Glossary of Common Terms G–P

Grain the direction in which most fibers lie, which correspnds with the direction in which the paper is made. Paper folded or scored with the grain is less likely to crack then paper folded or scored against the grain.

High Res [High Resolution] An image that has sufficient sharpness [measured by the number of dots per inch] to make it suitable for print reproduction.

Imposition The process of arranging pages for a press form so that they will be right side up and in sequence when folded and bound. Well-planned imposition can sometimes lead to cost savings.

In-line An operation that completes any printing process in one pass, such as printing, varnishing, folding, gluing, etc.

Ink Drawdown A special ink formulation prepared on the paper upon which the job will be printed.

Iris® Proof An inkjet print used for checking placement before film is generated.

Kiss-Cut Labels Labels that have cuts in the adhesive backing or separating multiple labels on one sheet from each other to make it easier to separate the label from the backing.

Lamination A plastic film bonded by heat and pressure to a printed sheet for protection or appearance.

Leaf A single sheet of paper [2 pages]. Often used interchangeably with pages, which is correct. Confusing "leaves" and "pages" can result in a bid or estimate that is incorrect as there are usually 50% fewer leaves or sheets in a book than pages.

Lithography [Litho] Printing method using plates whose image areas attract ink and whose non-image areas repel ink. Non-image areas may be coated with water or a coating, such as silicon, to repel ink.

Loop Stitch A variation on saddle stitching where the stitch, or wire, is formed into a circular loop which sticks out beyond the spine in the finished book. the loops are designed to slip into the rings of a 3-ring binder.

Loose Color Proof A film proof of any color scans that have been prepared for the job. Allows the comparison of the scanned color againt the original transparency or image.

Low Res [Low resolution] An image that typically lacks the sufficient sharpness [measured by the number of dots per inch] to make is suitable for print reproduction, but acceptable for preliminary proofing.

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Merge/Purge The process of merging mailing lists into one list and then eliminating any duplicate names and addresses.

Off-line To print at a separate time on a different press. Often used in reference to varnish. Also referred to as a separate pass.

Offset Lithographic printing method that transfers ink to a blacket and then to paper instead of directly from plate to paper.

Over-run or Under-run Not to exceed 10% of the quantity ordered. The printer will bill for the actual quantity delivered within this tolerance. If the customer requires a guaranteed quantity, the percentage of tolerance must be stated at the time of quotation.

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Page One side of a sheet of paper.

Pantone® Matching System [PMS] A registered trade name for a system of numbered inks. The correct trade name of the colors is Pantone® Colors, not PMS Colors.

Paper Merchant Also known as a merchant spec rep, he or she can be a valuable source of information, samples and paper dummies. A merchant spec rep can also suggest solutions when budgets are tight.

PDF [Portable Document File] A proprietary format for the transfer of files across multiple computer platforms. Documents in the PDF format can be viewed, navigated and printed from any computer regarless of the fonts or software used to create the original file.

PE Proofreader mark meaning an error made by the printer as sompared to an error by the customer.

Perfect Binding A binding method that uses adhesive to fold signatures or pages together.

Piggyback Mailing A mailing that combines more than one piece in an envelope or package in order to save money or achieve a marketing objective.

Press Proof A printing test before the final production, run on the specified paper. Provides the best simulation of the results that may be expected with the final job.