We take great pride in making our clients feel confident about their jobs during the production process. To help you gain a better understanding of what’s happening to your project, we’ve compiled a glossary of terms that we commonly use in our industry.

• Absorbency

  The ability of a material to take up moisture

• AC

  Author's Correction

• 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.

• Additive Colors

  In photographic reproduction, the primary colors of red, green and blue which are mixed to form all other colors.

• Air

  Large white areas in a design layout.

• Alignment

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

• Alley

  A term for a random, coincidental path or a row of white space within a segment of copy.

• Alphabet Length

  The measured length (in points) of the lowercase alphabet of a certain size and series of type.

• Art Work

  Any materials or images that are prepared for graphic reproduction.

• Artwork

  All illustrated material, ornamentation, photos and charts etc., that is prepared for reproduction.

• Ascender

  Any part of a lower case letter which rises above the main body of the letter such as in "d", "b" and "h".

• Author's Alterations (AA's)

  Changes made after composition stage where customer is responsible for additional charges.

• Back Margin

  A term referring to the margin which lies closest to the back of the book.

• Back To Back

  Print applied to both sides of a sheet of paper.

• Background

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

• Balance

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

• Banker's Flap Envelope

  Also called wallet flap; the wallet flap has more rounded flap edges.

• Banner

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

• Base Line

  This is a term used to describe the imaginary horizontal line upon which stand capitals, lower case letters, punctuation points etc.

• Basic Size

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

• 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.

• Binder's Board

  A heavy paperboard with a cloth covering that is used for hardback binding of books.

• Binding

  Various methods of securing folded sections together and or fastening them to a cover, to form single copies of a book.

• Blanket

  On offset presses a fabric-reinforced sheet of rubber to transfer the impression from the plate onto the paper.

• Blanket To Blanket Press

  A printing method in which there are two blanket cylinders through which a sheet of paper is passed and printed on both sides.

• Bleed

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

• Blow-up

  Any enlargement of photos, copies or line art.

• 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.

• Body Size

  The point size of a particular type character.

• Boldface

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

• Bond

  A grade of durable writing, printing and typing paper that has a standard size of 17x22 inches.

• 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.

• 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.

• Break For Color

  In layout design, the term for dividing or separating the art and copy elements into single color paste-up sheets.

• Brochure

  A pamphlet that is bound in booklet form.

• Bulk

  A term given to paper to describe its thickness relative to its weight.

• Bulk

  A term used to define the number of pages per inch of a book relative to its given basis weight.

• Bullet

  A boldface square or dot used before a sentence to emphasize its importance.

• Caliper

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

• Camera Ready

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

• Cap Line

  An imaginary horizontal line running across the tops of capital letters.

• Caps & Lower Case

  Instructions in the typesetting process that indicate the use of a capital letter to start a sentence and the rest of the letters in lower case.

• Caps & Small Caps

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

• Coarse Screen

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

• Coated (Paper)

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

• Coated Art Paper

  Printing papers used for printing projects that require a special treatment of detail and shading.

• Coated Stock

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

• Collate

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

• Collating Marks

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

• 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.

• Color Separating

  The processes of separating the primary color components for printing.

• Color Transparency

  Transparent film containing a positive photographic color image.

• Column Gutter

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

• Composition

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

• Condensed Type

  A narrow, elongated type face.

• Continuous Tone

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

• Contrast

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

• Copy

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

• Corner Marks

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

• Cover

  A term describing a general type of papers used for the covers of books, pamphlets etc.

• Cracking

  Delamination.

• Creep

  When the rubber blanket on a cylinder moves forward due to contact with the plate or paper. Result of added thickness of folded sheets being behind one another in a folded signature. Outer edges of sheets creep away from back most fold as more folded sheets are inserted inside the middle.

• Crop

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

• 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.

• Cross-over

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

• 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.

• 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).

• Cyan

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

• Cylinder Gap

  The gap in the cylinders of a press where the grippers or blanket clamps is housed.

• Deckle Edge

  The rough or feathered edge of paper when left untrimmed.

• Delete

  An instruction given to remove an element from a layout.

• Density

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

• Descender

  A term that describes that portion of lower case letters which extends below the main body of the letter, as in "p".

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Display Type

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

• 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.

• Dot

  The smallest individual element of a halftone.

• 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.

• Drier

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

• Drill

  The actual drilling of holes into paper for ring or comb binding.

• Drop Shadow

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

• Dull Finish

  Any matte finished paper.

• 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.

• Duotone

  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.

• Duplex Paper

  Paper which has a different color or finish on each side.

• Dye-Based Ink

  Any ink that acquires its color by the use of aniline pigments or dyes. Reference, aniline

• Eggshell Finish

  The finish of paper surface that resembles an eggshell achieved by omitting the calendar process. Reference, calendar rolls.

• Electronic Composition

  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.

• 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.

• Elliptical Dot

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

• Em

  A unit of measurement equaling 12 points or 4.5mm.

• Embossed

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

• 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.

• 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.

• Enamel

  A term that describes a glossy coating on paper.

• Endsheet

  Attaching the final sheet of a signature of a book to the binding.

• 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.

• 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.

• Expanded Type

  Type with width greater than normal producing a rectangular effect.

• Exposure

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

• Extender

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

• Fan Fold

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

• Fat Face

  Type that is quite varied in its use of very thin and very wide strokes.

• Film Coat

  Also called wash coat; any thinly coated paper stock.

• Finish

  The surface quality of paper.

• Finish (Paper)

  Dull - (low gloss) also matte or matte gloss.

• Fit

  The registration of items within a given page.

• Flush Cover

  A bound book or booklet etc. having the cover trimmed to the same size as the text.

• Foils

  Papers that have a surface resembling metal.

• Fold Marks

  Markings at top edges that show where folds should occur.

• Folder

  Machine used to fold signatures down into sections.

• Folio or Page Number

  Number of page at top or bottom either centered, flushed left or flushed right often with running headline.

• Font

  The characters which make up a complete typeface and size.

• French Fold(er)

  Folder with printing on one side so that when folded once in each direction, the printing on outside of the folds.

• Gang

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

• Ganging

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

• Gather

  To assemble or collect sections into single copies of complete books for binding.

• Gathering

  Assembling sheets of paper and signatures into their proper sequence; collating.

• 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.

• 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.

• Gigo

  Garbage in, garbage out.

• Goldenrod

  An orange colored paper with gridlines, used to assemble materials for exposure for platemaking.

• Graduated Screen

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

• Grain

  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.

• Grained Paper

  A paper embossed to resemble various textures, such as leather, alligator, wood, etc.

• Gripper

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Halftone

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

• Hickies

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

• Highlights

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

• Hollow

  That space on the spine of a case bound book between the block of the book and the case binding.

• Image Area

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

• Image Setter

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

• 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.

• 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.

• Index Bristol

  A relatively thick paper stock; basis size---25 1/2 x 30 1/2.

• Inserts

  Extra printed pages inserted loosely into printed pieces.

• Interleaves

  Extra blank pages inserted loosely into book after printing.

• Italic

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

• Jacket

  The paper cover sometimes called the "dust cover" of a hardbound book.

• 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.

• Jog

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

• Jogger

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

• Kerning

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

• Lacquer

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

• Layout

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

• Leaders

  The dots or dashes used in type to guide the eye from one set of type to the next.

• Leading

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

• Ledger Paper

  A stiff heavy business paper generally used for keeping records.

• Letterpress

  Printing that utilizes inked raised surfaces to create the image.

• Letterspacing

  The addition of space between typeset letters.

• Linen

  A paper that emulates the look and texture of linen cloth.

• Lithography

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

• Logotype

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

• M weight

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

• Margin

  Imprinted space around edge of page.

• Mark-up

  To write up instructions, as on a dummy.

• Matte Finish

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

• Midtone Dot

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

• Moire

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

• Mottle

  A term used to describe spotty or uneven ink absorption.

• Negative

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

• Newsprint

  A light, low cost groundwood paper made especially for newspapers. Reference, groundwood.

• Nominal Weight

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

• 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.

• 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.

• Offset Paper

  A term for uncoated book paper.

• Onionskin

  A light bond paper used for typing and used with carbon paper because of its thinness.

• Opacity

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

• Opaque

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

• Opaque Ink

  Ink that completely covers any ink under itself.

• Orthochromatic

  Any light sensitive surfaces that are not sensitive to red.

• Over Run

  Surplus of copies printed.

• Overhang Cover

  A cover of a book that extends over the trimmed signatures it contains.

• 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.

• Overprinting

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

• Page

  One side of a leaf.

• Page Makeup

  The assemblage of all the necessary elements required to complete a page.

• Page Proofs

  Proofs made up from pages.

• Parchment

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

• Perf Marks

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

• Perfect

  A term used to describe the binding process where the signatures of a book are held together by a flexible adhesive.

• Perfect Binding

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

• Perfecting

  Printing both sides of the paper (or other material) on the same pass through the printing machine.

• Perfecting Press

  A printing press that prints on both sides of the page in a single pass.

• Perforating

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

• Pica

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

• Plastic Comb

  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.

• Plate

  Reproduction of type or cuts in metal, plastic, rubber, or other material, to form a plate bearing a relief, planographic or intaglio printing surface.

• Plate Cylinder

  The cylinder on a printing press on which the plate is mounted.

• Platemaking

  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.

• Point

  A measurement unit equal to 1/72 of an inch. 12 points to a pica, 72 points to an inch.

• Positive

  Film that contains an image with the same tonal values as the original; opposite of a negative.

• Ppi

  Pixels per inch.

• Press-Proof

  Actual press sheet to show image, tone values and colors as well as imposition of frame or press-plate.

• Primary Colors

  In printing the four primary colors are cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black.

• Printability

  The quality of papers to show reproduced printed images.

• Process Inks

  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.

• Process Printing

  Printing from two or more half tones to produce intermediate colors and shades.

• Ragged Left

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

• Ragged Right

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

• Ream

  500 sheets of paper.

• Register

  The arrangement of two or more images in exact alignment with each other.

• Register Marks

  Any crossmarks or other symbols used on layout to assure proper registration.

• Rubine

  A pigment somewhat redder than true magenta.

• Run-Around

  A term given to copy that accommodates the lines of a picture or other image or copy.

• Saddle Stitching

  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.

• Safety Paper

  A paper that shows sign of erasure so that it cannot be altered or tampered with easily.

• Scaling

  The enlargement or reduction of an image or copy to fit a specific area.

• Score

  Impressions or cuts in flat material to facilitate bending or tearing.

• Screen Angles

  The placement of halftone screens to avoid unwanted moire patterns. Frequently used angles are black 45deg, magenta 75deg, yellow 90deg, and cyan 105deg.

• Screen Ruling

  A measurement equaling the number of lines or dots per inch on a halftone screen.

• Screened Print

  A photo print made by using a halftone negative; also called a velox.

• Scum

  Unwanted ink marks in the non-image area.

• Sheetwise

  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.

• Show Through

  A problem that occurs when the printing on one side of a sheet is seen from the other side.

• Signature (Section)

  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.

• Smoothness

  That quality of paper defined by its levelness which allows for pressure consistency in printing, assuring uniformity of print.

• Spine

  Back edge of a book.

• Spiral Bind

  A binding whereby a wire or plastic is spiraled through holes punched along the binding side.

• Spot Color

  Small area printed in a second color.

• Spread

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

• Step And Repeat

  A process of generating multiple exposures by taking an image and stepping it according to a predetermined layout.

• Stet

  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.

• Stock

  A term for unprinted paper or other material to be printed.

• Tag

  A dense, strong paper stock.

• Tensile Strength

  A paper's ability to withstand pressure.

• Text

  A high quality printing paper.

• Thermography

  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.

• Tint

  A halftone screen that contains all the same sized dots.

• Transparent

  Inks that do not block out the colored inks that they print over, but instead blend with them to create intermediate colors.

• Trapping

  The process of printing wet ink over printed ink which may be wet or dry.

• Trim Marks

  Marks placed on the sheet to indicate where to cut the page.

• Up

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

• Upright

  A term given to books bound on the longer dimension.

• Vandyke

  Brown print

• Varnish

  A clear shiny ink used to add gloss to printed pieces. The primary component of the ink vehicle. Reference, vehicle.

• 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.

• Vellum

  A finish of paper that is rough, bulky and has a degree of tooth.

• Vignette

  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.

• Washup

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

• Watermark

  A translucent logo that is embossed during the papermaking process while the paper slurry is on the dandy roll. Reference, dandy roll

• Widow

  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.

• Writing Paper

  Another name for bond paper.

• Xerographic Paper

  Papers made to reproduce well in copy machines and laser printers.