Art - all non-text materials, including photography and illustration that are meant for reproduction.
Bad break - when an incorrectly hyphenated word appears at the end of a line when the copy is dumped into the prescribed column width. We search and reset these.
Black-and-white - printing that contains only black, white, or levels of gray.
Bleed - when an image is printed to the edges of the paper.
Blow up - a photographic enlargement.
Body type - type used for the general text of a printed piece as opposed to headlines.
Boldface type - type that is heavier than text type and is usually used for emphasis.
Camera-ready - final lay out or art that is ready for printing.
Caps and small caps - Upper case or capital letters come in two sizes, the larger typeface denoting capitalization.
CMYK - the four colors - cyan, magenta, yellow and black - used in color printing.
Coated stock - paper with a surface coating to create a special finish ranging from dull to glossy.
Collate - the process of assembling printed or copied material in a certain order.
Color correction - improves the color quality of a scanned image.
Color separation - full color art is separated into a series of single color images - cyan, magenta, yellow and black - that when printed on top of each other create a full-color image.
Contrast - the degree of highlights, middle tones and shadows that determines a photo's reproductive quality.
Copy - the text or words accompanying the visual images.
Crop - trimming a photo to emphasize the key features and or make it fit.
Die cut - when special shapes are cut into printed materials such as the slits for business cards found in pocket folders. Often, a special die is made to accommodate a unique shape.
Digital color proof - color proof produced from digital data at less expense than producing films.
Digital printing - Printing directly from digital files using a plateless imaging system.
Dummy - a rough layout that indicates position of text and images or a paper sample of the size and shape of a particular piece of printed material.
Duotone - A two-color halftone created by adding a second color to a one-color photo.
Embossed - a raised or depressed surface pressed into paper using patterned steel rolls to resemble a specific texture such as wood grain or to define a larger image such as a logo.
Flush left or right - a typography term denoting that the type is set to line up on the left or the right.
Folio - a page number.
Font - all of the characters, numerals and punctuation of a specific typeface.
Format - encompasses all of the primary elements of a printed piece such as layout, size, style and text.
Gutter - the blank space that runs along the binding of a printed piece.
Halftone - a continuous tone image created when an image is converted into dots of various sizes.
Hard copy - written text to be converted into typeset material.
Hickeys - spots or imperfections in printing caused by dust or other foreign particles.
Insert - a single printed piece that is inserted inside another printed piece such as a pocket folder.
Italic - a typographical style where letters are slanted. It used to emphasize specific text.
Justify - when the columns of copy or type are aligned on both the left and the right creating a straight rule on both sides.
Layout - the preliminary design of a printed piece.
Leading - the space between lines of type that can affect readability.
Line art - one-color images that can be reproduced without halftone screens.
Logo - the identity of a company represented as text or visual image or both.
Matte finish - coated paper that has a dull surface.
Mechanical - the designer's computer files that are made into printing plates by the printer.
Orphan - the single word or word fragment that ends a paragraph and falls at the top of a new column or page.
Overprinting - printing over an area already printed.
Overrun - extra copies beyond the quantity ordered.
Perfect bound - pages that are bound together at the spine with adhesive.
Prepress - the final steps performed by the printer before a job hits the press.
Prepress proofs - proofs made by photomechanical or digital data.
Press proofs - a proof actually made on a press prior to running the entire job.
Ragged left - when the type is justified on the right margin only.
Ragged right - when the type is justified on the left margin only.
Saddle stitching - pages bound together with stapes along the centerfold.
Screen - a lighter shade of color produced when only a percentage of the ink is used.
Score - when an impression is made on a printed piece to facilitate folding.
Spiral binding - pages bound together with spiral wire.
Text - the body of the copy as distinguished from the headlines.
Varnish - coating on printed sheet designed to protect its appearance.
Vignettes - a technique where one color blends into another color.
Widow - a single word or word fragment that appears on a line by itself.
Wire-O binding - a continuous series of wire loops that run through holes along the binding of a booklet.