Printing Terms Glossary
Rag
Paper – A paper term used to describe bond or other forms of stock
having a strong percentage content of “cotton rags.”
Rainbow Fountain – A technique of putting ink colors next to each
other in the same ink fountain and oscillating the ink rollers to make the
colors merge where they touch, producing a rainbow effect.
Raster Image Processor – see RIP
Reader Spread – Mechanicals made in two page spreads as readers
would see the pages, as opposed to a printer spread.
Ream – 500 sheets of paper.
Recycled Paper – New paper that has been made entirely or in part
from paper that has been previously used.
Reflective Copy – Products, such as fabrics, illustrations and
photographic prints, viewed by light reflected from them, as compared to transparent
copy. Also called reflex copy.
Reducers
– An ink term which refers to varnishes, solvents and other compounds
that are used in prinking inks to reduce viscosity.
Register – The fitting of two or more printing images in precise
alignment with one another.
Register Marks – Cross-hair lines on mechanicals and film that
help keep flats, plates, and printing in registration. Also called crossmarks
and position marks.
Relief Printing – A method of printing in which the image carriers
have surfaces with two levels with inked areas being higher than noninked
areas. Relief printing includes block printing, flexography and letterpress.
Repeatability – Ability of a device, such as an imagesetter, to
produce film or plates that yield images in register.
Reprographics – A general term for xerography, diazo and other
methods of copying used by designers, engineers, architects or for general
office use.
Resolution – The sharpness or quantification of printout quality
of an image on film, paper, computer screen, disc, tape or other medium.
Resolution Target – An image, such as the GATF Star Target, that
permits evaluation of resolution on film, proofs or plates.
Reverse – Type, graphic or illustration reproduced by printing
ink around its outline, thus allowing the underlying color or paper to show
through and form the image. The image ‘reverses out’ of the ink
color. Also referred to as a knockout or liftout.
RGB – Abbreviation for Red, Green, Blue, the additive color primaries.
Right Reading – Copy that reads correctly in the language in which
it is written. Also describes a photo whose orientation looks like the original
scene, as compared to a flopped image.
RIP
– Raster Image Processor. A device that translates PostScript
page description commands into bitmapped information for an output device
such as a laser printer or imagesetter.
Rotary Press – Printing press which passes the substrate between
two rotating cylinders when making an impression.
Round Back Bind – To casebind with a rounded (convex) spine, as
compared to flat back bind.
Rule – A line used as a graphic element to separate or organize
copy.
Ruleup – A map or drawing given by a printer to a stripper showing
how a printing job must be imposed using a specific press and sheet size.
Also called press layout, printer’s layout and ruleout.
[ 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
.
