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Glossary of Terms

The following is a compiled list of common terms related to the print industry.

A-M N-Z

A

Absorbency

The ability of a material to take up moisture.

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 affect.

Aqueous Coating

A clear, nontoxic finish used to add brilliance and durability to many products. Aqueous coating is not as durable or glossy as UV coating.

Artwork

Any materials or images that are prepared for graphic 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".

B

Binding

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

Bleed

The area of an image which extends past the trim area of a printed piece. If you would like your artwork to extend to the edge of your printed piece, please extend your work 1/8" past the trim line, on all 4 sides.

Border

The area between the edge of the image and the edge of the paper.

Bundling

In order to receive postal discounts, your mail must be grouped according to postal zone, boxed in special containers according to postal standards. A bar-coded label attached tells the post offices equipment where the mail piece goes.

Bulk Rate

The process of preparing and sorting mail to qualify for reduced postage rates. The lowest postage rates are available if you sort and automate the addresses on your mailing list. Bulk-Rate postage is lower than First-class, but Bulk-Rate has a longer delivery time.

C

Camera-Ready Art

Originals for a printing job that are prepared such that the printer can scan and print.

Coated

Papers that have clay slurry applied to their surface. These papers can range from extremely shiny to very dull. The chief benefit of these papers is that less ink is absorbed into the paper making for brighter colors and greater detail. Glossy papers are all coated papers.

Cast Coated

A paper coated by a process that creates a very glossy surface on the paper.

CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)

The standard color model used in the printing process. These are the colors referred to in "four color printing".

Color Bar

A standard used to compare color accuracy of an image for output.

Color Correction

Adjusting an image to improve overall output color.

Color Separations

The process of separating CMYK into film layers, each layer is than printed separately one on top of the other to give the impression of full color.

Continuous Tone

An unlimited range of color and shades of grays.

Contrast

An image with light tones (highlights) and dark tones (shadows).

Copy

Originally newspaper slang, it refers to the words that are used in your design.

Crop

To trim or remove unwanted portions from the image in order to make it the proper proportion for your job.

Crop Mark

A small mark outside the printed area used to show how a product should be cut.

D

Direct Imaging

A process where a digital image files is converted into CMYK bitmaps (ripped) and burned directly into the plates by a laser, eliminating the costly and environmentally questionable film step.

Direct-to-Plate

This is a process where no film is used. A job will go direct to plate and then print eliminating an extra step, producing better quality.

Dot Pattern

A series of dots that make up a printed image.

DPI (Dots Per Inch)

A measurement of how many dots can fit into one inch. The higher the amount of dots the sharper the image will be.

Duotone

A halftone that prints in two colors to create greater visual interest or more subtle detail and gray tones.

E

EPS (Encapsulated Postscript File)

A file format for high-resolution images that is often used when you need to be move an image from one program to another.

File Extensions

Three-digit designations at end of a file name that tell the computer what format the file has been saved in. (Examples: .doc, .txt, .pdf, .psd)

File Format

Each different type of file has a different file format. A file format specifies how information is organized. (Examples: .doc, .txt, .pdf, .psd)

Four-Color Process

The process by which full-color photographs and artwork is reproduced. Four halftones ��one for each of the primary colors, plus black ��are printed one on top of the other, creating the range of color that was in the original.

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)

A protocol or method used to tranfer or copy files between computers over the Internet.

G

Grayscale

256 levels of gray from black to white.

H

Halftone

The way that tints or grays are printed is by breaking the solid color down into a pattern of dots so small that they cannot be seen by the unaided eye. When this technique is used to created a uniform area of lighter color, it is called a "screen tint." When it is used to reproduce a photograph it is called a "halftone."

High Res

The resolution of an image indicates the number of dots per inch (dpi). High resolution is usually anywhere from 300 dpi to 2,500dpi.

I

Imagesetting

A system that takes digital design file and produces film negatives that older processes require to make the printing plates. Sometimes this is referred to as Lino, after one of the first brands of imagesetters.

Inkjet

A type of printer that works by spraying ionized ink at a sheet of paper. Inkjet printers are capable of producing high quality print resolutions up to 2400 dots per inch. Newer models offer even higher resolutions.

J

JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)

A file format used for color images. It retains a higher degree of color and files are smaller. Uncompressed JPEG can be used for high-quality printing.

K

Kilobyte (KB)

A measurement of data equal to 1,024 bytes.

L

Line Screen

The number of dot lines created per inch, or lines per inch (LPI).

Low Res

The resolution of an image indicates the number of dots per inch (dpi). Low resolution is usually anywhere from 72 dpi to 250 dpi.

LPI

See Line Screen.

M

Mask

This is a process used to delete unwanted areas of an image while maintaining its shape.

Match Print

A color proof made from the printing negatives for a four-color process piece. This is the most accurate color proof available for analog presses.

Mockup

A piece that is handmade by the graphic artist to better show you how your finished piece will look. It generally will be folded and bound the exact way it will be done in production. Sometimes also referred to as a "comp".

Moire

An undesirable result in an image when a texture or screen is placed one on top of another. The image will appear fuzzy or wavy.