The finished trimmed sizes of paper in the ISO international paper sizes.

A binding method used for most magazines and books whereby as application of either hot or cold melt glue is applied to the side roughened spine edge of the publication. Usually 1/8in (3mm) is lost on the spine during the grinding process to make the paper more receptive to the glue.

Corrections made to the original content (text and illustrations) provided by the author at any stage during the proofing process and sometimes charged back to the author.

The proof provided to the customer.

The ISO international paper sizes used primarily for posters, wall charts, etc, where the difference between each A size represents too large a jump.

Bellyband

A printed band that wraps around the belly of a publication; typically used on magazines.

Used with the Purdue hard cover binding method to secure a front and back cover to the pages.

1. When an illustration or image is designed to run off the page, or edge of the paper. A term also used by book binders to describe over cut margins.
2. Ink that changes colour or mixes with other colours. This is sometimes caused in lamination.

Book cases or covers that are block embossed without the use of ink or foil.

A binding term to describe the impression or stamping of type or a line image on the cover. This can be achieved with a metallic or pigment based foil.

To make an impression on paper or board from a block specially hardened and heated for the application of foil, or which may be used blind.

The printed, gathered sections/signatures of a book or publication ready for the application of glue, prior to paperback binding, or casing in hardcover books.

Printed paperback cover or dust jacket for a casebound.

A registration problem that occurs due to the use of the black process colour. It can be resolved by under printing the other process colours.

A paperback or hardcover cased book, whether it is adhesive, notchbound or sewn.

A heavyweight binding cloth with a surface chemical application. Suitable for legal and library or reference book binding.

The relative thickness of a sheet or sheets, e.g. A bulky paper may have the same weight.

An unsewn binding method whereby the spine fold is burst with perforations during folding, enabling the glue to adhere to each leaf without having to grind off the usual 3mm or 1/8in.

The C series within the ISO international paper sizes range, used to make envelopes or folders to take the standard A sizes.

The thickness of a substrate or the device used to measure it.

The binding of a printed book block into a case or hard cover
(a casebound book).

One layer of colour information in an image. A RGB image has three channels, a CMYK image has four and a black-and-white image has just one.

International cooperation for the integration of processes in the prepress, press, and postpress. The standards organisation for colour and job information.

Cyan, magenta, yellow and black, the subtractive primaries and four process colours.

A halftone screen of up to 35 lines per cm (85 lines per inch). Used to reproduce photographs on a newsprint or similar grade papers.

An adhesive used in binding (like pva) that does not require heat to melt it. Pure glues are the most commonly used.

A check of the gathered sections of a book or publication to verify they are in the correct sequence.

A strip at the back edge of a sheet consisting of colour and grayscale measurements to assist the press operator.

The pages of a publication, as depicted in the imposition plan, which will receive a special colour or varnish, or are to be printed on a different stock.

A method of binding. Small rectangular holes are punched into pages and covers followed by the feeding of the plastic "comb" through the holes.

Two or more parallel folds go in opposite directions and open out like an accordion.

CTP is an imaging technology used in modern printing processes. In this technology, an image created in a Desktop Publishing (DTP) application is output directly to a printing plate.

A letterpress operation typically carried out on a cylinder press.
It creates special shapes in die-cutting for packaging, or when book covers need to be creased to provide a tight fit on the spine. For each job a forme is prepared on a wood base with sharp metal rules conforming to the desired shape. These rules are just above type height.

The optical instrument used to measure the intensity of tone on film or reflection copy as well as the ink reading on printed images.

The use of a die to cut holes or irregular shapes in display work or on book covers.

An intaglio process whereby the image is in relief on the surface of the material, either in colour or blind (without ink).

An on-press condition where the dot size of an illustration or text increases, making type appear heavier and images less clear. Some papers, such as newsprint, are more absorbent and thus can cause increased dot gain. All presses have dot gain capacity, and software can compensate for the problem.

A paper or board book cover that is then attached to the sewn or adhesive bound book by the application of glue to the spine.

A tonal image that is produced using two colours.

Lamination of two stocks with different properties such as colour.

A loose cover to protect the boards of an edition bound book.

A design stamped with or without ink or foil into a substrate giving a raised surface.

The process raising or recessing an image using an uninked block.

Sealing a printed item in an airtight plastic covering (usually be small, local, short-run printers).

Lining paper used for the front and back of a casebound book. They adhere to the first and last signatures of the book and attach to the front and back covers of the case. Also known as endsheets.

A data transmission and communication protocol for sending large amounts of data between remote locations, either via a web browser, or using dedicated FTP software.

A polypropylene or other synthetic film laminate applied in one of a variety of finishes (gloss, matte, silk, lay-flat) to the printed surface of a dust jacket, paperback cover, or other printed piece. Used both for visual effect and protection.

A speciality stock produced by coating a sheet with size and sprinkling it with a special dyed flock powder (made from woollen refuse or vegetable fibre dust), to produce a raise pattern.

A vibrant special colour that can’t be reproduced by combining the process colours.

Foil pressed on to a substrate using heat and pressure. It's also known as a block print or foil emboss.

A sheet of paper that is only printed on one side and folded with two right-angle folds to form a four-page, uncut section. The section is sewn through the fold while the top edges remain folded and untrimmed.

Colour separation from original artwork or files. Followed by printing the three primary colours, cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), plus black (K, stands both for "key plate" and also instead of "B" to distinguish it from blue.)

A type of fold in which the left and right edges fold inwards with parallel folds and meet in the middle of the page without overlapping.

To place printed sections, sheets or signatures in the correct page sequence before binding.

Fore-edge printing uses a special process to print on the cut, outside edges of the book block. This process finds its origins in gilding, a process that applied gold or silver to the pages of a book to protect them but nowadays is used more commonly to add decorative effects.

Machine to trim paper or board before or after printing. Often computerised to enable a programmed sequence of cuts.

A binding style also known as a three-piece case. The spine and wrap around on to the side panels are covered in one material/colour, and the remaining side panels with another. This may be a combination of two cloths, two papers or one of each.

The simulation of a continuous tone produced by a pattern of dots.

A generic term for a casebound book whether constructed as a one-piece or three-piece case, and regardless of notch, adhesive, or a sewn book block.

A narrow band of plain or striped sewn cotton, glued to the top and bottom of the book block’s spine in a casebound book. They cover the ends of the signatures or sections. Primarily a cosmetic, inexpensive addition with minimal addition to the binding strength.

The usual allowance is 3mm or 1/8in (or twice this between pages) for the removal of folds and clean edges. Bleeds must compensate for this.

Also known as Hi-Fi colour printing when two additional inks are used with the CMYK - usually a green and an orange to heighten the visual impact on selected images.

The arrangement of pages in the sequence and position they will appear when printed before being cut, folded and trimmed.

Overlapping of coloured text or shapes to account for printing misregistration and to prevent the appearance of white gaps.

International Standards Organisation, which oversees the adoption of many types of internationally accepted working methods, protocols and technologies.

An XML-based "job ticket" standard that permits easy exchange of information and specifications between the various parties involved in the production of a printing job.

A file format for storing photographic images. A JPEG file contains 24-bit colour information (i.e. 6.7 million colours), using compression to discard image information. It is suitable for images with complex pixel graduations but not for flat colour.

1. Any block, forme, plate or artwork fitting into the register with other colours.
2. A line on artwork indicating an area for tint layering.
3. A component on a printing press that controls the degree of ink flow onto the rollers. Adjustable by the press operator, usually by computer control.

A light touch of a knife blade on label stock with peel-off to the
required size. Sufficient pressure is applied to allow the label to detach from the backing sheet without cutting into it.

A gap left in the bottom ink layer so that an overprinted image will appear without colour modification from the ink underneath.

A coating applied to a printed work to provide a high-gloss finish.

1. The application of a transparent gloss- or - matte - finish thin film from a variety of materials, e.g. polypropylene, mylar. Available in a lay-flat finish for paperback books to prevent warping of the cover.
2. A stock made by bonding two or more layers together. Typically used to provide a thick cover stock comprising a cheap liner with printable outer. See Duplexing.

A series of optical-grade, ribbed plastic lenses that sit above two printed images giving the impression of movement, or a 3-D effect. Also known as auto-stereo images. Not to be confused with a hologram.

A flexible book cover, as distinct from a stiff board cover, or case. The Bible and guidebooks are often bound this way. The book block is usually sewn. Also known as flexibind.

A printing process where the image and non-image areas are on the same surface plane of the plate. As water and grease do not mix, the surface of the plate is treated to attract ink and repel water.

Individual sheets of paper are placed in a binder for easy removal or addition.

The preparation of a printing press, folding machine, or bindery line for the main run.

A proprietary prepress proofing system prepared from film, or in digital form, a dry proof.

A special printing ink that gives a gold, silver, bronze, or copper effect.

Colour perception by the human eye can vary depending on variances in the lighting conditions. Colour proofs should always be viewed under consistent light, e.g. K 5,000 assessment.

A form of adhesive binding. Pages are not cut into individual leaves, as in paperback binding, but instead the printed sheets are notched with slots to facilitate the penetration of glue.

One element printed over another within a design. Typically a darker colour will overprint a lighter colour.

The percentage of additional copies above the agreed contract quantity. The percentage is negotiable and may be chargeable. The opposite of unders.

Making a publication into its paged form with page numbers, includes any blank pages.

More than one fold on the same axis, as in accordion, or gatefold.

Client's instruction to printer approving the project for press.

Adobe systems technology that enables visuals to be viewed on screen and printed outside of the original application that created them and without the need to have the original files and fonts. Printers can produce separations from prepress quality PDFs. When combined with CTP, the workflow from origination through to printed article can be relatively swift and manageable.

A popular binding method, in which all of the sections are glued into a separate cover, with a flat spine, rather than wire-stitched, or sewn, for example. Depending on the number of pages and the weight of the paper some documents may be too slim to be perfect bound and will have to be wire-stitched.

When required perforations are made to the paper while it is still on the printing press, usually by means of special attachments.

Very small holes or slots in continues lines made through the paper or card. Can be done to achieve easy removal of part of the form or document, or to facilitate easier folding of heavier-weight paper or card.

Metal, plastic or even paper image carrier used to transfer ink to paper in letterpress and litho printing, or to the blanket in offset litho. In colour separation for full-colour or two-colour printing, a separate plate is made for each process colour.

A small letterpress machine in which both the paper and type or plate are held flat and brought together in a parallel, or near-parallel, motion.

A proof prepared on a press with ink on paper, often the actual paper to be used on the final pass, as compared to a prepress proof. A machine proof.

The representation on paper of the final printed product. This can be at any interim stage, or at final layout, showing text and images in page form. Some proofs can be used for colour reproduction checking, and others purely for positional purposes.

A cold-melt binding glue that retains "memory" enabling it to remain flexible through many openings, not crack and to assist a lay-flat binding.

A book whose spine covering and often around the beginning of the side boards is one material and the remaining covering of the sides is another. This can be a combination of cloth and paper, or all paper of two colours.

Untrimmed paper sizes are called RA.

Red, green and blue, the additive primary colours.

A computer device which converts the postscript data describing pages into bitmap format for imaging on an imagesetter, platesetter, digital press, colour photocopier, or other imaging device.

When type or an image appears in white out of a black, or other colour, background.

A finishing or binding operation whereby a special die is used to round the corners of the book block - at times before it is cased in.

Sheets or signatures printed in addition to ordered initial quantity.

Similar effect to stapling, achieved on a saddle-stitching machine which feeds a continuous wire to form staples of the required length to be fired into the publication and folded on the inside.

A measure of the quality of fineness of the dot structure used to reproduce a halftone image or tint expressed in lines per inch or centimetre. Do not confuse with PPI.

A folded paper press sheet. Paper is folded to form part of a book or booklet. Sections/signatures normally comprise sheets folded to make 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64 pages.

A publication whose cover is the same paper or material as the inside pages.

A binding in which the endpapers are part of the first and last section of the book, as opposed to being tipped in separately. Rarely used.

Individual publications or books shrink wrapped for security or protection

To stitch through the side of a book or booklet from front to back at the binding edge (spine) with a thread or wire. A method of binding leaves as well as sections. The publication will not lay flat and extra spine margin should be allowed for.

Machine sewing of single sheets on their edge (unfolded) into sections. They are sewn onto tapes or webbing to produce a book or pamphlet in a library binding.

A digital proof, usually provided as an email attachment, for viewing on a monitor screen.

A printing ink specially mixed to give a specific colour, including metallic or fluorescent inks.

A publication bound with spiral wire of varying diameter and often coated with a coloured plastic. Pages are first punched with small holes to accept the coiled wire. Facilitates a lay-flat effect when opened.

When a colour is printed using a specific colour of ink, usually from a special guide, in coated or uncoated version, instead of creating it via a build of percentage tints from process colour inks.

The application of a gloss or matte varnish to a specific area on the page or cover. Can be a press varnish applied in-line or a separate pass.

Also known as FM, or random dot screening. Unlike AM screening where dots are placed in a pre-determined line screen per inch, e.g. 150 lpi and vary in size, with stochastic screening the microns at either 20 or the even finer level 10 micron dots are the same size and vary where they are positioned i.e. clustered heavily in shadow areas and fewer in highlights.

Two elements that are printed on top of one another and are tints of the same colour. See overprinting.

Swiss binding offers good lay flat, strength and a design opportunity with a range of colours and materials available for the inner spine, often in the form of a Chelsea Fabric or Book Cloth.

Same as headband but at the foot of the spine on a casebook.

An imitation of die stamping. The finished effect of a similar raised look is achieved by a combination of ink, powder and heat.

A method of book binding in which the sections are ‘stabbed’ with thread, the loose ends then being sealed with adhesive.

A guillotine containing three knives. Used to trim stacks of publications and books. One movement trims the heads and feet, the second the fore edge.

Usually the extension of a doublepage spread where a special imposition in the design has asked for an additional page or more to fold out from the fore edge. Often used for maps.

An index where the dividers are cut into the fore edge rather than stepped as in a cut in or tab index.

A file format for storing halftones and photographic images.

An inset attached to a publication by gluing along the binding edge.

To cut a sheet of paper to the required size prior to presswork, or a printed product during finishing.

A coating on top of a previously printed product to enhance the visual effect.

A finishing process whereby a transparent varnish is applied over the printed sheet to produce a glossy finish.

The treated skin of a calf used as a writing material. The name is also used to describe a thick creamy book paper.

The ability to ajust the interline spacing (leading) and manipulation of text in fine increments to make columns and pages end at the same point on a page.

A small illustration in a book not enclosed in a definite border.

Reel-fed offset litho printing.

A binding method for publications. The pages and covers are punched with rectangular holes and a double-loop wire is then inserted through the holes. The loops are crimped to keep the wire in place. A string, lay-flat binding. Allows for a deeper spine margin.

The height of a letter excluding the ascenders and descenders; eg 'x', which is also height of the main body.

A photocopying/printing process in which the image is formed using the electrostatic charge principle. The toner replaces ink and can be dry or liquid. Once formed, the image is sealed by heat.

A device that dries as it comes off the wet end of the paper making machine by pressing one side of the paper against a cylinder that seam-heats it and imparts a glazed finish at the same time.

A z-shaped cover that is used to join two separate publications, or two parts of the same publication.