A

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.

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B

back flap:
The back part of a dustjacket that folds inward and contains copy continued from the front flap and/or a photo and biography of the author.

back list:
Previously published books that are not new but still in print and available from the publisher, as opposed to front list, which are recently released books.

back matter:
The contents of a book that appears after the main text; may include an afterword, appendix, colophon, glossary, and index.

backing up:
Printing the reverse side of a sheet of paper that has already been printed on the other side.

bad break:
An unattractive or illogical beginning or end of a page, a line of type, or a poorly hyphenated word.

banding:
An undesirable graphic effect in which a gradation contains visible stepping of shades.

bandwidth:
The amount of data that can be sent from one computer connection to another at any given time.

banner:
The name of a publication as it is displayed on the cover.

bar code:
A series of vertical lines that identify the book, the book's publisher, and the book's price. The bar code used especially for books is called a Bookland EAN.

baronial cards:
A type of card stock that often has a beveled edge, used for announcements and invitations.

baseline:
The imaginary line on which the letters in a line of type appear to rest.

basis weight:
The weight in pounds of a ream (500 sheets) of paper cut to a standard size according to the grade of paper.

bastard title:
The half title of a book found on the page in front of the title page.

baud:
A measure of modem speed equal to one signal per second.

BBS:
Bulletin Board System. An online system for exchanging messages and information with others.

bearers:
The flat surfaces or rings at the ends of cylinders on a printing press that come in contact with each other during printing which serve as a basis for determining packing thickness.

belt press:
A large printing press that prints several pages in one pass.

beveled edge:
When the outer margins of a stock of paper (usually a card stock) have been embossed or blind embossed.

bézier curve:
A curve used in illustration programs that provides control handles for manipulating the shape of an arc.

bibliography:
Part of a book's back matter in which other books or magazine articles are cited as resources or for the reader's further reference.

binder's creep:
The slight but cumulative extension of the edges of each inserted spread or signature in a saddle-stitched publication.

bindery:
The area or department within a printing plant that handles trimming and binding.

binding:
The fastening of assembled sheets or signatures along one edge of a publication. The binding process also includes folding, gathering, trimming, stitching, gluing, and/or casing.

bio:
Short for biography. The brief description of an author's life and/or publication history that appears in the back matter of a book.

bit:
BInary digiT. The basic unit of digital information.

bitmapped graphic:
A matrix of dots, or pixels, all of the same density, that forms an image.

black letter:
The Gothic type style popular in Germany in the 15th century.

black plate:
Also referred to as black printer, this printing plate is used along with cyan, magenta, and yellow plates in four-color (CMYK) process printing. Also called the key plate, its purpose is to enrich the contrast of the final reproduction.

black-and-white:
Originals or reproductions in which black is the only color, as opposed to one-color (which can be any single color), two-color, four-color, or more.

blanket:
A rubber material that is clamped around the cylinder on a printing press, to which the image is transferred from the printing plate, and from which the image is transferred to the paper.

bleed:
The portion of an image that extends beyond the trim area of a page.

bleed allowance:
The amount in which a bleed must extend beyond a document's trim in order to allow for variations in cutting and folding.

blend:
An area in an image that merges from one color (or gray level) to another. Also known as a graduated tint, graduation, fountain, dégradé, or vignette.

blind embossing:
A bas-relief effect achieved by stamping an image onto paper without ink.

blind image:
An image that has lost its ability to hold ink and fails to print.

blowup (noun):
A photographic or digital enlargement.

blow up (verb):
To enlarge an image, either photographically or digitally.

blue pencil:
A light blue pencil that is used to mark up layouts and which cannot be reproduced by a platemaking camera. Also called a non-repro pencil.

blueline:
A photoprint made from stripped-up film negatives or positives that is used as a proof to check the position of page elements before printing. Also called a blueprint.

blueprint:
In printing, the same thing as a blueline.

blurb:
A short quote or announcement used to promote a book.

board:
The surface on which camera-ready artwork is pasted in preparation for photomechanical reproduction.

body:
1. The viscosity or consistency of an ink.
2. In e-mail, the text of a message, as opposed to the header, which includes information such as To, From, Subject, and Date.

body copy:
The majority of the copy in a book, magazine article, or marketing piece, as opposed to headline copy. Also known as text.

body type:
A particular font used for the main text of a printed piece, as opposed to headline type or caption type.

bold:
A set of type that is heavier (thicker or darker) than the text type of the same typeface. Short for boldface.

boldface:
A set of type that is heavier (thicker or darker) than the text type of the same typeface. Also called bold.

bond paper:
A grade of paper that is stronger and more durable than the average sheet of paper, often used for letterhead.

book fair:
An event or trade show where publishers promote their upcoming books.

Book paper:
A grade of coated or uncoated paper used in books.

booklet:
A publication of less than 48 pages.

bot:
An Internet-related term, short for "robot," that describes programs which automate tasks such as sorting e-mail.

bottling:
The process of skewing pages to compensate for paper thickness as it is folded. Primarily used on signatures designed for large web- or sheet-fed presses.

bounce:
An undesirable phenomenon in which the reproduction of book or magazine pages is off by as much as 1/16 of an inch.

BPS:
Bits Per Second. A measure of modem speed.

break for color:
To separate the parts of a piece to be printed in different colors.

brightness:
The reflective quality or brilliance of a piece of paper. In color, the amount of light reflected by a particular color.

Bristol:
In papermaking, a heavyweight paper used for printed materials that will be frequently handled such as posters, folders, announcements, direct mail pieces, and invitations.

BRM:
Business Reply Mail. Return postcards or envelopes in which the postage has been pre-paid by the original sender.

broadside:
A large, tabloid-size advertising circular.

brochure:
A pamphlet of two or more pages that is folded or bound.

bronzing:
A printing technique in which an image is printed with a sizing ink, then bronze powder is applied while the ink is still wet to produce a metallic effect.

browser:
A software application that lets you navigate and view online information, such as World Wide Web pages.

buckling:
An undesirable effect that occurs when a sheet of paper has been improperly printed or folded, causing wrinkles.

bulk:
The degree of thickness of paper, usually expressed as pages per inch.

bulk mail:
A class of mail sent by the U.S. Postal Service at a discount rate for business mail of at least 200 pieces that has been sorted by zip code.

bullet:
A small black circle or similar graphic used in front of items in a list, often called a bullet list.

bump:
Ink applied from a fifth or higher plate in four-color process printing to strengthen a specific color. Also referred to as a touchplate.

bump exposure:
In halftones, removing the screen for a short time to increase highlight contrast and drop out the dots in whites.

burn:
To expose a plate when making printing plates.

burnish:
To rub pasteup boards with a tool called a burnisher in order to affix galleys to them and smooth out any wrinkles.

burnisher:
A tool used to rub galleys onto pasteup boards and smooth them out.

byline:
The author's name as it appears under the title or at the end of an article or story.

byte:
A unit of digital information equivalent to eight bits or one character.

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C

C1S:
Coated One Side. Paper that has a coating, or finish, on only one side, often used for book covers.

C2S:
Coated Two Sides. Paper that has a coating, or finish, on both sides.

C&M:
A series of printing errors in which the bound pages of a book feature missing pages, repeated pages, and double-imaged pages.

calendering:
In papermaking, the process of passing paper between the calender rolls to increase the paper's smoothness.

calender rolls:
A set of horizontal rolls at the end of a paper machine to increase the smoothness of the paper.

calibrate:
To adjust an input device such as a scanner or an output device such as a monitor, imagesetter, or printing press to more accurately reproduce color.

caliper:
The thickness of paper, usually expressed in mils (thousands of an inch).

callout:
Text that explains or amplifies a portion of an illustration, usually accompanied by a line pointing to a particular area.

camera-ready:
Artwork that is ready to be photographed in preparation for platemaking.

Cameron belt press:
A type of belt press that both prints and binds a book.

caps:
A set of capital letters of a particular typeface.

caption:
Text that accompanies an illustration. Also called a cutline.

carbon tissue:
A pigmented gelatin coating on a paper backing used in platemaking.

case:
The covers of a hard-bound, or case-bound, book.

case-bound:
Another name for a hard-bound book. Also called hardback and hardcover.

cast coated:
A type of paper that has been dried under pressure to give it a high-gloss finish.

cast-off:
An estimate of the length a manuscript will be when typeset.

catching up:
A term that describes a condition in lithography in which the non-image areas of a press plate begin to take ink or scum.

CD-ROM:
Compact Disc-Read Only Memory. Used for storing and retrieving digital, visual, and audio information.

CERN:
A particle physics laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland, where the World Wide Web was created in 1991.

chalking:
A term that describes improper drying of ink, in which pigment dusts off because the ink has been absorbed too rapidly into the paper.

chapbook:
A small book or booklet, often part of a series.

character:
An individual letter, number, punctuation mark, symbol, or space within text or computer code.

chat:
To converse with one or more people via an online network such as America Online, CompuServe, or the Internet by typing in sentences and viewing other's responses in real time.

chat room:
A virtual "place" offered by an online service provider in which one or more people can participate in live chat. See chat.

chemical pulp:
The treatment of wood chips with chemicals to remove impurities in preparation for papermaking.

chipboard:
The cardboard backing of a notepad of paper.

choke:
A trapping technique in which one color area is made slightly smaller, used in conjunction with another trapping technique called a "spread," in which another color area is made slightly larger to allow for misregistration on press.

cicero:
A European typographic unit of measurement; approximately 4.55 millimeters, though it varies from country to country.

CIE:
Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage. An international organization that developed a set of universal color standards in 1932.

circular:
An advertising flier inserted into a newspaper.

circular screen:
A circular-shaped halftone screen that helps the camera operator to obtain proper screen angles for halftones by rotating the screen.

circulation:
The number of readers of a periodical such as a magazine or newspaper.

classified ad:
An advertisement that uses only text, as opposed to a display ad, which also incorporates graphics.

clean copy:
Copy that is ready to be typeset, or copy that has already been typeset and contains no further corrections.

clip art:
Illustrations, line drawings, pictures and other graphics that can be inserted in artwork or in a page layout, usually royalty-free. Before digital clip art, artwork from paper books was actually cut, or clipped, from the page and pasted onto the layout, thus the name clip art.

clipboard:
Temporary holding place in a computer's memory used to move text and graphics from one electronic document to another.

clipping service:
A company that collects articles of interest from newspapers and periodicals for its clients.

CLUT:
Color Lookup Table. A palette of colors within image editing applications and system software.

CMYK:
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black. The colors of the subtractive color system, also known as process colors.

coated:
Paper with a certain type of finish that produces a smooth surface.

coating:
An emulsion, varnish, or lacquer applied to a printed surface to give it added protection or to produce a dramatic special effect.

cold color:
A color such as blue.

cold type:
Type produced by means other than hot metal, such as on a composing machine or in a page layout program.

collate:
To assemble a set of individual sheets or signatures in proper sequence for binding.

colophon:
A list or description of production materials and methods used to create a book or magazine featured as part of the back matter.

color control strip:
A series of color bars and patterns printed on press sheets designed to help press operators detect problems with color balance, registration, and other printing-related problems.

color correct:
To change the color values in a set of film separations or using a software application to correct or compensate for errors in photography, scanning, separation, output, and so on.

color key:
A means of proofing four-color pages before final reproduction.

color filter:
A sheet of dyed glass, gelatin, or plastic placed between plates to absorb certain colors and produce a better rendition of other colors. The filters used in color separation are red, green, and blue.

color proof:
A reproduction of a piece before it goes on press made by photomechanical or digital means in less time and at a lower cost than press proofs. Also called an off-press proof.

color separation:
The process of separating artwork into component films of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in preparation for printing.

com:
A domain name suffix used in Internet addresses that denotes a commercial entity such as rainwater.com.

comb-bound:
A form of binding that uses plastic rings and allows the book to lay flat when open, often used in cookbooks.

commercial printer:
A printer who primarily manufactures print runs of 5,000 or more using larger printing presses than those found in a quick-copy shop.

commercial register:
A measure of color printing in which the allowable misregister is plus or minus one row of dots.

comp:
A designer's "comprehensive" sketch of a page design that shows what the final page may look like.

composing stick:
A hand tool in which type is assembled and justified.

composition:
The process of setting type and arranging elements on a page.

compositor:
A person who sets type. Also called a typesetter.

compress:
To reduce the size of a digital file for the purpose of speedier file transfer and archiving.

CompuServe:
A commercial online information network, sometimes called CIS (CompuServe Information Service) or CI$ because of its previously high hourly rates.

conference:
A live discussion online in which the topic has been predetermined, often featuring a celebrity guest. Also called a "CO" or "live CO."

con-tone:
Short for continuous-tone. An image that has an assortment of tone values ranging from dark to light that does not contain halftone dots. A photograph is a continuous-tone image, for example, while a pen-and-ink drawing (also known as line art) formed of pure blacks and whites, is not.

condensed:
A narrow version of a typeface, or a shortened version of a book-length work.

contact print:
A photographic print made from a negative or positive in contact with sensitized paper, film, or a printing plate.

contact screen:
A halftone screen made from vacuum contact with the photographic film to produce a dot structure of graded density.

content edit:
An overall evaluation and critique of a manuscript for organization, style, and continuity as well as actual content.

contents:
The list of a book's chapters or a magazine's features and departments that appears as part of the front matter. Also called a Table of Contents.

continuous tone:
An image that has an assortment of tone values ranging from dark to light that does not contain halftone dots. A photograph is a continuous-tone image, for example, while a pen-and-ink drawing (also known as line art) formed of pure blacks and whites, is not. Also called a con-tone.

contract proof:
A proof provided by the printer and on which the client signs off, saying it is OK to go ahead with printing.

co-op advertising:
Where two organizations, such as a bookseller and a publisher, share the cost of advertising. The publisher usually pays the larger percentage.

co-op publishing:
A situation in which two organizations produce and publish a book together. Also called co-publishing.

co-publishing:
A situation in which two organizations produce and publish a book together. Also called co-op publishing.

copy:
The text portion of material to be printed.

copy edit:
The next level of editing after content editing--checking a manuscript for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and consistency.

copy preparation:
The process of getting copy ready for reproduction by applying the proper type specifications.

copyfit:
The process of calculating how much space a given amount of copy set in a particular point size and typeface will occupy. Also, the process of adjusting type, either by altering its point size or other type specifications or by eliminating actual words and sentences to make the copy fit a given amount of space.

copyright:
The right to retain or sell the rights to an artistic work, usually held by the creator of the work.

copyright infringement:
When another party besides the copyright owner reproduces a copyrighted work, in whole or in part, without the copyright owner's permission.

cotton paper:
Paper that is made from cotton fibers rather than, or in addition to, wood fibers.

cover paper:
A variety of heavier papers used as covers for booklets, catalogs, brochures, presentations, and other publications. Also called cover stock.

cover stock:
A variety of heavier papers used for the covers of catalogs, brochures, booklets, and similar publications. Also called cover paper.

creep:
The process of compensating for the shifting position of the pages in a saddle-stitched bind. Creep moves the inside pages or signatures toward the spine.

Cromalin:
A four-color proof similar to a Matchprint.

crop:
To eliminate outer portions of a photograph, illustration, or plate. Cropping is indicated on the original with crop marks.

crop mark:
A set of horizontal and vertical lines which indicate where a photograph, illustration, or page should be eliminated or trimmed.

cross direction:
The direction of the fibers in a sheet of paper across the grain, as opposed to with the grain. Same as against the grain.

crossline screen:
A glass screen that contains a grid pattern of opaque lines used in halftone photography.

CT:
Continuous Tone. A digital file format that contains high-resolution scan information.

curl:
The distortion of a sheet of paper due to differences in coating from one side to another or to absorption of moisture.

curved plate:
In letterpress printing, a plate that is precurved to fit the cylinder of a rotary press.

cut-off:
In web printing, the cut or print length that corresponds to the circumference of the plate cylinder.

cutline:
A short sentence or two that describes a photograph or illustration within a page layout. Also called a caption.

cutscore:
A knife used to cut partway into the paper for folding purposes.

cyan:
One of the subtractive primary colors used as part of the four-color process inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black).

cyberspace:
The universe created by computer networks.

cylinder gap:
The space in the cylinder of a printing press where the mechanism for the plate or blanket clamps and where the grippers in a sheet-fed press are housed.

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D

dampener:
Cloth, paper, or rubber rollers that distribute the dampening solution to the press plate or ink roller in lithography.

dampening system:
The entire mechanism for transferring dampening solution to the plate during printing.

dandy roll:
A wire cylinder on papermaking machines that creates the woven and watermark effects in finer grades of paper.

d/b/a:
Doing Business As. A sole proprietorship operating under a name other than that of the proprietor, such as Rainwater Press.

DCS:
Desktop Color Separation. A digital color file format that includes five PostScript files, one for each color separation (CMYK) and one data file.

deck:
The text found underneath the headline of an article or story that provides slightly more detail than the headline and is set in a smaller point size than the headline but larger than the body text. Also called deck copy.

deck copy:
The text found underneath the headline of an article or story that provides slightly more detail than the headline and is set in a smaller point size than the headline but larger than the body text. Also called deck.

deckle:
The width of a sheet of paper as it comes off the wire of a papermaking machine.

deckle edge:
The untrimmed feathery edges of paper formed where the pulp flows against the deckle.

dedication:
Part of the front matter of a book in which the author dedicates the work to an individual or group of individuals.

deep-etch plate:
A positive-working plate used for long runs where the inked areas are slightly recessed.

defamation:
Libelous or slanderous statements that cause injury to another person.

densitometer:
A photomechanical tool that measures optical density of images or colors, used to determine and control consistency throughout a press run.

density:
1. The degree of darkness of a photographic image.
2. The relative weight of a particular grade of paper.

descender:
The portion of a letter that extends below the baseline.

desensitize:
The process of making non-image areas of a printing plate non-receptive to ink through chemical treatment of the metal, usually a gum.

developer:
The chemical agent used to render photographic images after exposure to light.

diazo:
A non-silver coating for contact printing in photography. Also, a light-sensitive coating used on presensitized plates in offset platemaking.

die:
A metal plate cut in the shape of the master image used to make cuts in printed sheets.

die cut:
The technique of using sharp steel rules to make cuts in printed sheets for boxes, folders, pop-up brochures, and other specialized printing jobs.

die stamp:
An intaglio process for creating designs engraved into copper or steel, usually used for producing letterhead, business cards, and other specialized printing jobs.

diffusion transfer:
A process in which a negative is produced and a positive of the image is transferred to a receiver sheet during processing, used in photography and platemaking.

digerati:
A play on the word "literati" that describes the hip, knowledgeable people at the cutting edge of all things digital.

dimensional stability:
The ability of a paper or film to maintain its size during changes in moisture (such as when inks or other liquids are applied) and relative humidity.

dingbat:
An ornamental character such as a bullet, star, or flower used by printers to decorate a page.

direct mail:
A form of advertising in which the published matter is mailed directly to the potential customer.

direct screen halftone:
A halftone negative made by direct exposure from the original through a halftone screen.

dirty copy:
Copy that has been marked up by editors or proofreaders and requires further corrections.

display ad:
An advertisement that uses graphics, as opposed to a classified ad, which uses only text.

display type:
Type that is set larger than the body type, used to attract attention to headlines, deck copy, callouts, pull quotes, and the like.

distributing rollers:
Rubber-covered rollers that convey ink from the fountain onto the ink drum in printing presses.

distributor:
A company that warehouses and ships books or magazines to retail outlets.

dithering:
A technique used on computer screens and low-resolution output devices to produce a higher quality image in which the halftone cells are arranged in an overlapping pattern.

divider sheet:
A sheet of paper, usually made from card stock, that segments a publication into various sections.

divider tab:
The portion of a divider sheet that extends beyond the trim size of the rest of the publication.

doctor blade:
A knife-edged blade pressed against the engraved printing cylinder in gravure printing that wipes away the excess ink from the non-printing areas.

domain:
The name used on the Internet to identify the location of a particular computer.

dot:
The single, most basic element of a halftone.

dot etching:
The process of chemically reducing halftone dots in film negatives or positives to increase or decrease the amount of color to be printed.

dot gain:
A defect that occurs in the reproduction process in which dots print larger than they should, causing darker tones or colors. Compensating for press dot gain is a key element in calibrating a digital prepress system.

dot leader:
A series of dots in a horizontal line that guide the reader's eye from one word or phrase on the left to a page number or other text on the right, such as in a Table of Contents.

double-fold:
A type of brochure fold in which one sheet of paper is folded over twice, creating four panels.

double hit:
The process of running a print job twice through a printing press using a particular color to get an added amount of ink coverage, often used with dark inks such as black to achieve a rich appearance.

double-sided:
Printing on both sides of a sheet of paper.

download:
To retrieve a file from another computer, as opposed to upload, which means to send a file to another computer.

down time:
The period of time in which a printing press or computer is not in use.

DPI:
Dots Per Inch. A measure of an output device's resolution, such as a monitor or laser printer.

draw-down:
A technique used in inkmaking used to roughly determine color shade in which the chemist places a small amount of ink on paper and draws it down with the edge of a spatula.

drier:
Any substance added to ink to make it dry more quickly.

driography:
Printing plates that consist of metal for image areas and rubber for non-image areas for printing without water. Also called waterless plates.

drop cap:
An initial cap that "drops" below the first baseline.

drop folio:
A page number, or folio, that has been placed at the bottom of a page outside the running foot.

drop shadow:
A graphic effect in which display type is repeated behind itself, creating a "shadow."

drop-out:
Portions of originals that are not reproduced, such as background areas or lines around the edges of an image.

dryback:
The tendency of an ink's color to dull as the ink dries and is absorbed into the paper.

dry trapping:
A method of trapping in which wet ink is printed over dry ink. See trapping.

ductor roller:
The roller in both inking and dampening mechanisms on a printing press that alternately contacts the fountain roller and the vibrating drum roller.

dull finish:
A flat coating applied to paper that is slightly smoother than a matte coating.

dummy:
A preliminary layout showing the size, shape, form, and general style of a printed piece, including folds.

dump:
A display for books, often made of cardboard.

duotone:
A two-color halftone reproduction from a black-and-white photograph.

dupe:
Short for duplicate. To reproduce a page or an image exactly as it originally appeared.

duplex:
A type of paper that has a different color, finish, or texture on each side.

duplex paper:
Paper that has a different color, finish, or texture on each side.

duplicate:
To reproduce a page or an image exactly as it originally appeared.

duplicating film:
A film for making negatives from negatives and positives from positives.

dust cover:
The outer paper wrap on a hardcover book. Also called a dust jacket.

dust jacket:
The outer paper wrap on a hardcover book. Also called a dust cover.

dye transfer:
A process of producing color prints by using photographic emulsions to transfer dye solutions to film or paper coated with gelatin.

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E

e-ddress:
An e-mail address. (This term was first provided to Rainwater Press by Scott O'Neill of Accuracy First Printing in Denver, CO.)

e-mail:
Electronic mail, a digital message that is usually private.

edit:
To modify and correct a manuscript to conform to the publisher's standards.

edition:
All printings of a book from the same original materials. Once changes have been made to the original materials, the next printing becomes a new edition.

editor in chief:
The top editor at a magazine or book publisher responsible for all editorial decisions.

edu:
A domain name suffix used in Internet addresses that denotes an educational institution.

eight-up:
The imposition of eight items to be printed on the same sheet in order to take advantage of full press capacity and minimize paper consumption.

electrophotography:
The image transfer system used in photocopiers.

electrostatic plates:
Plates used in high-speed laser printing that make use of electrostatic forces.

elite type:
A standard typewriter typeface with 12 characters to the inch.

ellipsis:
A unit of three small dots that signifies a trailing off in thought or portions of a quote that have been omitted.

elliptical dot:
An elongated dot in halftone photography that gives improved gradation of tones, especially in middle tones and vignettes.

em:
A measurement of linear space used by typographers in which the unit is as wide and as high as the point size being set; twice the width of an en. So named because the letter "m" in early fonts was usually cast on a square body.

em dash:
A dash the width of an em space.

emboss:
To impress an image in relief to achieve a raised surface; either overprinting or on blank paper (called blind embossing).

emoticon:
A symbol that uses the characters on a computer keyboard to convey emotion or tone in an electronic message, such as the sideways smiley face. :-)

emulsion:
The light-sensitive gelatin that coats the side of photographic film that faces the lens during exposure.

en:
A measurement of linear space used by typographers; half the width of an em.

en dash:
A dash the width of an en space.

enamel:
A coating material used on paper.

end leaf:
The paper used to bind a book's cover to its interior pages.

endpaper:
The sheets of paper that affix the front and back pages of a hardcover book to the inside covers.

english finish:
A grade of book paper with a smoother, more uniform surface than machine finish.

enlargement:
An image or page that has been increased in size proportionally.

epilogue:
Text that appears at the end of a story which brings the reader up to date or offers parting comments, as opposed to a prologue, which appears at the beginning of a story and offers introductory comments.

EPS:
Encapsulated PostScript. A document file format that contains PostScript information for high-resolution graphics.

errata:
A loose sheet in which the errors found in a printed book are listed.

estimate:
A preliminary cost analysis provided by a printer on how much a printing job will cost, listed in terms of price per piece and total cost per thousand. Different from a quote, which is a legally binding, signed agreement between a printer and a publisher in which the cost is guaranteed not to fluctuate for a specified period of time.

etch:
To produce an image on a printing plate by chemical or electrolytic action.

Ethernet:
A method of networking computers in a local area network (LAN).

excerpt:
A portion taken from a larger work, such as when portions of a book appear as a magazine article.

exclusive:
Sole distribution or publishing rights given to or sold to only one distributor or publisher in a particular geographic area. Also a news or feature article published by a publication before any of its competitors.

expanded type:
A typeface in which the width is greater than normal.

expert reading:
A review of a manuscript by an expert in the field, also called a technical edit.

exposure:
The process during which light produces an image on light-sensitive photographic paper or film.

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F

F&G:
Folded and gathered pages which form the unbound pages of a book.

fabiolous:
A word used to describe the photo of Fabio and Nan McCarthy, author of the cybernovel CHAT. If you find this fabiolous photo on the Rainwater Press Web site and tell us the secret password, you'll receive 10% off CHAT when you order directly from Rainwater Press.

face out:
To display books on a shelf so that their front covers are showing, as opposed to spine out.

facing page:
A page that forms a spread.

fair use:
The legal use of a limited portion of copyrighted material without permission from the copyright owner for the purpose of newswriting, for example.

fake-color:
The process of producing a color illustration by using one image as a key and manually making the other separations from it.

fan guide:
A sample booklet of colors used for choosing and specifying color in which the pages fan out so that various colors can be compared.

fanout:
The distortion of paper on press due to absorption of moisture at the edges of the paper.

FAQ:
Frequently Asked Questions. A list of commonly asked questions and answers posted on an online service, mailing list, or forum to reduce the number of beginner questions for a particular topic.

feeder:
The section of a sheet-fed printing press that separates the sheets and feeds them in position for printing.

felt side:
The smoother side of paper for printing; the top side of the sheet of paper in papermaking.

filler:
White pigments such as clay, titanium dioxide, and calcium carbonate that are added to paper in order to improve its opacity, brightness, and printing surface.

filling in:
A condition in which the ink fills the area between halftone dots or plugs up the type, such as in the letter "e." Also called filling up.

filling up:
A condition in which the ink fills the area between halftone dots or plugs up the type, such as in the letter "e." Also called filling in.

fine etching:
The process of etching dots on metal to correct tone values when making printing plates.

finger:
A software tool for locating people on the Internet.

finish:
The surface characteristics of paper, such as machine finish or english finish.

firewall:
In online networks, a security system often used by corporations that prevents outsiders from entering the local network.

first edition:
The original printing from the original, unchanged plates and materials.

first serial rights:
The right to publish a serialized version of a work before the work in its entirety is actually published.

fixing:
The process of making a photographic image insensitive to further exposure.

flame:
A public electronic message posted on a BBS, online service, or the Internet that personally attacks another individual or organization.

flap copy:
The text that appears on the front or back flaps of a dust jacket.

flash exposure:
The supplementary exposure given to strengthen the dots in the shadow areas of negatives.

flat (adjective):
An image that is lacking in contrast.

flat (noun):
Completely assembled film ready for platemaking.

flat etching:
The chemical reduction of the silver deposit in a continuous-tone or halftone plate, produced by placing it in a tray of etching solution.

flat fee:
A one-time payment, as opposed to a royalty fee which involves payments at regular intervals. Sometimes called work for hire.

flexography:
A type of printing that uses rubber printing plates.

flier:
A one-page, unfolded printed promotional piece.

flop:
To flip an image so that it appears reversed.

flow:
The ability of an ink to spread over the surface of the rollers on a press.

flush:
To align text or images along one edge of a page layout.

flush cover:
A cover that has been trimmed the same size as the inside, bound text pages, such as on a perfect-bound book.

flush left:
Lines of type that are aligned along the left margin of a page, leaving the right edge ragged.

flush paragraph:
A paragraph with no indentation.

flush right:
Lines of type that are aligned along the right margin of a page, leaving the left edge ragged.

flying paster:
An automatic pasting device that splices a new roll of paper onto a roll that is about to run out without stopping the press.

FOB:
Free On Board. Often used when delivering printed materials, in the context of "Free On Board origin," which means the addressee pays the shipping costs, or "Free On Board destination," which means the shipper pays the shipping costs.

fog:
The density of the non-image areas in a photograph.

fold:
To double a sheet of paper over itself.

fold mark:
Dashed or dotted lines printed on a sheet of paper to indicate where it should be folded.

folio:
A page number, often placed at the top of a page outside the running head. If placed at the bottom of the page, the number is a drop folio.

font:
In hot metal composition, a font was all the characters that made up a complete typeface at a particular point size. In electronic publishing, the term "font" is used to mean a complete typeface design in any or all point sizes.

footer:
A headline or title that appears at the bottom of a page.

foreign rights:
A subsidiary right that allows the book to be translated and published in countries other than the one in which the book was originally published.

foreword:
Introductory remarks found in the front matter of a book, often written by someone other than the author.

form:
The assembly of pages for offset printing.

form rollers:
The inking or dampening rollers that directly contact the plate on a printing press.

format (noun):
The size, style, number of pages, and other printing requirements of a piece to be printed.

format (verb):
To apply type specifications to text.

forum:
A section on the Internet or on an online service devoted to a particular topic where people can exchange information and ideas.

fountain roller:
The roller in offset lithography that provides the ink.

fountain solution:
A mixture of water, gum, and other chemicals used to dampen the plate and keep non-printing areas from accepting ink.

four-color:
A publication that is created using four colors, usually, but not always, printed with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

four-up:
The imposition of four items to be printed on the same sheet in order to take advantage of full press capacity and minimize paper consumption.

FPO:
For Position Only. A low-resolution or simulated version of a graphic that is used only as a placeholder and not for final reproduction.

free sheet:
Paper that is free of mechanical wood pulp.

freelance:
To work on a client-by-client and job-by-job basis, as opposed to being employed full-time by one particular company.

front list:
Newly released books, as opposed to back list, which are previously published titles still available from the publisher.

front matter:
The pages of a book before the main text, such as title page, copyright page, Table of Contents, foreword, and so on.

front plate:
An illustration that faces the title page, also called a frontispiece.

frontispiece:
An illustration that faces the title page, also called a front plate.

FTP:
File Transfer Protocol. A means of uploading and accessing files on the Internet.

fulfillment:
The process of filling orders for a book or magazine through order taking, packing, shipping, and collecting payment.

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G

galley:
A typeset draft used for proofreading copy and estimating text length, sometimes sent to book reviewers.

gamma:
A measure of contrast in photographic images.

gang (verb):
To combine unrelated jobs on one printing plate in order to save costs and setup charges.

gang run:
A print run in which two or more print jobs are combined on one printing plate in order to economize.

gatefold:
A type of fold in which the paper is folded toward its center to form four or more panels.

gathering:
The process of assembling folded signatures in proper sequence in preparation for binding.

GBC:
An inexpensive method of binding originally developed by General Binding Corp. that makes use of plastic spirals.

GCR:
Gray Component Replacement. A technique for adding detail to an image by reducing the amounts of cyan, magenta, and yellow and replacing them with black.

gear streaks:
Parallel streaks of ink or dirt appearing across the printed sheet caused by the gear teeth on a printing cylinder.

generation:
Each succeeding stage in reproduction from the original copy.

genre:
A category of a certain type of writing, such as horror, romance, mystery, science fiction, and so forth.

ghost writer:
A professional writer who writes for another person and who does not get a byline or credit for his or her writing.

GIF:
Graphics Interchange Format, originally created by the online service CompuServe to help users minimize file-transfer times when transmitting bitmapped images, currently supported by a growing number of Macintosh and PC graphics applications.

gloss:
A shiny coating applied to a printed piece.

glossary:
A list of definitions.

glossy:
A photograph, image, or other printed material with a shiny surface, as opposed to matte, which is a dull surface.

goldenrod:
A specially coated masking paper of yellow or orange color used by strippers to assemble and position negatives for exposure on plates.

Gopher:
A system for retrieving information and files from the Internet.

gov:
A domain name suffix used in Internet addresses that denotes a non-military government institution.

grain:
The direction in which the fibers in a sheet of paper have been made on a paper machine.

graining:
The process of applying abrasives to metal printing plates to give them greater water-retention.

gradation:
A smooth transition of shades between black and white, between one color and another, or between one color and white. Also called a gradient.

grammage:
A unit of measurement for expressing the basis weight of paper based on the Metric System.

grant:
A sum of money paid in the form of a gift to finance a particular project, such as a book.

graphic:
Any illustrative element in a page layout, such as a photograph, illustration, icon, ruled line, or any other non-text element.

gravure:
A method of printing in which the image is etched into the printing plates, as opposed to letterpress printing, in which the image is slightly raised from the rest of the plate. Gravure printing produces consistent quality in long production runs.

grayscale:
The range of gray tones between black and white as displayed on a monitor or in an image.

greeked text:
Body text that is made illegible when viewed at 12 points or below, for the purpose of speeding screen redraw or creating a rough layout.

grid:
The cross-ruled transparent guidelines over which all parts of a page layout will be assembled.

gripper:
The device on a printing press that holds and pulls the paper through its printing path.

gripper edge:
The leading edge of paper as it passes through a printing press.

gripper margin:
The unprintable blank edge on which the paper is gripped as it passes through a printing press, usually measuring a half inch or less.

groundwood pulp:
A mechanically prepared wood pulp used in the manufacture of newsprint and similar papers.

gum arabic:
A chemical used to desensitize the non-printing areas of a printing plate.

gumming:
The process of applying gum arabic to the non-printing areas of a printing plate.

gutter:
The inner margins of two facing pages in a publication

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H

H&J:
Hyphenation and Justification. An algorithm that determines line endings and spacing, used by typesetting systems and page layout programs. Sophisticated programs allow the user to adjust H&J parameters.

hairline:
A finely ruled line, measuring one half (0.5) point.

hairline register:
To register color separations within one half (0.5) point.

hairline rule:
A finely ruled line, measuring one half (0.5) point.

halation:
An undesirable blurred effect in photographs that resembles a halo, usually occurring in highlighted areas or around bright objects.

half title:
The title of a book found on the page that precedes the title page. Also called a bastard title.

half-fold:
A one-page brochure that is folded once, forming two halves.

halftone:
The reproduction of continuous-tone artwork, such as a photograph, by screening the image into dots of various sizes. When printed, the dots merge to give the illusion of continuous tone.

hanging indent:
When the first line of a paragraph starts to the left of the rest of the lines of the paragraph.

hard copy:
The tangible output, usually on laser paper or photographic paper, from an electronic file.

hardcover:
A book bound with boards. Also called case-bound, hard-bound, and hardback.

hard dot:
A dot in photographic images that has no noticeable halation around its edges.

hard hyphen:
A permanent hyphen that is manually inserted in a word, as opposed to a soft hyphen, which is inserted using a software command and which would go away if the text were to reflow.

hard proof:
A proof on tangible output, such as laser paper, film, or photographic paper, as opposed to a soft proof, which is an image on a computer monitor.

hard return:
A permanent return that is manually inserted at the end of a line of text, as opposed to a soft return, which is inserted using a software command and which would go away if the text were to reflow.

hard-bound:
A book bound with sturdy cardboard, also called hardcover, hardback, and casebound.

hardback:
A book bound with sturdy cardboard, also called hardcover, hard-bound, and casebound.

hardcover:
A book bound with sturdy cardboard, also called hardback, hard-bound, and casebound.

head:
Short for headline. The display-size text at the top of an article or story.

head margin:
The top of a page above the headline or text.

headband:
The reinforcing cloth at the top and bottom of the spine of a hardcover book.

header:
1. A headline or title that appears at the top of a page.
2. In e-mail, the portion of a message that includes information such as To, From, Subject, and Date.

headline:
The display-size text, usually placed at the top of an article or advertisement, that summarizes the message or acts as an attention-getter.

Hexachrome:
A recently introduced six-color process printing system from Pantone, Inc.

Hi-Fi Color:
Short for High-Fidelity Color. A term that describes any color specification and printing system that enhances the traditional four-color process system, such as Hexachrome.

hickey:
A spot or imperfection in a printed piece due to such things as dirt on the press and loose paper particles.

high contrast:
A photographic reproduction that contains higher density levels than usual.

highlight:
The lightest or whitest parts of a photograph.

home page:
The opening collection of text and graphics on a World Wide Web site.

horizontal format:
A page or image that is in landscape orientation, to be viewed horizontally.

hot type:
Cast metal type.

house organ:
An in-house newsletter.

HSL:
Hue, Saturation, and Lightness.

HTML:
Hypertext Markup Language. A programming language used on the World Wide Web that allows digital documents to contain links to other documents.

http:
Hypertext Transfer Protocol. A set of rules that governs the transfer of documents over the World Wide Web.

hue:
The attribute of a color that distinguishes it from other colors.

hydrophilic:
A property of an object or substrate that causes water to adhere to it.

hydrophobic:
A property of an object or substrate that causes it to repel water.

hyphenation & justification:
The process of deciding where to break words and lines of text on a page, done automatically via h&j algorithms in page layout programs.

hypo:
Short for sodium hyposulfite, a chemical used to fix the image on photographic film.

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I

IBC:
Inside Back Cover. The opposite side of the back cover in a magazine, booklet, or brochure.

icon:
Miniature pictures, on-screen or in printed material, that represent a single function, object, or idea.

IFC:
Inside Front Cover. The opposite side of the front cover of a magazine, booklet, or brochure.

illustration:
Usually describes line art drawings, but can also be used to describe photographs and other illustrative artwork.

image area:
The area of a page that can be printed upon, surrounded by non-image areas, or margins.

image assembly:
The process of stripping negatives or positives together on a flat before platemaking.

image editing:
The process of changing and manipulating photographs and other graphics, usually performed electronically using software applications such as Adobe Photoshop.

imagesetter:
A class of typesetters that can reproduce graphics as well as type at high-resolution onto photo-sensitive paper or film.

impose:
To arrange and position pages in order to meet press, folding, and bindery requirements.

imposition:
A layout of how pages need to be positioned in order to meet press, folding, and bindery requirements.

impression:
The image caused by the pressure of the printing plate or blanket as the paper is printed.

impression cylinder:
The cylinder on a printing press that comes in contact with the paper and causes the image to be transferred to the paper.

imprint:
The name and/or logo a publisher uses on a book. Some publishers have more than one imprint.

in print:
Books that are currently available for sale from publishers.

in-house:
Functions performed within the company rather than by outside contractors.

index:
A detailed listing in the back matter of a book that provides the location(s) of specific references organized alphabetically.

india ink:
A black ink used for drawing and preparing artwork for reproduction.

infringement:
When another party besides the copyright owner reproduces a copyrighted work, in whole or in part, without the copyright owner's permission.

initial cap:
A capital letter at the beginning of a paragraph that rests on the first baseline and rises above the x-height of the other letters.

ink fountain:
The device that stores and supplies the ink to the inking rollers on a printing press.

ink holdout:
The degree to which paper resists ink penetration.

ink mist:
Threads of ink.

inkometer:
A device that measures the tack, or cohesion, of printing inks.

insert:
A printed piece that is not part of the original publication but is bound into a magazine, newspaper, or other printed piece.

insertion order:
An order form used by advertising agencies and ad sales reps to fulfill an advertiser's request to place an ad in a specific issue or series of issues of a publication.

interactive:
Any type of media that allows the user to influence and react to it.

Internet:
The collection of networks that communicate via TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) throughout the world. Also called the Net.

IP address:
Internet Protocol address. A four-part set of numbers separated by dots that identifies a machine on the Internet.

ISBN:
International Standard Book Number. A unique number provided by R.R. Bowker/Reed Reference Publishing and assigned by the publisher that identifies the binding, edition, and publisher of a book.

ISDN:
Integrated Services Digital Network. A type of computer network that transfers data via phone lines.

ISP:
Internet Service Provider. An organization that provides or sells access to the Internet to individuals and other organizations.

italic:
A style of type in which the letterforms slant toward the right, used for emphasis and titles of books, magazines, and so forth.

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J

jaggies:
An undesira