Printing Terms Glossary
C1S – A paper term. Abbreviation for coated one side.
C2S – A paper term. Abbreviation for coated two sides.
Calendering – A paper term used to describe the process in which paper is passed between a stack of cast-iron rolls at the end of a paper machine to increase the smoothness and gloss of the paper surface.
Caliper – A paper term used to describe the thickness of paper, usually expressed in thousands of an inch (mils). ALSO, a device on a sheetfed printing press that detects double sheets or on a binding machine that detects missing signatures or inserts.
Camera Ready Art – A prepress term used to describe original copy which is ready for the photomechanical generation of film negatives.
Carbonless Paper – A paper that has been coated with chemicals that enable transfer of images from one sheet to another with pressure from writing or typing.
Carton – Selling unit of paper weighing approximately 150 pounds (60 kilos). A carton can contain anywhere from 500 to 5,000 sheets, depending on the size of sheets and their basis weight.
Case – A bindery term used to describe the covers of a hardbound book.
Case Bind – To bind using glue to hold signatures to a case made of binder board covered with fabric, plastic or leather. Also called cloth bind, edition bind, hard bind and hard cover.
Cast Coated – A paper term used to describe a coated paper high has been dried under pressure against a polished cylinder to produce an exceptionally high-gloss enamel finish.
Catalog Paper – A general paper term used to describe coated paper rated #4 or #5 with basis weight from 35# to 50# (50 to 75 gsm) commonly used for catalogs and magazines.
CEPS – Color Electronic Prepress System. Computer, scanner, printer and other hardware and software designed for image assembly, color correction, retouching and output onto proofing materials, film or printing plates.
Chain Lines – A paper term referring to the widely spaced lines in laid paper. ALSO – A printing term used to describe blemishes on printed images caused by tracking.
Chalking – A printing term used to describe the improper drying of ink where pigment "dusts off" because the drying vehicle has been absorbed too rapidly into the paper. Also referred to as crocking.
Chokes and Spreads – A prepress term used to describe the overlapping of overprinting images to avoid color or white fringes or borders arounf image detail. Commonly referred to as trapping. Used to compensate for minor misregistration from ink blanket-to-blanket on the multicolor printing press.
Chrome – An ink term used to describe the strength of a color as compared to how close it seems to neutral gray. Also called depth, intensity, purity and saturation.
CMYK – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black. The subtractive process colors used in full-color printing.
Coated Paper – A paper term used to describe paper that has a surface coating with clay clay and other substances that produces a smooth printing surface and improves reflectivity and ink holdout. Typical coated surfaces are Gloss, Dull and Matte. Most coated papers are available in varying shades of white, brightness and opacities. While most coated papers are white, there are several natural, eggshell and cream brands available.
Coating – A printing term used to describe an emulsion, varnish or laquer applied over a printed surface to protect it. Most common types of coating are Aqueous and UV (Ultraviolet).
Collate – A bindery term used to describe the gathering of sheets or printed signatures.
Color Balance – A printing term used to describe the correct combination of cyan, magenta, yellow and black to accurately produce colors as represented on a color proof.
Color Bar – A strip of small blocks of color on a proof or press sheet to help evaluate features such as density and dot gain. Also called color control bar, color guide and standard offset color bar.
Color Blanks – Press sheets that have been printed with photos or illustrations, but without type. Also referred to as shells.
Color Break – In multicolor printing, the point, line or space at which one ink color stops and another begins. Also called break for color.
Color Build – A printing term referring to the overlapping of screen tints of two or more colors to create a new color.
Color Cast – A general term referring to unwanted color that affects an entire image or portion of an image.
Color Correction – A digital prepress term used to describe the process of manipulating a digital image to improve color rendition.
Color Curves – A digital prepress term referring to instructions in computer software that allow users to change or correct colors. Also called HLS and HVS tables.
Color Gamut – A digital prepress term describing the entire range of hues possible to reproduce using a specific device, such as a computer screen, or system, such as four-color process printing.
Colorimeter – An electronic optical instrument used for measuring color as it is seen by the human eye.
Color Key – Brand name for an overlay color proof. Sometimes used as a generic term for any overlay color proof.
Color Proof – A prepress term used to describe a contract-quality digital or analog color proof used on press to match process colors.
Color Separation – A prepress term used to describe the process of separating color originals into the primary printing color components.
Color Sequence – A printing term referring to the order in which inks are printed. Also called laydown sequence and rotation.
Color Shift – A printing term used to describe a change in image color resulting from changes in register, ink densities or dot gain during four-color process printing.
Comb Bind – A bindery term referring to the process of binding printed sheets by inserting the teeth of a flexible plastic comb through holes punched along the edge of a stack of paper. Also called plastic bind and GBC bind (a brand name).
Commercial Printer – A term used for a printer that produces a wide range of products such as announcements, brochures, posters, booklets, stationery, business forms, books and magazines. Also called job printer because each job is different.
Compiled List – A direct mail term used to describe a list of names and addresses that is created specifically for renting to Direct mail markers and represents a particular targets market. Names are usually taken from directories, trade shows rosters, public records, or list of other people with common characteristics.
Composite Proof – Proof of color separations in position with graphics and type. Also called final proof, imposition proof and stripping proof.
Composition – (1) In typography, the assembly of typographic elements, such as words and paragraphs, into pages ready for printing. (2) In graphic design, the arrangement of type, graphics and other elements on the page.
Comprehensive Dummy – A simulation of a printed piece complete with type, graphics and colors. Also called color comprehensive and comp.
Computerized Imposition – A digital prepress term used to describe the use of software programs to automatically perform the page layout functions of placing an image on film negatives or a printing plate.
Consumer Profile – A direct mail term describing an outline of significant demographic and psycho graphic details about the user of a particular product. The data may include the user’s age category, Marital status, income level, education, occupation, sex, area of residence, and/or purchase behavior patterns.
Continuous Tone – A digital prepress term used to describe a photographic image which contains smooth gradient tones, as opposed to a simulated halftone dot gradient pattern.
Control Group – A direct mail term used to describe a standard against which test results are compared, such as previously utilized direct mail package that is being compared to new packages that offer some variation in copy
Contrast – A general term used to describe the tonal graduation between the highlights, mid-tones and shadows in an original or reproduced image.
Converter – A general term referring to a business that makes products such as boxes, bags, envelopes and displays from printed press sheets.
Coverage – A printing term referring to the extent to which ink covers the surface of a substrate. Ink coverage is usually expressed as light, medium or heavy.
Cover Weight – A paper term used to describe a grade of paper, characterized by high bulk and strength, typically used for the covers of catalogs, brochures and booklets.
CRA – See Camera Ready Art.
Crash – A bindery term referring to coarse cloth embedded in the glue along the spine of a book to increase strength of binding. Also called gauze, mull and scrim.
Creep – A bindery term refrring to the middle pages of a folded signature extending slightly beyond outside pages due to the offset created by the combined thickness of multiple folded signatures. Also called feathering, outpush, push out, thrust and shingling.
Crop – A prepress term used to describe the elimination of portions or an image, usually on a photograph.
Crossover – Type or art that continues from one page of a book or magazine across the gutter to the opposite page. Also called bridge, gutter bleed and gutter jump.
CTP – Computer-To-Plate. A process in which printing plates are imaged in a completely digital workflow, which eliminates the need for film negatives and manual imposition.
Cure – To dry inks, varnishes or other coatings after printing to ensure good adhesion and prevent setoff.
Curl – A paper term used to describe the distortion of a sheet due to differences on structure or coatings from one side to the other, or to absorption of moisture on an offset press.
Cutoff – The circumference of the impression cylinder of a web press, therefore also the length of the printed sheet that the press cuts from the roll of paper.
Cutscore – A letterpress term used to describe a sharp-edged knife, usually several thousands of an inch lower the the cutting knives in a diecutting die, used to cut slightly into the paper or board surface for folding purposes.
Cutter – A bindery machine that cuts stacks of paper to desired sizes. The machine can also be used in scoring or creasing.
Cutting Die – A custom-made steel rule paper cutting device used to trim specific and unusual sized printing projects.
[ return to top ] . [ Main Menu ]
.
[
Home ]
[ About AGI ]
[ Prepress ]
[ Press Room ]
[ Finishing ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Printing Terms ]
[ Directions ]
[ A ] . [ B ] . [ C ] . [ D ] . [ E ] . [ F ] . [ G ] . [ H ] . [ I ] . [ J ] . [ K ] . [ L ] . [ M ]
[ N ] . [ O ] . [ P ] . [ Q ] . [ R ] . [ S ] . [ T ] . [ U ] . [ V ] . [ W ] . [ X ] . [ Y ] . [ Z ]
4795 Oakland Street • Denver, Colorado 80239 • (303) 371-2345 • Fax (303) 371-2444
.
