| A |
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| Absorption |
In paper, the property which causes it to take up liquids
or vapors in contact with it. |
| Additional Color |
Color added to the four primary colours for printing,
used in direct tint. |
| Additive Primaries |
Red, green and blue are the primary colors of light
from which all other colours can be made. |
| Against The Grain |
Folding or feeding paper at right angles to the grain
direction of the paper. |
| Aliasing |
Visibly jagged steps along angled or object edges,
due to sharp tonal contrasts between pixels. |
| Alterations |
Changes made in text copy or art after a job has been
set in type or shot and proofs have been pulled for checking. |
| Application File Format |
When a document is created using desktop publishing
software, the resulting files or files are typically saved to the
computer's hard disk. This file is said to be in an Application File
Format. This format is unique to the software used and enables the
user to continue to work with the document. |
| Apron |
White space added to margins of text area on a page
to accommodate a foldout. |
| Archive |
When referring to electronic archiving, it means the
ability to electronically store documents for future electronic, on-demand
printing. The files are commonly stored in a print ready format and
are not accessible for editing. However, changes to the stored document
can be incorporated by replacing pages or entire sections with updated
pages. |
| Artwork |
Illustrations, drawings, photographs, renderings, paintings,
sketches, or copy of any kind - except text copy - that is being prepared
or used for reproduction. |
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| B |
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| Bindery |
The phase of the print job in which the job is finished
- that is, where the printed sheet is manipulated into its final format
by such processes as folding, stitching, gluing, and cutting. |
| Bindery Operations |
Operations normally performed after press operations.
Such operations may include punching, fastening, drilling, folding,
trimming, slitting, numbering and affixing. |
| Bit Depth |
The number of bits used to represent each pixel in
an image to determine its colour or tone. |
| Bit Map |
In computer imaging, the electronic representation
of a page, indicating the position of every possible spot (zero or
none). |
| Bitmapped (Rasterized) Image |
A graphic or character represented by pixels or dots
that display the graphic's light or dark spots arranged horizontally
and vertically. Each pixel is indicated as a 1 (dark spot) or a 0
(light spot) to the computer in binary code. |
| Black Point |
A reference point that defines the darkest area in
an image, causing all other areas to be adjusted accordingly. |
| Blanket |
A covering on the printing cylinder of an offset press.
The blanket receives the impression from the plate and transfers it
to the paper. Since the blanket acts as a transfer agent, it will
have a "mirror" image of the images on the plate and substrate. |
| Blanket-to-Blanket press |
In offset printing, a configuration in which a continuous
web of paper is fed between two blanket cylinders, printing both sides
at once. Also called a perfecting press. |
| Bleed |
That part of the image which extends beyond the trim-line
of the page (i.e., the printed matter designed to run off the edge
of the paper). Illustrations which spread to the edge of the page
and allow no margins are described as bled-off. |
| Blow Up |
A photographic enlargement. |
| Bottom Printing |
Printing on the underside of translucent film or paper,
so the design reads through the top. |
| Browser |
A software application that permits browsing, retrieval
and viewing of content on the Internet, World Wide Web and intranets. |
| Bulk |
The degree of thickness of paper. In book printing,
the number of pages per inch for a given basis weight. |
| Burn |
In platemaking, a common term used for a plate exposure. |
| Byte |
A measurement unit equal to 8 bits of digital information. |
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| C |
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| CD-ROM |
Acronym for Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory. A CD-ROM
drive uses the CD format as a computer storage medium. |
| Centerfold/spread |
Facing pages in the center of a section. Center spreads
are also called naturals. |
| Clipping |
The conversion of all tones lighter than a specified
grey level to white, or darker than a specified grey level to black,
causing loss of detail. This also applies to individual channels in
a color image. |
| Coated |
Term used to describe paper or board that has a top
layer of china clay (a mineral) to give a smooth finish. Coated stock
reproduces a sharper dot that uncoated substrates (i.e., paper) and
usually has a higher level of gloss. Glossy magazines, for example,
are printed on coated paper. Also known as enamel paper or surface
paper. |
| Coated Paper |
Paper or board covered with a mat or brilliant shiny
effect to get a better print. |
| Coating |
In printing, an emulsion, varnish or lacquer applied
over a printed surface to protect it. |
| Cold Color |
In printing, a color with a bluish cast. |
| Cold-Set Ink |
A solid ink that, when used on a "hot press"
(one that has a heated cylinder), melts into a liquid that then solidifies
on contact with the paper. |
| Collate |
To organize, gather and assemble the various parts
of a printed piece or business form. |
| Color Cast |
An overall color imbalance in an image, as if viewed
through a colored filter. |
| Color Correction |
Any method such as masking, dot-etching, re-etching
and scanning, or editing used to improve color rendition. |
| Color Separation |
The division of colors of a continuous tone multicolored
original or line copy into basic portions, each of which is to be
reproduced by a separate printing plate. |
| Color Separations |
Color process printing uses four colours: (1) cyan;
(2) yellow; (3) magenta; and (4) black {also known as CYMK}. These
print as tiny dots of solid color, which combine to give the full
color range of the original. The copy is broken down into the process
colors by photographic or electronic color separation. In separation,
the original copy is photographed four times using colored filters,
to produce a different separation negative for each color. |
| Color Swatch |
A series of color guides, which may be graded in a
standardised fashion as in the Pantone matching system. |
| Compression |
The reduction in size of an image file. |
| Continuous Tone |
A photographic image which contains gradient tones
from black to white. |
| Contra Vision |
A print substrate whose panels typically provide one-way
vision, see-through graphic advertisements and signs. |
| Copy |
The complete advertising message to be displayed on
the advertising structure. |
| Corrugated |
Board composed of one or several fluted paper sheets
glued between or on one more flat facings. |
| Counter Dispenser |
Advertising material placed on the counter with on
its front side several products exposed to the consumer for self-service,
contrary to a stocking material where the products are placed at the
back side of the display and thus on the seller's side. |
| Coverage |
Extent to which ink covers the substrate (paper). Ink
coverage is usually expressed in percentage terms. |
| Creasing |
Partial shaping of cardboard through stamping to allow
it to fold. |
| Cromalin |
A type of color proof, produced from color separated
film, used to give an indication to the client of how the full-color
print job will look. |
| Crop |
To eliminate portions of the copy, usually on a photograph
or plate, indicated on the original by cropmarks. |
| Crop Marks |
In design, the lines drawn on an overlay or in the
margins of an illustration to define the portion of the image that
will appear in the reproduction. |
| Cropping |
Trimming or masking sections of the artwork that are
not required to be printed. |
| Crossover |
An image that continues from one page of a publication
across the gutter to the opposite page. |
| Curl |
A waviness or rolling effect that sometimes occurs
at the edge of a paper sheet. It is usually associated with the improper
moisture balance within the sheet, or uneven drying when the orientation
with the sheet, improper refining of pulp or mechanical stresses during
manufacture or printing. |
| Cutting or Creasing |
An operation carried out on a special finishing machine
when special shapes need to be cut and creased. For each job, a form
is made up to shape with cutting and/or creasing rules to the required
design. |
| Cyan |
The special blue used in four-color process printing. |
| CYMK |
The process colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black
which are combined in varying amounts to represent colors in an original
image. K is used for Black to avoid confusion with Blue. |
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| D |
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| Decompression |
The expansion of compressed image files. |
| Density |
The degree of darkness (light absorption or opacity)
of a photographic image. |
| Density |
The degree of opacity of a light absorbing filter,
pigment or exposed photographic emulsion. |
| Descender |
That part of a lower case letter which extends below
the main body, as in "p," |
| Descreening |
Removal of halftone dot patterns during or after scanning
printed matter by defocusing the image. |
| Die |
A tool made from steel and wood used for cutting irregular
shapes from paper or board. Also called a form. |
| Die Cutting |
Using a form to cut holes or irregular outlines in
display work or printed pieces. |
| Die Stamping |
A printing technique that uses a die to emboss a relief
image onto a surface. Ink or metallic foil is generally used to add
color, but if not the surface is said to be blind-stamped. Also known
as relief stamping. |
| Die Press |
A machine that is used to die cut or emboss a shape
into paper or board. |
| Digital Color Proof |
A color proof produced from digital data without the
need for separation films. |
| Direct-To-Plate |
Direct exposure of image data onto printing plates,
without the intermediate use of film. |
| Direct-To-Press |
Elimination of intermediate film and printing plates
by the direct transfer of image data to printing cylinders in the
press. |
| Document Reader |
An OCR (Optical Character Recognition) device that
reads one or several lines of data when the document is moved past
one or more read heads. |
| Dot |
The individual element of a halftone. |
| Dot Gain |
In printing, a defect in which dots print larger than
they should, causing darker tones or stronger colors. |
| DPI |
Acronym for "Dots Per Inch". A 300 DPI printer, for
instance is capable of printing 300 dots across and 300 down within
one inch square. DPI is a measurement of resolution for scanning,
displaying, or printing. |
| Dummy |
A preliminary layout showing the position of illustrations
and text as they are to appear in the final reproduction. A set of
blank pages made up in advance to show the size, shape, form and general
style of a piece of printing. |
| Duotone |
A two-color halftone reproduction from a one-color
photograph. |
| Dupe |
To create an identical duplicate of an original piece
of film. |
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| E |
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| em |
In composition, a unit of measurement exactly as wide
an high as the point size being set. |
| Embossing |
Process producing raised images on thin materials such
as paper, cardboard, leather or certain supple plastics : dry embossing
or ink embossing. |
| Emulsion |
A light-sensitive coating on film or stencils. |
| en |
In composition, one-half the width of an em. |
| Enamel Paper |
Coated Paper. Term used to describe paper or board
that has a top layer of china clay (a mineral) to give a smooth finish.
Coated stock reproduces a sharper dot than uncoated substrates (paper)
and usually has a higher level of floss. Glossy magazines, for example,
are printed on coated paper. Also known as coated paper or surface
paper. |
| EPS |
Encapsulated PostScript. A file format often used for
images generated in object-orientated drawing applications like "Illustrator"
or "Freehand" and for scanned images. |
| Exposure |
Represents the opportunity for an advertising message
to be seen and read. |
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| F |
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| Facing |
Number of products of a same range represented in the
front line of the store shelf. |
| Feeder |
In printing presses, the section that separates the
sheets and feeds them in position for printing. |
| Fibre Optic Display |
An innovative use of electronic light transmitting
fibres to create changeable copy displays. |
| Film |
Negative/Positive Sheets or rolls or a clear and stable
plastic containing line and/or tone reproductions of the image. Used
during the making of printing stencils. |
| Film Negative |
A reverse photographic image in which dark areas appear
light and vice versa. Film negatives are used to make printing plates. |
| Film Positive |
A piece of clear acetate or other film upon which the
image appears as it did in the original. |
| Finished Size |
The size of a printed product after production is complete. |
| Finishing |
All production operations after printing. The processes
include cutting, punching, stitching and gluing. |
| Flatbed Scanner |
Any scanning device that incorporates a flat transparent
plate, on which original images are placed for scanning. |
| Font |
In composition, a complete assortment of letters, numbers,
punctuation marks, etc. of a given size and design. For example, Times
or Helvetica. |
| Format |
All elements that make up the individual character
of a publication. Format includes size, style, type, page margins,
printing requirements, binding, etc. |
| Four Colour Process |
A technique of printing that uses the three process
colours of ink (cyan, magenta, yellow) and black to simulate colour
photographs or illustrations. |
| Four Color Process Inks |
The inks used in four-color process printing. |
| FTP |
Acronym for "File Transfer Protocol". A networking
protocol for moving files between computers. |
| Full Color |
Synonymous with Four-Colour Process. |
| Full-Bleed |
Image printing 1/8" - 1/4" beyond the trim marks
on all sides. This is done to aid the printer in preventing a white
edge from appearing if the paper is not trimmed perfectly. |
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| G |
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| Gamma Correction |
The correction of tonal ranges in an image, normally
by the adjustment of tone curves. |
| Ghosting |
Phenomenon of a faint, unintended image on a printed
sheet. |
| Gigabyte (Gb) |
1,024 megabytes, or 1,048,576 kilobytes of digital
data. |
| Gold Stamping |
A process that gives a gold metallic look at impression. |
| Grammage |
(g/m2). Refers to a method of indicating the weight
of paper. Written as "gsm". |
| GSM |
(g/m2). Refers to a method of indicating the weight
of paper. |
| Greyscale |
A continuous tone image comprising black, white and
grey data only. |
| Guillotine |
Machine to trim paper or board before or after printing. |
| Gutter |
The inner margin of a page, from the edge of the printing
area to the binding edge |
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| H |
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| Halftone |
Artwork reproduced by breaking down the original tone
image into a pattern of dots of varying size. Small dots produce light
areas and larger dots produce darker areas. |
| Hard Copy |
The permanent visual record of the output of a computer
or printer. (Generally, a high resolution laser print.) |
| Hickies |
In printing, spots or defects caused by foreign matter
on the printing plate or screen. Ink hickies appear as dark specks
with a white ring around them; paper hickies appear as white specks. |
| Hue |
The part of a color that produces its main attribute
- for example its redness or blueness - rather than its shade (lightness
or darkness). |
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| I |
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| Illustrator |
Popular object-oriented drawing application produced
by Adobe. |
| Image Resolution |
The fineness or coarseness of a digitised image. Measured
in Dots Per Inch (DPI). |
| Imagesetter |
Laser output device which records images and text at
high resolution on photosensitive paper or film. |
| Imposition |
The arranging of pages in a press form to ensure the
correct order after the printed sheet is folded and trimmed. |
| Impression |
In production, one revolution of the printing cylinder.
It refers to the pressure of the type, plate, or stencil as it contacts
the paper and produces printed copy. An impression is any printed
page. |
| In House |
Refers to material produced within a company or organization.
Not produced using outside services. |
| Ink Transparency |
The degree to which a substrate will show through a
printed ink. |
| In-Line |
Any work done to a specific job that does not involve
taking it off press, or require human intervention beyond the initial
printing press set up. |
| Interpolation |
In the image manipulation context, this is the increase
of image resolution by the addition of new pixels throughout the image,
the colors of which are based on neighboring pixels. |
| ISDN |
A digital telephone line which allows very rapid, reliable
and low-cost transmission of data between two computers. |
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| Job Estimate |
Documentation indicating the price of a specific printing
job; given to printing customers before a job is run. Also referred
to as a job quote. |
| Job Ticket |
A comprehensive job information form containing all
pertinent job requirements including size, run, paper, color, etc. |
| JPEG |
Joint Photographic Experts Group. An organization that
has defined various file compression techniques. |
| Justification |
The alignment of text in a paragraph so that the margins
are all straight on the right side, or the left side, or both. (Right
Justification, Left Justification, Justified) |
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| Kerning |
In typesetting, an effort to eliminate excessive white
space in a document by reducing the space between certain letters. |
| Keyline |
An outline showing the shape for a diecut, crease or
perforation. |
| Kilobyte (Kb) |
1,024 bytes of digital data. |
| Knick Out |
When an image or text is reversed out of a background
color giving the illusion of white due to the unprinted portion of
the paper. |
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| L |
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| Laminating |
Applying transparent or colored plastic films, usually
with a high gloss finish, to printed matter to protect or to enhance
it. Various films are available with different gloss, folding and
strength characteristics. Typically done using the ultra-violet (UV)
process. |
| Landscape |
Page orientation in which the width is greater than
the height. |
| Laser Printer |
Although a number of devices employ laser technology
to print images, this normally refers to desktop printers which use
the dry toner, xerographic printing process. |
| Lay Edges |
The two edges of a sheet that are placed flush with
the side and front (the "front lay edge") marks ("lay
gauges") on a printing machine to make sure the sheet will be
removed properly by the grippers and have uniform margins when printed |
| Lay Sheet |
The first of many sheets passed through a press to
check such things as register. |
| Leading |
In typesetting systems, to lead is to add spaces between
lines of type. |
| Light Box |
A partially or completely transparent box equipped
with luminous electrical fillings presenting texts or images. |
| Light Box |
A box with a translucent glass top lit from below,
giving a balanced light suitable for colour matching on which colour
transparencies, prints and proofs can be examined or compared. |
| Line Art |
Images containing only black and white pixels. Also
known as bilevel images. The term line art is sometimes used to describe
drawings containing flat colors without tonal variation. |
| Line Color |
Where a color is printed using a specific color of
ink rather than creating it from the process colors. |
| Line Copy |
Reproducible copy consisting of solid blacks and whites.
In text, line copy consists of letters, numerals, punctuation marks,
rules, borders, dots, or any other marks in black and white. Black
line illustrations on white paper are also line copy. |
| Line Drawings |
Solid black line artwork that does not require halftone
reproduction. |
| Lines Per Inch |
The number of lines or rows of dots there are per inch
in a screen and, therefore, in a screen tint, halftone or separation. |
| Lithographic Printing |
A printing process where the image and non-image surfaces
are on the same plane while the paper makes contact with the whole
plate surface. The printing area is treated to accept ink and the
non-printing surface is treated to attract water or other solutions
so that it rejects ink. |
| Lossy |
Image compression that functions by removing minor
tonal and/or colour variations, causing visible loss of detail at
high compression ratios. |
| LPI |
The number of lines or rows of dots there are per inch
in a screen and, therefore, in a screen tint, halftone or separation. |
| LZW |
The Lempel-Ziv-Welch image compression technique. |
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| M |
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| Machine Proof |
A proof made on a machine similar to the one which
it will be printed. |
| Magenta |
One of the colors used in four color process reproduction.
Often referred to as "process red", it reflects blue and red light
and absorbs green light. It is also one of the filters used in making
color separations. |
| Make Ready |
In printing, all work done to set up a press for printing. |
| Masking |
A reproduction technique for color correction in the
preparation of separations on a camera or enlarger. |
| Masking |
In the graphic arts, preventing a specific portion
of an illustration from being reproduced by placing paper over it
before exposure. In offset lithography, masking refers to the use
of opaque material to protect non-printing areas of the printing plate
during exposure. |
| Matchprint |
3M trade name for a color proof. |
| Matte Finish |
Dull paper finish without gloss or luster. Usually
achieved using a finishing technique such as a matte varnish. |
| Media |
Media is the physical material used to store electronic
files. Typical media includes: CD's, tapes, disks, Zip disks &
Jaz disks. |
| Megabyte (Mb) |
1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes of digital data. |
| Merchandising |
Technique designed to optimise sales, based on the
planned product displays on-shelf to form an attractive appealing
and informative presentation for the customer. |
| Metallic Inks |
Inks in which the normal pigments are replaced by very
fine metallic particles, typically gold or silver in color. |
| Midtone |
The middle range of tones in an image. |
| Modular System |
Elements that can be assembled in various dimensions
and sizes according to the space available. |
| MoirŽ |
A checkered pattern which is created when the screen
angles are not set out correctly in color work. Can happen when a
digital scan is made from printed materials rather than from the original
photographic print or transparency. |
| Monochrome |
Single-colored. An image or medium displaying only
black and white or greyscale information. Greyscale information displayed
in one color is also monochrome. |
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| N |
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| Negative |
A reverse photographic image on film or paper in which
the dark areas appear light and the light areas appear dark. |
| Noise |
In the scanning context, this refers to random, incorrectly
read pixel values, normally due to electrical interference or device
instability. |
| Non-Lossy |
Image compression without loss of quality. |
| Non-Read |
In optical scanning, a term referring to information
that is intended to be ignored by the scanning device but can be read
by the human eye. Non-read information located in the scan area of
a form must be printed in a colour that is highly reflective to the
scanner while still offering sufficient contrast for human reading.
However, non-read information located outside the scan area of a form
may be printed in a machine readable color. |
| Non-Reflective Inks |
Inks that present sufficient contrast with the background
color of the paper to be read by an optical scanning device. When
viewed by optical scanners, these inks reflect relatively little light
(and thus appear black to the mechanism), so the scanner recognizes
these areas as marks or characters and converts them to machine language.
Also called "read inks" or "scan inks". |
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| OCR |
Acronym for "Optical Character Recognition" which refers
to optical machine reading of human-readable characters. |
| Off Print |
An article or other part of a publication printed with
the main run, but produced as a separate item. Also called a separate. |
| Offset Printing |
Also called litho printing. A printing process in which
the inked image is transferred from the plate to an intermediate blanket
before being printed on the substrate. There are two types of offset
printing - wet offset and dry offset. Wet offset is based on the principle
that oil (ink) and water do not mix. Both the image and non-image
areas are on the same plane of the image and non-image areas are on
the same plane of the plate. A dampening solution is used, and the
image and non-image areas are separated chemically. Dry offset printing
uses a plate with relief (raised) type, so no dampening solution is
required. |
| One-Up |
A single printing of a single signature or image on
a press sheet. |
| Opacity |
The quality of being impenetrable by liquids or light.
With paper, it is the ability to keep print form showing through to
the other side. Opacity is the opposite of porosity. |
| Opaque |
In photoengraving and offset lithography, to paint
out areas on a negative not wanted on the plate. In paper, the property
which makes it less transparent. |
| Opaque Ink |
An ink that conceals all colour beneath it. |
| Optical Character Reader |
An optical device that scans and identifies characters
on a printed page. |
| Optical Disk |
A storage medium commonly used for storing large volumes
of data. CD-ROM, Rewritable, and WORM are the most common types of
optical disks. |
| Origination |
All items or materials that the client supplies to
the printer to use in the printing of the job. |
| Out of Register |
When inks are printed over one another are not in alignment,
resulting in "out of focus" images. |
| Overprinting |
Double printing; printing over an area that already
has been printed. Used as a cost savings in customizing small batches
from larger quantities of printed material. |
| Overrun |
Manufactured and delivered quantity that exceeds the
number ordered. As long as the overrun does not exceed the percentage
which is usually tolerated according to legal agreement, the customer
must accept. Also refered to as "overs". |
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| Pantone |
Pantone's ink colour-matching system. Each colour bears
a description of its formulation (in percentages) for subsequent use
by the printer. |
| Paper Weight |
Weight in gram of a square meter of paper or cardboard. |
| Pass |
A cycle of a press or phototypesetting system. To print
in one pass means that all the colours are laid down as the substrate
travels once through the press; to print in two passes means that
he stock has to travel twice through the press, and so on. A four
colour project on a four colour press passes through once. A six color
project on a four colour press passes through twice, etc. |
| Pass Sheet |
A printed sheet of optimum print quality that is removed
from the run, so subsequent sheets can be compared with it |
| Perfect Register |
Term used by the printer to indicate a perfect juxtaposition
of colors, producing a perfect image. |
| Photomechanical |
The preparation of printing plates involving photographic
techniques. |
| PhotoShop |
The industry-standard software package used for image
manipulation, produced by Adobe. |
| Pica |
Printer's unit of measurement used principally in typesetting.
One pica equals approximately 1/6 of an inch. |
| Pixel |
Abbreviation for "picture element". The smallest, most
basic component of an image on a display screen. A pixel is comparable
to an individual dot in a printed photograph. The number of pixels
in an image determines its resolution. |
| Plate |
The surface from which a print is made and that bears
the image to be reproduced. |
| Platemaking |
The process of making an image on a printing plate
by whatever means, but usually photomechanically transferring it from
film. |
| Platen |
A large cutting and creasing press that may be integrated
with printing machines. |
| Plugging |
An aberration in platemaking in which dot areas become
filled in, caused by damage to the plate. |
| PMS Color |
Pantone Matching System color. This system was devised
by the Pantone Corporation as a means of standardizing custom colors
of ink. The PMS system includes several hundred colors, several metallics,
flourescents, and several shades of black. |
| Point |
Printer's unit of measurement, used principally for
designating type sizes. There are 12 points to a pica; approximately
72 points to an inch. |
| Portrait |
A vertical format - the shorter dimension being at
the width |
| PostScript |
The now-standard operating language through which desktop
page makeup (DTP) systems operate. Pre-press systems are now described
as PostScript-compatible or not. |
| PostScript File |
A PostScript file is a special file that is created
to be sent directly to the printer. Unlike an Application file, a
PostScript file includes all the information necessary to print that
file, including the graphics and fonts. This is the most readily accepted
file format for printing. A PostScript file cannot be opened or easily
modified. |
| ppi/ppcm |
Pixels per inch or pixels per centimeter. Units of
measurement for scanned images. |
| Premake Ready |
The final checking of plates before they are made ready
on press. |
| Prepack |
Display serving as packaging. It is delivered packed
with products. |
| Prepress |
Camera work, artwork layout, color editing, stencil
making, plate making, and other activities performed by a graphic
designer, production manager, or printer before press work begins. |
| Preprint |
An item printed in advance of a publication, later
inserted loosely into bound copies. Also called a blow-in. |
| Press Check |
The press check is made at the beginning the press
run. The art director, production manager and pressman check that
the printed piece matches the job proof as closely as possible, (or
adjusts them to their preference), and that colors are in register. |
| Press Run |
The total number of copies of a piece produced during
one printing. |
| Primary Color |
A base color that is used to compose other colors. |
| Process Blue |
Another term for the "cyan" used in Process Color Printing. |
| Process Color |
CYMK / Four-Color Process. The term used to describe
colour printing by means of the three primary colors (yellow, magenta,
and cyan) and black that when combined through a particular process,
creates the illusion of the full color spectrum. (Virtually all color
printing is done using the Four Color Process method.) |
| Process Red |
Another term for the "magenta" used in Process Color
Printing. |
| Process Yellow |
Another term for the "yellow" used in Process
Color Printing. |
| Progressive Proof |
A series of colour proofs showing the individual, variously
combined, and collectively combined colours used in four colour process
printing. Each colour is shown separately in combination with each
other colour, and in combination with every possible colour combination
- finally concluding with a four colour simulation of the printed
piece. These proofs are used to determine the density of each colour
and each colour's effect on the other colours, especially in the order
they are printed on the press. |
| Proof |
A sheet of printed copy that is a test representation
made to show how the printed job will appear when finished. |
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| QuarkXPress |
A page layout application produced by Quark. |
| Quotation |
A statement of price, terms of sale, and description
of goods or services offered by a vendor to a prospective client. |
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| Ready for Press |
A machine signed acceptance of a proof before the start
of the actual printing. |
| Register |
For the printed reproduction of work, all four process
colours must be "in register" -- i.e., they must fit together perfectly.
It is easy to tell if print is out of register by looking at the edge
of the image through a magnifying glass. If you see a line of cyan,
magenta, yellow, or black dots, that colour is out of register. |
| Register (Registration) Marks |
In production, marks placed on a printed piece to assist
in the proper positioning of a production operation (such as punching,
perforating, or folding). In the graphic arts, register marks are
target marks or "bull's eyes" placed on camera copy to assist in registration. |
| Register Sheet |
A sheet used to obtain correct position and register
when printing. |
| Registration |
In printing, registration refers to the alignment of
printed images. |
| Resolution |
The measure of detail in an image. |
| RGB |
Red, Green Blue. The colours used to create the image
on VDU screens. Most scanners capture their image in RGB values, necessitating
the conversion of the image to CYMK values for reproduction. |
| RIP |
RIP stands for Raster Image Format and is a print ready
file format. This means that the files to be printed have been converted,
through any number of steps, from their Application File Format into
a format that can be understood by the printer. |
| Roll-to-Roll Printing |
Rewinding a continuous printed web onto another roll. |
| Rotary Press |
Any printing press in which the printing surface is
on a rotating cylinder. Paper can be delivered to rotary presses in
either sheet or web form. |
| Rough |
Quick sketch of a project. |
| Run On |
Sheets printed in addition to the basic quantity. |
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| Sans Serif |
A class of typefaces without serifs (the small terminating
strokes on individual letters and characters). Helvetica and Futura
are examples of sans serif typefaces. |
| Scanner |
Device used in photoengraving to allow the analysis,
memorization and reproduction of an image. |
| Scanning |
A process by which images are optically sensed by a
scanner and converted by special software into binary codes that correspond
to the image's dark and light spots. |
| Score |
A partial cut through cardboard to allow bending. |
| Screen Frequency |
The number of rows or lines of dots in a halftone image
within a given distance, normally stated in lines per inch (LPI) or
lines per centimeter (Lpcm). A frequency of 200 lpi would only be
used in high-quality printing. |
| Screen Ruling |
A measure of the quality or fineness of the dot structure
used to reproduce a halftone image or tint, expressed in lines per
inch or centimeter. |
| Screen-Printing |
Formally called Silk Screen. Rather than print from
a plate or cylinder, a stencil is prepared by hand or photographically
on a screen mesh. Ink is then forced through the screen and onto the
substrate. |
| Serif |
The small terminating strokes on individual letters
and characters, except in san serif faces. Most text is set in serif
typefaces (fonts) because it is easier to read long passages in serif
faces than in sans serif faces. (Times and Palatino are serif typefaces). |
| Set-Up |
All work done to prepare the machines and printing
presses before the printing starts. |
| Shadow |
The darkest area of an image. |
| Self Cover |
To print the cover of a multipage page job using the
same stock as the body pages. Generally, a more economical method
of printing a cover since it requires no additional labor or set-up
to accomadate the differences in paper stocks. |
| Signature |
A printed section made up of 16 pages (or a multiple
of 4 pages) that is printed all on a single sheet which is folded
down or trimmed to produce a section of a book. Generally, the most
economical method of printing a large number of pages since the substarte
(paper) is designed to accomadate 16 pages at a time when using standard
page sizes with little or no wasted space. Most magazines and books
are printed in signatures. |
| Slatwall |
Wooden panels designed to receive wire hooks to hang
products on them. |
| Solids |
Large printed areas which are comprised of a color.
Solids use a lot more ink than non solid areas do. |
| Specifications |
Complete and precise descriptions of paper, ink, binding,
quantity, and other features of a printing job. |
| Spot Color |
Also refered to as line color. Where a color is printed
using a specific color of ink rather than creating it from the process
colours. Generally identified using the Pantone Matching System codes
(PMS) |
| Standee |
Person or object cut out in their real size. |
| Stitch |
To sew, staple or otherwise fasten paper or board together.
(However, most commonly refers to staples.) |
| Stock |
Paper or other material to be printed. |
| Stripping |
Attaching an opaque masking paper to raw film, in proper
position, so that the plate maker can burn a printing plate. Quickly
becoming an obsolete process with the advent of straight to plate/digital
printing. |
| Stut |
Foldable brace fixed at the back side of a display
or a panel for vertical stability. |
| Substrate |
Any material on which printing is to be done. |
| Swatch |
A collection of color patches to show the color of
papers or inks. |
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| TIFF |
Acronym for "Tag Image File Format". This is a common
type of image file format for illustrations created or scanned into
desktop publishing software. Other common image formats include: PICT,
DXF, IGES, HGL, BMP and EPS |
| Tints |
Various even tone areas (strengths) of a solid color.
Transparency --A photograph, especially a positive color image, on
transparent material. Available in several formats, transparencies
are, at present, the best means of conveying images to the pre-press
system. |
| Tone Curves |
Also known as gamma curves. These are used to smoothly
adjust the overall tonal range of an image, or the individual tonal
ranges of each color channel. |
| Transparency |
Process to reproduce 4 colors on transparent underground. |
| Transparency |
A transparent positive photograph. |
| Trapping |
The technique of slightly overlapping one image on
an adjacent one to avoid unsightly white gaps if misregister occurs
in printing. |
| Trim |
To cut or square the edges of paper either before or
after printing. |
| Trim Marks |
In printing, marks placed on the copy to indicate the
edge of the page. |
| Trim Size |
Size of the printed product after the last trim is
made. |
| Two-Up |
A method of printing two copies of each page on a single
sheet. They are eventually trimmed into separate entities after binding. |
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| Uncoated |
Term used to describe paper or board that does not
have a top layer of china clay (mineral). |
| Unit |
In multicolor presses, refers to the combination of
inking, plate and impression operations to print each other. OPCO's
4-color Heidelberg press has 4 printing units each with its own inking,
plate and impression functions. |
| Up |
In printing, two-up, three-up, four-up, etc. refers
to imposition of material to be printed on a larger size sheet to
take advantage of full press capacity. |
| USM |
Unsharp masking. A process used to sharpen images. |
| UV coating |
Coating employed after printing through ultra-violet
radiation. Generally glossy, but also available with matte finish.
Has a plastic-like feel and appearance. |
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| Varnish |
Varnish or lacquer applied to printed matter to improve
its appearance or possibly to increase its durability. Not as strong
or glossy as lamination or UV coating. |
| Vignette |
An illustration in which the background fades gradually
away until it blends into the unprinted paper. |
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| Warm Colour |
In printing, a colour with a yellowish or reddish cast. |
| Wash-Up |
The process of cleaning the press, rollers, plate and
ink fountain when changing ink colors on the press. |
| Web (Printing) Press |
A rotary printing press that uses continuous paper
from a large roll that is fed through a series of rollers (cylinders)
on which the plates are mounted. The impression from the plate is
offset onto a blanket before being printed onto the paper. |
| Web Offset |
A rotary printing press that uses continuous reel-fed
paper "web" where the impression (image) from the plate
is offset onto a blanket (usually rubber) before being printed onto
the paper. There are three main systems: blanket to blanket; three-cylinder
systems; and satellite or planetary systems. |
| WYSIWYG |
An acronym for "What You See Is What You Get",
or the same image on the computer screen as on the laser print. |
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| Yellow (Y) |
Hue of a subtractive primary and a 4-color process
ink. It reflects red and green light and absorbs blue light. |
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| Zip |
Removable disk storage medium, suitable for smaller
files up to 100Mb. |
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