G L O S S A R Y O F T E R M S
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G L O S S A R Y O F T E R M S |
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The
following is a list of printing/publishing terms. Acetate - Thin, flexible sheet of transparent plastic used to make overlays. Airbrush - Pen-shaped ink sprayer used to retouch photographic prints and create illustrations. Author's Alteration (AA) - Change in copy or specifications made after production has begun that is attributed to client. Art board - Alternate term for mechanical. Art director - Employee, often of advertising agency, who supervises creation and preparation of copy and design for a printed piece. ASCII
- Acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange, a standard
code used to help interface digital equipment. Baud rate - Number of bits of information transmitted per second from one digital device to another. Bind - To fasten sheets or signatures and adhere covers with glue, wire, thread, or by other means. Bindery - Print shop department or separate business that does trimming, folding, binding, and other finishing tasks. Blanket - Thick rubber sheet that transfers ink from plate to paper on an offset press. Blanket cylinder - Cylinder of a press on which the blanket is mounted. Bleed - Printing that extends to the edge of a sheet or page after trimming. Blind emboss - To emboss without added ink or foil on the embossed image. Blueline - Prepress, photographic proof where all colors show as blue image on white paper. Brightness - Characteristic of paper, referring to how much light it reflects. Butt
- To join without overlapping or space between. Calender - To press paper or cloth through revolving cylinders (a calender) creating a very smooth and glazed finish. Caliper - Thickness of paper, expressed in thousandths of an inch. Camera-ready copy - Mechanicals, photographs, and art fully prepared to be photographed or scanned for platemaking according to the technical requirements of either quick or commercial printing. Chrome - Alternate term for transparency. Clip art - High-contrast drawings printed on white, glossy paper and made to be cut out and pasted to a mechanical or scanned into a digital page format. Chromalin - DuPont trade name for integral color proof. Crop - To eliminate portions of an illustration or photograph so that the remainder is more clear, interesting, or able to fit the layout. Crop marks - Lines near the edges of an image showing portions to be eliminated or delineating margins of the page. Crossover - Image that continues from one page of a publication across the gutter to the opposite page. Cyan
- One of the four process colors; also known as process blue. Deboss - To press an image into paper so that it lies below the surface. Deckle edge - Feathered edge on specially made sheets of text and cover paper. Densitometer - Instrument used to measure light reflecting from or transmitted through the substrate. Density - Relative darkness of copy, ink on paper, or emulsion on film, as measured by a densitometer. Density range - Expression of contrast between darkest and lightest areas of copy. Depth of field - Photography term for relative sharpness of features in an image regardless of their distance from the camera when photographed. Die - Sharp metal rule used for die cutting or block of metal used for embossing or foil stamping. Die cutting - Cutting irregular shapes in paper using metal rules mounted on a letter press. Dimensional stability - Ability of paper and other substrates to retain their exact size despite the influence of temperature, moisture, or stretching. Direct mail - Mail designed to motivate readers to respond directly to senders with a purchase, donation, or other action. Dot gain or spread - Phenomenon of dots printing larger on paper than they are on negatives or plates. Double bump - To print a single image twice so that it has two layers of ink. Double burn - To expose a plate or proof to two negatives to create a composite image. Drill - To bore holes in paper so that sheets fit over posts of loose-leaf binders. Dull finish - Characteristic of paper that reflects relatively little light. Dull ink or varnish - Alternate term for Matte ink or varnish. Dummy - Preliminary drawing or layout showing visual elements - also a simulation of a printed piece using paper specified for a job. Duotone
- Photograph reproduced from two halftone negatives and printed in
two ink colors. Electronic retouching - Using a computer to enhance or correct a scanned photograph. Emboss - To press an image into paper so that it lies above the surface. Emulsion - Coating of chemicals on papers, films, and printing plates that, prior to development, is sensitive to light. Em space - A space whose width equals the point size of the type being set. En space - A space whose width equals one-half point size of the type being set. End sheets - Sheets that attach the inside pages of a case bound book to its cover. Estimate
- Price that states what a job will probably cost based on initial
specifications from customer. Fake duotone - Halftone in one ink color printed over screen tint of a second ink color. Film laminate - Thin sheet of plastic adhered to printed paper for protection. Filter - Colored glass or gelatin used to reduce or eliminate specific colors from light before it strikes film or paper. Final count - Number of printed pieces delivered and charged for. Fine screen - Screen with more than 150 lines per inch. Finish - Surface characteristic of paper. Finish size - Size of printed product after production is complete. Flexography - Method of printing on a web press using rubber plates with raised images. Flop - To reproduce a photograph or illustration facing the opposite direction from the original. Flush cover - Cover that is trimmed to the same size as inside pages, as with paperback books. Foil emboss - To foil stamp and emboss an image. Foil stamping - Method of printing on a letter press using thin metallic or pigmented film and a die. Folio - Page number. Low folio is the lefthand page, high folio the right. Form - One side of a press sheet. Format - Size, shape, and overall style of a layout or printed piece. 4-color process - Technique of printing that uses the four process colors of ink to simulate color photographs or illustrations. French fold - Two folds at right angles to each other. Fully
saturated - Photography term for rich color. Gang - To print two or more printed jobs on same press sheet simultaneously - also, to scan halftones or 4-color separations in one exposure(loading of the scanner bed with more than 1 image at a time). GBC binding - General Binding Corporation trade name for plastic comb binding. Generation - A first-generation image is the original; second-generation is made from the original; third-generation is made from the second generation. Ghost halftone - Halftone that has been screened to produce a very faint image. Gloss - Characteristic of paper, ink, or varnish that reflects relatively large amounts of light. Grade - One of seven major categories of paper: bond, uncoated book, coated book, text, cover, board, and specialty. Grain - In paper, the direction in which fibers are aligned; in photography, crystals that make up emulsion on film. Graphic arts - The crafts, industries, and professions related to designing and printing communication materials. Graphic designer - Professional who conceives the design for, plans how to produce, and may coordinate production of a printed piece. Graphics - Art and other visual elements used to make messages more clear. Gravure - Method of printing using etched metal cylinders, usually on web presses. Gray scale - Strip of swatches of tone values ranging from white to black used by process camera operators or platemakers to calibrate exposure times. Gripper edge - Edge of a sheet held by the grippers, thus going first through a sheetfed press. Gutter
- Space between columns of type where pages meet at the binding. Hairline - Very thin line or gap about the width of a hair: 1/100 inch. Halftone - To photograph or scan continuous tones through a screen to convert the image into dots. The result—digital, or on film or paper—is also called a halftone and may be either positive or negative. Halftone dots - Dots that by their varying sizes create the illusion of shading or a continuous-tone image. Hard cover - Bound with a case made with binder's board. Hickey - Donut-shaped spot or imperfection in printing, most visible in areas of heavy ink coverage. Highlights
- The lightest areas in a photograph or halftone. Imposition - Arrangement of pages on mechanicals or in digital files so that they will appear in proper sequence after press sheets are folded and trimmed. Impression - One pressing of paper against type, plate, blanket, or die to transfer an image. Indicia - Postal permit information printed on objects to be mailed and accepted by USPS in lieu of stamps or metered postage. Ink jet - Method of printing by spraying droplets of ink through computer-controlled nozzles. Integral proof - Color proof of separation negatives exposed in register on one piece of proofing paper. Internegative - Negative made from a transparency for the purpose of making photographic prints. ISBN - International Standard Book Number assigned by the book's publisher using a system administered by the R.R. Bowker Company in New Jersey. ISSN
- International Standard Serial Number assigned by the Library of
Congress in Washington DC to magazines, newsletters, and other serials
requesting it. Kerning - Negative or positive letterspacing to improve appearance and readability. Keyline - Alternate term for Mechanical. Keylines
- Lines on a mechanical or negative showing the exact size, shape, and
location of photographs or other graphic elements. Laminate - To bond plastic film to paper, or to glue paper to chipboard or corrugated cardboard. Large-format camera - Camera that makes negatives 4" x 5" or larger. Laser printing - Method of photocopying using a laser beam to charge the drum. Layout - Sketch or drawing of a design for a proposed printed piece showing position, size, and color of copy. Leading - Amount of space between lines of type, expressed in points. Leading edge - Edge of a sheet of paper that enters the press first, also known as the gripper edge. Light table - Translucent glass surface lit from below, used by production artists and strippers. Line negative - High-contrast negative usually made from line copy. Lines per inch - The number of lines or rows of dots per inch in a screen and therefore in a screen tint, halftone, or separation. Liquid laminate - Plastic applied to paper as a liquid, then bonded and cured into a hard, glossy finish. Lithography - Method of printing using a chemically coated plate whose image areas attract ink and whose non-image areas repel ink. Logo - Assembly of type and art into a distinctive symbol unique to an organization, business, or product. Loop stitch - To saddle stitch with staples that are also loops which slip over rings in a ring binder. Loose
proof - Proof of one color separation. M - Roman numeral for 1,000. Magenta - One of the four process colors; also known as process red. Mailing service - Business specializing in addressing and mailing large quantities of printed pieces. Makeready - All activities required to set up a press before production begins - also refers to paper used in the process. Margin - Space forming border of a page or sheet. Masking material - Opaque material, often film, used in pasteup to outline photographs or in platemaking to withhold light from non-image areas. Mask out - To cover selected copy or art so that it will not appear on a negative or plate. Matchprint - 3M trade name for integral color proof. Matte finish - Slightly dull finish on coated, lightly calendered paper. Matte ink or varnish - Ink or varnish that appears dull when dry. Mechanical - Camera-ready assembly of type, graphics, and other line copy complete with instructions to the printer. Mechanical artist - Alternate term for Production artist. Medium format camera - Camera that makes 2¼" x 2¼" negatives. Medium screen - Screen with ruling of 133 or 150 lines per inch. Metallic ink - Ink containing powdered metal that sparkles in light. Micrometer - Instrument used to measure thickness of paper and other materials generally less then one inch thick. Middle tones - Tones in a photograph or illustration about half as dark as its shadow areas and represented by dots between 30% and 70% of full size. Mockup - Alternate term for Dummy. Model release - Contract authorizing commercial use of a photograph that includes image of a recognizable person or private property. Modem - Short for modulator/demodulator, a device that converts digital signals to analog tones and vice versa so that systems based on electronic memories can interface over telephone lines. Moiré - Undesirable pattern in halftones and screen tints made with improperly aligned screens. Mottle - Spotty, uneven ink coverage especially noticeable in large solids. Mounting board - Any thick, smooth piece of board paper used to paste up copy or mount photographs. Multicolor printing - Printing done in more than one ink color. Mylar
- DuPont trade name for polyester film. Negative - Characteristic of an image on film or paper in which blacks in the original subject are white or clear and whites in the original are black or opaque - also, piece of film on which negative image appears. Negative space - Alternate term for White space. Non-image area - Portion of mechanical, negative, or plate that will not print. Novelty
printing - Printing on products such as pencils, balloons, and keychains. Offset printing - Method of lithographic printing that transfers ink from a plate to a blanket, then from the blanket to paper. Opacity - Characteristic of paper that helps prevent printing on one side from showing on the other. Opaque - Not transparent - also, a verb meaning to cover flaws in negatives with paint or tape - also, the paint used for this purpose. Opaque ink - Heavily pigmented ink that blocks out color of underlying ink or paper. Outline halftone - Halftone in which background has been removed to isolate or silhouette an image. Overlay - Sheet of tissue or acetate taped to a mechanical so that it covers the mounting board. Overlay proof - Color proof consisting of acetate sheets covering each other in register, one for each color to be printed. Overprint - To print over a previously printed image. Overrun
- The number of pieces that were printed in excess of the quantity
specified. Pad - To bind by applying glue along one edge of a stack of sheets. Page count - Total number of pages, including blanks and printed pages without numbers. Pagination - Assembly of type and art into page format by hand or by computer. Paper distributor - Merchant selling paper wholesale to printers and other buyers of large quantities. Paper dummy - Unprinted sample of a proposed printed piece trimmed, folded, and, if necessary, bound using paper specified for the job. Parchment - Paper that simulates writing surfaces made from animal skins. Parent sheet - Paper distributor term for sheet 17 x 22 or larger. Percentage wheel - Alternate term often used for Proportional scale. Perfect bind - To bind sheets by trimming at the spine and gluing them to a paper cover. Perfecting press - Press capable of printing both sides of the paper during a single pass. Photocopy - Method of printing that transfers images electrostatically and creates them on paper with powder bonded by heat. Photosensitive - Characteristic of paper, film, and printing plates coated with light-sensitive chemicals. Photostat - Process used to make positive paper prints of line copy and halftones - often used as alternate term for PMT (photo mechanical transfer print). Pica - Unit of measure equaling 1/6 of an inch often used to express line measure or column width. Pixel - Short for picture element, referring to a part of a dot made by a scanner or other digital device. Plate cylinder - Cylinder of a press on which the printing plate is mounted. Platemaker - In quick printing, process camera that makes plates automatically after photographing mechanicals. In commercial printing, machine used to expose plates from flats. Plate-ready film - Alternate term for Flat. Pleasing color - Color that is satisfactory even though it doesn't exactly match original samples, scenes, or objects. Plugged up - Undesirable characteristic of printing when ink fills in around halftone dots or reversed type, causing loss of shadow detail. PMS - Abbreviation for Pantone Matching System a check standard trademark for color reproduction and color reproduction materials owned by Pantone, Inc. Point - Unit of measure equalling 1/12 of a pica and 1/72 of an inch and used to express type size and leading. Portfolio - Collection of best work by an artist, photographer, or designer for showing during meetings with prospective clients. Positive - Characteristic of an image on film or paper in which blacks in the original subject are black or opaque and whites in the original are white or clear - also, the image itself. PPI - Short for pages per inch. Pre-flight - Checking setup of and condition of electronic files from clients before prepress work begins. Prepress - Electronic assemblage of all elements of a job. Press check - Event at which test sheets are examined before production run is authorized to begin. Press proof - Proof made on press using the plates, paper, and ink specified for the job. Press run - The number of pieces printed. Press sheet - One sheet as it comes off the press. Price break - Quantity level at which unit cost of paper or printing drops. Printing - Any process that repeatedly transfers an image from a plate, die, negative, stencil, or electronic memory. Printer's Error (PE) - Change in copy or specifications made after production has begun that is attributed to printer. Printing plate - Surface carrying image to be printed. Process blue - Alternate term for cyan. Process camera - Graphic arts camera used to photograph mechanicals and other camera-ready copy. Process colors - The colors needed for 4-color process printing: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Process inks - Inks in the four process colors. Process printing - Alternate term for 4-color process printing. Process red - Alternate term for magenta. Production artist - Person who does paste-up or electronic assembly of the image components. Progressive proof - Press proof showing each color of a job separately or several colors in combination. Proof - Test sheet made to reveal errors or flaws, predict results, and record how a printing job is intended to appear. Proof OK - Customer signature approving a proof and authorizing the job to advance to the next stage. Proofread - To examine copy or a proof for errors in writing or composition. Proportional scale - Device used to calculate percent that an original image must be reduced or enlarged to yield a specific reproduction size. Pulp
- Mixture of wood and/or cotton fibers, chemicals, and water from which
mills make paper. Quotation
- Printer's offer to print a job for a specific price calculated from
specifications and dummies provided by customer. Readable - Characteristic of messages written, edited, and set in type selected and composed to make them easy to understand. Ream - 500 sheets of paper. Recto - Righthand page of an open publication. Register - To position printing in proper relation to edges of paper and other printing on the same sheet - such printing is said to be in register. Register marks - Cross-hair lines on mechanicals and negatives that guide strippers and press operators. Reprographics - General term for xerography, diazo, and other methods of copying used by designers, engineers, and architects. Retouch - To enhance a photo or correct its flaws. Reverse - Type or other image reproduced by printing the background rather than the image itself, allowing the underlying color of paper or previously printed ink to show in the shape of the image. Right reading - Copy reading correctly (normally) from left to right. Rough layout - Simple sketch giving general idea of size and placement of type and art. Rubylith - Trade name for red masking film. Rule - Line used for graphic effect. Run - Total number of copies ordered or printed. Running
head or foot - Title or other information at the top or bottom of
every page of a publication. Saddle stitch - To bind by stapling sheets together where they fold at the spine. Scale - To identify the percent by which images should be enlarged or reduced. Scaling wheel - Alternate term for Proportional scale. Scanner - Electronic device used to make color separations and sometimes halftones and duotones. Score - To compress paper along a line so that it will fold more easily. Screen density - Amount of ink, expressed as percent of coverage, that a specific screen will allow to print. Screen printing - Method of printing by forcing ink through a mesh stencil. Screen ruling - The number of rows or lines of dots per inch in a screen for a tint or a halftone. Screen tint - Area of image printed with dots so that ink coverage is less than 100% and simulates shading or a lighter color. Self-cover - Publication made entirely from the same paper so that cover is printed simultaneously with inside pages. Self-mailer - Printed piece designed to be mailed without an envelope. Separation - Alternate term for Color separation. Sew - To use thread to fasten signatures together at the spine of a book. Shadows - Darkest areas in a photograph or halftone. Sharp - Characteristic of an image in clear focus. Sheetfed press - Press that prints sheets of paper. Shingling - Allowance made during paste-up or stripping to compensate for creep. Shrink wrap - Method of tightly wrapping packages or products in plastic film. Side stitch - To bind by stapling through sheets along one edge. Signature - Sheet of printed pages which, when folded, becomes part of a publication. Silhouette halftone - Alternate term often used for Outline halftone. Slip sheet - Blank sheet placed between newly made printed products to prevent ink setoff during handling and shipping. Small caps - Capital letters approximately the height of lower case letters. Small-format camera - Camera making negatives 35mm or smaller. Soft bind - Alternate term for perfect bind. Soft cover - Bound without a case; usually perfect bound, but also sewn and bound with a paper cover. Solid - Any area of the sheet that has received 100% ink coverage. Specialty advertising - Printed advertising on products such as mugs, matchbooks, jewelry, and pencils. Specialty papers - Paper distributor term for carbonless, pressure-sensitive, synthetic, and other papers made for special applications. Specialty printer - Printer specializing in making a particular product. Specifications - Complete and precise descriptions of paper, ink, binding, quantity, and other features of a printing job. Spec sheet - Short for sheet on which specifications are written. Spine - Binding edge of a signature or publication. Spiral bind - To bind using a spiral of wire or plastic looped through holes. Split fountain - Technique of printing more than one ink color at a time from a single printing unit. Spoilage - Paper wasted during makeready, printing, or bindery operations. Spot varnish - Varnish applied to portions of a sheet. Stat - General term for inexpensive photographic print of line copy or halftone. Stat camera - Small process camera. Stationery - Letterhead, envelopes, cards, and other printed materials for business correspondence. Stencil - Piece of fabric or film carrying image for screen printing or mimeograph. Stitch bind - To bind with wire staples. Stock - Paper or other substrate. Stock photo - Photograph in a collection maintained for commercial purposes. Stripper - Person who strips negatives. Stripping - Assembling negatives in flats in preparation for making printing plates. Supercalender - To calender paper extensively until very glossy. Swatch book - Book with small samples of paper or ink colors. Synthetic
paper - Plastic or other petroleum-based paper. Text paper - Grade of paper characterized by textured surfaces or paper used for the text portion of a book or booklet. Thermography - Method of printing using colorless resin powder applied to wet ink yielding raised images by subjecting to heat. Thumbnail sketch - Rough sketch of a design. Tick marks - Alternate term for Crop marks. Tint - Alternate term for Screen tint. Tissue - Thin, translucent paper used for overlays. Trade bindery - Business specializing in trimming, folding, binding, and other finishing operations. Trade customs - Business terms and policies followed by businesses in the same field and often codified by a trade association. Trade shop - Printer or other service working primarily for other graphic arts professionals. Transfer key - 3M trade name for integral color proof. Transparency - Positive photographic image, usually in color, on film allowing light to pass through. Trap - To print one ink over another or when one color touches another. Trim marks - Lines on a mechanical, negative, plate, or press sheet showing where to cut edges of paper or cut paper apart after printing. Trim size - Size of the printed product after last trim is made. Turnaround
time - Amount of time needed to complete a job or one stage of it. Uncoated paper - Paper that is not clay coated. Underrun - Production run of fewer copies than the amount specified. Up
- Printing two up or three up means printing the identical piece twice
or three times on one sheet of paper in one impression. Varnish - Clear liquid applied like ink on press for beauty and protection. Vellum finish - Relatively rough finish on uncoated paper. Velox - Kodak trade name for high-contrast photographic paper - Also refers to a positive made by contact printing a negative to such paper. Verso - Lefthand page of an open publication. Vignette
halftone - Halftone whose background gradually fades into white. Waste - Alternate term for Spoilage. Watermark - Distinctive design created in paper during manufacture. Web press - A press which prints from a roll- or web-fed paper. White space - Designer term referring to non-image area that frames or sets off copy. Window - Block of masking material on a mechanical that shows position of a photograph or other visual element - also an area cut out of masking material. Wire-O - Trade name for method of mechanical binding using double loops of wire. Working film - Graphic arts negatives still loose or not imposed. Work order - Form used by printing companies to specify and schedule production of jobs and record the time, materials, and supplies that each job requires to complete. Wrong
reading - Image that is backwards compared to the original.
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