Accordion Fold
In binding, a term used for two or more parallel folds that open like an accordion.
Against the Grain
Folding or feeding paper at right angles to the grain direction of the paper. Also called crossgrain.
Bitmap
In computer imaging, the electronic
representation of a page, indicating the position of every possible color.
Black and White
Originals or reproductions in single color, as
distinguished from multicolor. Abbreviation: B/W.
Bleed
An extra amount of printed image that extends beyond the trim edge of the sheet or page.
Brightness
In paper, the reflection or brilliance of the
paper.
Brochure
A pamphlet bound in booklet form.
Caliper
The thickness of paper, usually expressed in thousandths of an inch (mils).
We refer to text thickness as pages per inch
(ppi). In board, however, it is expressed as
“points.”
Case
In bookbinding, the covers of a hardbound book.
CMYK
(Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) – The subtractive
process colors used in color printing. Black (K) is added to enhance color and contrast.
Coated 1 Side (C1S)/Coated 2 Sides (C2S)
Paper stock coated on one side or two sides.
Coated Paper
Paper having a surface coating which produces a smooth finish. Substrates vary from eggshell to glossy.
Collate
In binding, the gathering of sheets and
signatures.
Contrast
The tonal gradation between the highlights,
middle tones, and shadows in an original or
reproduction.
Copy
Any finished material (typewritten manuscript,pictures, artwork, etc.) to be used in the production of printing.
Cover Paper
A term applied to a variety of papers used for the covers of catalogs, brochures, booklets,and similar pieces.
Crop
To eliminate portions of the copy, usually on
photograph or plate, indicated on the original by crop marks.
Die
Devise for cutting, scoring, stamping,
embossing and debossing.
Digital Color Proof
A color proof produced from digital data without the need for separation films.
Digital Printing
Printing by plateless imaging systems that are imaged by digital data from prepress systems.
Dots Per Inch (dpi)
A measure of the resolution of a screen image or printed page.
Duotone
In photomechanics, a term for two-color
halftone reproduction from a one-color
Photograph.
Electronic Printing
In digital printing, any technology that
reproduces pages without the use of traditional ink, water, chemistry, or plates.
Also known as plateless printing.
Embossing
The creation of a three-dimensional design on paper. Embossing cab be combined with ink or foil.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript)
In digital prepress, a file format used to transfer graphic images within compatible applications. A file containing structured PostScript code, comments and a screen display image.
Flush Left (or Right)
In composition, type set to line up at the left (or right). This page is set flush left and right.
Foil Stamping
The application of foil to paper where a heated die is stamped onto the foil, making it adhere to the paper. Foil stamping can be combined with embossing.
Folio
The page numbers.
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.
Gamma
The range of color across the spectrum by a
monitor, printer or scanner.
Gloss Finish
Paper finish with gloss or luster.
Grain
In papermaking, the direction most fibers lie in, corresponding with the direction the paper is made.
Grayscale
Standard gray tones, ranging from white to
black.
Gutter
The blank space or inner margin from printing area to binding.
Hard Proof
A proof on paper or other substrate
distinguished from a soft proof (an image on a monitor).
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).
Imposition
In page assembly, the positioning of pages
on a signature so that after printing, folding,
and cutting, all pages will appear in the proper sequence.
Insert
A printed piece prepared for insertion into a
publication or another printed piece.
JPEG (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.
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.
Make ready
In printing, all work done to set up a press for printing.
Matte Finish
Dull paper finish without gloss or luster.
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.
Mechanical Binding
A book bound with wires in spiral form inserted through holes punched along the binding side.
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
The property of paper which minimizes the
show-through of printing from the back side or the next sheet.
Overprinting
Double printing; printing over an area that
already has been printed.
Overages
In printing, copies printed in excess of the
specified quantity.
Pagination
In computerized typesetting, the process of
performing page layout.
Perfect Binding
A book bound with a flexible adhesive to attach the text to the cover.
PDF (Portable Document File)
PDF is a universal electronic file format,
modeled after the PostScript language and is device and resolution independent. Documents in PDF format can be viewed, navigated, and printed from any computer regardless of fonts or software programs used to create the original.
Pica
Printer’s unit of measurement used principally in typesetting. One pica equals approximately 1/6 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.
PMS (Pantone Matching System)
Color charts that have over 700 preprinted
color patches of blended inks, used to identify, display, or define special colors.
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.
PPI
Pages per inch, in reference to the thickness of text pages.
Press Proofs
In color reproduction, a proof of a color subject made on a printing press in advance of the production run.
Preflight
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 separations, and any art required (illustrations,
transparencies, reflective photos, etc.) plus
layout files, fonts, EPS or TIFF files, page
sizes, crop marks, etc.
Print Quality
A term describing the visual impression of a
printed piece. In paper, the properties of the
paper that affects its appearance and the quality of reproduction.
Proess Color
In printing, the subtractive primaries: yellow,
magenta, cyan, and black in four-color process printing.
Quality Control
A program of activities including customer
service, process control, and sampling with
the objective of eliminating causes of process variability now called Statistical Process Control.
(RIP) Raster Image Processor
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.
Register
In printing, fitting of two or more printing
images in exact alignment with each other.
Registration 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
Measured in dpi (dots per inch), we use the
standard of 300dpi. The greater the dip, the
better the image clarity.
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.
Saddle Stitch
In binding, to fasten a booklet by stapling it
through the middle fold of the sheets.
Scaling
Determining the proper size of an image to be reduced or enlarged to fit an area.
Score
To impress or indent a mark in the paper to
make folding easier.
Signature
In printing and binding, the name given to a
printed sheet after it has been folded.
Spine
The back of a bound book connecting the two covers; also called backbone.
Soft Proof
A proof that is viewed on a monitor screen,
most likely a PDF file.
Spot Dull Finish
Process where a flat (not glossy) finish is
applied in spots over a glossy finish. This
allows the flossy areas to pop off the page
visually.
Stock
Paper or other material to be printed.
Stock Photography
Used widely by creative professionals in need ready-made images that illustrate a specific lifestyle, scene, mood or process.
Some stock images are royalty-free, but most carry a fee based on usage.
Substrate
Any material that can be printed on, such as
paper, plastic, and fabric.
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 grayscale images and is the standard format for scanned images such as photographs.
Text
The body matter of a book, as distinguished
from the headings.
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 paper.
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.