A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W

A

ABSORBENCY
The ability of a material to absorb moisture.

ACCORDION FOLD
A method of paper folding in which each fold runs in the opposite direction to the previous fold creating a pleated or accordion effect.

ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
The resources dedicated to servicing the clients requirements.

ACCREDITATION
Certification of conformance to a worldwide standard in the AS/NZS ISO 9000 series of quality standards.

ACETATE
A transparent or translucent plastic sheet material, used for mounting artwork and overlays.

ACROBAT
A software package designed for Electronic proofing.

ADDITIVE COLOURS
In print reproduction, the primary colours of red, green and blue which are mixed to form all other non primary colours.

ADHESIVE
(1) For labels, the glue type used to attach the pre-printed label to the label carrier. Can be either permanent or removable. (2) A hotmelt or cold-set glue used in bookbinding.

ADHESIVE BINDING
A generic term for bookbinding using adhesives. Examples are: saddle glued, perfect bound and burst bound.

AGAINST THE GRAIN
At right angles or opposite to the direction of the paper grain.

AGDA
Australian Graphic Design Association.

ALIGNMENT
The position of type and/or art materials as it is aligned on a horizontal or vertical line.

ALTERATION
Change in copy after production has commenced.

ANTIQUE FINISH
Paper with a rough surface used for book and cover stock to create an aged finish.

ARCHIVE
A method of filing materials/ recording data for future use.

ART PAPER
A paper coated with a fine clay compound creating a hard, smooth and even surface on one or both sides.

ART WORK
Materials or images that are prepared for graphic reproduction.

ASCENDER
Any part of a lower case letter that rises above the main body of the letter such as in “d”, “b” and “h”.

AUSTRALIAN PRINT STANDARDS
A documented, Australian standard that all printing establishments should follow in order to achieve a quality product.

AUTHOR’S CORRECTIONS
Changes and additions to copy by the author, after it has been typeset.

AZURE
A light blue colour used in paper manufacturing to identify “laid” and “wove” papers.

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B

BACK LINING
Affixing a material, either paper or cloth, to the back of a book before it is bound. Reference: case binding.

BACK TO BACK
Printing applied to both sides of a sheet of paper.

BACK UP
Printing the second side of the sheet already printed on one side.

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.

BACKING
Shaping the spine of a book block to form a rounded shoulder on its front and back. One of the casebinding operations.

BACK ORDER
An unfulfilled order.

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

BACKSTEP MARKS
Marks printed on section signatures that indicate where the final fold will occur. When initial folding and gathering is completed, these marks appear as a stepped sequence.

BALANCED SCORECARD
An efficient method of overall service performance reporting.

BANDING
Method of containing printed pieces of paper using rubber or paper bands.

BANK PAPER
A thin uncoated paper used for making carbon copies.

BANKER
A type of envelope with a triangular-shaped flap on the longest side.

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

BENCHMARKING
The point from which something can be measured. Normally associated with continuous improvement.

“BEST IN INDUSTRY”
Acclaim and acknowledgement by industry peers.

BINDERY
The department of a printing company, responsible for the binding and finishing of already printed sheets.

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

BLANKET
The thick rubber mat on a printing press cylinder that transfers ink from the printing plate to the paper.

BLANKET TO BLANKET PRESS
A printing press that has two blanket cylinders through which a sheet of paper is passed and the print is transferred to both sides of the paper.

BLEED
Extra ink coverage area that crosses the trim line. Compensates for variations that may occur when the reproduction is trimmed or die-cut.

BLEED/BLEEDING
(1) The part of an illustration or other printing that runs off the page instead of showing a margin. (2) For forms ‘bleeding of carbon’ refers to carbon black ink printed onto a form and testing whether the image repeats onto the following sheets of paper.

BLIND EMBOSS
A design with a raised image that is not printed with inks or metal foils.

BLIND EMBOSSING
The process used to describe an image pressed into a sheet without ink or foil.

BLIND FOLIO
A page number that is not printed on the page.

BLOCKING
The adhesion of one coated sheet to another, causing paper tears or particles of the coating to shed away from the paper surface when separated.

BODY SIZE
The point size of a particular typeface character.

BOLDFACE
Any typeface material that has a heavier black stroke, making it more conspicuous than surrounding typeface characters.

BOND PAPER
Strong, durable, uncoated paper grade used for letterheads and business forms.

BOOK BLOCK
The gathered inside signatures of a book/ publication before the cover is applied.

BRAND COMPLIANCE
Compliance with the clients corporate image standards for graphic reproduction.

BROCHURE
A printed product that is bound in booklet form.

BROKEN TYPE
Missing or incomplete type character(s).

BULLET
A boldface square or dot used before type matter to emphasize its importance.

BURN
Exposing a printing plate to high intensity light or placing a film image onto a printing plate by light.

BURST BINDING
A more durable adhesive binding method. Cuts or perforations are made in the spine folds of signatures, hot-melt adhesive is then applied to the spine and slots of the collated signatures and the cover is drawn on. Its advantages are that it allows the text pages to remain held together as a folded sheet and the adhesive has a larger area to grip by penetrating the slots and the backs of the signature.

BUSINESS CONTINUITY
Non disruption to the clients business activities due to lack of service or non performance. Generally involves contingency planning and disaster recovery protocols.

BUTT FIT
Printed colours that overlap one row of dots so they appear to butt.

C

CALENDAR ROLLS
A series of metal rolls at the end of the paper making machine; when the paper is passed between these rolls at very high speeds it increases its surface smoothness and glossy appearance.

CALIPER
The thickness of paper or board usually expressed in micrometres (um).

CAMERA READY
A term given to any copy, artwork etc., that is in final format for photographic reproduction.

CAMERA READY COPY
Either copy supplied by the client or standing material that is complete and ready for imposition, platemaking and printing.

CAPS & LOWER CASE
Instructions in the typesetting process that indicate the correct use of a capital and lower case characters.

CAPS & SMALL CAPS
Two sizes of capital letters for the same typeface.

CARBON INTERLEAVED
A multi-part form set, interleaved with sheets of carbonised paper used to transfer written or typed information from the first (top) part to the subsequent parts.

CARBONLESS
Image transfer paper that is pressure sensitive and does not require carbon interleave.

CASE BINDING
Books bound using hard boards described as case covers.

CD
Compact Disk.

COARSE SCREEN
Use of low halftone screen percentages, commonly used in newsprint production on poor quality papers. Avoids photos filling in.

COATED (PAPER)
Paper coated with clay, white pigments and binding compound.

COATED ART PAPER
Printing paper generally used for quality printing projects that require enhanced detail and shading and accurate colour reproduction.

COLD COLOUR
Any colour that moves toward the blue side of the colour spectrum.

COLD SET
Used to describe the process of ink setting naturally with no assistance from heat or other curing devices.

COLLATE
To gather sheets or section signatures together in their correct order.

COLOUR BALANCE
Describes the correct and accurate reproduction of ink colours on the printed sheet compared to the predetermined standard.

COLOUR BARS
This term refers to a colour test strip, which is printed on the waste portion of a printed sheet. It allows the press operator to determine the quality of the printed material relative to ink density, registration, and dot gain. It also includes the Star Target designed to detect inking problems.

COLOUR CORRECTION
Methods of improving the quality of colour separations.

COLOUR FILTERS
Red, blue and green filters used in making colour separations,

COLOUR KEY
Colour proofs separated in layers of acetate.

COLOUR MANAGEMENT
The process of controlling the accurate interpretation of colours, in line with the clients branding standards or special requirements.

COLOUR MATCHING SYSTEM
A complete, formulated system of ink colours used for accurate colour interpretation.

COLOUR SEPARATIONS
The process of preparing artwork, photographs, transparencies, or computer generated art for printing; by separation into the four primary printing colours.

COLOUR SOLIDS
An unscreened image printed in a particular colour.

COLOUR STRENGTH
A term referring to the relative amount of pigmentation in an ink. It also describes the amount of ink coverage on the printed sheet.

COLOUR TINTS
A percentage of a solid colour represented as a screened area.

COLOUR TRANSPARENCY
Transparent film containing a positive photographic colour image.

COMB BIND
Binding method used to bind single pages to covers. Collated books are pre-punched on the binding edge and a plastic comb inserted to secure the cover to the pages.

COMMERCIAL REGISTER
Colour registration measured within plus or minus one row of dots.

COMPOSITE FILM
Combining two or more film images on one or more pieces of film.

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

CONDENSED TYPE
A narrow, elongated type face.

CONTENT
The text copy making up the completed work, for instance, the text and illustration pages in a book. The contents of a delivered book must match the contents of the manuscript.

CONTINUOUS TONE
Image made of non-discernable picture elements which give appearance of continuous spectrum of grey value or tones.

CONTINUOUS-TONE COPY
Illustrations, photographs or computer files that contain gradient tones from black to white or light to dark.

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

COPY
All matter to be reproduced – all matter to be set in type; all graphic reproduction devices and illustrations.

CORNER MARKS
Marks on a printed sheet that indicates the final trim lines or print register indicators.

COVER
A general term describing a type of paper or board used for the covers of books, pamphlets, etc.

CPI
Consumer Price Index.

CQI
Continuous Quality Improvement.

CRASH FOLD
Describes the process where more than one sheet of paper is folded at the one time.

CRASH NUMBER
Numbering paper by pressing the image onto the first sheet which is transferred by pressure to all parts of the printed set. Applies to carbon interleaved and carbonless sets

CREEP
When the rubber blanket on the printing cylinder moves forward due to contact with the plate or paper. Result of added thickness of folded sheets being behind one another in a folded signature. Outer edges of sheets creep away from back-most fold as more folded sheets are inserted inside the middle.

CRIMPING
Puncture marks holding continuous business form sets together. Applies to carbon interleaved and carbonless sets

CRITICAL DEFECT
A defect in finished copies that renders them unusable for their intended purpose. Justifiable reason for rejection of the finished copies by the client.

CROMALIN
The trade name for DuPont colour proofs.

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

CROP MARKS
Markings at edges of original or on guide sheet to indicate the area desired in reproduction. The negative or plate is trimmed (cropped) at the markings.

CROSSMARKS
Marks of fine lines, which intersect to indicate accurate alignment of artwork elements.

CROSSOVER
Printing across the gutter or from one page to the facing page of a publication.

CTP
Computer to Plate technology.

CURL
Paper or board 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.

CUSTOMER SERVICE
Skilled staff that provide a high level of service support to clients.

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

CYAN
One of the 4 primary printing colours is a shade of blue used in the four-colour printing process; it reflects blue and green and absorbs red.

CYLINDER GAP
The gap in the cylinders of a printing press where the sheet grippers or blanket clamps are housed.

D

DAMPENING
An essential part of the lithographic printing process whereby cloth covered rubber rollers distribute the dampening solution to the plate. This is required to protect non-image areas from receiving ink and printing.

DANDY ROLL
During the paper making process while the paper is still 90% water, it passes over a wire mesh cylinder (dandy roll), which imparts surface textures on the paper such as wove or laid finishes. This is also the stage where the watermark is applied to the paper.

DATA CENTRE
A facility containing all current and archived customer data irrespective of the source system.

DECKLE EDGE
The rough or feathered edge of paper when left untrimmed.

DEEP ETCHING
The etching or removal of any unwanted areas of a plate to create more white space on the finished product.

DELETE
An instruction given to remove an element from a print layout.

DEMAND MANAGEMENT
The ability to manage client/end user order requirements in a controlled, efficient and economic manner

DESIGN
The aspect of drawing and/or compiling creative elements into artworks to be used for reproduction purposes.

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

DENSITY
The lay of paper fibres relative to tightness or looseness which affects the bulk, the absorbency and the finish of the paper. Also applies to ink film weight thickness.

DESCENDER
A term describing the portion of lower case letters that extends below the main body of the letter, as in “p”.

DIE
Design letters or shapes, cut into metal (mostly brass) for stamping book cover titles or for 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 block in which are positioned steel cutting rules in the shape of the desired pattern.

DIE STAMPING
An intaglio process for printing from images engraved into copper or steel plates e.g. copper plate printing for business cards.

DIGITAL PRINTING
A printing process that relies on the electronic transfer of digital images to create the printed product.

DIGITAL PROOF
Colour separation data is digitally stored and then exposed to colour photographic paper creating a picture of the final product before it is actually printed.

DIRECT LABEL
Labels printed directly onto the surface of a container.

DIRECT SCREEN HALFTONE
A colour separation process using a halftone negative made by direct contact with the halftone screen.

DISPLAY TYPE
Any type that stands out from the rest of the type on a page to attract the attention of the reader.

DISTRIBUTION ROLLERS
In the printing process, the rubber coated rollers responsible for the distribution of ink from the ink reservoir to the plate inking rollers.

DOCTOR ROLLER
The roller situated between the inking and the dampening rollers of a printing press.

DOT
The reproduction element of halftones. Using a magnifying glass you will see that printed pictures are made up of many dots.

DOT GAIN
Term to describe the occurrence whereby dots are printing larger than they should. Caused by the darkening of halftone image due to ink absorption in paper causing halftone dots to enlarge.

DOUBLE BURN
Double exposure of a plate to incorporate multiple images.

DOUBLING
A print fault appearing as an image with a second faint image adjacent to it.

DPI
Dots per inch.

DRAW-DOWN
A sample of ink spread onto paper to evaluate ink colour/ colour matching. Also applies to inventory stocks being picked (drawn down) for use.

DRYER
A term that describes any additives to ink which facilitates the drying process.

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

DROP FOLIO
Page number printed at foot of page.

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

DROP-OUT
Portions of artwork that do not print.

DRP
Disaster Recovery Plan.

DRY MOUNT
Pasting artwork elements with heat sensitive adhesives.

DRY OFFSET
Offset Printing Process in which a metal plate is etched to a depth of 0.15 mm (0.0006 in), making a right-reading relief plate, printed on the offset blanket and then to the paper without the use of water.

DTP
Desktop Publishing.

DUCTOR ROLLER
The roller situated between the inking and dampening rollers of a lithographic printing press.

DULL FINISH
Applies to any matt finished paper.

DUMMY
A term used to describe the preliminary assembly of copy and art elements to be reproduced in the desired finished product; also called a comp.

DUMMY MODEL
Resembling finished piece in every respect except that the pages and cover are blank, used by the designer as a final check on the appearance and “feel” of the book as a guide for the size and position of elements on the jacket.

DUOTONE
Colour reproduction from monochrome original. Keyplate usually printed in dark colour for detail, second plate printed in light flat tints. A two-colour halftone reproduction generated from a one-colour photo.

DUPLEX PAPER
Paper which has a different colour or finish on each side.

DVD
Digital Video Disk.

DYELINE
Method of proofing film.

E

E-BUSINESS
The term applies to on line electronic business functions and transactions between the customer and the service provider.

EDGE STAIN
An embellishment colour or pattern (metallic or dye) applied to the top edge or to all edges of a books pages.

EDI
Electronic Data Interchange.

EGGSHELL FINISH
The finish on a paper surface that resembles an eggshell. It is achieved by omitting the calendar process. Reference, calendar rolls.

ELECTRONIC COMPOSITION
The assembly of characters into words, lines and paragraphs of text or body matter with graphic elements in page layout form in digital format for reproduction.

ELECTRONIC PROOF
A process of generating a prepress proof in which paper is electronically exposed to the colour separation negatives; the paper is passed through the electrically charged pigmented toners, which adhere electrostatically, resulting in the finished proof.

ELLIPTICAL DOT
Halftone screens in which the dots are actually elongated to produce improved middle tones.

EMBOSSED
A method of paper finishing whereby a pattern is pressed into the paper during manufacturing.

EMBOSSED PAPER
Papers manufactured with an embossed pattern or texture over the entire surface. Textures include hopsack, sand, coral, eggshell and linen.

EMBOSSING
To raise a design in relief or letters already printed on card stock by an unlinked block or die. In rubber and plastic platemaking the process is usually achieved by heat.

EMULSION
A light sensitive substance used as a coating for film; made from a silver halide compound. The coated side should face the lens when the film is exposed.

ENAMEL
A term that describes a glossy coating on paper.

ENDPAPERS
A pair of printed or plain paper leaves at the beginning and end of a book and pasted to the inside covers.

Endpapers add to binding strength. Self-endpapers are a type of endpaper which uses the text pages.

ENDSHEET
Used to attach the final sheet of a signature of a book to the binding.

ERP
Enterprise Resource Planning

(System).

ESTIMATE
The process used by the printer to calculate the costs of the project for the print buyer. It contains the basic parameters of the project including size, quantity, colours, bleeds, photos and includes production and distribution costs.

ESTIMATOR
One who computes or approximates the cost of work to be done on which a quotation may be based.

ETCH
The process of producing an image on a plate by the use of acid.

EXPANDED TYPE
Typeface with a greater width than normal producing a rectangular effect.

EXTRANEOUS MARKINGS
Lines, spots, scumming or other undesirable marks found on printed material.

F

F&G
A term in the binding process relating to folding and gathering.

FAN FOLD
Paper folding that emulates a “Z”, the folds being alternating and parallel.

FIBREBOARD CARTON
Single or multi-walled corrugated fibreboard box or carton.

FILLING IN
A fault in printing where the ink fills in the fine line or halftone dot areas.

FINISH
The surface quality of paper.

FINISH (PAPER)
High Gloss, Dull (low gloss) also matt or matt gloss.

FINISHED COPY (COPIES)
The final result of the production process i.e. the completed printed and, if applicable, bound article ready for use.

FINISHING
Processes during the binding and the final stages of production, such as trimming, drilling and folding.

5000K STANDARD
A specified level of colour temperature (Kelvin) by artificial means that simulates “white” light.

The standard light source for viewing transparencies, colour proofs and printed material.

FIT
The registration of printed elements within a given page.

FLAT FORMS
Forms with a finished format of a single sheet either one-sided or two-sided.

FLEX TEST
A test to check the holding performance of pages in a perfect-bound book. The book leaves are subjected to flexing back and forth for a set number of times. A check is then made for any loose pages and adhesion faults.

FOIL
A metallic or pigmented coating on plastic sheets or rolls used in foil stamping and foil embossing.

FOIL EMBOSS
Applying foil to an image by stamping and embossing onto paper with a die.

FOIL STAMPING
Using a die to place a metallic or pigmented image onto paper without embossing.

FOLD MARKS
Markings at top edges of paper that indicate where folds should occur.

FOLIO OR PAGE NUMBER
Number of the page at top or bottom, either centred, flushed left or flushed right often with running headline.

FONT
The characters which make up a complete typeface and size.

FORMAT
Describes the plan or style of a requirement in an orderly arrangement. Includes the general physical appearance of a printed product such as the typeface, margins, binding style and paper quality.

4-COLOUR-PROCESS
The process of combining four basic colours to create a printed multi coloured picture or to compose all colours from the basic four colours.

FRAD
Frame Relay Access Device.

FRENCH FOLD(ER)
Folder with printing on one side so that when folded once in each direction, the printing is on the outside of the folds.

FTP
File Transfer Protocol

FULFILMENT
The process of receiving, producing, preparing and dispatching a completed client order.

G

GALLEY PROOF
Straight text copy before it is put into a mechanical layout or desktop layout.

GANG
To group like frames or impositions of different jobs for printing together.

GANGING
The bundling of two or more different printing jobs on the same sheet of paper.

GATHER
To assemble or collect section signatures into single copies of complete books for binding.

GHOSTING
Latent image which appears as a lighter print on subsequent printed sheets. This is caused by local blanket depressions from previous image areas.

GILDING
The application of gold leaf to book edges, using a liquid agent and then made permanent with burnishing tools.

GLOSS
A shiny finish that reflects light.

GOLDENROD
An opaque, orange coloured paper with gridlines, used to assemble film ready for platemaking.

GRADUATED SCREEN
An area of image where halftone dots range continuously from one density to another. Generally from solid to light density.

GRAIN
Direction of fibres in a sheet of paper governing paper properties such as size changes across the grain, with relative humidity changes, and better folding properties, along the grain.

GRAINED PAPER
A paper embossed to resemble various textures, such as leather, alligator, wood, etc.

GRAMMAGE
The measured substance of paper or board usually expressed as grams per square metre (gsm).

GRAVURE
An intaglio or recessed printing process. The recessed areas are ink wells that form the image as paper passes through.

GRIPPERS
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.

GUMMING
The application of gum Arabic to the non-printing areas of a plate in the lithographic printing process.

GUSSETS
Unwanted folds or creases.

GUTTER
Blank space between pages in the printing frame of a book, or inside margin towards the back or binding edge.

H

HAIRLINE
A measurement that can be described as a very thin line or gap about the width of a hair.

HAIRLINE REGISTER
Printing registration that lies within the range of plus or minus one half of a row of dots. It is the thinnest of the standard printers’ rules.

HALFTONE
Reproduction of a continuous tone illustration for printing purposes by translating the tone into dots of varying sizes according to the tonal values of the original.

HALFTONE SCREEN
A sheet of film or glass containing ruled right-angled lines, used to transfer the full tones of a continuous tone illustration to the halftone dot image required for printing.

HARD COPY
The output of a computer printer, or typed text sent for typesetting.

HARDCOVER
A book with a separate casebound cover.

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

HEADBANDS
Strips of materials, often decorative, at the head and sometimes the foot of the spine of a casebound book.

HEAT SET
Used to describe the process of ink setting with the assistance of a heating device.

HICKIES
A hicky appears as a haloed spot – an imperfection in printed materials caused by dust or ink skin or a fragment of paper that has adhered to the printing plate.

HIGH RESOLUTION PROOF
Reproduction proofs of the highest quality depicting the actual dot resolution of the finished product.

HIGHLIGHT
The lightest areas in a picture or halftone.

HOT METAL
Used to describe the process of producing lines of type, from molten lead, for Letterpress Printing.

I

IBC
Inside back cover.

IFC
Inside front cover.

IMAGE AREA
That portion of the printing plate that carries the ink and prints onto paper.

IMAGE POSITIONING
The measurement of all or part of a printed image in relation to its specified position on the sheet. This may involve measuring the position of imposed pages on a press proof sheet.

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

IMPOSITION
The planning and arrangement of pages so that they are in correct sequence when printed and folded.

IMPRESSION
Product resulting from one cycle of the printing machine. The pressure of the image carrier, whether it is the type, plate or blanket, forms the impression when it contacts the paper.

INDESIGN
A design software package.

INSERTS
Extra printed pages inserted loosely into printed pieces.

INTERLEAVES
Extra blank pages inserted loosely into book after printing.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
Stock control practices incorporating; usage monitoring, reorder and replenishment, accurate receipt, issue and dispatch protocols, efficient warehousing and database maintenance.

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

J

JACKET
The protective paper cover sometimes called the “dust cover” of a hardbound book.

JDF
Job Definition Format.

JOB
As in ‘printing job’ or ‘print job’ – industry term for a printing project in progress, such as a form, poster, flyer, brochure or book.

JOB NUMBER
A unique number assigned to each printing project used for record keeping and job tracking. Also used to retrieve old jobs for reprints or reworking by customer.

JPEG
Compressed File Format.

K

KERNING
The narrowing of space between two characters so that they become closer and take up less space on the line and over the page.

KEYING
The use of symbols, usually letters, to code copy that will appear on a dummy.

KEYLINE
Lines that are drawn on artwork that indicate the exact placement, shape and size of elements including type, halftones, illustrations etc.

KISS DIE CUT
To cut the top layer of a pressure sensitive sheet only and not the backing paper.

KPI
Key Performance Indicator.

KRAFT PAPER
High strength paper usually unbleached (brown) and used for wrapping products.

L

LAMINATE
To cover with film to enhance the product or to bond or glue one surface to another.

LAY EDGE
The control edge of a sheet of paper that is fed into the printing press.

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

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

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

LEAF
One of a number of folds (each containing two pages) which comprise a book or manuscript.

LEAF STAMPING
A metal die, either flat or embossed, created from the image or copy that is heated to a specific temperature which enables the transfer of a film of pigmented polyester to the paper.

LETTERPRESS
Printing process that enables raised, inked surfaces to create the image on direct contact with the paper

LETTERSPACING
The addition of space between typeset letters.

LICENSED/BRAND SYSTEM
A system bought off-the-shelf.

LINES PER INCH
The number of rows of dots per inch in a halftone.

LINOTYPE
A machine that is used to set and produces lines of type for Letterpress Printing.

LITHOGRAPHY
Is a planographic process and is the most commonly used method of printing today. It enables image areas to be transferred from a flat surfaced plate to a blanket cylinder in reverse image form, and in turn onto the paper as a positive image. The process involves the dampening of the non image areas of the plate to repel ink, and the adherence of the ink to the dry areas which then form the images that transfer onto the paper.

LOGISTICS
The storage, supply and distribution, and transportation of products and materials.

LOGOTYPE
A personalised type or design symbol for a company or product.

LOUPE
A magnifying glass used to review a printed image, plate and to position film.

M

MACHINE ROOM
Generally applies to the Printing Department.

MAGENTA
One of the 3 primary colours is a shade of red used in the four-colour printing process.

MAJOR DEFECT
An obvious defect in printed material that could result in the rejection of the job.

MAKE READY
Process of preparing the press for printing and includes machine wash up and set up, loading paper, positioning and adjusting final plate on the press to modify or fine tune print quality.

MAKE-UP
The assembly and arrangement of type and illustrations into pages.

MARGIN
Blank spaces on paper edges surrounding images.

MARK-UP
To write up typesetting instructions, as on a dummy.

MASK
Blocking light from reaching sensitive areas of a printing plate.

MATCH PRINT
Photographic proof made from all colour flats creating a composite proof showing colour quality as well as accuracy, layout, and imposition before plates are made.

MATT FINISH
A flat coated paper finish that goes through minimal calendering. Reference, calendering.

MECHANICAL
Camera ready art that is all contained on one copyboard.

MECHANICAL BINDING
A generic term to describe bookbinding by mechanical means, such as ring, post, comb, spiral wire and wiro, and by holding pages and cover together by staples such as saddle-stitched (stitched) and sidewired (stitched).

MECHANICAL CLOSURE
A mechanical device, such as ‘button and string’, used to secure the flap of an envelope.

MICROMETER
Instrument used to measure paper thickness.

MIDDLE TONES
The tones in a photograph that are approximately half as dark as the shadow or solid areas.

MIDTONE DOT
Commonly taken as the area between the highlight and shadow areas of a subject’s face in a halftone image.

MINOR DEFECT
A defect found in finished copies that a non-industry person would not notice.

MIS
Management Information System.

MOCK-UP
A visual and true representation of how a finished product will look.

MOIRE
An undesirable screened pattern produced by the incorrect angles of overprinting or by reproducing halftone screens.

MOTTLE
A term used to describe uneven ink absorption.

N

NATIVE FILE
Original format and all related components of original Artwork files.

NEGATIVE
Film that contains the same images as the original print, except that all elements and shades are in reverse. Reference, positive.

NEWSPRINT
A light, low cost ground wood paper made especially for newspapers.

NON-REPRODUCING BLUE
A blue colour invisible to the reproduction camera. Used for marking up artwork.

O

OBC
Outside back cover.

ODBC
Open Database Compliant.

OFC
Outside front cover.

OFFSET (LITHOGRAPHY)
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.

OFFSET PAPER
A term for uncoated book paper suitable for the Offset printing process.

OFFSETTING
Using an intermediate surface to transfer ink. Also a printing defect, when images on freshly printed sheets transfer to each other.

OK SHEET
Final position and ink colour approval sheet before production begins.

OPACITY
The amount of light showing through on a printed sheet. The more opacity or the thicker the paper the less show-through. (The thicker/heavier the paper the higher the cost.)

OPAQUE INK
Ink that completely covers any coloured images.

OVERLAY
A transparent sheet placed over artwork, in register with the work it covers. It is used to nominate other colour components of the work, instructions or corrections.

OVERLAY PROOF
A process of proof making whereby the colour separations are individually exposed to light sensitive film. This film is then sequentially collated in registration on a white background to view the film.

OVERPRINTING
Additional printing to an already printed product/sheet.

OVERRUN OR OVERS
Copies printed in excess of the specified quantity. Normal printing trade terms allow for + or –10% to represent a completed order.

OVERSET
Typesetting that is in excess of the allotted space.

P

PAGE COUNT
Total number of pages in a book including blanks.

PAGE MAKEUP
The assembly of all the necessary elements required to complete a page.

PAGE PROOFS
Proofs made up from individual pages.

PAGINATION
Determining book pages and the numbering of the pages.

PAPER
(1) Stocks specified on printing orders (2) wrapping papers used for packing.

PARCHMENT
A hard finished paper that emulates animal skin; used for award documents such as certificates that require hand written signatures.

PASTE-UP
Preparation of positive artwork materials into a layout for photographing to film.

PDF
Portable Document Format.

PERF MARKS
Markings usually dotted lines at edges showing where perforations should be located.

PERFECT BINDING
An adhesive-binding method. Signatures are collated, the spine of the book block is roughened or sawn off, hot-melt adhesive is applied and the cover is drawn-on over the adhesive.

PERFECTED
The correct positioning of pages on both sides of a sheet.

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

PERFECTING PRESS
A printing press that prints on both sides of the paper (or other material) in a single pass.

PERFORATION
A line of intermittent ruptures placed in paper by a perforation rule. Used to assist the separation of one part of a sheet/page/form from the other.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Managing the service delivery performance of the printer against set criteria.

PIA
(Australian) Print Industry Association.

PIN REGISTER
Using metal pins fitted into preset holes of copy sheets, films and plates and presses to ensure the accuracy of position and registration.

PLASTIC COMB
A method of binding single pages into books whereby holes are drilled on the side closest the spine, and a plastic grasping device is inserted into the holes to secure the pages together.

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

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

PLATE GAP
Gripper space. The image free area where the grippers hold the sheet as it passes through the press.

PLATE SETTER
A device used for producing printing plates

PLATEMAKING
Making a printing plate from a film or flat copy including preparation of the plate surface, sensitising, exposing through the flat copy, developing or processing, and finishing.

PLUGGING
The filling-in of characters that have a counter, e.g. a, g, o, 8, 0 e and so on.

PMS
Pantone Matching System. A registered patent colour selection system.

PMT
Abbreviated name for photomechanical transfer. Often used to make position prints.

PMU
Print Management Unit. A dedicated, central hub for managing the customer’s total print supply.

POCKET
An envelope type with a rectangular-shaped flap on the shortest side.

POD
Proof of Delivery.

PORTAL
Internet access point for electronic information that is available on-line (real-time).

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

POSTSCRIPT
The computer language most recognised by printing devices.

PPI
Pixels per inch.

PRE-FLIGHTING
A process for checking the accuracy of artwork files before they are transmitted.

PRE-GUMMED
Application of gum adhesive along say, the edge of an envelope flap that is moistened before it is pressed closed and sealed.

PRE-PRESS
A production process in which various steps are taken before a job goes to press in order to produce the finished printed product e.g. layout/design, typesetting, platemaking.

PRE-PRESS PROOF
A proof of imposed pages before printing. Types may include laser printout, dyeline, chemical colour (i.e. Cromalin) and digital colour.

PRE-PRINTED LABELS
A design printed onto a label substrate such as paper or plastic. The label can be separated from the carrier and then attached to the container.

PRESENSITISED PLATE
A plate that has been treated with light sensitive coatings by the manufacturer, to accept photographic images.

PRESS SHEET/PROOF
A printed sheet taken during the printing run. May be used to check for density, colour match and registration accuracy.

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

PRINTING
The process of applying print images to materials.

PRINT JOB
See Job.

PRINT MANAGEMENT
The complete management of a customer’s total printing requirements.

PRINT RUN
The quantity to be printed.

PROCESS BLUE
Cyan (blue) ink colour used in 4 colour process printing.

PROCESS COLOURS
The four colours when combined are used to reproduce multi colour images. They are black, magenta, cyan and yellow.

PROCESS INKS
Printing inks, usually in sets of four colours. The most frequent combination is yellow, magenta, cyan and black. The four colours are printed, one over another in that order, to obtain a coloured print with the desired hues, whites, blacks, and greys.

PROGRESSIVE PROOFS
A series of proofs of a 4 colour process reproduction, taken for each component colour one over the other, and in the correct sequence enabling a printer to check colour quality progressively during a print run.

PROOF
Letterpress impression from composed type or blocks, taken for checking and correction. Print taken from a lithographic plate to check accuracy of layout, type matter, tone and colour reproduction.

PROPRIETARY SYSTEM
An in house system developed by the printer.

Q

QC (QUALITY CONTROL)
The operational techniques and activities that are used to fulfill specified requirements for quality.

A method of measuring and inspecting the output of a process with the aim of detecting variations.

QUALITY
Fitness for purpose and/or conformance to requirements. The total of features and characteristics that impact on the ability to satisfy the user’s stated needs at the time of purchase.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Applying quality functions to production processes to obtain quality results.

QUALITY SYSTEM
An organisation’s structure, responsibilities, procedures, processes and resources for implementing its quality policy.

QUARKXPRESS
Professional quality standard Page Layout software.

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R

RAG PAPER
Papers with a complete or partial content of cotton fibres.

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

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

REAM
500 sheets of paper.

RECYCLED PAPER
Paper containing a stated percentage of recycled fibre and is labelled and marketed accordingly.

REFLECTIVE COPY
Copy that is not transparent and is photographically exposed by reflection.

REGISTER
The accurate superimposition of colours in multi-colour printing. The exact alignment of pages so that they back up precisely.

REGISTER MARKS
Cross-hair lines or marks on film, plates and paper that guide planners, platemakers, press operators, and bindery personnel in processing a print order from start to finish.

RIP FILM
A method of making printing negative film from PostScript files created by desktop publishing.

ROUNDING
Creating the round spine of a book block during the hardcover binding process.

RUB RESISTANCE
The ability of dry printed ink to withstand removal by rubbing.

RULING/RULE
Printed lines.

RUN
The quantity to be printed. Also called print run.

RUNABILITY
A term used to describe how well a paper transfers through a printing press.

RUNNING HEAD
A title at the top of a page that repeats on all pages of a book or for each chapter of a book.

RUPTURE
The ability of an adhesive or glue to bond two surfaces together. When tested by pulling apart, the performance of the adhesive should be such that the two materials rupture (delaminate) rather than separate intact.

S

SADDLE STITCHING
Stapling where the wire staples pass through the spine from the outside and are clinched in the centre of the book. Only used with folded sections, either single sections or two or more sections inset to form a single section.

SAMPLE
A finished copy selected for evaluation against the specified print standard.

SATIN FINISH
A smooth delicately embossed finished paper with low sheen.

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

SCANNER
Device used to make colour separations, halftones, duotones and tritones. Also a device used to scan art, pictures or drawings in desktop publishing.

SCORE
Impressions or cuts in flat material to facilitate folding or tearing.

SCRATCHES
Rub or scrape marks evident under standard viewing conditions

SCREEN ANGLES
The correct placement of halftone screens to avoid unwanted moiré patterns. Frequently used angles are black 45 deg, magenta 75 deg, yellow 90 deg, and cyan 150 deg.

SCREEN RULING
A measurement equalling the number of lines or dots per inch for a halftone screen.

SCREEN TINT
A controlled percentage breakdown of a solid colour.

SCUMMING
Seen on printed matter as parts of the image becoming blurred and flecks of ink appearing in non-image areas.

SEALED SEAM
(1) In envelopes, the overlapping edges that are glued together (sealed) to form the envelope shape.

(2) In packing, the joints of a carton or package are sealed with a suitable tape to completely enclose the contents.

SELF COVER
A book cover made out of the same paper stock as the internal pages.

SELF-SEAL ENVELOPE
An envelope that is sealed by pressing the flap that is coated with pressure-sensitive adhesive.

SERIAL NUMBERING
The numbering of a printed product in sequential order. Usually for tracking and accountability.

SERVICE CENTRE
Another name for the Print Management Unit or central hub for managing a customer’s total print supply.

SET-OFF
Also known as ‘offsetting’. The unintentional transfer of ink from the printed side of one sheet to the under side of another. Usually occurs in a stack of freshly printed sheets.

SEWN BINDING
A bookbinding method using threads to hold section signatures together e.g. saddle-sewn, side-sewn, section-sewn and cover drawn on, section-sewn casebound over-sewn/cleat sewn with the cover either drawn-on or casebound.

SHADOW
The darkest areas of a photograph.

SHARPEN
To decrease the dot size of the halftone which decreases the colour strength.

SHEET AND WORK
Printing both sides of the sheet with different images (plates).

SHIPMENT SIZE
The quantity and volume of printed material delivered by a supplier.

SHOW THROUGH
(1) Also known as ‘strike through’. Where ink penetrates the paper and can be seen on the other side. (2) Where an image can be seen from the other side of the sheet due to poor opacity of the paper.

SHRINK WRAP
A plastic film used to protect finished copies during transit or storage. It shrinks when subjected to heat and conforms to the shape of the finished copies.

SIDE GUIDE
The control guides on the sides of the sheet fed press that position each sheet sideways and to the same point as the paper moves towards the front guides.

SIDE STITCHING
Book stapling where the wire staples pass through the cover and the internal sections or leaves and are clinched together on the underside of the book.

SIGNATURE
A printed sheet usually containing 4, 8, 16 or 32 pages.

SIGNATURE (SECTION)
The printed sheet after folding. The sheet (or its flat) consisting of a number of pages of a book, placed so that they will fold and bind together as sections of a book.

SKEW
The angle of misalignment of an image in relation to its correct position on the page.

SKID
A pallet used to transport a pile of cut sheets or finished products.

SLA
Service Level Agreement.

SLITTING
A term to describe the process of cutting through printed sheets with cutting wheels located on the printing press.

SLURRING
A print fault resulting in a repeat of the main image as a second faint image on the printed sheet. Similar to doubling.

SMASHING
One of the forming operations performed on the spine of a book block during the hard-cover binding process.

SMUDGING
Smearing of wet ink that is thought to be dry, by rubbing the image.

SNAP SETS
A multi-part form set, held together by each part being glued to the next at the stub. The form is separated by tearing along perforated edges in a snap action that separates the stub from the forms.

SOFTCOVER
A separate paperboard cover for a publication. The publication is usually bound by saddle-stitched or perfect bound methods. A softcover book is also known as a ‘paperback’.

SOP
Standard Operating Platform.

SPECIFICATIONS
Documented technical and contractual instructions given to a supplier by the customer or the customer’s agent.

SPECTROPHOTOMETER
A precision electronic instrument designed to measure colour accuracy to a greater degree than a densitometer.

SPINE
The binding edge or back of a book.

SPINE CRACK (SUBWAY) TEST
A test to determine the adhesive binding performance of a perfect bound or cover drawn-on book. A sample book has the covers opened until they touch. At quarter, half and three-quarter places the book is fully opened. A check is then made for any loose pages, cover separation or adhesion faults.

SPINJET
A proofing method without film, used for Computer to Plate technology.

SPIRAL BIND
A book binding process whereby a strip of wire or plastic is spiralled through pre-punched holes along the binding side. The strip is then tied off at both ends, securing the book cover to the internal pages.

SPLICES
The joints in reels of paper used for web printing. Where possible, paper joins are tagged during production as they may cause problems for subsequent processes, particularly in business forms manufacturing.

SPOILAGE
Unplanned paper spoilage for all printing operations.

SPOT COLOUR
Small area printed in a second colour.

SPOT VARNISH
Varnish used to highlight a specific part of the printed sheet.

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

STAMPING
General term for foil stamping.

STANDING MATERIAL
Material which may consist of artwork, film or printing plates that has already been used and is available for use again as a reprint.

STEP-AND-REPEAT
A procedure for placing the same image onto plates in multiple locations.

STET
A proof reader’s symbol, that is usually written in the copy margin and indicates that the copy marked for correction, should be left as it was. Latin word meaning "Let it stand".

STOCK
Paper, board or other material to be used in printing.

STOCK KEEPING UNIT
Used to describe individual warehoused items as a unit of issue.

STOCK OBSOLESCENCE
Stock that is considered redundant or superseded because of nil usage over a period of time.

STOCK WRITE OFF
Stock costs are absorbed or written off with the elimination and destruction of redundant and obsolete stock.

STRATEGIC SOURCING
The method of partnering with accredited suppliers to gain ongoing and mutual benefits for both parties. Results in obtaining more value add and continuous product and process improvements.

STROKE WIDTH
The width of type measured on the original and compared to the printed copy.

STRIP-IN
To add an element, such as copy that is photographed separately, and then stripped into place by film planners on a goldenrod flat.

SUBSTRATE
Any material onto which printing is applied.

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

SUPPLIER
The outside person or organisation either providing materials and/or services required in the production process.

SUPPLY CHAIN
All suppliers and the processes associated with print supply.

SYNTHETIC PAPERS
Any petroleum based waterproof papers with a high tensile strength.

SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
The overall conceptual design of electronic systems used in the management of a customer account.

T

3RD PARTY SUPPLIER
A client preferred supplier of specialist products and services that would normally be outsourced by the printer.

TINTS
A shade of a single colour or combined colours.

TIP-IN
A page printed separately from the main work and inserted in its correct position and secured by an adhesive.

TISSUE OVERLAY
Usually a thin transparent paper placed over artwork for protection and for marking colour breaks and other printer instructions.

TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
(TQM)
All encompassing Quality Assurance of products and services including Continuous Improvement.

TRANSITION IN
Applies to the implementation of a contract and the introduction of the new supplier arrangement.

TRANSITION OUT
Applies to the termination of a contract and the withdrawal of the current supplier arrangements.

TRANSPARENCY
A positive photographic slide on film that allows light to pass through.

TRANSPARENT
Inks that do not block out the coloured ink that they over print, but instead blend with them to create intermediate colours are said to be transparent.

TRANSPARENT COPY
A film that light must pass through for the image to be seen or graphically reproduced.

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

TRIM MARKS
Marks placed on the printed sheet to indicate the correct position for the final trim(s).

TRIM SIZE
The final size of a printed product after the last trim is made.

TRIMMING
The operation of cutting stock or printed items to specified sizes.

TRUEFLOW
Branded software for processing Computer to Plate technology.

TYPE VOIDS
Broken type and other unintentional blank areas.

U

(QUANTITY) UP
The number of the same images appearing on the same plate e.g. 1 up, 2 up, 3 up, 4 up, 8 up, etc. More images on the plate results in an overall reduction in the print run quantity

UV COATING
Liquid laminate bonded and cured with ultraviolet light. Environmentally friendly.

V

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

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

VEHICLE
A combination of varnish, waxes and dryers that carry the ink pigment. The vehicle also controls the flow, the drying and the adhesion of the pigments to the printed surface.

VENDOR MANAGEMENT
Total and ongoing management of suppliers; their products and service standards.

VIGNETTE
A photo or illustration in which the tones fade gradually away until they blend with the surface they are printed on.

W

WARPING
An unwanted feature in text pages or covers characterised by a buckle, a wave or soft crease.

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

WASTE
A term for calculated and planned wastage.

WATERMARK
A translucent logo that is embossed during the papermaking process when the paper slurry passes over the dandy roll. Reference, dandy roll.

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

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

WIDOW
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 stand alone. Also, the last sentence of a paragraph which contains only one or two short words.

WINDOW FACE ENVELOPE
A type of envelope with window(s) die-cut into its face side. Suitable for pre-addressed material and machine insertion applications.

WIP
Work in progress.

WIRE-O BINDING
A method of wire binding books along the binding edge that will allow the book to lay flat when opened.

WITH THE GRAIN
Folding or feeding paper into the press parallel to the grain direction of the paper.

WORK AND BACK
Printing both sides of the sheet with different images (plates).

WORK AND TUMBLE
Printing one side of a sheet and turning it over from the gripper to the tail to print the second side using the same side guide and printing plate.

WORK AND TURN
Printing one side of a sheet and turning it over from left to right using the same side guides and printing plate to print the second side.

WOVE
A smooth paper that is manufactured by using finely textured wire that gives the paper a gentle patterned finish.

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