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A2 envelope:
An envelope used for notecards, as opposed to a #10 envelope, which is a business-size envelope used in the U.S.

A4 size:
The standard-size document used in Europe, slightly larger than the US standard size of 8.5 x 11 inches.

AAs:
Author's Alterations. Changes in copy or artwork after it has been typeset and sent to the printer. The additional costs incurred by AAs are charged to the client, not the printer.

ABA:
American Booksellers Association. A trade association of publishers and booksellers.

ABI:
Advance Book Information form. A form filed by publishers with R.R. Bowker/Reed Reference Publishing, which is used to list the book in directories such as Forthcoming Books and Books In Print.

absorption:
The property that causes paper to take up liquids or vapors, such as the ability of a certain type of paper to absorb a certain type of ink.

accordion fold:
Two or more parallel folds in printed paper in which each fold opens in the opposite direction from the previous fold so that the paper opens like an accordion.

acid-free paper:
Paper that contains no acid or acid-producing chemicals, which cause it to yellow.

acknowledgment:
A part of a book's front matter, in which the author expresses appreciation and thanks to the individuals and organizations who helped with the book.

acquisition editor:
A person in a publishing house who is responsible for acquiring new titles.

active matrix display:
In computer monitors, a type of LCD (liquid crystal display) that offers higher quality than a passive matrix display.

additive color:
Color produced by combining red, green, and blue light in varying intensities. Computer monitors use additive color, while the printing process uses subtractive color. This causes inconsistency between what a designer sees on the monitor and what comes off the printing press.

address:
In the online world, the combination of letters, numbers, and/or symbols that will let you send e-mail to a particular person or organization.

advance:
Money paid to an author, usually at the time a contract is signed, that is a portion of expected royalties that will be paid to the author once the book is published. Originated from the phrase "advance against royalties."

afterword:
Part of a book's back matter in which the author or publisher offers parting remarks to the reader.

against the grain:
Folding or printing that is done at right angles to the grain direction of the paper. See grain.

agate:
A unit of measure used in calculating columns of advertising space, primarily in newspapers. Fourteen agate lines equal one column inch.

agent:
A person who represents an author by showing the author's manuscript to prospective publishers, handling contract negotiations, helping to sell subsidiary rights, and managing the author's business and financial transactions.

airbrush (noun):
A small, high-pressure gun that sprays dye, used in retouching (or airbrushing, verb) photographic images.

Airbrush (verb):
To retouch photographic images with dye sprayed from a small, high-pressure gun (also known as an airbrush, noun). Similar retouching can be performed digitally with the use of image manipulation software.

ALA:
American Library Association. The largest library association in the United States.

anthology:
A collection of writings by one or more authors, published as a single work.

anti-alias:
In digital typography, the manipulation of gray levels around the edges of a letterform to minimize its jagged appearance when shown on-screen or output at low resolutions.

anti-halation backing:
A coating applied to the back of a piece of film to prevent halation. See halation.

anti-offset spray:
A dry or liquid spray used to prevent wet ink from transferring from one sheet of paper to another.

antiquarian bookseller:
A bookseller who specializes in old or rare books.

antique finish:
A type of surface, usually on books, that has a natural, rough finish.

AOL:
America Online. A commercial information service with a graphical interface.

appendix:
The part of a book's back matter that includes lists of resources, tables, or other reference material.

Archie:
An Internet search tool for finding files and programs located on FTP servers.

artifact:
A visible defect in a scanned image, usually caused by hardware or software limitations.

artwork:
Any portion of a published piece that is not text.

ascender:
The portion of a letter that rises above its x-height (the height of a lowercase "x" in a particular typeface).

ASCII:
American Standard Code for Information Interchange. An ASCII file is one that contains text only, as opposed to an electronic file that contains text and graphics.

as-told-to:
A book produced by a writer in collaboration with a non-writer, usually a celebrity.

author's alterations:
Changes in copy or artwork after it has been typeset and sent to the printer, often called AAs. These types of changes frequently cost extra; the additional costs incurred by AAs are charged to the client, not the printer.

automatic image replacement:
A process in which low-resolution FPO (For Position Only) images are automatically replaced by high-resolution images before outputting the final pages.