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Glossary: Print
Acid-free Paper
Papermade from pulp containing little or no acid so it resists deterioration from age. Also called alkaline paper, archival paper, neutral pH paper, permanent paper and thesis paper.
Artwork
All original copy, including type, photos and illustrations, intended for printing. Also called art.
jump to top of pageAuthor's alterations
At the proofing stage, changes that the client requests to be made concerning original art provided. AC's are considered an additional cost to the client usually.
Binding
Process of fastening papers together.
Bitmap
A grid of pixels or printed dots generated by computer to represent type and images.
Bleed
The printed image extends beyond the trim edge of a sheet or page. A bleed may occur at the head, front, foot and/or gutter of a page.
Colour separation
Process by which a continuous tone colour image is separated into the four process colours for print production.
Crop marks
Marks at the edges of an illustration or photograph to indicate the portion to be reproduced.
CYMK
Abbreviation for cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black), the 4 process colours, which combined together in varying proportions can be made to produce the full colour spectrum.
DPI
Dots per inch; measure for output resolution of various devices
Dummy
A mock-up made to resemble the final printed product which uses the proposed grade, weight, finish and colour of paper.
Estimate
A price given to a customer based on specifications provided by the customer. The price can change if the order specifications are not the same as the estimate specifications.
Flush
Even with (as with to a margin).
Four-colour process:
Reproduction of full-colour photographs or art with the four basic colours of ink (yellow, magenta, cyan, black).
GSM/g/m2
Both stand for grammes per square metre, g / m2 is the correct definition by paper makers but GSM is used more frequently. 60 gsm is a paper which is lighter than an 80 gsm paper.
Gutter
Line or fold at which facing pages meet.
Halftone
Picture with shades of tone created by varying size dots.
Hickey
A spot on a printed sheet caused by dust, link or ink imperfections; particularly noticeable on solids and half-tones.
Justified
Text which is flush to both the left and right margins.
Line copy
Copy which can be reproduced without using halftones.
Over-run
Copies printed in excess of the quantity specified in the order.
Perfect binding
A bookbinding method in which pages are glued rather than sewn to the cover. Used primarily for paperback books.
Point
A measurement for the size of type, distance between lines and thickness of rules. One point equals one seventy-second of an inch (0.3515mm).
Ragged right
Typesetting style in which lines end in unequal lengths on the right side (usually justified on left).
Registration marks
Crosses or other marks placed on artwork which ensure perfect alignment ('registration').
Resolution
The number of dots per inch (dpi) in a computer-processed document. The level detail retained by a printed document increases with higher resolution.
Reversed-out
Type appearing white on a black or colour background, either a solid or a tint.
RIP
(Raster image processor): computer used to create an electronic bitmap for actual output. This may be built into an imagesetter or may be separate.
Saddle stitch
A binding process in which a pamphlet or booklet is stapled through the middle fold of its sheets using saddle wire.
Score
A pressed mark in a sheet of paper, usually a thick paper, to make folding cleaner and easier.
Self-cover
The paper used inside a booklet is the same as that used for the cover and is generally printed on the same press run.
Show through
The degree to which printing is visible through paper due to the low opacity of the paper.
Signature
Folded, printed paper forming a section of a book; usually in a multiple of four, and more often a multiple of eight.
Solid
An area on the page which is completely covered by the ink.
Stock
The paper or card which is to be printed on.
Tint
An area of tone made by a pattern of dots, which lightens the apparent colour of the ink with which it is printed.
Transparency
Transparency or slide: 35mm, 4" x 5" or 8" x 10" positive image on film which can be projected on a screen or scanned as artwork.
