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

Also called reflex blue. A pigment used in carbon black inks and varnishes to improve luster.

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

Those elements of letters that branch out from the stem of a letter, such as: "K" and "Y".

An envelope that is lined with an extra fine paper; can be colored or patterned.

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

Print applied to both sides of a sheet of paper.

That portion of the binding, which connects the front of the book with the back of the book; also called "back".

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

Any type that tilts to the left or backward direction; opposite of italic type.

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

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.

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

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

Embossed forms that are not inked, or gold leafed.

Page number not printed on page.

Any enlargement of photos, copies or line art.

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

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.

The point size of a particular type character.

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

A character " }" used to group lines, or phrases.

A pamphlet that is bound in booklet form.

A printing method whereby special ink is applied to sheets and then a powder is applied producing a metallic effect.

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

A term used in plate making to describe the amount of plate exposure time.

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.

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

A color printing process utilizing pigmented gelatin coatings on paper, which become the resist for etching gravure plates or cylinders.

A chemical pulp paper (calcium carbonate), used mostly for the printing of magazines.

A rough finished paper used for wrapping.

Books bound using hard board (case) covers.

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

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

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

A printers or publishers identifying symbol or emblem.

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.

The processes of separating the primary color components for printing.

A term referring to the relative amount of pigmentation in an ink.

Transparent film containing a positive photographic color image.

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

Color registration measured within plus or minus one row of dots.

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

A narrow, elongated type face.

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

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

Delamination.

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

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.

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).

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

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

An instruction given to remove an element from a layout.

An optical device used by printers and photographers to measure and control the density of color.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Page number printed at foot of page.

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

Any matte finished paper.

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.

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.

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

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.

A term that describes a glossy coating on paper.

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

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.

The use of smaller sized capitals at the beginning of a sentence without the use of larger sized caps.

Type with width greater than normal producing a rectangular effect.

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

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

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

The surface quality of paper.

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

The registration of items within a given page.

In lithography, the assembly of photographic negatives or positives on vinyl acetate for exposure in vacuum frame in contact with sensitized metal press plate.

Papers that have a surface resembling metal.

Machine used to fold signatures down into sections.

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

The characters which make up a complete typeface and size.

The slurry mixture of fibers, water, chemicals and pigments, that is delivered to the Fourdrinier machine in the paper making process.

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.

Sticking on gold leaf to edges of books with a liquid agent and made permanent with burnishing tools.

A strong transparent paper.

Quick drying oil based inks with low penetration qualities, used on coated stock.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

That space which lies between the top of the printed copy and the trimmed edge.

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

This is a term that refers to a paper that a printer keeps on hand in his shop.

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

Extra printed pages inserted loosely into printed pieces.

A coated stock finished in mother-of-pearl.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Printing that utilizes inked raised surfaces to create the image.

The addition of space between typeset letters.

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

A paper that is coated with a special water-resistant material which is able to withstand the lithographic process.

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

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

Imprinted space around edge of page.

The blocking out of a portion of the printing plate during the exposure process.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Ink that completely covers any ink under itself.

Any light sensitive surfaces that are not sensitive to red.

Surplus of copies printed.

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

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.

A process of proof making whereby the color separations are individually exposed to light sensitive film. This film is then set in registration with a piece of white paper in the background.

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

Type that is set in excess of the allotted space.

Photomechanical transfer.

One side of a leaf.

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

Proofs made up from pages.

Films or other photographic materials that are sensitive to all colors.

Any paper with a thickness (caliper) of 12 points (.3mm) or more.

A high-grade soft paper used for personal stationery because it accepts handwriting well.

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

A sheet that is larger than the cut stock of the same paper.

Any of a variety of compounds used in enhancing the drying properties of printing inks.

An ink having a high level of viscosity.

Preparation of positive materials into a layout for photographing to film negatives.

Delamination.

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

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

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

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

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

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

A blue red pigment used mostly in news inks; not a good ink for lithographers as it bleeds in alcohol and water.

Making printing plates by exposure of line and halftone negatives on sensitized metal, converting the image into an acid resist, and etching the print to the relief required for letterpress printing.

The platemaking process where plates are coated with photosensitive coatings and exposed to photo negatives or positives.

A photographic print creating an image using photography and electrostatic processes; also called a stat.

The main pigment in the manufacture of cyan ink.

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

When the tack of ink is stronger than the surface strength of the paper, some lifting of the paper surface occurs; this is referred to as picking.

An occurrence in printing whereby the tack of ink pulls fibers or coating off the paper surface, leaving spots on the printed surface.

A build up of pigment or paper coatings onto the plate, blankets or rollers.

Using metal pins fitted into preset holes of copy sheets, films, plates and presses that will assure the proper registration.

Failure of printed ink to form a completely continuous film, visible in the form of small holes in the printed areas.

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.

An ink additive that adds flexibility, softness and adhesion.

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

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

Any bond, cover or bristol stock with an extremely smooth finish achieved by calendaring.

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.

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

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

Pixels per inch.

Any paper that is considered better than #1 by its manufacturer.

A plate that has been treated with light sensitive coatings by the manufacturer.

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

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

The quality of papers to show reproduced printed images.

Two consecutive pages as they appear on a flat or signature.

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.

A high quality specialty lens made for line art, halftone and color photography.

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

Any proofs made from the separate plates of a multi-plate-printing project.

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.

Guide sheet for the positioning of type, blocks, etc.

Papers with a complete or partial content of cotton fibers.

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

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

A thick, coated paper used for signs; usually waterproof.

Two consecutive pages as they appear in printed piece.

500 sheets of paper.

The odd numbered pages (right hand side) of books.

A common pigment for paste and liquid red inks.

Any substance that softens and reduces the tack of ink.

The master roll of paper as it comes off the papermaking machine. It is in its original width and is then cut into smaller rolls.

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

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

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

A web press printing process where the roll of paper is printed and stored on a roll to be shipped.

That stage of printed ink where the maximum dryness is achieved, and the ink will not smudge.

A pigment somewhat redder than true magenta.

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

A term used to describe how well a paper runs on a printing press.

A title at the top of a page that appears on all pages of a book or chapter of a book.

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.

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

A smooth delicately embossed finished paper with sheen.

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

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

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

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

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

Unwanted ink marks in the non-image area.

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

The lowest density of a halftone image.

To decrease the dot size of the halftone which in turn decreases the color strength.

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.

Ink that is smooth and creamy but does not flow freely.

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

The guides on the sides of the sheet fed press that position the sheet sideways as the paper is led towards the front guides.

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

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.

A halftone with the background screen removed.

Reference, brownline proof.

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

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

An excessively large halo around a dot in a photograph that causes a fringe that diminishes the dot intensity.

Back edge of a book.

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

Small area printed in a second color.

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

To bind a series of pages with wire staples such that staples enter from the front and back simultaneously, neither side being long enough to exit the opposite side.

The quality of paper to maintain its original size when it undergoes pressure and moisture changes.

A process of cutting many sheets from the same parent sheet in which the smaller sheets have different grain directions; also called dutch or bastard cutting.

The Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, GATF has established various quality control images; the star target appears along with the color bar and helps the pressman detect any irregularity in the ink spread. Reference, Color Bars

A device on a printing press that minimizes the amount of static build up on paper as it passes through the press.

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

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.

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

To add an element, such as copy that is shot separately, and then stripped into place on a goldenrod flat.

Originally, the removal of the photographic emulsion with its image from individual negatives and combining them in position on a glass plate. Now the use of stripfilm materials, and the cutting, attachment, and other operations for assembling. The positioning of positives and negatives on the flat before proceeding to platemaking.

Impressing book covers, etc., by means of hot die, brass types or blocks.

A machine procedure that produces a high finished paper surface that is extremely smooth and exceptional for printing.

Any petroleum based waterproof papers with a high tensile strength.

The adhesive quality of inks.

A dense, strong paper stock.

A paper's ability to withstand pressure.

A high quality printing paper.

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.

A slower drier that dries the ink throughout without forming a hard crust.

Envelopes used mostly for theater tickets, with no other particular usage.

A halftone screen that contains all the same sized dots.

A bright white pigment (opaque) used for printing on metal and flexible packaging.

A red pigment with poor bleed resistance.

The rough surfaced finish of papers such as vellum or antique.

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

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

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

Fourdrinier papermaking machines with two wires, instead of a wire and felt side. This assures higher quality when two sides are used for printing.

The difference in feel and appearance of either side of a sheet of paper due to the papermaking process having a felt and wire side.

Papers that are not smoothed by going through the calendaring process.

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

A term given to books bound on the longer dimension.

Also called a contact frame; used in the platemaking process to hold materials in tight contact during exposure.

Brown print

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

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

A term given to papers that are coated with an adhesive and then flock dusted.

A photographic print which is made from a negative.

A term given to the left-hand or even-numbered pages of a book.

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.

An abbreviation for work and back. Reference, sheetwise.

An abbreviation for work and turn.

A term given to the occurrence of plate deterioration of the image area during the printing process; usually occurs on long runs.

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

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

The roll of paper that is used in web or rotary printing.

A tear in a web roll during the printing process.

Cylinder printing machine in which the paper is fed from a continuous reel, as opposed to sheet fed.

The term given to the tension or pull exerted by the web press on the web roll.

A soft paper that is thick and holds up well under embossing.

The ability of an ink film to accept subsequent ink films.

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.

A plate on which is wiped a light sensitive coating by a coating device; usually the first step in this type of platemaking.

That side of the paper which lies on the wire screen side of the papermaking machine.

To fasten together sheets, signatures, or sections with wire staples. 3 methods... saddle stitching, side stitching, and stabbing.

A smooth paper made on finely textured wire that gives the paper a gentle patterned finish.

The unevenly dried surface of printed inks.

Another name for bond paper.

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

The actual amount of force needed to start an ink flowing.