Bleed: Text or art extends
beyond the trimmed page or on one, two or three sides. Oversized stock is used and then trimmed to acquire
the effect.
Blueline: Contact print produced
from film to provide monochrome proof.
Camera-Ready: All the type, line
art and graphics in place and ready for the creation of a printing plate.
Case Binding: Document is bound
with a hard cover.
Choke: Image edges are adjusted
inward to ensure proper trapping.
CMYK: Four base colors used in
standard color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (K). In process
printing, all other colors are created using screens of the CMYK colors.
Color key: Overlay set of film,
each carrying the printing image of one of the CMYK process color separations.
When arranged in the proper registration, they provide a proof showing how the
piece will appear when printed.
Color separation: The process of
separating color originals into CYMK.
Comp: Mock-up of a finished
piece. Used for reviewing design, layout, etc.
Composite: Color proof in process
colors appear together to represent full color.
Computer to Plate (CTP): A
process where the computer file is output directly onto a printing plate.
Contact print: Black and white
image reproduced directly from film onto photo-sensitive paper or transparency.
Crop marks: Marks used as
guidelines on where an image or a page should be trimmed or folded.
Crossover: Artwork or text that
continues across the fold to the facing page of a layout.
Die: Sharp metal rule used for
die-cutting, embossing or foil stamping.
Die Cutting: Printed sheets are
cut into specific and irregular shapes.
Dummy Layout: Shows the position
of illustrations and text as they are to appear in the final printed
piece.
Duotone: Two halftones
with different screen angles are photographed or output to film from the
same original and printed in two colors.
Dots per inch (DPI): Resolution
for as printer. The number of pixels of toner or ink dots the device
can display or print for each linear inch. Higher DPI equals higher
resolution and a higher quality image.
Embossing: The image is pressed into a sheet of paper so that that it appears
and feels raised.
Full bleed: A page that extends
beyond all four edges of the printed sheet.
GBC Binding: Plastic strips are
attached through rectangular holes punched in one side of the document.
Gradation: Two colors or shades
are blended to create a gradual change from one color to another. Also called
blends, graduated fills, or gradients.
Grayscale: Image of black, white
and gray tones.
Gripper Margin: Presses cannot
print to the edge of paper on which the press grippers bear, usually 1/2"
or less.
Halftone: Used to represent
continuous-tone images for printing processes that must lay down individual dots
of ink or toner.
Halftone screen: Used to break a
continuous-tone image (photograph) into individual dots to create a halftone for
printing. May be done with an actual screen placed between the camera and the
original when film is being shot.
Imposition: The process of
arranging individual pages in order to construct a signature so that pages
will be in the proper sequence in the final project, after printing, folding and
binding.
Knockout: Area where color has
been dropped out. I.E., white type on a colored background.
Laminating: Coating process
protects paper from scratches or prolonged exposure to light or water.
Line art: An image composed of
solid areas without halftone patterns or screens.
Line screen frequency: number of
horizontal and vertical rows of halftone dots per inch needed to reproduce a
halftone image. The higher the screen number, the more dots per inch. For
halftone screens, the number is expressed as lines per inch (LPI).
Moiré pattern: A screen pattern
caused by incorrect screen angles or mis-registration when printing multiple
halftones. Generally signified by spiral or circular patterns which are not part
of the original image and highly undesirable.
Overprint: Printing one ink color
on top of another. Such a process can be used to create new colors, except
black.
Padding: Sheets are jogged and
stacked, then placed under pressure. The ends are glued to make items such as
notepads or NCR forms.
Pantone color: Pantone Matching
System, a standard color matching system for spot colors.
Perfect Binding: Pages are
fastened along one edge using glue and cover
Pica: Typographic measurement.
Each inch has approximately 6 picas. A pica is 12 points.
Point: Used to measure type. 1
point is 1/2 of a pica or 1/72 of an inch. Also used to measure heavy paper
stock, where 1 point is equivalent to 1/1000 of an inch.
Press proof: Actually run on the
press with the plates to be used for final run.
Printing plate: Metal or other
material containing the image to be printed. Used on the press to transfer ink
and image to paper.
Registration marks: Marks, most
often crosses, applied to color separations, negatives, artwork, etc. to allow them to be
aligned in the correct manner.
Resolution: Image sharpness that
can be reproduced by a piece of equipment. Measured in dots per inch (DPI).
Saddle Stitching: Document is
folded in half, then stapled down the center of the fold.
Signature: A group of pages in
the proper final sequential order and alignment.
Spiral Binding: Document is bound
along one edge with spirals of metal or plastic combs.
Spot color: Pre-mixed inks that
are not of the CMYK base colors or a combination of them.
Tape Binding: Strips of cloth or
tape with glue on one side.
Tint: Even-tone areas of a solid
color.
Traps: Elimination of gaps
between adjacent color areas that may be caused by mis-registration on the
press. A slight overlap is created along the edges of the colors for
overprinting.
Watermark: A design created in
paper during manufacture.
Wire-O Binding: Wire strips
attached in a manner such as GBC.
Varnish: A clear, liquid coating,
either matte or gloss, is applied to a printed product for protection or
appearance.
Velo-Binding: Plastic attached
through holes in the document and then sealed with heat.
Velox: Same as halftone.
Photographs are screened into a series of dots. Light areas become small dots;
dark areas are big bold dots, and "mid tones" are medium size dots.
