Glossary Archives

	aqueous coating
	A water-based coating applied after printing, either while the paper is still on press (in-line) or after its off press. An aqueous coating usually gives a gloss, dull or matte finish and helps prevent the underlying ink from rubbing off.
	bleed
	1) An image or printed color that runs off the trimmed edge of a page. 2) What you will make me do if I ruin your job.
	blind embossing
	Stamping raised letters or images into paper using pressure and a die -- but without using foil or ink to add color to the raised areas. Braille is an example of blind embossing.
	brightness
	1) The reflectivity of pulp, paper, or paperboard under test conditions, using a specially calibrated measuring instrument. If paper lacks brightness it will absorb too much light and little will reflect back through the ink. 2) A visit from your Lithographics Rep will bring this to your day.
	caliper
	The thickness of a single sheet of paper, as measured with a sensitive tool called a micrometer, and expressed in units or thousandths of an inch. Caliper is a critical measure of uniformity. Excessive variation in caliper can lead to print variation, undesirable visual effects, and uneven stretch or press-feeding problems. It can also create problems in folding and binding.
	color separation
	Separating full-color artwork or transparencies into the four primary printing colors of magenta (red), cyan (blue), yellow, and black by using various photographic or scanning processes.
	debossing
	Pressing letters or illustrations into a sheet of paper using a metal or plastic die to create a depressed (debossed) image.
	die-cutting
	Using a formed, metal-edged die to precision cut or to cut shapes into a piece of paper.
	digital color proof
	An off press color proof produced from digital data without the need for separation films.
	dot gain
	The tendency for the dots in halftones and four-color images to print larger than they are on the film or plate.
	dpi (dots per inch)
	The number of dots that fit horizontally and vertically into a one inch measure. Generally, the more dots per inch, the more detail is captured, and the sharper the resulting image.
	dry trap
	A layer of wet ink being applied over a previous layer of dry ink in a separate run of the printing press.
	dummy
	An unprinted mock-up of a book, brochure, or "to-be-printed" piece. Or, people who work with an inferior printer.
	duotone
	A two-color halftone of an image created with two screens, two plates, and two colors.
	embossing
	Pressing a shape into a sheet of paper with a metal or plastic die, creating a raised image.
	finishing
	Preparing printed pages for use. Most printed jobs require one or more finishing steps, such as trimming, folding, or binding.
	foil stamping
	To cover paper with a thin, flexible sheet of metal or other material. the foil, which may be clear or opaque, comes in a range of colors and is carried on a plastic sheet. Stamping separates the foil from the plastic and makes it adhere to the paper. Foil stamping can be combined with embossing or debossing as an added design element.
	folding
	Doubling up a sheet of paper so that one part lies on top of another. Folding stresses the paper fibers. To create a smooth, straight fold, heavy papers like cover stocks and bristols need to be scored before they're folded.
	font
	A complete assortment of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, etc. of a given size and design.
	form
	The assembled pages and images as printed on a single large sheet, before trimming. Once folded and trimmed, a form becomes a "signature".
	four-color process
	A method that uses dots of magenta (red), cyan (blue), yellow, and black to simulate the continuous tones and variety of colors in a color image.
	gatefold
	Two or more parallel folds on a sheet of paper with the end flaps folding inward.
	grain
	The direction in which most fibers lie in a sheet of paper. As paper is formed, the slurry of fibers moves forward on the forming wire at high speeds, aligning the fibers in the direction of the movement and creating the grain.
	gripper
	1) The row of clips holding the sheet of paper as it moves through the press. 2) The act of grabbing your chest when you receive the competition's invoice.
	halftone
	A printed picture that uses dots to simulate the tones between light and dark. A printing press cannot change the tone of ink -- it will only print the ink color being used on press. The halftone mimics the continuous tone of a black-and-white photograph by converting the picture to dots. Darker areas of the photograph have bigger dots and lighter areas of the photograph have smaller dots. To the human eye, the black of the dots blends with the white of the paper to create shades of gray. The result is strikingly similar to the continuous tone of a photograph.
	hickey
	An irregularity in the ink coverage of a printed page. Hickeys are caused by paper or pressroom dust, dirt, or a pick out on the printing blanket, all of which prevent the ink from adhering to the paper surface.
	imagesetter
	In computer imaging, a device that outputs type, line art and photos in position.
	imposition
	Creating an imposition involves planning the printing job tot ensure that folded and cut pages appear in the correct order: page two on the back of page one, and so forth. Imposition planning also minimizes paper waste by allowing the printer to print as many pages as possible on a full-size, uncut sheet of paper. For a job with one or just a few pages, two or more copies of the same page can be printed on a single uncut sheet. This imposition design is referred to as "two up", "three up" and so forth.
	imposition designs - sheetwise
	Also called work and back. Refers to printing different pages on the front and back of a large sheet of paper. Each large sheet yields one finished piece when cut.
	imposition designs - work and tumble
	Prints the same pages on the front and back of a large sheet of paper. Each large sheet yields two or more finished pieces when cut. After the first run, the sheet is tumbled from bottom to top and the back is printed.
	imposition designs - work and turn
	Prints the same pages on the front and back of a large sheet of paper. Each large sheet yields two or more finished pieces when cut. After the first run, the sheet is turned from side to side and the back is printed.
	linescreen
	The number of lines or dots per inch on a halftone screen
	lithography
	A printing process using flat surface planographic plates (originally stone) that is based on the principle that oil and water don't mix. The image to be lithographed is created on the plate with a greasy material that repels water. Water is run over the plate, and the non-image areas absorb it. When the oily ink hits the plate, it's attracted to the similarly greasy image, and repelled by the rest of the wet plate. When paper is pressed onto the plate, it picks up the ink (and a bit of the water).
	make-ready
	All the activities involved in preparing a printing press for a print run, such as setting the registration, balancing the color, and adjusting the plates and blankets for the paper thickness.
	paper
	A complex matted web of cellulose fibers
	paper - cast-coating
	Paper produced with a surface that is a reasonably accurate replication of some other surface. To manufacture cast-coated paper, a paper web with wet or moistened coating is brought into contact with a polised chrome drum surface. This surface is replicated on the coated sheet.
	paper - coated paper
	Paper with an outer coating applied to one or both sides. Coated papers are available in a variety of finishes, including gloss, full, and matte. They tend to have good ink holdout and minimal dot gain, which can be especially important for recreating sharp, bright printed images, black-and-white halftones, and four-color process images. The smooth surface of coated papers also helps to reflect light evenly.
	paper - cover paper
	Heavier, generally stiffer paper commonly used for book covers, folders, greeting cards, business cards, and brochures. Uncoated cover papers generally match the color and finish of corresponding text papers.
	paper - dull coated
	A coated paper finish that falls between gloss and matte
	paper - enamel
	A general term referring to coated paper that has a higher basis weight than coated publication (magazine) paper but a lower basis weight and caliper than coated cover paper.
	paper - fiber-added paper
	Paper with visible fibers, flecks, and specks. The term may be a bit misleading because all paper is made from fiber. The most common fiber additives are wood chips, colored cotton fibers, and colored rayon fibers.
	paper - gloss
	The property that's responsible for a coated paper's shiny or lustrous appearance; also the measure of a sheet's surface reflectivity. Gloss is often associated with quality: higher quality coated papers exhibit higher gloss.
	paper - laser compatible
	Paper and ink that performs well in a laser printer or copier. Laser compatible paper has good dimensional stability that keeps it from curling, changing shape, and causing paper jams in printers and copiers. Consult your Lithographics Rep about storage.
	paper - matte coated
	A non-gloss coating on paper, generally used to refer to papers having little or no gloss. A matte coated sheet is often specified when the printed pages will carry a lot of type, since the low gloss makes it easier reading.
	paper - recycled paper
	A paper product consisting of 100% recovered fiber.
	perfecting press
	A printing press that simultaneously prints both sides of a sheet of paper as it passes through the press. On other presses, printing both sides means running the sheet through the press to print one side, allowing the ink to dry, turning the paper over, and then running the sheet through the press again to print the other side.
	process colors
	CMYK -- the four process colors -- cyan (process blue), magenta (process red), yellow, and black -- used to print four-color images.
	proof
	Hard copy representation of files or films generated to simulate printed product.
	quadratone
	A black-and-white image printed with four colors, such as one or more blacks and different shades of gray; used to enrich the contrast between light and dark areas.
	raster image processor (RIP)
	The computerized process that results in an electronic bitmap which indicates every spot position on a page in preparation for an actual printout.
	resolution
	The quantification of printout quality using the number of dots per inch.
	retouching
	Color correcting or changing an images using a program such as Photoshop.
	scoring
	Pressing a channel into a sheet of paper to allow it to fold more easily. Scoring and pressing the paper fibers together creates an embossed channel that acts as a guide for easier folding and creates a hinge that keeps the fiber stretch short.
	sheet-fed press
	A press that prints single sheets of paper, rather than a continuous roll or web of paper.
	touchplates
	In four-color process printing, an additional fifth plate of ink that adds more of one-color to enhance the image.
	trapping
	Printing ink over previously printed ink. Trapping is also used to describe the very slight overlapping of adjacent colors.
	uv coating
	A very slick, glossy coating applied to the printed paper surface and dried on press with ultraviolet (uv) light. The slick surface of uv coating makes it eye catching and very popular for printing the covers of paperback novels.
	varnish
	A coating printed on top of a printed sheet to protect it, add a finish, or add a tinge of color. An entire sheet may be varnished, or certain areas -- like halftones -- may be spot varnished to add emphasis and appeal.
	velox
	A photographic paper print made from a negative.

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