Rejoice! Part 2 of our comprehensive print glossary is finally here. We hope it helps!
Imagesetter:
A device that plots high-resolution images which have been processed by a RIP, onto film or directly onto the plate.
Indicia:
Postal information place on a printed product.
Ivory Board:
A smooth high white board used for business cards etc.
Jog:
To shake a stack of papers, either on a machine or by hand, so that the edges line up. This process is also referred to as knocking-up.
JPEG:
An acronym for ‘Joint Photographic Electronic Group’: a common standard for compressing image data.
Job Ticket / Job Sheet:
Alternate names for an order.
Justified:
Text which is flush to both the left and right margins.
Kerning:
The adjustment of spacing between certain character pairs, A and V for example, to obtain a more pleasing appearance.
Kiss-cut:
To die-cut but not all the way through the paper – commonly used for peel off stickers.
Knockout:
A shape or object printed by eliminating (knocking out) all background colours.
Kraft Paper:
A tough brown paper used for packing.
Laminate:
A thin film coating which is applied to the paper or board to give a more glossy or matt appearance.
Layout File:
The file created by computer application software which contains all the imported elements and where all the design and layout of a document are performed.
Lithographic Printing:
A printing process based on the principle of the natural aversion of water to grease. The areas to be printed receive and transfer ink to the paper, the non-printing areas are treated with water to repel the ink.
Loose Leaf:
A method of binding which allows the insertion and removal of pages for continuous updating.
LPI:
Lines per inch – refers to the number of rows of dots per inch in a halftone. It is important to distinguish it from dpi which refers to the resolution of a device or image. Commonly LPI is used at exactly half of the dpi of the device or image, i.e. 300dpi would equal 150lpi.
Line Art / Line Copy:
Copy which can be reproduced without using halftones.
Magenta:
One of the four process colours, also known as red.
Make-Ready:
The work associated with the set-up of printing equipment before running a job.
Micrometer:
Instrument used for measuring the thickness of paper.
Moiré:
An undesirable grid-like pattern caused by the misalignment of dots on a printed document.
Matt:
A non glossy finish.
NCR (carbonless paper):
NCR: An acronym for ‘No Carbon Required’. A Paper coated with chemicals that enable transfer of images from one sheet to another with pressure from writing or typing.
Origination:
A term used to describe all of the processes which prepare a job for the printing stage.
Outline Paths:
A term used when converting a font or graphic into a mathematical vector format; can also be referred to as ‘curves’.
Offset Printing:
A method in which the plate or cylinder transfers an ink image to an offset or transfer roller, which then transfers the image to stock.
Over-Run:
Copies printed in excess of the quantity specified in the order.
Page Count:
Total number of pages, including blanks and printed pages without numbers.
Perfecting:
Process of printing both sides of one sheet during a single pass through the press.
Perfect Binding:
Perfect binding is a bookbinding method in which pages are glued rather than sewn to a wrap around cover.
Plate:
A metal sheet with a specially coated ‘emulsion’ on its surface which, when exposed through a film mask or by CTP process will produce an image. When the plate is loaded onto printing press it then reproduces this image using inks onto the print material.
Point (PT):
A measurement for the size of fonts and the thickness of rules; one point equals one seventy-second of an inch (0.3515mm).
Proof:
A representation of the finished print, produced for the customer to inspect for errors that can then be corrected prior to final printing.
Progressives:
Colour proofs taken at each stage of printing, showing each colour printed alone and then superimposed on the preceding colour.
Quotation:
Price offered by a printer to produce a specific job based on the customer’s job specifications.
Recto:
Right hand page of an open publication.
Registration marks:
Crosses or reference marks on the page used to align overlaying colours (‘registration’). Also known as trim marks or crop marks.
Reversed-out:
Type appearing white on a black or colour background.
Resolution:
The number of dots per inch (dpi) in a computer-processed document. the level of detail retained by a printed document increases with higher resolution. ppi (pixels per inch) for an image.
RIP (raster image processor):
Computer used to create an electronic bitmap for actual output. this may be built into an output device or may be separate.
RGB:
An acronym for red, green and blue. RGB is a colour model used for computer monitors and colour video output systems. Colour separations for litho printing cannot be made directly from RGB files and need to be converted to CMYK first.
Rosette:
The formation created by the dots that make up four-color images. The dots, in magenta (red), cyan (blue), yellow, and black, overlap each other in a cluster; this cluster resembles the arrangement of petals in a rose because the dots are not perfectly round, and are turned at angles to each other.
Saddle stitch:
Saddle stitch is a binding process in which a pamphlet or booklet is stapled through the middle fold of its sheets using metal wires.
Scanning:
The process of converting a hard copy into digital data ready for editing and design. The quality of the scan is dependent on the quality of the original, the scanning equipment and software, as well as the experience of the operator!
Score (crease):
To mechanically press a rule into heavy paper or board to enable it to be folded without cracking.
Self-cover:
A cover that is the same paper stock as the internal sheets.
Step-up:
A term used to describe the positioning of documents several times onto the same sheet of paper to avoid paper wastage. Also known as imposition.
Stock:
The material to be printed.
Spot colour:
Spot colour is not made using the process colours. Instead the colour is printed using an exclusively made ink. Each spot colour therefore requires its own separate printing plate. Spot colours cannot be used with digital printing as such devices can only reproduce from the four process colours; cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
Spread:
Two or more adjoining pages that would appear in view on sheet.
Solid:
An area on the page which is completely covered by the ink.
TIFF:
Acronym for Tagged Image File Format. TIFF (.TIF) pictures can be black-and-white line art, greyscale or colour. This is a widely used format for image/photographic files but is unsuitable for text unless it is created at a very hi-resolution.
Tint:
A shade of a single color or combined colors made up of dots.
Trapping:
A slight overlapping between two touching colours that prevents gaps along the edges of an object that may appear because of misalignment or movement on the printing press.
Turnaround time:
Amount of time needed to complete a project.
UV varnish:
A liquid laminate that is bonded and cured with ultraviolet light.
Varnishing / Sealing:
The application of a varnish or sealant to a surface that offers protection against marking and improves the overall appearance.
Verso:
Left handed page of an open publication.
Wash up:
To clean ink from rollers, fountains and other components of a press.
Wire-o binding:
A method of binding books with a spiral wire along the binding edge that will allow the book to lay flat. Also known as spiral binding.
Work and Tumble:
To print one side of a sheet of paper then turn the sheet over from gripper to back using the opposite gripper edge but the same side guide to print the second side.
Work and Turn:
To print one side of a sheet of paper then turn the sheet over from left to right and print the second side using the same gripper edge to print the second side.
And finished… If you can remember all of that we think you can legitimately call yourself an expert. Click here to see our product range and start ordering you print today!
We hope this little glossary has cleared up any misunderstandings or confusion you may have had. Remember at Better Printing we’re always here to help. If you need any advice or guidance just contact our friendly and helpful staff today on 023 8087 8037 or email: info@BetterPrinting.co.uk.
