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PRINTING TERMS (N-Z)
PRINTING TERMS (A-M) | COLOR GLOSSARY
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N
Negative: Film containing an image in which the values of the original are reversed. A piece of film on which a negative image appears.
Negative Space: Alternate term for White Space.
Non-Image Area: Portion of mechanical, negative, or plate that will not print.
Non-Reproducing Blue: Light blue color that does not record on graphic arts film, therefore may be used to write instructions on mechanicals.
Novelty Printing: Printing on products such as pencils, balloons, and ashtrays.
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O
O.K. Sheet: Printed sheet representing final inking adjustments approved before production run begins.
Oblong: A booklet or catalog bound on the shorter dimension.
Off-Press Proofs/Pre-Press Proofs: Proofs made by photomechanical means in less time and at lower cost than press proofs.
Offset Paper: Alternate term used for Uncoated Book Paper.
Offset Printing: Printing process using an intermediate blanket cylinder to transfer an image from the image carrier to the paper.
Opacity: Characteristic of paper that helps prevent printing on one side from showing on the other.
Opaque: Non transparent. Also, a verb meaning to cover flaws in negatives with paint or tape.
Opaque Ink: Heavily pigmented ink that blocks out color of underlying ink or paper.
Orthochromatic: Photographic surfaces insensitive to red but sensitive to ultraviolet, blue, and yellow rays.
Outline Halftone: Halftone in which background has been removed to isolate or silhouette an image.
Overhang Cover: A cover larger in size than the pages it encloses.
Overlay: Sheet of tissue or acetate taped to a mechanical so that it covers the mounting board.
Overprint: To print over a previously printed image.
Overrun: The number of pieces that were printed in excess of the quantity specified.
Overs: Printed pieces on an overrun.
Overset: In composition, type set in excess of space needs in publications, etc.
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P
Pad: To bind by applying glue along one edge of a stack of sheets.
Page Count: Total number of pages, including blanks and printed pages without numbers.
Page Makeup: In stripping, assembly of all elements to make up a page. In computerized typesetting, the electronic assembly of page elements to compose a complete page with all elements in place on a video display terminal and on film or plate.
Page Proof: Type output in page format complete with headings, rules, and numbers.
Pages Per Inch: Number of pages per inch of thickness of a bound publication. Each sheet has two pages (front and back).
Pagination: Assembly of type with other line copy into page format. When done by hand, this is makeup or pasteup; when done electronically, it is computer aided pagination (CAP).
Paper Dummy: Unprinted sample of a proposed printed piece trimmed, folded, and if necessary, bound using paper specified for the job.
Parchment: Paper that simulates writing surfaces made from animal skins.
Parent Sheet: Paper distributor term for sheet 17" x 22" or larger.
Paste Bind: To bind by adhering sheets with glue along the fold of the spine.
Paste Up: To adhere copy to mounting boards and, if necessary, overlays so it is assembled into a camera-ready mechanical.
Percentage Wheel: Alternate term often used for Proportional Scale.
Perfect Bind: To bind sheets by trimming at the binding edge and gluing them to a paper cover.
Perfecting Press: Press capable of printing both sides of the paper during a single pass.
Photocopy: Method of printing that transfers images electrostatically and creates them on paper with powder bonded to the paper by heat.
Photomechanical: Pertaining to any platemaking process using photographic negatives or positives exposed onto plates or cylinders covered with photosensitive coatings.
Photosensitive: Characteristic of paper, film, and printing plates coated with light-sensitive chemicals.
Photostat: Process used to make positive paper prints of line copy and halftones. Often used as alternate term for PMT.
Phototype: Type created by projecting light onto photosensitive paper.
Pica: Unit of measure equalling 1/6 of an inch often used to express line measure or column width.
Picking: Undesirable phenomenon of bits of fiber or coating coming loose from paper during printing.
Pigment: Finely-ground particles giving color and opacity to ink.
Piling: In printing, the building up of ink on rollers, plate, or blanket. Also, the accumulation of paper coating on the blanket of offset press.
Pin Register: The use of accurately positioned holes and special pins on copy, film, flats, plates, and presses to ensure proper register or fit of colors.
Pinholes: Tiny holes in the emulsion of negatives or printing plates.
Pixel: Short for picture element. Definable locations on a VDT display used to form images on the screen.
Plate: See Printing Plate.
Plate Cylinder: Cylinder of a press on which the printing plate is mounted.
Plate-Ready Film: Alternate term for Flat.
Platemaker: In quick printing, process camera that makes plates directly from photographing mechanicals. In commercial printing, machine used to expose plates from flats.
Platen Press: A letter press that opens and closes like a clamshell.
Pleasing Color: Color that is satisfactory even though it doesn't match original samples, scenes, or objects.
Plugged Up: Undesirable characteristic of printing when ink fills in around halftone dots or type, causing loss of detail.
PMS: Pantone Matching System. A color match system for printing inks.
PMT: Abbreviation for photomechanical transfer, a Kodak trade name for a process used to make positive paper prints of line copy and halftones.
Point: In paper, unit of thickness equalling 1/1000 inch. In typesetting, unit of height equalling 1/12 of pica and 1/72 of an inch, used to express type size and leading.
Porosity: The property of paper that allows the permeation of air, an important factor in ink penetration.
Portfolio: Collection of best work by an artist, photographer, or designer for showing during meetings with prospective clients.
Position Stat: Photocopy or PMT made to size and pasted to a mechanical showing how to crop, scale, and position loose art or photos.
Positive: Film containing an image in which the dark and light values are the same as the original.
Post-consumer Fiber: As defined by RCRA, Section 6002, it includes paper, paperboard and fibrous wastes from retail stores, office buildings, homes, and so forth, after they have passed through their end use as a consumer item, including used corrugated boxes, old newspapers, old magazines, mixed waste paper, tabulating cards, and used cordage, and all paper, paperboard, and fibrous wastes that enter and are collected from municipal solid waste.
Post-consumer or Comparable Fiber (RAC): Fiber derived from post-consumer materials as defined within RCRA Section 6002 and including fiber derived from recovered paper which has been printed and/or contains inks or colored dyes (excluding whitening or "bluing" dyes or agents).
Press Check: Event at which test sheets are examined before production run is authorized to begin.
Press Proof: Proof made on press using the plates, paper, and ink specified for the job.
Press Sheet: One sheet as it comes off the press.
Press-On Type: Alternate term for Transfer Type.
Pressure-Sensitive Paper: Material with adhesive coating, protected by a backing sheet until used, which will stick without moistening.
Price Break: Quantity level at which unit cost of paper or printing drops.
Printer: In printing trade, person who owns or manages print shop or runs printing press. In 4-color process printing, one of the separation negatives.
Printing: Any process that repeatedly transfers an image.
Printing and Writing Papers: High-quality papers used to carry printed information. In all, there are thousands of different types of grades of printing and writing papers which, together, account for close to 30 percent of all the paper and paperboard made in the United States.
Printing Plate: Surface carrying image to be printed.
Process Blue: Alternate term for Cyan.
Process Camera: Graphic arts camera used to photograph mechanicals and other camera-ready copy.
Process Colors: The colors needed for 4-color process printing: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.
Process Inks: Inks in the four process colors.
Process Printing: Alternate term for 4-Color Process Printing.
Process Red: Alternate term for Magenta.
Production Artist: Person who does pasteup.
Program: Sequence of instructions for a computer. Same as software.
Progressive Proof: Press proof showing each color of a job separately or several colors in combination.
Proof OK: Customer signature approving a proof and authorizing the job to advance to the next stage.
Proof: Test sheet made to reveal errors or flaws, predict results, and record how a printing job is intended to appear.
Proof Sheet: Photographic term for sheet of images made by contact printing negatives.
Proofing Press: Press on which the proof is printed.
Proofread: To examine copy or a proof for errors in writing or composition.
Proofreaders' Marks: Standard symbols and abbreviations used to mark up manuscripts and proofs. Most dictionaries and style manuals include charts of proofreaders' marks.
Proportional Scale: Device used to calculate percent that an original image must be reduced or enlarged to yield a specific reproduction size.
Publish: To produce and sell or otherwise make available printed communication to the public.
Pulp: Mixture of wood and/or cotton fibers, chemicals, and water from which mills make paper.
Pulp Substitutes: Unprinted recovered paper, virtually all of which comes from the conversion of paper into products like books or envelopes. As the name implies, pulp substitutes are used in place of virgin fibers and do not require deinking.
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Q
Quick Printer: Printer whose business attitude emphasizes basic quality, small presses, and fast service.
Quotation: Printer's offer to print a job for a specific price calculated from specifications and dummies provided by customer.
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R
R Print: Color photographic print made from transparency without using internegative.
Ragged Right or Left: Characteristic of type not flush right or left.
Railroad Board: Heavy board paper used for posters and signs.
Raised Printing: Alternate term for Thermography.
RC Paper: Resin-coated paper for typesetting and PMTs that, when properly processed, will not yellow.
Readable: Characteristic of copy that is written, edited and set in a typeface selected and composed to make it easy to read.
Ream: 500 sheets of paper.
Recovered Paper: Paper products and paper by-products which, if not recovered, would otherwise be solid waste, and which are intended for sale, use, reuse, or recycling.
Recto: Right-hand page of an open publication.
Recycled Symbol: Three chasing arrows superimposed over a dark circle designate that a product is made with recycled material, but doesn't by itself indicate the percent recycled content.
Recyclable Symbol: The three arrows standing alone represent a product which is recyclable.
Recycling: The series of activities, including collection, separation, and processing, by which products or other materials are recovered from or otherwise diverted from the solid waste stream for use in the form of raw materials in the manufacture of new products.
Reflective Copy: Copy that is not transparent.
Register: To position printing in proper relation to edges of paper and other printing on the same sheet. Such printing is said to be in register.
Register Marks: Cross-hair lines on mechanicals and negatives that guide strippers and printers.
Repro: Type with corrections made and elements in position ready to reproduce by printing.
Reprographics: General term for xerography, diazo, and other methods of copying.
Reprography: Copying and duplicating.
Retouch: To enhance a photo or correct its flaws.
Reverse: Type or other image reproduced by printing the background rather than the image itself, allowing the underlying color of paper to show in the shape of the image.
Right Reading Emulsion Down (RRED): Copy reading correctly from left to right with the film emulsion down.
Right Reading Emulsion Up (RREU): Copy reading correctly from left to right with the film emulsion up.
Right-Angle Fold: In binding, a term used for two or more folds that are at 90¡ angles to each other.
River: Distracting pattern of white space running vertically through text type.
Roman Type: Type with serifs. Also type that is upright (not italic).
Rotogravure: Gravure printing using a web press.
Rough Layout: Simple sketch giving general idea of size and placement of type and art.
Rubylith: Zip-a-Tone trade name for red masking film.
Rule: Line used for graphic effect.
Run: Total number of copies ordered or printed.
Runaround: Type set to conform to the outline of a photograph or illustration.
Runnability: Paper properties that affect the ability of the paper to run on the press.
Running Head: Title or headline repeated at the top of every page.
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S
Saddle Stitch: To bind by stapling sheets together where they fold at the spine.
Safelight: In photography, the special darkroom lamp used for illumination without exposing sensitized materials.
Sans Serif Type: Type without serifs.
Scale: To identify the percent by which images should be enlarged or reduced.
Scaling Wheel: Alternate term for Proportional Scale.
Scanner: Electronic device used to make color separations and sometimes halftones and duotones.
Score: To compress paper along a line so it will fold more easily.
Screen: Piece of film with dots of uniform density, used to make plates that will print screen tints. See also Halftone Screen.
Screen Angles: In color reproduction, angles at which the halftone screens are placed with relation to one another, to avoid undesirable moire patterns. A set of angles often used are: black 45¡, magenta 75¡, yellow 90¡, cyan 105¡.
Screen Printing: Method of printing by forcing ink through a mesh stencil.
Screen Ruling: The number of rows or lines of dots per inch in a screen for tint or halftone.
Screen Tint: Area of image printed with dots so ink coverage is less than 100% and simulates shading or a lighter color.
Scribe: To scratch lines into emulsion of a negative.
Scum: Undesirable, thin film of ink covering non-image area of printed sheet.
Self-Cover: Publication made entirely from the same paper so that cover is printed simultaneously with inside pages.
Self-Mailer: Printed piece designed to be mailed without an envelope.
Separation: Alternate term for Color Separation.
Serif: Short line crossing the ending strokes of most characters in some typefaces.
Serif Type: Type with serifs.
Set Solid: Type set with no leading between lines.
Set-Off: Undesirable transfer of wet ink from the top of one sheet to the underside of another as they lie in the delivery stack of the press. Also called offset.
Sew: To use thread to fasten signatures together at the spine of a book.
Sharp: Characteristic of an image in clear focus.
Sheeter: Device to cut roll of paper into sheets.
Sheetfed Press: Press that prints on sheets of paper, rather than rolls.
Shingling: Allowance made during pasteup or stripping to compensate for creep.
Short Grain: Alternate term for Grain Short.
Short Ink: An ink that does not flow freely.
Show Through: Printing on one side of paper that can be seen on the other side.
Shrink Wrap: Method of tightly wrapping packages or products in plastic film.
Shutdowns: Periods during which the press is not running.
Side Stitch: To bind by stapling through sheets along one edge.
Signature: Sheet of printed pages which, when folded, become part of a publication.
Silhouette Halftone: Alternate term often used for Outline Halftone.
Sizing: As a verb, the treatment of paper that gives it resistance to the penetration of liquids or vapors. As a noun, chemicals mixed with pulp that make paper less able to absorb moisture.
Slip Sheet: Blank sheet placed between printed products to prevent setoff or scuffing during handling and shipping. Also, a blank sheet of colored paper placed between unbound collated publications to indicate separation.
Slow Film: Film that requires a relatively large amount of light to record an image.
Slur: Undesirable phenomenon of halftone dots becoming slightly elongated during printing.
Small Caps: Capital letters approximately the height of lower case letters.
Soft Bind: Alternate term for Perfect Bind.
Soft Copy: Copy in electronic memory.
Soft Cover: Bound without a case; usually perfect bound, but also sewn and bound with a paper cover.
Solid: Any geometrical area of the sheet that has received 100% ink coverage.
Spec Sheet: Short for sheet on which specifications are written.
Spec Type: To write type specifications.
Special Effects: General term for reproduction of photographs using techniques such as line conversion and posterization.
Specialty Advertising: Printed advertising on products such as mugs, matchbooks, jewelry, and pencils.
Specialty Papers: Paper distributor term for carbonless, pressure-sensitive, synthetic, and other papers made for specialty applications.
Specifications: Complete and precise descriptions of paper, ink, binding, and other features of a printing job. In typography, instructions about typeface and size, line measure, indentations, headlines, etc. Type size and leading are expressed as the upper and lower numerals in a fraction, with the points for leading measured baseline to baseline. Type 10/12 means 10 point type with two points of leading.
Spine: Binding edge of a signature or publication.
Spiral Bind: To bind using a spiral of wire or plastic looped through holes.
Split Fountain: Technique of printing more than one ink color at a time from a single printing unit.
Spoilage: Paper wasted during makeready, printing, or bindery operations.
Spot Varnish: Varnish applied to specific portions of a sheet.
Stabilization Paper: Paper for typesetting and PMTs that begins deteriorating a few weeks after use.
Stamping: Alternate term for Foil Stamping.
Stat: General term for inexpensive direct positive photographic print of line copy or halftone.
Stat Camera: Small process camera.
Stationery: Letterhead, envelopes, cards, and other printed materials for business correspondence.
Stencil: Piece of fabric or film carrying image for screen printing or mimeograph.
Step-and-Repeat: In photomechanics, the procedure of multiple exposure using the same image by stepping it into position according to a predetermined layout.
Stitch Bind: To bind with wire staples.
Stock: Paper or other substrate.
Stock Photo: Photograph from a commercial photo library.
Straight Copy: Copy that contains no charts, tables, formulas, or other elements that make typesetting complicated and time consuming.
Strike-On Type: Characters, such as from a typewriter, made when a key or needle hits a ribbon coated with ink or carbon.
Stripper: Person who strips negatives and assembles flats.
Stripping: Assembling negatives in flats in preparation for making printing plates.
Substance Weight: Alternate term for Basis Weight used when referring to bond papers.
Substrate: Any surface on which printing is done.
Subtractive Primaries: Yellow, magenta and cyan, the hues used for process color printing inks.
Supercalender: To calender paper extensively until very glossy.
Surprint: Alternate term for Overprint.
Swash: Curved flourish on selected letters.
Swatch book: Book containing samples of paper or ink colors.
Synthetic Paper: Plastic or other petroleum-based paper.
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T
TA: Typesetter alteration; any change made because of typesetter error.
Tack: Characteristic of ink making it sticky.
Tag: Board grade paper used for products such as tags and file folders.
Text: The body matter of a page or book, as distinguished from the headings.
Text Type: Type of less than 14 points.
Thermography: Method of printing using colorless resin powder and heat applied to wet ink yielding raised images.
Thumbnail Sketch: Rough sketch of a design.
Tick Marks: Alternate term for Crop Marks.
Tint: Alternate term for Screen Tint.
Tip In or On: To glue one edge of a sheet to another sheet or signature.
Tissue Overlay: A thin translucent paper placed over artwork (mostly mechanicals) for protection; used to indicate color breaks, corrections, and callouts.
Tonal Range: Photographic term for density range.
Toner: Powder forming the image in photocopying.
Tooth: A characteristic of paper, a slightly rough finish, which permits it to take ink readily.
Total Recycled Fiber: As defined by RAC, it is fiber derived from recovered paper excluding paper generated in a paper mill prior to the completion of the paper manufacturing process.
Trade Shop: Printer or other service working primarily for other graphic arts professionals.
Transfer Key: 3M trade name for integral color proof.
Transfer Type: Type that can be rubbed off of its backing sheet onto another surface.
Translite: Piece of glass or plastic lit from behind and on which a photographic image has been reproduced for display.
Transparency: Positive photographic image on film and usually in color which allows light to pass through.
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.
Trap: The overlap allowed for two colors to print on the same sheet; used to compensate for misregister and to avoid white space between colors.
Trim Marks: Lines on a mechanical, negative, plate, or press sheet showing where to cut edges off of paper or cut paper apart after printing.
Trim Size: Size of the printed product after last trim is made.
Turnaround Time: Amount of time needed to complete a job or one stage of it.
Two-Up: Two identical printing subjects on a press plate. Usually made by preparing the flat so that it can be exposed successfully in two required locations.
Type Family: All the styles of a specific typeface.
Type Shop: Typesetting business.
Type Size: The height of a typeface measured from the bottom of its descenders to the top of its ascenders, expressed in points.
Type Specimen Book: Book showing examples of all typefaces available from one type shop.
Type Style: Italic, condensed, bold, and other variations of a typeface that form a type family.
Typeface: Set of characters with design features making them similar to each other.
Typesetter: Machine or person that sets type.
Typo: Short for typographical error.
Typography: The art and science of setting type. Also the style and arrangement of type on a printed piece.
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U
Uncoated Paper: Paper that is not coated.
Underrun: Production run of fewer copies than the amount specified.
Unit: In multicolor presses, refers to the combination of inking, plate and impression operations to print each color. A 4-color press has 4 printing units, each with its own inking, plate and impression functions.
Unjustified: Alternate term for Ragged.
Upper Case: Capital letters.
UV Coating: Liquid laminate bonded and cured with ultraviolet light.
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V
Vacuum Frame: In platemaking, a vacuum device for holding copy and reproduction material in contact during exposure.
Varnish: Clear liquid applied like ink on press for beauty and protection.
Vehicle: In printing inks, the fluid component which acts as a carrier for the pigment.
Vellum Finish: Relatively rough finish on uncoated paper.
Velox: Kodak trade name for high-contrast photographic paper. Also refers to a positive made by contact printing a negative to such paper.
Verso: Left-handed page of an open publication.
Video Display Terminal (VDT): In phototypesetting, a cathode ray tube (CRT) device with keyboard to display copy, make corrections, combine copy elements and perform other typesetting functions.
Vignette Halftone: Halftone whose background gradually fades into white.
Virgin Fiber: A fiber from its original source and used for the first time in papermaking.
Viscosity: In printing inks, a broad term encompassing the properties of tack and flow.
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W
Warm Color: A color with a yellowish or reddish cast.
Wash Up: To clean ink from rollers, fountains, and other components of a press.
Waste: Alternate term for Spoilage.
Waste Paper (EPA): This category includes all post-consumer recovered materials plus two pre-consumer categories defined as follows:
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1 |
"Dry paper and paperboard waste generated after completion of the papermaking process, including envelope cuttings, binding trimmings, and other paper and paperboard waste, resulting from printing, cutting, forming, and other converting operations; bag, box, and carton manufacturing wastes; butt rolls, mill wrappers, and rejected unused stock; and |
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2 |
Finished paper and paperboard from obsolete inventories of paper and paperboard manufacturers, merchants, wholesalers, dealers, printers, converters, or others." |
Water Fountain: Reservoir on a press to hold fountain solution.
Watermark: Distinctive design created in paper during manufacture.
Web: Roll of printing paper.
Web Break: Break in paper running through a web press, causing production to stop.
Web Press: Press that prints paper from a roll.
White Space: Designer term referring to non-image area that frames or sets off copy.
Widow: A short line, word or partial word ending a paragraph and appearing as the first line of a column or page. Also, a single or partial word appearing as the final line of a paragraph.
Window: Block of masking material on a mechanical that shows position of a photograph or other visual element. Also, an area cut out of masking material.
Wire-O: Trade name for method of mechanical binding using double loops of wire.
With the Grain: Parallel to the grain direction of paper.
Word Processing: Computerized typewriters connected to an electronic storage medium to input, revise, and output data.
Work and Tumble: To print one side of a sheet of paper, then turn the sheet over from gripper to back using the opposite gripper edge, but the same side guide to print the second side.
Work and Turn: To print one side of a sheet of paper, then turn the sheet over from left to right and print the second side using the same gripper edge to print the second side.
Wove Finish: Relatively smooth finish on paper achieved by moderate calendering.
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X
x Height: Height of lower case letters without their ascenders or descenders, which is height of the letter "x."
Xerography: Alternate term for Photocopying meaning "Dry Writing."
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Y
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Z
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