|
A-B
|
|
|
Authors
Alterations
|
Changes other than
corrections, made by a client after the proofing
process has begun. AAs are usually charged to a
client as billable time.
|
|
Art
Director
|
The individual
responsible for overseeing the visual creative and
production process and managing other creative
individuals.
|
|
Binding
|
The process of
attaching loose sheets of paper into a book or
other multipage document.
|
|
Blueline
|
A printer's proof,
actually blue on white paper. All AAs and
corrections should have been made prior to seeing a
blueline.
|
|
BMP
|
A DOS native
graphics format not generally used in professional
printing or online design.
|
|
BRC (Business Reply
Card)
|
A postage paid
postcard that is pre-addressed back to the
sender.
|
|
BRM (Business Reply
Mail)
|
An envelope or
other "letter size" mailer with postage paid and
addressed back to the sender
|
|
Burn
|
To expose light
sensitive media to light. i.e. Burning a negative;
burning a printing plate; or burning a
CD.
|
|
C
|
|
|
Camera
Ready
|
Type and/or artwork
that has been pasted into position to be
photographed for plate ready film.
|
|
Choke
(Choking)
|
When trapping
colour closing the open spaces in a graphic to be
filled with another colour.
|
|
CLUT (Colour Look
Up table)
|
A set of conversion
values for the display of colour images in an RGB
environment.
|
|
CMYK
|
The acronym for the
four process colour inks: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and
Black.
|
|
Colour
Key
|
A printer's proof,
actually four sheets of coloured acetate, for
examining the quality of process colour
separations. This process is normally used when
printing on a press capable of fewer than four
colours at once. All AAs and corrections should
have been made prior to seeing a colour
key.
|
|
Colour
Separation
|
Literally
separating the areas of a piece to be printed into
its component spot and process ink colours. Each
colour to be printed must have its own printing
plate.
|
|
Colour
Space
|
The parts of the
visible spectrum which can be reproduced in a given
medium. (i.e. RGB for computer monitors, CMYK for
print, web safe index colours for the world wide
web)
|
|
Composite
Image
|
A photograph or
other graphic image, that is made of a combination
of multiple images.
|
|
Conversion
|
The process of
creating a three dimensional (3D) item from a flat
sheet of paper. i.e. envelope conversion / box
conversion.
|
|
Copy
|
The prose or other
text used in advertising and printed
material.
|
|
Copyright
(©)
|
A group of legal
rights granted to the author or creator of written
or visual work. All work appearing with the ©
symbol or the word "copyright" is protected by its
creator or his heirs.
|
|
Copy
Writer
|
The individual who
writes the prose or "copy" for an advertisement or
brochure.
|
|
Cromalin
|
A colour proofing
system by DuPont. All AAs and corrections should
have been made prior to seeing a
Chromalin.
|
|
D
|
|
|
Desktop
Publishing
|
A process for
creating camera ready and plate ready artwork on a
personal computer. Though once in vogue, this term
is now usually associated with low end, less
professional design.
|
|
Digital
Imaging
|
The process of
creating a digital copy of an illustrated or
photographic image.
|
|
Digital
Photography
|
The process of
recording images using a digital camera or a
conventional camera with a digital
adapter.
|
|
Digital
Printing
|
A system of
printing, which involves linking printing presses
and computers, bypassing the traditional route of
making printing plates.
|
|
Dot Gain
|
A phenomenon, which
occurs when wet ink comes in contact with paper. As
the halftone dots are applied to the paper, the wet
ink spreads, causing the dots to increase in size
and halftones to appear darker. A number of factors
affect dot gain.
|
|
E
|
|
|
Electronic
Publishing
|
A process by which
information is created and/ or distributed in
electronic or magnetic formats. (i.e. CD ROM or
web.) The usage of this term has expanded to
include digitally created designs that are
reproduced on conventional printing
presses.
|
|
Em Space
|
A lateral space
equal to the width of the lower case letter
"m".
|
|
Emboss
|
A mechanical
process for raising an area of paper to create
letterforms, shapes and textures.
|
|
Emulsion
|
The chemically
treated side of photographic film. (The dull side,
not the shiny side.) Depending on the printing
process involved, film will be requested as "right
reading" emulsion up or emulsion down.
|
|
En Space
|
A lateral space
equal to half an em space, roughly the width of the
lower case letter "n".
|
|
Engraved
Printing
|
Raised printing
produced by a cutaway plate. A similar effect can
be achieved with thermography.
|
|
EPS (EPSF)
Encapsulated Postscript File.
|
A vector-based
computer graphics file format developed by Adobe
Systems. EPS is the preferred format for many
computer illustrations because of its efficient use
of memory and fine colour control.
|
|
F
|
|
|
Foil
Stamping
|
A mechanical
process that results in the bonding of coloured
foil to paper.
|
|
FPO (For Position
Only)
|
A low resolution
image inserted into a layout to be replaced by a
full resolution image before or during the
pre-press process.
|
|
FTP (File Transfer
Protocol)
|
The method for
up-loading and down-loading files to/from internet
server systems.
|
|
G
|
|
|
GIF
|
An eight bit (256
colours or shades of grey) or less computer file
format. Though commonly used to post photographic
images to computer bulletin boards, GIF files are
almost never used for professional
printing.
|
|
Graphic
|
A non-text item
(Illustration or photograph) to be
printed.
|
|
Graphic
Design
|
A process of
problem solving, using visual elements (pictures
and type) usually to communicate a concept or
idea.
|
|
Graphic
Designer
|
An individual who
solves communication problems, using visual
elements (pictures & type) to convey an idea or
concept.
|
|
Greek
|
Usually nonsense
words and letterforms used in a design to
approximate the flow of written language. Used
primarily before final text is
available.
|
|
H
|
|
|
Halftone
|
A reproduction of a
continuous tone image (i.e. a photograph or
painting) using fine dots of varying size and
spacing to reproduce the shades and textures of the
original.
|
|
Hexachrome
|
A proprietary
colour separation process, developed by Pantone,
that uses six (6) instead of four process colours.
(CMYK plus Orange and Green)
|
|
HTML (Hyper Text
Markup Language)
|
The scripting
language which is the basis of the world wide
web.
|
|
Hyperlink
|
An indexed piece of
text which, when clicked with a pointing device
(i.e. a mouse) prompts new information to be loaded
to the viewers computer system.
|
|
I
|
|
|
Illustrator
|
An individual who
draws or paints or otherwise creates original
artistic images for use in commercial
art.
|
|
Imagesetter
|
A high resolution
device that prints directly to plate ready
film.
|
|
Imposition
|
The process of
positioning multiple pages on a flat sheet of paper
to be printed at one time.
|
|
Inch
|
A unit of
measurement equal to six (6) picas or seventy two
(72) points. Normally used by design clients and
printers.
|
|
J
|
|
|
Java
|
A programming
language developed and owned by Sun Microsystems.
Java holds the promise of "write once run anywhere
programming". (i.e. A program can be written on a
Unix sytem and run on Windows or Macintosh
computers).
|
|
JavaScript
|
A scripting
environment similar to HTML, and like HMTL a subset
of the SGML group of scripting
languages.
|
|
JPEG Joint
Photographic Electronic Group.
|
A common standard
for compressing image data for electronic delivery
(CD ROM or Web). JPEG is not commonly used in
printing because of data loss which leads to
degraded images.
|
|
K
|
|
|
Kern
|
To adjust the
lateral space between individual
letters.
|
|
Keyline
|
A line, often a box
around a graphic image.
|
|
L
|
|
|
Leading
|
The space, measured
in points, between consecutive lines of type.
(Originally from the strips of lead placed between
lines of hot type.)
|
|
Lupe
(Loupe)
|
From the German
word for magnifying glass, a lens used by
photographers, printers, and designers to examine
details in printed materials.
|
|
M
|
|
|
Match
Print
|
A colour proofing
system developed by 3M. All AAs and corrections
should have been made prior to seeing a Match
Print.
|
|
Mechanical
|
Board-mounted,
camera-ready artwork intended for use in
traditional (non-digital) pre-press.
|
|
O
|
|
|
Offset Printing
(Offset lithography)
|
Currently the most
common commercial printing method, in which ink is
offset from the printing plate to a rubber roller,
then to paper.
|
|
P
|
|
|
Paste-up
|
The process of
physically adhering artwork, galleys, and other
type to a paste board other substrate, usually with
hot wax or other adhesive.
|
|
Paste-up
|
The product of the
paste-up process.
|
|
Paste
Board
|
The physical
substrate, usually composed of a stiff paper board,
used for composing camera ready artwork.
|
|
PDF Portable
Document file.
|
A proprietary
format developed by Adobe Systems for the transfer
of designs across multiple computer
platforms.
|
|
Perfect
Binding
|
A book binding
process where pages are glued together and directly
to the cover of the book.
|
|
Photo CD
|
A proprietary
format developed by Eastman Kodak for storing
photographic images on a compact disc. Images can
be easily accessed for use in professional
printing.
|
|
PhotoCopy
|
A mechanical
printing process that uses a light sensitive
printing element, electrostatic toner and a heating
element to fuse the toner to the paper.
|
|
Photo
Illustration
|
An image, primarily
consisting of a photograph or composite image
containing a photograph.
|
|
Photo
Plate
|
A light sensitive
printing plate. The plate is developed like film,
then used on a printing press.
|
|
Photograph
|
An image or picture
made by exposing light sensitive film with a
camera.
|
|
Pica
|
A unit of
measurement equal to twelve (12) points or one
sixth (1/6) of an inch. Used by designers and other
graphics professional for its precision.
|
|
Pixel
Depth
|
The amount of data
used to describe each coloured dot on the computer
screen. i.e. Monochrome is 1 bit deep. Greyscale is
8 bits deep. RGB is 24 bits deep. Images to be
printed as CMYK separation should be 32 bits
deep.
|
|
Plate Ready
Film
|
Final photographic
film or other artwork used to "burn" printing
plates. No addtional paste-up or stripping should
be required if artwork is actually plate
ready.
|
|
PMS colour (Pantone
Matching System)
|
A proprietary
colour system for choosing and matching specific
spot and process colours.
|
|
Point
|
A unit of
measurement equal to 1/12th of a pica or 1/72nd of
an inch. Normally used to measure type size or
fractions of a pica for the design
process.
|
|
Pre-press
|
The various
printing related services, performed before ink is
actually put on the printing press. (i.e.
stripping, scanning, colour separating,
etc.)
|
|
Press
Proof
|
A sheet of paper
used as reference while printing.
|
|
Printing
|
The process of
applying ink to paper.
|
|
Process
Colour
|
The mechanical
process of reproducing a full colour image with the
three primary subtractive colour inks (CMYK or
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) and black. When
viewed under a lupe, the individual colour halftone
dots can be seen in a process colour
image.
|
|
Production Artist
(Pasteup Artist)
|
A skilled labourer
who produces finished camera ready or plate ready
artwork from the visual elements and instructions
provided by the designer or client.
|
|
R
|
|
|
Reflective
Art
|
Artwork which is
neither digital nor transparent. Reflective art
requires either scanning or camera work to be
printed.
|
|
Registration
|
The quality of
alignment of the different coloured inks as they
are applied to paper. (i.e. If the inks can be seen
to overlap improperly or to leave white gaps on the
page, the printing is said to be "out of
registration" or "poorly registered".)
|
|
Romance Copy (Sell
Copy)
|
Packaging copy that
describes the benefits of the product
inside.
|
|
RGB
|
Red Green Blue, the
colours used by a computer monitor to create colour
images on the screen.
|
|
S
|
|
|
Saddle
Stitch
|
A book binding
process where pages are stapled together through
the spine of the book. Traditionally performed on V
shaped saddle.
|
|
Sans
Serif
|
A type face that
has no tails or curled points (serifs) at the
ends.
|
|
Score
|
To imprint a
crease. It is preferable to score heavy paper
before folding it, in order to avoid
cracking.
|
|
Script
|
A type face that
mimics the appearance of hand written
text.
|
|
Sell Copy (Romance
Copy)
|
Packaging copy that
describes the benefits of the product
inside.
|
|
Serif
|
The curls and
points that appear as adornments on some type
faces.
|
|
Service
Bureau
|
The facility that
provides professional services to graphics and
printing professionals. (i.e. plate ready film,
matchprints, colourkeys, etc.)
|
|
SGML (Standard
Graphic Markup Language)
|
The parent
scripting environment which includes subset
languages like HTML, DHTML, XML and Java
Script.
|
|
Signature
(Sig)
|
All pages of a book
or other bound print job, to be printed on a single
pass through a printing press. On small presses 2
pages, on larger presses always a number divisible
by 4 or 8 pages. (Bound pages are always in groups
divisible by four, 2 outside and 2 inside
pages.)
|
|
Spot
Colour
|
Single colours
applied to printing when process colour is not
necessary (i.e. one, two and three colour
printing), or when process colours need to be
augmented (i.e. a fluorescent pink headline or a
metallic tint).
|
|
Spread
|
1) A design that
encompasses two or more facing pages (i.e. the
center spread in the morning newspaper)
2) Literally,
spreading the ink around a coloured object so that
there is no gap between it and the next coloured
object. (i.e. yellow text on a blue
background.)
|
|
Style
Sheet
|
A page or group of
pages designating the type faces to be used in a
design. i.e. Headlines, captions and body
text.
|
|
T
|
|
|
Thermography
|
A printing process
that results in raised type similar to engraved
printing.
|
|
TIFF
|
Tagged Image File
Format, a bitmapped file format used for the
reproduction of continuous tone images such as
photographs and illustrations.
|
|
Trapping
|
The process of
closing gaps between different colour inks as they
appear on the printed page. Trapping colour is
achieved by use of chokes and spreads.
|
|
U
|
|
|
URL (Universal
Resource Locator)
|
The address of
files and sites on the internet
|
|
W
|
|
|
Web Press
|
A high speed printing press that prints on both
sides of a continuous roll of paper. Web presses
are used for high volume printing such as
newspapers and magazines.
|
