Artwork
All original copy, including type, photos and illustrations, intended for printing. Also called Art
Back up
To print on the second side of a sheet already printed on one side, or to adjust an image on one side of the sheet so that it aligns back-to-back.
Basic size
The standard size of sheets of paper used to calculate basis weight.
Basis weight
The weight, in pounds, of a ream (500 sheets) of paper cut to the basic size. Also called ream weight and substance weight.
Bind
When referring to books; the joining of leafs or signatures together with wire, glue or other means.
Bindery
Usually a department within a printing company responsible for collating, folding, trimming, numbering, and general finishing of printing projects.
Bleed
Printing that extends past the edge of a sheet of paper after trimming.
Blow-up
An enlargement usually used with graphic images or photographs
Blueline
A prepress proof made from the stripped final negative where all colors show as blue images. A generic term for proofs made from various materials. Also called blackprint, blue, blueprint, brownline, brownprint, diazo, dyeline, ozalid, position proof, silverprint, dylux and Vandyke.
Bond Paper
Category of paper suitable for books, magazines catalogs and general printing. Coated (also called art paper, enamel paper, gloss paper, slick paper) uncoated (also called offset) and text paper.
Bristol Paper
General term referring to paper 6 points or thicker, and basis weight between 90# and 200#, Used for index cards, postcards, file folders, displays.
Bulk
Thickness of paper relative to its basic weight. No longer used as a term for mailing of many identical pieces at once (“bulk mail”).
Burst perfect bind
To bind by forcing glue into notches along the spine of gathered (collated) pages prior to adding the cover paper. Also called burst bind, notch bind and slotted bind.
C1S and C2S
Abbreviation for paper which is coated one side (C1S) and coated on both sides (C2S)
Camera-ready Copy
Mechanicals, photographs, and art fully prepared for reproduction. Must be final size, quality and complete. Also called finished art and reproduction copy.
Carbonless paper
Paper coated with chemicals that enable transfer of images from one sheet to another with pressure of writing or typing.
Cast-coated paper
High gloss, coated paper made by pressing the paper using a hot metal drum while the coating is wet.
Check copy
A production copy of a publication verified by the customer as accurate, or one set of collated signatures approved by customer as ready for binding.
CMYK
Abbreviation for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and key (black). These are the 4 ‘process' colors, used for full-color printing, also called ‘4 color process'
Coated paper
Paper with a coating of clay or chemicals that improves the ink coverage and reflectivity. There are 4 categories: cast, gloss, dull and matte (matte is also called velvet and satin).
Collate
To organize printed sheets in a specific order as requested.
Color Electronic Prepress System (CEPS)
Computer, scanner, printer and any other hardware required to assemble an image for printing. Generally used in ‘disk to plate' systems.
Color Separation
Technique of dividing continuous tone color images into separate images, either for close registration multi-color images or four-color process images.
Comb Bind
Also called GBC or plastic binding, the process of inserting plastic ‘teeth' of a rounding comb into holes punched in the margins of pre-collated papers.
Commercial Printer
Print business producing a wide range of products such as brochures, flyers, business cards, stationary, and newsletters, books, magazines. Also called a job printer.
Composite art
Proof of color separations used for customer approval of final art. All graphics and type are in place as final. Also called stripping proof or final proof.
Cover
Thick paper that protects a publication and advertises its title.
Coverage
How much ink is covering the surface of the paper. Usually referred to as light, medium or heavy.
Cover paper
Category of thick paper used for business cards, posters, menus, file folders, paperback book covers.
Crop Marks
Lines near the edges of image indicating the limit of the image and the final size. Also called cut marks or tic marks.
Cut sizes
Paper sizes used with office machines and small format presses
Cutting Die
A customer ordered item to trim or cut into a printing project.
Cyan
One of the 4 process colors; process Blue
Deboss
The opposite of emboss, to press or toll an image into the paper.
Deckle edge
Paper edging left ragged when it is made, also called feather edge.
Density
The relative thickness of a layer of ink, or the ability to block light or allow light to pass. When used to refer to paper, the relative tightness of the fibers.
Die
Device for cutting, scoring, stamping embossing or debossing.
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