A type of paper folding in which each fold runs in the opposite direction to the previous fold, creating a pleated or accordion effect.

Large white areas in a design layout.

The condition of type and or art materials as they level up on a horizontal or vertical line.

A light source produced by the passing of electric current between two electrodes; used in the production of plates in photolithography.

Any materials or images that are prepared for graphic reproduction.

Print applied to both sides of a sheet of paper, also referred to two-sided or duplex

The portion of a photograph or drawing that appears furthest from the eye; the surface upon which the main image is superimposed.

A term used to describe the aesthetic or harmony of elements, whether they are photos, art, or copy, within a layout or design.

The primary headline usually spanning the entire width of a page.
Also, a large sign usually used as a form of advertisement.

A coating that is applied onto the non-printing side of paper to add to the opacity of that paper. Reference, opacity.

A three-dimensional impression is which the image stands just slightly out from the flat background.
Reference: blind emboss

This is a term used to describe the imaginary, horizontal line upon which stand capitals, lower case letters, punctuation points, etc.

The weight, in pounds, of a ream (500 sheets) of paper cut to a given standard size for that particular paper grade.

The adjusting of spacing of type in order to correct the justification.

A heavy paperboard with a cloth covering that is used for hardback binding of books.

Various methods of securing folded sections together and/or fastening them to a cover to form single copies of a book.

An old style of typeface used in Germany in the 15th century, also referred to as Old English (US) and Gothic (UK).

On offset presses, a fabric-reinforced sheet of rubber to transfer the impression from the plate onto the paper.

A printing method in which there are two blanket cylinders through which a sheet of paper is passed and printed on both sides.

Extra ink area that crosses trim line, used to allow for variations that occur when the reproduction is trimmed or die-cut.

A design or bas relief impression that is made without using inks or metal foils.

Although seemingly dry, paper does contain approximately 5% moisture. In cases where there is excessive moisture and the paper is passed through a high heat-drying chamber, the moisture within the paper actually boils and causes a bubble or blistering effect.

The resistance of coated papers to blocking. Reference, blocking.

Any enlargement of photos, copies, or line art.

Photographic proof made from flats for checking accuracy, layout, and imposition before plates are made. Also known as a dylux.

The thickness or viscosity of printer's ink.

Repetitive blocks of type that are picked up and included routinely without recreating them.

A grade of durable writing, printing, and typing paper.

A term given to the unfinished stage of bookmaking when the pages are folded, gathered, and stitched-in but not yet cover bound.

A registration problem, usually on copiers, where the image appears to bounce back and forth. A bounce usually occurs in one direction depending on how the paper is passing through the machine.

A heavily embossed paper.

A pamphlet that is bound in booklet form.

A term used in plate making to describe the amount of plate exposure time.

The measurement of thickness of paper expressed in thousandths of an inch or mils.

A term given to any copy, artwork etc., that is prepared for photographic reproduction.

A chemical pulp paper (calcium carbonate), used mostly for the printing of magazines.

A 13th century handwriting style which is the roots of italic design.

Any paper that has a mineral coating applied after the paper is made, giving the paper a smoother finish.
Coatings typically used are gloss and dull (also known as satin, silk, or matte).

To gather sheets or signatures together in their correct order.

A printers or publishers identifying symbol or emblem.

A color test strip, which is printed on the waste portion of a press sheet. It is a standardized (GATF-Graphic Arts Technical Foundation) process which allows a pressman to determine the quality of the printed material relative to ink density, registration, and dot gain. It also includes the Star Target, which is a similar system designed to detect inking problems.

The processes of separating the primary color components for printing.

Space between two or more columns of type on one page.

A method of binding books whereby holes are drilled on the side closest the spine, and a wire or plastic grasping device is inserted to hold the pages together.
Also called spiral binding.

The assembly of characters into words, lines, and paragraphs of text or body matter for reproduction by printing.

A narrow, elongated type face.

The degree of tonal separation or gradation in the range from black to white.

Refers to any typewritten material, art, photos etc., to be used for the printing process.

A term describing a general type of thicker papers used for the covers of books, pamphlets, etc.

The result of added thickness of folded sheets being behind one another in a folded signature. Outer edges of sheets creep away from back-most fold as more folded sheets are inserted inside the middle.

To eliminate a portion of the art or copy. Usually indicated by crop marks.

Elements that cross page boundaries and land on two consecutive pages.

Machine for accurately cutting paper items and stacks of paper to desired dimensions.

Sharp edged device, usually made of steel, to cut paper into a specific shape.

A shade of blue used in the four-color process; it reflects blue and green and absorbs red.

An essential part of the printing process whereby cloth covered rubber rollers distributes the dampening solution to the plate.

The rough or feathered edge of paper when left untrimmed.

An optical device used by printers and photographers to measure and control the density of color.

The degree of tone, weight of darkness or color within a photo or reproduction.

Design, letters, or shapes cut into metal for stamping book covers or embossing.
An engraved stamp used for impressing an image or design.

The process of cutting paper in a shape or design by the use of a wooden die or block in which are positioned steel rules in the shape of the desired pattern.

Any type that stands out from the rest of the type on a page which attracts attention of the reader.

In the printing process, the rubber coated rollers responsible for the distribution of ink from the fountain to the ink drum.

Occurs when you fold into a fold (such as a letter fold). At the side of one of the creases you get an indentation. It may look like a small inverted triangle.

The smallest individual element of a halftone.

Darkening of halftone image due to ink absorption in paper causing halftone dots to enlarge.
Term to describe the occurrence whereby dots are printing larger than they should.

A term that describes any additives to ink which encourages the drying process.

The actual drilling of holes into paper for ring or comb binding.

A shadow image placed strategically behind an image to create the affect of the image lifting off the page.

The roller between the inking and the dampening rollers.

Any matte finished paper.

A term used to describe the preliminary assemblage of copy and art elements to be reproduced in the desired finished product; also called a comp.

Color reproduction from monochrome original. Keyplate usually printed in dark color for detail, second plate printed in light flat tints. A two-color halftone reproduction generated from a one-color photo.

Paper which has a different color or finish on each side.

A unit of measurement equaling 12 points or 4.5mm.

A method of paper finishing whereby a pattern is pressed into the paper when it is dry.

A term that describes a glossy coating on paper.

The smoother side of paper, usually a soft weave pattern used for book papers.

The surface quality of paper.

Also called liquid ink; ink with a low viscosity.

The results of combining a wet ink pigment with a varnish and having the wet pigment mix or transfer over to the varnish.

Papers that have a surface resembling metal.

Markings at top edges that show where folds should occur.

Machine used to fold signatures down into sections.

The rollers that come into direct contact with the plate of a printing press.

Colors that lose tone and permanency when exposed to light.

The bundling of two or more different printing projects on the same sheet of paper.

Image which appears as a lighter area on a subsequent print due to local blanket depressions from previous image areas on a letterpress rotary machine as well as on an offset press.

Sticking on gold leaf to edges of books with a liquid agent and made permanent with burnishing tools.

Quick-drying, oil-based inks with low penetration qualities used on coated stock.

An area of image where halftone dots range continuously from one density to another.

Direction of fibers in a sheet of paper governing paper properties, such as increased size changes with relative humidity, across the grain, and better folding properties along the grain.

A series of metal fingers that hold each sheet of paper as it passes through the various stages of the printing process.

Low cost papers such as newsprint made by the mechanical pulping process as opposed to chemical pulping and refining.

Space between pages in the printing frame of a book, or inside margin towards the back or binding edge.
The blank space or margin between the type page and the binding of a book.

Printing registration that lies within the range of plus or minus one half row of dots. It is the thinnest of the standard printers' rules.

Tone-graduated image composed of varying sized dots or lines, with equidistant centers.

The effect in a photograph where a dot has such a small degree of halation that the dot shows quite sharp.

That space which lies between the top of the printed copy and the trimmed edge.

The lightest tones of a photo, printed halftone, or illustration.

That space on the spine of a case-bound book between the block of the book and the case binding.

This is a term that refers to a paper that a printer keeps on hand in his shop.

Inside back cover.

Inside front cover.

That portion of the printing plate that carries the ink and prints on paper.

Arrangement of pages so that they print correctly on a press sheet, and the pages are in proper order when the sheets are folded.

Product resulting from one cycle of printing machine.
The pressure of the image carrier, whether it be the type, plate, or blanket, when it contacts the paper.

Markings pre-printed on mailing envelopes to replace the stamp.

The device which stores and meters ink to the inking rollers.

Extra printed pages inserted loosely into printed pieces.

The paper cover sometimes called the "dust cover" of a hardbound book.

A number assigned to a printing project used for record keeping and job tracking. Also used to retrieve old jobs for reprints or reworking by customer.

To vibrate a stack of finished pages so that they are tightly aligned for final trimming.

The narrowing of space between two letters so that they become closer and take up less space on the page.

The printing plate that is used as a guide for the other plates in the color printing process; it usually has the most detail.

A delicate printed impression, just heavy enough to be seen.

A coarse, unbleached paper used for printing and industrial products.

A clear gloss coating applied to printed material for strength, appearance, and protection.

A parallel-lined paper that has a handmade look.

Edge of a sheet of paper being fed into a printing press.

The dots or dashes used in type to guide the eye from one set of type to the next.

Space between lines of type; the distance in points between one baseline and the next.

A metal die, either flat or embossed, created from the image or copy, which is then heated to a specific temperature which allows the transfer of a film of pigmented polyester to the paper.

Printing that utilizes inked raised surfaces to create the image.

Any copy that can be reproduced without the use of halftone screens.

A paper that emulates the look and texture of linen cloth.

A personalized type or design symbol for a company or product.

Black pigments containing black iron oxides, used for magnetic ink character recognition.

Process of adjusting final plate on the press to fine tune or modify plate surface.

Minimum required space around edge of page.

To write up instructions, as on a dummy.

The blocking out of a portion of the printing plate during the exposure process.

Photographic proof made from all color flats and form composite proof showing color quality as well as accuracy, layout, and imposition before plates are made.

An undesirable halftone pattern produced by the incorrect angles of overprinting halftone screens.

A term used to describe spotty or uneven ink absorption.

Outside back cover.

Outside front cover.

The most commonly used printing method, whereby the printed material does not receive the ink directly from the printing plate but from an intermediary cylinder called a blanket, which receives the ink from the plate and transfers it to the paper.

A term for uncoated book paper.

Quality of papers that defines its opaqueness or ability to prevent two-sided printing from showing through.

Ink that completely covers any ink under itself.

A single line at the beginning of a paragraph which is left behind at the end of a column or page and stands alone.

When two sheet passes on a press are misaligned.

Surplus of copies printed.

Any printing that is done on an area that has already been printed.

Type that is set in excess of the allotted space.

Pixels per inch.

A hard-finished paper that emulates animal skin; used for documents, such as awards, that require writing by hand.

A sheet that is larger than the cut stock of the same paper.

Markings, usually dotted lines, at edges showing where perforations should occur.

Binding process where backs of sections are cut off, roughened and glued together, and rung in a cover.

Printing both sides of the paper (or other material) on the same pass through the printing machine.

Punching small holes or slits in a sheet of paper or cardboard to facilitate tearing along a desired line.

Standard of measurement, 1/6 inch. 1 pica = 12 points 72 points = 1 inch

Using metal pins fitted into preset holes of copy sheets, films, plates and presses that will assure the proper registration.

Reproduction of type or cuts in metal, plastic, rubber, or other material, to form a plate bearing a relief, planographic, or intaglio printing surface.

The cylinder on a printing press on which the plate is mounted.

A measurement unit equal to 1/72 of an inch. 12 points to a pica, 72 points to an inch.

Any paper that is considered better than #1 by its manufacturer.

A plate that has been treated with light sensitive coatings by the manufacturer.

Actual press sheet to show image, tone values, and colors as well as imposition of frame or press-plate.

In printing, the four primary colors are cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow, and black.

Two consecutive pages as they appear on a flat or signature before imposition.

Printing inks, usually in sets of four colors. The most frequent combination is yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, which are printed, one over another in that order, to obtain a colored print with the desired hues, whites, blacks, and grays.

A copy of a project, either digital or hard copy, sent to the customer for the purpose of checking for mistakes (color, resolution, typos, etc.) prior to printing.

Two consecutive pages as they appear in printed piece.

500 sheets of paper.

The arrangement of two or more images in exact alignment with each other.

Any crossmarks or other symbols used on layout to assure proper registration.

A term that denotes folds that are 90 degrees to each other.

A pigment somewhat redder than true magenta.

A term given to copy that accommodates the lines of a picture or other image or copy.

A title at the top of a page that appears on all pages of a book or chapter of a book.

Stitching where the wire staples pass through the spine from the outside and are clinched in the center. Number of pages for saddle stitching requires increments of 4.

A paper that shows sign of erasure so that it cannot be altered or tampered with easily.

A smooth, delicately finished paper with sheen.

The enlargement or reduction of an image or copy to fit a specific area.

Impressions or cuts in flat material to facilitate bending or tearing.

A measurement equaling the number of lines or dots per inch on a halftone screen.

Unwanted ink marks in the non-image area.

A cover made out of the same paper stock as the internal sheets.

Stitching where the wire staples pass through the pile of sections or leaves gathered upon each other and are clinched on the underside.

Printed sheet (or its flat) that consists of a number of pages of a book, placed so that they will fold and bind together as a section of a book. The printed sheet after folding.

That quality of paper defined by its levelness which allows for pressure consistency in printing, assuring uniformity of print.

Back edge of a book.

A method of binding books whereby holes are drilled on the side closest the spine, and a wire or plastic grasping device is inserted to hold the pages together.
Also called comb binding.

Small area printed in a second color.

A term for unprinted paper or other material to be printed.

The adhesive quality of inks.

A dense, strong paper stock.

A paper's ability to withstand pressure.

A high-quality printing paper.

A printing process whereby slow drying ink is applied to paper, and while the ink is still wet, it is lightly dusted with a resinous powder. The paper then passes through a heat chamber where the powder melts and fuses with the ink to produce a raised surface.

A halftone screen that contains all the same sized dots.

The rough-surfaced finish of papers such as vellum or antique.

The process of printing wet ink over printed ink which may be wet or dry.

Marks placed on the sheet to indicate where to cut the page.

A term used to describe how many similar sheets can be produced on a larger sheet; two up, four up, etc.

A clear, shiny ink used to add gloss to printed pieces.

A finish of paper that is rough, bulky, and has a degree of tooth.

A term given to papers that are coated with an adhesive and then flock dusted.

Fade to white or small decorative design or illustration.
A photo or illustration etc., in which the tones fade gradually away until they blend with the surface they are printed on.

An abbreviation for work and back. Reference, sheetwise.

An abbreviation for work and turn.

A translucent logo that is embossed during the papermaking process.

A single word or two left at the end of a paragraph, or a part of a sentence ending a paragraph, which loops over to the next column or page and stands alone.

A smooth paper made on finely textured wire that gives the paper a gentle-patterned finish.

Another name for bond paper.

Papers made to reproduce well in copy machines and laser printers.

The actual amount of force needed to start an ink flowing.