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NCR: See carbonless paper.

Negative: In photography, film containing an image in which values of the original are reversed so that the dark areas appear light and vice versa. In lithography; a film containing type or halftones in which the values are reversed, whites are black and blacks are clear film.

Newton Rings: In reproduction from either photography or lithography, an objectionable series or irregularly colored circles caused by the prismatic action of interfacing different smooth surfaces together, such as in contact frames or transparencies on a scanner drum.

Noise: Unwanted electronic or optical signals that cause interference in the reproduction of data or an image.

Number Up: Quantity of images placed on a single flat. (i.e. - 24 postcards can be imaged on a single 26x40 flat. - 24 up) [ back to top ]

^{Object Ling and Embedding (OLE):} The specification that details the implementation of Windows Objects, and the interprocess communication that supports them.

Object-Oriented Graphic: A graphic created with geometric elements that are saved in a draw-type or EPS file format.

Off-line: Something not presently active or available for access in a system.

Offset printing: Term commonly used to refer to offset lithography. The printing process where ink is transferred from the plate to the rubber blanket, then to the paper.

Oil Mounting: in scanning, it is possible as well as necessary sometimes to mount originals (usually 35mm) in oil. In cases where the original has been mishandled, has surface abrasion (on the base) or when exceptionally large reproductions are necessary (over 1000%) the original is mounted in an optical oil on the small scanning drum.

On-line: Something active or available for access in a system.

OPI: Open Prepress Interface. A descriptive language developed by Aldus and prepress vendors to provide a standardized link between desktop publishing and prepress systems. An OPI file is actually a viewing file which provides a link between the image placed in a page layout and the high resolution separation. It is automatically swapped out when the file is prepped for output.

Opaque: In lithography, to block out areas on a negative that are not wanted on the printing plate. In color reproduction, the blacking out of colors which are not desired in the final reproduction. The material which is used looks brown or black and is applied to the negative surface with a fine brush or pen.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR): The ability of a scanner with the proper software to capture, recognize and translate printed alphanumeric characters into machine readable text.

Optical Disc: A direct access storage device that is written and read by laser light. Certain optical discs are considered Write Once Read Many, or WORM, because data is permanently engraved in the disc's surface either by gouging pits (ablation); or by causing the non-image area to bubble, reflecting light away from the reading head. Erasable optical drives use technologies such as the magneto-optic technique, which electrically alters the bias of grains of material after they have been heated by a laser. Compact discs (CDs) and laser (or video) discs are optical discs. Their storage capacities are far greater than magnetic media, and are likely to replace magnetic hard disks and tape in the near future.

Optical Scanner: Input device that translates human-readable or microform images to bit-mapped or rastered machine-readable data.

Optical storage: The means of storing or archiving data on optical discs such as CDs or laser discs.

Orientation: The relative direction of a display or printed page, either horizontal (called "landscape" orientation) or vertical (called "portrait" orientation).

Orphan: One or more ending lines of a paragraph at the beginning of a page or column and separated from the rest of the paragraph at the end of the previous page or column.

Orthochromatic: Photographic and lithographic films which are insensitive to red but sensitive to ultraviolet, blue, green and yellow areas of the spectrum.

Outline Mask: An electronic filtering function that can trace an area or object in an image and extract it. A silhouetting function used in page makeup is also referred to as an outline mask.

Output: Information that has been manipulated by the central processing unit (CPU) of the computer, and displayed either on the video monitor or rendered on paper or film as hard copy, or saved on disk in a digital format.

Output device: Any device by which a computer transforms its information to the "outside world." In general, you can think of an output device as a machine that translates machine-readable data into human-readable information. Examples: printers, microform devices, video screens.

Output Resolution: Stated in lines per inch or lines per millimeter, output resolution reflects the number of pixels per unit size the plotter can put onto the film.

Overprinting (Double Printing): Printing over an area that has already been printed. Often used in color printing in order to enhance a particular color, or contrast and distinguish a particular color from other similar colors. It is used when the normal process color system is unable to discern close color differences, but are required by the customer. [ back to top ]

Packet: A networking transmission unit of fixed maximum size that consists of binary information representing both data, addressing information and error-correction information, created by the data-link layer.

Packing: In lithography, the paper used to underlay a blanket, plate or proof to bring the surface to the desired height, the method of adjusting squeeze pressure. The act of inserting the packing material under the blanket or plate.

Page Make Up: In stripping, the assembly of all elements to make up a page. In electronic scanning, the assembly of page elements such as type, logos, and color separations in position to compose a complete page with all elements which are then displayed on a video terminal as they will appear in the final reproduction.

Pagination: The assignment of page numbers, either manually or electronically, in a document.

Paint Brush: A function in the toolbox of painting, drawing, and image manipulation programs. By moving the cursor on the video monitor, brush strokes of varying size and shape can be generated electronically and displayed on the screen.

Pair-kerning: Automatically kerning selected pairs of characters when they would otherwise be spaced too close or far apart. Characters that are pair-kerned are specified by the font designer.

Palette: The collection of colors, shades, or patterns that can be selected and displayed on a video screen with the aid of a computer and a graphics program.

PANTONE Colors (PMS): A color system of over 1200 standard colors developed by Pantone, Inc., Moonachie, NJ (201)935-5500.

Paragraph Alignment: An electronic function for positioning of text within a box or column; alignment can be left, right, centered or justified.

Partition: A partition is a portion of a physical disk that functions as it were a physically separate unit.

Paste: To transfer the contents of the clipboard to an application. Many applications have a Paste Command that performs this task.

PC: Short for IBM Personal Computer. Used to indicate an IBM or compatible. Sometimes used more generally to indicate any personal computer.

PCI: See Peripheral Component Interconnect.

Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI): The local bus being promoted as the successor to VL. This type of bus is used in the Apple PowerPC Macintosh and in most Intel Pentium computers .

Peripherals: A connectable device that has an auxiliary function outside the permanent system configuration.

Phosphor: Substance which glows when struck by electrons. The back of a cathode ray tube face is coated with phosphor.

Photochromic: Compounds that become dark when exposed to light, and can be made clear again by removing the light, or exposing them to light of another wavelength. Proposed as erasable optical storage media.

Photocomposition: The manipulation and transfer of graphic images and text, using photographic means, to a light-sensitive paper or film.

Photomechanical: This term is used to describe stripping flats which are to be exposed on a printing plate. It can include line negs, film positives, halftones and color separations.

Photoshop: An image editing software program created by Adobe Systems, Inc. for the manipulation of digital images.

Phototypesetter: Device that uses photographic techniques to reproduce machine-readable text on light-sensitive paper and film.

Phosphor dots: Small dots that make up the surface of television screens and computer monitors that emit light. When bombarded with an electron beam from a cathode ray tube (crt). Each pixel on the screen or monitor consists of a triad of phosphor dots, one emitting red light, one emitting green light and one emitting blue light. The crt can "turn on" different combinations of phosphor dots to create intermediary colors, and can vary the intensity of the electron beam to produce hues with more or less saturation.

Pi characters: Special non-text characters, such as mathematical symbols.

Pica: Unit of measurement used in typography and graphic design. Approximately 1/6 inch.

PICT: A picture file format developed by Apple Computer, Inc. for use on Macintosh computers. The PICT format is adequate for storing and displaying data at 72 dpi, using the Macintosh screen, but is not sophisticated enough for higher-quality work.

PIF: Program Information File. A file that provides information that Windows needs to run a non-Windows application.

Pin Register: The use of accurately positioned holes and special pins used on copy, film, plates and printing presses to insure proper registration and to assure the fit of all elements.

Pixel: An acronym for Picture Element. When an image is defined by many tiny dots, those dots are pixels. A pixel represents the smallest graphic unit of measurement on a screen. The actual size of a pixel is screen-dependent, and varies according to the size of the screen and the resolution being used.

Pixilate: The electronic function by which pixel size can be increased to enable easy manipulation in creating special effects.

Plot: To use vector graphics: that is, to draw images with many straight lines, rather than dots.

Plotter: A printer that prints vector graphics, i.e., images created by a series of many straight lines.

PMS: Pantone Matching System. A means of describing colors by assigning them numbers. See also Pantone Colors.

Point: Unit of measurement in typography, approximately 1/72 inch. There are 12 points in a pica.

Polaroid Prints: Instant prints, self developing, which are unsuitable for color reproduction.

Policy Envelope: Similar to Commercial, but seal is on the short side (like Catalog). Commonly used for cash/drop-ins, deeds, and other legal documents.

Poor Trapping: In printing, the condition in wet printing lithography when less ink transfers to a previously printed ink than to unprinted paper. The general problem is usually unsuitable ink tack, but can also be affected by the surface of the paper, the pH of the water and alcohol, improper blanket packing, oversensitive plates, ink of poor quality, incorrect ink sequence, etc.

Portrait: A page whose width is shorter than its height.

Positive: In photography and lithography, a film or print containing an image in which the light and dark values are the same as the original. The reverse would be a negative.

PostScript: A page definition language (PDL) developed by Adobe Systems. When a page of text and/or graphics is saved as a PostScript file, the page is stored as a set of instructions specifying the measurements, typefaces, and graphic shapes that make up the page.

PPD File: PostScript Printer Description file. A file that contains information on screen angle, resolution, page size and device-specific information for a file to be printed on a PostScript device.

Prepress: The preparation work required to turn "camera-ready" artwork into the printing plates needed for mass production, i.e., making negatives, "stripping" or placing the negatives in place, and etching the plates.

Prescan: The initial subscan of the scanning process, following the overview scan. The predetermined area is scanned with standardized settings to produce a preview image.

Press Proofs: In color reproduction, a proof of a color subject on a printing press, using the same color inks and paper stocks on which the final run will be done on. This proof is done prior to the final reproduction and is the only true and predictable way to show proof of what is contained in the litho films. There is no other proof system that takes into account printing aspects such as absorbency of stock, hue of inks, trap and other printing mechanics which occur on a press.

Primary Colors: Additive primaries are red, blue and green. The subtractive primaries are cyan, magenta and yellow. (See additive and subtractive primaries.)

Print & Convert: Print on flat sheets, then convert the flat sheets to envelopes.

Print Engine: Inside a laser printer, the mechanism that uses a laser to create an electrostatic image of a page and transfers it onto a sheet of paper.

Print Quality: In paper, the properties of the paper that affect its appearance and the quality of the reproduction.

Print Queue: A list of files that have been sent to a particular printer. The list includes the file currently printing and those waiting to be printed.

Printing Dot: The smallest graphic element, and the particulate base for all graphic elements when reproduced in print.

Process Colors: In printing, the subtractive primary process ink colors are cyan, magenta, yellow plus black in four color process printing.

Process Color Printing: The recreation of color by combing two or more of the subtractive colors _ cyan, magenta, and yellow, plus black.

Process Printing: The printing from a series of two or more plates containing halftones representing process colors in order to produce intermediate colors, shades and tones.

Progressive Proofs (Progs): Proofs made from separate plates in process work, usually during a press proof, showing the sequence of printing and the result after each additional color has been applied. Can be used most effectively to determine if any problems exist and can be used on a basis for corrections or future reprinting. There are six two-color combinations plus the four process colors (c&m/c&y/c&k/m&y/m&k/y&k) and there are three (k&c&m/k&y&m/k&c&y) three color combinations.

Proof: In graphic arts, a colored material, substrate or dye used to simulate the subtractive printing primaries of cyan, magenta and yellow and also includes black as well as the other colors. The colorants used in these proof materials should render process colors with no apparent hue error. When the proof colors are combined in registration they will show the approximate printing values, colors and hues of how an original will look when printed or compared to how the original looked.

Proportional Leading: A method of leading in which two-thirds of the leading space is above the text baseline and one-third of the leading space is below the spaceline.

Psychological Aspects of Color: The sensations of color are hue, saturation and brightness. None of these is directly measurable by the human eye. The eye cannot distinguish component wavelengths in a single color. When two lights of different colors are mixed to produce a third color, no human eye can detect its composite nature. The simple fact is that the sensation of color to one observer can vary and be different to another observer. And in the printing process, the eye cannot measure ink film thickness. That is why densitometers are used to measure ink density. Quadratone: A black-and-white image reproduced through the four-color process in which black is simulated by levels of gray to bring out detail and provide dimension. [ back to top ]

Quality Control: In printing, the process of taking random samples during the press run to check the consistency of quality. In photography, the viewing of color originals under a color corrected light source to determine if highlights, middletone and shadows are correct.

Quarter Tones: A neutral gray area on a reproduction scale located between the highlight and the middletone.

Queue: see print queue. [ back to top ]

Random Access Memory (RAM): The memory that is used to run applications and perform other necessary tasks while the computer is on. When the computer is turned off, all information in RAM is lost. When PC's were first introduced, they could address as much as 640K RAM. With the advent of X86 architecture and DOS upgrades, this barrier was broken and increased to 32Meg (32,000K) of RAM. Microsoft's Windows NT has promised to break this barrier and be able to address up to 32Gigs (32,000,000K) of RAM.

Random Proof: Also known as a loose-color proof or a scatter proof. A press proof or off-press which is made from just one image, to check its appearance before it is stripped into position with other images in a page layout.

Raster Display: The most common type of display terminal. Uses pixels in a column-and-row array to display text and images.

Raster Font: A font created as a graphic bitmap image. It is available only in a fixed size - not scaleable. A raster font is used mainly on the screen, but is also used by some dot-matrix printers and built into some laser printers.

Raster Image: An image displayed as a series of lines of dots or video "blips."

Read: The process by which the central processing unit (CPU) of the computer is instructed to find specified data for display or output.

Reader's Spread: Two sequentially numbered pages of a document placed side-by-side for work of some sort to be carried out.

Real Time: Processing on a system which responds immediately to the user's instructions.

Red: An additive primary color the hue of which is created by overprinting equal parts of magenta and yellow which are primary subtractive printing colors.

Reflective Copy: In lithography, an illustration copy or photograph that is viewed and must be reproduced by reflecting light from the surface of such an original.

Refresh Rate: Measure of how often the image on a CRT is redrawn; often expressed in hertz. Typically 60 times per second, or 60 Hz in the United States.

Register: In printing and image assembly, the fitting of two or more images on the same exact spot either on paper or mylar thereby insuring exact alignment with each other.

Regular Envelope: Any envelope without a window.

Render: To interpret the contents of a document, image, or other file so that it can be displayed or played back on a computer.

Remittance Envelope: Has oversize flap. Meant to be mailed in a cover envelope and returned with an enclosure to the sender.

Repagination: The process used to change page numbers in multiple documents, while retaining a uniform format and proper numerical sequence.

Re-Screening Color Separations: In lithography, the ability to make a color separation from an original which has already been separated and published. There are limitations. Since the same basic screens and screen angles are used, it is necessary to slightly enlarge (104% or greater) or reduce (90% or smaller) in order to reduce or eliminate conflicting screen angles causing a moiré pattern. The further use of a sharp or unsharp masking controls and the use of selective focus may also be necessary.

Resolution: 1. Measure of imager output capability, usually expressed in dots per inch (dpi). 2. Measure of halftone quality, usually expressed in lines per inch (lpi).

Retouching (Color): The correction or deliberate manipulation of color, tone or detail in an original work of art, photograph or other original which needs correction. Note: retouching materials, especially in photography, must be specifically designed for use on photographic materials such as prints or transparencies. Often when incompatible materials are used, it becomes difficult if not impossible to reproduce a similar or exact color.

RGB: Red, Green, Blue. The primary colors, called "additive" colors, used by color monitor displays and TVs. The combination and intensities of these three colors can represent the whole spectrum.

Right Reading: Normal left-to-right image reproduction. Contrast with wrong reading.

RIP: Raster Image Processor, the hardware/software which converts data which has been stored in a computer into a series of lines of tiny dots which are output on film or photographic paper. In line work, the dots can be grouped to create solid areas.

Rods: Photoreceptors in the retina of the human eye that are sensitive to low light levels.

ROM: Read Only Memory. Data stored in a medium that allows it to be accessed but not erased or altered.

Rosette Pattern: A screen dot pattern which is formed by printing two or more halftone screens over one another and which have a 30ø or more angle difference between them. Example: a 45 degree, a 75 degree and a 105 degree combination would yield a good three color rosette pattern without an objectionable pattern. When a screen which has less than a 30 degree angle is included, an objectionable pattern develops and can be seen (unless it is used in the yellow printer) this is called a moiré pattern.

Rotation: Tilting an image in response to customer requests or to align it with other page elements. Rotating an image that has been transformed into computer data is a time consuming and relatively expensive operation.

RRED: In lithography, Right Reading Emulsion Down. This means a film image that when plated would read correctly. Not always ideal since it requires intermediate films to be made during composite work.

RREU: In lithography, Right Reading Emulsion Up. This means film whose image would print wrong when plated. The image has been flopped when this is the case. The term RREU is generally used when ordering a color separation when a flopped image is required. (But watch for type and other images that would give it away.) For composite film work, many separations are scanned RREU in order to save the intermediate film required when doing contact film work E to E.

RTF: Rich Text Format. An export file format supported by many word processors and desktop publishing programs.

Rule: A vertical or horizontal straight line of specific thickness that is used to accent a design.

Runnability: The paper properties that affect the ability of the paper to run on the press. These properties also affect how the inks make contact to the paper, the rate of the absorbency, the trap and the hold out of the ink on paper combination. [ back to top ]

Safelights: In photography and lithography, the use of special dark room lights for illumination which the materials being used are not sensitive to: Example: orthochromatic film is blue sensitive, therefore red safelights containing no blue spectrum are used.

Sans Serif: Describes typefaces that have the same weight and thickness throughout.

Saturation: In color, the nature of colors in terms of density. A color with heavy saturation will have a higher densitometric values when compared to a color having less saturation and lower densitometric values. In photography, a saturated color original would show colors at their maximum reproduction density without reproduction as a shadow. Color will tend to appear pure in nature when heavy with nature.

Scale Compression: The shortening of the tonal scale used in conventional lithographic processes to compensate the ink and paper press gains often found in the printing process. It can also effectively lighten a dark original when scanning. This scale compensation always takes place, we don't have any choice, it is part of the color reproduction process.

Scaled Point Size: A point size that approximates a specific point size for use on the screen.

Scaling: Determining the proper size of an image to be produced (or reduced/enlarged). It is important that both directions be scaled in order to ensure proper fit in the final reproduction.

Scan: To convert human-readable images into bit-mapped or ASCII machine-readable code.

Scanner: An electronic device used in making color separations. Originals are placed on drums, which are rotated, reproduce the original via digital and electronic signals transferred to the finished film size through fiber optics. Scanners utilize electronic circuits to correct color, compress the tones and enhance the detail.

Scanner Screen Angles: The screen angles differ from standard screen angles in that all angles have been advanced by 6 degrees. The reason for this is that if a standard yellow screen set at 90 degrees when scanned would create an objectionable screen pattern, thus creating an interference pattern that would be noticeable in the final reproduction as a moiré.

Scanning Direction: During set up on an electronic scanner, the operator determines whether or not to run an original right reading or wrong reading. There are several reasons for doing this. 1. The layout indicates the client wants it this way. 2. In order to save money on film at the composite stage, all stripping is done RREU emulsions and duped to a final negative which is correctly oriented for platemaking.

Scatter Proof: See random proof.

Screen Angles: In lithography, it is necessary to rotate the angles of the screens in order to create a rosette pattern. Using a horizontal line as a base plane, the first angle would be found at 45 degree angle from the base, 75 degrees would be the next, 90 degrees and finally 105 degrees.

Screen Font: A raster font designed to duplicate a printer font on the screen. See also raster font.

Screen Ruling: The number of lines or dots per inch in both directions on a contact screen to make halftones or separations. Screen rulings are available from 65 lines per inch to 200 lines per inch. For color separations, however, it is best to use 150 line screens for best press control and visual resolution.

Scroll: To move text or graphics up or down, or left or right, in order to see parts of the file that cannot fit on the screen.

Scroll Bars: The bars at the bottom and right edge of a window whose contents are not entirely visible. Each scroll bar contains a small box, called a scroll box, and two scroll arrows to allow different types of scrolling.

SCSI: Small Computer System Interface. Pronounced "scuzzy." An industry standard for connecting peripheral devices and their controllers to a microprocessor. The SCSI defines both hardware and software standards for communication between a host computer and a peripheral. Computers and peripheral devices designed to meet SCSI specifications should work together.

Serif: Short cross-lines appearing at the ends of the main strokes of characters in a typeface.

Server: A computer which is dedicated to one task. A database or directory server would be responsible for responding to a user's search request, returning the list of stored documents that meets with the parameters of the request.

Set Solid: Describes lines in which leading equals point size and which appears to be almost flush with the lines above and below.

Shadows: Areas of an original image or reproduction with the largest printing dots and/or the greatest density. On a printed sheet, the area with maximum ink coverage.

Sharpen: The electronic manipulation of an image to alter the edge contrast of its elements.

Shortcut Key: A key combination that carries out some action in a software program. For example, in Windows, pressing ALT + ESC switches among loaded applications.

Shrink: The contact manipulation of litho film due to the intentional over exposure of a film positive made from a film negative. The width is determined by the amount of trap necessary to visually trap two areas together.

Side Seam Envelope: Refers to envelope where glue runs parallel to sealed edges. Not as strong as diagonal seal, but uses less paper to produce.

Signature: In printing, the name given to a printed sheet which is to be folded. In stripping, the name given to the stripped flats to be printed and folded.

Silhouette: An electronic filtering function that can outline an area or object in an image and extract the background.

Skew: To slant a selected item in any direction; used in graphics and desktop publishing.

Soft Dot: In lithography, a dot is called "soft" when a halation or fringe around the dot is evident or excessive. On the other hand the reverse would be true if the dot had little or no fringe noticeable and the dot is very sharp, this would be considered a "hard" dot. A hard dot can be made by etching or contact work.

Soft Font: A font that is downloaded to your printer's memory from a disk provided by the font manufacturer.

Soft Proof: A proof that is seen on a color video monitor, as opposed to a hard proof on paper.

Spectrophotometer: Analytical instrument that measures relative intensity at many points of the wavelength scale. Most spectrophotometers have a built-in microprocessor or are interfaced with a computer and can plot this data as a spectral curve and calculate color space coordinates.

Spectrum: The complete range of colors in light in a rainbow, from short wavelengths (ultraviolet) to long wavelengths (infrared) red.

Spooler: A method by which a computer can store data and feed it gradually to an external device, such as a printer, which is operating more slowly than the computer.

Spot Color: A specific color in a design, usually designated to be printed with a specific matching ink, rather than through process CMYK printing.

Spread: In lithographic image assembly, the use of exposure manipulation in order to alter the size of the original mask (enlarge slightly) so it will trap against a positive (reverse) of the mask so that a slight overlapping of the two images is the result. (See Shrink.)

Square Dot: Differs from an elliptical dot in that the dots have a square appearance instead of round or elongated. Best used for commercial web printing.

Standard Screen Angles: 45 degrees, 75 degrees, 90 degrees and 105 degrees. Screen angles vary 30 degrees from one to another except for the yellow printer which will always be at 90 degrees. This angle causes an objectionable moiré but is not apparent because the human eye is not sensitive to the yellow dot information, only its hue and chroma.

Storage Media: The physical device itself, onto which data is recorded. Mag tape, optical discs, floppy disks are all storage media.

Stripping: In offset-lithography, the positioning of negatives (or positives) on a flat (mylar, plastic, rubylith, etc.) prior to platemaking. (See Image Assembly).

Subtractive color system: Means of producing an image using colorants and a reflective substrate. Uses cyan, magenta and yellow colorants to subtract portions of the white light illuminating an object to produce other colors. When overprinting in equal amounts, cyan, magenta and yellow produce the appearance of black. Color paintings, color photography and all color printing processes are examples of subtractive color.

SWOP: Specifications for Web Offset Publications. A standard set of specifications for color separations, proofs, and printing to encourage uniform standards in the industry.

System Time: The time set by your computer's internal clock. Tab Alignment: An electronic function for alignment of text on tab stops; alignment can be left, right, centered or decimal. [ back to top ]

Tack: In printing inks, the property of cohesion between particles; the pulling power or separation force of ink in its transfer from a press blanket to its intended printing surface. A tacky ink has high separation forces and can cause surface picking or splitting of weak papers. A lack of tack has very little ability to transfer properly from blanket to paper because it has a low adhesion tendency, this effects trap.

Template: A dummy publication that acts as a model for the structure and general layout of another publication.

Text File: A file containing only letters, digits and symbols. A text file usually consists of characters coded from the ASCII character set.

Three Quarter Tones: A neutral gray area on a reproduction scale located between the middletones and the shadow.

Throat: Refers to the envelope opening which will be sealed by the user.

Thumbnail: A miniature copy of a page.

TIFF: Tag Image File Format. A document format developed by Aldus, Microsoft and leading scanner vendors as a standard for bitmapped graphics, including scanned images.

Tiling: Reproducing oversize artwork or documents by breaking the image area into parts (called tiles). Adjacent tiles repeat a small portion of the image, and they may contain crop marks as well. The repeated portion of the image (the overlap) and the crop marks aid in reconstructing the overall image from the tiles.

Tints: Various even tones (strengths) of a solid color. Created by the use of photomechanical tints usually available in percentages of 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 95% screen tints from various manufacturers. Sometimes referred to as Bendays.

Tissue Overlay: A thin, translucent paper placed over artwork (mostly mechanical) for protection; used to indicate color breaks, position of halftones and color separations and areas on color originals which need color correction.

Tone: Lightness/darkness value of a color. Variation of lightness or saturation of a color with no change in hue.

Tone compression: Reduction of the tonal range of the original photographic image to the tonal range that is achievable with the combination of printing process, ink and paper used to reproduce the image.

Tone gradation: Change in density within an image. For screened images, tone gradation is defined in terms of dot area percentage ranging from 1% to 100%.

Tonal Merge: In photography, colors, textures, shapes, and details which are recorded and compressed in a shadow area which merge and record as shadows. If these details are important they should have enough light placed upon them so they render as middletones and not shadows. In color separations, similar colors, tones and areas which when separated, reproduce as like tones, especially in shadow areas where there are little or no tonal differences. If the details which already have tonal merges are necessary in the final reproduction, it is highly recommended to go back and rephotograph or go to the added expense of overprinting a 5th color. (See Overprinting.)

Tone Reproduction: The contrast of an original must adjust during color reproduction to conform to the ranges of the halftone screens from 1% to 100%. It is virtually impossible to print densities more than 100% and tones less than 2 or 3% will have no detail. This is one of the most difficult limitations of the printing process to understand or accept.

Toner: A dry ink powder which has been electrically charged. Used in printers, fax machines and copiers. Generally, the image is translated into bit mapped charges of the opposite polarity on a special drum in the printer. The toner is attracted to the charged areas, where it is transferred to paper. The toner is then "set", usually by heat.

Track Kerning: A method of uniformly increasing or decreasing the amount of letter and word spacing over a range of text, depending upon the specific font and size.

Tracking: Adjusting the letterspacing uniformly throughout a selected portion of text. See kerning.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP): The primary wide area network used on the worldwide Internet, which is a worldwide internetwork of universities, research labs, organizations, and corporations. TCP/IP includes standards for how computers communicate and conventions for connecting networks and routing traffic, as well as specifications for utilities.

Transparency: A film-based positive image that is viewed and reproduced through transmitted light.

Transparent Copy: In photography, illustrative copy such as a color transparency, through which light must pass in order for it to be seen or reproduced. Transparencies generally produce better than reflective art (color prints) because they contain a larger tonal range and more overall density.

Trapping: The ability to print wet ink film over previously printed ink. Wet trapping is dependent upon several press and paper conditions including hardness and holdout of the paper, tack of the inks, and general condition of the rollers, cylinders and blankets on the press. Dry trapping is printing wet ink over dry ink. Improper trapping will cause color changes.

Trichromatic: The technical name for RGB representation of color, i.e., using red, green and blue to create all the colors in the spectrum.

Trim Marks: Guides that show where a document will be cut to fit the specifications of a final printed product.

Tritone: An image reproduced using three colors.

TRUMATCH: A color matching system which is based solely on color attributes attainable from CYMK printing as opposed to spot ink colors. Like PMS, an electronic version of the system is a feature of many color painting, drawing, and layout software products.

TrueType TM: A font format created by Microsoft and Apple Computer intended to replace Adobe Postscript fonts, mainly on lower-cost publishing systems.

Tungsten Lighting: In photography, this type of electrical light source which provides specific color temperature light at a fairly even rate. The two types of illumination which are most popular are 3200 degree Kelvin and 3400 degree Kelvin. Films capable of accurately recording each of these specific areas of the spectrum are available. When used in a daylight situation, the tungsten film will record parts of the tungsten spectrum and parts of the daylight spectrum rendering unsuitable results.

Type 1 Fonts: PostScript Bezier outline format fonts with special encryption for compactness and improved quality on low-resolution output devices.

Type Style: A variation, such as bold or italic, or outline, of a font.

Under Color Removal (UCR): Removing excessive densities of cyan, magenta and yellow in neutral shadow areas to allow for more press controllability without plugging up the shadows

Tyvek®: DuPont's water resistant and nearly indestructible material-envelope seals with pressure sensitive adhesive covered with a peel-off protective strip. [ back to top ]

Undo: A common software command which cancels the previous action.

Unit: In multicolor printing presses, refers to the combination of inking, plate and impression operations to print a single color. A four color press has four printing units each with its own inking, plate and impression functions.

Unsharp Mask: A masking method done electronically to exaggerate the edges of the images and the difference between light and dark areas or hues to enhance the detail in the

final reproduction. (See also Detail Contrast and Electronic Enhancement.) Also known as peaking.

URL: Uniform Resource Locator. The primary naming scheme used to identify Web resources, URL's define the protocols to be used, the domain name of the Web server where a

resource resides, the port address to be used for communication, and the directory path to access a named Web document or resource.

User Interface: The method by which a user gives instructions to a computer and receives a response. [ back to top ]

Vacuum Frame: In platemaking and composite film making, a vacuum device for holding stripped materials in exact position while making close contact to a photosensitive material (film or plate) prior to and during exposure.

Value: A density or numeric assignment of a color, tone or density made by direct comparison or by use of a densitometer. Color printing values range from 2% minimum controllable dot to 98% maximum controllable dot. Values in color can be pre-selected for density, hue and depth by using a process printing guide. This is an excellent way to pre-visualize how a particular color may be expected to reproduce on a printing press.

Vector: Images defined by sets of straight lines, defined by the locations of the end points. At larger magnifications, curves may appear jagged. This condition is call aliasing.

Vector Display: Terminal that displays images with vectored line segments, rather than pixels.

Vector Font: A series of dots connected by lines that can be scaled to different sizes. Also known as stroke fonts.

Vectorization: Translation of a pixel-based image to a vector-based image.

VGA: Video Graphics Array. Standard IBM video display standard. Provides medium-resolution text and graphics.

Vignette: An illustration in which the background fades gradually away until it blends into the unprinted paper.

Virtual Machine: An environment created by Windows running in 386 enhanced mode in which an application can run and behave as if it had an entire machine all to itself. Windows in 386 enhanced mode can have multiple applications running in their own separate virtual machines at the same time.

Virtual Memory: The use of a portion of the hard disk to swap out data when insufficient RAM exists to hold all such data.

Virus: A small program, commonly imbedded in another program, that infects programs and causes them to malfunction. It is often designed to destroy data and infect other programs, drives and disks.

Visible light: The small portion of the electromagnetic energy spectrum the human eye can detect. Visible light includes wavelengths of light from approximately 400 nanometers to 700 nanometers. (A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.) [ back to top ]

Warm Color: In printing or color separations, a color which has a reddish or yellowish cast. By using a color print viewing filter set a more desirable color may be selected if a color correction is necessary.

Wavelength: Distance from peak to peak of a periodic waveform such as electromagnetic energy. The wavelengths of visible light are expressed in terms of nanometers (one-billionth of a meter).

Web: 1) A roll of paper used in web or rotary printing. 2) An abbreviation for the World Wide Web.

Web Press: A press which prints from rolls (or webs) of paper, as this type of press differs when compared to a sheet-fed press.

Web Sites: Individual Web document collections named by home pages or other unique URLs.

WebCrawler: A class of computer programs designed to ceaselessly search the Web, looking for specific content or simply following links to see where they go.

WebMaster: The individual responsible for managing a specific Web site.

Widow: A word or portion of a word that is left alone on a line at the end of a paragraph. Space adjustments should be made to the text blocks to remove widows.

Window: (1) In stripping, an opening in a rubylith or film flat that allows light to be transmitted through a screen, halftone or color separation in order for a precise area of information to be transferred to another piece of film or a printing plate. When making dupe composited negatives it often becomes necessary to use film windows instead of rubylith to prevent newton rings which appear in the transferred image area. (2) On a PC, a rectangular area on your screen in which you view an application or document.

Window Envelopes: Windows are available for any size envelope. They include cut-out area to expose part of the envelope's contents (e.g., an address on a letter.) Envelopes can have more than one window which can be open or protected with cellophane.

Windows: A Microsoft operating system that features multiple screen and a graphical user interface. Similar to the Macintosh interface, as the original interface designed at the, Xerox PARC.

Windows 95/98: A Microsoft operating system that move the GUI much closer to that of the Macintosh. Is a true 32 bit operating system and true multi-tasking environment.

Word Space: The amount of white space between words, based on values set by the font designer.

Word Wrap: A feature that moves text from the end of a line to the beginning of a new line as you type. With word wrap, you do not have to press ENTER at the end of each line in a, paragraph.

World Wide Web: The graphical portion of the Internet.

Work Space: The area of a window that displays the information contained in the application or document you are working with.

WYSIWYG: What You See Is What You Get. Pronounced "wizzy-wig." It refers to a graphics or publishing program that displays images on the screen the way they will appear on paper. [ back to top ]

Yellow: One of the subtractive primaries the hue of which is used for one of the four color process inks. It reflects red and green light and absorbs blue light. [ back to top ]

ZIP: To compress a file using the program PKZIP. This program has been widely distributed as shareware through many bulletin board systems and shareware services. Also available from the publishers site.

ZIP Drive: A disk drive designed and marketed by Iomega that stores 100MB or 250MB of information in a small footprint cartridge. Designed to be the next generation floppy drive.

Zoom: To enlarge a portion of an image in order to see it more clearly or make it easier to alter.

© Copyright 2001 Rockwell Printing