Glossary

A

Accordion fold A bindery term for two or more parallel folds that result in a sheet that opens like an accordion

Against the grain Perpendicular to the direction of the paper grain

Aliasing A defect which occurs when a graphic file does not have enough resolution to reproduce image detail and causes visible jagged lines along the edges

Anti-aliasing Technique of filling the edges of an object with pixels to eliminate jagged lines and make it appear smoother

Aqueous coating This coating provides a subtle semi-gloss finish to your print product. It is resistant to smudges and fingerprints and does not yellow with age. Aqueous coating also improves durability to your product as it goes through mail or is inserted in pockets. NOTE: This coating is only available when you order Cover weight paper.

Artwork In printing, this is the original copy which includes all text, graphics, photos and illustrations

B

Back up To print the reverse side of an already printed sheet (print on both sides)

Bind To fasten sheets or sections into brochures or booklets with the use of wire, thread, glue, staples, etc.

Binding The process by which sheets are fastened together which includes cutting, trimming, collating, perforating, and folding to form the finished product

Bindery The department in a printing company where finishing work is done such as collating, folding and trimming of printed products

Bitmap An image file format that refers to the rows and columns (map) of dots or pixels that form an image

Bitmap images Computerized image made up of a collection of dots or pixels; these images appear blocky when you zoom in; also known as raster images

Blanket The thick rubber coated pad of a printing press that transfers ink from the plate to the sheet

Bleed Printing that goes beyond the edge of the final trim size

Blind embossing A technique in which a design is pressed into a sheet without ink or foil, creating a raised image

Bond paper Durable and lightweight paper commonly used for letterheads and business stationery

Border Margin or line between the image area and the edge of the paper

Brightness The brilliance or reflective quality of paper affecting contrast in printing

Bulk The thickness of paper relative to its weight

C

C1S Abbreviation for coating on one side of paper

C2S Abbreviation for coating on both sides of paper

Caliper Measurement of paper thickness expressed in thousandths of an inch

Camera-ready copy Print ready layout of graphic and text

Cast coated A type of coated paper with a high gloss enamel finish

Chrome Color transparency

CMYK The color model used by printers which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black and from which an estimated 90% of colors in the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) model can be reproduced

Coated paper Paper with a thin surface coating of clay that produces a smooth finish

Collate A finishing term for arranging pages or sheets in correct order before binding

Color balance Refers to the proper ratio of cyan, magenta, and yellow ink during printing to keep color consistency and produce the desired color of an image

Color bar Strips of color used as a tool to check color accuracy and density

Color correction Methods of adjusting and improving color qualities such as color balance, contrast, etc.

Color filter Filters used in color separation

Color key A printer’s proof made from 4 acetate or transparent films of various colors, one sheet per process color, which when combined simulates the finished product

Color matching system Color chart in an electronic system used to compare, measure or mix colors

Color separations Preparing a full-color image for printing by separating it into the four basic process colors: cyan, magenta, yellow and black

Color sequence The order in which the four-color process inks are printed on the press

Comb bind A method of binding by inserting a plastic comb through holes along the side or edge of a stack of pages

Computer-to-Plate (CTP) A technology that enables transfer of digital data directly to a metal plate for printing, eliminating the use of conventional films

Continuous-tone copy Illustrations and photographs that have a range of shades

Contrast The range of difference between the darkest and lightest areas in an image

Copy Any material (text or artwork) to be used in printing a piece

Cover paper A heavyweight paper commonly used for covers of books, brochures, catalogs and folders

Creep Creep is the shifting position of the page in a saddle-stitched bind. Creep moves the inside pages away from the spine with more pages added.

Crop To cut off sides or portions of an image

Crop marks Lines at the edges of a sheet that show where the page will be trimmed

Crossover Printing across the gutter or from one page to the facing page of a publication

Cure The process of drying inks or coatings through chemical processes to develop strong adhesion

Cyan Shade of blue; One of four basic ink colors used in 4 color printing process

D

Deboss To press an image below the surface of paper

Densitometer An instrument used to measure the density of colored ink to determine consistency

Density The degree of darkness of an image

Die Metal plate cut for impressing a design or image on paper

Die cutting A process of cutting paper in a shape or design using metal dies

Digital printing Printing directly from a computer file to effect lower costs and quicker turnaround

Direct Imaging A technology that eliminates the use of film plates by directly transferring the image from digital files to the press plates using a laser

Direct Imaging Press (DI) An offset press where the plate is imaged directly on the press with laser

Dot The individual element of a halftones; also referred to as a “pixel”

Dot gain or spread The spread of ink on paper; occurrence when dots print larger than they were on the film

Dots Per Inch (DPI) A measurement of resolution of a screen image or printed image defined by the number of dots that fit horizontally and vertically into one inch; The higher the DPI, the sharper the image

Draw-down A method of applying a thin coating or ink on paper to roughly determine color

Drop-out Parts of artwork that are not reproduced

Dummy A preliminary layout of a copy showing the position and general style made to resemble the finished product

Duotone A halftone image made up of two colors

Duplexing The ability of a press to print on both sides of a sheet of paper

E

Encapsulated Postscript File (EPS) An Adobe graphic file format for high resolution images; it translates graphic and text into code that tells a printer to print in the highest resolution possible and also has low resolution view files for quick screen viewing.

Emboss Technique of pressing an image into paper so that it creates a raised image

F

Feeder Section of a printing press that separates the sheets and feeds them into position for printing

Flood To cover a page completely with ink or varnish

Flop The backside of an image

Foil A thin metal applied to paper used in foil stamping and foil embossing

Foil emboss To foil stamp or emboss an image on paper using a die

Foil stamping Pressing a design or image on paper without ink using a foil and heated metal die

Four color process The process of printing using the combination of four basic color inks (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) to produce a range of colors and create a color image

Four over Four (4/4) A print job with four color printing on both sides of the paper

Four over One (4/1) A print job with four color printing on the front side and one color (usually black) on the back side

Four over Zero (4/0) A print job with four color printing on the front side and no printing on the back side

G

Gang Economical way of printing by printing multiple images on the same sheet using the maximum sheet size

Ghosting A printing defect where a faint unwanted image appears on a page

Gloss Shiny coating applied to paper

Grain The direction in which the fibers of a paper lie

Graphic design The use of visual elements to express a message

Grayscale An image made up of a range of shades of black and white

Grippers The metal fingers on printing presses that hold the paper and control it as it passes through the press

H

Halftone Pattern of dots within a fixed grid to reproduce a continuous-tone image

Hard copy A document or data printed on paper

Hickey A spot or imperfection on a printed page caused by dust, lint or dried ink

Highlight The lightest part in an image

House sheet Paper kept in stock by a printer

I

Image area Portion of a page or paper that can be printed on

Imposition Arranging printed pages correctly so they will fold in the proper sequence

Impression The pressure of a printing press on paper; image caused by pressure of a press plate on paper

InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Corel Draw, Publisher Design programs for creating print materials

Indicia Postal information preprinted on a mailing envelope or a piece in place of a stamp

Ink fountain The container on a printing press that hold the ink

J

K

Keyline An outline drawing to show the exact size and position of an artwork

L

Laid finish A pattern of parallel lines running across the grain, creating a ribbed and handmade effect

Line copy High contrast copy made up of solids or lines which do not require a halftone screen; also called line art or line work

Lines per inch (LPI) The number of lines of dots per inch in a halftone screen; the higher the LPI, the sharper the image

Lithography A method of printing where plates are chemically treated so that the image area accepts ink and non-image areas repel ink

M

Magenta Also known as process red; one of the 4 basic ink colors in process color printing; M in abbreviation CMYK

Matte Dull non-glossy finish

Micrometer Device used to measure the thickness (caliper) of paper

Middle tones The tones in a photograph between highlights and shadows; must be balanced for accurate reproduction

Moire An undesirable screen pattern caused by incorrect screen angles

N

NCOA A United State Postal Service National Change of Address database which mail houses use for mailing list hygiene

Negative A film in which the white areas of the original image appear black and the black areas appear white

O

Offset Lithography or Offset Printing A common printing process in which the image to be printed is transferred from a metal plate to a rubber blanket onto paper

Offsetting Transfer of ink or impression from one page to the opposite page

Opacity The property of paper that minimizes the show-through on a printed sheet

Outline halftone A halftone image with the background removed to outline the main image

Overrun Production of larger quantities than ordered

Oversampling Scanning at more than the ideal sampling rate

P

Page count Total number of pages in a book or publication

Pantone Matching Systems (PMS) A color reproduction standard covering all colors of the spectrum with each color given a unique identification number to ensure precise color matches and consistency

Perfect bind A binding technique in which pages are collated into a single sheet and then glued together and attached to the cover with an adhesive

Perfecting press A printing press that prints both sides of a sheet at the same time

Perforation Process of making holes or a series of cuts to make tearing or folding easy

Pica A printer’s measure of type; One pica is 1/6 of an inch

Plate A flat sheet of metal on which an image is reproduced using a printing press

PostScript A page description language developed by Adobe Systems that tells a printer how an image is to be printed

Press layout A map or drawing showing how a printing job must be imposed with a specific press and sheet size; also called a Ruleup

Pressure-sensitive paper Paper material with a self-sticking adhesive protected by a backing sheet, usually used for labels and stickers

Print resolution The strength of an image based on a dots per inch (DPI) number which renders the image a low or high resolution image

Process colors The four basic colors used in printing to simulate full spectrum color—Cyan (blue), magenta (process red), yellow (process yellow), black (process black)

Proof The tool used to ensure that the text, image, color, and design of a printed project are accurate based on specifications before a full press run is executed

Q

R

Raster To render an image, pixel by pixel, vertically and horizontally

Raster image An image file format that refers to the rows and columns (map) of dots or pixels that form an image (also referred to as a bitmap image)

Raster Image Processor (RIP) A device that translates data into dots or pixels

Ream A quantity of paper equivalent to 500 sheets

Resolution Refers to the number of pixels an image expressed in pixels per inch (PPI) or dots per inch (DPI); the higher the number, the sharper the image

RGB Refers to red, green, blue—the additive primary colors used for color video display as on a computer screen

Rich black A darker and deeper black color created by combining other ink colors with black ink. The values to create rich black is usually 40% cyan, 30% magenta, 30% yellow, 100% black

Ruleup A map or drawing showing how a printing job must be imposed with a specific press and sheet size; also called press layout

S

Saddle stitch A method of binding using staples in the seam or spine of a book or booklet where it folds

Scanner An instrument used to make color separations; also an instrument to scan images or photos in desktop publishing

Score A mark or crease pressed on paper to make folding easier

Scoring The process of pressing a sheet of paper to create a groove or line for folding

Screen angles The angles at which halftone screens are positioned to avoid unwanted patterns

Self-cover The paper used as cover is the same as that used in the inside pages

Shadow The darkest areas of a photograph or image

Side stitch To bind by stapling sheets along one side of a sheet

Signature Term for a printed sheet after folding

Specifications A precise description of features of a print order such as paper type and quantity

Spine The back edge of a bound book or publication that connects the 2 covers

Split run Printing of a book or booklet that has copies bound in different ways

Spoilage Planned paper waste

Spot varnish Varnishing a specific part of a sheet

Stamping Pressing a design or image onto paper with a metal die

Step-and-repeat Technique of repeatedly exposing the same image on the plate in different places

Paper type The paper or material to be printed on

Stripping The process of positioning film negatives for plate making

Substrate Any surface or material on which printing is done

T

Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) A standard graphic image file format often used for storing high resolution images that can easily handle up to 24 bits of photographic image color

Tint A mixture of a hue with white

Tissue overlay A thin transparent paper placed over artwork for protection and may be used for marking printer instructions

Trapping Printing of one ink over the other to prevent gaps from appearing

Tree-free Refers to pulp or paper made without cutting down trees; paper made from cotton, hemp or other resources

Trim marks Marks on a printed sheet that show where to cut or trim the page

Trim size The final size of a printed image after trimming

Typesetting To arrange or layout artwork and text for printing

U

Uncoated Paper with no treatment or coating on the surface

Under-run Production of fewer copies than ordered by customer

Up Printing multiple copies of the same on the same sheet

UV coating Liquid glossy coating applied to paper’s surface and cured with ultraviolet light

V

Variable Data Printing Printing documents with data that is personalized to each recipient to achieve better targeting and higher response rates

Varnish A clear liquid coating applied to printed sheet for protection and shine

Vignette A halftone or image whose background gradually fades to white

Vector images Images made up of solids, lines and curves that can be scaled or edited without affecting image resolution

W

Washup Process of cleaning the parts of a printing press (rollers, plate, blanket, etc.) so that a different ink can be applied

Waste Planned spoilage

Watermark A distinctive design created in paper during manufacturing that is visible when the paper is held up to the light

Web The roll of printing paper used in web or rotary printing

Web press A high speed printing press that prints on a continuous roll of paper or web rather than on individual sheets

Wire O A method of binding using double loops of wire through a hole

With the grain Folding or feeding paper into the press parallel to the paper’s grain or fiber

Work and tumble Printing the second side of a sheet by turning the sheet over from the gripper to the tail utilizing the same side guides and plate

Wove paper A paper having a uniform unlined surface and a smooth finish

X

Y

Z