Do you create a University publication of any kind? This guide will help guide you in the terminology associated with print and web publishing.
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Additive Primaries Red, green, and blue light that produce white light when mixed. Compare with subtractive primaries.
Artifact A visible defect in an image, usually caused by limitations in the input or output process (hardware or software).
Banding A visible stepping
of shades in a gradient.
Bitmap An image formed by a grid of pixels. The computer assigns a value to each pixel, from one bit of information (black or white), to as much as 32 bits per pixel for full color images.
Blueline Proof A proof that is used to check the proper placement of text, photos, and graphic elements prior to printing. Typically used for one and two-color publications.
Brightness The measure of how much light is reflected off a printing paper.
Burn In printing, to expose a plate or blueline to light. In photography, to add exposure to a specific area of a photo.
Camera-ready Art Any artwork or type that is ready to be submitted for pre-press and printing. Compare to data-ready.
Calibration Setting equipment to a standard measure for predictable results.
CMYK; Cyan, magenta, yellow, black The subtractive primaries, or process colors, used in color printing. Black (K) is added to enhance color and contrast.
Collate To assemble individual pages or signatures into the proper sequencing for binding.
Color (Calibration) Bars Strip of colors printed on the edge of four-color process proofs check registration of all colors and evaluate ink density.
Color Proof A representation of what the final printed job will look like.
Color Separation Separating artwork into the four process colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, black). These are screened to make four halftone negatives that are used to make a printing plate for each color.
Comb binding Binding a publication by inserting the teeth of a flexible plastic strip (comb) through rectangular holes in a booklet.
Comp Comprehensive artwork Used to indicate general color and layout.
Copy Bond The paper stock for general office use. Very generic and cost effective for in-house publications, forms.
Crop Marks Printed lines used for final trimming, showing the trim size of the final printed piece.
Crossover When an image carries over from one page of a bound publication across the gutter to the opposite page.
Data-ready Art Any artwork or layout that is ready to be composed for producing film. PDF is an advanced state of data-ready art. Compare to Camera-ready Art.
Deboss To produce a sunken image in the surface of paper.
Die Sharp metal rules mounted on a letter-press used for die-cutting; or a metal block used for embossing, debossing, or foil stamping.
Die-Cutting Using a sharp metal rule to cut irregular shapes in paper.
Dot Gain When dots print slightly larger on paper than they are on the negatives or plate, causing darker tones and colors in printing. Caused by paper absorption.
Double Hit To print two layers of ink for a single image. Used to ensure a thick, consistent-color inking.
Emboss To produce a raised image on the surface of paper.
Emulsion side The dull, matte, emulsion-coated side of photographic film.
Engraving Printing method using a metal plate (die) with an image carved into it.
Film In printing, the photographically created mechanical from which printing plates are produced.
Finish Ascertain the appropriateness of the paper's finish to the desired end result. For example, a gloss finish offers the ultimate in reproduction detail, while dull and matte finishes offer easier reading for large quantities of text.
Flat color In printing, a color other than a process color. PMS colors are flat colors.
Foil Stamping Letterpress printing method using a die and thin metallic or pigmented film.
Fonts See Type.
Gang Run A cost-saving run that prints any number of different jobs or multiple copies of the same job on one sheet of paper.
Ghosted Halftone See Screened halftone.
Grain The direction in which the fibers are aligned in paper.
Gripper Margin The necessary amount of space that must be allowed on the paper's edge to keep the press's paper grippers from damaging the printed image.
HTML Hyper Text Mark-up Language. The near-basic programming language used for web publishing.
Halftone To reproduce continuous-tone images (photographs, etc.) by photographing through a fine screen to convert the image into a series of dots.
Holdout The ability to uniformly hold ink on the paper's surface. Higher holdout means a sharper dot and increased ink gloss.
Home Page The primary page of a web site. Home pages are the web URL that others link to for direct access.
Imagesetting Process of creating film mechanicals from data files via an Image Setter.
In-line Any operation tied to the printing process, such as folding, trimming, embossing, gluing, etc.
Iris Proof A high-quality ink-jet color proof. Unable to check registration.
Leading Typographical term for the space from the top of a capital letter to the top of the next on the following line.
Line Art Black and white image or type with no gradation of tones.
LPI; Lines per inch The number of lines or rows of dots in a screen, and therefore in a halftone, screen tint, or separation. For typical printing, 150 lpi is recommended. Newsprint normally uses 85 lpi and the Viewbook uses 200 lpi.
Mask Out To cover selected art or copy to protect it from being exposed to light.
Mechanical The reference for the material used for making a printing plate. Frequently film-based.
Mock-Up A rough production example of a publication. Generally true to size, showing page by page text, photo, and artwork placement.
Moire Undesirable patterns in printed halftones caused by improperly aligned screens.
One-up, two-up, etc. Printing one (two, three, etc.) impression(s) at a time in a single job (per sheet).
Opacity The ability to hold an image without it showing throught the other side of the paper.
Overrun Extra printed pieces in excess of the quantity specified. Normal chargeable overrun is 3%.
PDF; Portable Document Format A digital publishing document format that is independent of computer platform, font availability, or color. Very popular format for documents heavy in design for digital records.
PMS; Pantone Matching System Standard referencing name for Pantone Matching System. The industry standard for referencing flat colors.
Perfect binding Binding method in which the pages are glued together and trimmed to produce a flat-edge spine. This process is also used to prepare for wire or wire-o binding.
Pica Measurement term indicating 1/6th of an inch. The industry standard for design measurements other than paper size.
Plate The actual image medium that ink passes through on press rollers.
Point A measurement indicating 1/12th of a pica or 1/72nd of an inch. Used to make reference to line widths, type size, leading, etc.
Pre-Flight The process of checking digital print files for format, files, and fonts before sending to the image setter.
Press Proof A proof made on the actual production press with the paper and ink specified for the job; used to show exactly how the publication will look when printed.
Press Sheet One sheet as it comes off the press. May contain many actual piece pages or two-ups, etc.
RGB Red, Green, Blue. The additive primary colors used to create images on a computer monitor.
Registration In printing, the correct positioning of film or printing plate over another so that the combined give the effect of a single image.
Rosette The pattern created when color halftone screens are placed on conventional screen angles.
Saddle Stitching Binding a publication with staples through the folding line in the center.
Scanning The process of digitally duplicating line art or photo images.
Score Creasing paper or board so that it will fold more easily. Screen Density. Percentage of ink that is allowed to print through a specific screen.
Screen Ruling Number of rows or lines of dots per inch in a screen. See lines per inch.
Screened Halftone A halftone that has been screened to produce a faint image. Used occasionally as backgrounds.
Self-Cover The same paper stock is used on the cover as on the inside pages. Side Stitching. Binding a publication by stapling it through the spine from front to back.
Service Bureau A business that specializes in outputting computer files on high-resolution imagesetters and producing color proofs for press checks.
Smoothness The even and consistent continuity of a paper surface.
Stock Any surface, usually paper, used to receive a printed image.
Stripping In printing, assembling negatives into position to prepare to make printing plates.
Subtractive Primaries The inks (cyna, magenta, and yellow) used in printing to create different colors.
Thermography Printing method that simulates engraving by combing resinous powder with a wet image and adding heat, resulting in raised images.
TIFF Tagged Image File Format. A file format for exchanging bitmapped images (usually scans) between applications. Accepted on both Mac and PC platforms.
Trapping The electronic or mechanical means of printing touching inks.
Type Styles of lettering. Also called fonts or typestyles.
URL Universal Resource Locator. A computer term defining almost any reference indicator or label for Internet-associated location. Web pages, e-mail addresses, ftp sites, etc. are common examples. E-mail addresses are generally not referred to as URLs although they do apply.
Varnish A clear coating that protects paper and inks from scuffs. Frequently glossy, varnishes also come as dulls or textures.
Whiteness The ability to reflect all colors of light equally.
Work and Turn A printing technique that prints both sides of a shot with one plate. The sheet is printed on one side, turned over and printed on the backside.
