Glossary of Terms
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A
Accordion fold
Paper fold using two or more parallel folds which open like an accordion. Alternate term: fanfold.
Anti-anliasing
The process of averaging between pixels of different colors. The result is a smoother, blended transition between the edge of two areas rather than a distinctly jagged or "stair-step" appearance.
Antique finish
A term for the surface texture of some cover papers that is natural and slightly rough.
Ascender
The part of a lower case letter which rises above the main body, as in "b".
B
Bank
In tabs, the group of equally divided and equally spaced tab positions (i.e. a 5-bank tab would have 5 equally spaced tabs along the edge of a binder).
Binding margin
The space between the text matter and the fold edge. Alternate terms: back margin, gutter margin.
Bitmap
An image that is digitally produced using dots rather than a mathematical formula.
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
The effect created when the image extends beyond the edge of the sheet or page of a printed piece.
Blind embossing
A design which is stamped without metallic leaf or ink, giving a bas-relief effect.
C
Center spread
The two pages that face each other in the center of a book or publication.
Collate
In binding, gathering the sheets of pages of a publication to be stapled, folded, etc.
Color separation
The process of photographically separating colored art of photographs into primary color components (negative or positive) for printed reproduction.
Contrast
The tonal gradation between the highlights, middle tones and shadows in an original or reproduction.
Crop
To eliminate portions of the copy, usually of a photograph or plate, indicated on the original by crop marks.
D
Data compression
A technique to shrink or reduce the size of a data file so it takes up less storage space and is faster to move electronically. Compression is accomplished by removing "blank" spaces and repetitive data and using a mathematical formula to replace them.
Data conversion
Changing digital data from one format to another so it can be used in another software application or printed on a specific output device. (e.g. CMYK to RGB, TIF to GIF, MS Word to Postscript, etc.)
Dots per inch (DPI)
A measure of the resolution of a screen image or printed page.
Dot gain
A condition where the size of a halftone dot is increased during the printing process. Frequently caused by ink spreading due to ink viscosity or by paper absorption. Alternate terms: dot spread, ink spread.
Duotone
The term for a two-color halftone made from a one-color photograph.
E
Em dash
Bigger than a hyphen, a line the width of a font's uppercase M.
Embossed finish
Paper with a raised or depressed surface resembling wood, cloth, leather or other pattern.
En dash
Larger than a hyphen, but smaller than an em dash.
Engraving
Using an acid or other chemical to form an elevated image on a printing plate or cylinder.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
In digital prepress, a file format used to transfer graphic images within compatible applications.
F
Feathering
An imprecise, fuzzy or rough edge on a printed piece.
Flush left (or right)
Type set to align on the left (or right).
Font family
The group of typeface variations within a specific design (e.g., Helvetica regular, Helvetica italic, Helvetica bold, Helvetica bold italic, etc.)
Format
The size, style, type page, margins, printing requirements, etc. of a printed piece.
G
Generation
Each succeeding stage in reproduction from the original copy.
Gatefold
A four page insert to a book that is larger than the existing page dimensions, having a fold at the outer edge that serves as a hinge, allowing two sheets to fold out from the center to the edge.
Gigabyte
One thousand megabytes or one billion bytes of computer data.
Gloss
The "shininess" of a material as measured by the amount of light reflected from its surface.
Ghosting
A condition occurring during sheetfed printing when inks containing drying oils are used in production. Vapors from drying ink on one side of a press sheet interact chemically with the dry ink densities printed on a sheet in contact or on the reverse side of the same sheet creating unintended faint images.
Grain
In papermaking, the direction in which most fibers lie, which corresponds with the direction the paper was traveling when formed on the mill machinery. Paper folds easily when folded with the grain, and it folds poorly and creates a rougher edge when folded against the grain.
Gray scale
Graduated neutral tones used in printing to reflect color differentiation.
Gutter
The blank space between columns of type or the inner margin between the print and the binding of a book.
H
Halftone
The reproduction of continuous-tone artwork, such as a photograph, using a contact screen over the film which converts the image into blank and white dots of various sizes.
Hardcopy
The printout of a computer file or the typewritten copy submitter to a printer to be typeset.
High contrast
In photography or illustration, a reproduction in which light and dark areas are more exaggerated than in the original object or image.
Highlight
The lightest, brightest part of a photograph or halftoned image.
I
Intaglio
An incised, etched, carved or sunken image. In printing, and intaglio is created on the surface of plates or cylinders. The etched areas hold ink, the non-etched areas remain ink free. When the inked plate or cylinder is then applied to the substrate to be printed, the ink adheres and is transferred to the substrate reproducing the original image.
J
Justify
In setting type, to space out lines uniformly to the correct length.
K
Kerning
In typesetting, subtracting space between two characters, making them closer together.
Knockout
White type on a black or dark background.
L
Laid finish
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.
Leading
The distance between lines of type, measure in points. 1 point=1/72 inch.
Line art
A drawing rendered in only 100% black and 100% white, with no gray areas.
M
Matte finish
Dull finish on coated paper, lacking gloss or luster.
Middle tones
The gray areas (as opposed to the black and white areas) of a photograph or illustration.
Moire
The undesirable screen pattern caused by incorrect screen angles or overprinting halftones.
Multicolor press
Two or more self contained single color printing presses that are joined sequentially to produce multiple colors on a sheet of paper in a single pass.
Mylar
The plastic film, coming in a variety of colors, used to cover tabs to make them more sturdy.
N
Negative
In photography, film containing an image in which the values of the original are reversed so that the dark areas in the subject appear light on the film and vice versa.
Numbering
Sequentially printed numbers.
O
Offset printing
An indirect printing technique that re-deposits ink from a printing plate cylinder to a rubber coated cylinder which then applies the ink to the final substrate.
Orientation
Printing in the direction of a sheet's long or short edge. Printing parallel to the sheet's long edge is called landscape, while printing in the direction of the sheet's short edge is called portrait.
Original
The number of pages (if a large book), the number of names (if business cards), or the number of camera ready mechanicals to be reproduced.
Orphan
A single line of text at the bottom or top of a page or column. The text is either the first line or the last line of a paragraph, respectively.
Overlay
A transparent covering over an artwork that indicates color designations and other instructions to the printer. Also, transparent layers of artwork which are overprinted to create a composite image.
Overrun
In printing, copies printed in excess of the specified quantity.
P
Pagination
The page makeup process for a multiple page document.
PDF
A proprietary format of the transfer of designs across multiple computer platforms. PDF is a universal electronic file format. Documents in the PDF format can be viewed, navigated, and printed from any computer regardless of the fonts of software programs used to create the original.
PMS# (ink color)
Pantone Matching System color; the number indicates one of a set of standard formulas for mixing ink colors, used by all printers.
Perfect bind
Assembly of a whole book by gluing the trimmed pages to a wrap-around cover in paperback fashion.
Pica
A printer's measurement, equal to approximately 1/6th of an inch.
Pixel
Short for "picture element," a pixel is the smallest resolvable point of a raster image. It is the basic unit of digital imaging.
Point
A printer's measure for type specifications. There are 12 points in a pica and 72 points in an inch.
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.
Preflight
In digital prepress, the text used to evaluate or analyze every component needed to produce a printing job. Preflight confirms the type of disk being submitted, the color gamut, 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.
Process colors
Yellow, magenta, cyan and black. The four colors of ink used by printers for full color reproduction of color art.
Punch
To place holes in paper (as for use in notebooks, binders, etc.) Alternate terms: drill.
R
Register
In printing, to fit two or more printed images in exact alignment with each other.
Registration marks
Distinctive symbols placed on the outer edges of artwork before photographing. Used to help platemakers and press operators align copy in two or more colors of ink.
Resolution
In typesetting, the quantification of type quality using number of dots per square inch.
S
Saddlestitch
To fasten a booklet by stapling it through the middle fold of the sheets.
Score
To make an indentation in paper before folding to make it fold more easily.
Screen
To reproduce a shaded area in a printed piece. Also, a photographic tool for making halftone images from a continuous tone photo or illustration
Serif
The short, cross-lines at the ends of many letters in some type styles.
Spine
The rigid part of a bound book, where the covers and pages are joined.
Spiral binding
A book-binding method with spiral wires inserted through small holes punched along the binding.
Spread
An image that covers two pages that face each other in a book or publication.
T
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
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 is the standard format for scanned images such as photographs.
Trapping
In prepress, refers to how much overprinting colors overlap to eliminate white lines between colors in printing.
Trim marks
Marks placed on the copy to indicate the edge of the page. Alternate terms: corner marks.
U
Uncoated
A paper without mineral coating
V
Variable printing
A process often used to create personalized letters or billing statements where standard text and images are combined with changeable data unique to each recipient (e.g., name address, etc.). A form of mass customization that uses a standard template into which unique data is inserted on a page by page basis.
Varnish
A thin, protective coating applied to a printed sheet for protection or to add a glossy appearance.
Vector file
A digital file containing vector images.
Vellum finish
In papermaking, a toothy finish which is relatively absorbent for fast ink penetration
W
Watermark
A translucent mark or image that is pressed into fine paper during the papermaking process and which is visible when the paper is held up to light.
White space
The part of a page that is free of text or images.
Widow
In typesetting, a single word or short line of text at the end of a paragraph, or a single line of text at the top of a page; considered poor style.
Wire binding
A continuous series of wire loops run through punched slots along the binding side of a booklet.
Word wrap
The process by which a computer application automatically moves a word to the next line down when the available line space for text has been used up.
Work and tumble
To print one side of a sheet of paper, then turn it end to end, changing the gripper, and printing the other side.
Work and turn
To print one side of a sheet of paper, then turning it over from left to right, keeping the same gripper edge going through the press as the second side is printed.
Wove finish
Paper having a uniform, unlined surface and a soft, smooth finish.
Z
Zip
To compress a group of files to send via email or ftp.