Noise

In the scanning context, this refers to random, incorrectly read pixel values, normally due to electrical interference or device instability.

Non-Lossy

Image compression without loss of quality.

Non-Read

In optical scanning, a term referring to information that is intended to be ignored by the scanning device but can be read by the human eye. Non-read information located in the scan area of a form must be printed in a colour that is highly reflective to the scanner while still offering sufficient contrast for human reading. However, non-read information located outside the scan area of a form may be printed in a machine readable colour.

Non-Reflective Inks

Inks that present sufficient contrast with the background colour of the paper to be read by an optical scanning device. When viewed by optical scanners, these inks reflect relatively little light (and thus appear black to the mechanism), so the scanner recognizes these areas as marks or characters and converts them to machine language. Also called "read inks" or "scan inks".

Back to top

O

OCR

Acronym for "Optical Character Recognition" which refers to optical machine reading of human-readable characters.

Offset Printing

Also called litho printing. A printing process in which the inked image is transferred from the plate to an intermediate blanket before being printed on the substrate. There are two types of offset printing - wet offset and dry offset. Wet offset is based on the principle that oil (ink) and water do not mix. Both the image and non-image areas are on the same plane of the image and non-image areas are on the same plane of the plate. A dampening solution is used, and the image and non-image areas are separated chemically. Dry offset printing uses a plate with relief (raised) type, so no dampening solution is required.

Opacity

The quality of being impenetrable by liquids or light. With paper, it is the ability to keep print form showing through to the other side. Opacity is the opposite of porosity.

Opaque

In photoengraving and offset lithography, to paint out areas on a negative not wanted on the plate. In paper, the property which makes it less transparent.

Opaque Ink

An ink that conceals all colour beneath it.

Optical Character Reader

An optical device that scans and identifies characters on a printed page.

Optical Disk

A storage medium commonly used for storing large volumes of data. CD-ROM, Rewritable, and WORM are the most common types of optical disks.

Origination

All items or materials that the client supplies to the printer to use in the printing of the job.

Out of Register

When inks are printed over one another are not in alignment, resulting in "out of focus" images.

Overprinting

Double printing; printing over an area that already has been printed. Used as a cost savings in customizing small batches from larger quantities of printed material.

Overrun

Manufactured and delivered quantity that exceeds the number ordered. As long as the overrun does not exceed the percentage which is usually tolerated according to legal agreement, the customer must accept. Also refered to as "overs".

Back to top

P

Panel Numbers

Panels may be given numbers or other means of identification to aid employees in the posting or painting of the advertising structure. These same numbers serve to pinpoint panels being purchased by a buyer.

Pantone

Pantone's ink colour-matching system. Each colour bears a description of its formulation (in percentages) for subsequent use by the printer.

Paper Weight

Weight in gram of a square meter of paper or cardboard.

Pass

A cycle of a press or phototypesetting system. To print in one pass means that all the colours are laid down as the substrate travels once through the press; to print in two passes means that he stock has to travel twice through the press, and so on. A four colour project on a four colour press passes through once. A six colour project on a four colour press passes through twice, etc.

Pegboard

Wooden panels designed to receive wire hooks to hang products on them.

Perfect Register

Term used by the printer to indicate a perfect juxtaposition of colours, producing a perfect image.

PhotoShop

The industry-standard software package used for image manipulation, produced by Adobe.

Pica

Printer's unit of measurement used principally in typesetting. One pica equals approximately 1/6 of an inch.

Pixel

Abbreviation for "picture element". The smallest, most basic component of an image on a display screen. A pixel is comparable to an individual dot in a printed photograph. The number of pixels in an image determines its resolution.

Plant

All of the Outdoor advertising structures in a given city, town or area operated by an Outdoor company or "plant operator".

Plant Capacity

The total number of panels or signs of all types in a plant.

Plate

The surface from which a print is made and that bears the image to be reproduced.

Platen

A large cutting and creasing press that may be integrated with printing machines.

PMS Colour

Pantone Matching System colour. This system was devised by the Pantone Corporation as a means of standardising custom colours of ink. The PMS system includes several hundred colours, several metallics, fluorescents, and several shades of black.

Point Of Sale Advertising Campaign

All advertising materials realized in support of a product or a range of products in the point-of-sale.

Point-Of-Purchase

Designation of all places where sales take place (stores, retailers, supermarkets).

P-O-P

All advertising materials realized in support of a product or a range of products in the point-of-purchase.

Portrait

A vertical format - the shorter dimension being at the width

POS

More commonly referred to as P-O-P. All advertising materials realized in support of a product or a range of products in the point-of-purchase.

Posting Date

The cycle date on which the posters of a showing are scheduled for display. There are 26 cycles in Ireland, one every two weeks.

Posting Instruction

Detailed information sent to the plant operator covering the display of a particular poster design. These instructions should include as much marketing information as possible so that the seller can choose the panels which have the greatest efficiency in reaching the advertiser's target market.

PostScript

The now-standard operating language through which desktop page makeup (DTP) systems operate. Pre-press systems are now described as PostScript-compatible or not.

PostScript

A PostScript file is a special file that is created to be sent directly to the printer. Unlike an Application file, a PostScript file includes all the information necessary to print that file, including the graphics and fonts. This is the most readily accepted file format for printing. A PostScript file cannot be opened or easily modified.

ppi/ppcm

Pixels per inch or pixels per centimeter. Units of measurement for scanned images.

Prepack

Display serving as packaging. It is delivered packed with products.

Prepress

Camera work, artwork layout, stencil making, plate making, and other activities performed by a printer before press work begins.

Press Check

The press check is made at the beginning the press run. The art director and pressman check that the printed piece matches the job proof as closely as possible, (or adjusts them to their preference), and that colours are in register.

Press Run

The total number of copies of a piece produced during one printing.

Primary Colour

A base colour that is used to compose other colours.

Process Blue

Another term for "cyan".

Process Colour

CYMK / Four-Colour Process. The term used to describe colour printing by means of the three primary colours (yellow, magenta, and cyan) and black.

Process Red

Another term for "magenta".

Process Yellow

Another term for yellow".

Progressive Proof

A series of colour proofs showing the individual, variously combined, and collectively combined colours used in four colour process printing. Each colour is shown separately in combination with each other colour, and in combination with every possible colour combination - finally concluding with a four colour simulation of the printed piece. These proofs are used to determine the density of each colour and each colour's effect on the other colours, especially in the order they are printed on the press.

Proof

A sheet of printed copy that is a test representation made to show how the printed job will appear when finished.

Back to top

Q

QuarkXPress

A page layout application produced by Quark.

Quotation

A statement of price, terms of sale, and description of goods or services offered by a vendor to a prospective client.

Back to top

R

Ready for Press

A machine signed acceptance of a proof before the start of the actual printing.

Register

For the printed reproduction of work, all four process colours must be "in register" -- i.e., they must fit together perfectly. It is easy to tell if print is out of register by looking at the edge of the image through a magnifying glass. If you see a line of cyan, magenta, yellow, or black dots, that colour is out of register.

Register Marks

In production, marks placed on a printed piece to assist in the proper positioning of a production operation (such as punching, perforating, or folding). In the graphic arts, register marks are target marks or "bull's eyes" placed on camera copy to assist in registration.

Registration

n printing, registration refers to the alignment of printed images.

Resolution

The measure of detail in an image.

RG

Red, Green Blue. The colours used to create the image on VDU screens. Most scanners capture their image in RGB values, necessitating the conversion of the image to CYMK values for reproduction.

RIP

RIP stands for Raster Image Format and is a print ready file format. This means that the files to be printed have been converted, through any number of steps, from their Application File Format into a format that can be understood by the printer. The RIP file format for DocuTech printers in called Interpress.

Rough

Quick sketch of a project.

Run On

Sheets printed in addition to the basic quantity.

Back to top

S

Sans Serif

A class of typefaces without serifs (the small terminating strokes on individual letters and characters). Helvetica and Futura are examples of sans serif typefaces.

Scanner

Device used in photoengraving to allow the analysis, memorization and reproduction of an image.

Scanning

A process by which images are optically sensed by a scanner and converted by special software into binary codes that correspond to the image's dark and light spots.

Score

A partial cut through cardboard to allow bending.

Screen

Equipment for printing made of a wooden frame on which a steel mesh is tightened, used in the Screen printing process.

Screen Frequency

The number of rows or lines of dots in a halftone image within a given distance, normally stated in lines per inch (LPI) or lines per centimeter (Lpcm). A frequency of 200 lpi would only be used in high-quality printing.

Screen Process

A method of printing where the ink is pushed through a steel mesh onto the surface to be printed.

Screen Ruling

A measure of the quality or fineness of the dot structure used to reproduce a halftone image or tint, expressed in lines per inch or centimeter.

Screen-Printing

Formally called Silk Screen. Rather than print from a plate or cylinder, a stencil is prepared by hand or photographically on a screen mesh. Ink is then forced through the screen and onto the substrate.

Serif

The small terminating strokes on individual letters and characters, except in san serif faces. Most text is set in serif typefaces (fonts) because it is easier to read long passages in serif faces than in sans serif faces. (Times and Palatino are serif typefaces).

Set-Up

All work done to prepare the machines before the printing starts.

Shadow

The darkest area of an image.

Shelf Extender

Small tray to a shelf to highlight a product more than others by projecting it out from the usual shelf edge.

Shelf Fitments

Special decorative shelf edging which highlights a product range and differentiates if from the rest.

Shop in Shop

A set of display elements for a brand or a product line creating a mini shop inside the sales point.

Show-Card

Panel destinated to display-windows.

Slatwall

Wooden panels designed to receive wire hooks to hang products on them.

Slide

Transparency viewed on a light box or by projection.

Specifications

Complete and precise descriptions of paper, ink, binding, quantity, and other features of a printing job.

Spot Colour

Also refereed to as line colour. Where a colour is printed using a specific colour of ink rather than creating it from the process colours.

Standee

Person or object cut out in their real size.

Stitch

To sew, staple or otherwise fasten paper or board together.

Stock

Paper or other material to be printed.

Strut

Foldable brace fixed at the back side of a display or a panel for vertical stability.

Substrate

Any material on which printing is to be done.

Superside

Also refereed to in Ireland as a Bus Kerbside.

Swatch

A collection of colour patches to show the colour of papers or inks.

Back to top

T

Taxi Display

Advertising structures affixed to taxicabs, either on the roof or rear. Roof panels are called taxi-tops and are generally backlit.

TIFF

Acronym for "Tag Image File Format". This is a common type of image file format for illustrations created or scanned into desktop publishing software. Other common image formats include: PICT, DXF, IGES, HGL, BMP and EPS

Tints

Various even tone areas (strengths) of a solid colour. Transparency --A photograph, especially a positive colour image, on transparent material. Available in several formats, transparencies are, at present, the best means of conveying images to the pre-press system.

Tone Curves

lso known as gamma curves. These are used to smoothly adjust the overall tonal range of an image, or the individual tonal ranges of each colour channel.

Transit Advertising

Those outdoor media appearing on the exterior or interior of public transportation vehicles or stations ( buses, trains, commuter rail, subways, platforms, terminals, etc.) and airports.

Transparency

Process to reproduce 4 colours on transparent underground.

Transparency

A transparent positive photograph.

Trapping

The technique of slightly overlapping one image on an adjacent one to avoid unsightly white gaps if misregister occurs in printing.

Trim

To cut or square the edges of paper either before or after printing.

Trim Marks

In printing, marks placed on the copy to indicate the edge of the page.

Trim Size

Size of the printed product after the last trim is made.

T-Side

TDI product.

Back to top

U

Uncoated

Term used to describe paper or board that does not have a top layer of china clay (mineral). Uncoated papers are less expensive, and long blocks of text read easier on it than coated papers.

Unit

In multicolor presses, refers to the combination of inking, plate and impression operations to print each other. OPCO's 4-color Heidelberg press has 4 printing units each with its own inking, plate and impression functions.

Unix

A high level non-proprietary operating system that allows multi-tasking and sophisticated command line interface programming.

Up

In printing, two-up, three-up, four-up, etc. refers to imposition of material to be printed on a larger size sheet to take advantage of full press capacity.

USM

Unsharp masking. A process used to sharpen images.

UV Varnish

Varnish employed after printing through ultra-violet radiation.

Back to top

V

Varnish

Varnish or lacquer applied to printed matter to improve its appearance or possibly to increase its durability. Not as strong or glossy as lamination.

Vignette

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

Back to top

W

Wall Fixture

Element for product display and stocking.

Warm Colour

In printing, a colour with a yellowish or reddish cast.

Wash-Up

The process of cleaning the press, rollers, plate and ink fountain when changing ink colours on the press.

Wobbler

Device cut out of cardboard or light plastic. Fits into the price railings or the shelf uprights

Back to top

Y

Yellow

Hue of a subtractive primary and a 4-color process ink. It reflects red and green light and absorbs blue light.

Back to top

Z

Zip

Removable disk storage medium, suitable for smaller files up to 100Mb.

Back to top

Print Dictionary

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

Please Note:

If you cannot find the word or term in our print dictionary, e-mail us by clicking here and we will e-mail you back with the definition.

A

Absorption

In paper, the property which causes it to take up liquids or vapors in contact with it.

Additional Colour

Colour added to the four primary colours for printing, used in direct tint.

Additive Primaries

Red, green and blue are the primary colours of light from which all other colours can be made.

Advertising Structure

Physical structures built by an outdoor advertising organisation to display advertising. The message may be applied to the structure in several different ways. Structures are built to carry standard size advertising material.

Against The Grain

Folding or feeding paper at right angles to the grain direction of the paper.

Airbrush

In artwork, a small pressure gun shaped like a pencil that sprays watercolour pigment. Used to correct and obtain tone or graduated tone effects. In platemaking, used with an abrasive-like pumice to remove spots or other unwanted areas. In electronic imaging, a retouching technique.

Aliasing

Visibly jagged steps along angled or object edges, due to sharp tonal contrasts between pixels.

Alterations

Changes made in text copy or art after a job has been set in type or shot and proofs have been pulled for checking

Animated Display

A display which has one or several moving elements (using small battery operated, electrical or solar energy driven motor) in order to attract the customer's attention.

Application File Format

When a document is created using desktop publishing software, the resulting files or files are typically saved to the computer's hard disk. This file is said to be in an Application File Format. This format is unique to the software used and enables the user to continue to work with the document.

Archive

When referring to electronic archiving, it means the ability to electronically store documents for future electronic, on-demand printing. The files are commonly stored in a print ready format and are not accessible for editing. However, changes to the stored document can be incorporated by replacing pages or entire sections with updated pages.

Artwork

Illustrations, drawings, photographs, renderings, paintings, sketches, or copy of any kind - except text copy - that is being prepared or used for reproduction.

Availability

As in other media, it is the space available for sale at a given time.

Back to top

B

Backlight Units (Backlit)

Advertising structures which house illumination in a box to throw light through translucent advertising printed on vinyl for a higher visibility and extended night viewing.

Banner

A streamer attached vertically

Bar Code

A system of symbols used to identify data through length, position, size, or thickness of lines r symbols. Bar codes are normally both printed and read by machines.

Bindery

The phase of the print job in which the job is finished - that is, where the printed sheet is manipulated into its final format by such processes as folding, stitching, gluing, and cutting.

Bindery Operations

Operations normally performed after press operations. Such operations may include punching, fastening, drilling, folding, trimming, slitting, numbering and affixing.

Bit Depth

The number of bits used to represent each pixel in an image to determine its colour or tone.

Bit Map

In computer imaging, the electronic representation of a page, indicating the position of every possible spot (zero or none).

Bitmapped (Rasterized) Image

A graphic or character represented by pixels or dots that display the graphic's light or dark spots arranged horizontally and vertically. Each pixel is indicated as a 1 (dark spot) or a 0 (light spot) to the computer in binary code.

Black Point

A reference point that defines the darkest area in an image, causing all other areas to be adjusted accordingly.

Blanket

A covering on the printing cylinder of an offset press. The blanket receives the impression from the plate and transfers it to the paper. Since the blanket acts as a transfer agent, it will have a "mirror" image of the images on the plate and substrate.

Bleed

That part of the image which extends beyond the trim-line of the page (i.e., the printed matter designed to run off the edge of the paper). Illustrations which spread to the edge of the page and allow no margins are described as bled-off.

Blow Up

A photographic enlargement

Box Pallet

Floor header usually made of printed cardboard, having a front with the advertising message and a base containing an important quantity of products. The whole is fixed on a wooden pallet whose ground dimensions are standardized.

Browser

A software application that permits browsing, retrieval and viewing of content on the Internet, World Wide Web and intranets.

Bulk

The degree of thickness of paper. In book printing, the number of pages per inch for a given basis weight.

Burn

In platemaking, a common term used for a plate exposure.

Bus Back

TDI product

Bus Shelter Displays

Posters positioned as an integral part of a free standing covered structure at a bus stop. Backlit or standard two sheet poster.

Bus Side

TDI product

Bus Wrap

TDI product

Byte

A measurement unit equal to 8 bits of digital information.

Back to top

C

CD-ROM

Acronym for Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory. A CD-ROM drive uses the CD format as a computer storage medium.

Celloglaze

A generic term for laminating a printed sheet.

Change Mat

Small advertising mat disposed on a shop's paydesk for change.

Circulation

Circulation (potential viewers) is the foundation for determining the advertising value of outdoor sites. Outdoor circulation is based on traffic volume. There are three types of people in this volume: occupants of cars, pedestrians and mass transit passengers. Generally outdoor circulation figures will only reflect people in vehicles. Occupancy rates vary by states, by type of location and time of day.

Clipping

The conversion of all tones lighter than a specified grey level to white, or darker than a specified grey level to black, causing loss of detail. This also applies to individual channels in a colour image.

Coated

Term used to describe paper or board that has a top layer of china clay (a mineral) to give a smooth finish. Coated stock reproduces a sharper dot that uncoated substrates (i.e., paper) and usually has a higher level of gloss. Glossy magazines, for example, are printed on coated paper. Also known as enamel paper or surface paper.

Coated Paper

Paper or board covered with a mat or brilliant shiny effect to get a better print.

Coating

In printing, an emulsion, varnish or lacquer applied over a printed surface to protect it.

Cold Colour

In printing, a colour with a bluish cast.

Collate

To organize, gather and assemble the various parts of a printed piece or business form.

Colour Cast

An overall colour imbalance in an image, as if viewed through a coloured filter.

Colour Correction

Any method such as masking, dot-etching, re-etching and scanning, used to improve colour rendition.

Colour Separation

The division of colours of a continuous tone multicolored original or line copy into basic portions, each of which is to be reproduced by a separate printing plate.

Colour Separations

Colour process printing uses four colours: (1) cyan; (2) yellow; (3) magenta; and (4) black {also known as CYMK}. These print as tiny dots of solid colour, which combine to give the full colour range of the original. The copy is broken down into the process colours by photographic or electronic colour separation. In separation, the original copy is photographed four times using coloured filters, to produce a different separation negative for each colour.

Colour Swatch

A series of colour guides, which may be graded in a standardised fashion as in the Pantone matching system.

Compression

The reduction in size of an image file.

Continuous Tone

A photographic image which contains gradient tones from black to white.

Contra Vision

A print substrate whose panels typically provide one-way vision, see-through graphic advertisements and signs.

Copy

The complete advertising message to be displayed on the advertising structure.

Corrugated

Board composed of one or several fluted paper sheets glued between or on one more flat facings.

Counter Dispenser

Advertising material placed on the counter with on its front side several products exposed to the consumer for self-service, contrary to a stocking material where the products are placed at the back side of the display and thus on the seller's side.

Coverage

Extent to which ink covers the substrate. Ink coverage is usually expressed in percentage terms.

Creasing

Partial shaping of cardboard through stamping to allow it to fold

Cromalin

A type of colour proof, produced from colour separated film, used to give an indication to the client of how the full-colour print job will look.

Crop

To eliminate portions of the copy, usually on a photograph or plate, indicated on the original by cropmarks.

Crop Marks

In design, the lines drawn on an overlay or in the margins of an illustration to define the portion of the image that will appear in the reproduction.

Cropping

Trimming or masking sections of the artwork that are not required to be printed.

Crossover

An image that continues from one page of a publication across the gutter to the opposite page.

Curl

A waviness or rolling effect that sometimes occurs at the edge of a paper sheet. It is usually associated with the improper moisture balance within the sheet, or uneven drying when the orientation with the sheet, improper refining of pulp or mechanical stresses during manufacture or printing.

Cutting or Creasing

An operation carried out on a special finishing machine when special shapes need to be cut and creased. For each job, a forme is made up to shape with cutting and/or creasing rules to the required design

Cyan

The special blue used in four-colour process printing

CYMK

The process colours Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black which are combined in varying amounts to represent colours in an original image. K is used for Black to avoid confusion with Blue.

Back to top

D

Decompression

The expansion of compressed image files.

Density

The degree of darkness (light absorption or opacity) of a photographic image or the degree of opacity of a light absorbing filter, pigment or exposed photographic emulsion.

Descender

That part of a lower case letter which extends below the main body, as in "p,"

Descreening

Removal of halftone dot patterns during or after scanning printed matter by defocusing the image.

Die

A tool made from steel and wood used for cutting irregular shapes from paper or board. Also called a forme.

Die Cutting

Using a forme to cut holes or irregular outlines in display work.

Digital Colour Proof

A colour proof produced from digital data without the need for separation films.

Direct-To-Plate

Direct exposure of image data onto printing plates, without the intermediate use of film.

Direct-To-Press

Elimination of intermediate film and printing plates by the direct transfer of image data to printing cylinders in the press.

Display Network

Company that rents sites and assures the placement and the maintenance of Point Of Sale advertising material on sales points of a given category.

Display Period

The exposure time during which the individual advertising message is on display. Poster display periods vary depending upon individual advertiser needs and copy change periods dictated by the campaigns.

Document Reader

An OCR (Optical Character Recognition) device that reads one or several lines of data when the document is moved past one or more read heads.

Dot

The individual element of a halftone.

Dot Gain

In printing, a defect in which dots print larger than they should, causing darker tones or stronger colours.

DPI

Acronym for "Dots Per Inch". A 300 DPI printer, for instance is capable of printing 300 dots across and 300 down within one inch square. DPI is a measurement of resolution for scanning, displaying, or printing.

Dummy

A preliminary layout showing the position of illustrations and text as they are to appear in the final reproduction. A set of blank pages made up in advance to show the size, shape, form and general style of a piece of printing

Dump Bin

Holder made from board, plastic or wire designed to be filled usually with loose products.

Duotone

A two-colour halftone reproduction from a one-colour photograph.

Dupe

To create an identical duplicate of an original piece of film.

Back to top

E

Effective Circulation

Potential viewers. Estimate of the audience which has an opportunity to see an outdoor poster. i.e. occupants of north bound vehicles for an south facing poster.

em

In composition, a unit of measurement exactly as wide an high as the point size being set.

Embossing

Process producing raised images on thin materials such as paper, cardboard, leather or certain supple plastics : dry embossing or ink embossing.

Emulsion

A light-sensitive coating on film or stencils.

en

In composition, one-half the width of an em.

Enamel Paper

Coated Paper. Term used to describe paper or board that has a top layer of china clay (a mineral) to give a smooth finish. Coated stock reproduces a sharper dot that uncoated substrates (paper) and usually has a higher level of floss. Glossy magazines, for example, are printed on coated paper. Also known as coated paper or surface paper.

Enlarged Pack

Not for sale reproduction of an object or a product enlarged in size.

EPS

Encapsulated PostScript. A file format often used for images generated in object-orientated drawing applications like "Illustrator" or "Freehand" and for scanned images

Exhibition Stand

Setup for the exhibition of a brand and its products during a given period at an exhibition hall

Exposure

Represents the opportunity for an advertising message to be seen and read.

Back to top

F

Face

The surface of an Outdoor advertising structure on which the advertising message is posted or painted.

Facing

Number of products of a same range represented in the front line of the store shelf.

Feeder

In printing presses, the section that separates the sheets and feeds them in position for printing.

Fibre Optic Display

An innovative use of electronic light transmitting fibres to create changeable copy displays

Film

Negative/Positive Sheets or rolls or a clear and stable plastic containing line and/or tone reproductions of the image. Used during the making of printing stencils.

Film Negative

A reverse photographic image in which dark areas appear light and vice versa. Film negatives are used to make printing plates.

Film Positive

A piece of clear acetate or other film upon which the image appears as it did in the original.

Finished Size

The size of a printed product after production is complete.

Finishing

All production operations after printing. The processes include cutting, punching, stitching and gluing

Flatbed Scanner

Any scanning device that incorporates a flat transparent plate, on which original images are placed for scanning.

Floor Graphics

New technique of printed floor-level advertising, printed on a material which is resistant to wear and tear, is non-slip, hard wearing but removal.

Font

In composition, a complete assortment of letters, numbers, punctuation marks, etc. of a given size and design. For example, Times or Helvetica.

Format

All elements that make up the individual character of a publication. Format includes size, style, type, page margins, printing requirements, binding, etc.

Four Colour Process

A technique of printing that uses the three process colours of ink (cyan, magenta, yellow) and black to simulate colour photographs or illustrations.

Four Colour Process Inks

The inks used in four-colour process printing.

Frequency

The number of times an average individual has the opportunity to be exposed to an advertising message during a period of time

Front Line or Shelf Facings

The shelving or the sales space in a self service where the products are placed.

FTP

Acronym for "File Transfer Protocol". A networking protocol for moving files between computers.

Full Colour

Synonymous with Four-Colour Process.

Full-Bleed

Full-Bleed

Back to top

G

Gamma Correction

The correction of tonal ranges in an image, normally by the adjustment of tone curves.

Ghosting

Phenomenon of a faint, unintended image on a printed sheet

Giant Silhouette

Person or object cut out in their real size.

Gigabyte (Gb)

1,024 megabytes, or 1,048,576 kilobytes of digital data

Gold Stamping

A process that gives a gold metallic look at impression.

Gondola

Display shelf used in supermarkets for the sale of products.

Grammage

(g/m”). Refers to a method of indicating the weight of paper. Written as "gsm".

gsm

(g/m”). Refers to a method of indicating the weight of paper.

Gravity Bin

Tall, vertical display dispensing loose products by gravity.

Gravity Feed

Gravity Feed

Greyscale

A continuous tone image comprising black, white and grey data only.

Guillotine

Machine to trim paper or board before or after printing.

Gutter

The inner margin of a page, from the edge of the printing area to the binding edge

Back to top

H

Halftone

Artwork reproduced by breaking down the original tone image into a pattern of dots of varying size. Small dots produce light areas and larger dots produce darker areas

Hanging Card

Light printed advertising cards suspended from store ceiling.

Hard Copy

The permanent visual record of the output of a computer or printer.

Hickies

In printing, spots or defects caused by foreign matter on the printing plate or screen. Ink hickies appear as dark specks with a white ring around them; paper hickies appear as white specks.

Hue

The part of a colour that produces its main attribute - for example its redness or blueness - rather than its shade (lightness or darkness).

Back to top

I

Illuminated

Outdoor structure with internal or external electrical equipment installed for illumination of the message at night.

Illustrator

Popular object-oriented drawing application produced by Adobe.

Imagesetter

Laser output device which records images and text at high resolution on photosensitive paper or film.

Imposition

Imposition

Impression

In production, one revolution of the printing cylinder. It refers to the pressure of the type, plate, or stencil as it contacts the paper and produces printed copy. An impression is any printed page.

Impulse Purchase

Purchase which is not planned before entering the shop and often initiated by Point Of Purchase Display, special offer or good product presentation.

Inflatable

Display made of thin plastic - welded panels in shape of products which when filled with air expand to form the exact replica of the product.

Interpolation

In the image manipulation context, this is the increase of image resolution by the addition of new pixels throughout the image, the colours of which are based on neighbouring pixels.

ISDN

A digital telephone line which allows very rapid, reliable and low-cost transmission of data between two computers.

Island

Display placed outside the shelf space and standing alone and approachable from all sides.

Back to top

J

Job Estimate

Documentation indicating the price of a specific printing job; given to printing customers before a job is run.

Job Ticket

A comprehensive job information form containing all pertinent job requirements including size, run, paper, colour, etc.

JPEG

Joint Photographic Experts Group. An organization that has defined various file compression techniques.

Back to top

K

Kerning

In typesetting, an effort to eliminate excessive white space in a document by reducing the space between certain letters.

Keyline

An outline showing the shape for a diecut, crease or perforation.

Kilobyte

1,024 bytes of digital data.

Kb

1,024 bytes of digital data.

Back to top

L

Laminating

Applying transparent or coloured plastic films, usually with a high gloss finish, to printed matter to protect or to enhance it. Various films are available with different gloss, folding and strength characteristics.

Landscape

Page orientation in which the width is greater than the height.

Laser Printer

Although a number of devices employ laser technology to print images, this normally refers to desktop printers which use the dry toner, xerographic printing process.

Leading

In typesetting systems, to lead is to add spaces between lines of type.

Leaflet Dispenser

Usually made of plastic or cardboard to hold free leaflets.

Lifesize Cut-Outs

Person or object cut out in their real size.

Light Box

A partially or completely transparent box equipped with luminous electrical fillings presenting texts or images.

Light Box

A box with a translucent glass top lit from below, giving a balanced light suitable for colour matching on which colour transparencies, prints and proofs can be examined or compared.

Line Art

mages containing only black and white pixels. Also known as bilevel images. The term line art is sometimes used to describe drawings containing flat colours without tonal variation.

Line Colour

Where a colour is printed using a specific colour of ink rather than creating it from the process colours.

Line Copy

Reproducible copy consisting of solid blacks and whites. In text, line copy consists of letters, numerals, punctuation marks, rules, borders, dots, or any other marks in black and white. Black line illustrations on white paper are also line copy.

Line Drawings

Solid black line artwork that does not require halftone reproduction.

Lines Per Inch

The number of lines or rows of dots there are per inch in a screen and, therefore, in a screen tint, halftone or separation.

Lithographic Printing

A printing process where the image and non-image surfaces are on the same plane while the paper makes contact with the whole plate surface. The printing area is treated to accept ink and the non-printing surface is treated to attract water or other solutions so that it rejects ink.

Lossy

Image compression that functions by removing minor tonal and/or colour variations, causing visible loss of detail at high compression ratios.

LPI

The number of lines or rows of dots there are per inch in a screen and, therefore, in a screen tint, halftone or separation.

LZW

The Lempel-Ziv-Welch image compression technique.

Back to top

M

Machine Proof

A proof made on a machine similar to the one which it will be printed.

Magenta

ne of the colours used in four colour process reproduction. Often referred to as "process red", it reflects blue and red light and absorbs green light. It is also one of the filters used in making colour separations.

Makeready

In printing, all work done to set up a press for printing.

Masking

A reproduction technique for colour correction in the preparation of separations on a camera or enlarger.

Masking

In the graphic arts, preventing a specific portion of an illustration from being reproduced by placing paper over it before exposure. In offset lithography, masking refers to the use of opaque material to protect non-printing areas of the printing plate during exposure.

Matchprint

3M trade name for a colour proof.

Matt Finish

Dull paper finish without gloss or luster.

Media

Media is the physical material used to store electronic files. Typical media includes: CD's, tapes, disks, Zip disks & Jaz disks.

Megabyte

1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes of digital data.

Mb

1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes of digital data

Merchandising

Technique designed to optimise sales, based on the planned product displays on-shelf to form an attractive appealing and informative presentation for the customer.

Metallic Inks

Inks in which the normal pigments are replaced by very fine metallic particles, typically gold or silver in colour.

Midtone

The middle range of tones in an image.

Mobile

Display made of cardboard or another light material. Linked up with thread and suspended from the ceiling the various parts move independently in space.

Modular System

Elements that can be assembled in various dimensions and sizes according to the space available.

Moiré

A chequered pattern which is created when the screen angles are not set out correctly in colour work. Can happen when a digital scan is made from printed materials rather than from the original photographic print or transparency.

Monochrome

Single-coloured. An image or medium displaying only black and white or greyscale information. Greyscale information displayed in one colour is also monochrome.

Back to top

N

Negative

A reverse photographic image on film or paper in which the dark areas appear light and the light areas appear dark.

NEWS..