Gate Fold

An insert where one or two pages are bound into a publication so that one or more pages will fold out from the publication.

Gloss

A shiny coating on paper. Gloss coatings allow very little ink absorption, thus providing excellent color definition and contrast.

Gutter

The inside margin from the printing edge to the binding area for publications.

Halftone

A method for screening to simulate shades of gray. Darker tones are created with larger dots; lighter tones with smaller dots. This reproduction method contrasts with stochastic screening (same-size microdots) in a controlled random placement within a given area.

Imposition

In digital imaging, the positioning of pages on a signature so that after printing, folding, and cutting, all pages will appear in the proper sequence.

Kerning

In typesetting, the process of subtracting space between characters so overall letter spacing appears even.

Knockout

When type or line art is to be printed over a photograph or other variable color background, the best way to produce a consistent color is to first reverse the type or artwork out of the background and then drop in the desired color. The process is referred to as “knocking out”.

Layout /Mock Up

A drawing that gives the general appearance of the finished piece and usually indicates the relationship between illustrations and copy.

Leading

The distance between lines of type measured in points.

Letterpress

The oldest form of printing, in which a surface with raised letters is inked and pressed to the surface of the printing substrate to reproduce an image in reverse. Examples of letterpress printing include carved wood or stone block printing.

Margin

Non printing area of a page.

Matte

A coated paper with a non-shiny finish that inhibits ink from being absorbed by the paper.

Offset printing (also called offset lithography)

A method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media. The print media, usually paper, does not come into direct contact with the metal plates, which prolongs the life of the plates. The flexible rubber conforms readily to the print media surface, allowing the process to be used effectively on rough-surfaced media such as canvas, cloth or wood.

Overlay

A tissue over the base keyline for writing corrections and instructions such as indicating color breaks.

Overprint

To print over an area that has previously been printed on.

Pinholes

Tiny areas that are not covered by ink.

Pixel

Abbreviation for picture element, the smallest unit that can be sensed, manipulated, or output by a digital system or displayed on a computer screen.

Plate

Reproduction of type and images on metal, plastic, rubber or other material to form a printing surface.

PMS (Pantone Matching System)

A proprietary color system for choosing and matching specific spot colors. Almost all printers worldwide use this system for color matching. The Pantone Matching System provides designers with swatches for specific colors and gives printers the recipes for making those colors.

Postscript

A programming language that describes the appearance of a printed page. It was developed by Adobe in 1985 and has become an industry standard for printing and imaging. All major printer manufacturers make printers that contain or can be loaded with Postscript software, which also runs on all major operating system platforms.

Resolution

How resolution is defined in electronic imaging will depend upon what item is being referred to. Output devices, including presses, print with dots, so the resolution in their case is described as being dots per inch (DPI). On the other hand, digital images, whether obtained with a scanner or digital camera, are made up of pixels, so their resolution would be defined as being pixels per inch (PPI). Monitor resolution is also defined as pixels per inch (PPI) due to its display of electronic files in pixels. Scanner resolution is referred to as samples per inch (SPI) due to a scanner’s method for digitizing reflective art and/or transparencies, which is to sample the original at a particular frequency – a higher sample rate (like 300 SPI) means a higher scanning resolution than 150 SPI, which is only half that of 300 SPI. The higher the sample rate (samples per inch), the more closely the scan will represent the original’s appearance due to it having more samples from which to construct its representation of the original.

RGB

Acronym for Red-Green-Blue, the primary colors of the additive color model, which describes how monitors and RGB digital images represent color by blending these three primary colors together. When all three are combined over each other the color of light is white.

Saddle Stitching

A binding method for pamphlets, folders, leaflets and magazines where the signature is opened and stitched (stapled) at the center fold of the signature.

Side Stitching

A binding method where two or three staples are passed through signatures, usually on the left side of the book.

Spot Color

A specially mixed ink which creates a specific color to be printed on press. Spot color inks are opaque, not translucent like process color inks. Requires only one plate to print the color versus four when printing with process colors.

Trim Marks

Marks that indicate where a piece is to be cut.

Trim Size

The final size of a book after binding and trimming.

Trim

To cut the excess paper from the edges of a press sheet. In proofing to cut down a proof to a specific size.

Typesetting

The process of setting material in type or into a form to be used in printing.

Uncoated Paper

Paper that has not had a final coating applied for smoothness. Uncoated paper is absorbent and soft in appearance.

Varnish

A clear, liquid, resinous coating, either matte or glossy, that is applied to a printed product for protection and appearance.

Vector

A mathematically described object or path used to create images in drawing programs (or any program that includes drawing tools in its list of capabilities).
View Part I.