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PRINTING TERMS
Aqueous Coating
Water based coating available in gloss, dull, satin and pencil
receptive.
Author's Alterations (AA's)/Customer
Alterations
Changes made after composition stage where customer is
responsible for additional charges.
Binding
Various methods of securing folded sections together and/or
fastening them to a cover, to form single copies of book.
Blanket
On offset presses, a fabric-reinforced sheet of rubber to
transfer the impression from the plate onto the paper.
Bleed
Extra ink area that crosses the trim line, used to allow for
variations that occur when the reproduction is trimmed or die
cut. Printing that extends off the edge of a sheet or page after
trimming.
Blind Embossing
Embossed forms that are not inked or foiled.
Blue-Line
Photographic proof made from negatives for checking accuracy,
layout and imposition before plates are made. As the new
direct-to-plate technology takes over, these are less and less
common.
Coated (Paper)
Paper coated with clay, white pigments and a binder. Better for
printing, gets less picking.
Collate
To assemble or collect sections into single copies of complete
books for binding.
Collating Marks
Black step-marks printed on the back of folded sheets, to
facilitate collating and checking of the sequence of book
signatures.
Column Gutter
Space between two or more columns of type on one page.
Composition
The assembly of characters into words, lines and paragraphs of
text or body matter for reproduction by printing.
Continuous Tone
Image made of non-discernable picture elements which give the
appearance of continuous spectrum of gray values or tones.
Creep
Result of added thickness of folded sheets being behind one
another in a folded signature. Outer edges of sheets creep away
from backmost fold as more folded sheets are inserted inside the
middle.
Crop Marks
Marking at edges of original or on guide sheet to indicate the
area desired in reproduction to be trimmed (cropped) at the
markings.
Cross-Over
Elements that cross page boundaries and land on two consecutive
pages (usually rules).
Curl
Not lying flat and tending to form cylindrical or wavy shapes.
Cutter
Machine for accurately cutting stacks of paper to desired
dimensions...can also be used to crease. Also trims out final
bound books top size (soft cover).
Cutting Die
Sharp-edged device usually made of steel rule, to cut paper,
cardboard, etc., on a die press.
Die
Designs and/or letters cut into metal (mostly brass) for stamping
book covers or embossing.
Die Cutting
Cutting irregular shapes in paper.
Dot Gain
Darkening of halftone image due to ink absorption in paper
causing halftone dots to enlarge.
Dummy Model
Assembling a finished piece in every respect except that the
pages are blank or printed on a copier, used by the designer as a
final check on the appearance and feel of the book as a guide for
the size and position of elements.
Duotone
Color reproduction from monochrome original. Keyplate usually
printed in dark color for detail, second plate printed in light
flat tints. Photograph reproduced from two halftones and usually
printed in two ink colors.
Embossing
To raise in relief a design or letters already printed on card or
tough paper by an unlinked block or die.
Finished Size
Size of printed product after trimming, folding, etc. is
complete.
Finish (Paper)
The dullness or glossiness of the paper surface.
Fold Marks
Markings at top edges that show where folds should occur.
Forwarding
In binding, the process between folding sheets and casing in,
such as rounding and backing, putting on headbands, reinforcing
backs, etc.
Four Color
Process
Printing that uses four process colors of ink (cyan, magenta,
yellow, black - CMYK) for color photographs and illustrations.
Gang
Group of frames or impositions in the same form of different jobs
arranged and positioned to be printed together.
Ghosting
Marring a print by an image on it of work printed on the reverse
side which has interfered with its drying so that differences in
the trapping frame colors are apparent.
Gilding
Sticking on gold leaf to edges of books with a liquid agent and
made permanent with burnishing tools.
Graduated Screen
An area of image where halftone dots range continuously from one
density to another.
Grain
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.
Gutter
Space between pages in the printing frame of a book, or inside
margin towards the back binding edge.
Halftone
Tone-graduated image composed of varying-sized dots or lines,
with equidistant centers.
Hickies
Imperfections in presswork due to dirt on press, trapping errors,
etc.
Imposition
Arrangement of pages so that they print correctly on a press
sheet, and the pages are in proper order when the sheets are
folded.
Inserts
Extra printed pages inserted loosely into printed pieces.
Interleaves
Extra blank pages inserted loosely into book after printing.
Offset
The transfer of ink from one material to another.
Perf Marks
Markings, usually dotted lines, at edges showing where
perforations should occur.
Perfect Binding
Binding process where backs of sections are cut off, roughened
and glued together, and glued into a cover. (Soft cover books)
Perfecting
Printing both sides of the paper (or other material) in the same
pass through the printing press.
Perforating
Punching small holes or slits in a sheet or cardboard to
facilitate tearing along a desired line.
Plate
A plate of metal, plastic or rubber on which the reproduction
image is burned into and mounted on the printing press and
transfers the ink to the blanket.
Printer Spreads
Two consecutive pages as they appear on a flat sheet or
signature.
Process Inks
(see Four Color Process)
Reader Spreads
Two consecutive pages as they appear in the printed piece.
Saddle Stitching
Stitching where the wire staples pass through the spine from the
outside and are clinched together in the center. Only used with
folded sections, either single sections or two or more sections
inset to form a single section.
Score
Impressions in flat material to facilitate bending, folding or
tearing.
Varnish
A clear ink used to add durability to the printed surface of a
piece. Comes in gloss and dull.
Wire Stitching or Stapling
To fasten together sheets, signatures, or sections with wire
staples. 3 methods: saddle stitching, side stitching and
stabbing.
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