Accordion Fold

A binding term for two or more parallel folds that open like an accordion. Brochures and maps often use accordion folds.

Artwork

All original copy, including type, photos and illustrations, intended for printing.

Baseline

In composition, the line on which the bottoms of letters rest, exclusive of descenders that fall below the baseline.

Binder

An adhesive component of paper designed to hold the paper together.

Bind-in

Includes any insert that is bound into a publication.

Binding Ear

A narrow (usually 3″ to 4″) extension of a saddle stitch insert necessary for the actual stitching process. It allows the insert to straddle the gathering mechanism for stitching.

Binding Lap

An extension (usually 1/4″ to 1/2″) on a 4-page saddle stitched insert that allows it to be mechanically opened during binding. There are two kinds of laps, see high folio lap and low folio lap.

Binding Stub

Portion of an insert card (usually 1/4″ or 1/2″) that fastens into a perfect bound publication. It is the distance from the spine to a vertical perforation on the bind-in.

Bleed

Printed colors that run to the edge of a the paper. To accommodate the bleed, the printer must make the bleed image area larger than the final trim size. The page is trimmed through the bleed area.

Calibration

The setting or correcting of a measuring device or base level, usually by adjusting it to match or conform to a dependably known and unvarying measure.
digital printing : the process of transferring a document on a personal computer or other digital storage device to a printing substrate by means of a device that accepts text and graphic output. Digital printing has steadily replaced lithography in many markets, especially at the consumer and business level, because of its substantially lower production costs.

Card Stock

Also called cover stock. A stiff paper often used for postcards, catalog covers and other items that require rigidity. Card stock is described by point sizes that give the thickness of the sheet in thousandths of inches.

Dots per inch

The usual measure of printed image quality on the paper. The average personal computer printer today provides 300 dpi or 600 dpi. Choosing the higher print quality usually reduces the speed of printing each page.

CMYK

Acronym for the four process color inks used in 4-color printing: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. The “K” in CMYK does not necessarily stand for black, but rather, for the “Key” plate. The Key plate is the plate that holds the detail for the printed image, and in 4-color printing this is usually done with black ink.

Coated Paper

Paper coated with clay, white pigments and a binder.

Color Bars

The color strip on plates that is used as a guide for the printer in determining the amount and density of ink needed.

Color Cast

An unwanted dominant color present in the original image or in its reproduction. Color casts are usually the result of lighting variance during photography or incorrect processing of captured image; they are also the result of improper employment of methods used for proofing and/or printing the image.

Color Correction

In electronic pre-press, the process of adjusting an image to compensate for color casts due to image capture/processing inaccuracies or deficient characteristics of the output device and printing process.

Engraving

a method of creating raised areas of print or images on paper, such as a business card or letterhead. An impression is created on a metal plate, which is then filled with opaque ink. When paper is pressed into the plate, it creates raised and colored areas.

Converting Colors

Converting colors in an image from one color space to another (i.e. RGB to CMYK) always takes two profiles, a source and destination profile. The Source Profile tells the CMS what the actual colors the document contains. The source profile may be already embedded in the document, applied by the user (via assigning or converting) or supplied by a default setting (via assuming) in the operating system or application. The destination profile tells the CMS what new set of color values is required to reproduce those actual colors (as defined in the source profile) on the destination device. This may be selected by the user at the time of conversion (via choosing a printer profile at the time you print), or selected by a default setting (via assuming) in the operating system or application.

Crop Mark

Symbols placed in the margin outside the image area that indicate an area to be printed and/or trimmed from the image.

Crop

The elimination of parts of a photograph or artwork that are not required to be printed. Cropping allows the remaining parts of the image to be enlarged to fill the space.

Cutoff

The length of the printed sheet off press, based on either the full circumference or 1/2 of the circumference of the impression cylinder of a web press.

Density

1) The degree of darkness of a photographic image. The darker a tone, the higher its density. 2) The thickness of a layer of printed ink. 3) The ability of a color to absorb light reflected from it or block light passing through it. 4) The tightness or looseness of paper fibers.

Desktop Publishing (DTP)

The process of creating fully composed pages using a computer, off-the-shelf graphics software and an output device such as a laser printer.

Die Cutting

The process of using sharp steel dies to cut special shapes from printed sheets either on flatbed or rotary presses.

Dingbats

Typographical ornaments such as bullets, arrows and check marks, used for design emphasis within text.

Dots Per Inch (DPI)

A unit of measure for the output resolution of a printing device (i.e. laser or inkjet printer), the DPI refers to the number of dots that print within an inch. DPI is often used – incorrectly – to refer to the resolution of a scanner or digital images obtained by scanning or a digital camera. But in these cases there isn’t any printed dots to consider, but rather, the act of digitizing a photo or original artwork and the resulting electronic image that exists in the form of pixels. The resolution of an electronic image is referred to as PPI (pixels per inch), which has no influence on the DPI of an output device, though it will effect how sharp the image will print on any given device.

Emboss/Embossing

To press an image into paper so it is raised above the surface.

Emulsion

A light-sensitive pigment coating on film, plates and color key proofs.

Enamel

A type of coated paper or the coating material on a paper.

Facing Pages

Two pages that face each other when a publication is open.

Final Trim Size

The finished size of a bound magazine.

Finishing

Any post-press operation, such as folding and cutting.
View Part II.