Glossary
Die-cutting: the process of using sharp steel rules to cut special shapes for labels, packaging or brochures, from printed sheets. Can be either flat-bed or rotary (the latter is done in line with the printing).
Digital colour proof: an off-press colour proof produced from digital material without the need for separation films.
Digital printing: printing by plateless imaging systems that are imaged by digital data from pre-press systems.
DPI: dots per inch, a measure of the resolution of a screen image or printed page, which is made up of the individual elements or dots.
Dummy: a preliminary layout showing the position of illustrations or text, as they are to appear in the final product. Or a set of blank pages: made up in advance to show size, shape, form and general style of the printed product.
DVD: Digital Video/Versatile Disk. A CD-ROM that can store audio, video, and computer data at six or more gigabytes per disk.
Embossing: impressing an image in relief to achieve a raised or depressed surface.
EPS: Encapsulated Post Script. A picture file that allows postscript data to be stored and edited. Easy to transfer Mackintosh, MS-DOS and other systems.
Flatbed Scanner: a device that scans images in a manner similar to a photocopy machine. The original art is positioned face down on a glass plate.
Flush cover: a cover that has been trimmed the same size as the inside pages.
Flush left or right: type set to line up at the left or right.
Folio: page number.
Font: a complete assortment of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks of a given size and design.
Front-end system: in electronic publishing, the workstations containing the applications software for preparing pages of type and graphics.
Gallery proof: a proof of text copy before being made into pages.
Gathering: the assembling of folded signatures in proper sequence.
Grammage: a term in the metric system for expressing the basis of the weight of paper. It is the weight in grams of a square metre of the paper expressed in g/m2.
Gutter: the blank space or the inner margin from printing areas to binding.
Hard copy: the permanent visual record of the output of a computer or printer.
Head margin: the white space above the first line of a page.
HTML: Hyper Text Mark-up Language, the coding language that is used to create Hyper Text documents for use on the World Wide Web.
Imposition: the arranging of the pages in a press form to ensure the correct order after the printed sheet is folded and trimmed.
Insert: a printed piece prepared for insertion into a publication or another printed piece.
Kerning: in typesetting, subtracting space between two characters, making them closer together.
Lamination: a plastic film bonded by heat or pressure to a printed surface for protection or appearance.
Layout: the drawing or sketch of a proposed printed piece. In platemaking, a sheet indicating the setting for a step-and-repeat machines.
Leading: the distance between the lines of type measure in points.
LAN: Local Area Network. In electronic publishing the linking of workstations, file servers and print servers.
Machine-coated: paper that is coated on one or both sides on a paper machine.
Make-ready: all the work done to set up a press for printing.
Makeup: in composition, the arrangement of type and illustrations into sections or pages of proper length.
Matt finish: dull paper finish, without gloss or lustre.
Negative: film containing an image on which the values of the original are reversed, so that the dark areas appear light and vice versa.
OCR: Optical Character Reader. Allows a computer to read printed or written information.
Off-Press proofs: proofs made by photomechanical or digital means in less time and lower costs than press proofs.
Overprint: double printing; that is, printing an area that has already been printed.
Over-run: copies printed in excess of the specified quantity.
Over-set: type set in excess of space needs.
Page make-up: the electronic assembly of page elements to compose a complete page with all elements in place.
Pagination: the electronic process of performing page make-up automatically.
PDF: Portable Document File. Documents in PDF format can be viewed, navigated and printed from any computer regardless of the fonts or software programs.
Positive: film containing an image in which dark and light values are the same as the original. The reverse of negative.
PostScript: a computer description language that allows a programmer to create complex pages using a series of commands.
Press proofs: a proof of a colour subject made on the printing press, in advance of the production run.
Print quality: the properties of the paper that affect its appearance and quality of reproduction.
Process colours: in printing, yellow, magenta and cyan, plus black in a four-colour process.
Ragged left: type that is justified on the right and ragged on the left.
Repeatability: the ability to keep photo film and the images thereon in proper register.
Register: fitting two or more printing images in exact alignment to each other.
Register marks: crosses or other targets used to position films in register.
Resolution: the quantification of printout qualification using the number dots per inch.
RIP: raster image processor.
Run-around: type set to fit around a picture or element of design.
Score: to impress or indent a mark in paper to make folding easier.
Spine: the back of a bound book connecting the front and back covers.
Show-through: the undesirable condition in which the printing on the reverse side of the sheet can be seen through the sheet under normal lighting conditions.
Step and repeat: the procedure of multiple exposure using the same image by stepping it into position according to the predetermined layout or program.
TIFF: Tagged Image File Format. A file format for exchanging bitmapped images (usually scans) between applications.
Tints: various even tone areas of a solid colour.
Transpose: to exchange the position of a letter, word, or line, with another letter, word or line.
Trapping: in printing, the ability to print a wet ink film over previously printed ink. In pre-press: refers to how much overprinting colours overlaps to eliminate white lines between lines in printing.
Trim marks: marks placed on the copy to indicate the edge of the page.
Up: in printing two-up, three-up etc., refers to the imposition of material to be printed on a larger size sheet to take advantage of full press capacity.
Varnish: a thin protective coating applied to a printed sheet for protection or appearance.
Web press: a press that prints in web or rotary printing.
WORM: Write Once Read Many times. A type of optical memory device.
WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get. The composite page viewed on the screen essentially represents what the printer will print out.
