C1S and C2S
|
Acronyms for Coated One Side and Coated Two Sides paper stock. A cover stock with a glossy finish on one side and uncoated on the other, usually between 8pt (.008″) and 18pt (.018″) in thickness. |
Calender
|
To make the surface of paper smooth by pressing it between rollers during manufacturing |
Caliper
|
The measurement of the thickness of paper measured in thousandths of an inch or mils. |
Camera Service
|
Business using a process camera to make photostats, halftones, plates and other elements for printing. Also called prep service and trade camera service |
Camera-ready Copy
|
Mechanicals, photographs and art fully prepared for reproduction according to the technical requirements of the printing process being used. Also called finished art and reproduction copy |
Carbonless Paper
|
Paper that is chemically treated to transfer the impression from the first page to the subsequent pages. See Carbonless NCR Form Printing for more detailed info. |
Carload
|
Selling unit of paper that may weigh anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 pounds (9,090 to 45, 454 kilos), depending on which mill or merchant uses the term. Abbreviated CL |
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
|
Covers and spine that, as a unit, enclose the pages of a casebound 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 |
Case binding
|
Books bound using hard board (case) covers. |
Cast coated
|
A paper that is coated and then pressure dried using a polished roller that imparts an enamel like hard gloss finish. |
Cast-coated Paper
|
High gloss, coated paper made by pressing the paper against a polished, hot, metal drum while the coating is still wet |
Catalog Paper
|
Coated paper rated #4 or #5 with basis weight from 35# to 50# (50 to 75 gsm) commonly used for catalogs and magazines |
Center spread
|
The two pages that face each other in the center of a book or publication. |
Chain Dot
|
(1) Alternate term for elliptical dot, so called because midtone dots touch at two points, so look like links in a chain. (2) Generic term for any midtone dots whose corners touch |
Chain lines
|
Lines that appear on laid paper as a result of the wires of the papermaking machine. |
Chalking
|
Deterioration of a printed image caused by ink that absorbs into paper too fast or has long exposure to sun, and wind making printed images look dusty. Also called crocking |
Check Copy
|
(1) Production copy of a publication verified by the customer as printed, finished and bound correctly. (2) One set of gathered book signatures approved by the customer as ready for binding |
Choke
|
Technique of slightly reducing the size of an image to create a hairline trap or to outline. Also called shrink and skinny |
Chrome
|
Strength of a color as compared to how close it seems to neutral gray. Also called depth, intensity, purity and saturation |
Clip art
|
Graphic images, designs, and artwork in digital form that can be used in a digital document. |
Close Up
|
A mark used to indicate closing space between characters or words. Usually used in proofing stages |
CMYK
|
Abbreviation for cyan, magenta, yellow and key (black), the four process colors |
Coarse screen
|
Halftone screens commonly used in newsprint; up to 85 lines per inch. |
Coated Paper
|
Paper with a coating of clay and other substances that improves reflectivity and ink holdout. Mills produce coated paper in the four major categories cast, gloss, dull and matte |
Coated stock
|
Any paper that has a mineral coating applied after the paper is made, giving the paper a smoother finish. |
Coil Binding
|
Where a metal or plastic wire is spiraled through holes punched along the side of a stack of paper. Commonly used for reports, proposals and manuals. Documents bound with coil have the ability to lay flat and can rotate 360 degrees. Also called spiral binding. |
Cold color
|
Any color that is toward the blue side of the color spectrum. |
Collate
|
To gather sheets or printed signatures together in their correct order. |
Collating Marks
|
Mostly in the book arena, specific marks on the back of signatures indicating exact position in the collating stage |
Colophon
|
A printers’ or publishers’ identifying symbol or emblem. |
Color balance
|
The relative amounts of process colors used to reproduce an image, either digitally or when printed on a press. |
Color bars
|
A color test strip that is printed on the waste portion of a press sheet. It helps a press operator to monitor and control the quality of the printed material relative to ink density, registration and dot gain. It can also include a Star Target, which is designed to detect inking and press problems. |
Color Blanks
|
Press sheets printed with photos or illustrations, but without type. Also called 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 cast
|
Unwanted color tone or overall color shading distorting the normal color balance of a photographic image. |
Color Control Bar
|
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 bar, color guide and standard offset color bar |
Color Correct
|
To adjust the relationship among the process colors to achieve desirable colors |
Color correction
|
Using a computer to adjust, change or manipulate a color image, such as retouching, adjusting color balance, color saturation, contrast, etc. |
Color Curves
|
Instructions in computer software that allow users to change or correct colors. Also called HLS and HVS tables |
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. Abbreviated CEPS |
Color gamut
|
The entire range of hues possible to reproduce on a specific system, such as a computer screen, or four-color printing press. |
Color Key
|
Brand name for an overlay color proof. Sometimes used as a generic term for any overlay color proof |
Color Model
|
Way of categorizing and describing the infinite array of colors found in nature |
Color separating
|
The processes of separating the primary color components (CMYK) for printing. |
Color Separation
|
(1) Technique of using a camera, scanner or computer to divide continuous-tone color images into four halftone negatives. (2) The product resulting from color separating and subsequent four-color process printing. Also called separation |
Color sequence
|
The order in which process inks are printed on a printing press. Also called the color rotation or laydown sequence. |
Color shift
|
Change in the perceived color of elements on a printed piece caused by changes or irregularities in ink densities, dot gain, or color register during a four-color printing press run. |
Color transparency
|
Transparent film containing a positive photographic color image. |
Comb Bind
|
To bind 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) |
Comb Binding
|
Binding a stack of paper together by inserting the teeth of a flexible plastic comb into holes punched along one of the edges. Commonly used for catalogs, reports and manuals. |
Commercial Printer
|
Printer producing 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 |
Complementary Flat(s)
|
The second or additional flat(s) used when making composite film or for two or more burns on one printing plate |
Composite Art
|
Mechanical on which copy for reproduction in all colors appears on only one surface, not separated onto overlays. Composite art has a tissue overlay with instructions that indicate color breaks |
Composite Film
|
Film made by combining images from two or more pieces of working film onto one film for making one plate |
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
|
Simulation of a printed piece complete with type, graphics and colors. Also called color comprehensive and comp |
Condensed type
|
A narrow, elongated typeface. |
Condition
|
To keep paper in the pressroom for a few hours or days before printing so that its moisture level and temperature equal that in the pressroom. Also called cure, mature and season |
Contact Platemaker
|
Device with lights, timing mechanism and vacuum frame used to make contact prints, duplicate film, proofs and plates. Also called platemaker and vacuum frame |
Continuous-tone Copy
|
All photographs and those illustrations having a range of shades not made up of dots, as compared to line copy or halftones. Abbreviated contone |
Contrast
|
The degree of tonal separation or gradation in the range from black to white. |
Converter
|
Business that makes products such as boxes, bags, envelopes and displays |
Copyboard
|
Surface or frame on a process camera that holds copy in position to be photographed |
Cover
|
A term describing a general type of paper used for the covers of books, pamphlets, etc., also used for business cards and postcards. |
Cover Paper
|
Category of thick paper used for products such as posters, menus, folders and covers of paperback books |
Coverage
|
The extent to which printing ink covers the surface of a printed sheet. Ink coverage is frequently expressed as light, medium or heavy. |
Crash
|
Coarse cloth embedded in the glue along the spine of a book to increase strength of binding. Also called gauze, mull and scrim |
Creep
|
Phenomenon of middle pages of a folded signature extending slightly beyond outside pages. Also called feathering, outpush, push out and thrust. See also Shingling |
Crop
|
To reduce the size of an image. |
Crop marks
|
Small printed lines around the edges of a printed piece indicating where it is to be cut out of the sheet. Sometimes referred to as cut marks. |
Crossover
|
An image, rule or line art on one printed page that carries over to an adjacent page of a bound or folded work. |
Cure
|
To dry inks, varnishes or other coatings after printing to ensure good adhesion and prevent setoff |
Customer Service Representative
|
Employee of a printer, service bureau, separator or other business who coordinates projects and keeps customers informed. Abbreviated CSR |
Cut Sizes
|
Paper sizes used with office machines and small presses |
Cutoff
|
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 |
Cutting Die
|
Usually a custom ordered item to trim specific and unusual sized printing projects |
Cutting Machine
|
A machine that cuts stacks of paper to desired sizes. The machine can also be used in scoring or creasing |
CWT
|
Abbreviation for hundredweight using the Roman numeral C=100 |
Cyan
|
A shade of blue used in four-color process printing. The C in CMYK. Also referred to as process blue. |
