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

Finishing: All operations and procedures that a substrate goes through after it has been printed, including collating, trimming, binding, stitching, die cutting, embossing, foil stamping, etc.

Graphic Arts Photography: All photographic reproduction equipment and processes for printing including line, halftone, duotone, four-color photography, scanning, and photographic manipulation.

Marketing: All terminology that relates to selling and promoting desktop and graphic arts products and services.

Proofing: All methods, processes, procedures, supplies, and technologies used to create a simulation of a finished printed product.

Scanning: All devices and procedures for digitizing input copy, film, or other images.

Typesetting and Imagesetting: The inputting and outputting of words and/or pictures on photosensitive film, photosensitive paper, or on plain paper, and all related technologies.

- A -

Absorption: The degree to which a substrate can soak up vapors and/or liquids. A consideration in the determination of the right quantity of ink that is needed to create an acceptable impression.

Accordion Fold: A paper fold that requires multiple parallel folds and gives the appearance of an accordion.

Acetate Proof: A proof that has been created on clear acetate.

Against The Grain: The process of folding or of printing on paper in a direction that is at a right angle to the grain.

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Back Printing: Printing the image on the backside of clear film. This allows the printing to show through to the front.

Back-To-Back Register: When the images on either side of a page must align with each other.

Bar Code: The pattern of vertical bands of varying widths that are printed on items sold in retail stores, i.e., books, food, etc. This allows the store selling the product to scan the price into the cash register in order to simplify the buying process. Also called Universal Product Code (UPC).

Basis Weight: The weight of 500 sheets (ream) of paper expressed in pounds. Each grade of paper is weighted at a pre-determined size, i.e., cover paper is weighted at the 20" X 26" size.

Bindery Service: A firm that performs collating and binding services for other companies, usually printers.

Binding: The process whereby books, booklets, and catalogs are folded and/or collated into their proper page sequence. They are then stapled, glued, sewn, or bound together with wire or rings, and cut to the desired size of the final printed product.

Bit-Map: The collection of pixels in a file located in memory that can display or create a specific image or picture.

Black: One of the four-color process inks. It exhibits a complete absence of reflected light. Black absorbs all light.

Black And White: Originals and artwork that are comprised of only black on a white background.

Blanket: The synthetic rubber surfaced material that is responsible for the transfer of the print image from the plate on the cylinder to the substrate in offset printing.

Bleed: A special printing effect that extends a graphic element or printed image beyond the edge of a page or the crop marks. The overlap is trimmed off by the printer to produce a final printed piece.

Bleed Through: The image on the back of a printed sheet that is visible on the front side.

Blind Embossing: Creating a raised image on a substrate by using heat and pressure on a special letterpress machine.

Blow-Up: The enlargement of any graphic or copy elements by photographic methods.

Blueline: A proof that is created by exposing negatives placed over photosensitive paper to light.

Bond Paper: The various grades of high quality, professional looking, and durable paper that is used for certain business applications, i.e., business cards, letterheads, etc.

Border: A design that can be as simple as a line or as complex as a very ornate drawing. It completely encircles a piece of artwork, an advertisement, or a flyer.

Break For Color: The process of separating the CRC or film into the colors required for a multi-color printing job.

Brightness: The ability of paper to reflect light, i.e., the highest quality coated stock has the greatest degree of brightness.

Bristol: A paper of immediate thickness, usually between .006 and .01 of an inch. This is somewhere between what is called paper and cardboard.

Brochure: A piece of advertising literature (usually folded) that is used to narrate a story or describe a product or service.

Broken Type: A defect in a typeset character or symbol.

Burn: The process whereby the image to be printed is imprinted or "burned" onto the plate material.

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C1S (Coated 1 Side): Paper that is coated on one side. The coated side is smoother and often glossy. This type of paper is often used for covers and flyers that are printed on one side.

C2S (Coated 2 Sides): Paper that is coated or even glossy on both sides and is commonly used on brochures.

Calendaring: The pressing of paper between calendar rolls to enhance the smoothness and gloss of the paper.

Caliper: A unit of measurement for paper thickness that is expressed in mils (1,000ths of an inch). A micrometer is used to measure the caliper of any substrate.

Camera-Ready Copy (CRC): The actual artwork that is prepared on a flexible, durable board. It will typically include the FPO low-resolution pictures of the photographs to be used, any graphics or illustrations, and all typeset text. This CRC will be used by the printer for creation of the final film and plates. Therefore, it must be clean and include all instructions to the printer, i.e., correct sizing of photographs, indications of the exact location of color separations, the correct PMS colors to be used in each area of the artwork, and other pertinent information.

Center Spread: Two facing pages that are located in the exact middle of a magazine.

Chalking: The process whereby incorrectly dried ink is converted to dust and will no longer adhere to the paper or to other substrate.

Characters: All the alphanumeric information (plus punctuation) that is called text or copy.

Chokes: This printing technique allows dark color areas to overlap very slightly into lighter color areas to eliminate any possible white gaps.

Clip Art: Illustrations, pictures, and unique designs that are already finished artwork. They are ready to be sized and pasted onto boards or CRC. Large libraries of finished clip art on innumerable subjects are readily available in electronic form or in preprinted formats.

CMYK: A color model that is based on the four colors, (C) Cyan, (M) Magenta, (Y) Yellow, and (K) Black. It is the basis for all four-color printing.

CMYK > RGB: Conversion from a CMYK format to a RGB format or an indication of the ability to perform this conversion.

Coated Paper (Stock): Paper that has a smooth surface, with the finish varying from a matte to a high-gloss.

Collate: The process whereby single sheets of paper or signatures are merged together to create a fully paginated manual, book or booklet.

Color Bar: A bar that appears on the edge of the proof and on the final printed job. The purpose of the color bar often includes: ink density analysis, assessment of ink trap efficiency, measurement of dot gain, gray balance analysis, and assessment of overall print resolution. The segments of a color bar often include: solid ink patches, screens, overprint screens, overprints of solid inks, star targets, or other resolution targets. The printer checks the color bar on the proof with the color bar on the press copy to produce the desired result.

Color Break: The indications of the different colors used in the CRC through the use of overlays or instructions that have been indicated on the tissue overlay.

Color Key: A 3M color proofing system. This system uses four individual pieces of color film (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black). They are combined after processing and are then placed on a white sheet of heavier paper. The result is a close representation of the finished color job.

Color Separations: In order to print color originals, they must be separated into the three colors of magenta, cyan, and yellow. Black is then added for greater detail and enhanced dot density.

Composition: Text that has been typeset and ready to be included with the CRC.

Contact Print: A photographic process that will create a print by exposing a positive or negative to sensitized paper or other image carriers.

Continuous Forms: Computer business forms that are printed in long sheets, and perforations are used to separate each individual form.

Copy: Handwritten or typewritten data or information that tells the operator what is required to enter into a typesetting system to create final output. Also, this term can refer to all typeset words and/or text that are incorporated into the final CRC.

Crop: The removal of certain portions of an illustration, a photograph, or other similar types of graphic elements in order to fit that object into a desired area, or for the purpose of removing any unwanted or unneeded graphic elements.

Crop Marks: The pairs of narrow lines that define the boundaries of a page, or any other type of CRC.

Cross-Perf: A perforation in the web that prevents bursting of the signature while folding.

Curl: The distortion or rippling of paper. It is caused by moisture problems on one side of the paper, or by a coating on one side of the paper that is incompatible with the surface of the other side.

Cut-Off: The length of a print area of a particular type of press that directly relates to the size of the press plate cylinder.

Cyan: The bluish color that is one of the four inks that is used in the four-color printing process (magenta, cyan, yellow, and black).

Cylinder Gap: The space in the press cylinder where the clamp and gripper devices are located. These devices hold the plates and blankets during the printing process.

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Dandy Roll: This cylindrical device is used in papermaking to create wove, watermark, and laid effects on the surface of a substrate.

Densitometer: A device that measures reflection, transparent density (black and white or color), and dot gain. It is most useful in the measurement of black and shades of gray.

Density: The actual weight or degree of blackness of characters and areas as measured with a densitometer. It also refers to an object's ability to stop or absorb light.

Die: A sharp tool that is used for cutting an area the size of the tool from a substrate.

Die-Cut: The technique whereby a specially designed steel die is used to cut paper and other substrates into unique shapes and designs.

Digital Proofs: Proofs that are produced on special printers or proofing devices and they are a direct output of a digital electronic file which resides on a computer hard drive.

Direct-To-Plate: A process that creates a plate directly from a computer file, and avoids all traditional graphic arts photography and image assembly.

Direct-To-Press: Electronic imaging that goes from a computer via a disc or modem directly to a printing press. This technique bypasses the need for typesetting output, film, or conventional platemaking.

Disk: A magnetic storage device that contains information, files, programs and data needed by the computer to perform tasks.

Dot Gain: The percentage increase in dot size between the time film is created and the final printing. Conditions that effect dot gain are: type of paper used; the platemaking process; the type of ink; the type of press, and the cylinder pressure.

Dots Per Inch (DPI): The resolution of the images that are output on a printer, image setter, or monitor.

Draw Down: A method of testing ink color by manually spreading the ink on paper to check color match and how well the paper accepts each particular ink.

Drier: A chemical agent that facilitates ink drying.

Drop-Out: The part of an original photograph, illustration, or graphic that cannot be reproduced photographically (i.e., light background area), or parts not wanted when reproducing the original (i.e., certain lines).

Dull-Coated Paper: A paper with a surface having a dull, flat finish.

Duotone: A special technique whereby a black and white (one-color) photo is printed to be a two-color job. This process creates a very unique effect. Each color is printed at different screen angles.

Dylux: A specific brand of paper that is used to create bluelines.

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Embossed Finish: A specialty paper with a surface having a textured look.

Embossing: The process of applying a raised image to various types of substrates by using a die with heat and pressure applied on a letterpress machine.

Emulsion: The light-sensitive coating that is used on most photographic film and plates.

Emulsion Side: The chemically treated side of photographic film that is light-sensitive and faces the lens during film exposure.

Enamel: Same as coated, as in coated paper.

Engrave: To etch an image on metal surfaces for the purpose of printing.

Exposure: The exact moment in photography when light produces an image on the emulsion side of the film.

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Final Film: The final film, after all work is completed, and ready for the creation of a proof for final approval by a client.

Finish: A substrate's surface texture, i.e., coated, etc.

Flat Color: A color that is printed solid or as a tint without other colors printed over the color (or inks).

Flexography: A printing process that uses a thin photo polymer or synthetic rubber plate, and a raised image on the plate to create the impression.

Fluorescent Ink: Bright ink that has a glowing appearance.

Folio: Indicates a page number.

Font: A complete set of alphabet characters with a unique design. Includes upper and lower case, the numbers, and punctuation marks.

For Position Only (FPO): The placement of low-quality/low-resolution illustrations or photos in the required location and size on the CRC to indicate to the printer where the actual images are to be placed on the final film or plate. "FPO" is normally indicated on the overlay tissue as a guide for the stripper during image assembly.

Four-Color Process: The basic process in four-color printing. A scanner creates a color separation and generates four pieces of film - cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Then plates are prepared and the job is printed. Almost all possible colors can be reproduced with magenta, cyan, yellow, and black. Black gives details and extra density in the shadow areas.

Fourdrinier Machine: A paper manufacturing machine.

Full Bleed: A special printing effect that extends the printed image area beyond the edges of a page.

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Gang Run: The running of multiple printing jobs on the press at the same time, however, each job must have a lot of similarities, i.e., same size, acceptable colors, etc. This will cut the cost of each job dramatically. This is typically called a "ganged" job.

Gatefold: A multiple page fold where the inside pages on the finished folded product opens on the center of one side.

Ghosting: The method by which one duplicates an image with less dots. Depending upon the percentage of dots that are replaced, this creates a ghostly or special effect.

Grain: The direction most of the fibers run in a paper sheet and the same direction of the paper during manufacture. The grain will often determine that paper should be fed through a press.

Gravure Printing: A unique printing process where the image to be printed is actually sunken or etched into very small and microscopic ink wells that hold the ink for transfer to the paper during printing. Also known as Intaglio.

Gray Scale: A scale that shows the full range of gray tones between pure white and solid black. Most computer software used today recognizes 256 levels of gray. The human eye can only see 80 to 100 levels of gray.

Gripper: The metal clamps that hold the substrate in place as it moves through the press.

Groundwood Papers: A lower grade paper that is manufactured from groundwood pulp and is often used for newsprint.

Gutter: The white space that is between the edge of the binding and the first printed area. It can also refer to the white space that is between the graphics and photos on a page and the binding.

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Hairline Register: The alignment or registration of all film in multi-color printing within a +1/2 row of data.

Halftone: A continuous tone photograph that has been screened into patterns of very small dots of different sizes and shapes onto film or photo-sensitive paper.

Halftone Screen: The screen that is used to convert a continuous tone photograph into halftone dot patterns suitable for printing.

Hard Copy: Electronic information output from a computer onto paper, plate, film, or other visual media via a printer or an image setter

Hard Disk: A magnetic storage device.

Head-To-Head Imposition: The assembly of a job so the top of each page butt up against each other.

Head-To-Tail Imposition: The assembly of a job so the top of the page and the bottom of the back page will butt against each other.

Hickey: A blemish on a printed piece.

Holdout: Ink that has dried on the paper's surface and has not penetrated the fibers of the substrate. This is determined by the paper's absorption characteristics.

Holograms: Images that create a 3-D look on a 2-D plane with the aid of special lighting conditions.

Hot Type: Metal type made from hot molten metal and formed in a special machine and output as a line of type.

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Image Area: The area on a page that is printed.

Image setter: A sophisticated laser device that is capable of creating high-resolution text and graphics on film, paper, and on plates.

Impression: The pressure that occurs when the plate (or type in letterpress) touches the paper (or other substrate) and creates the printed image.

Imprinting: Affixing or stamping information or symbols onto different forms of substrates.

Ink-Jet Printer: A printer that place characters on paper minutes dots of ink.

Ink Opacity: An ink's ability to cover another ink and prevent any show through.

In-Line Finishing: Binding and finishing operations that are integrated with printing presses and are part of a continuous operation when a substrate leaves the printing press. Such operations include trimming, slitting, and all other finishing operations.

Insert: An extra page or piece that is included or inserted in another publication during the finishing process, i.e., an order form or special flyer in a catalog.

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Jog: Alignment of uneven paper stacks into neat and even stacks.

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Kraft: A brown (can be dyed other colors) paper that contains wood pulp.The stronger version of this paper is used in paper grocery bags and large mailing envelopes.

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Label: A special gummed paper of various sizes that can be adhered to any item for identification or to provide information about the item.

Lamination: The bonding (with heat and steady pressure) of clear plastic onto a printed piece to enhance appearance and provide protection.

Laser Paper: Paper having surface characteristics such as smoothness and adhesion properties that are desirable for the dry toners used in imaging on laser printers.

Layout: Artwork indicating the location of all the elements (copy, photos, illustrations, etc.) that are to be included in the piece. This will become the finished CRC.

Leading: The amount of space that is below a typeset character and expressed in points. A 10 point character could have 3 points of leading, thus a line would occupy 13 points of space and is called 10/13 type. Leading effects readability. Extra leading make copy more readable.

Ledger Paper: A very durable grade of paper that is used where long-term paper life is required, i.e., file cards and accounting records.

Letterfold: A sheet of paper that is folded to appear as a folded letter. Hence the name, letterfold.

Letterpress Printing: A printing process that uses a raised metal surface on the plate. This surface carries the ink to the substrate to be printed.

Line Art: Drawings, illustrations, or graphics that contain solids and lines placed on a white background suitable for CRC or reproduction, i.e., clip art, pre-printed type, graphics, etc.

Line Screen: The lines per inch (lpi) used in halftone creation. The standard screen rulings are 65, 85, 100, 120, 133, 150, 200, and 300. Each number refers to the number of lines per inch and the decision to use one size over another is most often the type of paper used and the quality of the results that are desired. Newspapers typically use 65 and 85 line screens because newsprint is very coarse, whereas, magazines use high quality paper and need the better results of a 133 or 150 line screen.

Lock-Up: The enclosure of all the elements (type, etc.) of the job, which are in plate form, into a metal form (chase). This makes the job ready be printed on a letterpress.

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Magenta: A reddish color process ink that is used in full-color printing.

Make-Ready: Steps necessary to prepare a press for a job to be printed. It involves checking for the right ink, the image position, plate and blanket operation, the correct paper, etc.

Margin: The top, bottom, and side spaces on a printed page that is between the page's edge and the image area.

Mask: Intermediate film that is used in photographic color correction.

Matchprint: A color proofing system by 3M. Colored film (magenta, cyan, yellow, and black), instead of toners, is laminated to a white sheet of paper. This combination of all four colors produces a very close representation of the final printed job provided each color is processed in the correct order.

Matte Finish: A paper with a dull surface, i.e., zero gloss.

Micrometer: A precision instrument for determining substrate, plate, or blanket thickness

Moiré: This is a pattern that can occur in four-color printing when one or more of the colors (in the film) is created during the separation process at a wrong angle. This creates a visually objectionable pattern of dots which are called moiré patterns. Also known as moiré patterns.

Mottle: A spotty printed pattern (or appearance) that is used to create a special effect or it could be the result of some printing error.

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Non-Impact Printing: A printing process where there is no contact on the substrate in transferring the image to be printed, i.e., inkjet printing, etc.

Numbering: The process of placing numbers on printed business forms that are in consecutive order. The operation is frequently performed during the time of printing, i.e., immediately after or before the creation of an impression.

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Offset Lithographic Press: A printing press on which the plate is dampened and then inked. The inked image is transferred to the blanket, which will immediately transfer the image to the substrate and create the impression. This process is designed to attract water to non-image areas and ink to the image areas.

Opacity: The degree to which one can see the printed image through the paper. Generally, thickness enhances opacity.

Opaque Ink: The fast drying ink material that is used to cover unwanted areas on negative film. This prevents these unwanted areas from appearing on the final plate.

Overprinting: Printing over the same area twice, usually with a lacquer to provide emphasis or protection. Sometimes overprinted colors are used in special effects.

Over-Run: When the amount that was actually printed exceeds the amount originally requested, the excess portion is called the over-run.

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Padding: A form of perfect binding that is produced by a manual process. It is used in short-run binding only.

Pantone Matching System (PMS): A worldwide standard for color. Each unique color has a PMS number, which is used by printers and all other individuals in the graphics field to specify the exact colors required on each job.

Paper: A sheet made of cellulose and other materials, less than .006th of an inch thick, used as a printing substrate.

Penetration: The amount of ink that is absorbed by the substrate.

Perfect Binding: A specific type of binding that is used on books and a few magazines or catalogs. This method is most often used when the number of pages exceeds 96 and when it is required to have a publication with a spine-side edge that is square.

Perfecting Press (Perfector): A press that can print on either side of a sheet or roll in one pass through the press.

Perforating: A process that creates a line of tiny slits in a substrate to make tearing apart easier.

Pica: The basic measurement unit that is used in the graphic arts field. A pica is about .166 of an inch, and this makes six picas per inch. Picas are further broken down into points. There are 12 points per pica; 6 picas per inch; and 72 points per inch.

Picking: Paper fiber or surface that lifts during printing, due to the tackiness or stickiness of the ink.

Pigments: Substances that give color or body to ink.

Piling: Ink build-up on press blankets, plates, and rollers.

Pinfeed Holes: The holes along the edges of the continuous computer forms that hold and guide the paper in the printer.

Plate: The metal, plastic, or other surface that holds an images will be printed. The plate striking the substrate creates the printed image.

Plate Cylinder: The mechanism that holds the plate during printing on rotary presses.

Positive: An image where both light and dark areas correspond to the original image.

Post Binder: Binding loose pages together with a rod.

Pre-Press: All the processes that occur to a job to be printed prior to the printing, i.e., creation of CRC, image assembly, platemaking, etc.

Press Proofs: An actual printing of a few pieces of a job on press prior to full production for customer approval. This is the final check and the last chance to make changes.

Primary Colors: The three primary colors - red, green, and blue - of light which can be added together to create white light. These three colors are often known as additive color and are the basic technology in all TV monitors. These primary colors are the secondary colors in this subtractive color process.

Printing Plate: The metal/paper surface that contains and carries the complete image that will be printed on the press.

Process Colors: The four process colors - magenta, cyan, yellow, and black.

Proof: A copy of any galleys, rough proofs, or pages that allow corrections to be made by the customer or client before final output of the job is printed.

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Ream: 500 sheets of paper. One of the basic ways of packaging paper for sale in the marketplace.

Register: A specific section of main memory that is used to hold or store binary digits that are needed by the system, i.e., a memory location.

The placement of one image in the precise position over the next image to achieve correct alignment.

Registration Marks: The marks that are used for the alignment of color separations and all other artwork that are being assembled in preparation for printing.

Retouching: Changes made to photographs, i.e., for improving contrast and detail, or to improve quality.

Reverse Type: A typeface where the characters are white with a solid black (or other color) background.

RGB: An acronym for the red, green, and blue primary colors used in computer monitors.

RGB > CMYK: Conversion from a RGB format to a CMYK format or the ability to perform this conversion.

Roll-To-Roll Printing: A printing technique that prints on a roll or web and ends as a printed roll by winding onto the roll while printing.

Rosettes: The circular patterns that are created with four-color halftone dots when the job is in registration.

Rotary Press: A press that prints from cylinders, i.e., each revolution of the plate creates an impression. Suitable for high-speed and high volume production runs.

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Saddle Stitch: A binding technique that is used on small booklets (usually less than 96 pages and when using 50 lbs. offset paper or lighter). The pages are stitched together with wire from the center fold to the outside of the book or booklet. The stitches look like staples. This method allows the book to lie flat when opened.

Saturation: The intenseness of a color and the extent to which any color is pure and free of grays, whites, and blacks.

Scanning: The process of breaking an image into its many elements and to reproduce the image as a whole. The light energy of each pixel is converted into an electric signal and the number of lines and their dimensions determines the details of the image.

Score: A slight indentation made on a sheet of paper along the line where it is to be folded. It is used on heavier paper because it makes the process of folding the paper easier.

Screen: A sheet of film having a screen-like pattern is used in preparation of halftones. It converts a continuous-tone photograph to a printable dot pattern.

Screen Printing: A special color printing process where an ink is pushed through a mesh screen to create images. Each color has its own stencil which defines the image. Used for printing on fabrics, wood, glass, plastic, metal, and many other non-flat surfaces like bottles and hats.

Self-Mailer: A single sheet advertising piece that includes the message and the response tool (envelope or reply card).

Set-Off: The condition where the ink on a sheet that is being printed rubs off onto the incoming sheet during printing, i.e., the smudging of the ink while printing.

Sheet-Fed: The use of printing presses that print paper sheets of varying sizes instead of using presses that print on rolls of paper.

Show-Through: This is when a printed image shows through on the opposite side.

Shrink Wrap: A tight-fitting, transparent, protective covering of plastic that is used in product packaging.

Sizing: The process of applying chemicals or compounds to paper that make the paper more resistant against damage by vapors or moisture (typically water).

Spine: The side of a book that has the binding and is between the front and back cover.

Spiral Binding: A method of bookbinding where a spiral wire is inserted into pre punched holes along one side of the book. This special type of binding, while expensive, is excellent for books that need to be used frequently and must lie flat while in use, like work-books.

Spot Color: Extra colors that are used on specific elements in a page for highlighting.

Spot Varnish: A specific area that is printed with a varnish for surface protection or for some type of special emphasis.

Stamping: The process of adhering foil to any material, i.e., cloth, paper, etc.

Stat: A photographic process whereby a reproduction is created from another photostat, artwork, copy, or film. It is usually used to reduce or enlarge an image or text area.

Stencil: The image is created in screen printing by a stencil. Stencils are produced by hand cutting or by a photographic process.

Step-And-Repeat: An image assembly or plate exposure process whereby one negative or positive is used to create duplicate and multiple images are required by hand cutting or a photographic process.

Stitching: A bookbinding technique that sews all the signatures together on any particular job.

Stock: This refers to the different types and grades of paper that are used in printing.

Stripper: A traditional term used in printing to describe the person who assembles the film into flats for final platemaking. Today's proper term is image assembler.

Stripping: The process for assembling film into flats or carriers in preparation for final platemaking and printing.

Substance Weight: The actual weight of a ream (500 sheets) of standard 17" X 22" paper, expressed in pounds. Same as basis weight for other paper.

Substrate: The surface that is used in printing for placement of the image, i.e., paper, plastic, cloth, etc.

Swatch: A small section of any material or color that is used as a reference sample.

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Text: The main body of words or copy in any type of document, i.e., book, advertisement, catalog, etc.

Thermal Printer: A printer that forms characters by a heat process on treated paper.

Tint: A printed area that is not a solid ink, but consists of dots of a particular color ink usually in increments of 10 percent. The higher the percentage the darker the tint. This allows the creation of many different color values and many different effects from just one color.

Tipping-In: The insertion of additional sheets of printed material between signatures, .i.e., order forms.

Toner: A material that copiers and laser printers use to produce images onto paper. This term also refers to some of the dyes (most commonly black) used in ink.

Tooth: The rough texture of paper that will give it greater receptivity to ink.

Tractor Feed: A device that feeds computer paper through a printer by using pins that fit into the holes on the edges of the computer paper. As the pins revolve, the paper moves through the printer.

Tracking: The overall character spacing between all characters, whereas kerning refers to spacing between character pairs.

Transparency: A full-color photographic output medium of film that must be viewed by transmitted light.

Transparent Ink: A type of printing ink that allows other ink colors that are layered under the transparent ink to be seen. The inks used in full-color printing are transparent inks.

Trapping: A printing and image assembly technique that uses two concepts - chokes and spreads - to eliminate any white gaps when printing a four-color job.

Trap Wise: Creates electronic chokes and spreads that meet professional stripper standards and is able to trap spot and process colors, hairline rules. vignettes, thin text, images, and more. For Mac and PC.

Trim: The final bookbinding activity used in print production that removes all the excess edges from a book or printed piece that overlap the final and correct dimensions of the product.

Typesetting: The process of converting a handwritten or mono spaced typed manuscript into composed type.

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UV Coating: A special coating that is applied to a book, booklet, or catalog which will protect it from damage due to handling.

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Varnish: A coating that can be applied onto a printed piece for surface protection against wear and/or to highlight an area for special emphasis.

Vellum Finish: A type of paper with a slightly rough surface. This paper is very ink-absorbent and is excellent for high-speed print production.

Vignette: A halftone or illustration where the background gradually fades away. The lightest portion being the closest to the unprinted or unphotographed area.

Viscosity: The flow and tack properties of ink.

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Watermark: A special or unique design pressed onto paper during manufacture.

Web Press: A printing press that uses one, long, continuous paper roll (web). Images are printed on the web as the roll unwinds and passes through the press. The web press is best suited to high-speed and high-volume printing and is often used to print books, newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. Also, web paper is less expensive than cut paper of an equivalent quality.

Wire Side: This is the side of the paper that was created because it comes in contact with the wire on the fourdrinier papermaking machine.

Work-And-Tumble: An imposition technique that prints the same image on either side of the paper with one plate. After printing the first side, the top that was on the gripper edge is tumbled and bottom is now the gripper edge. However, the press guide is the same on this method. The disadvantage of this method is the need for two different gripper edges - this requires the printed sheets to be trimmed and squared on all four sides.

Work-And-Turn: An imposition technique that prints the same image on either side of the paper with one plate. After printing the first side, the sheet is turned end to end to print the other side and the gripper edge is the same on both sides. The press guide is different each time.

Wrapper: The jacket that is used on a hardcover or case board book. It includes the front cover, the spine, and information about the author and the book content.

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