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| The Language of Printing |
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Printing GlossaryPrinting is an industry filled with jargon. Here is an alphabetical list of some of the most common terms we use. The more familiar you are with these terms, the easier it will be for you to communicate your needs to us. 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 # Symbol with used to identify the weight of the stock; stands for “pound”, as in 20# bond or 80# text B/B Double-sided; back to back copy or originals Binding Refers to how your document is completed; i.e. collating, stapling ,spiral binding, shrinkwrapping, etc Bleed Refers to ink extending (“bleeding”) off the trimmed edge of a printed page Bond Standard grade of writing or printing paper; used for letterhead, class handouts etc. Is often referred to as 20#. Book paper The general term for coated and uncoated offset papers. Heavier than 20# bond; available in 60#, 70#, and 80# weights Brochure A pamphlet in a folded or booklet form Camera-ready Means your originals which are ready for printing Carbonless paper Carbon-coated paper used primarily for forms requiring several duplicate copies, without separate sheets of carbon paper. UVic Printing requisitions are an example of carbonless paper Card stock Also known as cover stock, used for manual and report covers, tickets, file cards, etc Coated paper Book paper with a slick surface coating which is available in a matte or gloss finish Collating In binding, the sequential assembling of pages Colour separations Originals which have been separated to identify spot colour differences within the specifications i.e. one original with spot colour headings only, the other with the body of text only Continuous screen Image which contains a gradient tone from solid to light Corner-staple A single staple in the top left corner of the pages Crack n’ peel Sticky stock with a removable protective backing, used for labels Crop marks Cut marks on the edges of an original to indicate final job dimensions Die-cut A cut-out window in a cover; allows pre-printed covers to be used for a variety of report covers Dot The individual element of a halftone Dots per inch (dpi) A measure of the resolution of a screen or halftone image Dummy A sample set of pages made up in advance to show the size, shape, form and general style of a piece of printing Duotone A two-colour halftone reproduction from a one-colour photograph Duplex A card stock with a different colour on each side; generally used for high-profile report covers Electronic Files (E-files) Computer files sent either through e-mail or to an FTP site. Embossing Impressing an image in relief to achieve a raised surface; used for formal executive business cards, invitations and the like Footprint Refers to the largest size of the copying glass on a photocopier. Standard photocopiers have a footprint of 11 x 17. Full reversal Refers to a printed page which is completely covered with ink or areas that print 100% of a given colour Gloss paper Coated stock with a manufactured smooth shiny finish Grain In papermaking, the direction in which most fibres lie, which corresponds with the direction the paper is made on a paper machine Gripper Distance between the body of text on an original and the edge of the paper. A ¼ inch gripper is necessary on all press jobs Gutter Refers to the blank space or inner margin from the printing area to the binding edge Halftone The reproduction of artwork such as a photograph, through a contact screen which converts the image into dots of various sizes and density. The density is measured by the dpi Hard copy Paper or linograph originals Impressions The quantity forming the actual copy run; i.e. 5 originals needing 1000 copies = 5000 impressions Matte Coated paper with a manufactured smooth dull finish Offcuts Refers to the excess trimmings left over from cutting stock down from larger sheets Offset The process of printing with ink, rather than duplicating toner, for long press runs Opaque A term that refers to the level of show-through from the back side of the sheet or the next sheet Originals Refers to the number of pages submitted for printing. A back to back page is counted as two originals Padding A stack of sheets (usually 100) painted with glue on one side to form memo pads, routing slips, scratch pads, etc. Pantone Matching System (PMS) Ink colour system used extensively in the graphic design and printing industries; Pantone colours are carefully graded so that exact colours can be matched throughout the design and print process. Inks are referred to by a specific number, which corresponds to the ink colour Paste-up The pasting of copy onto an original, may also be used to refer to pages mechanically pasted together to form larger originals i.e. 8 ½ x 11 sheets pasted-up to form printer-spread 11 x 17 originals Perfect bind Method of binding in which the pages are held together and fixed to the cover by means of flexible adhesive as in paperback books. Somewhat pricey. Perforate A regular series of punched holes in a sheet which makes for easy tearing Photocopy Reproduction made on a photocopier PMS Acronym; see Pantone Matching System Post-commercial recycled Refers to paper including post-commercial waste, such as bindery or trimming offcuts and/or obsolete inventories of merchants, printers etc., within its content Post-consumer recycled Paper including post-consumer waste such as newspapers, old magazines, used corrugated boxes etc., within its content Pre-press All working steps leading up to the actual printing of the job Press run The length of the copy run or the number of sheets to be printed Printing ink Viscous material that is transferred from the printing plate to the paper or other surface, resulting in an impression. Printing inks may be hand-mixed to create almost any colour; see Pantone Matching System. At UVic Printing Services, we use soy-based ink products. Printing plate Surface, usually made of plastic, that has been treated to carry an image; the plate is inked and the ink is transferred to the paper or other surface by a printing press Printing press Machine that transfers lettering or images through contact with various types of inked surfaces onto paper or other material fed into the machine Process colour The printing primary colours: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK), used in full-colour process printing Ream A package of five hundred sheets of paper Register In printing, the fitting together of two or more colour-separated printing originals in exact alignment with each other Register marks Crosses or other targets applied to original copy for register of two or more colours in printing Resolution The quantification of printout quality using the number of dots per inch (dpi) S/S Single-sided originals or copies Saddle stitch An option for binding booklets; folded pages are bound together by wire staples inserted through the backbone or folding line, and into the centre spread where they are clinched. The folding sheets or pages are placed over a “saddle” to ensure proper positioning Score To indent a line in the paper to make folding easier Self cover Cover produced on the same stock as the inside text pages Set-off In presswork, when the ink of a printed sheet ghosts on the next sheet Set-up time The time required to ready a job to go to print Shrink wrap Inexpensive binding option in which finished documents are packaged in a tear-off plastic wrapping. Side stitch Bindery option; two staples along the binding edge of a document Signature In printing and binding, the name given to a printed sheet after it has been folded Soft copy Electronic originals on a disk or CD. Specifications (specs) The size, style, ink colours, binding requirements, etc. of a printed piece Spiral binding Bindery option in which a document is bound with a continuous plastic coil that is inserted through a series of holes punched along the binding side. Spot colour Ink colour(s) other than black, used as a highlight or attention-getter Spread Pair of facing pages Stock The term we use for paper or other material to be printed upon. Available in a vast array of weights, textures and colours Text The body matter of a page or book Text paper General term applied to linen, laid, or woven papers stocks; used for booklets, brochures, posters, etc Texture Refers to the feel or visual surface of the paper. Common textured finishes include Linen, Felt and Laid. Three hole punch Drilling 8 1/2 x 11 paper for insertion into three-ring binders Toner Used in photocopiers; the ink powder heated and fused to the paper to make the copies Transparency Term for a clear durable plastic sheet; used both for overhead copies and as clear plastic covers when spiral binding materials Wash-up The process of cleaning the press: the rollers, the plate, and the fountain; every time the ink colour used in the printing press is changed, a wash-up is necessary Watermark The slightly translucent design produced in paper during manufacture; the watermark is usually a distinctive symbol or logo, identifying the brand of paper or the manufacturer With the grain Term used to describe the direction of paper fibres, often applied to the folding of a sheet of paper parallel to the grain; paper folds more easily and tears straighter with the grain than against the grain |
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