A
AA: Abbreviation for “author’s alterations.”
Accordion fold: In binding, a term used for two or more parallel folds which open like an accordion.
Against the grain: Folding or feeding paper at right angles to the grain direction of the paper. Also called the crossgrain.
AM (Amplitude Modulation) Screening: Halftone screening, as opposed to FM screening, has dots of variable size with equal spacing between dot centers.
Antique finish: A term describing the surface, usually of book and cover papers, that has a natural rough finish.
Aqueous coating: A water-based coating that is applied like varnish to protect the printed surface. Aqueous coating can be applied in-line or off-line.
B
Backing up: Printing the reverse side of a sheet already printed on one side.
Barrel fold: In binding, two or more simple folds in which the outer edges of the pages are folded in toward each other.
Binding: Finishing a piece in some manner: using thread, staples, wire, glue, or other agents to collect sections or signatures into books, brochures and pamphlets. Types of binding include saddle stitch, wire-o binding, and spiral binding.
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.
Book paper: A general term for coated and uncoated papers. The basic size is 25" x 38".
Bounce: (1) a repeating registration problem in the printing stage of production. (2) Customer unhappy with the results of a printing project and refuses to accept the project.
Burn: In plate making, a common term used for a plate exposure.
C
C1S and C2S: Abbreviations for coated one side and coated two sides.
Calibrate (color calibrate): To fix, check or correct the gradation of color on a color monitor.
Caliper: The thickness of paper, usually expressed in thousandths of an inch (mils). In board, however, it is expressed as points.
Chalking: In printing, a term which refers to the improper drying of ink. Pigment dusts off because the vehicle has been absorbed too rapidly into the paper.
Chokes and spreads: Overlap of overprinting images to avoid color or white fringes or borders around image detail. Called trapping in digital imaging systems.
CMYK: Stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black. Refers to the subtractive process colors used in color printing. Black (K) is added to enhance color and contrast.
Coated: Paper having a surface coating which produces a smooth finish. Vary from eggshell to glossy.
Coating: An emulsion, varnish or lacquer applied over a printed surface to protect it.
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 the original scene or object.
Color correct: To adjust the relationship among the process colors to achieve desirable colors.
Color curves: Instructions in computer software that allow users to change or correct colors.
Color separation: In photography, the process of separating color originals into the primary printing color components in negative or positive form using RGB filters.
Composite proof: Proof of color separations in position with graphics and type. Also called final proof, imposition proof, and stripping proof.
Continuous tone: An image which contains gradient tones from black to white.
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.
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 crop marks.
Crossover: An image that straddles two pages or runs across a spread. Critical for bindery work, particularly when the crossover image is created from two separate pages. Not all bindery methods area good candidates when crossovers need to match up exactly.
CTP (Computer-to-Plate): In platemaking, Computer-to-Plate systems or platesetters eliminate the need for having a separate film-to-plate exposure system.
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.
D
Debossing: To press an image into paper so it lies below the surface.
Density: (1) Regarding ink, the relative thickness of a layer of printed ink. (2) Regarding color, the relative ability of a color to absorb light reflected from it or block light passing through it. (3) Regarding paper, the relative tightness or looseness of fibers.
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 the printing.
Digital Asset Management: Also know as Media Asset Management, it is a segment of the content management market focused on the systematic cataloging and management of digital media (text, images, video and audio) and some physical media to enable their efficient storage, retrieval and reuse.
Digital color proof: Proofs produced through electronic memory transferred onto paper via laser or ink-jet.
Digital plates: Printing by plates that can be exposed by lasers or other high energy sources driven by digital data in a platesetter.
Digital printing: Printing by plateless imaging systems that are imaged by digital data from prepress systems.
Dog ear: When the edge of a sheet of paper that is being folded gets bent down.
Dot: Smallest screening element. 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 sizes.
Dot gain: In printing, a defect in which dots print larger than they should, causing darker tones or stronger colors.
Dots per inch (dpi): A measure of the resolution of a screen image or printed page. The number of dots in a line screen per inch.
Draw-down: In ink manufacturing, a term used to describe ink chemist’s method of roughly determining color shade. A small glob of ink is placed on paper and drawn down with the edge of a putty knife spatula to get a thin film of ink.
Dry trap: To print wet ink over dry ink, as compared to wet trap.
Dummy: (1) A preliminary layout showing the position of illustrations and text as they are to appear in the final reproduction. (2) A set of blank pages made up in advance to show the size, shape, form and general style of a piece of printing.
Duotone: In photo mechanics, a term for a two-color halftone reproduction from a one-color photograph.
Dynamic range: Density difference between highlights and shadows of scanned subjects.
E
Elliptical dot: In halftone photography, elongated dots that give improved gradation of tones particularly in middle tones and vignettes.
Embossed finish: Paper with a raised or depressed surface resembling wood, cloth, leather or other pattern.
Embossing: Impressing an image in relief to achieve a raised surface; either overprinting or on blank paper, called blind embossing.
Engraving: Printing method using a plate with an image (also called a die) cut into its surface.
F
Face: Edge of a bound publication opposite the spine.
Fake duotone: Halftone in one ink color printed over screen tint of a second ink color. Also called dummy duotone, dougraph, duplex halftone, false duotone, flat tint halftone and halftone with screen.
Finished size: Size of product after production is completed, as compared to flat size. Also called final or trimmed size.
Flat size: Size of product after printing and trimming, but before folding, as compared to finished size.
Flush cover: A cover that has been trimmed to the same size as the inside text pages.
FM (Frequency Modulation) Screening: A means of digital screening. See stochastic screening.
Foil Emboss: To foil stamp and emboss an image. Also called heat stamp.
Foil Stamp: Method of printing that releases foil from its backing when stamped with the heated die. Also called block print, hot foil stamp and stamp.
Folding dummies: A mock-up of the job using the actual paper trimmed and folded to exact specifications.
Folio: The page number.
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.
French fold: A printed sheet, printed one side only, folded with two right angle folds to form a four page uncut section.
G
Gang: (1) To halftone or separate more than one image in only one exposure. (2) To reproduce two or more different printed products simultaneously on one sheet of paper during one press run. Also called combination run.
Gate fold: A sheet that folds where both sides fold toward the gutter in overlapping layers.
Gathered: Signatures assembled next to each other in the proper sequence for binding, as compared to nested. Also called stacked.
Ghost halftone: Normal halftone whose density has been reduced to produce a very faint image.
Ghosting: (1) Phenomenon of a faint image appearing on a printed sheet where it was not intended to appear. Chemical ghosting refers to the transfer of the faint image from the front of one sheet to the back of another sheet. Mechanical ghosting refers to the faint image appearing as a repeat of an image on the same side of the sheet. (2) Phenomenon of printed image appearing too light because of ink starvation.
Grade: General term used to distinguish between or among printing papers, but whose specific meaning depends on context. Grade can refer to the category, class, rating, finish or brand of paper.
Graduated screen tint: Screen tint that changes densities gradually and smoothly, not in distinct steps. Also called degrade, gradient, ramped screen and vignette.
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.
Grain long paper: Paper whose fibers run parallel to the long dimension of the sheet. Also called long grain paper and narrow web paper.
Grain short paper: Paper whose fibers run parallel to the short dimension of the sheet. Also called short grain paper and wide web paper.
Gray balance: The dot values or densities of cyan, magenta and yellow that produce a neutral gray.
Gray scale: A strip of standard gray tones, ranging from white to black, placed at the side of original copy during photography to measure tonal range and contrast (gamma) obtained.
Gripper margin: Unprintable blank edge of paper, usually 1/2” or less, on which grippers clamp on to and guide the paper through the press.
Gutter: The blank space or inner margin from printing area to binding.
H
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).
Halftone dots: The smallest unit that a screen consists of. All tones in print, both photographs and illustrations, are based on halftone dots.
Hexachrome: A version of hi-fi printing involving six color separations.
Hickeys: In offset lithography, spots or imperfections in the printing due to dirt on the press, dried ink skin, paper particles, etc.
Hi-fi color: Subtractive color model that lets you add two to four colors in addition to CMYK in order to obtain a wider color range in print.
Hinged cover: Perfect bound cover scored 1/8 inch (3mm) from the spine so it folds at the hinge instead of, along the edge of the spine.
Hi-res (high resolution): An image that has sufficient sharpness (measured by the number of pixels per inch) to make it suitable for print reproduction.
Histogram: In digital prepress, a graph that displays the tonal range of a given image.
Hot spot: Printing defect caused when a piece of dirt or an air bubble caused incomplete draw-down during contact platemaking, leaving an area of weak ink coverage or visible dot gain.
House sheet: Paper kept in stock by a printer and suitable for a variety of printing jobs. Also called floor sheet.
I
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.
Ink coverage: The amount of ink added in the printing process. Also describes the maximum allowed amount of each component color on a certain paper in a printing process. Expressed as a percent.
Ink drawdown: A special ink formulation prepared on the paper upon which the job will be printed.
Ink holdout: Characteristic of paper that prevents it from absorbing ink, thus allowing ink to dry on the surface of the paper. Also called holdout.
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.
J
Job lot paper: Paper that didn't meet specifications when produced, has been discontinued, or for other reasons is no longer considered first quality.
Jog: To align sheets of paper into a compact pile.
K
Kiss cut: To diecut the top layer, but not the backing layer, of self-adhesive paper. Also called face cut.
Knockouts: Type or images that reverse out of a solid or tint, allowing the paper to show through. Also called reverse.
L
Lamination: A plastic film bonded by heat and pressure to a printed sheet for protection or appearance.
Letter fold: Two folds creating three panels that allow a sheet of letterhead to fit a business envelope. Also called barrel fold and wrap around fold.
Litho (Lithographic Offset Printing): A printing method using plates whose image areas attract ink and whose non-image areas repel ink. Non-image areas may be coated with water or a coating such as silicon to repel ink.
Loop stitching: A variation on saddle stitching. The stitch, or wire, is formed into a circular loop which sticks out beyond the spine in the finished book. The loops are designed to slip onto the rings of a three-ring binder.
LPI (Lines per Inch): The number of lines of output per inch. For example, a halftone of 85 lines per inch is lower resolution than a halftone of 120 lines per inch. Also called line screen and screen frequency.
M
Makeready: In printing, all work done to set up a press for printing.
Match color: A custom-mixed ink color that exactly matches a specified color. Typically chosen from numbered color matching systems. Also called spot color.
Matte finish: Dull paper finish without gloss or luster.
Mechanical bind: To bind using a comb, coil, ring binder, post or any other technique not requiring gluing, sewing or stitching.
MetalFX®: A unique process of creating hundreds of metallic colors by way of a software "plug-in" that works with all major design programs and a five color (5C) print process.
Metallic Inks: Inks containing metal powder that have a shiny reflective appearance.
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.
N
Nested: Signatures assembled inside one another in the proper sequence for binding, as compared to gathered. Also called inset.
O
Offset: 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.
Opacity: That property of paper which minimizes the show-through of printing from the back side or the next sheet.
Opaque ink: An ink that conceals all color beneath it.
Overhang cover: A cover larger in size than the pages it encloses.
Overprinting: Double printing, or printing over an area that already has been printed.
Overrun: In printing, copies printed in excess of the specified quantity.
P
Parallel fold: Method of folding by using two parallel folds to a sheet that produce six panels.
PE: Proofreader mark meaning “printer error” and showing a mistake by a typesetter, prepress service or printer as compared to an error by the customer.
Perfect binding: A method of binding which uses adhesive to hold signatures or pages together.
Perfecting press: A printing press that prints both sides of the paper in one pass through the press.
Pica: Printer’s unit of measurement used principally in typesetting. Equals approximately 1/6 of an inch.
Picking: 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.
Piling: 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.
Pixel: Short for “picture element,” the smallest resolvable point of a raster image. It is the basic unit of digital imaging.
Pixels per inch (ppi): States the resolution of images, monitors and scanners.
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.
Position proof: Color proof for checking position, layout and/or color breakout of image elements.
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 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, cropmarks, etc.
Press check: Event at which makeready sheets from the press are examined before authorizing full production to begin.
Press proofs: In color reproduction, a proof of a color subject made on a printing press, in advance of the production run.
Proof: Test sheet made to reveal errors or flaws, predict results on press and record how a printing job is intended to appear when finished.
Q
Quadtone: A term for a four-color halftone reproduction from a one-color photograph.
R
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.
Reader spread: Mechanicals made in two page spreads as readers would see the pages, as compared to printer spread.
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.
Resolution: In electronic imaging, the quantification of printout quality using the number of dots per inch.
Reverse: Images reproduced by printing ink around their outline, thus allowing the underlying color of paper to show through and form the image. Also called knockout.
RGB: Stands for 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 two or more folds at 90 degree angles to each other.
S
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.
Scatter proofs: Prepress proof of a halftone, duotone or color separation that is not assembled with other elements from a page. Also called loose color or random proofs.
Score: To impress or indent a mark in the paper to make folding easier.
Screen: A method of printing that breaks up continuous tone images into printable dots.
Screen angles: In color reproduction, angles at which the halftone screens are placed in relation to one another, to avoid undesirable moiré patterns. A set of angles often used is: black 45 degrees, magenta 75 degrees, yellow 90 degrees, cyan 105 degrees.
Screen printing: A printing method used for large formats, such as billboards and hard print carriers, such as steel signs. The printing form consists of a finely woven cloth that lets through printing ink and is tightened to a frame. The non-printing surfaces are covered so that the ink cannot get through the cloth.
Screen ruling: The number of lines or dots per inch on a halftone screen.
Self mailer: A printed item independent of an envelope. A printed item capable of travel in the mailing arena independently.
Sharpen: To decrease in color strength, as when halftone dots become smaller; opposite of dot gain or dot spread.
Sheetfed: Printing from stacks of sheets that feed one at a time through the press.
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.
Show-through: In printing, the undesirable condition in which the printing on the reverse side of a sheet can be seen through the sheet under normal lighting conditions.
Sidestitching: A method of common binding where the folded signatures or pages are stitched along the side near the gutter. The pages will not lie flat.
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 background removed.
Spiral binding: A book bound with wires in spiral form inserted through holes punched along the binding side.
Spot color: Printing inks of special colors, for example from the color matching systems and swatch books. Generally used as a complement to black or to achieve an exact color four-color inks cannot provide. Mixed according to a recipe. Also called match color.
Spot varnish: Varnish applied to specific areas of a sheet, as compared to flood varnish.
Spreads: A technique of slightly enlarging the size of an image to accomplish trapping with another image. Also, a two-page arrangement of copy.
Stochastic screening: A digital screening process that converts images into very small dots (14-40 microns) of equal size and variable spacing. Second order screened images have variable size dots and variable spacing. Also called Frequency Modulated (FM) screening.
T
Tack: In printing inks, the property of cohesion between particles; the separation force of ink needed for proper transfer and trapping on multicolor presses. A tacky ink has high separation forces and can cause surface picking or splitting of weak papers.
Thermography: Printing method using colorless resin powder that takes on the color of the underlying ink to create a raised printed surface.
Tints: Various even tone areas (strengths) of a solid color created by dots rather than solid ink coverage. Also called screen tints.
Toner: In digital printing, imaging material also called digital inks, used in plateless printing systems like electrophotography, magnetography, ion or electron deposition and laser printers. In inks, dye used to tone printing inks, especially black.
Touch plate: Plate that accents or prints a color that four-color process printing cannot reproduce well enough or at all. Also called kiss plate.
Transparent ink: A printing ink which does not conceal the color beneath. Process inks are transparent so that they will blend to form other colors.
Trapping: In printing, the ability to print a wet ink film over previously printed ink. Can be either dry trapping or wet trapping. In prepress, refers to how much overprinting colors overlap to eliminate white lines between colors in printing.
Trim marks: In printing, marks placed on the copy to indicate the edge of the page.
Tritone: A term for a three-color halftone reproduction from a one-color photograph, usually using two blacks and a gray. A term for a three-color halftone reproduction from a one-color photograph, usually using two blacks and a gray.U
Uncoated stock: Paper that has not been coated. There are varying degrees of quality with the highest being writing, text and cover papers.
Unsharp masking: Technique of adjusting dot size to make a halftone or separation appear in better focus. Also called edge enhancement and peaking.
Up: Term to indicate multiple copies of one image printed in one impression on a single sheet. "Two up" or "three up" means printing the identical piece twice or three times on each sheet.
UV inks: In printing, solventless inks that are cured by UV radiation. They are used extensively in screen printing, narrow web letterpress and flexographic printing.
V
Value: The shade (darkness) or tint (lightness) of a color. Also called brightness, lightness, shade and tone.
Variable data: Data or input information that changes within a given document. Opposite of static.
Varnish: Liquid applied as a coating for protection and appearance.
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.
W
Web press: A press which prints on a roll of paper, usually cutting it into sheets after printing. Also called reel-fed press. Web presses come in many sizes, the most common being mini, half, three quarter (also called 8-page) and full (also called 16-page).
Wet trap: To print wet ink or varnish over previously printed wet ink, as compared to dry trap.
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-turn: To print one side of a sheet of paper, then turn it over from left to right and print the second side.