
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y
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AC
Author's Correction
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Accordion Fold
A type of paper folding in which each fold runs in the opposite direction to the previous fold creating a pleated or accordion effect.
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Acetate
A transparent or translucent plastic sheet material of a variety of colors, used as a basis for artwork and overlays.
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Antique Finish
Paper with a rough, sized surface used for book and cover stock.
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Aqueous Plate
Water soluble plate coatings, which are less toxic and less polluting.
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Art Work
Any materials or images that are prepared for graphic reproduction.
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Artwork
All illustrated material, ornamentation, photos and charts etc., that is prepared for reproduction.
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Author's Alterations (AA's)
Changes made after composition stage where customer is responsible for additional charges.
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Banker's Flap Envelope
Also called wallet flap; the wallet flap has more rounded flap edges.
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Basic Size
This term refers to a standard size of paper stock; even though the required size may be smaller or larger.
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Basis Weight
Basis or basic weight refers to the weight, in pounds, of a ream (500 sheets) of paper cut to a given standard size for that particular paper grade.
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Binder's Board
A heavy paperboard with a cloth covering that is used for hardback binding of books.
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Binding
Various methods of securing folded sections together and or fastening them to a cover, to form single copies of a book.
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Bleed
Extra ink area that crosses trim line, used to allow for variations that occur when the reproduction is trimmed or die-cut.
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Blind Emboss
A design or bas relief impression that is made without using inks or metal foils.
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Blind Embossing
Embossed forms that are not inked, or gold leafed.
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Blind Folio
Page number not printed on page.
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Body
The main shank or portion of the letter character other than the ascenders and descenders. Also: A term used to define the thickness or viscosity of printer's ink.
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Bond
A grade of durable writing, printing and typing paper that has a standard size of 17x22 inches.
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Book
A general classification to describe papers used to print books; its standard size is 25x38 inches. A printed work which contains more than 64 pages.
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Bounce 1
A registration problem, usually on copiers, where the image appears to bounce back and forth. A bounce usually occurs in one direction depending on how the paper is passing through the machine. This is usually accented by card stock (especially if it's over the machine's spec). When a customer refuses a job for whatever reason.
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Bourges
A pressure sensitive color film that is used to prepare color art.
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Box Cover Paper
A lightweight paper used expressly for covering paper boxes.
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Broad Fold
A term given to the fold whereby paper is folded with the short side running with the grain.
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Brochure
A pamphlet that is bound in booklet form.
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Bulk
A term used to define the number of pages per inch of a book relative to its given basis weight.
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Bulk
A term given to paper to describe its thickness relative to its weight.
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Bullet
A boldface square or dot used before a sentence to emphasize its importance.
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Burst Binding
A binding technique that entails nicking the backfold in short lengths during the folding process, which allows glue to reach each individual leaf and create a strong bond.
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Calendar Board
A strong paperboard used for calendars and displays.
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Calendar Rolls
A series of metal rolls at the end of a paper machine; when the paper is passed between these rolls it increases its smoothness and glossy surface.
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Caliper
The measurement of thickness of paper expressed in thousandths of an inch or mils.
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Camera Ready
A term given to any copy, artwork etc., that is prepared for photographic reproduction.
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Cast Coated
A paper that is coated and then pressure dried using a polished roller which imparts an enamel like hard gloss finish.
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Chain Lines
Lines that appear on laid paper as a result of the wires of the papermaking machine.
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Chrome Yellow
A lead chromate yellow ink pigment.
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Coarse Screen
Halftone screens commonly used in newsprint; up to 85 lines per inch.
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Coated (Paper)
Paper coated with clay, white pigments and a binder. Better for printing because there is less picking.
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Coated Stock
Any paper that has a mineral coating applied after the paper is made, giving the paper a smoother finish.
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Collate
To gather sheets or signatures together in their correct order. (see Gather)
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Color Bars
This term refers to a color test strip, which is printed on the waste portion of a press sheet. It is a standardized (GATF-Graphic Arts Technical Foundation) process which allows a pressman to determine the quality of the printed material relative to ink density, registration, and dot gain. It also includes the Star Target, which is a similar system designed to detect inking problems.
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Color Separating
The processes of separating the primary color components for printing.
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Color Strength
A term referring to the relative amount of pigmentation in an ink.
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Color Transparency
Transparent film containing a positive photographic color image.
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Corner Marks
Marks on a final printed sheet that indicate the trim lines or register indicators.
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Cover
A term describing a general type of papers used for the covers of books, pamphlets etc.
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Cracking
Delamination.
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Crop Mark
Markings at edges of original or on guide sheet to indicate the area desired in reproduction with negative or plate trimmed (cropped) at the markings.
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Curl
Not lying flat and tending to form into cylindrical or wavy shapes. A term to describe the differences of either side of a sheet relative to coatings, absorbency etc.; the concave side is the curl side.
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Cut-off
A term used in web press printing to describe the point at which a sheet of paper is cut from the roll; usually this dimension is equal to the circumference of the cylinder.
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Cutter
Machine for accurately cutting stacks of paper to desired dimensions...can also be used to crease. Also trims out final bound books' top size (soft cover).
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Cyan
A shade of blue used in the four-color process; it reflects blue and green and absorbs red.
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Dahlgren
A dampening system for printing presses which utilizes more alcohol (25%) and less water; this greatly reduces the amount of paper that is spoiled.
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Dampening
An essential part of the printing process whereby cloth covered rubber rollers distributes the dampening solution to the plate.
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Dandy Roll
During the paper making process while the paper is still 90% water, it passes over a wire mesh cylinder (dandy roll), which imparts surface textures on the paper such as wove or laid. This is also the stage where the watermark is put onto the paper.
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Deckle Edge
The rough or feathered edge of paper when left untrimmed.
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Densitometer
An optical device used by printers and photographers to measure and control the density of color.
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Die
Design, letters or shapes, cut into metal (mostly brass) for stamping book covers or embossing. An engraved stamp used for impressing an image or design.
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Die Cutting
A method of using sharp steel ruled stamps or rollers to cut various shapes i.e. labels, boxes, image shapes, either post press or in line. The process of cutting paper in a shape or design by the use of a wooden die or block in which are positioned steel rules in the shape of the desired pattern.
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Die Stamping
An intaglio process for printing from images engraved into copper or steel plates.
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Digital Proof
Color separation data is digitally stored and then exposed to color photographic paper creating a picture of the final product before it is actually printed.
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Dimensional stability
The qualities of paper to stabilize its original size when undergoing pressure or exposed to moisture.
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Diploma
A fine paper made specifically for the printing of diplomas, certificates and documents.
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Direct Screen Halftone
A color separation process using a halftone negative made by direct contact with the halftone screen.
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Display Type
Any type that stands out from the rest of the type on a page which attracts attention of the reader.
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Distribution Rollers
In the printing process, the rubber coated rollers responsible for the distribution of ink from the fountain to the ink drum.
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Doctor Blade
A term in gravure printing which refers to the knife-edge that runs along the printing cylinder; its function is to wipe the excess ink away from the non-printing areas.
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Dog Ear
Occurs when you fold into a fold (such as a letter fold). At the side of one of the creases you get an indentation. It may look like a small inverted triangle.
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Dot
The smallest individual element of a halftone.
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Dot Gain
Darkening of halftone image due to ink absorption in paper causing halftone dots to enlarge. Terms to describe the occurrence whereby dots are printing larger than they should.
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Draw-down
A method used by ink makers to determine the color, quality and tone of ink. It entails the drawing of a spatula over a drop of ink, spreading it flat over the paper.
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Drier
A term that describes any additives to ink which encourages the drying process.
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Drill
The actual drilling of holes into paper for ring or comb binding.
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Drop Folio
Page number printed at foot of page.
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Drop Shadow
A shadow image placed strategically behind an image to create the affect of the image lifting off the page.
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Dry Mount
Pasting with heat sensitive adhesives.
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Dull Finish
Any matte finished paper.
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Dummy
A term used to describe the preliminary assemblage of copy and art elements to be reproduced in the desired finished product; also called a comp.
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Dummy Model
Resembling finished piece in every respect except that the pages and cover are blank, used by the designer as a final check on the appearance and +feel+ of the book as a guide for the size and position of elements on the jacket.
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Color reproduction from monochrome original. Keyplate usually printed in dark color for detail, second plate printed in light flat tints. A two-color halftone reproduction generated from a one-color photo.
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Duplex Paper
Paper which has a different color or finish on each side.
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Eggshell Finish
The finish of paper surface that resembles an eggshell achieved by omitting the calendar process. Reference, calendar rolls.
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Electronic Proof
A process of generating a prepress proof in which paper is electronically exposed to the color separation negatives; the paper is passed through the electrically charged pigmented toners, which adhere electrostatically, resulting in the finished proof.
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Elliptical Dot
Halftone screens in which the dots are actually elongated to produce improved middle tones.
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Em
A unit of measurement equaling 12 points or 4.5mm.
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Embossed
A method of paper finishing whereby a pattern is pressed into the paper when it is dry.
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Embossing
To raise in relief a design or letters already printed on card stock or heavy paper by an uninked block or die. In rubber and plastic plate making the process is usually done by heat.
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Emulsion
A light sensitive substance used as a coating for film; made from a silver halide compound. This side should face the lens when the film is exposed.
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Enamel
A term that describes a glossy coating on paper.
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Endsheet
Attaching the final sheet of a signature of a book to the binding.
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English Finish
A grade of uncoated book paper with a smooth uniform surface.
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Engraving
A printing process whereby images such as copy or art are etched onto a plate. When ink is applied, these etched areas act as small wells to hold the ink; paper is forced against this die and the ink is lifted out of the etched areas creating raised images on the paper.
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Estimate
The form used by the printer to calculate the project for the print buyer. This form contains the basic parameters of the project including size, quantity, colors, bleeds, photos etc.
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Estimator
One who computes or approximates the cost of work to be done on which quotation may be based.
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Etch
The process of producing an image on a plate by the use of acid.
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Even Smalls
The use of smaller sized capitals at the beginning of a sentence without the use of larger sized caps.
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Expanded Type
Type with width greater than normal producing a rectangular effect.
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Exposure
That stage of the photographic process where the image is produced on the light sensitive coating.
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Extender
A white pigment added to a colored pigment to reduce its intensity and improve its working qualities.
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F&G
A term in the binding process referring to folding and gathering.
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Fan Fold
Paper folding that emulates an accordion or fan, the folds being alternating and parallel.
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Fat Face
Type that is quite varied in its use of very thin and very wide strokes.
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Felt
A cloth conveyor belt that receives papers from the Fourdrinier wire and delivers it to the drier.
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Felt Finish
The smoother side of paper, usually a soft weave pattern used for book papers.
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Felt Side
It is the top side of the sheet in the paper making process that does not lie on the Fourdrinier wire.
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Filling In
A fault in printing where the ink fills in the fine line or halftone dot areas.
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Film Coat
Also called wash coat; any thinly coated paper stock.
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Finish
The surface quality of paper.
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Finish (Paper)
Dull - (low gloss) also matte or matte gloss.
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Fist
A symbol used in printing to indicate the index; seen as a pointing finger on a hand "+".
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Fit
The registration of items within a given page.
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Flash Point
A term given to the lowest temperature of ignitibility of vapors given off by a substance.
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Flat
In lithography, the assembly of photographic negatives or positives on vinyl acetate for exposure in vacuum frame in contact with sensitized metal press plate.
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Flock Paper
Paper that is patterned by sizing, and than coated with powders of wool or cotton, (flock).
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Fluid Ink
Also called liquid ink; ink with a low viscosity.
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Flush Cover
A bound book or booklet etc. having the cover trimmed to the same size as the text.
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Flushed Pigment
The results of combining a wet ink pigment with a varnish and having the wet pigment mix or transfer over to the varnish.
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Fogging Back
Lowering density of an image in a specific area usually to make type more legible while still letting image show through.
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Foils
Papers that have a surface resembling metal.
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Fold Marks
Markings at top edges that show where folds should occur.
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Folder
Machine used to fold signatures down into sections.
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Folio or Page Number
Number of page at top or bottom either centered, flushed left or flushed right often with running headline.
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Font
The characters which make up a complete typeface and size.
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Form Rollers
The rollers that come into direct contact with the plate of a printing press.
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Forme
(old) type matter or type and block with its accompanying spacing material secured in the forme called a chase.
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Forwarding
In Binding, the process between folding sheets and casing in, such as rounding and backing, putting on headbands, reinforcing backs, etc.
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Fourdrinier
A machine with a copper wire screen that receives the pulp slurry in the paper making process which will become the final paper sheet.
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Free sheet
Any paper that is free from wood pulp impurities.
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French Fold(er)
Folder with printing on one side so that when folded once in each direction, the printing on outside of the folds.
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Gathering
Assembling sheets of paper and signatures into their proper sequence; collating.
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Ghosting
Marring a print by the placement of an image of work printed on the reverse side which has interfered with its drying so that differences in the trapping frame colors or glass variations are apparent.
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Ghosting
Image which appears as a lighter area on a subsequent print due to local blanket depressions from previous image areas on a letterpress rotary machine as well as on an offset press.
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Glassine
A strong transparent paper.
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Gloss Ink
Quick drying oil based inks with low penetration qualities, used on coated stock.
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Grained Paper
A paper embossed to resemble various textures, such as leather, alligator, wood, etc.
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Gravure
An intaglio or recessed printing process. The recessed areas are like wells that form the image as paper passes through.
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Gripper
A series of metal fingers that hold each sheet of paper as it passes through the various stages of the printing process.
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Gripper Edge
The grippers of the printing press move the paper through the press by holding onto the leading edge of the sheet; this edge is the gripper edge.
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Groundwood
Low cost papers such as newsprint made by the mechanical pulping process as opposed to chemical pulping and refining.
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Gumming
The application of gum arabic to the non printing areas of a plate.
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Gutter
Space between pages in the printing frame of a book, or inside margin towards the back or binding edge. The blank space or margin between the type page and the binding of a book.
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Hairline register
Printing registration that lies within the range of plus or minus one half row of dots. It is the thinnest of the standard printers' rules.
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Halftone
Tone graduated image composed of varying sized dots or lines, with equidistant centers.
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Halftone Paper
A high finish paper that is ideal for halftone printing.
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Halftone Screen
A sheet of film or glass containing ruled right-angled lines, used to translate the full tone of a photo to the halftone dot image required for printing.
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Hard Dot
The effect in a photograph where a dot has such a small degree of halation that the dot shows quite sharp.
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Head Margin
That space which lies between the top of the printed copy and the trimmed edge.
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Hickies
Imperfections in presswork due to dirt on press, trapping errors, etc.
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High Bulk Paper
Paper stock that is comparatively thick in relation to its basis weight.
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High Key Halftone
A halftone that is made utilizing only the highlight tones down through the middle tones.
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Highlight Dot
The highest density of a halftone image.
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Highlights
The lightest tones of a photo, printed halftone or illustration. In the finished halftone, these highlights are represented by the finest dots.
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Hollow
That space on the spine of a case bound book between the block of the book and the case binding.
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Hot melt
An adhesive used in the binding process, which requires heat for application.
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House Sheet
This is a term that refers to a paper that a printer keeps on hand in his shop.
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IBC
Inside back cover.
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IFC
Inside front cover.
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Image Area
That portion of the printing plate that carries the ink and prints on paper.
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Image Setter
High resolution, large format device for producing film from electronically generated page layouts.
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Imposition
Arrangement of pages so that they print correctly on a press sheet, and the pages are in proper order when the sheets are folded.
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Impression
Product resulting from one cycle of printing machine. The pressure of the image carrier, whether it be the type, plate or blanket, when it contacts the paper.
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Index Bristol
A relatively thick paper stock; basis size---25 1/2 x 30 1/2.
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Indicia
Markings pre-printed on mailing envelopes to replace the stamp.
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Industrial Papers
A term used to denote papers such as janitorial, sanitary or heavy packing papers.
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Ink Fountain
The device which stores and meters ink to the inking rollers.
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Ink Holdout
A quality of paper to be resistant to ink absorption, allowing the ink to dry on the paper surface.
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Ink Mist
Any threads or filaments which protrude from the main printed letter body of long inks, as seen in newsprint.
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Ink Setting
The inertial resistance to flow that occurs to ink as soon as it is printed.
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Inkometer
A device used to measure the tack of ink.
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Inserts
Extra printed pages inserted loosely into printed pieces.
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Integral Proof
A proof made by exposing each of the four-color separations to an emulsion layer of primary colors. These emulsion sheets are stacked in register with a white sheet of paper in the background. Types of integral proofs are cromalin, matchprint, ektaflex, and spactraproof.
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Interleaves
Extra blank pages inserted loosely into book after printing.
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Iridescent Paper
A coated stock finished in mother-of-pearl.
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Italic
Text that is used to denote emphasis by slanting the type body forward.
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Jacket
The paper cover sometimes called the "dust cover" of a hardbound book.
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Job Number
A number assigned to a printing project used for record keeping and job tracking. Also used to retrieve old jobs for reprints or reworking by customer.
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Jog
To vibrate a stack of finished pages so that they are tightly aligned for final trimming.
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Jogger
Vibrating, sloping platform that evens up the edges of stacks of paper.
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Kerning
The narrowing of space between two letters so that they become closer and take up less space on the page.
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Key Plate
The printing plate that is used as a guide for the other plates in the color printing process; it usually has the most detail.
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Keying
The use of symbols, usually letters, to code copy that will appear on a dummy.
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Keyline
Lines that are drawn on artwork that indicate the exact placement, shape and size of elements including halftones, illustrations etc.
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Kiss Impression
A delicate printed impression, just heavy enough to be seen.
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Kraft
A coarse unbleached paper used for printing and industrial products.
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Lacquer
A clear gloss coating applied to printed material for strength, appearance and protection.
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Laid Finish
A parallel lined paper that has a handmade look.
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Laser Engraving
A paper cutting technique whereby laser technology is utilized to cut away certain unmasked areas of the paper. The cutting is a result of the exposure of the paper to the laser ray, which actually evaporates the paper.
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Lay Edge
Edge of a sheet of paper being fed into a printing press.
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Layout
A rendition that shows the placement of all the elements, roughs, thumbnails etc., of the final printed piece before it goes to print.
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Leaders
The dots or dashes used in type to guide the eye from one set of type to the next.
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Leading
Space between lines of type; the distance in points between one baseline and the next.
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Leaf
One of a number of folds (each containing two pages) which comprises a book or manuscript.
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Leaf Stamping
A metal die, either (flat, or embossed), created from the image or copy, which is then heated to a specific temperature which allows the transfer of a film of pigmented polyester to the paper.
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Ledger Paper
A stiff heavy business paper generally used for keeping records.
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Length
The optimum length of a filament of ink.
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Letterpress
Printing that utilizes inked raised surfaces to create the image.
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Letterspacing
The addition of space between typeset letters.
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Line Copy
Any copy that can be reproduced without the use of halftone screens.
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Linen
A paper that emulates the look and texture of linen cloth.
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Lithocoated Paper
A paper that is coated with a special water-resistant material which is able to withstand the lithographic process.
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Lithography
The process of printing that utilizes flat inked surfaces to create the printed images.
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Logotype
A personalized type or design symbol for a company or product.
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M weight
The actual weight of 1000 sheets of any given size of paper.
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Machine Coated
Paper that has had a coating applied to either one or two of its sides during the papermaking process.
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Machine Direction
An alternate term for grain direction.
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Machine Finish
A paper finish that results from the interaction of the paper with the Fourdrinier process as opposed to post machine embossing. Reference, Fourdrinier
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Magnetic Black
Black pigments containing black iron oxides, used for magnetic ink character recognition.
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Make Rready
Process of adjusting final plate on the press to fine tune or modify plate surface.
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Margin
Imprinted space around edge of page.
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Mark-up
To write up instructions, as on a dummy.
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Mask (1)
The blocking out of a portion of the printing plate during the exposure process.
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Mask (2)
A photo negative or positive used in the color separation process to color correct. Reference, PRINTING, mask.
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Match Print
Photographic proof made from all color flats and form composite proof showing color quality as well as accuracy, layout, and imposition before plates are made.
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Matte Finish
A coated paper finish that goes through minimal calendaring. Reference, calendaring.
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Measure
The width of type as measured in picas. Reference, picas.
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Mechanical
A term used to describe finished artwork that is camera ready for reproduction, including all type, photos, illustrations etc.
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Metropolitan Service Area
A group of ZIP codes usually in close proximity defining a large metropolitan area (e.g. New York City or Los Angeles).
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Midtone Dot
Commonly taken as the area between highlight and shadow area of a subject's face in halftone image.
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Moire
An undesirable halftone pattern produced by the incorrect angles of overprinting halftone screens.
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Molleton
A cotton fabric used on the dampening rollers of a printing press.
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Molybdate Orange
An ink pigment made from precipitating lead molybdate, lead sulfate and lead chromate.
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Mottle
A term used to describe spotty or uneven ink absorption.
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Mull
Coarse muslin glue placed on the back of book or pads for strengthening.
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Mullen Testing
A specific test of tensile paper strength; an important factor if web presses are used for printing.
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Natural
A term to describe papers that have a color similar to that of wood; also called cream, off-white or ivory.
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Negative
Film that contains the same images as the original print, except that all colors and shades are reversed. Reference, positive.
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Newsprint
A light, low cost groundwood paper made especially for newspapers. Reference, groundwood.
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Nominal Weight
When the basis weight of paper differs from the actual weight, the term nominal weight is used.
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OA Of Register
When two sheet passes on a press are misaligned.
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OBC
Outside back cover.
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Oblong
A term used to describe printed books, catalogs etc., that are bound on their shorter side; also referred to as album bound.
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OFC
Outside front cover.
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Off-shore Paper
Any papers made outside the US and Canada.
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Offset
The most commonly used printing method, whereby the printed material does not receive the ink directly from the printing plate but from an intermediary cylinder called a blanket which receives the ink from the plate and transfers it to the paper.
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Offset Gravure
A complex offset process involving multiple transfers between the gravure plate, the plate cylinder and a solid rubber plate.
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Offset Lithography
Indirect printing method in which the inked image on the press-plate is first printed onto a rubber blanket, then in turn offsets the inked impression on to the sheet of paper.
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Offset Paper
A term for uncoated book paper.
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Onionskin
A light bond paper used for typing and used with carbon paper because of its thinness.
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Opacity
Quality of papers that defines its opaqueness or ability to prevent two-sided printing from showing through.
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Opaque
A quality of paper that allows relatively little light to pass through.
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Opaque Ink
Ink that completely covers any ink under itself.
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Orthochromatic
Any light sensitive surfaces that are not sensitive to red.
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Over Run
Surplus of copies printed.
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Overhang Cover
A cover of a book that extends over the trimmed signatures it contains.
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Overlay
A transparent sheet placed over artwork, in register with the work it covers; this is used to call out other color components of the work, instructions or corrections.
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Overlay Proof
A process of proof making whereby the color separations are individually exposed to light sensitive film. This film is then set in registration with a piece of white paper in the background.
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Overprinting
Any printing that is done on an area that has already been printed.
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Overset
Type that is set in excess of the allotted space.
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Page
One side of a leaf.
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Page Makeup
The assemblage of all the necessary elements required to complete a page.
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Page Proofs
Proofs made up from pages.
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Panchromatic
Films or other photographic materials that are sensitive to all colors.
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Paperboard
Any paper with a thickness (caliper) of 12 points (.3mm) or more.
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Papeterie
A high-grade soft paper used for personal stationery because it accepts handwriting well.
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Parchment
A hard finished paper that emulates animal skin; used for documents, such as awards, that require writing by hand.
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Parent Sheet
A sheet that is larger than the cut stock of the same paper.
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Paste Drier
Any of a variety of compounds used in enhancing the drying properties of printing inks.
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Paste Ink
An ink having a high level of viscosity.
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Paste-up
Preparation of positive materials into a layout for photographing to film negatives.
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Peeling
Delamination.
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Perf Marks
Markings usually dotted lines at edges showing where perforations should occur.
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Perfect
A term used to describe the binding process where the signatures of a book are held together by a flexible adhesive.
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Perfect Binding
Binding process where backs of sections are cut off, roughened and glued together, and rung in a cover.
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Perfecting
Printing both sides of the paper (or other material) on the same pass through the printing machine.
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Perfecting Press
A printing press that prints on both sides of the page in a single pass.
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Perforating
Punching small holes or slits in a sheet of paper or cardboard to facilitate tearing along a desired line.
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Phloxine
A blue red pigment used mostly in news inks; not a good ink for lithographers as it bleeds in alcohol and water.
Making printing plates by exposure of line and halftone negatives on sensitized metal, converting the image into an acid resist, and etching the print to the relief required for letterpress printing.
The platemaking process where plates are coated with photosensitive coatings and exposed to photo negatives or positives.
A photographic print creating an image using photography and electrostatic processes; also called a stat.
The main pigment in the manufacture of cyan ink.
Standard of measurement, 1/6 inch. 1 pica = 12 points 72 points = 1 inch
When the tack of ink is stronger than the surface strength of the paper, some lifting of the paper surface occurs; this is referred to as picking.
An occurrence in printing whereby the tack of ink pulls fibers or coating off the paper surface, leaving spots on the printed surface.
A build up of pigment or paper coatings onto the plate, blankets or rollers.
Using metal pins fitted into preset holes of copy sheets, films, plates and presses that will assure the proper registration.
Failure of printed ink to form a completely continuous film, visible in the form of small holes in the printed areas.
A method of binding books whereby holes are drilled on the side closest the spine, and a plastic grasping device is inserted to hold the pages together.
An ink additive that adds flexibility, softness and adhesion.
Reproduction of type or cuts in metal, plastic, rubber, or other material, to form a plate bearing a relief, planographic or intaglio printing surface.
The cylinder on a printing press on which the plate is mounted.
Any bond, cover or bristol stock with an extremely smooth finish achieved by calendaring.
Making a printing plate from a film or flat including preparation of the plate surface, sensitizing, exposing through the flat, developing or processing, and finishing.
Photomechanical transfer.
A measurement unit equal to 1/72 of an inch. 12 points to a pica, 72 points to an inch.
Film that contains an image with the same tonal values as the original; opposite of a negative.
Pixels per inch.
Any paper that is considered better than #1 by its manufacturer.
A plate that has been treated with light sensitive coatings by the manufacturer.
Actual press sheet to show image, tone values and colors as well as imposition of frame or press-plate.
In printing the four primary colors are cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black.
The quality of papers to show reproduced printed images.
Two consecutive pages as they appear on a flat or signature.
Printing inks, usually in sets of four colors. The most frequent combination is yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, which are printed, one over another in that order, to obtain a colored print with the desired hues, whites, blacks, and grays.
A high quality specialty lens made for line art, halftone and color photography.
Printing from two or more half tones to produce intermediate colors and shades.
Any proofs made from the separate plates of a multi-plate-printing project.
Impression from composed type or blocks, taken for checking and correction, from a lithographic plate to check accuracy of layout, type matter, tone and color reproduction.
Guide sheet for the positioning of type, blocks, etc.
Papers with a complete or partial content of cotton fibers.
The term given to right-justified type that is uneven on the left.
The term given to left-justified type that is uneven on the right.
A thick, coated paper used for signs; usually waterproof.
Two consecutive pages as they appear in printed piece.
500 sheets of paper.
The odd numbered pages (right hand side) of books.
A common pigment for paste and liquid red inks.
Any substance that softens and reduces the tack of ink.
The master roll of paper as it comes off the papermaking machine. It is in its original width and is then cut into smaller rolls.
The arrangement of two or more images in exact alignment with each other.
Any crossmarks or other symbols used on layout to assure proper registration.
A term that denotes folds that are 90 degrees to each other.
A web press printing process where the roll of paper is printed and stored on a roll to be shipped.
That stage of printed ink where the maximum dryness is achieved, and the ink will not smudge.
A pigment somewhat redder than true magenta.
A term given to copy that accommodates the lines of a picture or other image or copy.
A term used to describe how well a paper runs on a printing press.
A title at the top of a page that appears on all pages of a book or chapter of a book.
Stitching where the wire staples pass through the spine from the outside and are clinched in the center. Only used with folded sections, either single sections or two or more sections inset to form a single section.
A paper that shows sign of erasure so that it cannot be altered or tampered with easily.
A smooth delicately embossed finished paper with sheen.
The enlargement or reduction of an image or copy to fit a specific area.
Impressions or cuts in flat material to facilitate bending or tearing.
The placement of halftone screens to avoid unwanted moire patterns. Frequently used angles are black 45deg, magenta 75deg, yellow 90deg, and cyan 105deg.
A measurement equaling the number of lines or dots per inch on a halftone screen.
A photo print made by using a halftone negative; also called a velox.
Unwanted ink marks in the non-image area.
A cover made out of the same paper stock as the internal sheets.
The lowest density of a halftone image.
To decrease the dot size of the halftone which in turn decreases the color strength.
The printing of two different images on two different sides of a sheet of paper by turning the page over after the first side is printed and using the same gripper and side guides.
Ink that is smooth and creamy but does not flow freely.
A problem that occurs when the printing on one side of a sheet is seen from the other side.
The guides on the sides of the sheet fed press that position the sheet sideways as the paper is led towards the front guides.
Stitching where the wire staples pass through the pile of sections or leaves gathered upon each other and are clinched on the underside.
Printed sheet (or its flat) that consists of a number of pages of a book, placed so that they will fold and bind together as a section of a book. The printed sheet after folding.
A halftone with the background screen removed.
Reference, brownline proof.
A term to describe the process of cutting of printed sheets by the cutting wheels of a printing press.
That quality of paper defined by its levelness which allows for pressure consistency in printing, assuring uniformity of print.
An excessively large halo around a dot in a photograph that causes a fringe that diminishes the dot intensity.
Back edge of a book.
A binding whereby a wire or plastic is spiraled through holes punched along the binding side.
Small area printed in a second color.
A film image that is larger than the original image to accommodate ink trapping. Reference, trapping
To bind a series of pages with wire staples such that staples enter from the front and back simultaneously, neither side being long enough to exit the opposite side.
The quality of paper to maintain its original size when it undergoes pressure and moisture changes.
A process of cutting many sheets from the same parent sheet in which the smaller sheets have different grain directions; also called dutch or bastard cutting.
The Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, GATF has established various quality control images; the star target appears along with the color bar and helps the pressman detect any irregularity in the ink spread. Reference, Color Bars
A device on a printing press that minimizes the amount of static build up on paper as it passes through the press.
A process of generating multiple exposures by taking an image and stepping it according to a predetermined layout.
A proofreader's symbol that is usually written in the copy margin, that indicates that the copy, which was marked for correction, should be left as it was.
A term for unprinted paper or other material to be printed.
To add an element, such as copy that is shot separately, and then stripped into place on a goldenrod flat.
Originally, the removal of the photographic emulsion with its image from individual negatives and combining them in position on a glass plate. Now the use of stripfilm materials, and the cutting, attachment, and other operations for assembling. The positioning of positives and negatives on the flat before proceeding to platemaking.
Impressing book covers, etc., by means of hot die, brass types or blocks.
A machine procedure that produces a high finished paper surface that is extremely smooth and exceptional for printing.
Any petroleum based waterproof papers with a high tensile strength.
The adhesive quality of inks.
A dense, strong paper stock.
A paper's ability to withstand pressure.
A high quality printing paper.
A printing process whereby slow drying ink is applied to paper and while the ink is still wet, it is lightly dusted with a resinous powder. The paper then passes through a heat chamber where the powder melts and fuses with the ink to produce a raised surface.
A slower drier that dries the ink throughout without forming a hard crust.
Envelopes used mostly for theater tickets, with no other particular usage.
A halftone screen that contains all the same sized dots.
A bright white pigment (opaque) used for printing on metal and flexible packaging.
A red pigment with poor bleed resistance.
The rough surfaced finish of papers such as vellum or antique.
Inks that do not block out the colored inks that they print over, but instead blend with them to create intermediate colors.
The process of printing wet ink over printed ink which may be wet or dry.
Marks placed on the sheet to indicate where to cut the page.
Fourdrinier papermaking machines with two wires, instead of a wire and felt side. This assures higher quality when two sides are used for printing.
The difference in feel and appearance of either side of a sheet of paper due to the papermaking process having a felt and wire side.
Papers that are not smoothed by going through the calendaring process.
A term used to describe how many similar sheets can be produced on a larger sheet; two up, four up, etc.
A term given to books bound on the longer dimension.
Also called a contact frame; used in the platemaking process to hold materials in tight contact during exposure.
Brown print
A clear shiny ink used to add gloss to printed pieces. The primary component of the ink vehicle. Reference, vehicle.
A combination of varnish, waxes, dryers etc., that contain the pigment of inks and control the flow, the drying and the adhesion of the pigments to the printed surface.
A finish of paper that is rough, bulky and has a degree of tooth.
A term given to papers that are coated with an adhesive and then flock dusted.
A photographic print which is made from a negative.
A term given to the left-hand or even-numbered pages of a book.
Fade to white or small decorative design or illustration. A photo or illustration etc., in which the tones fade gradually away until they blend with the surface they are printed on.
An abbreviation for work and back. Reference, sheetwise.
An abbreviation for work and turn.
A term given to the occurrence of plate deterioration of the image area during the printing process; usually occurs on long runs.
The procedure of cleaning a particular ink from all of the printing elements (rollers, plate, ink fountain etc.) of a press.
A translucent logo that is embossed during the papermaking process while the paper slurry is on the dandy roll. Reference, dandy roll
The roll of paper that is used in web or rotary printing.
A tear in a web roll during the printing process.
Cylinder printing machine in which the paper is fed from a continuous reel, as opposed to sheet fed.
The term given to the tension or pull exerted by the web press on the web roll.
A soft paper that is thick and holds up well under embossing.
The ability of an ink film to accept subsequent ink films.
A single word or two left at the end of a paragraph, or a part of a sentence ending a paragraph, which loops over to the next page and stands alone. Also, the last sentence of a paragraph which contains only one or two short words.
A plate on which is wiped a light sensitive coating by a coating device; usually the first step in this type of platemaking.
That side of the paper which lies on the wire screen side of the papermaking machine.
To fasten together sheets, signatures, or sections with wire staples. 3 methods... saddle stitching, side stitching, and stabbing.
A smooth paper made on finely textured wire that gives the paper a gentle patterned finish.
The unevenly dried surface of printed inks.
Another name for bond paper.
Papers made to reproduce well in copy machines and laser printers.
The actual amount of force needed to start an ink flowing.
