Printing: glossary

Accordion fold: A series of parallel folds that opens like an accordion.

Against the grain: The folding or feeding of paper at right angles to the direction of the paper's grain.

Backing up: Printing on the opposite side of an already-printed sheet.

Bleed: The extra amount of the printed image that has been designed to run off beyond the trim edge of the sheet

Bimetal plate: A type of plate used in lithography. The printing image base is usually made of copper; the non-printing area is aluminum, stainless steel, or chrome.

Caliper: A way to measure paper thickness, usually in thousandths of an inch (mils).

Coated: Paper that has a smooth surface; either a gloss or matte finish.

Cross direction: Refers to the direction across the grain of a paper. Cross direction makes the paper weaker and more sensitive to changes in humidity than grain direction.

CYMK (cyan, yellow, magenta, black): The four colors used in printing from which all colors are produced.

Densitometer: A reflection densitometer is used to measure the density of printed color. Used to control color consistency throughout a press run.

Die: A metal object in a specific shape that cuts or conforms to a given image.

Die-cutting: When sharp steel blades are used to cut shapes from printed sheets. Rotary die-cutting is usually done on press with the printing.

Digital/digitize: A method for transporting information by breaking it up into language a computer can understand.

Digital color proof: A color proof produced without separation films.

DPI (dots per inch): The term used to describe resolution output. For example, a laser printer usually outputs from 300 to 800 dpi, whereas high-level film output can be at 2800 dpi or more.

Duotone: Printing a photograph in two colors.

Embossing: The process of impressing an image in relief in order to create a raised surface.

Felt side: The smooth side of the paper.

Gang printing or ganging up: Running several jobs or lots on the same sheet, then cutting it into the individual jobs after printing. This is often a cost-effective solution when planning several jobs.

Grain: The direction in which most fibers lie.

Halftone: The reproduction of an image, such as a photograph, by converting it into dots of varying sizes to create tonal gradation.

Highlight: The lightest or whitest parts in a photograph represented in a halftone by the smallest dots or no dots.

Lamination: A plastic film adhered to paper by heat and pressure.

LPI (lines per inch): The number of lines or dots per inch on a halftone screen.

Matte finish: A paper surface without a gloss or luster finish.

Opacity: Refers to the show-through of printing from the back side or next sheet of paper.

Pass: The number of times paper travels through a press.

Pigment: Refers to what gives color, transparency, or opacity to inks.

PostScript: The standard operating language through which desktop page makeup (DTP) systems run.

Process colors: Four-color process printing includes the following colors: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.

Ream: A package of 500 sheets of paper.

Register: The fitting, in exact alignment, of two or more colors printing on the same surface.

Saddle wire: Securing paper by wiring at the middle fold of the sheets.

Sans serif: A group of typefaces without serifs.

Scanning: The method by which artwork, photos, or copy can be electronically input via a laser.

Self cover: Cover and inside pages printed on the same paper.

Serif: Short cross lines at the end of the main strokes of certain typeface styles.

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