A transparent or translucent plastic sheet material of a variety of colors, used as a basis for artwork and overlays.

Large white areas in a design layout.

The property of any ink that will dry without the use of heat by evaporation.

The condition of type and or art materials as they level up on a horizontal or vertical line.

Red-orange acetate used for masking mechanicals when photographing for plates. The amberlith area appears black to the camera, and prints clear on the resulting film.

In lithography, a plate manufactured with a barrier of aluminum oxide, which prevents chemical reactions that break down the plate; it provides optimum press performance.

Water soluble plate coatings, which are less toxic and less polluting.

Any text or images that will be used for graphic production.

An abbreviation for boldface, used to determine where boldface copy is to be used. Reference, boldface.

Print applied to both sides of a sheet of paper.

That portion of the binding, which connects the front of the book with the back of the book; also called "back".

That portion of a photograph or line art drawing that appears furthest from the eye; the surface upon which the main image is superimposed.

A term used to describe the aesthetic or harmony of elements, whether they are photos, art or copy, within a layout or design.

The primary headline usually spanning the entire width of a page.

A coating that is applied onto the non-printing side of paper to add to the opacity of that paper. Reference, opacity.

A three dimensional impression is which the image stands just slightly out from the flat background. References, blind emboss.

This term refers to a standard size of paper stock; even though the required size may be smaller or larger.

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.

Also referred to as black patch; a piece of masking material which is used in layout to mask an area leaving a window into which another element can be stripped.

On digital press, a fabric-reinforced sheet of rubber to transfer the impression from the plate onto the substrate.

Extra ink area that crosses trim line, used to allow for variations that occur when the reproduction is trimmed or die-cut.

A design or bas relief impression that is made without using inks or metal foils.

To mask a section of an art layout before reproduction.

Any enlargement of photos, copies or line art.

Photographic proof made from flats for checking accuracy, layout and imposition before plates are made. Also known as a dylux.

Repetitive blocks of type that are picked up and included routinely without recreating them.

Any type that has a heavier black stroke that makes it more conspicuous.

A process used in halftone photography that entails the temporary removal of the screen during exposure. This increases the highlight contrast and diminishes the dots in the whites.

A term used in plate making to describe the amount of plate exposure time.

A strong paperboard used for calendars and displays.

The measurement of thickness of paper expressed in thousandths of an inch or mils.

A term given to any copy, artwork etc., that is prepared for photographic reproduction.

Two sizes of capital letters made in one size of type.

(old) Frame of steel, or cast or wrought iron, in which images are locked up for printing.

An aluminum silica compound used in gravure and screen printing inks. Also called kaolin.

The resulting ink pigment attained from the mixture of chrome yellow and iron blue.

A lead chromate yellow ink pigment.

A screen that utilizes a concentric circle pattern as opposed to dots used for halftones and to allow the platemaker to set exact screen angles.

Halftone screens commonly used in newsprint; up to 85 lines per inch.

Paper coated with clay, white pigments and a binder. Better for printing because there is less picking.

Any paper that has a mineral coating applied after the paper is made, giving the paper a smoother finish.

Any color that moves toward the blue side in the color spectrum.

To gather sheets or signatures together in their correct order. (see Gather)

Black step-marks printed on the back of folded sheets, to facilitate collating and checking of the sequence of book signatures.

A printers or publishers identifying symbol or emblem.

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.

The processes of separating the primary color components for printing.

A term referring to the relative amount of pigmentation in an ink.

Transparent film containing a positive photographic color image.

Space between two or more columns of type on one page.

The assembly of characters into words, lines and paragraphs of text or body matter for reproduction by printing.

A halftone screen made on film of graded density, and used in a vacuum contact with the film.

Image made of non-discernable picture elements which give appearance of continuous spectrum of grey values or tones.

The degree of tonal separation or gradation in the range from black to white.

Refers to any typewritten material, art, photos etc., to be used for the printing process.

Marks on a final printed sheet that indicate the trim lines or register indicators.

Delamination.

To eliminate a portion of the art or copy as indicated by crop marks.

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.

Elements that cross page boundaries and land on two consecutive pages (usually rules).

Marks of fine lines, which intersect to indicate accurate alignment of art elements.

A term used to describe the effect of ink from an image, rule or line art on one printed page, which carries over to another page of a bound work.

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.

Machine for accurately cutting stacks of substrate to desired dimensions...can also be used to crease.

Sharp edged device, usually made of steel, to cut paper, cardboard, etc., on a printing press.

A shade of blue used in the four-color process; it reflects blue and green and absorbs red.

An optical device used by printers and photographers to measure and control the density of color.

The degree of tone, weight of darkness or color within a photo or reproduction; measurable by the densitometer. Reference, densitometer.

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.

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.

An intaglio process for printing from images engraved into copper or steel plates.

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.

The qualities of substrate to stabilize its original size when undergoing pressure or exposed to moisture.

Any type that stands out from the rest of the type on a page which attracts attention of the reader.

The smallest individual element of a halftone.

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.

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.

A term that describes any additives to ink which encourages the drying process.

A shadow image placed strategically behind an image to create the affect of the image lifting off the page.

Any matte finished paper.

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.

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.

The assembly of characters into words, lines and paragraphs of text or body matter with graphic elements in page layout form in digital format for reproduction by printing.

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.

Halftone screens in which the dots are actually elongated to produce improved middle tones.

A method of paper finishing whereby a pattern is pressed into the paper when it is dry.

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.

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.

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.

One who computes or approximates the cost of work to be done on which quotation may be based.

That stage of the photographic process where the image is produced on the light sensitive coating.

A white pigment added to a colored pigment to reduce its intensity and improve its working qualities.

Paper folding that emulates an accordion or fan, the folds being alternating and parallel.

A fault in printing where the ink fills in the fine line or halftone dot areas.

The surface quality of paper.

The registration of items within a given page.

A term given to the lowest temperature of ignitibility of vapors given off by a substance.

Paper that is patterned by sizing, and than coated with powders of wool or cotton, (flock).

Also called liquid ink; ink with a low viscosity.

Papers that have a surface resembling metal.

Markings at top edges that show where folds should occur.

Machine used to fold signatures down into sections.

The characters which make up a complete typeface and size.

The rollers that come into direct contact with the plate of a printing press.

A halo that appears around halftone dots.

Colors that lose tone and permanency when exposed to light.

A proof of text copy before it is pasted into position for printing.

Group of frames or impositions in the same forme of different jobs arranged and positioned to be printed together.

The bundling of two or more different printing projects on the same sheet of paper.

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.

Garbage in, garbage out.

A strong transparent paper.

Quick drying oil based inks with low penetration qualities, used on coated stock.

A carved as opposed to scripted typeface.

An area of image where halftone dots range continuously from one density to another.

Direction of fibers in a sheet of paper governing paper properties such as increased size changes with relative humidity, across the grain, and better folding properties along the grain.

A series of metal fingers that hold each sheet of paper as it passes through the various stages of the printing process.

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.

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.

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.

Tone graduated image composed of varying sized dots or lines, with equidistant centers.

A high finish paper that is ideal for halftone printing.

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.

Imperfections in presswork due to dirt on press, trapping errors, etc.

A halftone that is made utilizing only the highlight tones down through the middle tones.

The highest density of a halftone image.

The lightest tones of a photo, printed halftone or illustration. In the finished halftone, these highlights are represented by the finest dots.

An adhesive used in the binding process, which requires heat for application.

This is a term that refers to a paper that a printer keeps on hand in his shop.

That portion of the printing plate that carries the ink and prints on paper.

High resolution, large format device for producing film from electronically generated page layouts.

Arrangement of pages so that they print correctly on a press sheet, and the pages are in proper order when the sheets are folded.

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.

The inertial resistance to flow that occurs to ink as soon as it is printed.

A device used to measure the tack of ink.

Extra blank pages inserted loosely into book after printing.

Text that is used to denote emphasis by slanting the type body forward.

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.

To vibrate a stack of finished pages so that they are tightly aligned for final trimming.

Vibrating, sloping platform that evens up the edges of stacks of material.

The narrowing of space between two letters so that they become closer and take up less space on the page.

The printing plate that is used as a guide for the other plates in the color printing process; it usually has the most detail.

The use of symbols, usually letters, to code copy that will appear on a dummy.

Lines that are drawn on artwork that indicate the exact placement, shape and size of elements including halftones, illustrations etc.

A delicate printed impression, just heavy enough to be seen.

A coarse unbleached paper used for printing and industrial products.

A clear gloss coating applied to printed material for strength, appearance and protection.

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.

Edge of a sheet of material being fed into a printing press.

A rendition that shows the placement of all the elements, roughs, thumbnails etc., of the final printed piece before it goes to print.

Space between lines of type; the distance in points between one baseline and the next.

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.

Printing that utilizes inked raised surfaces to create the image.

The addition of space between typeset letters.

Any copy that can be reproduced without the use of halftone screens.

A paper that is coated with a special water-resistant material which is able to withstand the lithographic process.

The process of printing that utilizes flat inked surfaces to create the printed images.

A personalized type or design symbol for a company or product.

The actual weight of 1000 sheets of any given size of paper.

Paper that has had a coating applied to either one or two of its sides during the papermaking process.

An alternate term for grain direction.

Process of adjusting final plate on the press to fine tune or modify plate surface.

Imprinted space around edge of page.

To write up instructions, as on a dummy.

The blocking out of a portion of the printing plate during the exposure process.

A photo negative or positive used in the color separation process to color correct. Reference, PRINTING, mask.

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.

A coated paper finish that goes through minimal calendaring. Reference, calendaring.

A term used to describe finished artwork that is camera ready for reproduction, including all type, photos, illustrations etc.

Commonly taken as the area between highlight and shadow area of a subject's face in halftone image.

An undesirable halftone pattern produced by the incorrect angles of overprinting halftone screens.

A term used to describe spotty or uneven ink absorption.

Film that contains the same images as the original print, except that all colors and shades are reversed. Reference, positive.

When the basis weight of paper differs from the actual weight, the term nominal weight is used.

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.

Quality of papers that defines its opaqueness or ability to prevent two-sided printing from showing through.

A quality of paper that allows relatively little light to pass through.

Ink that completely covers any ink under itself.

Any light sensitive surfaces that are not sensitive to red.

When two sheet passes on a press are misaligned.

Surplus of copies printed.

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.

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.

Any printing that is done on an area that has already been printed.

Proofs made up from pages.

Films or other photographic materials that are sensitive to all colors.

Any paper with a thickness (caliper) of 12 points (.3mm) or more.

A hard finished paper that emulates animal skin; used for documents, such as awards, that require writing by hand.

A sheet that is larger than the cut stock of the same material.

Preparation of positive materials into a layout for photographing to film negatives.

Delamination.

Markings usually dotted lines at edges showing where perforations should occur.

Binding process where backs of sections are cut off, roughened and glued together, and rung in a cover.

Punching small holes or slits in a sheet of paper or cardboard to facilitate tearing along a desired line.

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.

Standard of measurement, 1/6 inch. 1 pica = 12 points 72 points = 1 inch

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 materials to show reproduced printed images.

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.

Papers with a complete or partial content of cotton fibers.

The term given to left-justified type that is uneven on the right.

A thick, coated paper used for signs; usually waterproof.

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 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 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 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.

The lowest density of a halftone image.

To decrease the dot size of the halftone which in turn decreases the color strength.

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 material is led towards the front guides.

A term to describe the process of cutting of printed sheets by the cutting wheels of a printing press.

Small area printed in a second color.

A film image that is larger than the original image to accommodate ink trapping. Reference, trapping

The quality of materialr to maintain its original size when it undergoes pressure and moisture changes.

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 term for unprinted paper or other material to be printed.

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.

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 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 halftone screen that contains all the same sized dots.

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.

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.

A term used to describe how many similar sheets can be produced on a larger sheet; two up, four up, etc.

Also called a contact frame; used in the platemaking process to hold materials in tight contact during exposure.

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.

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.

The procedure of cleaning a particular ink from all of the printing elements (rollers, plate, ink fountain etc.) of a press.

The ability of an ink film to accept subsequent ink films.

The unevenly dried surface of printed inks.