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

A transparent or translucent plastic sheet material of a variety of colors, used as a basis for artwork and overlays.

This refers to a manual process whereby an air stream is blown onto paper sheets to create a riffling effect that separates the sheets as they are fed to the printing press.

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

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

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

Changes made after composition stage where customer is responsible for additional charges.

Print applied to both sides of a sheet of paper.

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

A term used to describe the aesthetic or harmony of elements, whether they are photos, art or copy, within a layout or design.

This is a term used to describe the imaginary horizontal line upon which stand capitals, lower case letters, punctuation points etc.

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.

On offset presses a fabric-reinforced sheet of rubber to transfer the impression from the plate onto the paper.

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

A design or bas relief impression that is made without using inks or metal foils.

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.

Repetitive blocks of type that are picked up and included routinely without recreating them.

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

A grade of durable writing, printing and typing paper that has a standard size of 17x22 inches.

A registration problem, usually on copiers, where the image appears to bounce back and forth. A bounce usually occurs in one direction depending on how the paper is passing through the machine. This is usually accented by card stock (especially if it's over the machine's spec). When a customer refuses a job for whatever reason.

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

A pamphlet that is bound in booklet form.

A term used to define the number of pages per inch of a book relative to its given basis weight.

A term given to paper to describe its thickness relative to its weight.

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

The measurement of thickness of paper expressed in thousandths of an inch or mils.

A term given to any copy, artwork etc., that is prepared for photographic reproduction.

An imaginary horizontal line running across the tops of capital letters.

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 paper that is coated and then pressure dried using a polished roller which imparts an enamel like hard gloss finish.

Halftone screens commonly used in newsprint; up to 85 lines per inch.

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)

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.

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

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

A narrow, elongated type face.

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

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

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

Marks on a final printed sheet that indicate the trim lines or register indicators.

Delamination.

When the rubber blanket on a 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.

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.

Elements that cross page boundaries and land on two consecutive pages (usually rules).

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.

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).

The rough or feathered edge of paper when left untrimmed.

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.

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

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.

Any type that stands out from the rest of the type on a page which attracts attention of the reader.

Occurs when you fold into a fold (such as a letter fold). At the side of one of the creases you get an indentation. It may look like a small inverted triangle.

The smallest individual element of a halftone.

Darkening of halftone image due to ink absorption in paper causing halftone dots to enlarge. Terms to describe the occurrence whereby dots are printing larger than they should.

A method used by ink makers to determine the color, quality and tone of ink. It entails the drawing of a spatula over a drop of ink, spreading it flat over the paper.

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

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

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.

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.

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

A unit of measurement equaling 12 points or 4.5mm.

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 printing process whereby images such as copy or art are etched onto a plate. When ink is applied, these etched areas act as small wells to hold the ink; paper is forced against this die and the ink is lifted out of the etched areas creating raised images on the paper.

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.

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.

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

The surface quality of paper.

The registration of items within a given page.

Papers that have a surface resembling metal.

Markings at top edges that show where folds should occur.

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 bundling of two or more different printing projects on the same sheet of paper.

Marring a print by the placement of an image of work printed on the reverse side which has interfered with its drying so that differences in the trapping frame colors or glass variations are apparent.

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.

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.

The application of gum arabic to the non printing areas of a plate.

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.

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

The lightest tones of a photo, printed halftone or illustration. In the finished halftone, these highlights are represented by the finest dots.

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

Inside back cover.

Inside front cover.

That portion of the printing plate that carries the ink and prints on paper.

Arrangement of pages so that they print correctly on a press sheet, and the pages are in proper order when the sheets are folded.

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.

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

The device which stores and meters ink to the inking rollers.

The inertial resistance to flow that occurs to ink as soon as it is printed.

Extra printed pages inserted loosely into printed pieces.

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

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 coarse unbleached paper used for printing and industrial products.

A parallel lined paper that has a handmade look.

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

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

The addition of space between typeset letters.

Any copy that can be reproduced without the use of halftone screens.

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

The actual weight of 1000 sheets of any given size of paper.

Process of adjusting final plate on the press to fine tune or modify plate surface.

Imprinted space around edge of page.

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

The width of type as measured in picas. Reference, picas.

Commonly taken as the area between highlight and shadow area of a subject's face in halftone image.

An undesirable halftone pattern produced by the incorrect angles of overprinting halftone screens.

A term used to describe spotty or uneven ink absorption.

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.

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

Outside back cover.

Outside front cover.

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.

A term for uncoated book paper.

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

Surplus of copies printed.

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

Type that is set in excess of the allotted space.

One side of a leaf.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Pixels per inch.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Two consecutive pages as they appear in printed piece.

500 sheets of paper.

Any substance that softens and reduces the tack of ink.

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

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

The lowest density of a halftone image.

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.

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 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.

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

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 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.

The adhesive quality of inks.

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 halftone screen that contains all the same sized dots.

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.

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

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

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

An abbreviation for work and turn.

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

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.

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.