Glossary Of Terms

We love printing, and it's easy to get caught up in the industry lingo. We encourage you to grab us and shake us if we're not making sense at all, but if you're not the grabbing and shaking type, here are some of the words we use around the shop.

A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T

Alignment

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

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

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

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

Photographic proof made from flats for checking accuracy, layout and imposition before plates are made. Also known as a dylux.
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.
Brochure

A pamphlet that is bound in booklet form.
Bulk

A term given to paper to describe its thickness relative to its weight.
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.
Coated (Paper)

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

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

Delamination.
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.
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).
Cutting Die

Sharp edged device, usually made of steel, to cut paper, cardboard, etc., on a printing press.
Cyan

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

An intaglio process for printing from images engraved into copper or steel plates.
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.
Drill

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

Pasting with heat sensitive adhesives.
Dull Finish

Any matte finished paper.
Duplex Paper

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

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

The smoother side of paper, usually a soft weave pattern used for book papers.
Finish (Paper)

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

Markings at top edges that show where folds should occur.
Folder

Machine used to fold signatures down into sections.
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.
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.
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.
Halftone

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

Markings pre-printed on mailing envelopes to replace the stamp.
Inserts

Extra printed pages inserted loosely into printed pieces.
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.
Jogger

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

A parallel lined paper that has a handmade look.
Layout

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

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

Imprinted space around edge of page.
Metropolitan Service Area

A group of ZIP codes usually in close proximity defining a large metropolitan area (e.g. New York City or Los Angeles).
Natural

A term to describe papers that have a color similar to that of wood; also called cream, off-white or ivory.
Newsprint

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

When two sheet passes on a press are misaligned.
Opaque

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

One side of a leaf.
Page Proofs

Proofs made up from pages.
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.
Perforating

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

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

Pixels per inch.
Proof

Impression from composed type or blocks, taken for checking and correction, from a lithographic plate to check accuracy of layout, type matter, tone and color reproduction.
Ream

500 sheets of paper.
Right Angle Fold

A term that denotes folds that are 90 degrees to each other.
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.
Satin Finish

A smooth delicately embossed finished paper with sheen.
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.
Self Cover

A cover made out of the same paper stock as the internal sheets.
Side Stitching

Stitching where the wire staples pass through the pile of sections or leaves gathered upon each other and are clinched on the underside.
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.
Slitting

A term to describe the process of cutting of printed sheets by the cutting wheels of a printing press.
Spine

Back edge of a book.
Spiral Bind

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

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

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