Printing is vital in sharing information, ideas, and creativity. To navigate the world of print effectively, it’s helpful to understand key terms used in the industry. This guide offers a clear overview of essential printing vocabulary, covering techniques, materials, tools, and historical references. Whether you’re a designer, student, or simply curious, these terms will help you better grasp the language of print.
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Definition: Printing terms
Printing terms are words and phrases commonly used in the printing industry to describe processes, materials, tools, layouts, and techniques. They help professionals communicate clearly and ensure accuracy throughout the design and production stages.
Your guide to print and production
- Information on printing processes & print production
- Information on materials & optimal use of materials
- Information on print finishing & print processing
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Overview of essential terms
The world of printing uses many specialized terms that can be confusing at first glance. To make things easier, we’ve grouped the most important ones into categories. This quick overview will help you get familiar with common vocabulary used in print production, design, and publishing.
Historical and cultural
Ex libris
A label indicating the owner of a book.
Papyrus
Early paper-like material used in ancient writing.
Facsimile
An exact copy or reproduction of a document.
Imprimatur
Formal approval to print a work, often from an authority.
Lorem ipsum
Placeholder text used in design layouts.
Incunabulum
Books printed before the year 1501.
Johannes Gutenberg
Inventor of the first movable-type printing press.
Print techniques and effect
Die-cut
Custom-cut shape or pattern in printed material.
Airbrush
Smooth, sprayed-on color effect.
Blueprint
A detailed reproduction of technical drawings.
Grayscale
Image made of shades of gray, without color.
Dithering
Technique to simulate gradients with small dots.
Watermark
Faint image or text embedded in the paper for copyright.
Monochrome
Printing in one single color or tone.
Moiré pattern
Visual distortion caused by overlapping patterns.
Black and white
Printing using only black ink.
Blind embossing
Raised design without using ink or foil.
Materials and components
Ream
A standard pack of 500 sheets of paper.
Interleaves
Extra sheets placed between printed pages.
Paper stock
The base paper used for printing.
Cover stock
Thicker paper used for covers.
Deckle edge
Rough, untrimmed edge of paper.
Printing hardware and prepress
Prepress
All steps before the actual printing begins.
Printhead
Part of a printer that applies ink.
Densitometer
Tool to measure ink density on prints.
Printing plate
Surface used to transfer ink to paper.
Thread counter
Magnifying tool for checking fine print details.
CDD (Charge-Coupled Device)
Sensor used in scanners.
Layout and design
ISBN
Unique identifier number for books.
ASCII
A basic text format made of characters and symbols.
Raster
Pixel-based image made of a grid.
Indicia
Postal info printed on bulk post.
Scaling
Resizing an image or object up or down.
Opacity
How see-through an element is.
Dog ear
Folded corner of a page.
Contrast
Difference between light and dark areas.
Logotype
A text-based logo design.
Bookplate
Decorative label identifying the book owner.
Crop marks
Lines showing where to trim a print.
Golden ratio
Ideal proportion, often used in design.
Portrait format
Vertical page orientation.
Landscape format
Horizontal page orientation.
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FAQs
Printing terms are industry-specific words that describe materials, techniques, tools, and processes used in printing and design.
Grayscale uses different shades of gray, while monochrome means one single color (usually black or another solid tone).
“Lorem ipsum” is used as placeholder text to focus on layout and design without being distracted by actual content.
The main methods are: Offset, digital, flexography, gravure, screen, 3D, letterpress, and inkjet printing.
