Confused by the jargon? This glossary contains some of the most commonly-used terminology in the business.

Back-up

To print a 2 sided sheet

Baseline

The line on which the base (bottom edge) of the capital letter sits

Binding

Various methods used to secure multiple sheets of paper (i.e. coil bound, wire bound, saddle stitch, GBC comb bound)

Bleed

The amount of image that extends out past the cut area (usually 1/8 inch)

Body Copy

Main text area of the document

Bullet

A large dot or icon that emphasizes certain areas of interest

Crop Marks or Corner Marks

Marks (lines) that indicate the trim area or to register color

Digital Press

The ability to send electronic files directly to the impression cylinder of an offset press without the use of film and plates

DPI

Dots per Inch—measurements of resolution or amount of detail per area

Emboss

A raised impression that is stamped into the paper for visual or tactile effect

Foil Stamp

Foil is applied in the shape of an image to paper

Four-color Process

Printing in Full Color; using Cyan, Megenta, Yellow and Black

Gutter

Space between pages in the printing frame of a book, or inside margin towards the back or binding edge. The blank space or margin between the type page and the binding of a book.

Imposition

Arrangement of a multiple page document that when put together reads correctly

Italic

Type that slants slightly

Kerning

Space between letters of a word or words that can be adjusted

Lead or Leading

Space between lines of type that can be adjusted

Mock-up

A sample layout of the intended final document

Opacity

Term used to describe the amount ink or light that shows through a medium

Platform

Referring to the type of operating system (Macintosh or PC)

RIP

Raster Image Processor (RIP)—The process used to translate a document electronically into a specific output device

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