AA Abbreviation
for author’s alterations.
absorption In
paper, the property which causes it to take
up liquids or vapors in contact with it. In
optics, the partial suppression of light through
a transparent or translucent material.
accordion fold In
binding, a term used for two or more parallel
folds which open like an accordion.
Acrobat Adobe software
that embodies the PDF format.
A/D converter Device
or software to convert an analog signal to a digital
signal. See digitizer.
additive primaries In
color reproduction, red, green and blue (RGB). When
lights of these colors are added together, they produce
the sensation of white light.
addressability The
number of spots per inch (spi) or centimeter (spc). We
also use ‘dpi’ as a measure for addressability.
SPC is used for output devices, not input devices,
where the equivalent term would be sampling count,
which is measured in units of samples per image length,
width or area (not samples per inch).
against the grain Folding
or feeding paper at right angles to the grain direction
of the paper.
airbrush In
artwork, a small pressure gun shaped like a
pencil that sprays watercolor pigment. Used
to correct and obtain tone or graduated tone effects. In
platemaking, used with an abrasive-like pumice
to remove spots or other unwanted areas. In
electronic imaging, a retouching technique.
alkaline paper Paper
made with a synthetic alkaline size and an alkaline
filler like calcium carbonate which gives the paper
over four times the life (200 years) of acid-sized
papers (40-50 years).
analog color proof Off-press
color proof made from separation films.
anti-offset or set-off spray In
printing, dry spray of finely powdered starch
used on press to prevent wet ink from transferring
from the top of one sheet to the bottom of the next
sheet. This also separates the sheets on a
micro level so oxygen can react with the ink to enhance
in drying.
antique finish A
term describing the surface, usually on book and cover
papers, that has a natural rough finish.
APR (Automatic Picture Replacement) The
replacement of a low resolution image by a high resolution
image.
art All illustration
copy used in preparing a job for printing.
ASCII (American Standard Code
for Information Interchange) A standard
means of representing text as numerical data.
<top>
backbone The back
of a bound book connecting the two covers; also called
spine.
backing up Printing
the reverse side of a sheet already printed on one
side.
back-trap mottle Non-uniform
trapping of previously laid down ink film(s) onto an
offset litho blanket caused by non-uniform ink setting
and/or inappropriate ink tack sequencing in multicolor
printing.
bad break In
composition, starting a page or ending a paragraph
with a single work, or window.
basic size in
inches, 25 x 38 for book papers, 20 x 26 for cover
papers, 22 ½ x 28 ½ or 22 ½ x
35 for bristols, 25 ½ x 30 ½ for index.
basis weight The
weight in pounds of a ream (500 sheets) of paper cut
to a given standard size for that grade; e.g. 500 sheets
25” x 38” of 50-lb. Book paper weigh
50 pounds.
bit In computers, the
basic unit of digital information; contraction of Binary
digiT.
bit-depth 1. The
number of bits of tonal range capability of the pixels
in an image. For example, RGB 24-bit color means
a pixel depth of 8 bits per color, or 256 levels per
color. 2. The number of bits of tonal range capability
of the spots of an output device.
bitmap In
computer imaging, the electronic representation
of a page, indicating position of every possible
spot (zero or one).
black-and-white Originals
or reproductions in single color, as distinguished
from multicolor. Abbreviation: BW
blanket In
offset printing, a rubber-surfaced fabric which
is clamped around a cylinder, to which the image
is transferred from the plate, and from which it
is transferred to the paper.
bleed An extra
amount of printed image which extends beyond the trim
edge of the sheet or page.
blind embossing A
design which is stamped without metallic leaf or ink,
giving a bas-relief effect.
blind image In
lithography, an image that has lost its ink
receptivity and fails to print.
blownup An image
enlargement.
body In inkmaking, a
term referring to the viscosity, or consistency, of
an ink.
body type A type
used for the main part or text of a printed piece,
as distinguished from the heading.
bold-face type A
name given to type that is heavier than the text type
with which it is used.
bond paper A grade
of writing or printing paper where strength, durability
and permanence are essential requirements, used for
letterheads, business forms, etc. The basic size
is 17” x 22”.
book paper A general
term for coated and uncoated papers. The basic
size is 25” x 38”.
brightness In
photography, light reflected by the copy. In
paper, the reflectance or brilliance of the
paper.
brochure A pamphlet
bound in booklet form.
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.
<top>
caps and small caps Two
sizes of capital letters made in one size of type,
commonly used in most roman typefaces.
CEPS (Color Electronic Prepress
System) In digital prepress,
a high-end computer-based system that is
used to color correct scanner images and assemble
image elements into final pages. They are device-dependent
systems.
chalking In
printing, a term which refers to improper drying
of ink. Pigment dusts off because the vehicle
has been absorbed too rapidly into the paper.
CMY (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) The
subtractive process colors used in color printing. Black
(K) is added to enhance color and contrast.
CMYK (CYAN, Magenta, Yellow,
Black) The subtractive process colors
used in color printing. Black (K) is added
to enhance color and contrast. (4/4)
coated paper Paper
having a surface coating which produces a smooth finish. Surfaces
vary from eggshell to glossy.
coating In
platemaking, the light-sensitive polymer or
mixture applied to a metal plate.
cold color In
printing, a color with a bluish cast.
collate In
binding, the gathering of sheets and signatures.
color balance The
correct combination of cyan, magenta and yellow to
(1) reproduce a photograph without a color cast. (2)
produce a neutral gray, or (3) reproduce the colors
in a original scene or object.
color correction Any
method such as masking, dot-etching, re-etching and
scanning, used to improve color.
colorimeter An
instrument for measuring color the way the eye sees
color.
color management It
is a broadly defined as a system of hardware, software
and procedures that are calibrated to best insure color
accuracy and repeatability throughout the production
process.
color proofs See
analog color proof, direct digital color proof.
commercial register Color
printing on which the misregister allowable is within + one
row of halftone dots.
computer, digital A
computer that processes information in discrete digital
form.
computerized composition An
all-inclusive term for the use of computers to automatically
perform the functions of hyphenation, justification
and page formatting.
computer-to-plate See
CTP.
condensed type A
narrow or slender typeface.
contract proof A
color proof representing an agreement between the printer
and the customer regarding how the printed product
will look.
contrast The tonal
gradation between the highlights, middle tones and
shadows in an original or reproduction.
copy Any furnished
material (typewritten manuscript, pictures, artwork,
etc.) to be used in the production of printing.
copy preparation Directions
for, and checking of, desired size and other details
for illustrations, and the arrangement into proper
position of various parts of the page to bephotographed
or electronically processed for reproduction.
cover paper A
term applied to a variety of papers used for the covers
of catalogs, brochures, booklets and similar pieces.
creep Sometimes
called “push out,” it is the distance margins
shift when paper is folded and/or inserted during finishing. The
amount of creep will vary depending on both the number
and thickness of the sheets and must be compensated
for during layout and imposition.
crop To eliminate
portions of the copy, usually on a photograph or plate,
indicated on the original by cropmarks.
cross direction In
paper, the direction across the grain. Paper
is weaker and more sensitive to changes in relative
humidity in the cross direction than the grain direction.
crossmarks See
register marks.
CTP (Computer-to-Plate) In
platemaking, Computer-to-Plate systems or platesetters
eliminate the need for having a separate film-to-plate
exposure system.
curl In paper, the
distortion of a sheet due to differences in structure
or coatings from one side to the other, or to absorption
of moisture on an offset press.
cutoff In
web printing, the cut or print length.
cutscore In
diecutting, a sharp-edged knife, several thousandths
of an inch lower than the cutting rules in a die,
made to cut part way into the paper or board for
folding purposes.
cyan Hue of a
subtractive primary and a 4-color process ink. It
reflects or transmits blue and green light and absorbs
red light.
cylinder gap In
printing presses, the gap or space in the cylinders
of a press where the mechanism for plate (or blanket),
clamps and grippers (sheetfed) is housed.
<top>
dampeners In
lithography, cloth-covered, parchment paper
or rubber (bare-back) rollers that distribute the
dampening solution to the press plate or ink roller.
deckle In
papermaking, the width of the wet sheet as it
comes off the wire of a paper machine.
deckle edge The
untrimmed feathery edges of paper formed where the
pulp flows against the deckle frame.
densitometer In
photography, a photoelectric instrument which
measures the density of photographic images, or of
colors. In printing, a refection densitometer
is used tomeasure and control the density of color
inks on the substrate.
density The degree
of darkness (light absorption or opacity) of a photographic
image.
desktop publishing Process
of composing pages using a standard computer, off-the-shell
software, a device independent page description language
like PostScript and outputting them on a printer or
imagesetter.
developer In
photography, the chemical agent and process
used to render photographic images visible after
exposure to light. In lithographic platemaking, the
material used to remove the unexposed coating.
diazo In photography, a
non-silver coating for contact printing. In
offset platemaking, a light-sensitive coating
used on presensitized and wipe-on plates.
diecutting The
process of using sharp steel rules to cut special shapes
for labels, boxes and containers, from printed sheets. Diecutting
can be done on either flatbed or rotary presses. Rotary
diecutting is usually done inline with printing.
die-stamping An
intaglio process for the production of letter-heads,
business cards, etc., printing from lettering or other
designs engraved into copper or steel.
diffusion transfer In
photography and platemaking, a system consisting
of a photographic emulsion on which a negative is
produced, and a receiver sheet on which a positive
of the image is transferred during processing.
digital color proof A
color proof produced from digital data without the
need of separation films.
digital inks See
toners.
direct screen halftone In
color separation, a halftone negative made by
direct exposure from the original on an enlarger
or by contact through a halftone screen.
dithering In
computer graphics, a technique for alternating
the values of adjacent dots or pixels to create the
effect of intermediate values. Dithering refers
to the technique of making different colors for adjacent
dots or pixels to give the illusion of a third color.
dot Smallest screening
element. Common usage does not clearly differentiate
between dots and spots. A dot is composed of
many spots. The fineness of a halftone screen
is measured in ‘lines per inch’ or lpi. In
AM screening the dots vary in size. In FM screening
the dots are all the same size.
dot gain In
printing, a defect in which dots print larger
than they should, causing darker tones or stronger
colors.
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.
duplex paper Paper
with a different color or finish on each side.
<top>
elliptical dot In
halftone photography, elongated dots which give
improved gradation of tones particularly in middle
tones and vignettes – also called chain
dots.
en In composition, one-half
the width of an em.
enamel A term
applied to a coated paper or to a coating material
on a paper.
English finish A
grade of book paper with a smoother, more uniform surface
than machine finish.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) In
digital prepress, a file format used to transfer
graphic images within compatible applications. A
file containing structured PostScriptcode, comments
and a screen display image.
expaned type A
type whose width is greater than normal.
exposure In
photography and platemaking, the step in photographic
or photomechanical processes during which light or
other radiant energy produces the image on the photo-sensitive
coating.
<top>
fanout In
printing, distortion of paper on the press due
to waviness in the paper caused by absorption of
moisture at the edges of the paper, particularly
across the grain.
feeder In
printing presses, the section that separates
the sheets and feeds them in position for printing.
fixing Chemical
action following development to convert unexposed silver
halide to a water-soluble salt and make the image stable
and insensitive to further exposure.
flush cover A
cover that has been trimmed to the same size as the
inside text pages as in this book.
flush left (or right) In
composition, type set to line up at the left
(or right). This page is set flush left and right.
flush paragraph A
paragraph with no indention.
flying paster or splicer In
web printing, an automatic pasting device that
splices a new roll of paper onto an expiring roll,
without stopping the press.
folio The page
number.
font In composition, a
complete assortment of letters, numbers, punctuations,
etc., of a given size and design.
format The size,
style, type page, margins, printing requirements, etc.,
of a printed piece.
form rollers The
rollers, either inking or dampening, which directly
contact the plate on a printing press.
fountain solution In
lithography, a solution of water, a natural
or synthetic gum and other chemicals used to dampen
the plate and keep non-printing areas from accepting
ink.
FPO (For Position Only) In
digital imaging, typically a low-resolution
image positioned in a document to be replaced later
with a higher resolution version of the same image.
free sheet Paper
free of mechanical wood pulp.
front end system In
electronic publishing, the workstation or group
of workstations containing the applications software
for preparing pages of type and graphics.
<top>
gamma A measure
of contrast in photographic images.
gathering In
binding, the assembling of folded signatures
in proper sequence.
gear streaks In
printing, parallel streaks appearing across
the printed sheet at the same interval as gear teeth
on the cylinder.
grain In papermaking, the
direction in which most fibers lie which corresponds
with the direction in which the paper is made on a
paper machine.
gripper edge The
leading edge of paper as it passes through a printing
press. Also, the front edge of a lithographic
or wrap-around plate secured to the front clamp of
a plate cylinder.
gripper margin Unprintable
blank edge of paper on which grippers bear, usually ½” or
less.
grippers In
sheetfed printing presses, metal fingers that
clamp on paper and control its flow as it passes
through.
GUI (Graphical User Interface) Pronounced “gooey,” in
digital imaging, a technical term for a system
that lets users manipulate files by pointing to pictures
(icons) with a mouse or other pointing device instead
of having to type in key command
gumming In
platemaking, the process of applying a thin
coating of gum to the non-printing areas of a lithographic
plate.
gutter The blank
space or inner margin from printing area to binding.
<top>
hairline register Register
with + ½ row of dots.
halftone The reproduction
of continuous-tone images, through a screening process,
which converts the image into dots of various sizes
and equal spacing between centers (AM screening), or
dots of equal size with variable spacing between them
(FM screening).
hard copy The
permanent visual record of the output of a computer
or printer on a substrate.
hard dot Halftone
dot with little or no fringe and prints with little
or no dot gain or sharpening.
hard proof A proof
on paper or other substrate as distinguished from a soft
proof which is an image on a VDT screen.
head margin The
white space above first line on a page.
hickeys In
offset lithography, spots or imperfections in
the printing due to dirt on the press, dried ink
skin, paper particles, etc.
<top>
imagesetter In
digital imaging, a generic term that applies
to film-output devices for type and graphics. The
difference between an imagesetter and a typesetter
is in the format of the data that has been converted
from discrete-character raster lines to rater data
using bitmaps.
imposetter In
digital imaging, an imagesetter capable of out-putting
a film flat with 4, 8 or more pages in imposed position,
imposition In
image assembly, the positioning of pages on
a signature so that after printing, folding and cutting,
all pages will appear in the proper sequence.
impression cylinder In
printing, the cylinder on a printing press against
which the paper picks up the impression from the
linked plate in direct printing, or the blanket in
offset printing.
ink fountain In
printing presses, the device which stores and
supplies in to the inking rollers.
ink-jet printing In
digital printing, a plateless printing system
that produces images directly on paper from digital
data using streams of very fine drops of dyes which
are controlled by digital signals to produce images
on paper.
insert A printed
piece prepared for insertion into a publication or
another printed piece.
italic The style
of letters that slant, in distinction from upright,
or roman, letters. Used fro emphasis within the
text.
<top>
JDF (Job Definition Format) A
data exchange standard that will act as a universal
electronic job ticket that contains control data from
print buying through estimating, customer service,
prepress, press, finishing and dispatch. JDF
contains production information rather than content
data. See CIP4.
JPEG (The Joint Photographic
Experts Group) was formed to create a standard
for color and gray scale image compression. JPEG
describes a variety of algorithms (rules), each of
which is targeted for a type of image application. JPEG
is the default format for most digital cameras.
justify In
composition, to space out lines uniformly to
line up left and right.
<top>
kerning In
typesetting, subtracting space between two characters,
making them closer together.
key To code copy
to a dummy by means of symbols, usually letters. Insertions
are sometimes keyed in like manner.
kiss impression In
printing, a very light impression, just enough
to produce an image on the paper.
<top>
lacquer A clear
resin/solvent coating, usually glossy, applied to a
printed sheet for protection or appearance.
laid paper Paper
with a pattern of parallel lines at equal distances,
giving a ribbed effect.
lamination A plastic
film bonded by heat and pressure to a printed sheet
for protection or appearance.
layout The drawing
or sketch of a proposed printed piece. In
platemaking, a sheet indicating the settings for
a step-and-repeat machine.
leading (pronounced ledding)
In composition, the distance between lines of
type measured in points.
ledger paper A
grade of business paper generally used for keeping
records where it is subjected to appreciable wear so
it requires a high degree of durability and permanence.
letterspacing The
placing of additional space between each letter of
a word.
line copy Any
copy suitable for reproduction without using a halftone
screen.
logotype (or logo) The
name of a company or product in a special design used
as a trademark in advertising.
lowercase The
small letters in type, as distinguished from the capital
letters.
<top>
M Abbreviation
for Mega, which is commonly used to mean one million. In
computer terminology, however, M refers to the number
1,048,576, and is used to specify the amount of storage
available on a disk or in memory. See megabyte. Also,
abbreviation for quantity of 1,000.
machine coated Paper
which is coated on- or two-sides on a paper machine.
machine direction Same
as grain direction in paper.
magenta Hue of
a subtractive primary and a four-color process ink. It
reflects or transmits blue and red light and absorbs
green light.
magenta screen A
dyed contact screen, used for making halftones.
makeready In
printing, all work done to set up a press for
printing.
mask In color
separation photography, an intermediate photographic
negative or positive used in color correction. In
offset lithography, opaque material used to
protect open or selected areas of a printing plate
during exposure.
matte finish Dull
paper finish without gloss or luster.
measure In
composition, the width of type, usually expressed
in picas.
middletones The
tonal range between highlights and shadows of a photograph
or reproduction.
moiré In
color process printing, the undesirable screen
pattern caused by incorrect screen angles of overprinting
halftones.
mottle The spotty
or uneven appearance of printing, mostly in solid areas.
<top>
OCT (Optical Character Recognition) An
electronic means of scanning (reading) copy, and converting
the canned image to an electronic equivalent. The
ability to “read” printed text (characters)
and convert it to digitized files that can be saved
on disk and edited as a text file.
off-press proofs Proofs
made by photomechanical or digital means in less time
and at a lower cost than press proofs.
offset See
set-off, In printing, the process of using an
intermediate blanket cylinder to transfer an image
from the image carrier to the substrate. Short
for offset lithography.
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.
overhang cover A
cover larger in size than the pages it encloses.
overprinting Double
printing; printing over an area that already has been
printed.
overrun In
printing, copies printed in excess of the specified
quantity.
<top>
packing In
printing presses, material, usually special
paper, used to underlay the image or impression cylinder
in letterpress, or the plate or blanket in lithography,
to getproper squeeze or pressure for printing.
page buffering The
ability to spool an entire image to disk and print
in a continuous motion.
pagination In
computerized typesetting, the process of performing
page makeup automatically.
palette In
computers, the collection of colors or shades
available to a graphic system or program.
PDF (Portable Document File) PDF
is a universal electronic file format, modeled after
the PostScript language and is device-and resolution-independent. Documents
in the PDF format can be viewed, navigated and printed
from any computer regardless of the fonts or software
programs used to create the original.
perfecting press A
printing press that prints both sides of the paper
in one pas through the press.
pH A number used
for expressing the acidity or alkalinity of solutions. A
value of 7 is neutral in a scale ranging from 1 to
14. Solutions with values below 7 are acid, above
7 are alkaline.
pica Printer’s
unit of measurement used principally in typesetting. One
pica equals approximately 1/6 of an inch.
picking In
printing, the lifting of the paper surface during
printing. It occurs when pulling force (tack)
of ink is greater than surface strength of paper.
pigment In
printing inks, the fine solid particles used
to give inks color, transparency or opacity.
pilling In
printing, the building up or caking of ink on
rollers, plate or blanket: will not transfer
readily. Also, the accumulation of paper dust
or coating on the blanket of offset press.
plate cylinder The
cylinder of a press on which the plate is mounted.
PMS (Pantone Matching System) Color
charts that have over 700 preprinted color patches
of blended inks, used to identify, display or define
special colors.
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.
poor trapping In
printing, the condition in wet printing in letter-press
and lithography when less ink transfers to previously
printed ink than to unprinted paper. Also call undertrapping.
porosity The property
of paper that allows the permeation of air, and important
factor in ink penetration.
PostScript ® A page
description language developed by Adobe Systems, Inc.
to describe an image for printing. It handles
both text and graphics. A PostScript file is
a purely text-based description of a page.
preflighting In
digital prepress, the test used to evaluate
or analyze every component needed to produce a printing
job. Preflight confirms the type of disk being
submitted, the color amut, color breaks, and any
art required ( illustrations, transparencies, reflective
photos, etc.) plus layout files, screen fonts, printer
fonts, EPS or TIFF files, laser proofs, page sizes,
print driver, crop-marks, etc.
pressure-sensitive paper Material
with an adhesive coating, protected by a backing sheet
until used.
print quality A
term describing the visual impression of a printed
piece. In paper, the properties of the
paper that affect its appearance and the quality of
reproduction.
process colors In
printing, the subtractive primaries: yellow,
magenta and cyan, plus black in four-color process
printing.
<top>
ragged left In
typesetting, type that is justified on the right
margin and ragged on the left.
ragged right In
typesetting, type that is justified on the left
margin and ragged on the right.
raster image processor (RIP) In
digital imaging, a combination of computer software
and hardware that controls the printing process by
calculating the bitmaps of images and instructing
a printing device to create the images. Most
PostScript systems use a hardware RIP built into
the printer.
ream Five hundred
sheets of paper.
reducers In
printing inks, varnishes, solvents, oily or
greasy compounds used to reduce the consistency for
printing. In photography, chemicals
used to reduce the density of negative or positive
images or the size of halftone dots (dot etching).
register In
printing, fitting of two or more printing images
in exact alignment with each other.
register marks Crosses
or other targets applied to original copy prior to
photography. Used for positioning films in register,
or for register of two or more colors in process printing.
relative humidity (RH) The
amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere expressed
as a percentage of the maximum that could be present
at the same temperature.
resolution Ability
of an input device to record, or an output device to
reproduce the fine detail of an image. There
is a difference between resolution and addressability
or sampling rate. Resolution concerns how closely
spots can be placed, and also whether gray levels can
be distinguished. Resolution for output devices
depends on addressability, bit-depth, mark size and
color.
retrofit Backwards
integration of advanced capability into a device or
program not originally intended for that purpose.
RGB (red, green and blue) The
primary additive colors used in display devices and
scanners. Commonly used to refer to the color
space, mixing system or monitor in color computer graphics.
right-angle fold In
binding, a term used for tow or more folds that
are a 90 degree angles to each other.
RIP See raster
image processor.
run-around In
composition, the term describing type set to
fit around a picture or other element of the design.
running head A
headline or title repeated at the top of each page.
<top>
saddle stitch in
binding, to fasten a booklet by wiring it through
the middle fold of the sheets. Also called
saddle wire.
Scaling Determining
the proper size of an image to be reduced or enlarged
to fit an area.
Scan-a-web In
web printing, a rotating mirror arrangement
where speed can be varied to match the speed of a
press so the image on paper can be examined during
printing.
score To impress
or indent a mark in the paper to make folding easier.
screened print In
photography, a print with a halftone screen
made from a halftone negative or by diffusion transfer.
SCSI (SMALL Computer Systems
Interface) Pronounced “skuzzy,” SCSI
is an interface used to transmit digital data and
to connect computers to peripherals. An industry-standard
interface for hard drives and other storage devices
that allows for very fast transfers of information.
scum In offset
lithography, a film of ink
printing in the non-image areas of a plate where
it should not print.
self cover A cover
of the same paper as inside text pages.
serif The short
cross-lines at the ends of the main strokes of many
letters in some typefaces.
server A file
server provides file data interchange between compatible
peripheral devices on a local area network. Servers
are identified by the type of resource they provide
(e.g., disk server, file server, printer server, communications
server)
set-off In
presswork, when the ink of a printed sheet rubs
off or marks the next sheet as it is being delivered. Also
called offset.
sheetwise To print
one side of a sheet of paper with one plate, then turn
the sheet over and print the other side with another
plate using same gripper and opposite side guide.
Shingling In
image assembly and layouts, the center or gutter
margin is varied according to the position of the
page in the signature and the bulk of the paper. See
creep.
side guide On
sheetfed presses, a guide on the feed board
to position the sheet sideways as it feeds into the
front guides before entering the impression cylinder.
signature In
printing and binding, the name given to a printed
sheet after it has been folded.
silhouette halftone A
halftone of a subject with all of the back-ground
removed.
sizing The treatment
of paper which gives it resistance to the penetration
of liquids (particularly water) or vapors.
skid A platform
support for a pile of cut sheets of paper.
slitting Cutting
printed sheets or webs into two or more sections by
means of cutting wheels on a press of folder.
small caps An
alphabet of SMALL CAPITAL LETTERS available in most
roman typefaces approximately the size of the lowercase
letters. Used in combination with larger capital
letters.
soft dot Halftone
dot with considerable fringe which causes dot gain
or sharpening in printing or photography.
Soft proof See
hard proof.
spectrum The complete
range of colors in the rainbow, from short wavelengths
(blue) to long wavelengths (red).
spiral binding A
book bound with wires in spiral form inserted through
holes punched along the binding side.
spool (simultaneous peripheral
operations online) Refers to an output
data set that is waiting for a print device.
spot The smallest
element of the addressability grid of an output device. Similar
to a pixel, a spot is data, not something that can
be seen. A spot is what the screener intended
to form. A mark is what the marking engine actually
placed at a spot location. A pot has a spatial
aspect (size and location in the addressability grid),
and a tonal and color aspect.
static neutralizer In
printing presses, an attachment designed to
remove the static electricity from the paper to avoid
ink set-off and trouble with feeding the paper.
step-and-repeat In
photomechanics, the procedure of multiple exposure
using the same image by stepping it in position according
to a predetermined layout or program.
stock Paper or
other material to be printed.
stone In lithography, formerly
used as the plate material and presently used by artists
as an art medium, In letterpress, the
bed on which metal type is leveled and locked up.
strike-on composition or cold
type Type set on typewriter composing
machines.
stripping In
image assembly, the positioning of negatives
(or positives) on a flat to compose a page or layout
for platemaking. In printing, ink
stripping on ink rollers prevented by plastic or
copper coated steel rollers in the ink roller train.
substrate Any
material that can be printed on, such as paper plastic
and fabric.
<top>
tagged image file format (TIFF) A
file format for graphics suited for representing scanned
images and other large bitmaps. TIFF is a neutral
format designed for compatibility with all applications. TIFF
was created specifically for storing gray-scale images,
and it is the standard format for scanned images such
as photographs – now called TIFF/IT.
tolerances This
specification of acceptable variations in register,
density, dot size, plate or paper thickness, concentration
of chemicals and other printing parameters.
toner In digital
printing, imaging material also called digital
inks, used in plateless printing systems like electrophotography,
magnetograpy, ion or electron deposition and laser
printers. In inks, dye used to tone
printing inks, especially black.
tooth A characteristic
of paper, a slightly rough finish, which permits it
to take ink readily.
transpose To exchange
the position of a letter, word or line with another
letter, word or line.
trapping In
printing, the ability to print a wet ink film
over previously printed ink. Dry trapping is
printing wet ink over dry ink. Wet trapping is
printing wet ink over previously printed wet ink. In
prepress, refers to how much overprinting colors
overlap to eliminate white lines between colors in
printing. See spreads and chokes.
trim marks In
printing, marks placed on the copy to indicate
the edge of the page.
two-sheet detector In
printing presses, a device for stopping or tripping
the press when more than one sheet attempts to feed
into the grippers.
type gauge In
composition, a printer’s tool calibrated
in picas and points used for type measurement.
<top>
unit In multicolor
presses, refers to the combination of inking,
plate and impression operations to print each color. A
4-color press has four printing units each with its
own inking, plate and impression functions.
-up In printing, two-up,
three-up, etc., refers to imposition of material to
be printed on a larger size sheet to take advantage
of full press capacity.
uppercase Capital
letters in type.
UV links In
printing, solventless inks that are cured by
UV radiation. They are used extensively in
screen printing, narrow web letterpress and flexographic
printing.
<top>
varnish A thin,
protective coating applied to a printed sheet for protection
or appearance. Also, in inkmaking, it
can be all or part of the ink vehicle.
vellum finish In
papermaking, a toothy finish which is relatively
absorbent for fast ink penetration.
vignette An illustration
in which the background fades gradually away until
it blends into the unprinted paper.
viscosity In
printing inks, a broad term encompassing the
properties of tack and flow.
<top>
washup The process
of cleaning the rollers, form or plate, and sometimes
the ink fountain of a printing press.
web A roll of
paper used in web or rotary printing.
web press A press
which prints on a roll of paper.
web tension The
amount of pull or tension applied in the direction
of travel of a web of paper by the action of a web
press.
widow In composition, a
single word or part of a word on a line by itself,
ending a paragraph, or starting a page, frowned upon
in good typography.
wire-o binding A
continuous double series of wire loops run through
punched slots along the binding side of a booklet.
with the grain Folding
or feeding paper into a press with the grain of the
paper parallel to the blade of the folder or the axis
of the impression cylinder.
work-and-tumble To
print one side of a sheet of paper, then turn it over
from gripper to back using the same side guide and
plate to print the second side.
work-and-turn To
print one side of a sheet of paper, then turn it over
from left to right and print the second side using
the same gripper and plate but opposite side guide |
