Glossary of Printing and Graphic Arts Terms
A, B, C
A, B, C
Antique Finish
A paper surface with a natural rough finish.
Basic Size
Parent sheet size of a grade of paper.
25 x 38 for book papers
20 x 26 for cover papers
22½ x 28½ or 22½ x 35 for bristols
25½ x 30½ for index.
Basis Weight
Weight (in pounds) of a ream of paper (500 sheets) in the basic size for that grade.
Bond Paper
A grade of writing or printing paper generally manufactured for letterheads, or forms. Basic size is 17 x 22
Book Paper
Generic term for coated and uncoated papers. Basic size is 25 x 38
Bulk
Paper thickness. Sometimes used as the number of pages per inch.
Caliper
Thickness of paper in mils, or thousandths of an inch.
Cast Coated
Paper coated and dried against a polished cylinder for a high-gloss finish.
Card Stock
A heavyweight paper also known as Cover. Used as covers of catalogs, brochures, books or business cards.
Coated Paper
Paper with a coating to produce various smooth finishes.
Cockle
A paper surface created by air drying, giving the paper a wavy look.
Cover Paper
Heavyweight stock used for covers of catalogs, brochures, books or business cards.
Curl
Misshaping of a sheet due to moisture absorption or differences between sides of a two-sided sheet.
DP
"Dual Purpose" for use in printing and copying.
Dandy Roll
In papermaking, the cylinder that creates a laid, wove, or watermark effect.
Dot Gain
A printing problem where dots print larger than desired, creating darker tones or color imbalances.
Dots Per Inch (DPI)
A reference for the resolution of a printed or screened image. Higher numbers mean higher resolution or more dots composing an image.
Dummy
A sample layout that shows the position of graphics and text for the final printed piece. Also, a blank layout showing general look and size of a piece.
Embossed
A paper surface textured in one of a variety of patterns by passing the paper through engraved steel rolls.
Enamel
A coated sheet or the coating on a sheet.
English Finish
A book paper term for sheets that are smother and more consistent than machined sheets.
Felt
A paper surface textured by the passing of the paper while wet between two pieces of fabric during manufacturing.
Finish
Term describing the characteristics of a paper's surface
Cockle
A paper surface created by air drying, giving the paper a wavy look.
Embossed
A paper surface textured in one of a variety of patterns by passing the paper through engraved steel rolls.
Felt
A paper surface textured by the passing of the paper while wet between two pieces of fabric during manufacturing.
Laid
A watermark, giving a closely lined look in the finish.
Vellum
A toothy surface, relatively absorbent for good ink penetration.
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Free Sheet
Paper made without mechanical wood pulp.
Grain
The direction that fibers in a sheet run. Indicative of the direction in which paper is made on a paper machine
Gripper
Metal clamp that grabs the leading edge of a sheet and control its path through a press.
Groundwood Pulp
Wood pulp made by machine for newsprint and magazine papers.
Holdout
Coated paper with low ink absorption has good holdout. The ink sets on the surface of the paper and tends to be sharper.
Laid
A watermark, giving a closely lined look in the finish.
Laser Papers
Papers with special coatings or hard finishes that are optimized for laser printers and copiers.
Mechanical Pulp
Same as groundwood pulp. Pulp produced by grinding logs and wood chips into pulp.
Newsprint
Paper made primarily from groundwood pulp.
Offset Paper
An uncoated or coated sheet specially #d for offset printing.
Opacity
The ability for paper to minimize the show-through of material printed on its other side, or to the next sheet.
PCW (Post Consumer Waste)
Percentage of fiber used in the process of making paper that has been previously used.
Recycled Paper
Paper consisting of some amount of previously discarded paper.
Screen Angles
Technique used in 4 color printing which sets halftone screens at various angles to avoid moiré patterns.
Sulphate Pulp
Paper pulp from wood chips and pressure-cooked in a solution of caustic soda and sodium sulphide. Also known as kraft.
Sulphite Pulp
Paper pulp made from wood chips and pressure-cooked in a solution of bisulphite of lime.
Text Paper
Fine quality papers often used for announcements, booklets, annual reports, and other jobs where a variety of surface textures and colors are desired.
Vellum
A toothy surface, relatively absorbent for good ink penetration.
Watermark
An imprint pressed into the paper while it is still wet.
A paper surface with a natural rough finish.
Basic Size
Parent sheet size of a grade of paper.
25 x 38 for book papers
20 x 26 for cover papers
22½ x 28½ or 22½ x 35 for bristols
25½ x 30½ for index.
Basis Weight
Weight (in pounds) of a ream of paper (500 sheets) in the basic size for that grade.
Bond Paper
A grade of writing or printing paper generally manufactured for letterheads, or forms. Basic size is 17 x 22
Book Paper
Generic term for coated and uncoated papers. Basic size is 25 x 38
Bulk
Paper thickness. Sometimes used as the number of pages per inch.
Caliper
Thickness of paper in mils, or thousandths of an inch.
Cast Coated
Paper coated and dried against a polished cylinder for a high-gloss finish.
Card Stock
A heavyweight paper also known as Cover. Used as covers of catalogs, brochures, books or business cards.
Coated Paper
Paper with a coating to produce various smooth finishes.
Cockle
A paper surface created by air drying, giving the paper a wavy look.
Cover Paper
Heavyweight stock used for covers of catalogs, brochures, books or business cards.
Curl
Misshaping of a sheet due to moisture absorption or differences between sides of a two-sided sheet.
DP
"Dual Purpose" for use in printing and copying.
Dandy Roll
In papermaking, the cylinder that creates a laid, wove, or watermark effect.
Dot Gain
A printing problem where dots print larger than desired, creating darker tones or color imbalances.
Dots Per Inch (DPI)
A reference for the resolution of a printed or screened image. Higher numbers mean higher resolution or more dots composing an image.
Dummy
A sample layout that shows the position of graphics and text for the final printed piece. Also, a blank layout showing general look and size of a piece.
Embossed
A paper surface textured in one of a variety of patterns by passing the paper through engraved steel rolls.
Enamel
A coated sheet or the coating on a sheet.
English Finish
A book paper term for sheets that are smother and more consistent than machined sheets.
Felt
A paper surface textured by the passing of the paper while wet between two pieces of fabric during manufacturing.
Finish
Term describing the characteristics of a paper's surface
Cockle
A paper surface created by air drying, giving the paper a wavy look.
Embossed
A paper surface textured in one of a variety of patterns by passing the paper through engraved steel rolls.
Felt
A paper surface textured by the passing of the paper while wet between two pieces of fabric during manufacturing.
Laid
A watermark, giving a closely lined look in the finish.
Vellum
A toothy surface, relatively absorbent for good ink penetration.
- Top of Page -
Free Sheet
Paper made without mechanical wood pulp.
Grain
The direction that fibers in a sheet run. Indicative of the direction in which paper is made on a paper machine
Gripper
Metal clamp that grabs the leading edge of a sheet and control its path through a press.
Groundwood Pulp
Wood pulp made by machine for newsprint and magazine papers.
Holdout
Coated paper with low ink absorption has good holdout. The ink sets on the surface of the paper and tends to be sharper.
Laid
A watermark, giving a closely lined look in the finish.
Laser Papers
Papers with special coatings or hard finishes that are optimized for laser printers and copiers.
Mechanical Pulp
Same as groundwood pulp. Pulp produced by grinding logs and wood chips into pulp.
Newsprint
Paper made primarily from groundwood pulp.
Offset Paper
An uncoated or coated sheet specially #d for offset printing.
Opacity
The ability for paper to minimize the show-through of material printed on its other side, or to the next sheet.
PCW (Post Consumer Waste)
Percentage of fiber used in the process of making paper that has been previously used.
Recycled Paper
Paper consisting of some amount of previously discarded paper.
Screen Angles
Technique used in 4 color printing which sets halftone screens at various angles to avoid moiré patterns.
Sulphate Pulp
Paper pulp from wood chips and pressure-cooked in a solution of caustic soda and sodium sulphide. Also known as kraft.
Sulphite Pulp
Paper pulp made from wood chips and pressure-cooked in a solution of bisulphite of lime.
Text Paper
Fine quality papers often used for announcements, booklets, annual reports, and other jobs where a variety of surface textures and colors are desired.
Vellum
A toothy surface, relatively absorbent for good ink penetration.
Watermark
An imprint pressed into the paper while it is still wet.