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Information Technology
Print Services
Glossary of Printing Terms
PAPER:
| Basic size: |
In inches, 25 x 38 for book papers, 23 x
35 for text papers, 20 x 2 for cover paper, 22 ½ x 28,
or 22 ½ x 35 for Bristol, and 25 ½ x 30 ½ for Index. |
| Basis weight: |
The weight in pounds of a ream ( 500 shts.)
of paper cut to a given standard size for that grade; e.g., 500
sheets 25 x38 in. of 50-lb book paper weight 50 pounds. |
| Bond paper: |
A grade of writing or printing paper where
the strength, durability and permanence are essential requirements.;
used for letterheads, business forms, etc. The basic size is 17 x 22. |
| Book paper: |
A general term for coated and uncoated papers. The basic size 25 x 38. |
| Carbonless paper: |
NCR paper is a coated paper that will give you multiple copies without carbon. |
| Coated paper: |
Paper having a surface coating which produces
a smooth finish. Examples are gloss, dull and matte papers. |
| Deckle edge: |
The untrimmed feathery edges of paper formed where the pulp flows against the deckle. |
| Finish: |
Paper comes in different textures or finishes - gloss, matte, dull, felt, laid, cockle and smooth |
| Grain: |
Paper is made from fibers that run in one directions of the paper this is called the grain.
Projects fold best when the fold runs with the grain, not against the grain. |
| Holdout: |
In printing, a property of coated paper with low ink absorption which allows ink to
sit on the surface with high gloss. Too much holdout causes problems with set-off. |
| Kraft: |
A paper or board containing unbleached wood pulp ( brown in color) made by the sulfate process. |
| Laid: |
Paper with a pattern of parallel lines at equal intervals, giving a rib effect. |
| Matte: |
Dull finish paper without gloss or luster. |
| Newsprint: |
Paper made mostly of groundwood pulp and small amounts of chemical pulp; used for printing newspapers. |
| Plus cover: |
A booklet that has a cover that is of a different weight, color, or finish than that of the inside pages. |
| Ream: |
500 sheets of paper. |
| Recycled paper: |
To meet state requirements, it must be 20% post consumer waste. |
| Self cover: |
A booklet who’s cover paper is the same weight and color as the body of the book. |
| Tooth: |
A characteristic of paper, a slightly rough finish, which permits it to take ink readily. |
ENVELOPES:
| Bang tail envelope: |
A #9 remittance envelope that has a long
flap to allow printing of additional information or instructions.
Booklet envelope: An envelope that opens on the side and is available in a variety
of sizes 9 x 12, 10 x 13 etc. |
| Catalog envelope: |
An envelope that is open on the end and is
available in a variety of sizes such as 9 x 12, 10 x 13, etc. |
| Post card: |
A single card that is mailable, minimum size
of 3 ½ x 5 maximum size of 4 ¼ x 6 without incurring
additional postage costs. Stock must caliper .07 (90# index, or 7pt card stock) |
| Reply envelope: |
#9 envelope that fits inside a #10 and is addressed so the
recipient may mail back information to the originating agency. |
| #10 envelope: |
Standard mailing envelope, overall size 4 1/8 x 9 1/2 |
| #10 Window envelope: |
Overall size of 4 1/8 x 9 ½ with a
standard window size of 1 1/8 x 4 ¼ located 7/8" from
the left and ½" from the bottom. New standard set
by the post office for 7/1/98 raises the location 1/8" from
the bottom to 5/8" |
PREPRESS:
| Bleed: |
A term used when the design or copy runs
off the trim area of the page. It is important for the printer
to know whether it bleeds to plan the correct size press sheet. |
| Camera ready art: |
Artwork that is supplied with color brakes, trim marks and folding marks. |
| Color correction: |
Any method such as masking, dot etching, re-etching and scanning to improve color rendition. |
| DPI - Dots per inch: |
A measure of the resolution of a screen image or printed page. Most jobs can
be run at 1200 DPI for film output, high-end printing may require 2400 DPI,
but requires more time and expense. |
| Disk: |
3.5, 5.5, Zip or Syquest disks that transmit electronic data or images. It is recommended
that you include the program and version when ordering printing so the vendor
outputting can use compatible software. |
| Dummy: |
A preliminary layout showing the position
of illustrations and text as they are to appear in the final
reproduction. A set of blank pages made up ahead of time to show
size, shape, form, and general style of a piece of printing. |
| Duo-tone: |
A halftone that is printed in two colors. |
| Folio: |
The page number. |
| Font: |
A complete assortment of letters, numbers and punctuation marks of a given size and design. |
| FPO: |
(for position only) In digital imaging a low resolution image positioned in a document
to be replaced later with a higher resolution version of the same image. |
| Halftones: |
A technique of representing shadings by dots
produced by photographing the image behind a fine screen. |
| Line screen: |
This defines the dots per inch in a screen,
commonly used line screens come in 88, 133, 150 and 200. The
88 line screen is used in newsprint production, 133 is used for
uncoated stocks and 150 and 200 are used for coated stocks. |
| PMS colors: |
PMS stands for Pantone Matching System. These
colors are special mixes of ink to create solid unique colors. |
| PostScript: |
A page description language developed by Adobe Systems, Inc. to describe an image for
printing. It handles both text and graphics. |
| Preflight: |
In digital prepress, the test used to evaluate
or analyze every component needed to produce a printing job.
Preflight confirms the type of disk being submitted, the color
gamut, color breaks, fonts, and any art required (illustrations,
transparencies, reflective photos, etc.) plus layout files, page
sizes, print driver, crop marks etc. |
| Screen build: |
The practice of using four color process screening to create a desired PMS color. |
| Screen percentage: |
A method to create different color hues by
using a dot pattern or screen of a solid color. Screen percentages
run from 10% of the original color ( the lightest ) to 90% (the darkest). |
| Transparency: |
A positive film or slide, having a picture or design that is
visible when light shines through it or that can be projected on a screen. |
| Trapping: |
Ink transfer to previously printed ink rather
than unprinted paper. Commonly used in film production to describe
the slight increase (fatty) and decrease (shrinking) to the design
to create a slight overlap between adjacent colors printed on
a sheet of paper to avoid a white line of paper show through. |
| Separations: |
A process of scanning a color slide, transparency
or reflective art to separate into four color process film |
| Stripping: |
In image assembly, the positioning of negatives on a flat to compose a page or layout for platemaking |
PROOFS:
| Blueline proof: |
A proof made from film by exposing the film
and proofing material to light. Best for single or two color
proofs. To distinguish between color the exposure time is varied
so one color is shown darker and the second color is a lighter shade. |
| Color contact proof: |
A color proof made from a film negative. |
| Iris proof: |
A digital color proof from disk. |
| Laser proof: |
A proof from a laser printer, best used to
check position and layout and pagination. All jobs that are furnished
on disk should be accompanied by a laser proof from the customer. |
| Press check: |
A process where the customer goes to the
vendor’s plant to check color match while the job is on
the printer’s press. Used when quality is critical - high
end printed pieces. This process does incur additional costs. |
| Press proof: |
A proof that is furnished from the press
run folded to size. Most often used in book production. |
| Scatter proof: |
A color proof of Four color photos to
check for color. Photos are not in page position.
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PRESS:
| Back bone: |
The back of a bound book connecting the two
covers also called the spine. |
| Consecutive numbering: |
A security feature that sequentially numbers each form . |
| Die cut: |
A process of cutting paper in shapes or angles
that are not square, this requires producing a metal die from a pattern. |
| Digital Printing: |
Printing by plateless imaging systems that
are imaged by digital data from a prepress systems. |
| Face: |
The cut side of a book opposite the binding edge. |
| Foil Stamp: |
A process of adhering a thin sheet of metallic
foil to paper using a press stamping processes. Foils are available
in a range of colors, most commonly gold and silver. |
| Foot: |
The bottom of the page. |
| Four color process: |
The four process colors are cyan, magenta, yellow and black. By using these
colors as screen builds you can create four color photos and unique colors. |
| Gripper edge: |
The leading edge of paper as it passes through a printing press.
Also the front edge of a lithographic plate that is secured to the front clamp of the plate cylinder. |
| Gutter: |
The bound side of the page. |
| Head: |
The top of the page. |
| Hickeys: |
In offset lithography, spots or imperfections
in the printing due to dirt on the press, dried ink skin, paper particles, etc. |
| Makeready: |
In printing , all work done to set up a press for printing. |
| Opaque ink: |
An ink that conceals all color beneath it. |
| Over printing: |
Double printing; printing over an area that already has been printed. |
| Picking: |
In printing, the lifting of the paper surface
during printing. It occurs when the pulling force (tack) of the
ink is greater than the surface of the paper. |
| Scum: |
In offset printing, a film of ink printing
in the non-image area of the plate where it should not print. |
| Set-off: |
In presswork, when the ink of a printed sheet rubs off or marks
the next sheet as it is being delivered. Also called offset. |
| Signature: |
A large sheet of paper in which a number
of pages are laid out in some multiple of four , and when folded
to page size , forms a section of a book. |
| Show-through: |
In printing the undesirable condition in
which printing on one side of the sheet can be seen through the
paper under normal lighting conditions. |
| U.V. Inks: |
A solventless ink that are cured by U.V.
radiation. Used extensively in screen printing. |
| Varnish: |
A thin, protective coating applied to a printed
sheet for protection or appearance. Available in either gloss or dull finish. |
| Washup: |
The process of cleaning the rollers, form,
or plate, and sometimes the ink fountain of a printing press. |
| Web press: |
A press that prints on a roll or web-fed
paper. Used for large quantities, runs at high speeds. |
| Work and tumble: |
To print one side of the sheet, then turn
it over from gripper to back using the same side guide and plate. |
| Work and turn: |
To print one side of the sheet, then turn
it over from left to right and print the second side , using
the same gripper and plate, but opposite side guide. |
| Wrinkles: |
Creases in the press sheet occurring during printing. |
XEROGRAPHY:
| Color copies: |
Digital reproduction using toners that are
in the four process colors, magenta, cyan, yellow and black. |
| Docutech: |
A high speed copier that can digitally reproduce
your work in black using toner. The machine allows you to add
set labeling to newsletters, scan and crop photos, and run multiple
colors of stock. |
FORMS:
| Carbon interleaf: |
A multi part form with a carbon sheet between identified parts. |
| Crimped: |
A process that is used to hold several parts
of a continuous feed form together. Crimps are placed in the pinfeed area of the form. |
| Pinfeed: |
Also known as tracker feed. |
| Snap apart form: |
A multi part form attached along one edge with a glued stub normally ¾" wide. |
BINDERY:
| Collate: |
To gather together in order for binding. |
| Corner Stitch: |
A single staple binding several pages in the corner of the front cover. |
| Drill/Punch: |
The process used to place a hole on a page.
Specifications should indicate how many holes, the size of the holes and how they are placed.
i.e. 3 hole drill on the left edge ¼" holes 2 ½" center to center,
or include a drill sample or binder that the material will go into. |
| Double gate fold: |
Four panels that have three parallel folds. |
| Gate fold: |
Three panels that have two parallel folds. |
| Letter fold: |
Two parallel folds to a finished size of 3 5/8 x 8 1/2. |
| Micro-perf: |
A hole or ulceration of holes that are smaller than a normal
perforation to be conducive to being smoother and holding together better. |
| Padding: |
A number of sheets of paper glued along one edge. |
| Perfect bind: |
A binding for books that wraps the cover
paper around the book, so that the spine is the same paper as
the back and front covers. This process uses glue to bind the
pages together to the cover. This process is best used for books
with large page counts ( 60 pages or more ). When designing perfect
bind covers keep in mind that a spine width needs to be determined
by the paper weight and page count. Extra trim must be furnished
on covers for the binder to allow for a glue trap. |
| Plastic comb bind: |
The bound material is punched and a plastic
cylinder with teeth or a comb is inserted in the holes to hold
the book together. Commonly referred to in centralized printing
as spiral binding. |
| Perforation: |
A pierced row of holes to facilitate tearing. |
| Right angle fold: |
Folds in half left to right and in half again top to bottom. |
| Saddle stitch: |
Two metal staples that bind a booklet. Page
counts must be divisible by four for this binding process. Based
on a 60# offset stock maximum page count for saddle stitching
is 100 pages, this will vary dependent on paper weights. |
| Side stitch: |
2 metal staples that bind a booklet edge on top of the front cover. |
| Spiral bind: |
One piece of coiling metal wire inserted
through holes punched along the binding side of a book. |
| Wire-o-bind: |
A continuous double series of wire loops
run through punched slots along the binding edge of a booklet. |
PACKAGING:
| Paper band: |
A thick paper strip with an adhesive back
that is wrapped around a given number of units, less expensive
than shrink wrapping, and causes less damage to materials than
rubber banding. |
| Shrink-wrap: |
A process of wrapping a given number of units
in plastic, then using a heat chamber to shrink the plastic to a tight fit. |
| Skid pack: |
A packing method where materials are stacked
on a pallet and encased in cardboard and plastic wrap. This is
a less expensive way of packaging and most often used if shipping
to a mailer or bindery for additional work. The drawback is that
it could result in greater percent of damaged goods. |
| Slip sheet: |
A process of inserting colored sheets of paper to sort printed materials. |
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