me to what he called "your beginner's printing
industry bible" -- Getting it Printed by Mark Beach. My
friend was right. This book gave me full, in-depth knowledge of
the fine details related to the printing industry -- in terms
I could understand. This book jump-started me into printing.
So it is with great pride that I bring to you the glossary from
Getting it Printed, copyright © 1993 by Mark Beach. Used
by permission of North Light Books, a division of F&W Publications,
Inc. (800) 289-0963.
PLEASE NOTE: Getting it Printed was written for people who plan,
design and pay for printing. Thus, the glossary is geared toward
print buyers. But I have added additional terms that apply to
printers -- connecting both ends of the printing spectrum. Enjoy!
Peter Pressman
This
glossary includes all the technical and business terms in
the book, Getting it Printed, copyright © 1993 by Mark
Beach. Used by permission of North Light Books, a division
of F&W Publications, Inc. (800) 289-0963. In addition,
it has many terms not used in the book but which are part
of the graphic arts lexicon. Definitions are abbreviated from
those in my book Graphically Speaking, which also includes
terms about type, design and products.
Quick Start
. . . Click on the Letter of Your Choice
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
[M
- Z ... click here]
A
Acetate
A transparent sheet placed over originals
or artwork, allowing the designer to write instructions
and\or indicate a second color for placement.
Acid-free Paper
Papermade from pulp containing little
or no acid so it resists deterioration from age. Also
called alkaline paper, archival paper, neutral pH paper,
permanent paper and thesis paper.
Acid Resist
An acid-proof protective coating
applied to metal plates prior to etching.
Additive Color
color produced by light falling
onto a surface, as compared to subtractive color. The
additive primary colors are red, green and blue.
A4 Paper
ISO paper size 210 x 297mm used
for Letterhead.
Against the Grain
At right angles to the grain direction
of the paper being used, as compared to with the grain.
Also called across the grain and cross grain. See also
Grain Direction.
Airbrush
Pen-shaped tool that sprays a fine
mist of ink or paint to retouch photos and create continuous-tone
illustrations.
Alteration
Any change made by the customer
after copy or artwork has been given to the service bureau,
separator or printer. The change could be in copy, specifications
or both. Also called AA, author alteration and customer
alteration.
Anodized Plate
An offset printing plate having
a treated surface in order to reduce wear for extended
use.
Anti-offset Powder
Fine powder lightly sprayed over
the printed surface of coated paper as sheets leave a
press. Also called dust, offset powder, powder and spray
powder.
Antique Paper
Roughest finish offered on offset
paper.
Aqueous Coating
Coating in a water base and applied
like ink by a printing press to protect and enhance the
printing underneath.
Artwork
All original copy, including type,
photos and illustrations, intended for printing. Also
called art.
Author's Alterations (AA's)
At the proofing stage, changes
that the client requests to be made concerning original
art provided. AA's are considered an additional cost to
the client usually.
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B
Back Up
(1) To print on the second side
of a sheet already printed on one side. (2) To adjust
an image on one side of a sheet so that it aligns back-to-back
with an image on the other side.
Base Art
Copy pasted up on the mounting
oard of a mechanical, as compared to overlay art. Also
called base mechanical.
Base Negative
Negative made by photographing
base art.
Basic Size
The standard size of sheets of
paper used to calculate basis weight in the United States
and Canada.
Basis Weight
In the United States and Canada,
the weight, in pounds, of a ream (500 sheets) of paper
cut to the basic size. Also called ream weight and substance
weight (sub weight). In countries using ISO paper sizes,
the weight, in grams, of one square meter of paper. Also
called grammage and ream weight.
Bind
Usually in the book arena, but
not exclusively, the joining of leafs or signatures together
with either wire, glue or other means.
Bindery
Usually a department within a printing
company responsible for collating, folding and trimming
various printing projects.
Blank
Category of paperboard ranging
in thickness from 15 to 48 points.
Blanket
Rubber-coated pad, mounted on a
cylinder of an offset press, that receives the inked image
from the plate and transfers it to the surface to be printed.
Bleed
Printing that extends to the edge
of a sheet or page after trimming.
Blind Folio
A page number not printed on the
page. (In the book arena, a blank page traditionally does
not print a page number.)
Blind Image
Image debossed, embossed or stamped,
but not printed with ink or foil.
Blocking
Sticking together of printed sheets
causing damage when the surfaces are separated.
Blow-Up
An enlargement, usually used with
graphic images or photographs
Blueline
Prepress photographic proof made
from stripped negatives where all colors show as blue
images on white paper. Because 'blueline' is a generic
term for proofs made from a variety of materials having
identical purposes and similar appearances, it may also
be called a blackprint, blue, blueprint, brownline, brownprint,
diazo, dyeline, ozalid, position proof, silverprint, Dylux
and VanDyke.
Blurb
A description or commentary of
an author or book content positioned on the book jacket.
Board Paper
General term for paper over 110#
index, 80# cover or 200 gsm that is commonly used for
products such as file folders, displays and post cards.
Also called paperboard.
Body
The main text of work not including
the headlines.
Boiler Plate
Blocks of repetitive type used
and copied over and over again.
Bond paper
Category of paper commonly used
for writing, printing and photocopying. Also called business
paper, communication paper, correspondence paper and writing
paper.
Book Block
Folded signatures gathered, sewn
and trimmed, but not yet covered.
Book Paper
Category of paper suitable for
books, magazines, catalogs, advertising and general printing
needs. Book paper is divided into uncoated paper (also
called offset paper), coated paper (also called art paper,
enamel paper, gloss paper and slick paper) and text paper.
Border
The decorative design or rule surrounding
matter on a page.
Bounce
(1) a repeating registration problem
in the printing stage of production. (2) Customer unhappy
with the results of a printing project and refuses to
accept the project.
Bristol Paper
General term referring to paper
6 points or thicker with basis weight between 90# and
200# (200-500 gsm). Used for products such as index cards,
file folders and displays.
Broadside
The term used to indicate work
printed on one of a large sheet of paper.
Bromide
A photographic print created on
bromide paper.
Broken Carton
Carton of paper from which some
of the sheets have been sold. Also called less carton.
Bronzing
The effect produced by dusting
wet ink after printing and using a metallic powder.
Build a Color
To overlap two or more screen tints
to create a new color. Such an overlap is called a build,
color build, stacked screen build or tint build.
Bulk
Thickness of paper relative to
its basic weight.
Bullet
A dot or similar marking to emphasize
text.
Burst Perfect Bind
To bind by forcing glue into notches
along the spines of gathered signatures before affixing
a paper cover. Also called burst bind, notch bind and
slotted bind.
Butt Register
Register where ink colors meet
precisely without overlapping or allowing space between,
as compared to lap register. Also called butt fit and
kiss register.
Buy Out
To subcontract for a service that
is closely related to the business of the organization.
Also called farm out. Work that is bought out or farmed
out is sometimes called outwork or referred to as being
out of house.
GO TO TOP OF PAGE
C
C1S and C2S
Abbreviations for coated one side
and coated two sides.
Calender
To make the surface of paper smooth
by pressing it between rollers during manufacturing.
Caliper
(1) Thickness of paper or other
substrate expressed in thousandths of an inch (mils or
points), pages per inch (ppi), thousandths of a millimeter
(microns) or pages per centimeter (ppc). (2) Device on
a sheetfed press that detects double sheets or on a binding
machine that detects missing signatures or inserts.
Camera-ready Copy
Mechanicals, photographs and art
fully prepared for reproduction according to the technical
requirements of the printing process being used. Also
called finished art and reproduction copy.
Camera Service
Business using a process camera
to make photostats, halftones, plates and other elements
for printing. Also called prep service and trade camera
service.
Carbonless Paper
Paper coated with chemicals that
enable transfer of images from one sheet to another with
pressure from writing or typing.
Carload
Selling unit of paper that may
weigh anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 pounds (9,090 to
45, 454 kilos), depending on which mill or merchant uses
the term. Abbreviated CL.
Carton
Selling unit of paper weighing
approximately 150 pounds (60 kilos). A carton can contain
anywhere from 500 to 5,000 sheets, depending on the size
of sheets and their basis weight.
Case
Covers and spine that, as a unit,
enclose the pages of a casebound book.
Case Bind
To bind using glue to hold signatures
to a case made of binder board covered with fabric, plastic
or leather. Also called cloth bind, edition bind, hard
bind and hard cover.
Cast-coated Paper
High gloss, coated paper made by
pressing the paper against a polished, hot, metal drum
while the coating is still wet.
Catalog Paper
Coated paper rated #4 or #5 with
basis weight from 35# to 50# (50 to 75 gsm) commonly used
for catalogs and magazines.
Chain Dot
(1) Alternate term for elliptical
dot, so called because midtone dots touch at two points,
so look like links in a chain. (2) Generic term for any
midtone dots whose corners touch.
Chain Lines
(1) Widely spaced lines in laid
paper. (2) Blemishes on printed images caused by tracking.
Chalking
Deterioration of a printed image
caused by ink that absorbs into paper too fast or has
long exposure to sun, and wind making printed images look
dusty. Also called crocking.
Check Copy
(1) Production copy of a publication
verified by the customer as printed, finished and bound
correctly. (2) One set of gathered book signatures approved
by the customer as ready for binding.
Choke
Technique of slightly reducing
the size of an image to create a hairline trap or to outline.
Also called shrink and skinny.
Chrome
Strength of a color as compared
to how close it seems to neutral gray. Also called depth,
intensity, purity and saturation.
Close Up
A mark used to indicate closing
space between characters or words. Usually used in proofing
stages.
CMYK
Abbreviation for cyan, magenta,
yellow and key (black), the four process colors.
Coarse Screen
Halftone screen with ruling of
65, 85 or 100 lines per inch (26, 34 or 40 lines centimeter).
Coated Paper
Paper with a coating of clay and
other substances that improves reflectivity and ink holdout.
Mills produce coated paper in the four major categories
cast, gloss, dull and matte.
Collate
To organize printed matter in a
specific order as requested.
Collating Marks
Mostly in the book arena, specific
marks on the back of signatures indicating exact position
in the collating stage.
Color Balance
Refers to amounts of process colors
that simulate the colors of the original scene or photograph.
Color Blanks
Press sheets printed with photos
or illustrations, but without type. Also called shells.
Color Break
In multicolor printing, the point,
line or space at which one ink color stops and another
begins. Also called break for color.
Color Cast
Unwanted color affecting an entire
image or portion of an image.
Color Control Bar
Strip of small blocks of color
on a proof or press sheet to help evaluate features such
as density and dot gain. Also called color bar, color
guide and standard offset color bar.
Color Correct
To adjust the relationship among
the process colors to achieve desirable colors.
Color Curves
Instructions in computer software
that allow users to change or correct colors. Also called
HLS and HVS tables.
Color Electronic Prepress System
Computer, scanner, printer and
other hardware and software designed for image assembly,
color correction, retouching and output onto proofing
materials, film or printing plates. Abbreviated CEPS.
Color Gamut
The entire range of hues possible
to reproduce using a specific device, such as a computer
screen, or system, such as four-color process printing.
Color Key
Brand name for an overlay color
proof. Sometimes used as a generic term for any overlay
color proof.
Color Model
Way of categorizing and describing
the infinite array of colors found in nature.
Color Separation
(1) Technique of using a camera,
scanner or computer to divide continuous-tone color images
into four halftone negatives. (2) The product resulting
from color separating and subsequent four-color process
printing. Also called separation.
Color Sequence
Order in which inks are printed.
Also called laydown sequence and rotation.
Color Shift
Change in image color resulting
from changes in register, ink densities or dot gain during
four-color process printing.
Color Transparency
Film (transparent) used as art
to perform color separations.
Comb Bind
To bind by inserting the teeth
of a flexible plastic comb through holes punched along
the edge of a stack of paper. Also called plastic bind
and GBC bind (a brand name).
Commercial Printer
Printer producing a wide range
of products such as announcements, brochures, posters,
booklets, stationery, business forms, books and magazines.
Also called job printer because each job is different.
Complementary Flat(s)
The second or additional flat(s)
used when making composite film or for two or more burns
on one printing plate.
Composite Art
Mechanical on which copy for reproduction
in all colors appears on only one surface, not separated
onto overlays. Composite art has a tissue overlay with
instructions that indicate color breaks.
Composite Film
Film made by combining images from
two or more pieces of working film onto one film for making
one plate.
Composite Proof
Proof of color separations in position
with graphics and type. Also called final proof, imposition
proof and stripping proof.
Composition
(1) In typography, the assembly
of typographic elements, such as words and paragraphs,
into pages ready for printing. (2) In graphic design,
the arrangement of type, graphics and other elements on
the page.
Comprehensive Dummy
Simulation of a printed piece complete
with type, graphics and colors. Also called color comprehensive
and comp.
Condition
To keep paper in the pressroom
for a few hours or days before printing so that its moisture
level and temperature equal that in the pressroom. Also
called cure, mature and season.
Contact Platemaker
Device with lights, timing mechanism
and vacuum frame used to make contact prints, duplicate
film, proofs and plates. Also called platemaker and vacuum
frame.
Continuous-tone Copy
All photographs and those illustrations
having a range of shades not made up of dots, as compared
to line copy or halftones. Abbreviated contone.
Contrast
The degree of tones in an image
ranging from highlight to shadow.
Converter
Business that makes products such
as boxes, bags, envelopes and displays.
Copyboard
Surface or frame on a process camera
that holds copy in position to be photographed.
Cover
Thick paper that protects a publication
and advertises its title. Parts of covers are often described
as follows: Cover 1=outside front; Cover 2=inside front;
Cover 3=inside back, Cover 4=outside back.
Coverage
Extent to which ink covers the
surface of a substrate. Ink coverage is usually expressed
as light, medium or heavy.
Cover Paper
Category of thick paper used for
products such as posters, menus, folders and covers of
paperback books.
Crash
Coarse cloth embedded in the glue
along the spine of a book to increase strength of binding.
Also called gauze, mull and scrim.
Creep
Phenomenon of middle pages of a
folded signature extending slightly beyond outside pages.
Also called feathering, outpush, push out and thrust.
See also Shingling.
Crop Marks
Lines near the edges of an image
indicating portions to be reproduced. Also called cut
marks and tic marks.
Crossover
Type or art that continues from
one page of a book or magazine across the gutter to the
opposite page. Also called bridge, gutter bleed and gutter
jump.
Cure
To dry inks, varnishes or other
coatings after printing to ensure good adhesion and prevent
setoff.
Customer Service Representative
Employee of a printer, service
bureau, separator or other business who coordinates projects
and keeps customers informed. Abbreviated CSR.
Cutoff
Circumference of the impression
cylinder of a web press, therefore also the length of
the printed sheet that the press cuts from the roll of
paper.
Cut Sizes
Paper sizes used with office machines
and small presses.
Cutting Machine
A machine that cuts stacks of paper
to desired sizes. The machine can also be used in scoring
or creasing.
Cutting Die
Usually a custom ordered item to
trim specific and unusual sized printing projects.
CWT
Abbreviation for hundredweight
using the Roman numeral C=100.
Cyan
One of the four process colors.
Also known as process blue.
GO TO TOP OF PAGE
D
Data Compression
Technique of reducing the amount
of storage required to hold a digital file to reduce the
disk space the file requires and allow it to be processed
or transmitted more quickly.
Deboss
To press an image into paper so
it lies below the surface. Also called tool.
Deckle Edge
Edge of paper left ragged as it
comes from the papermaking machine instead of being cleanly
cut. Also called feather edge.
Densitometer
Instrument used to measure density.
Reflection densitometers measure light reflected from
paper and other surfaces; transmission densitometers measure
light transmitted through film and other materials.
Density
(1) Regarding ink, the relative
thickness of a layer of printed ink. (2) Regarding color,
the relative ability of a color to absorb light reflected
from it or block light passing through it. (3) Regarding
paper, the relative tightness or looseness of fibers.
Density Range
Difference between the darkest
and lightest areas of copy. Also called contrast ratio,
copy range and tonal range.
Desktop Publishing
Technique of using a personal computer
to design images and pages, and assemble type and graphics,
then using a laser printer or imagesetter to output the
assembled pages onto paper, film or printing plate. Abbreviated
DTP.
Device Independent Colors
Hules identified by wavelength
or by their place in systems such as developed by CIE.
'Device independent' means a color can be described and
specified without regard to whether it is reproduced using
ink, projected light, photographic chemistry or any other
method.
Die
Device for cutting, scoring, stamping,
embossing and debossing.
Die Cut
To cut irregular shapes in paper
or paperboard using a die.
Digital Proofing
Page proofs produced through electronic
memory transferred onto paper via laser or ink-jet.
Diffusion Transfer
Chemical process of reproducing
line copy and making halftone positives ready for paste-up.
Digital Dot
Dot created by a computer and printed
out by a laser printer or imagesetter. Digital dots are
uniform in size, as compared to halftone dots that vary
in size.
Direct Digital Color Proof
Color proof made by a laser, ink
jet printer or other computer-controlled device without
needing to make separation films first. Abbreviated DDCP.
Dog Ear
A letter fold at the side of one
of the creases, an indentation occurs.
Dot Gain
Phenomenon of halftone dots printing
larger on paper than they are on films or plates, reducing
detail and lowering contrast. Also called dot growth,
dot spread and press gain.
Dot Size
Relative size of halftone dots
as compared to dots of the screen ruling being used. There
is no unit of measurement to express dot size. Dots are
too large, too small or correct only in comparison to
what the viewer finds attractive.
Dots-per-inch
Measure of resolution of input
devices such as scanners, display devices such as monitors,
and output devices such as laser printers, imagesetters
and monitors. Abbreviated DPI. Also called dot pitch.
Double Black Duotone
Duotone printed from two halftones,
one shot for highlights and the other shot for midtones
and shadows.
Double Bump
To print a single image twice so
it has two layers of ink.
Double Burn
To expose film or a plate twice
to different negatives and thus create a composite image.
Double Density
A method of recording electronically
(disk, CD, floppy) using a modified frequency to allow
more data storage.
Double Dot Halftone
Halftone double burned onto one
plate from two halftones, one shot for shadows, the second
shot for midtones and highlights.
Doubling
Printing defect appearing as blurring
or shadowing of the image. Doubling may be caused by problems
with paper, cylinder alignment, blanket pressures or dirty
cylinders.
DPI
Considered as "dots per square
inch," a measure of output resolution in relationship
to printers, imagesetters and monitors.
Drawdown
Sample of inks specified for a
job applied to the substrate specified for a job. Also
called pulldown.
Drill
In the printing arena, to drill
a whole in a printed matter.
Dropout
Halftone dots or fine lines eliminated
from highlights by overexposure during camera work.
Dropout Halftone
Halftone in which contrast has
been increased by eliminating dots from highlights.
Dry Back
Phenomenon of printed ink colors
becoming less dense as the ink dries.
Dry Offset
Using metal plates in the printing
process, which are etched to .15mm (.0006 in) creating
a right reading plate, printed on the offset blanket transferring
to paper without the use of water.
Dry Trap
To print over dry ink, as compared
to wet trap.
Dual-purpose Bond Paper
Bond paper suitable for printing
by either lithography (offset) or xerography (photocopy).
Abbreviated DP bond paper.
Dull Finish
Flat (not glossy) finish on coated
paper; slightly smoother than matte. Also called suede
finish, velour finish and velvet finish.
Dummy
Simulation of the final product.
Also called mockup.
Duotone
Black-and-white photograph reproduced
using two halftone negatives, each shot to emphasize different
tonal values in the original.
Duplex Paper
Thick paper made by pasting highlights
together two thinner sheets, usually of different colors.
Also called double-faced paper and two-tone paper.
Duplicator
Offset press made for quick printing.
Dylux
Brand name for photographic paper
used to make blue line proofs. Often used as alternate
term for blueline.
GO TO TOP OF PAGE
E
Electronic Front End (Electronic
Composition)
General term referring to a prepress
system based on computers.
Electronic Image Assembly
Assembly of a composite image from
portions of other images and/or other page elements using
a computer.
Electronic Mechanical
Mechanical exclusively in electronic
files.
Electronic Publishing
(1) Publishing by printing with
device, such as a photocopy machine or ink jet printer,
driven by a computer that can change the image instantly
from one copy to the next. (2) Publishing via output on
fax, computer bulletin board or other electronic medium,
as compared to output on paper.
Emboss
To press an image into paper so
it lies above the surface. Also called cameo and tool.
Emulsion
Casting of light-sensitive chemicals
on papers, films, printing plates and stencils.
Emulsion Down/Emulsion Up
Film whose emulsion side faces
down (away from the viewer) or up (toward the viewer)
when ready to make a plate or stencil. Abbreviated ED,
EU. Also called E up/down and face down/face up.
Encapsulated PostScript file
Computer file containing both images
and PostScript commands. Abbreviated EPS file.
End Sheet
Sheet that attaches the inside
pages of a case bound book to its cover. Also called pastedown
or end papers.
English Finish
Smooth finish on uncoated book
paper; smoother than eggshell, rougher than smooth.
Engraving
Printing method using a plate,
also called a die, with an image cut into its surface.
EP
Abbreviation for envelope.
EPS
Encapsulated Post Script, a known
file format usually used to transfer post script information
from one program to another.
Equivalent Paper
Paper that is not the brand specified,
but looks, prints and may cost the same. . Also called
comparable stock.
Estimate
Price that states what a job will
probably cost. Also called bid, quotation and tender.
Estimator
The individual performing or creating
the "estimate."
Etch
To use chemicals to carve an image
into metal, glass or film.
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F
Face
Edge of a bound publication opposite
the spine. Also called foredge. Also, an abbreviation
for typeface referring to a family of a general style.
Fake Duotone
Halftone in one ink color printed
over screen tint of a second ink color. Also called dummy
duotone, dougraph, duplex halftone, false duotone, flat
tint halftone and halftone with screen.
Fast Color Inks
Inks with colors that retain their
density and resist fading as the product is used and washed.
Feeding Unit
Component of a printing press that
moves paper into the register unit.
Felt Finish
Soft woven pattern in text paper.
Felt Side
Side of the paper that was not
in contact with the Fourdrinier wire during papermaking,
as compared to wire side.
Fifth Color
Ink color used in addition to the
four needed by four-color process.
Film Gauge
Thickness of film. The most common
gauge for graphic arts film is 0.004 inch (0.1 mm).
Film Laminate
Thin sheet of plastic bonded to
a printed product for protection or increased gloss.
Fine Papers
Papers made specifically for writing
or commercial printing, as compared to coarse papers and
industrial papers. Also called cultural papers and graphic
papers.
Fine Screen
Screen with ruling of 150 lines
per inch (80 lines per centimeter) or more.
Finish
(1) Surface characteristics of
paper. (2) General term for trimming, folding, binding
and all other post press operations.
Finished Size
Size of product after production
is completed, as compared to flat size. Also called trimmed
size.
Fit
Refers to ability of film to be
registered during stripping and assembly. Good fit means
that all images register to other film for the same job.
Fixed Costs
Costs that remain the same regardless
of how many pieces are printed. Copyrighting, photography
and design are fixed costs.
Flat Color
(1) Any color created by printing
only one ink, as compared to a color created by printing
four-color process. Also called block color and spot color.
(2) color that seems weak or lifeless.
Flat Plan (Flats)
Diagram of the flats for a publication
showing imposition and indicating colors.
Flat Size
Size of product after printing
and trimming, but before folding, as compared to finished
size.
Flexography
Method of printing on a web press
using rubber or plastic plates with raised images. Also
called aniline printing because flexographic inks originally
used aniline dyes. Abbreviated flexo.
Flood
To print a sheet completely with
an ink or varnish. flooding with ink is also called painting
the sheet.
Flush Cover
Cover trimmed to the same size
as inside pages, as compared to overhang cover. Also called
cut flush
Flyleaf
Leaf, at the front and back of
a casebound book that is the one side of the end paper
not glued to the case.
Fogging Back
Used in making type more legible
by lowering density of an image, while allowing the image
to show through.
Foil Emboss
To foil stamp and emboss an image.
Also called heat stamp.
Foil Stamp
Method of printing that releases
foil from its backing when stamped with the heated die.
Also called block print, hot foil stamp and stamp.
Folder
A bindery machine dedicated to
folding printed materials.
Fold Marks
With printed matter, markings indicating
where a fold is to occur, usually located at the top edges.
Foldout
Gatefold sheet bound into a publication,
often used for a map or chart. Also called gatefold and
pullout.
Folio (page number)
The actual page number in a publication.
Form
Each side of a signature. Also
spelled forme.
Format
Size, style, shape, layout or organization
of a layout or printed product.
Form bond
Lightweight bond, easy to perforate,
made for business forms. Also called register bond.
Form Roller(s)
Roller(s) that come in contact
with the printing plate, bringing it ink or water.
For Position Only
Refers to inexpensive copies of
photos or art used on mechanical to indicate placement
and scaling, but not intended for reproduction. Abbreviated
FPO.
Forwarding
In the case book arena, the binding
process which involves folding, rounding, backing, headbanding
and reinforcing.
Fountain
Trough or container, on a printing
press, that holds fluids such as ink, varnish or water.
Also called duct.
Fountain Solution
Mixture of water and chemicals
that dampens a printing plate to prevent ink from adhering
to the nonimage area. Also called dampener solution.
Four-color Process Printing
Technique of printing that uses
black, magenta, cyan and yellow to simulate full-color
images. Also called color process printing, full color
printing and process printing.
Free Sheet
Paper made from cooked wood fibers
mixed with chemicals and washed free of impurities, as
compared to groundwood paper. Also called woodfree paper.
French Fold
A printed sheet, printed one side
only, folded with two right angle folds to form a four
page uncut section.
Full-range Halftone
Halftone ranging from 0 percent
coverage in its highlights to 100 percent coverage in
its shadows.
Full-scale Black
Black separation made to have dots
throughout the entire tonal range of the image, as compared
to half-scale black and skeleton black. Also called full-range
black.
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G
Galley Proof
Proof of type from any Source,
whether metal type or photo type. Also called checker
and slip proof.
Gang
(1) To halftone or separate more
than one image in only one exposure. (2) To reproduce
two or more different printed products simultaneously
on one sheet of paper during one press run. Also called
combination run.
Gate Fold
A sheet that folds where both sides
fold toward the gutter in overlapping layers.
Gathered
Signatures assembled next to each
other in the proper sequence for binding, as compared
to nested. Also called stacked.
Ghost Halftone
Normal halftone whose density has
been reduced to produce a very faint image.
Ghosting
(1) Phenomenon of a faint image
appearing on a printed sheet where it was not intended
to appear. Chemical ghosting refers to the transfer of
the faint image from the front of one sheet to the back
of another sheet. Mechanical ghosting refers to the faint
image appearing as a repeat of an image on the same side
of the sheet. (2) Phenomenon of printed image appearing
too light because of ink starvation.
Gilding
Mostly in the book arena, gold
leafing the edges of a book.
Gloss
Consider the light reflecting on
various objects in the printing industry (e.g., paper,
ink, laminates, UV coating, varnish).
Gloss Ink
Ink used and printed on coated
stock (mostly litho and letterpress) such as the ink will
dry without penetration.
Grade
General term used to distinguish
between or among printing papers, but whose specific meaning
depends on context. Grade can refer to the category, class,
rating, finish or brand of paper.
Graduated Screen Tint
Screen tint that changes densities
gradually and smoothly, not in distinct steps. Also called
degrade, gradient, ramped screen and vignette.
Grain Direction
Predominant direction in which
fibers in paper become aligned during manufacturing. Also
called machine direction.
Grain Long Paper
Paper whose fibers run parallel
to the long dimension of the sheet. Also called long grain
paper and narrow web paper.
Grain Short Paper
Paper whose fibers run parallel
to the short dimension of the sheet. Also called short
grain paper and wide web paper.
Grammage
Basis weight of paper in grams
per square meter (gsm).
Graphic Arts
The crafts, industries and professions
related to designing and printing on paper and other substrates.
Graphic Arts Film
Film whose emulsion yields high
contrast images suitable for reproduction by a printing
press, as compared to continuous-tone film. Also called
litho film and repro film.
Graphic Design
Arrangement of type and visual
elements along with specifications for paper, ink colors
and printing processes that, when combined, convey a visual
message.
Graphics
Visual elements that supplement
type to make printed messages more clear or interesting.
Gravure
Method of printing using metal
cylinders etched with millions of tiny wells that hold
ink.
Gray Balance
Printed cyan, magenta and yellow
halftone dots that accurately, reproduce a neutral gray
image.
Gray Component Replacement
Technique of replacing gray tones
in the yellow, cyan and magenta films, made while color
separating, with black ink. Abbreviated GCR. Also called
achromatic color removal.
Gray Levels
Number of distinct gray tones that
can be reproduced by a computer.
Gray Scale
Strip of gray values ranging from
white to black. Used by process camera and scanner operators
to calibrate exposure times for film and plates. Also
called step wedge.
Grind Edge
Alternate term for binding edge
when referring to perfect bound products.
Grindoff
Approximately 1/8 inch (3 mm) along
the spine that is ground off gathered signatures before
perfect binding.
Gripper Edge
Edge of a sheet held by grippers
on a sheetfed press, thus going first through the press.
Also called feeding edge and leading edge.
Groundwood Paper
Newsprint and other inexpensive
paper made from pulp created when wood chips are ground
mechanically rather than refined chemically.
GSM
The unit of measurement for paper
weight (grams per square meter).
Gutter
In the book arena, the inside margins
toward the back or the binding edges.
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H
Hairline (Rule)
Subjective term referring to very
small space, thin line or close register. The meaning
depends on who is using the term and in what circumstances.
Half-scale Black
Black separation made to have dots
only in the shadows and midtones, as compared to full-scale
black and skeleton black.
Halftone
(1) To photograph or scan a continuous
tone image to convert the image into halftone dots. (2)
A photograph or continuous-tone illustration that has
been halftoned and appears on film, paper, printing plate
or the final printed product.
Halftone Screen
Piece of film or glass containing
a grid of lines that breaks light into dots. Also called
contact screen and screen.
Halo Effect
Faint shadow sometimes surrounding
halftone dots printed. Also called halation. The halo
itself is also called a fringe.
Hard Dots
Halftone dots with no halos or
soft edges, as compared to soft dots.
Hard Mechanical
Mechanical consisting of paper
and/or acetate and made using paste-up techniques, as
compared to electronic mechanical.
Head(er)
At the top of a page, the margin.
Head-to-tail
Imposition with heads (tops) of
pages facing tails (bottoms) of other pages.
Heat-set Web
Web press equipped with an oven
to dry ink, thus able to print coated paper.
Hickey
Spot or imperfection in printing,
most visible in areas of heavy ink coverage, caused by
dirt on the plate or blanket. Also called bulls eye and
fish eye.
High-fidelity Color
Color reproduced using six, eight
or twelve separations, as compared to four-color process.
High-key Photo
Photo whose most important details
appear in the highlights.
Highlights
Lightest portions of a photograph
or halftone, as compared to midtones and shadows.
Hinged Cover
Perfect bound cover scored 1/8
inch (3mm) from the spine so it folds at the hinge instead
of, along the edge of the spine.
HLS
Abbreviation for hue, lightness,
saturation, one of the color-control options often found
in software, for design and page assembly. Also called
HVS.
Hot Spot
Printing defect caused when a piece
of dirt or an air bubble caused incomplete draw-down during
contact platemaking, leaving an area of weak ink coverage
or visible dot gain.
House Sheet
Paper kept in stock by a printer
and suitable for a variety of printing jobs. Also called
floor sheet.
Hue
A specific color such as yellow
or green.
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I
Image Area
The actual area on the printed
matter that is not restricted to ink coverage,
Imagesetter
Laser output device using photosensitive
paper or film.
Imposition
Arrangement of pages on mechanicals
or flats so they will appear in proper sequence after
press sheets are folded and bound.
Impression
(1) Referring to an ink color,
one impression equals one press sheet passing once through
a printing unit. (2) Referring to speed of a press, one
impression equals one press sheet passing once through
the press.
Impression Cylinder
Cylinder, on a press, that pushes
paper against the plate or blanket, thus forming the image.
Also called impression roller.
Imprint
To print new copy on a previously
printed sheet, such as imprinting an employee's name on
business cards. Also called surprint.
Ink Balance
Relationship of the densities and
dot gains of process inks to each other and to a standard
density of neutral gray
Ink Fountain
Reservoir, on a printing press,
that holds ink.
Ink Holdout
Characteristic of paper that prevents
it from absorbing ink, thus allowing ink to dry on the
surface of the paper. Also called holdout.
Ink Jet Printing
Method of printing by spraying
droplets of ink through computer-controlled nozzles. Also
called jet printing.
Inner Form
Form (side of the press sheet)
whose images all appear inside the folded signature, as
compared to outer form.
In-Plant Printer
Department of an agency, business
or association that does printing for a parent organization.
Also called captive printer and in-house printer.
Inserts
Within a publication, an additional
item positioned into the publication loose (not bound
in).
Intaglio Printing
Printing method whose image carriers
are surfaces with two levels, having inked areas lower
than noninked areas. Gravure and engraving are the most
common forms of intaglio. Also called recess printing.
Integral Proof
Color proof of separations shown
on one piece of proofing paper, as compared to an overlay
proof. Also called composition proof, laminate proof,
plastic proof and single-sheet proof.
Interleaves
Printed pages loosely inserted
in a publication.
ISBN
A number assigned to a published
work and usually found either on the title page or the
back of the title page. Considered an International Standard
Book Number.
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J
Job Lot Paper
Paper that didn't meet specifications
when produced, has been discontinued, or for other reasons
is no longer considered first quality.
Job Number
A number assigned to a specific
printing project in a printing company for use in tracking
and historical record keeping.
Job Ticket
Form used by service bureaus, separators
and printers to specify production schedule of a job and
the materials it needs. Also called docket, production
order and work order.
Jogger
A vibration machine with a slopping
platform to even-up stacks of printed materials.
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K
K
Abbreviation for black in four-color
process printing. Hence the 'K' in CMYK.
Key
(1) The screw that controls ink
flow from the ink fountain of a printing press. (2) To
relate loose pieces of copy to their positions on a layout
or mechanical using a system of numbers or letters. (3)
Alternate term for the color black, as in 'key plate.'
Keylines
Lines on a mechanical or negative
showing the exact size, shape and location of photographs
or other graphic elements. Also called holding lines.
Key Negative or Plate
Negative or plate that prints the
most detail, thus whose image guides the register of images
from other plates. Also called key printer.
Kiss Die Cut
To die cut the top layer, but not
the backing layer, of self-adhesive paper. Also called
face cut.
Kiss Impression
Lightest possible impression that
will transfer ink to a Substrate.
Kraft Paper
Strong paper used for wrapping
and to make grocery bags and large envelopes.
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L
Laid Finish
Finish on bond or text paper on
which grids of parallel lines simulate the surface of
handmade paper. Laid lines are close together and run
against the grain; chain lines are farther apart and run
with the grain.
Laminate
A thin transparent plastic sheet
(coating) applied to usually a thick stock (covers, post
cards, etc.) providing protection against liquid and heavy
use, and usually accents existing color, providing a glossy
(or lens) effect.
Landscape
Artist style in which width is
greater than height. (Portrait is opposite.)
Lap Register
Register where ink colors overlap
slightly, as compared to butt register.
Laser Bond
Bond paper made especially smooth
and dry to run well through laser printers.
Laser-imprintable Ink
Ink that will not fade or blister
as the paper on which it is printed is used in a laser
printer.
Lay Flat Bind
Method of perfect binding that
allows a publication to lie fully open. (Also known as
Lay Flat Perfect Binding.)
Lay Edge
The edge of a sheet of paper feeding
into a press.
Layout
A sample of the original providing
(showing) position of printed work (direction, instructions)
needed and desired.
Leading
Amount of space between lines of
type.
Leaf
One sheet of paper in a publication.
Each side of a leaf is one page.
Ledger Paper
Strong, smooth bond paper used
for keeping business records. Also called record paper.
Letter fold
Two folds creating three panels
that allow a sheet of letterhead to fit a business envelope.
Also called barrel fold and wrap around fold.
Letter Paper
In North America, 8 1/2' x 11'
sheets. In Europe, A4 sheets.
Legend
Directions about a specific matter
(illustrations) and how to use. In regard to maps and
tables, an explanation of signs (symbols) used.
Letterpress
Method of printing from raised
surfaces, either metal type or plates whose surfaces have
been etched away from image areas. Also called block printing.
Lightweight Paper
Book paper with basis weight less
than 40# (60 gsm).
Lignin
Substance in trees that holds cellulose
fibers together. Free sheet has most lignin removed; groundwood
paper contains lignin.
Line Copy
Any high-contrast image, including
type, as compared to continuous-tone copy. Also called
line art and line work.
Line Negative
Negative made from line copy.
Linen Finish
Embossed finish on text paper that
simulates the pattern of linen cloth.
Lithography
Method of printing using plates
whose image areas attract ink and whose nonimage areas
repel ink. Nonimage areas may be coated with water to
repel the oily ink or may have a surface, such as silicon,
that repels ink.
Live Area
Area on a mechanical within which
images will print. Also called safe area.
Logo (Logotype)
A company, partnership or corporate
creation (design) that denotes a unique entity. A possible
combination of letters and art work to create a "sole"
entity symbol of that specific unit.
Looseleaf
Binding method allowing insertion
and removal of pages in a publication (e.g., trim-4-drill-3).
Loose Proof
Proof of a halftone or color separation
that is not assembled with other elements from a page,
as compared to composite proof. Also called first proof,
random proof, scatter proof and show-color proof.
Loupe
Lens built into a small stand.
Used to inspect copy, film, proofs, plates and printing.
Also called glass and linen tester.
Low Key Photo
Photo whose most important details
appear in the shadows.
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