Glossary of Printing Terms | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | L | M | O | P | R | S | T | V | W | ACID PAPER: Impermanent papers (PH below 7.0) that tend to yellow over time. ALKALINE PAPER: Permanent paper (PH 7.5 to 8.2) ANTIQUE FINISH: Rough, toothy, open texture; hand made look BACK(ED) UP: The printing of the second or back side of the sheet – two sided printing BASIS WEIGHT: The weight in pounds of 500 sheets of paper at the paper’s basic size (60, 70, 80 pound, etc.) BINDING: Operations necessary for making printed sheets into books, catalog, magazines, etc. (saddle stitch, perfect, plasticoil, tape,GBC, etc.) BOND: Writing paper; reprographic paper used for letterheads and business forms, manufactured at a basic size of 17" x 22" BOOK PAPER: A type of offset paper, basic size is 25" x 38", book paper has a different basis weight than bond. BRIGHTNESS: The measurement of reflected light from a paper surface. BRISTOL: Heavy, stiff paper characterized by bulk and strength; includes index and printing bristols BURSTING STRENGTH: The amount of uniformly applied pressure required to rupture a sheet of paper C1S: (Coated 1 Side) Paper coated on only side C2S: (Coated 2 Sides) Paper coated on both sides CALENDERING: The mechanical treatment of a coated sheet which renders smoothness and gloss-passing paper through a series of alternating steel and cotton rolls to smooth the surface and control bulk. CALIPER: bulk or thickness (measured in mils-thousandths of an inch) CARBONLESS PAPERS: Paper chemically treated so that duplicate copies can be produced without the use of carbons CAST COATED: Exceptionally smooth coated paper characterized by a highly polished, mirror-like surface. CLAY: A filler; pigment used in coating paper COATED PAPER: Gloss, matte, or dull paper composed of a base sheet covered on one or both sides with a finishing layer COTTON CONTENT BOND: Watermarked writing paper containing cotton fiber CURL: The tendency of paper to bend rather than lie flat-this happens more frequently with thinner papers. CUT-SIZE: Papers cut to a finished size of 8 1/2" x 11," 8 1/2" x 14" or 11" x 17" CWT: per hundred pounds DECKLE EDGE: Untrimmed feathery edge formed by straps and water or air jets; commonly seen on wedding announcements DOT GAIN: the tendency for the dots of halftones and four-color images to print larger than they are on the film or plate. This reduces sharpness and can change the color of printed a piece DULL COATED: A coated finish that is between glossy and matte-little or no gloss; it has a sheen rather than a shine. DUMMY: An unprinted sample made to the exact dimensions of the final piece DUPLEX: Two sheets of paper stock laminated together-they can be the same or different colors. DUSTING: Coating dust or filler which builds on the blanket in the non-image area. Also running paper through the press without ink to get rid of dust on the paper. EMBOSSING: Pressing a shape or letters into a sheet of paper with a metal or plastic die, creating a raised (embossed) image. FELT SIDE: The side of a sheet of paper which is not in contact with the fourdrinier wire during paper making. FILLERS: Additives which impart physical, optical qualities. FINISH: The surface characteristics of a paper, or its coating. GLOSS COATED: A shiny surface-high degree of light reflectance GRAIN: The direction in which most fibers lie in a sheet of paper. HOLDOUT: The paper’s ability to uniformly hold ink on the paper’s surface for sharper dots and higher ink gloss. LAID FINISH: A subtle linear pattern caused by a dandy roll. LEDGER: Stiff, heavy paper designed to withstand a maximum of handling LINEN FINISH: A paper finish similar to the texture of linen fabric. M WEIGHT: The weight of 1,000 sheets of paper. M: Thousand MATTE COATED: Non-glossy, coated paper characterized by a glare-free background. MOTTLE: When ink adheres unevenly to the paper; it makes solids look uneven. OFFSET PAPERS: Papers manufactured for the purpose of printing by the offset process; more resistant to water so it dries quickly and less susceptible to picking. OPACITY: The extent to which light transmission is obstructed, or the degree of show through. PARCHMENT: A high wet-strength, greaseproof paper made by passing paper through a sulfuric acid bath. PARENT SIZE: full sheet size purchased. PH: The measure of acidity and alkalinity from 0-14. PICK RESISTANCE: Surface strength PICKING: Parts of the surface of the paper come off while printing POST-CONSUMER WASTE: Paper, paperboard and fibrous wastes from retail stores, office buildings and homes after they have passed through their end-usage as a consumer item. PRESSURE SENSITIVE PAPERS: Papers with a permanently tacky adhesive which sticks to a surface with contact and applied pressure. PULP: The wet slurry of fibers and water-the basic ingredient of paper. REAM: 500 sheets RECYCLED PAPER: Paper made from recovered waste paper. SAFETY: Papers designed for protection against alterations-commonly used for printing checks. SCORING: Creation of a crease to assist folding. SMOOTHNESS: The surface consistency and evenness. SIZING: An agent applied to the paper surface to increase water resistance, eliminate abrasiveness and fuzz, and improve bonding strength. STARCH: A sizing agent added to the paper surface to increase resistance to water or ink, to eliminate abrasiveness, and to improve printing properties and bonding strength. TAG: Strong, heavy paper calendered to a smooth hard finish. TCF: Totally Chlorine Free TEXT AND COVER: Uncoated printing paper of unusually high quality. It comes in a broad range of finishes and colors. THICKNESS: Bulk or caliper TOOTH: The surface roughness TWO SIDEDNESS: The difference in appearance between the felt and wire sides. VELLUM: A finish that is fairly even; not quite as even as a smooth finish. WATERMARK: The modification of the formation and opacity of a sheet of paper so that a pattern, design, or work group can be seen in the dried sheet when held up to the light. WHITENESS: The paper’s ability to reflect the entire visible spectrum of light. WIRE SIDE: The side of a sheet of paper which is in contact with the Fourdrinier wire during web formation.