Glossary of Printing Terms
A - B - C - D - F - G - H - I - K - L - M - P - S - T - U - V - W
A
Accordion Fold:A binding term for two or more parallel folds that open like an accordion.
B
Bindery:A print shop department that handles the trimming, folding, binding, and most other finishing tasks.
Bitmap:
A computerized image made up of dots or pixels. Bitmap images are not ideal for high-quality output.
Black & White:
Originals in the single color of black.
Bleed:
A printed image that extends beyond the trim edge of a sheet or page.
C
Camera-Ready Art:High-quality art consisting of type, line art and graphics that has been prepared to be photographed for platemaking.
Card Stock:
A stiff paper similar to a cover stock or an index sheet. This paper is typically used for post cards and thank you notes. It should always be scored before folding.
Coated Paper:
This paper has a smooth finish that can vary between a matte and glossy appearance.
Collate:
To gather sheets together in their proper sequence.
Color Bar:
The strip of colored squares printed near the edge of the press sheet. This bar helps to evaluate ink density and registration.
Color Separation:
Separating color artwork into cyan, magenta, yellow and black for 4-color process printing.
Copy:
All written material, graphics and photographs that need to be printed.
Crop Marks:
Lines in the corners of the sheet indicating where the artwork should be cut or folded.
Cyan:
One of the four process colors. Also known as process blue.
D
DPI:Dots per inch - A measure of the resolution of a screen image usually applied to output devices.
Duotone:
A halftone image reproduced using two ink colors.
F
Finished Size:The size of the printed piece after all production is complete.
Finishing:
The bindery operations that complete the printed piece.
Font:
The complete character set in one typeface. Four-Color Process:
A printing technique that uses four different inks to simulate the colors found in photographs.
G
Ghosting:When a faint image appears on a sheet where it is not intended to be.
Grain:
The direction in which fibers in the paper lie.
Gripper Edge:
The leading edge of the paper as it passes through the press.
Gripper Margin:
The edges of the paper where the grippers clasp the sheet. This area is usually ½ inch wide and is unprintable.
Gutter:
The inside margin of a book closest to the binding.
H
Hairline:A very thin line or gap. Hard Copy:
Original artwork printed from a desktop printer. This can be used to scan in for duplication.
I
Image Area:The area on the paper on which ink appears.
Impression:
One printed page.
K
Kerning:The space between letters that can be adjusted to make them appear closer together or further apart.
Keyline:
Lines either on the computer or on the artwork that serve as guidelines.
Kiss Die Cut:
To die cut without going through the paper.
L
Laminate:A plastic film that is bonded by heat and pressure to a piece of artwork. Laminates come in different mil's depending on desired thickness.
LPI:
Lines per inch - The number of lines or rows of dots per inch.
M
Magenta:One of the four process colors, also known as process red.
Makeready:
All processes needed to set up a press before printing begins.
Matte Finish:
A slightly dull finish on coated stock.
P
Perfect Binding:A binding method in which the sheets are trimmed at the binding edge and glued to a paper cover.
PMS (Pantone Matching System):
A color matching system for printing inks.
Press Proof:
A proof usually done at the shops' location. The proof uses the same plates, paper and ink specified for the job.
Process Blue:
Another name for Cyan.
Process Colors:
The colors needed for 4-color process printing. Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
Proof:
A test sheet showing how the printed piece will appear.
S
Saddle Stitch:To fasten a booklet by stapling sheets together where they fold at the spine.
Score:
Indenting paper along a line to make folding easier.
Self-Cover:
A booklet created entirely from the same paper so that the cover is printed at the same time as the inside pages.
Shrinkwrap:
A bindery task that wraps documentation in a plastic film to keep it separate it protected.
Signature:
Printed sheets that form part of a publication once folded.
Slip Sheet:
Usually a colored piece of paper placed in between publications to show separation.
Spiral Bind:
A binding method that uses a plastic coil put through holes to keep the book intact.
Spot Varnish:
Using varnish in specific areas of a printed sheet.
T
Toner:A powder substance that forms the image on a digital press like a DocuTech.
Trim Size:
The final size that the printed piece needs to be.
Typeface:
A set of letters with design characteristics that make them similar to each other.
U
Uncoated Paper:paper that does not have a coating.
V
Varnish:a clear liquid that is applied to a printed piece after it has dried. The purpose of varnishing is for both protection and aesthetic quality.
W
Wire-O:a trade name for a method of binding that uses loops of wire through little holes.
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 for the second side.