Glossary of Finishing Terms
A
Accordion Fold
Two or more folds parallel to each other with adjacent folds in opposite directions resembling the bellows of an accordion. Alternative term: fanfold.
Adhesive Binding
Applying a glue or another, usually hot-melt, substance along the backbone edges of assembled, printed sheets or folded signatures. The book or magazine cover is applied directly on top of the tacky adhesive. Alternative term: perfect binding.
Against the grain
Folding or cutting paper at right angles to the grain direction of the paper. Alternative term: Across the grain.
Air Table
A guillotine cutter bed equipped with tiny air holes that create a cushion of air between the paper pile and the table. This reduces friction, allowing the paper to be moved with greater ease.
Assembling
Collecting individual sheets or signatures in a complete set with pages in proper sequence and alignment. Assembling takes place prior to binding. Alternative terms: Collating; gathering; inserting.
B
Back gauge
On a paper cutter, a movable metal stop that can be adjusted by the operator to the depth of the cut. Along with the side gauge, the back gauge also ensures that the paper pile is properly positioned under the knife so that the cuts will be square.
Back margin
The distance between the fold edge and the edge of the body of the type (text matter) next to the fold. Alternative terms: binding margin; gutter margin.
Backing
See Rounding and Backing
Backlining
The piece of paper, muslin, or other material that reinforces the backs of books after rounding and backing.
Backup register
Correct relative position of the printing on one side of the sheet or web and the printing on the other side.
Batch counter
An auxiliary device for a saddle-stitcher that collects finished booklets into predetermined lots, freeing the operator from counting lots.
Bed
On a guillotine paper cutter, the flat metal surface on which the cutting is performed.
Belt Delivery
On an adhesive binder, a method of conveying books from the nipping station to the in-line trimmer using a continuous belt.
Bind Margin
The gutter or inner margin of a book, form the binding edge to the printed area.
Bind
To join the pages of a book together with thread, wire, adhesive, crash (a coarse fabric), or other methods, or enclose them in a cover.
Bindery
A facility or an area of a printing plant where binding and finishing operations (e.g., folding, joining signatures, and covering) are performed. Some trade binderies use the term "finishers," especially when they offer diverse binding and finishing services.
Binding
The process of joining together separate printed sheets or signatures to make books, magazines, catalogs, and booklets. Binding is also used as a general term to describe all finishing operations.
Binding dummy
Blank pages of the assembled signatures, stitched and trimmed to show the amount of compensation needed for creep.
Binding edge
The side of the publication where the signatures are joined together.
Binding marks
Trim marks, fold marks, and spine/collating marks added to a press sheet during imposition that serve as aids or guides for cutting, folding, and collating in the bindery.
Bleed
Pictures, lines, or solid colors that extend beyond the edge or edges of a page so that when margins are trimmed, the image is trimmed even with the edge of the page. Bleeds are usually at least 1/8in., and some facilities use 1/4in. bleeds.
Blow-in card feeder
An auxiliary feeder on saddle stitchers and adhesive binders that uses compressed air to add or "blow in" an insert, such as a reply card, that has been printed separately and will not be stitched into the publication.
Body
The printed text of a book not including the end paper or cover.
Book block
(1) The multiple signatures for a book assembled (stacked) into a single set in the proper sequence. Printers of magazines and other publications besides books may call this a "block" or a "lift." (2) In case binding, a book that has been folded, gathered, and stitched but not cased-in.
Buckle folder
A bindery machine in which two rollers push the printed sheet between two metal plates, stopping it and causing it to buckle at the entrance to the folder. A third roller working with one of the original rollers uses the buckle to fold the paper. Buckle folders are best #d for parallel folding.
Buckle plates
Two smooth, flat metal sheets that receive the paper that has come through the buckling mechanism on buckle or combination folders during binding and finishing. Alternative term: fold plates
Building-in
Placing cased-in books in a forming and pressing machine that holds them tightly under heat and pressure while the adhesive is drying.
Bundling unit, automatic
An auxiliary device that tightly compresses stacks of signatures into more compact loads (logs) as they come off the delivery. The log protects the signatures form damage during handling and also has the benefit of tightening the folds.
C
Caliper
(1) A device that measures thickness. (2) The thickness of a sheet of paper or other material measured under specific conditions. Caliper is usually expressed in mils (thousandths of an inch). Paper thickness is measured with an instrument called a caliper gauge or micrometer.
Case
In book binding, the hardcovers into which bound signatures are affixed.
Case binding
The process that produces a hardcover book. Printed covering material is glued to rigid board material forming a hardcover "case," and the case is then affixed to the book with endpapers.
Casebound
A book bound with a stiff, hard cover.
Casing-in
Applying adhesive and combining a sewn and trimmed text with a cover (case).
Center marks
Positioning marks placed on the press sheet during imposition to help the press operator make sure that the press layout is centered on the printed sheet.
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.
Clamp
(1) On an adhesive binder, a device that grips the book block firmly on either side and guides it into the milling station. (2) On a paper cutter, a movable metal bar that sits above and runs parallel to the paper pile.
Closed head
The uncut top of a signature.
Collate
The process of sorting the pages of a publication in the proper order.
Collating
A variant of gathering where cut, trimmed, or folded signatures or sheets are stacked one on top of another to form multiple layers. This form of gathering is used for adhesive binding, which requires collated signatures so that the glue can penetrate and bind each sheet together.Collating marks
A distinctive numbered or other symbol printed on the folded edge or spine of signatures to denote the correct gathering sequence. The position of the mark is staggered from one signature to the next to show a pattern, allowing the bindery operator to visually check the order of the signatures. Alternative terms: plugs; spine/collating marks.
Comb binding
A curved or rake-shaped plastic strip inserted through slots punched along the binding edge of the sheet. See also: mechanical binding.
Combination folder
(1) The in-line finishing component of a publication or book web offset press that uses at least three different folds, such as the jaw, former, and chopper folds, to cut and fold the printed web into signatures that are shipped to a bindery. (2) A binding machine that has both knife and buckle folding mechanisms. Alternative term: combi folder.
Compensating stacker/counter
An automatic delivery device that alternates the layering of a stack of printed products by turning them 180 degrees to offset the uneven thickness between face and spine of a book.
Computer-to-plate (CTP)
A technology in which imaging systems receive fully paginated/imposed material electronically from computers and expose this information to plates in platesetters or imagesetters, without creating film intermediates. The output device uses lasers to write the printing dots directly to the plates from the information in the impose4d digital files.
Conditioning
The complete and equal exposure of all areas of paper to accurately controlled and specified atmospheric conditions so that its moisture content throughout reaches equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere. Temperature conditioning refers to bringing the paper's temperature into equilibrium with the atmosphere with out removing its wrapping and exposing it to the atmosphere.
Continuous feeder
On a folder, a type of feeder that allows the operator to feed paper on a continual basis without stopping the folder. The continuous feeder is a long table upon which the operator stacks a pile of fanned, staggered sheets. Conveyor tapes on the pile feed table inch the pile forward to a stop mechanism, where sheets are drawn one at a time onto the infeed/lattice table.
Converting
Any manufacturing or finishing operation completed after printing in order to form the printed item into the final product. Bagmaking, coating, waxing, laminating, folding, slitting, gluing, box manufacture, and die cutting are some examples. Converting units may be attached to the end of the pre4ss, or the operation may be handles by a special outside facility.
Conveyor chain
(1) On a saddle stitcher, a continuous-loop moving chain with a number of saddle sections that moves under the feeder stations, receiving the folded signatures dropped from the feeder stations in sequence until a complete booklet (signature set) is formed. (2) On an adhesive binder, a continuous-loop chain that includes long "fingers" attached at intervals. These fingers push the signature off of the feeder tray and onto the raceway where it is guided to the next feeder tray. Alternative term: gathering chain.
Conveyor tapes
Narrow continuous moving belts that transport booklets between sections of a machine.
Counter die
On a folder, a die with recessed surface (groove) or a gap between the two halves that is used with a wheel-like scoring die (which has a raised score blade) to score the paper before it is folded.
Cover feeder
(1) On a saddle-stitcher, a special feeding station that scores, folds, and delivers heavier cover papers onto the saddle. (2) On an adhesive binder, a device that feeds one cover at a time. The cover feeder includes scoring die rollers, which score the cover where folds will be placed. Types of cover feeders include vertical pile feeders, horizontal pile feeders, and stream feeder.
Cover nipper
The area in a perfect binder's cover feeder in which each cover is folded and then pushed around the spine.
Cover papers
A heavy paper designed to serve as the outer layer and protective cover of a booklet, such as an annual report or journal, or other paper application, such as posters, postcards, and greeting cards. Cover papers are similar to offset papers, except that they are thicker.
Covering
The process of pasting endpapers to a hardback book and drying them under pressure. See also: casing-in; building-in.
Crash
A coarse fabric used to strengthen the joints of casebound books. It is placed over the binding edge of a book before it is cased-in to help hold the book within its cover.
Creep
With saddle-stitched publications, the slight but cumulative outward thrust of the edges of each inserted spread or signature beyond the edges of the signature that encloses it. This results in a progressively smaller trim size on the inside pages. Creep is counteracted during the imposition phase by moving the page a tiny bit inward. Alternative terms: binder's creep; push-out; shingling, thrust.
Cross-direction
The position across the grain or at a right angle to the machine direction, on a sheet of paper. The stock is not as strong and is more susceptible to relative humidity in the4 cross-direction
Cross-grain
Folding at right angles to the binding edge of a book, or at a right angle to the direction of the grain in the paper stock. Folding the stock against the grain.
Crossover
A photo, headline, or other image that extends across the gutter between the left-hand and right-hand pages of two-page spread in a magazine, book, or other multi-page product. Alternative terms: breakacross
Curl
The bending or arcing of paper as the result of structural differences between the two sides of paper, usually due to differences in temperature or moisture content.
Cutline indicator
On a paper cutter, a device that shines a thin line of light on the positioned paper pile, showing exactly where the cut will be made.
Cutting
The operations performed to cut apart sheets of stock or printed materials. In the bindery, cutting is almost always done using a single-knife guillotine cutter.
Cutting angle
On a paper cutter, the beveled shape to which the cutting edge of the knife is sharpened. The angle of the bevel varies depending on the material being cut.
Cutting stick
A long square rod, generally made of a tough plastic, that is inserted into a groove on the cutting table immediately beneath the cutting knife and that functions as a counter cutting tool. When the knife slices through a pile of stock, it touches the cutting stick instead of the cutting table, which prevents the knife fro breaking or becoming dull too quickly.
Cutting table
The bed of the cutter that supports the lift of sock that will be cut. Newer models are equipped with an air table that allows the paper to be moved with greater ease.
D
Deflector plate
A special sheet detector that is inserted to bypass any buckle plates not needed for a particular folding job.
Delivery
The section of a folder, saddle stitcher, or adhesive binder where the folded paper, stitched and trimmed booklet, or trimmed-adhesive bound book exits the machine for stacking or packaging.
Density
The weight of paper relative to its volume. Dense papers are more compact with their fibers more tightly bonded together. In softer, bulkier, more porous papers, fiber clusters can swell or shrink without much change in the overall dimensions of the sheet.
Die
A pattern of sharp knives or metal tools used to stamp, cut, or emboss specific shapes, designs, and letters into a substrate.
Die, embossing
A heated or cold brass or steel tool that impresses a raised design into a paper substrate. Unlike a cutting die, the edge of an embossing die is not sharp.
Die stamping
Using a brass or other hard metal die to stamp a book case with ink or metallic foil.
Diecut
A printed subject cut to a specific shape with sharp steel rules on a press.
Diecutting
Using sharp steel rules to slice paper or board to a specific shape on a platen press or specialized stamping press. Diecuts are common in labels, greeting cards, and pop-up books. Diecuts are also made to form the shape of packages before they are folded and glued.
Digital design file
The end result of the design stage, a computer file that contains all the pages and their elements (e.g., text in the chosen font) in a form meant to be printed. Photographic images, illustrations, and logos are submitted as separate files that are linked to the main file.
Digital printing
An umbrella term for a number of non-impact electronic printing processes. Two of the most prominent are inkjet printing and electrostatic (electro-photography). Inkjet involves spraying ink through nozzles onto the surface of the substrate. Electrostatic printing involves the use of a laser to "write" an image on a drum. The image is then coated with toner, a kind of powder ink, which is then transferred to the substrate by heat and pressure.
Dimensional stability
The degree to which paper maintains its size in the face of temperature and moisture content changes, as well as applied stresses.
Direct-imaging press
A press in which the printing plates are imaged directly on the press rather that away from the press, as when a separate platesetter is used in a computer-to-plate (CTP) workflow.
Dog-ears
Bent-over corners of paper that can occur when paper is fed through the press, as the corner catches and folds over. Dog-eared sheets can keep the paper from feeding smoothly through finishing and binding equipment. Folding equipment infeed systems can also create dog-ears.
Double-sixteen
A folder that takes a thirty-two page form and folds it as two separate or inserted sixteen-page forms.
Double-thirty-two
A folder that takes a sixty-four page form and folds it as two separate or inserted thirty-two-page forms.
Dummy
(1) A preliminary layout showing the position of illustrations, text, folds, and other design elements as they are to appear in the printed piece. (2) A set of blank pages prepared to show the size, shape, style, and general appearance of a book, pamphlet, or other printed piece.
E
Edge Trimming
On a folder, the process of using slitters riding on the edges of the sheet to cut off the portion of the press sheet containing the press marks.
Embossing
A finishing operation that involves sandwiching the paper between a relief pattern die and a recessed counter die under heat and pressure. The result is a permanent raised pattern in the paper.
Emulsion glue
A cold-applied glue based on water-soluble polyvinyl acetate (PVA) products and used in adhesive binding.
End leaf
A strong paper used to combine and secure the body of a book to its case. One leaf is pasted against the book's front cover and one against the back cover. Alternative terms: end papers; end sheets.
End product
The final package or printed piece ready for customer use after all folding, gluing, and other binding finishing, and/or converting operations are completed.
Ergonomics
The process of making the workplace safer for workers by designing work methods and equipment to reduce injuries.
F
Face
The side of the page opposite the spine. When a multipage product is closed, the spine is on the left and the face is on the right.
Feed table
The section of a cover feeder for an adhesive binder that contains adjustable side and back stops to support the pile of covers and accommodate different size covers.
Feeder station
On a saddle stitcher or adhesive binder, the section of the feeder that holds the folded signatures in piles, removes signatures one at a time, and drops them onto the conveyor chain. Alternative terms: gatherer; hopper; magazine; pocket; signature feeding station.
Feeder unit
The section of an adhesive binder that has a separate feeding station for each signature. The number of feeding stations may vary from ten or fewer to more than thirty-two, depending on how many signatures make up the finished product.
Film laminating
A finishing process in which a plastic film is bonded by heat and pressure to a printed sheet to provide protection or enhance appearance.
Finishing
All forms of completing graphic arts production, including folding, trimming, and assembling sections; binding by sewing, wire stitching, or gluing; and die-cutting or gold stamping. Finishing can also refer to converting processes that change printed stock into another form, e.g.., bags and boxes.
Flexography
A method of rotary letterpress printing characterized by the use of flexible, rubber or plastic plates with raised image areas and fluid, rapid-drying inks. This process employs a relief principle, meaning that the image area is raised above the surface of the printing plate Ink is transferred to the relief areas and then transferred to the substrate under pressure. The plates are made of a flexible polymer material, which s why it is called "flex"-ography.
Fold
Bending and creasing a sheet of paper as required to form a printed product.
Fold marks
Guides on the original copy and printed sheet that indicate where a printed piece will be folded and that aid in setting up the folder. Fold marks are usually indicated with a dotted or broken line.
Folded to paper
Sheets folded without regard to alignment of headers, footers, and other images throughout the signatures. Press sheets with printing on only one side of the form are folded to paper because backup register is not a consideration.
Folded to print
Sheets folded so that the headers, footers, and other image areas from page to page are aligned from one signature to another.
Folder
The machine that bends and creases printed sheets of paper to particular specifications during binding and finishing. The process itself is called folding.
Folder, quad
A machine that folds and delivers four sixteen-page signatures separately or as two thirty-two-page signatures from a single press sheet with sixty-four pages printed across it.
Folding
The process of bending and creasing paper to form a finished piece or a multipage document. Folding is usually done mechanically by machines that are increasingly computer-controlled. Hand folding is also done, but binderies try to avoid this labor-intensive, expensive process.
Folding dummy
A mockup that shows the placement of page heads, the binding edge, and the gripper and side guide edges, as well as the page sequence and the arrangement of signatures. It is made from a blank press-size sheet of the job stock that is folded and marked with such information as page numbers and X's to indicate the gripper (lead) edge and side-guide edge when the work is printed on a sheetfed press. It can also be used to determine which sides of each page need single-trim and double-trim allowances. Inserting and collating can also be illustrated.
Folding unit
The section on a folder that contains the components required to make the fold. The other two main sections of a folder are the infeed and the delivery.
Foot
The bottom of the page.
Foot margin
The distance between the bottom edge of the body of type (text matter) on a page and the bottom edge of the trimmed page. Alternative term: tail margin
Footer
A book's title or chapter title printed at the bottom of a page. A drop folio (page number) may or may not be included. Alternative term: running foot.
Form
Either side of a signature. A form usually contains a multiple of eight pages, but may be more or less.
Forwarding
Backing, rounding, shaping, lining up, and head banding, among other operations performed before a casebound book is covered.
Full bleed
An image extending to all four edges of the trimmed sheet leaving no visible margins.
G
Gathering
Assembling multiple signatures into a single set in the proper sequence, sometimes called a "book block."
Glue pot
The container that holds the glue on an adhesive binder.
Gluing unit
On an adhesive binder, a hot-melt glue applicator comprised of a glue pot and applicator rollers that applies glue to the spine and/or the sides of the book.
Gluing-off
Applying glue to the spine of a book that is to be casebound.
Grain direction
In paper making, the alignment of the fibers in the direction of web travel. On all roll papers, grain direction is lengthwise on the web, parallel to the direction of web travel.
Grain-long paper
With a rectangular sheet, paper in which the grain runs along the longer dimension.
Grain-short paper
With a rectangular sheet, paper in which the grain runs along the shorter dimension.
Graphic arts workflow
The sequence of steps involved in producing a printed piece. Production workflow may vary slightly from one plant to another, but the stages of production are basically the same throughout the industry.
Gravure
An intaglio printing process in which minute depressions, sometimes called cells, that form the image area are engraved or etched below the nonimage area in the surface of the printing cylinder. The cylinder is immersed in a fluid ink, and the excess ink is scraped off by a blade, leaving the ink in the etched areas beneath the surface. When paper or another substrate comes in contact with the printing cylinder, the ink is drawn out of the etched areas and transferred to the substrate.
Grind-off
In adhesive binding, a step preparatory to gluing in which the spine of the folded signatures are roughened to allow the glue to penetrate and bind the pages.
Gripper edge
The leading edge of the paper that rests at the head stops and is grabbed by mechanical fingers known as grippers. The press operator typically marks the gripper edge with an "XXX" before sending the job to the binding and finishing area.
Grippers
(1) The metal clamps or metal fingers that grasp and hold a registered sheet in position as it travels through a sheefed press. (2) On rotary-drum feed systems for an adhesive binder, the cam-mounted metal fingers that grab a signature, pull it down around the gripper drum, and deposit it on the feeder tray or conveyor chain.
Guillotine cutter
A device with a long, heavy sloping blade that descends to a table or bed and slices through a stack of paper. Guillotine cutters come in a variety of models and size, but they all share the following common components: a knife, cutting stick, cutting table, side and back gauges, and a clamp.
Gutter
(1) A gutter is a standard size gap that separates a design or text area into columns. (2) The inside margin between facing pages, or the margin at the binding edge. Alternative terms: gutter margin; back margin.
H
Hard materials
From the perspective of the paper cutter operator, one of two broad classifications of difficult-to-cut substrates based on the general hardness or softness of materials. Hard materials include art board, gummed papers, cardboards, and plastic foils.
Hazard Communication Standard
Often referred to as "HazCom," a program required by OSHA that communicates chemical hazards, including the following provisions that directly aff3ect binding and finishing production areas: (1) maintain a chemical inventory, or record, of every chemical used in the plant, (2) secure a material safety data sheet (MSDS) for every chemical used in the plant and make these readily available to all workers, (3) label containers in a prescribed manner to allow production workers to quickly assess any hazards associated with the chemical, (4) provide proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the workers from hazards such as excessive noise or chemical splashes, and (5) provide employee training on how to recognize chemical hazards and protect themselves.
Head
The top of a page, book, or printing form.
Head margin
The distance between the top edge of the trimmed page and the top edge of the body of type (text matter) on a page.
Head stop
A stationary device on the folder's register board that stops the forward movement of a sheet so that each sheet is positioned in exactly the same spot.
Head trim
The amount of paper that is cut off above the head margin; usually about 1/8 in. (3 mm).
Headband
An ornamental strip of reinforced cotton or silk attached to the top and bottom of the inner back of a bound book.
Header
A book's title or a chapter title printed at the top of a page and often with a folio (page number). Alternative term: running head.
High-resolution scanning
Using an electronic scanner to capture a photographic image digitally at resolutions equal to or greater than 300 dots per inch (dpi) and store the information in a computer file.
Hopper
A device with side and rear guides that holds a stack of the signatures in place in the feed unit of an adhesive binder or saddle stitcher.
Hot foil stamping
Using a heated flat steel die and colored foil or gold leaf to press a design into a book cover, a sheet of paper, or another substrate. The foil fuses to the paper to create a metallic image in the shape of the die. The die may be used alone (in blind stamping) if no color or other ornamentation is necessary.
Hot melt glues
Any of several glues in adhesive binding that are applied at temperatures between 350 and 400 degrees (177-204 degrees Celsius), with some having application temperatures as low as 250 degrees. Ethyl vinyl acetate copolymers (EVAs), the most common hot-melt glue used in the printing industry, are composed of about 50% polymer mixed with 30% resin (for adhesion) and 15% wax softeners (for added flexibility).
Humidity, relative
The amount of moisture present in the air, expressed as a percentage of the amount of moisture required to saturate the air at a given temperature.
Hydraulic lifts
A hydraulically operated device that raises a load to the height desired by the worker.
I
Imagesetter
A high-resolution device used t output fully paginated text and graphic images onto photographic film, paper, or plate.
Imposition
Arranging the pages of a job on a printing form during the prepress stage of production so that when printed, folded, trimmed, and bound, all content appears in the proper sequence and orientation. Control marks needed by the press, finishing, and binding operators are also placed on the imposition. Page layout is the process of defining where repeating elements such as headlines, text, and folios (page numbers) will appear on multiple pages throughout a document, while imposition can be thought of as defining where these completed pages will appear on much larger sheets of paper. The binding method affects the imposition and assembly order. Imposition involves not only pages but other print job graphics as well, such as multiple copies of a label. Imposition in a digital print workflow is done using special imposition software. Alternative term: press sheet layout.
Imposition layout
A guide that indicates folding sequence, number of pages and signatures used, guide and gripper edges, and cutting and scoring lines for a specific job.
Infeed
part of a folder composed of a table, where paper is stacked and system components guide sheets into the folding unit. The term is also used to identify where stock enters presses and other types of printing and binding equipment.
Infrared dryer
A unit in which an assembly of lamps emitting infrared radiation that generate hear to evaporate water from the PVA adhesives used in adhesive binding.
Inkjet addressing unit
An auxiliary device that uses inkjet technology to address publications and/or print personalized messages in-line with saddle stitchers and adhesive binders. The inkjet units are interfaced with a central database of addresses and other information.
Inkjet printing
A nonimpact printing process in which a stream of electro-statically charged microscopic ink droplets are projected onto a substrate at a high velocity from a pressurized system.
In-line finishing
Manufacturing operations such as numbering, addressing, sorting, folding, die-cutting, and converting that are performed as part of a continuous operation right after the printing section on a press or on a single piece of equipment as part of equipment as part of the binding process.
In-line trimming
(1) On an adhesive binder, trimming books on the head, face, and foot using a three-knife trimmer. (2) On a saddle stitcher, trimming books on the head, face, and foot using a three-knife trimmer.
Insert
(1) A page that is printed separately and then bound into the main publication. (2) An advertising leaflet often on low-grade paper that is placed inside a periodical or newspaper.
Inserting
A variant of gathering or collating that involves assembling signatures one inside another in sequence. This form of gathering is used for saddle stitching.
J
Job Jacket
The work order, or control form, on which the instructions for each phase of production are written. The job jacket may also contain the original copy, photos, and line art for the job. The following information is typically found on a job jacket: (a) paper used for the job, (b) ink colors used for the job, (c) quantity required by the customer, (d) types of proofs created, (e) type of finishing operations required, (f) type of binding operations required, (g) grain direction and size of the job, and (h) how the job will be packaged. Also know as job ticket.
Jog
(1) Moving the components of a machine in small increments. (2) To align flat, stacked sheets or signatures to a common edge, either manually or with a vibrating table or hopper. Some in-line finishing systems are equipped with a jogger-stacker that piles and aligns folded signatures as they are delivered.
Jogger
A mechanical table used to square a pile of paper so that cuts will be even throughout the pile. The jogger has at least two sidewalls at 90 degree angles to the table surface. The jogger can be tilted so the paper pile sits against the sidewalls with the aid of gravity. When a motor is turned on, the paper pile is vibrated, squaring it against the sidewalls.
Joint
The flexible portion of a casebound book where the cover meets the spine. It functions as a hinge, permitting the cover to be opened and closed without damage to the spine. Alternative term: hinge.
K
Knife
(1) A sharp steel blade that trims excess from sheets and/or cuts them to a specific size. (2) The blade used in conjunction with folding rollers on a knife folder.
Knife Folder
A type of folder in which three or four blades at different levels and at right angles to each other force the paper between the folding rollers. The sheet of paper is pushed from one knife folding mechanism to the next until the desired number of folds has been made.
L
Lap
The overhang or extra edge, created by folding the signature off center, that is required for feeding mechanisms to grab and pull open the signature to the center spread when being inserted. A typical lap value is 3/8 in. Alternate term: lip
Lay
The arrangement and position of printed forms on a press sheet.
Leaf
(1) A separate usually blank, sheet of paper in a book. (2) Pigmented stamping material used to decorate book edges.
Leg
One of two appendages of a wire stitch that is bent down to secure the signatures of a saddle-stitched product.
Letterpress scoring
The use of a letterpress platen press for scoring. The presses use either a male die and matrix set or a scoring/creasing rule and channel-creasing matrix to raise a ridge on the inside of the fold.
Library binding
A book bound in conformance with the specifications of the American Library Association. The requirements include stitched signatures, sewn-on four-cord thread, strong end papers, muslin-reinforced end papers, and flannel backlining extended into the boards.
Lift table
A mechanically operated device that raises a load to the height desired by the worker. Lift tables often sit next to the cutter table and use sensors that automatically raise the table to the necessary height.
Lining
The reinforcing material pasted on the spine of a casebound book before the cover is applied.
Litho scoring
A method of scoring performed in-line on a lithographic printing press using a flexible scoring rule on the impression cylinder.
Lithography
A printing process in which the image carrier is chemically treated so that the nonimage areas are receptive to water (i.e., dampening or fountain solution) an repel ink while the image areas are receptive to ink and repel water.
Lockout/tagout
A standard from OSHA that addresses the safety precautions for servicing and maintaining machinery, where unexpected star-up of machinery could injure employees. Lockout describes the use of locks on energy sources to avoid accidental activation of equipment. Tagout describes the conditions when a lock cannot be used. Here, tags or labels with lockout procedures are used in place of physical lockout.
Log
Signatures tightly compressed in a stack through the use of bundling equipment.
Loose-leaf binding
A binding method which uses rings that can open and close and upon which individual sheets can be inserted and removed at will. Alternative term: mechanical binding.
M
Machine guards
Barriers to protect workers form the moving parts and pinch points on industrial equipment such as gears, chains, and rollers. Machine guards also cover electrical hazards and heated elements that could cause burns.
Makeready
All the operations necessary to get the press ready to print the current job. Makeready includes mounting the plates on the press, loading paper, filling the ink fountains, and making sure the press is printing the correct color and register for the job.
Margin
Standard areas surrounding the image part of a page that extend from the edge of the page to the image area.
Material safety data sheet (MSDS)
A product specification form used to record information about the hazardous chemicals and other health and physical hazards connected with a product, along with guidelines covering exposure limits and other precautions. Employers are required to compile and maintain files of this information under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard set forth by the US federal government and make this information readily available to all workers.
Materials handling and storage
The various operations involved in moving material and product through a printing plant, including warehousing and shipping.
Mechanical binding
Clasping individual sheets together with plastic, small wire, or metal rings. Two examples are three-ring binding and spiral binding.
Milling head
The device on an adhesive binder that grinds off the folded spines of the signatures to expose the individual sheets to the glue.
Misregister
Printed images that are incorrectly positioned, either in reference to each other, to the sheet's edges, or from one side of the sheet to the other.
Multiple-up imposition
A layout with two or more duplicates of the same image or several images on a press sheet. Alternative term: step-and-repeat layout.
N
Nip
A crease line at the joint of a case-bound book. It gives the book uniform bulk and reduces the swelling caused by the sewing thread.
Nipping
In binding, squeezing and clamping books or signatures after sewing or stitching to remove excess air and reduce the swell caused by stitching. Hard papers are nipped, and soft pages are smashed.
Notch binding
Small serrations cut in the spine of a perfect-bound book and filled with glue. This method eliminates the need to mill material off the spine of the book.
O
Offline
Used to describe standalone machines or operations.
One-up
Printing a single image once on a press sheet.
OSHA
An acronym for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the body of the federal government that helps ensure safe work standards.
Overcut
In paper cutting, the condition in which the paper at the top of the pile is cut shorter than paper further down.
P
Page Layout
The process of positioning text, pictures, and other image elements on a page using a desktop publishing program, such as QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, or Adobe PageMaker.
Pallet
A low, sturdy platform on which materials may be placed for handling in quantity.
Parallel fold
Any fold made in a sheet of paper or other substrate that is oriented in a direction parallel to a previous fold. A single fold can be called a parallel fold because it creates two panels that are parallel to each other.
Parallel to the grain
In the same direction as the grain of the paper. Alternative terms: along the grain; with the grain.
Perforating
The process of mechanically slotting or punching a row of small holes or incisions into or through a sheet of paper to permit part of it to be detached, to guide in folding, to allow air to escape from signatures, or to prevent wrinkling and the occurrence of dog-ears when folding. A perforation may be indicated by a series of printed lines, or it may be blind; in other words, without a printed indication on the cutline. Alternative term: perf.
Pinch Point
An area where two rollers or cylinders first contact each other, with the potential of grabbing an operator's hand or hair. Gears, chains, and rollers are examples of pinch point areas. Machine guards are used to protect workers from pinch points and moving parts on industrial equipment.
Plastic Binding
A form of mechanical binding using plastic strips, combs, or coils in place of stitching. The binding edge is punched with slots or holes through which the formed plastic material is inserted.
Plate
A thin metal, plastic, or paper sheet that serves as the image carrier in many printing processes.
Platemaking
In conventional printing, preparing a printing plate from a film or flat, exposing it through the flat, and developing or processing and finishing it so that is ready to be used on press. In computer-to-plate (CTP) operations in which imaging systems receive fully paginated/imposed material electronically from computers and expose this information directly to plates in platesetters or imagesetters, without creating film intermediates.
Points
A method of describing the thickness of paper; one point equals one thousandth of an inch. For example, a sheet of 0.004 in. stock is 4 points thick.
Polyurethane adhesive (PUR)
A type of hot-melt glue used in adhesive binding that is applied at temperatures between 250-300 degrees. At room temperature, PUR is in solid form, and it is melted in air-tight premelters.
Polyvinyl acetate (PVA):
A water-soluble glue used in adhesive binding and applied cold. Similar to regular craft glue, it has a long natural drying time of 8-12 hours that can be reduced to 3-4 minutes by using gas, infrared, or high-frequency drying.
Post Binder
A loose-leaf binding method in which straight rods instead of rings are used to hold the pages together. The binder can be expanded as the bulk of the contents increases.
Postpress
In a graphic arts workflow, the activities that take place after presswork, specifically binding and finishing, but also including shipping, mailing, and distribution.
Preflighting
(1) In prepress, an orderly preventive procedure using a printed checklist or special software to verify that all components of a job (e.g., digital text files and high-resolution image files) are present and correct prior to submitting the document for high-resolution output and to identify potential problems that could cause rework or even rerunning a whole job. (2) In the bindery, the orderly preventive procedure using a printed checklist to ascertain the completeness of a newly arrived job.
Premelter
A separate piece of equipment attached to the gluing station of an adhesive binder and used to gradually and uniformly melt the glue.
Prepress
The stage of graphic arts workflow that readies the job elements to be printed. It can be described as what happens from the time a digital file has been completely designed until it is actually printed. It includes, among other operations, preflighting, proofing, and platemaking. Alternative term: premedia.
Press
The stage of graphic arts workflow that involves putting ink on paper or other substrate. It includes all the tasks needed to get the press ready to print, the print run (pressrun) itself, and press washup afterward. Alternative term: presswork.
Pressrun
The phase of presswork that commences once the press sheet matches the proof. It involves operations that affect binding and finishing, such as maintaining registration, printing the correct number of sheets, and handling materials carefully so that they feed properly into folding machines and other equipment.
Printer's Spread
A pair of pages in a certain order so that printing, folding, and binding yield the sequence in which the reader or recipient needs to see them.
Process Control
Identifying, measuring, and controlling measurable variables in the printing and binding process in order to produce a high-quality product. Examples of variables include ink density, image registration, product trim size, and glue thickness on binding. Once a variable is measured, production personnel can track and benchmark quality numerically.
Proofs
A simulation of the printed product that provides the chance to verify that color, placement, and other factors meet expectations.
Q
R
Reader's Spread
A pair of pages positioned across the binding edge, or gutter, from each other so they can be read or understood in the correct order after the book is bound.
Ream
Five-hundred (500) sheets of paper.
Register
Overall agreement in the position of printing detail on a press sheet, especially the alignment of two or more overprinted colors in multicolor presswork. Register may be observed by agreement of overprinted register marks on a press sheet. Also refers to the correct placement of printed material on both sides of a press sheet. Alternative term: registration.
Register marks
Small reference patterns, guides, or crosses placed on press sheets to aid in aligning overprinted colors on press sheets.
Rework
Redoing an entire job or a portion of the job due to a mistake made in any stage of production.
Right-angle Fold
Any fold made in a sheet of paper or other substrate that is oriented at a 90 degree angle to a previous fold.
Rotary Scoring
Usually done on a folder, a method of scoring that uses circular scoring dies mounted on a shaft and a counter die.
Roughening Head
The cutting head on an adhesive binder that prepares the backbone fibers for exposure to the glue.
Rounding and Backing
Shaping a book to fit its cover. Rounding gives books a convex spine and a concave fore-edge. Backing makes the spine wider than the thickness of the rest of the book to provide a shoulder against which the cardboard front and back covers rest. It also provides the hinge crease for the joints of the book.
S
Saddle
On a saddle stitcher, the bar on which the opened signatures are draped as they move through the machine.
Saddle Stitching
Binding multiple sheets by opening the signatures in the center and gathering and stitching them with a wire through the fold line. The folded sheets rest on supports called saddles as they are transported through the stitcher. Booklets, brochures, and pamphlets are most often bound this way. Alternative terms: saddle wire; wire stitch.
Saddle Stitcher
A machine that performs saddle stitching. Stitchers range from small manually powered models to large automated machines. Alternative terms: saddle binder; stitcher; wire stitcher.
Scoring
Making a crease in paper by impressing a steel rule against the paper surface. This ruptures the paper fibers, creating a line for making crisp, accurate folds on heavier stocks like text and cover sheets.
Screen Printing
A printing process in which a squeegee forces ink through a porous mesh, synthetic, or silk image carrier, or screen, covered by a stencil that blacks the nonimage areas. The ink pressed through the open image areas of the screen forms the image on the substrate.
Sewing
In bookbinding, fastening printed signatures together with needle and thread or cord.
Sheet Curl
A paper problem that results in a pile of sheets that does not lay flat but curves in one direction. This can cause infeed problems with finishing and binding equipment. Sheet curl can happen when paper absorbs too much moisture on one side of the sheet during printing.
Sheeter
A machine that cuts roll paper into sheets. Sheeters are used as an alternative delivery on a web press (instead of a folder) or as a feeding system on a sheefed press, in which case roll paper is cut into sheets that are then fed individually into the press.
Sheetfed Press
A printing press that feeds and prints on individual sheets of paper (or another substrate).
Sheeting
The process of cutting rolls of paper into sheets to be printed.
Shrink Wrap
Using heat to affix a thin plastic material around printed and bound products to prepare them for shipment.
Side Gauge
On a paper cutter, a metal guide that works with the back gauge to square piles of paper before cutting. The side gauge is stationary and should be at a perfect right angle to the back gauge.
Side-sewing
A method of binding in which the entire book is sewn as a single unit, instead of as individual sections. Side-sewn books will not lie flat when open.
Side-stitch
A method of binding in which the folded signatures or cut sheets are stitched along and through the side close to the gutter margin. The pages cannot be opened fully to lie flat.
Signature
A single press sheet that has several pages printed on both sides of it so that when it is folded the pages will appear in their correct order in a book or magazine. Signatures may consist of four pages, eight pages, sixteen pages, or some other multiple of four. Printed signatures have fold marks, indicated by broken lines, that are used to set up the folder.
Skid
A type of pallet without bottom deck boards.
Slitting
Cutting a sheet in a straight line along the traveling direction of the paper. Doing this on a folder can reduce the processing time on the job, because the product does not have to move to the cutting machine.
Smash
Heavy pressure used to compress a book so that it will have less bulk.
Smoothness
The measure of the evenness or lack of contour of a paper's surface. Smooth papers are considered to have better printability than less-smooth papers. Smoothness can affect bindery operations, especially when the paper is not smooth but textured. Smoothness can also affect paper stacking and feeding. Low-smoothness paper has less tendency to slip and slide, but too much texture and the paper may jam or slow some bindery operations.
Smyth Sewing
Bookbinding by sewing thread through the backfold of a signature and from signature to signature. This links the signatures together, while permitting the opened book to lay flat.
Spine
The point of a multi-page document where the pages are bound together.
Spiral Binding
A mechanical binding method in which a continuous wire coil is run through a series of closely spaced holes near the gutter margin of loose sheets.
Spit Back Gauge
On a paper cutter, a back gauge divided into three sections that allows a book to be trimmed on top, bottom, and one side without changing the cutter settings.
Static
Electrical charges that cause sheets to cling to each other or to finishing equipment components, thus interfering with smooth feeding of sheets through equipment. Static problems are more pronounced with large lightweight papers and high-gloss papers.
Stitching Head
The device on a saddle stitcher that drives the stitch through the upturned spine of the signature set on the saddle.
Stitching Section
The portion of a saddle stitcher that includes a wire spool and a stitching head that drives the wire into the signature set.
Stock
Another name for paper used in the printing industry.
T
Tape Guide Bands
On a folder delivery, continuous narrow belts positioned beneath the catch rollers that together inch the folded sheets forward on the delivery table.
Template
A computer-generated page layout/design file that ensures each page in a document has a consistent look to it. This file sets up consistent margins, headers/footers, graphic elements, and typeface and type sizes to be used in the document.
Three-knife trimmer
Located after the stitching head on a saddle stitcher and after the nipping station on an adhesive binder, this device cuts each booklet on three sides to the product's final size.
Tip-on/Tip-in Machine
An auxiliary device for saddle stitchers or adhesive binders that secures or "tips in" inserts to signatures with a thin strip of releasable adhesive. Examples of product that are tipped in include reply cards, coupons, envelopes, and sample merchandise secured to the front and back pages of signatures.
Trim
The excess area of a printed form or page in which instructions, register marks, and quality control devices are printed. The trim is cut off before binding.
Trim Marks
Guide marks on the printed sheet to indicate where the product will be trimmed on the cutter. Trim marks are usually indicated with a solid line that starts roughly 1/8 in. form final page size.
Trim Size
The final dimensions of a page.
Trimming
Cutting a small amount of excess paper off the edges of a multipage product to neaten the ragged edges of printed pieces, open the closed edges of folded signatures, and bring printed material to its designed size. For flat sheet work (unfolded product), trimming to the finished sheet size follows presswork. Trimming can be done using a dedicated three-knife or five-knife trimmer, or a single-knife guillotine cutter.
U
V
W
Waste
Materials used in the print production process that must be discarded or recycled. Examples include proof stock, plates, and setup stock.
Web
A roll of any substrate that passes continuously through a printing press or converting or finishing equipment.
Web Offset
A lithographic printing process in which a press prints on a continuous roll of paper instead of individual sheets.
Wet Scoring
A special water attachment on a folder that applies a thin, straight stream of water where the paper must fold, as an aid in creating a clean fold.
Wire Gauge
The thickness of the wire expressed in a special numbering system where smaller numbers indicate a larger wire diameter. Generally, wire used in saddle binding machines range from gauges 19 to 25.
A
Accordion Fold
Two or more folds parallel to each other with adjacent folds in opposite directions resembling the bellows of an accordion. Alternative term: fanfold.
Adhesive Binding
Applying a glue or another, usually hot-melt, substance along the backbone edges of assembled, printed sheets or folded signatures. The book or magazine cover is applied directly on top of the tacky adhesive. Alternative term: perfect binding.
Against the grain
Folding or cutting paper at right angles to the grain direction of the paper. Alternative term: Across the grain.
Air Table
A guillotine cutter bed equipped with tiny air holes that create a cushion of air between the paper pile and the table. This reduces friction, allowing the paper to be moved with greater ease.
Assembling
Collecting individual sheets or signatures in a complete set with pages in proper sequence and alignment. Assembling takes place prior to binding. Alternative terms: Collating; gathering; inserting.
B
Back gauge
On a paper cutter, a movable metal stop that can be adjusted by the operator to the depth of the cut. Along with the side gauge, the back gauge also ensures that the paper pile is properly positioned under the knife so that the cuts will be square.
Back margin
The distance between the fold edge and the edge of the body of the type (text matter) next to the fold. Alternative terms: binding margin; gutter margin.
Backing
See Rounding and Backing
Backlining
The piece of paper, muslin, or other material that reinforces the backs of books after rounding and backing.
Backup register
Correct relative position of the printing on one side of the sheet or web and the printing on the other side.
Batch counter
An auxiliary device for a saddle-stitcher that collects finished booklets into predetermined lots, freeing the operator from counting lots.
Bed
On a guillotine paper cutter, the flat metal surface on which the cutting is performed.
Belt Delivery
On an adhesive binder, a method of conveying books from the nipping station to the in-line trimmer using a continuous belt.
Bind Margin
The gutter or inner margin of a book, form the binding edge to the printed area.
Bind
To join the pages of a book together with thread, wire, adhesive, crash (a coarse fabric), or other methods, or enclose them in a cover.
Bindery
A facility or an area of a printing plant where binding and finishing operations (e.g., folding, joining signatures, and covering) are performed. Some trade binderies use the term "finishers," especially when they offer diverse binding and finishing services.
Binding
The process of joining together separate printed sheets or signatures to make books, magazines, catalogs, and booklets. Binding is also used as a general term to describe all finishing operations.
Binding dummy
Blank pages of the assembled signatures, stitched and trimmed to show the amount of compensation needed for creep.
Binding edge
The side of the publication where the signatures are joined together.
Binding marks
Trim marks, fold marks, and spine/collating marks added to a press sheet during imposition that serve as aids or guides for cutting, folding, and collating in the bindery.
Bleed
Pictures, lines, or solid colors that extend beyond the edge or edges of a page so that when margins are trimmed, the image is trimmed even with the edge of the page. Bleeds are usually at least 1/8in., and some facilities use 1/4in. bleeds.
Blow-in card feeder
An auxiliary feeder on saddle stitchers and adhesive binders that uses compressed air to add or "blow in" an insert, such as a reply card, that has been printed separately and will not be stitched into the publication.
Body
The printed text of a book not including the end paper or cover.
Book block
(1) The multiple signatures for a book assembled (stacked) into a single set in the proper sequence. Printers of magazines and other publications besides books may call this a "block" or a "lift." (2) In case binding, a book that has been folded, gathered, and stitched but not cased-in.
Buckle folder
A bindery machine in which two rollers push the printed sheet between two metal plates, stopping it and causing it to buckle at the entrance to the folder. A third roller working with one of the original rollers uses the buckle to fold the paper. Buckle folders are best #d for parallel folding.
Buckle plates
Two smooth, flat metal sheets that receive the paper that has come through the buckling mechanism on buckle or combination folders during binding and finishing. Alternative term: fold plates
Building-in
Placing cased-in books in a forming and pressing machine that holds them tightly under heat and pressure while the adhesive is drying.
Bundling unit, automatic
An auxiliary device that tightly compresses stacks of signatures into more compact loads (logs) as they come off the delivery. The log protects the signatures form damage during handling and also has the benefit of tightening the folds.
C
Caliper
(1) A device that measures thickness. (2) The thickness of a sheet of paper or other material measured under specific conditions. Caliper is usually expressed in mils (thousandths of an inch). Paper thickness is measured with an instrument called a caliper gauge or micrometer.
Case
In book binding, the hardcovers into which bound signatures are affixed.
Case binding
The process that produces a hardcover book. Printed covering material is glued to rigid board material forming a hardcover "case," and the case is then affixed to the book with endpapers.
Casebound
A book bound with a stiff, hard cover.
Casing-in
Applying adhesive and combining a sewn and trimmed text with a cover (case).
Center marks
Positioning marks placed on the press sheet during imposition to help the press operator make sure that the press layout is centered on the printed sheet.
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.
Clamp
(1) On an adhesive binder, a device that grips the book block firmly on either side and guides it into the milling station. (2) On a paper cutter, a movable metal bar that sits above and runs parallel to the paper pile.
Closed head
The uncut top of a signature.
Collate
The process of sorting the pages of a publication in the proper order.
Collating
A variant of gathering where cut, trimmed, or folded signatures or sheets are stacked one on top of another to form multiple layers. This form of gathering is used for adhesive binding, which requires collated signatures so that the glue can penetrate and bind each sheet together.Collating marks
A distinctive numbered or other symbol printed on the folded edge or spine of signatures to denote the correct gathering sequence. The position of the mark is staggered from one signature to the next to show a pattern, allowing the bindery operator to visually check the order of the signatures. Alternative terms: plugs; spine/collating marks.
Comb binding
A curved or rake-shaped plastic strip inserted through slots punched along the binding edge of the sheet. See also: mechanical binding.
Combination folder
(1) The in-line finishing component of a publication or book web offset press that uses at least three different folds, such as the jaw, former, and chopper folds, to cut and fold the printed web into signatures that are shipped to a bindery. (2) A binding machine that has both knife and buckle folding mechanisms. Alternative term: combi folder.
Compensating stacker/counter
An automatic delivery device that alternates the layering of a stack of printed products by turning them 180 degrees to offset the uneven thickness between face and spine of a book.
Computer-to-plate (CTP)
A technology in which imaging systems receive fully paginated/imposed material electronically from computers and expose this information to plates in platesetters or imagesetters, without creating film intermediates. The output device uses lasers to write the printing dots directly to the plates from the information in the impose4d digital files.
Conditioning
The complete and equal exposure of all areas of paper to accurately controlled and specified atmospheric conditions so that its moisture content throughout reaches equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere. Temperature conditioning refers to bringing the paper's temperature into equilibrium with the atmosphere with out removing its wrapping and exposing it to the atmosphere.
Continuous feeder
On a folder, a type of feeder that allows the operator to feed paper on a continual basis without stopping the folder. The continuous feeder is a long table upon which the operator stacks a pile of fanned, staggered sheets. Conveyor tapes on the pile feed table inch the pile forward to a stop mechanism, where sheets are drawn one at a time onto the infeed/lattice table.
Converting
Any manufacturing or finishing operation completed after printing in order to form the printed item into the final product. Bagmaking, coating, waxing, laminating, folding, slitting, gluing, box manufacture, and die cutting are some examples. Converting units may be attached to the end of the pre4ss, or the operation may be handles by a special outside facility.
Conveyor chain
(1) On a saddle stitcher, a continuous-loop moving chain with a number of saddle sections that moves under the feeder stations, receiving the folded signatures dropped from the feeder stations in sequence until a complete booklet (signature set) is formed. (2) On an adhesive binder, a continuous-loop chain that includes long "fingers" attached at intervals. These fingers push the signature off of the feeder tray and onto the raceway where it is guided to the next feeder tray. Alternative term: gathering chain.
Conveyor tapes
Narrow continuous moving belts that transport booklets between sections of a machine.
Counter die
On a folder, a die with recessed surface (groove) or a gap between the two halves that is used with a wheel-like scoring die (which has a raised score blade) to score the paper before it is folded.
Cover feeder
(1) On a saddle-stitcher, a special feeding station that scores, folds, and delivers heavier cover papers onto the saddle. (2) On an adhesive binder, a device that feeds one cover at a time. The cover feeder includes scoring die rollers, which score the cover where folds will be placed. Types of cover feeders include vertical pile feeders, horizontal pile feeders, and stream feeder.
Cover nipper
The area in a perfect binder's cover feeder in which each cover is folded and then pushed around the spine.
Cover papers
A heavy paper designed to serve as the outer layer and protective cover of a booklet, such as an annual report or journal, or other paper application, such as posters, postcards, and greeting cards. Cover papers are similar to offset papers, except that they are thicker.
Covering
The process of pasting endpapers to a hardback book and drying them under pressure. See also: casing-in; building-in.
Crash
A coarse fabric used to strengthen the joints of casebound books. It is placed over the binding edge of a book before it is cased-in to help hold the book within its cover.
Creep
With saddle-stitched publications, the slight but cumulative outward thrust of the edges of each inserted spread or signature beyond the edges of the signature that encloses it. This results in a progressively smaller trim size on the inside pages. Creep is counteracted during the imposition phase by moving the page a tiny bit inward. Alternative terms: binder's creep; push-out; shingling, thrust.
Cross-direction
The position across the grain or at a right angle to the machine direction, on a sheet of paper. The stock is not as strong and is more susceptible to relative humidity in the4 cross-direction
Cross-grain
Folding at right angles to the binding edge of a book, or at a right angle to the direction of the grain in the paper stock. Folding the stock against the grain.
Crossover
A photo, headline, or other image that extends across the gutter between the left-hand and right-hand pages of two-page spread in a magazine, book, or other multi-page product. Alternative terms: breakacross
Curl
The bending or arcing of paper as the result of structural differences between the two sides of paper, usually due to differences in temperature or moisture content.
Cutline indicator
On a paper cutter, a device that shines a thin line of light on the positioned paper pile, showing exactly where the cut will be made.
Cutting
The operations performed to cut apart sheets of stock or printed materials. In the bindery, cutting is almost always done using a single-knife guillotine cutter.
Cutting angle
On a paper cutter, the beveled shape to which the cutting edge of the knife is sharpened. The angle of the bevel varies depending on the material being cut.
Cutting stick
A long square rod, generally made of a tough plastic, that is inserted into a groove on the cutting table immediately beneath the cutting knife and that functions as a counter cutting tool. When the knife slices through a pile of stock, it touches the cutting stick instead of the cutting table, which prevents the knife fro breaking or becoming dull too quickly.
Cutting table
The bed of the cutter that supports the lift of sock that will be cut. Newer models are equipped with an air table that allows the paper to be moved with greater ease.
D
Deflector plate
A special sheet detector that is inserted to bypass any buckle plates not needed for a particular folding job.
Delivery
The section of a folder, saddle stitcher, or adhesive binder where the folded paper, stitched and trimmed booklet, or trimmed-adhesive bound book exits the machine for stacking or packaging.
Density
The weight of paper relative to its volume. Dense papers are more compact with their fibers more tightly bonded together. In softer, bulkier, more porous papers, fiber clusters can swell or shrink without much change in the overall dimensions of the sheet.
Die
A pattern of sharp knives or metal tools used to stamp, cut, or emboss specific shapes, designs, and letters into a substrate.
Die, embossing
A heated or cold brass or steel tool that impresses a raised design into a paper substrate. Unlike a cutting die, the edge of an embossing die is not sharp.
Die stamping
Using a brass or other hard metal die to stamp a book case with ink or metallic foil.
Diecut
A printed subject cut to a specific shape with sharp steel rules on a press.
Diecutting
Using sharp steel rules to slice paper or board to a specific shape on a platen press or specialized stamping press. Diecuts are common in labels, greeting cards, and pop-up books. Diecuts are also made to form the shape of packages before they are folded and glued.
Digital design file
The end result of the design stage, a computer file that contains all the pages and their elements (e.g., text in the chosen font) in a form meant to be printed. Photographic images, illustrations, and logos are submitted as separate files that are linked to the main file.
Digital printing
An umbrella term for a number of non-impact electronic printing processes. Two of the most prominent are inkjet printing and electrostatic (electro-photography). Inkjet involves spraying ink through nozzles onto the surface of the substrate. Electrostatic printing involves the use of a laser to "write" an image on a drum. The image is then coated with toner, a kind of powder ink, which is then transferred to the substrate by heat and pressure.
Dimensional stability
The degree to which paper maintains its size in the face of temperature and moisture content changes, as well as applied stresses.
Direct-imaging press
A press in which the printing plates are imaged directly on the press rather that away from the press, as when a separate platesetter is used in a computer-to-plate (CTP) workflow.
Dog-ears
Bent-over corners of paper that can occur when paper is fed through the press, as the corner catches and folds over. Dog-eared sheets can keep the paper from feeding smoothly through finishing and binding equipment. Folding equipment infeed systems can also create dog-ears.
Double-sixteen
A folder that takes a thirty-two page form and folds it as two separate or inserted sixteen-page forms.
Double-thirty-two
A folder that takes a sixty-four page form and folds it as two separate or inserted thirty-two-page forms.
Dummy
(1) A preliminary layout showing the position of illustrations, text, folds, and other design elements as they are to appear in the printed piece. (2) A set of blank pages prepared to show the size, shape, style, and general appearance of a book, pamphlet, or other printed piece.
E
Edge Trimming
On a folder, the process of using slitters riding on the edges of the sheet to cut off the portion of the press sheet containing the press marks.
Embossing
A finishing operation that involves sandwiching the paper between a relief pattern die and a recessed counter die under heat and pressure. The result is a permanent raised pattern in the paper.
Emulsion glue
A cold-applied glue based on water-soluble polyvinyl acetate (PVA) products and used in adhesive binding.
End leaf
A strong paper used to combine and secure the body of a book to its case. One leaf is pasted against the book's front cover and one against the back cover. Alternative terms: end papers; end sheets.
End product
The final package or printed piece ready for customer use after all folding, gluing, and other binding finishing, and/or converting operations are completed.
Ergonomics
The process of making the workplace safer for workers by designing work methods and equipment to reduce injuries.
F
Face
The side of the page opposite the spine. When a multipage product is closed, the spine is on the left and the face is on the right.
Feed table
The section of a cover feeder for an adhesive binder that contains adjustable side and back stops to support the pile of covers and accommodate different size covers.
Feeder station
On a saddle stitcher or adhesive binder, the section of the feeder that holds the folded signatures in piles, removes signatures one at a time, and drops them onto the conveyor chain. Alternative terms: gatherer; hopper; magazine; pocket; signature feeding station.
Feeder unit
The section of an adhesive binder that has a separate feeding station for each signature. The number of feeding stations may vary from ten or fewer to more than thirty-two, depending on how many signatures make up the finished product.
Film laminating
A finishing process in which a plastic film is bonded by heat and pressure to a printed sheet to provide protection or enhance appearance.
Finishing
All forms of completing graphic arts production, including folding, trimming, and assembling sections; binding by sewing, wire stitching, or gluing; and die-cutting or gold stamping. Finishing can also refer to converting processes that change printed stock into another form, e.g.., bags and boxes.
Flexography
A method of rotary letterpress printing characterized by the use of flexible, rubber or plastic plates with raised image areas and fluid, rapid-drying inks. This process employs a relief principle, meaning that the image area is raised above the surface of the printing plate Ink is transferred to the relief areas and then transferred to the substrate under pressure. The plates are made of a flexible polymer material, which s why it is called "flex"-ography.
Fold
Bending and creasing a sheet of paper as required to form a printed product.
Fold marks
Guides on the original copy and printed sheet that indicate where a printed piece will be folded and that aid in setting up the folder. Fold marks are usually indicated with a dotted or broken line.
Folded to paper
Sheets folded without regard to alignment of headers, footers, and other images throughout the signatures. Press sheets with printing on only one side of the form are folded to paper because backup register is not a consideration.
Folded to print
Sheets folded so that the headers, footers, and other image areas from page to page are aligned from one signature to another.
Folder
The machine that bends and creases printed sheets of paper to particular specifications during binding and finishing. The process itself is called folding.
Folder, quad
A machine that folds and delivers four sixteen-page signatures separately or as two thirty-two-page signatures from a single press sheet with sixty-four pages printed across it.
Folding
The process of bending and creasing paper to form a finished piece or a multipage document. Folding is usually done mechanically by machines that are increasingly computer-controlled. Hand folding is also done, but binderies try to avoid this labor-intensive, expensive process.
Folding dummy
A mockup that shows the placement of page heads, the binding edge, and the gripper and side guide edges, as well as the page sequence and the arrangement of signatures. It is made from a blank press-size sheet of the job stock that is folded and marked with such information as page numbers and X's to indicate the gripper (lead) edge and side-guide edge when the work is printed on a sheetfed press. It can also be used to determine which sides of each page need single-trim and double-trim allowances. Inserting and collating can also be illustrated.
Folding unit
The section on a folder that contains the components required to make the fold. The other two main sections of a folder are the infeed and the delivery.
Foot
The bottom of the page.
Foot margin
The distance between the bottom edge of the body of type (text matter) on a page and the bottom edge of the trimmed page. Alternative term: tail margin
Footer
A book's title or chapter title printed at the bottom of a page. A drop folio (page number) may or may not be included. Alternative term: running foot.
Form
Either side of a signature. A form usually contains a multiple of eight pages, but may be more or less.
Forwarding
Backing, rounding, shaping, lining up, and head banding, among other operations performed before a casebound book is covered.
Full bleed
An image extending to all four edges of the trimmed sheet leaving no visible margins.
G
Gathering
Assembling multiple signatures into a single set in the proper sequence, sometimes called a "book block."
Glue pot
The container that holds the glue on an adhesive binder.
Gluing unit
On an adhesive binder, a hot-melt glue applicator comprised of a glue pot and applicator rollers that applies glue to the spine and/or the sides of the book.
Gluing-off
Applying glue to the spine of a book that is to be casebound.
Grain direction
In paper making, the alignment of the fibers in the direction of web travel. On all roll papers, grain direction is lengthwise on the web, parallel to the direction of web travel.
Grain-long paper
With a rectangular sheet, paper in which the grain runs along the longer dimension.
Grain-short paper
With a rectangular sheet, paper in which the grain runs along the shorter dimension.
Graphic arts workflow
The sequence of steps involved in producing a printed piece. Production workflow may vary slightly from one plant to another, but the stages of production are basically the same throughout the industry.
Gravure
An intaglio printing process in which minute depressions, sometimes called cells, that form the image area are engraved or etched below the nonimage area in the surface of the printing cylinder. The cylinder is immersed in a fluid ink, and the excess ink is scraped off by a blade, leaving the ink in the etched areas beneath the surface. When paper or another substrate comes in contact with the printing cylinder, the ink is drawn out of the etched areas and transferred to the substrate.
Grind-off
In adhesive binding, a step preparatory to gluing in which the spine of the folded signatures are roughened to allow the glue to penetrate and bind the pages.
Gripper edge
The leading edge of the paper that rests at the head stops and is grabbed by mechanical fingers known as grippers. The press operator typically marks the gripper edge with an "XXX" before sending the job to the binding and finishing area.
Grippers
(1) The metal clamps or metal fingers that grasp and hold a registered sheet in position as it travels through a sheefed press. (2) On rotary-drum feed systems for an adhesive binder, the cam-mounted metal fingers that grab a signature, pull it down around the gripper drum, and deposit it on the feeder tray or conveyor chain.
Guillotine cutter
A device with a long, heavy sloping blade that descends to a table or bed and slices through a stack of paper. Guillotine cutters come in a variety of models and size, but they all share the following common components: a knife, cutting stick, cutting table, side and back gauges, and a clamp.
Gutter
(1) A gutter is a standard size gap that separates a design or text area into columns. (2) The inside margin between facing pages, or the margin at the binding edge. Alternative terms: gutter margin; back margin.
H
Hard materials
From the perspective of the paper cutter operator, one of two broad classifications of difficult-to-cut substrates based on the general hardness or softness of materials. Hard materials include art board, gummed papers, cardboards, and plastic foils.
Hazard Communication Standard
Often referred to as "HazCom," a program required by OSHA that communicates chemical hazards, including the following provisions that directly aff3ect binding and finishing production areas: (1) maintain a chemical inventory, or record, of every chemical used in the plant, (2) secure a material safety data sheet (MSDS) for every chemical used in the plant and make these readily available to all workers, (3) label containers in a prescribed manner to allow production workers to quickly assess any hazards associated with the chemical, (4) provide proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the workers from hazards such as excessive noise or chemical splashes, and (5) provide employee training on how to recognize chemical hazards and protect themselves.
Head
The top of a page, book, or printing form.
Head margin
The distance between the top edge of the trimmed page and the top edge of the body of type (text matter) on a page.
Head stop
A stationary device on the folder's register board that stops the forward movement of a sheet so that each sheet is positioned in exactly the same spot.
Head trim
The amount of paper that is cut off above the head margin; usually about 1/8 in. (3 mm).
Headband
An ornamental strip of reinforced cotton or silk attached to the top and bottom of the inner back of a bound book.
Header
A book's title or a chapter title printed at the top of a page and often with a folio (page number). Alternative term: running head.
High-resolution scanning
Using an electronic scanner to capture a photographic image digitally at resolutions equal to or greater than 300 dots per inch (dpi) and store the information in a computer file.
Hopper
A device with side and rear guides that holds a stack of the signatures in place in the feed unit of an adhesive binder or saddle stitcher.
Hot foil stamping
Using a heated flat steel die and colored foil or gold leaf to press a design into a book cover, a sheet of paper, or another substrate. The foil fuses to the paper to create a metallic image in the shape of the die. The die may be used alone (in blind stamping) if no color or other ornamentation is necessary.
Hot melt glues
Any of several glues in adhesive binding that are applied at temperatures between 350 and 400 degrees (177-204 degrees Celsius), with some having application temperatures as low as 250 degrees. Ethyl vinyl acetate copolymers (EVAs), the most common hot-melt glue used in the printing industry, are composed of about 50% polymer mixed with 30% resin (for adhesion) and 15% wax softeners (for added flexibility).
Humidity, relative
The amount of moisture present in the air, expressed as a percentage of the amount of moisture required to saturate the air at a given temperature.
Hydraulic lifts
A hydraulically operated device that raises a load to the height desired by the worker.
I
Imagesetter
A high-resolution device used t output fully paginated text and graphic images onto photographic film, paper, or plate.
Imposition
Arranging the pages of a job on a printing form during the prepress stage of production so that when printed, folded, trimmed, and bound, all content appears in the proper sequence and orientation. Control marks needed by the press, finishing, and binding operators are also placed on the imposition. Page layout is the process of defining where repeating elements such as headlines, text, and folios (page numbers) will appear on multiple pages throughout a document, while imposition can be thought of as defining where these completed pages will appear on much larger sheets of paper. The binding method affects the imposition and assembly order. Imposition involves not only pages but other print job graphics as well, such as multiple copies of a label. Imposition in a digital print workflow is done using special imposition software. Alternative term: press sheet layout.
Imposition layout
A guide that indicates folding sequence, number of pages and signatures used, guide and gripper edges, and cutting and scoring lines for a specific job.
Infeed
part of a folder composed of a table, where paper is stacked and system components guide sheets into the folding unit. The term is also used to identify where stock enters presses and other types of printing and binding equipment.
Infrared dryer
A unit in which an assembly of lamps emitting infrared radiation that generate hear to evaporate water from the PVA adhesives used in adhesive binding.
Inkjet addressing unit
An auxiliary device that uses inkjet technology to address publications and/or print personalized messages in-line with saddle stitchers and adhesive binders. The inkjet units are interfaced with a central database of addresses and other information.
Inkjet printing
A nonimpact printing process in which a stream of electro-statically charged microscopic ink droplets are projected onto a substrate at a high velocity from a pressurized system.
In-line finishing
Manufacturing operations such as numbering, addressing, sorting, folding, die-cutting, and converting that are performed as part of a continuous operation right after the printing section on a press or on a single piece of equipment as part of equipment as part of the binding process.
In-line trimming
(1) On an adhesive binder, trimming books on the head, face, and foot using a three-knife trimmer. (2) On a saddle stitcher, trimming books on the head, face, and foot using a three-knife trimmer.
Insert
(1) A page that is printed separately and then bound into the main publication. (2) An advertising leaflet often on low-grade paper that is placed inside a periodical or newspaper.
Inserting
A variant of gathering or collating that involves assembling signatures one inside another in sequence. This form of gathering is used for saddle stitching.
J
Job Jacket
The work order, or control form, on which the instructions for each phase of production are written. The job jacket may also contain the original copy, photos, and line art for the job. The following information is typically found on a job jacket: (a) paper used for the job, (b) ink colors used for the job, (c) quantity required by the customer, (d) types of proofs created, (e) type of finishing operations required, (f) type of binding operations required, (g) grain direction and size of the job, and (h) how the job will be packaged. Also know as job ticket.
Jog
(1) Moving the components of a machine in small increments. (2) To align flat, stacked sheets or signatures to a common edge, either manually or with a vibrating table or hopper. Some in-line finishing systems are equipped with a jogger-stacker that piles and aligns folded signatures as they are delivered.
Jogger
A mechanical table used to square a pile of paper so that cuts will be even throughout the pile. The jogger has at least two sidewalls at 90 degree angles to the table surface. The jogger can be tilted so the paper pile sits against the sidewalls with the aid of gravity. When a motor is turned on, the paper pile is vibrated, squaring it against the sidewalls.
Joint
The flexible portion of a casebound book where the cover meets the spine. It functions as a hinge, permitting the cover to be opened and closed without damage to the spine. Alternative term: hinge.
K
Knife
(1) A sharp steel blade that trims excess from sheets and/or cuts them to a specific size. (2) The blade used in conjunction with folding rollers on a knife folder.
Knife Folder
A type of folder in which three or four blades at different levels and at right angles to each other force the paper between the folding rollers. The sheet of paper is pushed from one knife folding mechanism to the next until the desired number of folds has been made.
L
Lap
The overhang or extra edge, created by folding the signature off center, that is required for feeding mechanisms to grab and pull open the signature to the center spread when being inserted. A typical lap value is 3/8 in. Alternate term: lip
Lay
The arrangement and position of printed forms on a press sheet.
Leaf
(1) A separate usually blank, sheet of paper in a book. (2) Pigmented stamping material used to decorate book edges.
Leg
One of two appendages of a wire stitch that is bent down to secure the signatures of a saddle-stitched product.
Letterpress scoring
The use of a letterpress platen press for scoring. The presses use either a male die and matrix set or a scoring/creasing rule and channel-creasing matrix to raise a ridge on the inside of the fold.
Library binding
A book bound in conformance with the specifications of the American Library Association. The requirements include stitched signatures, sewn-on four-cord thread, strong end papers, muslin-reinforced end papers, and flannel backlining extended into the boards.
Lift table
A mechanically operated device that raises a load to the height desired by the worker. Lift tables often sit next to the cutter table and use sensors that automatically raise the table to the necessary height.
Lining
The reinforcing material pasted on the spine of a casebound book before the cover is applied.
Litho scoring
A method of scoring performed in-line on a lithographic printing press using a flexible scoring rule on the impression cylinder.
Lithography
A printing process in which the image carrier is chemically treated so that the nonimage areas are receptive to water (i.e., dampening or fountain solution) an repel ink while the image areas are receptive to ink and repel water.
Lockout/tagout
A standard from OSHA that addresses the safety precautions for servicing and maintaining machinery, where unexpected star-up of machinery could injure employees. Lockout describes the use of locks on energy sources to avoid accidental activation of equipment. Tagout describes the conditions when a lock cannot be used. Here, tags or labels with lockout procedures are used in place of physical lockout.
Log
Signatures tightly compressed in a stack through the use of bundling equipment.
Loose-leaf binding
A binding method which uses rings that can open and close and upon which individual sheets can be inserted and removed at will. Alternative term: mechanical binding.
M
Machine guards
Barriers to protect workers form the moving parts and pinch points on industrial equipment such as gears, chains, and rollers. Machine guards also cover electrical hazards and heated elements that could cause burns.
Makeready
All the operations necessary to get the press ready to print the current job. Makeready includes mounting the plates on the press, loading paper, filling the ink fountains, and making sure the press is printing the correct color and register for the job.
Margin
Standard areas surrounding the image part of a page that extend from the edge of the page to the image area.
Material safety data sheet (MSDS)
A product specification form used to record information about the hazardous chemicals and other health and physical hazards connected with a product, along with guidelines covering exposure limits and other precautions. Employers are required to compile and maintain files of this information under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard set forth by the US federal government and make this information readily available to all workers.
Materials handling and storage
The various operations involved in moving material and product through a printing plant, including warehousing and shipping.
Mechanical binding
Clasping individual sheets together with plastic, small wire, or metal rings. Two examples are three-ring binding and spiral binding.
Milling head
The device on an adhesive binder that grinds off the folded spines of the signatures to expose the individual sheets to the glue.
Misregister
Printed images that are incorrectly positioned, either in reference to each other, to the sheet's edges, or from one side of the sheet to the other.
Multiple-up imposition
A layout with two or more duplicates of the same image or several images on a press sheet. Alternative term: step-and-repeat layout.
N
Nip
A crease line at the joint of a case-bound book. It gives the book uniform bulk and reduces the swelling caused by the sewing thread.
Nipping
In binding, squeezing and clamping books or signatures after sewing or stitching to remove excess air and reduce the swell caused by stitching. Hard papers are nipped, and soft pages are smashed.
Notch binding
Small serrations cut in the spine of a perfect-bound book and filled with glue. This method eliminates the need to mill material off the spine of the book.
O
Offline
Used to describe standalone machines or operations.
One-up
Printing a single image once on a press sheet.
OSHA
An acronym for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the body of the federal government that helps ensure safe work standards.
Overcut
In paper cutting, the condition in which the paper at the top of the pile is cut shorter than paper further down.
P
Page Layout
The process of positioning text, pictures, and other image elements on a page using a desktop publishing program, such as QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, or Adobe PageMaker.
Pallet
A low, sturdy platform on which materials may be placed for handling in quantity.
Parallel fold
Any fold made in a sheet of paper or other substrate that is oriented in a direction parallel to a previous fold. A single fold can be called a parallel fold because it creates two panels that are parallel to each other.
Parallel to the grain
In the same direction as the grain of the paper. Alternative terms: along the grain; with the grain.
Perforating
The process of mechanically slotting or punching a row of small holes or incisions into or through a sheet of paper to permit part of it to be detached, to guide in folding, to allow air to escape from signatures, or to prevent wrinkling and the occurrence of dog-ears when folding. A perforation may be indicated by a series of printed lines, or it may be blind; in other words, without a printed indication on the cutline. Alternative term: perf.
Pinch Point
An area where two rollers or cylinders first contact each other, with the potential of grabbing an operator's hand or hair. Gears, chains, and rollers are examples of pinch point areas. Machine guards are used to protect workers from pinch points and moving parts on industrial equipment.
Plastic Binding
A form of mechanical binding using plastic strips, combs, or coils in place of stitching. The binding edge is punched with slots or holes through which the formed plastic material is inserted.
Plate
A thin metal, plastic, or paper sheet that serves as the image carrier in many printing processes.
Platemaking
In conventional printing, preparing a printing plate from a film or flat, exposing it through the flat, and developing or processing and finishing it so that is ready to be used on press. In computer-to-plate (CTP) operations in which imaging systems receive fully paginated/imposed material electronically from computers and expose this information directly to plates in platesetters or imagesetters, without creating film intermediates.
Points
A method of describing the thickness of paper; one point equals one thousandth of an inch. For example, a sheet of 0.004 in. stock is 4 points thick.
Polyurethane adhesive (PUR)
A type of hot-melt glue used in adhesive binding that is applied at temperatures between 250-300 degrees. At room temperature, PUR is in solid form, and it is melted in air-tight premelters.
Polyvinyl acetate (PVA):
A water-soluble glue used in adhesive binding and applied cold. Similar to regular craft glue, it has a long natural drying time of 8-12 hours that can be reduced to 3-4 minutes by using gas, infrared, or high-frequency drying.
Post Binder
A loose-leaf binding method in which straight rods instead of rings are used to hold the pages together. The binder can be expanded as the bulk of the contents increases.
Postpress
In a graphic arts workflow, the activities that take place after presswork, specifically binding and finishing, but also including shipping, mailing, and distribution.
Preflighting
(1) In prepress, an orderly preventive procedure using a printed checklist or special software to verify that all components of a job (e.g., digital text files and high-resolution image files) are present and correct prior to submitting the document for high-resolution output and to identify potential problems that could cause rework or even rerunning a whole job. (2) In the bindery, the orderly preventive procedure using a printed checklist to ascertain the completeness of a newly arrived job.
Premelter
A separate piece of equipment attached to the gluing station of an adhesive binder and used to gradually and uniformly melt the glue.
Prepress
The stage of graphic arts workflow that readies the job elements to be printed. It can be described as what happens from the time a digital file has been completely designed until it is actually printed. It includes, among other operations, preflighting, proofing, and platemaking. Alternative term: premedia.
Press
The stage of graphic arts workflow that involves putting ink on paper or other substrate. It includes all the tasks needed to get the press ready to print, the print run (pressrun) itself, and press washup afterward. Alternative term: presswork.
Pressrun
The phase of presswork that commences once the press sheet matches the proof. It involves operations that affect binding and finishing, such as maintaining registration, printing the correct number of sheets, and handling materials carefully so that they feed properly into folding machines and other equipment.
Printer's Spread
A pair of pages in a certain order so that printing, folding, and binding yield the sequence in which the reader or recipient needs to see them.
Process Control
Identifying, measuring, and controlling measurable variables in the printing and binding process in order to produce a high-quality product. Examples of variables include ink density, image registration, product trim size, and glue thickness on binding. Once a variable is measured, production personnel can track and benchmark quality numerically.
Proofs
A simulation of the printed product that provides the chance to verify that color, placement, and other factors meet expectations.
Q
R
Reader's Spread
A pair of pages positioned across the binding edge, or gutter, from each other so they can be read or understood in the correct order after the book is bound.
Ream
Five-hundred (500) sheets of paper.
Register
Overall agreement in the position of printing detail on a press sheet, especially the alignment of two or more overprinted colors in multicolor presswork. Register may be observed by agreement of overprinted register marks on a press sheet. Also refers to the correct placement of printed material on both sides of a press sheet. Alternative term: registration.
Register marks
Small reference patterns, guides, or crosses placed on press sheets to aid in aligning overprinted colors on press sheets.
Rework
Redoing an entire job or a portion of the job due to a mistake made in any stage of production.
Right-angle Fold
Any fold made in a sheet of paper or other substrate that is oriented at a 90 degree angle to a previous fold.
Rotary Scoring
Usually done on a folder, a method of scoring that uses circular scoring dies mounted on a shaft and a counter die.
Roughening Head
The cutting head on an adhesive binder that prepares the backbone fibers for exposure to the glue.
Rounding and Backing
Shaping a book to fit its cover. Rounding gives books a convex spine and a concave fore-edge. Backing makes the spine wider than the thickness of the rest of the book to provide a shoulder against which the cardboard front and back covers rest. It also provides the hinge crease for the joints of the book.
S
Saddle
On a saddle stitcher, the bar on which the opened signatures are draped as they move through the machine.
Saddle Stitching
Binding multiple sheets by opening the signatures in the center and gathering and stitching them with a wire through the fold line. The folded sheets rest on supports called saddles as they are transported through the stitcher. Booklets, brochures, and pamphlets are most often bound this way. Alternative terms: saddle wire; wire stitch.
Saddle Stitcher
A machine that performs saddle stitching. Stitchers range from small manually powered models to large automated machines. Alternative terms: saddle binder; stitcher; wire stitcher.
Scoring
Making a crease in paper by impressing a steel rule against the paper surface. This ruptures the paper fibers, creating a line for making crisp, accurate folds on heavier stocks like text and cover sheets.
Screen Printing
A printing process in which a squeegee forces ink through a porous mesh, synthetic, or silk image carrier, or screen, covered by a stencil that blacks the nonimage areas. The ink pressed through the open image areas of the screen forms the image on the substrate.
Sewing
In bookbinding, fastening printed signatures together with needle and thread or cord.
Sheet Curl
A paper problem that results in a pile of sheets that does not lay flat but curves in one direction. This can cause infeed problems with finishing and binding equipment. Sheet curl can happen when paper absorbs too much moisture on one side of the sheet during printing.
Sheeter
A machine that cuts roll paper into sheets. Sheeters are used as an alternative delivery on a web press (instead of a folder) or as a feeding system on a sheefed press, in which case roll paper is cut into sheets that are then fed individually into the press.
Sheetfed Press
A printing press that feeds and prints on individual sheets of paper (or another substrate).
Sheeting
The process of cutting rolls of paper into sheets to be printed.
Shrink Wrap
Using heat to affix a thin plastic material around printed and bound products to prepare them for shipment.
Side Gauge
On a paper cutter, a metal guide that works with the back gauge to square piles of paper before cutting. The side gauge is stationary and should be at a perfect right angle to the back gauge.
Side-sewing
A method of binding in which the entire book is sewn as a single unit, instead of as individual sections. Side-sewn books will not lie flat when open.
Side-stitch
A method of binding in which the folded signatures or cut sheets are stitched along and through the side close to the gutter margin. The pages cannot be opened fully to lie flat.
Signature
A single press sheet that has several pages printed on both sides of it so that when it is folded the pages will appear in their correct order in a book or magazine. Signatures may consist of four pages, eight pages, sixteen pages, or some other multiple of four. Printed signatures have fold marks, indicated by broken lines, that are used to set up the folder.
Skid
A type of pallet without bottom deck boards.
Slitting
Cutting a sheet in a straight line along the traveling direction of the paper. Doing this on a folder can reduce the processing time on the job, because the product does not have to move to the cutting machine.
Smash
Heavy pressure used to compress a book so that it will have less bulk.
Smoothness
The measure of the evenness or lack of contour of a paper's surface. Smooth papers are considered to have better printability than less-smooth papers. Smoothness can affect bindery operations, especially when the paper is not smooth but textured. Smoothness can also affect paper stacking and feeding. Low-smoothness paper has less tendency to slip and slide, but too much texture and the paper may jam or slow some bindery operations.
Smyth Sewing
Bookbinding by sewing thread through the backfold of a signature and from signature to signature. This links the signatures together, while permitting the opened book to lay flat.
Spine
The point of a multi-page document where the pages are bound together.
Spiral Binding
A mechanical binding method in which a continuous wire coil is run through a series of closely spaced holes near the gutter margin of loose sheets.
Spit Back Gauge
On a paper cutter, a back gauge divided into three sections that allows a book to be trimmed on top, bottom, and one side without changing the cutter settings.
Static
Electrical charges that cause sheets to cling to each other or to finishing equipment components, thus interfering with smooth feeding of sheets through equipment. Static problems are more pronounced with large lightweight papers and high-gloss papers.
Stitching Head
The device on a saddle stitcher that drives the stitch through the upturned spine of the signature set on the saddle.
Stitching Section
The portion of a saddle stitcher that includes a wire spool and a stitching head that drives the wire into the signature set.
Stock
Another name for paper used in the printing industry.
T
Tape Guide Bands
On a folder delivery, continuous narrow belts positioned beneath the catch rollers that together inch the folded sheets forward on the delivery table.
Template
A computer-generated page layout/design file that ensures each page in a document has a consistent look to it. This file sets up consistent margins, headers/footers, graphic elements, and typeface and type sizes to be used in the document.
Three-knife trimmer
Located after the stitching head on a saddle stitcher and after the nipping station on an adhesive binder, this device cuts each booklet on three sides to the product's final size.
Tip-on/Tip-in Machine
An auxiliary device for saddle stitchers or adhesive binders that secures or "tips in" inserts to signatures with a thin strip of releasable adhesive. Examples of product that are tipped in include reply cards, coupons, envelopes, and sample merchandise secured to the front and back pages of signatures.
Trim
The excess area of a printed form or page in which instructions, register marks, and quality control devices are printed. The trim is cut off before binding.
Trim Marks
Guide marks on the printed sheet to indicate where the product will be trimmed on the cutter. Trim marks are usually indicated with a solid line that starts roughly 1/8 in. form final page size.
Trim Size
The final dimensions of a page.
Trimming
Cutting a small amount of excess paper off the edges of a multipage product to neaten the ragged edges of printed pieces, open the closed edges of folded signatures, and bring printed material to its designed size. For flat sheet work (unfolded product), trimming to the finished sheet size follows presswork. Trimming can be done using a dedicated three-knife or five-knife trimmer, or a single-knife guillotine cutter.
U
V
W
Waste
Materials used in the print production process that must be discarded or recycled. Examples include proof stock, plates, and setup stock.
Web
A roll of any substrate that passes continuously through a printing press or converting or finishing equipment.
Web Offset
A lithographic printing process in which a press prints on a continuous roll of paper instead of individual sheets.
Wet Scoring
A special water attachment on a folder that applies a thin, straight stream of water where the paper must fold, as an aid in creating a clean fold.
Wire Gauge
The thickness of the wire expressed in a special numbering system where smaller numbers indicate a larger wire diameter. Generally, wire used in saddle binding machines range from gauges 19 to 25.