Bit:  Short for binary digit - the smallest unit of computer storage.

Bitmap:   Images stored as a series of bits, in a grid type format when enlarged. Also the little piece of map torn as you try to fold it correctly, back to usable storage size.

Byte:  One byte is usually comprised of 8 bits. One byte is required to make up a single alphanumeric character.

Bleed:  Ink that extends beyond the edges of a piece of paper is said to bleed off the sheet. In a printing project usually a bleed will cost more to produce than a piece that does not bleed. A bleed requires paper larger than the finished size of the piece to print on. Usually paper with no bleed can be printed on a sheet the same size as the finished piece.

Camera Ready Artwork:  As the name says, it is copy or illustration that is ready to shoot to film. The printed piece will be exactly as the camera ready art, unless it is reduced or enlarged with the camera. The film is then used to make the printing plate, after it is stripped. (see Stripping)

CMYK:  colors used in printing to reproduce color photos. (See Process Color) The colors are Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (or Key Color).

Color Separation:  Separating the colors of full color photo or illustration to enable a printer to print it in the four basic process colors. (see Scanning)

Coated:  Paper which is glossy on one or both sides. The paper is treated with clay when it is produced.

Crop  as in "to crop a picture" This process blocks out unwanted areas of a photograph. Also used in farming as in "Got a good crop this year, Vern?" In Western Canada, Vern usually replies with a "No."

DPI:  Dots per inch. Refers to the number of dots per inch that an output device can produce, such as a laser printer or an image setter.

Digest:   A common size of publication. Roughly 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".

Dummy:  A 3 dimensional model. It is a mock up generally used to figure out a pagination sequence in multi page printing. A folded up piece of paper with page numbers written on it. Also a stupid guy.

Film:  Used to make the printing plates with. Output from an image setter or taken with a camera.

Floppy Disk:  A portable computer disk used for transferring information from one computer to another. Type and Artwork can be stored and transferred on a floppy disk. There are different formats. Be sure to tell your printer you are using a Macintosh disk or a PC disk, and what program you used to "build" your info. Also "Syquest Disks" or "Zip Disks"are used for color photos and color separations which hold a lot more information than a 3.5" floppy.

Four Color Process:  The usual process of printing full color photos. (See CMYK)

Fonts:  All alphanumeric characters and punctuation marks in a particular typeface. Eg. Times Bold.

GSM:  Grams per Square Metre. The standard measurement of the weight of paper. (see next newsletter for more about paper) 45 gsm. is usually the weight of standard newsprint paper used for directories. See paper.

Halftone:  The process of converting continuous tone photographs into dots. A screening process done on a camera at the film stage of the pre printing process. (see LPI)

Hard Copy:  Printed copy of the contents of a computer file. Also a show on T.V. that deals with real issues. (similar to a T.V. version of the National Enquir...)

Image setter:  A high resolution device to output printer's film from a disk. Also a cool yuppy.

Imposition:  The arrangement by which a number of pages are printed together in such a way they will be in their correct order when folded or cut. (See also "Signature"). Also a visit from a mother-in-law is usually always known as an "Imposition".

In House:  Refers to material produced within a company or organization. Eg. not using outside services.

Justification:  The alignment of text in a paragraph so that the margins are all straight on the right side, or the left side, or both. Eg. this text is left justified. (Sounds like: " I was gone away for a couple of weeks to the lake. It was 'just a vacation' .")

Landscape:  A horizontal page orientation where the width is greater than the height. Also the rocks and trees around my house.

Lithography (litho):  Offset Lithography is the standard printing process for magazines, newspapers, books, stationery, etc.

Line Art:  Black and white illustration, with no continuous tones (or greys).

LPI:  Lines per inch. The number of dots per inch in a halftone screen. Newspaper images are about 85 lines per inch where as magazine photos are usually 133 lines per inch. The naked eye can distinguish up to about 120 lines per inch. (that means you can see dots up to that resolution).

Moire:  An undesirable pattern which results from incorrect screen angles on a printed picture. Pronounced like "I don't make enough money to live on. I need more, eh."

Negatives:  Also referred to as "negs" or "film".

Original:  Any kind of artwork that is used to make more copies.

PMS:  Not what you think! Abbreviation for the "Pantone Matching System". The Printing Industries special color standard. Eg: "I want this green to be Pantone 347"

Perfect Binding:  A binding method used to put together a large number of pages into a book form. Usually a wrap around cover is glued onto several folded signatures and then trimmed afterwards. Eg: most phone books are perfect bound.

Point:  Used to indicate the size of type. 1 point=1/72". Also something you shouldn't do in public.

Portrait:  A vertical page orientation. Eg: the depth of the page is greater than the width. (as opposed to landscape format)

Printing Press:  A machine used in the process of printing. There are different types of printing presses used in the industry. Sheetfed offset presses:

to large web offset presses:

Process Colors:  see "CMYK"

Proof:  Used to check copy for errors. Could be a laser print of your text from your disk. A blue line proof is exactly a representation of what the finished product will look like on a special yellow/blue paper made from the film or negatives which , if okayed, will be used to make the printing plates. A Color Key is another type of proof used to see the precise color that will be produced when the job is finally printed.

Registration:  The exact positioning of two or more printed colors. When an image (full color picture in a newspaper) appears fuzzy, it is said to be out of register, (unless,of course, it is a picture of a fuzzy object). Look closely and you will see the blue is hanging out on one side and yellow is hanging out on the other side. This is indicative of poor printing quality.

Reverse Out:   When an image or text is knocked out of the printed background color.

Scanners:  There are different types of scanners which printers use today. There are drum scanners and there are table top scanners. There are even little hand held scanners now used for computer scanning. A device used to read and convert an image into a digital format, so that it can be reproduced (on a web page, or a printed piece).

Serif/Sans Serif:  A serif is the little "feet" on a typeset letter. Sans Serif means "No feet".

Screen:  How a continuous tone image is broken up into a halftone image. Also what I tell my secretary to do when I am expecting unwanted phone calls.

Separation:  One of the four images (CMYK) created when scanning a color image for four color process reproduction. Also, not living together anymore.

Solids:  Large printed areas which are comprised of a color. Solids use a lot more ink than non solid areas do.

Signature:  A printed section made up of 16 pages (or a multiple of 4 pages) that is printed all on one big sheet which is folded down to produce a section of a book.

S/S:  Short for Same Size. Used when instructing a printer or pre press operator that the artwork is to be reproduced the same size as the original, or 100%. Also known as pretty cool Novas and Chevelles back in the late 60's and early 70's.

Stock:  Can be used interchangeably with paper. Eg: 70# coated stock. A type of paper is the paper stock used for a particular printing job. There is more information about paper in the next newsletter.

Stripping:  Attaching an opaque masking paper to raw film, in proper position, so that the plate maker can burn a printing plate. Also is what Demi Moore does in one of her movies.

Trapping:  Overlapping colors which butt together. When in perfect registration you will not see white around the edge of the two joining colors. More trapping is necessary when printing a newspaper, as opposed to printing a quality full color brochure.

Tip:  Don't play between parked cars.

Web Press:    A high speed printing process whereby the paper is fed through the press from a roll of paper, as opposed to sheets of cut paper.

WYSIWYG:  Abbreviation for "What You See Is What You Get", or the same image on the computer screen as on the laser print.

Xerox:  Over the years has been generalized to mean photocopy. Xerox likes it when people use this generic type term/Canon does not.

YGWYPF:  Abbreviation for "You Get What You Pay For". Such as most things in life. This newsletter is presented to you for "Free".

Your comments are welcome! Paul Macko