Glossary of Printing and Graphic Arts Terms
M, N, O, P
M
Machine Glazed (MG)
Paper holding a high-gloss finish only on one side.
Magenta
One of the four process colors.
Makeready
(1) All activities required to prepare a press or other machine to function for a specific printing or bindery job, as compared to production run. Also called setup. (2) Paper used in the makeready process at any stage in production. Makeready paper is part of waste or spoilage.
Making Order
Order for paper that a mill makes to the customer's specifications, as compared to a mill order or stock order.
Male Die
Die that applies pressure during embossing or debossing. Also called force card.
Manuscript (MS)
An author's original form of work (hand written, typed or on disk) submitted for publication.
Margin
Imprinted space around the edge of the printed material.
Mark-Up
Instructions written usually on a "dummy."
Mask
To prevent light from reaching part of an image, therefore isolating the remaining part. Also called knock out.
Master
Paper or plastic plate used on a duplicating press.
Match Print
A form of a four-color-process proofing system.
Matte Finish
Flat (not glossy) finish on photographic paper or coated printing paper.
Mechanical
Camera-ready assembly of type, graphic and other copy complete with instructions to the printer. A hard mechanical consists of paper and/or acetate, is made using paste-up techniques, and may also be called an artboard, board or paste-up. A soft mechanical, also called an electronic mechanical, exists as a file of type and other images assembled using a computer.
Mechanical Bind
To bind using a comb, coil, ring binder, post or any other technique not requiring gluing, sewing or stitching.
Mechanical Separation
Color breaks made on the mechanical using a separate overlay for each color to be printed.
Mechanical Tint
Lines or patterns formed with dots creating artwork for reproduction.
Metallic Ink
Ink containing powdered metal or pigments that simulate metal.
Metallic Paper
Paper coated with a thin film of plastic or pigment whose color and gloss simulate metal.
Midtones
In a photograph or illustration, tones created by dots between 30 percent and 70 percent of coverage, as compared to highlights and shadows.
Mil 1/1000 Inch
The thickness of plastic films as printing substrates are expressed in mils.
Misting
Phenomenon of droplets of ink being thrown off the roller train. Also called flying ink.
Mock Up
A reproduction of the original printed matter and possibly containing instructions or direction.
Modem
Mostly used over phone lines, a device that converts electronic stored information from point a. to point b.
Moire
Undesirable pattern resulting when halftones and screen tints are made with improperly aligned screens, or when a pattern in a photo, such as a plaid, interfaces with a halftone dot pattern.
Monarch
Paper size (7' x 10') and envelope shape often used for personal stationery.
Mottle
Spotty, uneven ink absorption. Also called sinkage. A mottled image may be called mealy.
Mull
A specific type of glue used for books binding and personal pads needing strength.
Multicolor Printing
Printing in more than one ink color (but not four-color process). Also called polychrome printing.
M Weight
Weight of 1,000 sheets of paper in any specific size.
Machine Glazed (MG)
Paper holding a high-gloss finish only on one side.
Magenta
One of the four process colors.
Makeready
(1) All activities required to prepare a press or other machine to function for a specific printing or bindery job, as compared to production run. Also called setup. (2) Paper used in the makeready process at any stage in production. Makeready paper is part of waste or spoilage.
Making Order
Order for paper that a mill makes to the customer's specifications, as compared to a mill order or stock order.
Male Die
Die that applies pressure during embossing or debossing. Also called force card.
Manuscript (MS)
An author's original form of work (hand written, typed or on disk) submitted for publication.
Margin
Imprinted space around the edge of the printed material.
Mark-Up
Instructions written usually on a "dummy."
Mask
To prevent light from reaching part of an image, therefore isolating the remaining part. Also called knock out.
Master
Paper or plastic plate used on a duplicating press.
Match Print
A form of a four-color-process proofing system.
Matte Finish
Flat (not glossy) finish on photographic paper or coated printing paper.
Mechanical
Camera-ready assembly of type, graphic and other copy complete with instructions to the printer. A hard mechanical consists of paper and/or acetate, is made using paste-up techniques, and may also be called an artboard, board or paste-up. A soft mechanical, also called an electronic mechanical, exists as a file of type and other images assembled using a computer.
Mechanical Bind
To bind using a comb, coil, ring binder, post or any other technique not requiring gluing, sewing or stitching.
Mechanical Separation
Color breaks made on the mechanical using a separate overlay for each color to be printed.
Mechanical Tint
Lines or patterns formed with dots creating artwork for reproduction.
Metallic Ink
Ink containing powdered metal or pigments that simulate metal.
Metallic Paper
Paper coated with a thin film of plastic or pigment whose color and gloss simulate metal.
Midtones
In a photograph or illustration, tones created by dots between 30 percent and 70 percent of coverage, as compared to highlights and shadows.
Mil 1/1000 Inch
The thickness of plastic films as printing substrates are expressed in mils.
Misting
Phenomenon of droplets of ink being thrown off the roller train. Also called flying ink.
Mock Up
A reproduction of the original printed matter and possibly containing instructions or direction.
Modem
Mostly used over phone lines, a device that converts electronic stored information from point a. to point b.
Moire
Undesirable pattern resulting when halftones and screen tints are made with improperly aligned screens, or when a pattern in a photo, such as a plaid, interfaces with a halftone dot pattern.
Monarch
Paper size (7' x 10') and envelope shape often used for personal stationery.
Mottle
Spotty, uneven ink absorption. Also called sinkage. A mottled image may be called mealy.
Mull
A specific type of glue used for books binding and personal pads needing strength.
Multicolor Printing
Printing in more than one ink color (but not four-color process). Also called polychrome printing.
M Weight
Weight of 1,000 sheets of paper in any specific size.
N
Natural Color
Very light brown color of paper. May also be called antique, cream, ivory, off-white or mellow white.
Nested
Signatures assembled inside one another in the proper sequence for binding, as compared to gathered. Also called inset.
Neutral Gray
Gray with no hue or cast.
News Print
Paper used in printing newspapers. Considered low quality and "a short life use."
Newton Ring
Flaw in a photograph or halftone that looks like a drop of oil or water.
Nipping
In the book binding process, a stage where air is expelled from it's contents at the sewing stage.
Nonheatset Web
Web press without a drying oven, thus not able to print on coated paper. Also called cold-set web and open web.
Nonimpact Printing
Printing using lasers, ions, ink jets or heat to transfer images to paper.
Nonreproducing Blue
Light blue that does not record on graphic arts film, therefore may be used to preprint layout grids and write instructions on mechanicals. Also called blue pencil, drop-out blue, fade-out blue and nonrepro blue.
Novelty Printing
Printing on products such as coasters, pencils, balloons, golf balls and ashtrays, known as advertising specialties or premiums.
Natural Color
Very light brown color of paper. May also be called antique, cream, ivory, off-white or mellow white.
Nested
Signatures assembled inside one another in the proper sequence for binding, as compared to gathered. Also called inset.
Neutral Gray
Gray with no hue or cast.
News Print
Paper used in printing newspapers. Considered low quality and "a short life use."
Newton Ring
Flaw in a photograph or halftone that looks like a drop of oil or water.
Nipping
In the book binding process, a stage where air is expelled from it's contents at the sewing stage.
Nonheatset Web
Web press without a drying oven, thus not able to print on coated paper. Also called cold-set web and open web.
Nonimpact Printing
Printing using lasers, ions, ink jets or heat to transfer images to paper.
Nonreproducing Blue
Light blue that does not record on graphic arts film, therefore may be used to preprint layout grids and write instructions on mechanicals. Also called blue pencil, drop-out blue, fade-out blue and nonrepro blue.
Novelty Printing
Printing on products such as coasters, pencils, balloons, golf balls and ashtrays, known as advertising specialties or premiums.
O
Offset Printing
Printing technique that transfers ink from a plate to a blanket to paper instead of directly from plate to paper.
Opacity
(1) Characteristic of paper or other substrate that prevents printing on one side from showing through the other side. (2) Characteristic of ink that prevents the substrate from showing through.
Onion Skin
A specific lightweight type (kind) of paper usually used in the past for air mail. Seldom used today (in the typewriter era).
Opaque
(1) Not transparent. (2) To cover flaws in negative with tape or opaquing paint. Also called block out and spot.
Open Prepress Interface
Hardware and software that link desktop publishing systems with color electronic prepress systems.
Outer form
Form (side of a press sheet) containing images for the first and last pages of the folded signature (its outside pages) as compared to inner form.
Outline Halftone
Halftone in which background has been removed or replaced to isolate or silhouette the main image. Also called knockout halftone and silhouette halftone.
Overlay
Layer of material taped to a mechanical, photo or proof. Acetate overlays are used to separate colors by having some type or art on them instead of on the mounting board. Tissue overlays are used to carry instructions about the underlying copy and to protect the base art.
Overlay Proof
Color proof consisting of polyester sheets laid on top of each other with their image in register, as compared to integral proof. Each sheet represents the image to be printed in one color. Also called celluloid proof and layered proof.
Overprint
To print one image over a previously printed image, such as printing type over a screen tint. Also called surprint.
Over Run
Additional printed matter beyond order. Overage policy varies in the printing industry. Advance questions avoid blind knowledge.
Offset Printing
Printing technique that transfers ink from a plate to a blanket to paper instead of directly from plate to paper.
Opacity
(1) Characteristic of paper or other substrate that prevents printing on one side from showing through the other side. (2) Characteristic of ink that prevents the substrate from showing through.
Onion Skin
A specific lightweight type (kind) of paper usually used in the past for air mail. Seldom used today (in the typewriter era).
Opaque
(1) Not transparent. (2) To cover flaws in negative with tape or opaquing paint. Also called block out and spot.
Open Prepress Interface
Hardware and software that link desktop publishing systems with color electronic prepress systems.
Outer form
Form (side of a press sheet) containing images for the first and last pages of the folded signature (its outside pages) as compared to inner form.
Outline Halftone
Halftone in which background has been removed or replaced to isolate or silhouette the main image. Also called knockout halftone and silhouette halftone.
Overlay
Layer of material taped to a mechanical, photo or proof. Acetate overlays are used to separate colors by having some type or art on them instead of on the mounting board. Tissue overlays are used to carry instructions about the underlying copy and to protect the base art.
Overlay Proof
Color proof consisting of polyester sheets laid on top of each other with their image in register, as compared to integral proof. Each sheet represents the image to be printed in one color. Also called celluloid proof and layered proof.
Overprint
To print one image over a previously printed image, such as printing type over a screen tint. Also called surprint.
Over Run
Additional printed matter beyond order. Overage policy varies in the printing industry. Advance questions avoid blind knowledge.
P
Page
One side of a leaf in a publication.
Page Count
Total number of pages that a publication has. Also called extent.
Page Proof
Proof of type and graphics as they will look on the finished page complete with elements such as headings, rules and folios.
Pagination
In the book arena, the numbering of pages.
Painted Sheet
Sheet printed with ink edge to edge, as compared to spot color. The painted sheet refers to the final product, not the press sheet, and means that 100 percent coverage results from bleeds off all four sides.
Panel
One page of a brochure, such as one panel of a rack brochure. One panel is on one side of the paper. A letter-folded sheet has six panels, not three.
Paper Plate
A printing plate made of strong and durable paper in the short run offset arena (cost effective with short runs).
Parallel Fold
Method of folding. Two parallel folds to a sheet will produce 6 panels.
Parent Sheet
Any sheet larger than 11' x 17' or A3.
Pasteboard
Chipboard with another paper pasted to it.
Paste-up
To paste copy to mounting boards and, if necessary, to overlays so it is assembled into a camera-ready mechanical. The mechanical produced is often called a paste-up.
PE
Proofreader mark meaning printer error and showing a mistake by a typesetter, prepress service or printer as compared to an error by the customer.
Perfect Bind
To bind sheets that have been ground at the spine and are held to the cover by glue. Also called adhesive bind, cut-back bind, glue bind, paper bind, patent bind, perfecting bind, soft bind and soft cover. See also Burst Perfect Bind.
Perfecting Press
Press capable of printing both sides of the paper during a single pass. Also called duplex press and perfector.
Perf Marks
On a "dummy" marking where the perforation is to occur.
Perforating
Taking place on a press or a binder machine, creating a line of small dotted wholes for the purpose of tearing-off a part of a printed matter (usually straight lines, vertical or horizontal).
Pica
A unit of measure in the printing industry. A pica is approximately 0.166 in. There are 12 points to a pica.
Photoengraving
Engraving done using photochemistry.
Photomechanical Transfer
Brand name for a diffusion transfer process used to make positive paper prints of line copy and halftones. Often used as alternate term for photostat. Abbreviated PMT.
Photostat
Brand name for a diffusion transfer process used to make positive paper prints of line copy and halftones. Often used as alternate term for PMT.
Picking
Phenomenon of ink pulling bits of coating or fiber away from the surface of paper as it travels through the press, thus leaving unprinted spots in the image area.
Pickup Art
Artwork, used in a previous job, to be incorporated in a current job.
Pinholing
Small holes (unwanted) in printed areas because of a variety of reasons.
Pin Register
Technique of registering separations, flats and printing plates by using small holes, all of equal diameter, at the edges of both flats and plates.
Pixel
Short for picture element, a dot made by a computer, scanner or other digital device. Also called pel.
Planographic Printing
Printing method whose image carriers are level surfaces with inked areas separated from noninked areas by chemical means. Planographic printing includes lithography, offset lithography and spirit duplicating.
Plate
Piece of paper, metal, plastic or rubber carrying an image to be reproduced using a printing press.
Platemaker
(1) In quick printing, a process camera that makes plates automatically from mechanicals. (2) In commercial lithography, a machine with a vacuum frame used to expose plates through film.
Plate-ready Film
Stripped negatives or positives fully prepared for platemaking.
Pleasing Color
Color that the customer considers satisfactory even though it may not precisely match original samples, scenes or objects.
PMS
Obsolete reference to Pantone Matching System. The correct trade name of the colors in the Pantone Matching System is Pantone colors, not PMS Colors.
PMT
Abbreviation for photomechanical transfer.
Point
(1) Regarding paper, a unit of thickness equating 1/1000 inch. (2) Regarding type, a unit of measure equaling 1/12 pica and .013875 inch (.351mm).
Portrait
An art design in which the height is greater than the width. (Opposite of Landscape.)
Position Stat
Photocopy or PMT of a photo or illustration made to size and affixed to a mechanical.
Positive Film
Film that prevents light from passing through images, as compared to negative film that allows light to pass through. Also called knockout film.
Post Bind
To bind using a screw and post inserted through a hole in a pile of loose sheets.
Prepress
Camera work, color separations, stripping, platemaking and other prepress functions performed by the printer, separator or a service bureau prior to printing. Also called preparation.
Prepress Proof
Any color proof made using ink jet, toner, dyes or overlays, as compared to a press proof printed using ink. Also called dry proof and off-press proof.
Preprint
To print portions of sheets that will be used for later imprinting.
Press Check
Event at which makeready sheets from the press are examined before authorizing full production to begin.
Press Proof
Proof made on press using the plates, ink and paper specified for the job. Also called strike off and trial proof.
Press Time
(1) Amount of time that one printing job spends on press, including time required for makeready. (2) Time of day at which a printing job goes on press.
Price Break
Quantity at which unit cost of paper or printing drops.
Printer Pairs
Usually in the book arena, consecutive pages as they appear on a flat or signature.
Printer Spreads
Mechanicals made so they are imposed for printing, as compared to reader spreads.
Printing
Any process that transfers to paper or another substrate an image from an original such as a film negative or positive, electronic memory, stencil, die or plate.
Printing Plate
Surface carrying an image to be printed. Quick printing uses paper or plastic plates; letterpress, engraving and commercial lithography use metal plates; flexography uses rubber or soft plastic plates. Gravure printing uses a cylinder. The screen printing is also called a plate.
Printing Unit
Assembly of fountain, rollers and cylinders that will print one ink color. Also called color station, deck, ink station, printer, station and tower.
Process Camera
Camera used to photograph mechanicals and other camera-ready copy. Also called copy, camera and graphic arts camera. A small, simple process camera may be called a stat camera.
Process Color (Inks)
The colors used for four-color process printing: yellow, magenta, cyan and black.
Production Run
Press run intended to manufacture products as specified, as compared to makeready.
Proof
Test sheet made to reveal errors or flaws, predict results on press and record how a printing job is intended to appear when finished.
Proofreader Marks
Standard symbols and abbreviations used to mark up manuscripts and proofs. Also called correction marks.
Proportion Scale
Round device used to calculate percent that an original image must by reduced or enlarged to yield a specific reproduction size. Also called percentage wheel, proportion dial, proportion wheel and scaling wheel.
Publishing Paper
Paper made in weights, colors and surfaces suited to books, magazines, catalogs and free-standing inserts.
Page
One side of a leaf in a publication.
Page Count
Total number of pages that a publication has. Also called extent.
Page Proof
Proof of type and graphics as they will look on the finished page complete with elements such as headings, rules and folios.
Pagination
In the book arena, the numbering of pages.
Painted Sheet
Sheet printed with ink edge to edge, as compared to spot color. The painted sheet refers to the final product, not the press sheet, and means that 100 percent coverage results from bleeds off all four sides.
Panel
One page of a brochure, such as one panel of a rack brochure. One panel is on one side of the paper. A letter-folded sheet has six panels, not three.
Paper Plate
A printing plate made of strong and durable paper in the short run offset arena (cost effective with short runs).
Parallel Fold
Method of folding. Two parallel folds to a sheet will produce 6 panels.
Parent Sheet
Any sheet larger than 11' x 17' or A3.
Pasteboard
Chipboard with another paper pasted to it.
Paste-up
To paste copy to mounting boards and, if necessary, to overlays so it is assembled into a camera-ready mechanical. The mechanical produced is often called a paste-up.
PE
Proofreader mark meaning printer error and showing a mistake by a typesetter, prepress service or printer as compared to an error by the customer.
Perfect Bind
To bind sheets that have been ground at the spine and are held to the cover by glue. Also called adhesive bind, cut-back bind, glue bind, paper bind, patent bind, perfecting bind, soft bind and soft cover. See also Burst Perfect Bind.
Perfecting Press
Press capable of printing both sides of the paper during a single pass. Also called duplex press and perfector.
Perf Marks
On a "dummy" marking where the perforation is to occur.
Perforating
Taking place on a press or a binder machine, creating a line of small dotted wholes for the purpose of tearing-off a part of a printed matter (usually straight lines, vertical or horizontal).
Pica
A unit of measure in the printing industry. A pica is approximately 0.166 in. There are 12 points to a pica.
Photoengraving
Engraving done using photochemistry.
Photomechanical Transfer
Brand name for a diffusion transfer process used to make positive paper prints of line copy and halftones. Often used as alternate term for photostat. Abbreviated PMT.
Photostat
Brand name for a diffusion transfer process used to make positive paper prints of line copy and halftones. Often used as alternate term for PMT.
Picking
Phenomenon of ink pulling bits of coating or fiber away from the surface of paper as it travels through the press, thus leaving unprinted spots in the image area.
Pickup Art
Artwork, used in a previous job, to be incorporated in a current job.
Pinholing
Small holes (unwanted) in printed areas because of a variety of reasons.
Pin Register
Technique of registering separations, flats and printing plates by using small holes, all of equal diameter, at the edges of both flats and plates.
Pixel
Short for picture element, a dot made by a computer, scanner or other digital device. Also called pel.
Planographic Printing
Printing method whose image carriers are level surfaces with inked areas separated from noninked areas by chemical means. Planographic printing includes lithography, offset lithography and spirit duplicating.
Plate
Piece of paper, metal, plastic or rubber carrying an image to be reproduced using a printing press.
Platemaker
(1) In quick printing, a process camera that makes plates automatically from mechanicals. (2) In commercial lithography, a machine with a vacuum frame used to expose plates through film.
Plate-ready Film
Stripped negatives or positives fully prepared for platemaking.
Pleasing Color
Color that the customer considers satisfactory even though it may not precisely match original samples, scenes or objects.
PMS
Obsolete reference to Pantone Matching System. The correct trade name of the colors in the Pantone Matching System is Pantone colors, not PMS Colors.
PMT
Abbreviation for photomechanical transfer.
Point
(1) Regarding paper, a unit of thickness equating 1/1000 inch. (2) Regarding type, a unit of measure equaling 1/12 pica and .013875 inch (.351mm).
Portrait
An art design in which the height is greater than the width. (Opposite of Landscape.)
Position Stat
Photocopy or PMT of a photo or illustration made to size and affixed to a mechanical.
Positive Film
Film that prevents light from passing through images, as compared to negative film that allows light to pass through. Also called knockout film.
Post Bind
To bind using a screw and post inserted through a hole in a pile of loose sheets.
Prepress
Camera work, color separations, stripping, platemaking and other prepress functions performed by the printer, separator or a service bureau prior to printing. Also called preparation.
Prepress Proof
Any color proof made using ink jet, toner, dyes or overlays, as compared to a press proof printed using ink. Also called dry proof and off-press proof.
Preprint
To print portions of sheets that will be used for later imprinting.
Press Check
Event at which makeready sheets from the press are examined before authorizing full production to begin.
Press Proof
Proof made on press using the plates, ink and paper specified for the job. Also called strike off and trial proof.
Press Time
(1) Amount of time that one printing job spends on press, including time required for makeready. (2) Time of day at which a printing job goes on press.
Price Break
Quantity at which unit cost of paper or printing drops.
Printer Pairs
Usually in the book arena, consecutive pages as they appear on a flat or signature.
Printer Spreads
Mechanicals made so they are imposed for printing, as compared to reader spreads.
Printing
Any process that transfers to paper or another substrate an image from an original such as a film negative or positive, electronic memory, stencil, die or plate.
Printing Plate
Surface carrying an image to be printed. Quick printing uses paper or plastic plates; letterpress, engraving and commercial lithography use metal plates; flexography uses rubber or soft plastic plates. Gravure printing uses a cylinder. The screen printing is also called a plate.
Printing Unit
Assembly of fountain, rollers and cylinders that will print one ink color. Also called color station, deck, ink station, printer, station and tower.
Process Camera
Camera used to photograph mechanicals and other camera-ready copy. Also called copy, camera and graphic arts camera. A small, simple process camera may be called a stat camera.
Process Color (Inks)
The colors used for four-color process printing: yellow, magenta, cyan and black.
Production Run
Press run intended to manufacture products as specified, as compared to makeready.
Proof
Test sheet made to reveal errors or flaws, predict results on press and record how a printing job is intended to appear when finished.
Proofreader Marks
Standard symbols and abbreviations used to mark up manuscripts and proofs. Also called correction marks.
Proportion Scale
Round device used to calculate percent that an original image must by reduced or enlarged to yield a specific reproduction size. Also called percentage wheel, proportion dial, proportion wheel and scaling wheel.
Publishing Paper
Paper made in weights, colors and surfaces suited to books, magazines, catalogs and free-standing inserts.
