Graphics glossary terms
Table of Contents
A
A0
European page size is 841mm x 1189mm.
A1
European page size is 594mm x 841mm.
A2
European page size is 420mm x 594mm.
A3
European page size is 297mm x 420mm.
A4
European page size is 210mm x 297mm.
A5
European page size is 148mm x 210mm.
A6
European page size is 105mm x 148mm.
A7
European page size is 74mm x 105mm.
ACROBAT®
PDF was created by Adobe as a cross-platform file format that would allow documents to be easily shared between various users. PDF files are print-ready and can be viewed easily on computers and in browser windows.
ACTUAL SIZE
The size of an image at 100% without any enlargement or reduction.
ALIASING
Jagged edges that occur due to low resolution in an image.
ANSI
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the principal institution responsible for the development of technology standards. ANSI works with the International Organization for Standards.
ANTI-ALIASING
Smoothing jagged edges, known as aliasing, from an image. Generally, this is done by software that smooths the edges by adding pixels between the jagged edges or stair-steps.
B
BANDING
Stripes or lines across a print.
BANNER AD
On the web, a small, rectangular ad designed to attract traffic to a website.
BEZIÉR CURVE
In vector graphics, curved lines are created by establishing two endpoints. The line can be easily modified by adding, removing or changing points. See ‘Vector’.
BINDING
In printing, binding includes a variety of methods of fastening together printed pages. Common methods include stapling, saddle stitch and acco.
BIT
The smallest unit of data in a computer system. All data is stored as a 0 or 1. Each 0 or 1 is a bit. Eight bits equal a byte. 1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte (KB). 1024 Kb = 1 Megabyte (MB). 1024 Mb = 1 Gigabyte (GB).
BITMAP
A graphic format. Bitmaps are raster images expressed by pixels.
BITMAP FONT
A digital image of a font that is fixed in size.
BLACK
Black is the absence of any reflection, all light is absorbed. For CMYK printing purposes, black is the fourth colour represented by K. No combination of ink will create a ‘true black’.
BLEED
Printing an image past where the final print will be trimmed, which allows colour to extend all the way to the edges of the final print.
BMP FILE
The file extension .bmp indicated a Windows Bitmap graphic.
BOND
Standard paper.
BYTE
A standard unit of measure. 8 bits = 1 byte. Each 8-bit byte represents an alphanumeric character. 1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte (Kb). 1024 Kb = 1 Megabyte (Mb). 1024 Mb = 1 Gigabyte (Gb).
C
CACHE
A temporary storage location that exists at several different levels. There is disk cache and memory cache, meaning that frequently used data is cached instead of written to the disk, permanent storage or memory.
CAD (COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN)
The production of designs and drawings for architectural, engineering and scientific applications using one of several software packages.
CALIBRATION
Process of setting a computer peripheral to a specific, measurable standard or returning a peripheral to the standard. Calibrated peripherals generally have to be recalibrated after a period of time.
CMYK
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (or Key) are the four inks used in four colour process printing, as opposed to RGB colour schemes. A CMYK colour is expressed as a set of four numbers, each representing an amount of each ink.
COATED PAPER STOCK
Paper with a layer added to one or both sides. Coated paper can change the way ink adheres to the paper and change the look of the print. Coatings are normally defined as hard glossy, semi-glossy or matte.
COLOUR SEPARATION
In printing, the process of separating an image into four separate files, once for each CMYK colour.
CONTINUOUS TONE
A photographic image containing gradient tones rather than dot patterns.
CONVERSION
In computer imaging, to change one file type to another. This process could be as simple as saving a file in a different format or changing a CMYK file to RGB. Some file conversions are very complicated, such as raster to vector.
CROP MARKS
Lines printed with an image to indicate where the print should be trimmed.
D
DOTS PER INCH (DPI)
DPI measures the quality of a printed image. Assuming that the size of the print stays the same, a higher dpi produces a higher quality since there is more detail. If an image is enlarged, quality suffers as each pixel is enlarged.
DEFAULT
A setting that is automatically chosen if the user doesn’t select a particular option. The default printer, for example.
DEVICE DRIVER (DRIVER)
Software that tells the computer how to communicate with a peripheral device, such as a printer.
DIGITAL
Data is expressed as a series of bits that are interpreted by a computer and software.
DIGITAL COLOUR PRINTING
The electronic transfer of a colour image to paper, generally using a digital original.
DIGITAL IMAGING
The process of image capture, manipulation and final image form, accomplished by electronic systems.
DITHERING
Dithering is the attempt by a computer program to approximate a colour from a mixture of other colours when the required colour is not available.
DISPLAY ADVERTISING
A type of web advertising that can accommodate text, images, logos and other elements in the same space.
DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT
A system to store, catalogue, search, retrieve and index digital document files.
DOWNLOAD
The retrieval of data from a different computer. Data can be downloaded from a central network server or a website to a local machine.
DPI
DPI is a measure of image resolution. Every image is made up of a number of dots. The more dots in a given area, the higher the resolution.
DRUM SCANNER
A high-end scanner with a rotating drum that the original is mounted to. As the drum spins, light from the image is captured and the image is recorded in a series of fine lines.
DUPLEX
To print on both sides of a page.
DURABILITY
Indicates how well a particular material holds up to standard wear and tear.
DUOTONE
Halftone reproduction of an image using the superimposition of one contrasting colour halftone (traditionally black) over another colour halftone.
E
EARNED MEDIA
Positive news coverage of newsworthy achievements, as opposed to paid media such as advertising.
ELECTROSTATIC
Scientifically, an electrostatic field exists between particles that have a different electric charge. In printing, an image is placed on a drum, creating a positive charge.
ENCAPSULATED POSTSCRIPT (EPS)
An Adobe graphic file format. EPS translates graphics and text into a code that the printer can read and print. EPS files hold both low-resolution view files and high-resolution PostScript image descriptions.
ENGAGEMENT
In marketing, any action by a user that creates or deepens a relationship with a constituent, such as clicking, bookmarking, liking, subscribing, attending, donating, and so on.
EXPERIENCE DESIGN
The discipline of creating user experiences rather than products and services, with a strong application in interactive media.
F
FADING
The loss of image quality, generally in colour density, over time and often due to exposure to sunlight.
FILE FORMAT
The structure in which digital information is stored, including appropriate headers. Most programs have a proprietary file format. For example, Microsoft Word files are saved as .doc.
FINISHING
Finishing services are often performed on printed pieces to complete a production job. These services include binding, folding, trimming, mounting, laminating and more.
FIERY
A line of postscript RIPs made by EFI.
FIREWALL
A method of separating a company’s network from the rest of the world. It keeps internal traffic inside the firewall and external traffic outside the firewall. Firewalls can often complicate the process of transferring files or e-mail.
FLATBED SCANNER
A scanner with a horizontal piece of glass onto which the original is placed and an image is made by the array, which moves past the original.
FONT
A complete collection of letters, numbers and other characters in a particular typeface and size. For example, Arial and Helvetica are typeface families. Bold, Italic and narrow are possible typefaces.
FONT FAMILY
Font family is a group designation for defining the typefaces used in CSS documents. The font family tag generally lists multiple fonts to be used and usually ends with the generic font category, such as ‘serif’ or ‘sans-serif’.
FORMAT
Identifies the size of a printer, media, or graphic, based on the width of media roll, the printer’s print area, or the dimensions of a graphic.
FOUR-COLOUR PROCESS
A system of printing colours by printing dots of magenta, cyan, yellow and black, CMYK.
FTP (FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL)
Technically, FTP is a language used to move files, however, the term commonly refers to the process of sending a file via FTP or to an FTP site. FTP is used as opposed to HTTP, which is the language used to write web pages.
FULL BLEED
A term that describes a printing process where the ink is placed past the edge of where the document will be trimmed so that the image extends to the edge of the paper.
FUNCTIONAL BENEFIT
The value is derived from what a product or service does for a constituent.
G
GAMUT
The range of colours that can be captured or represented by a device. When a colour is outside a device’s gamut, the device uses a different colour to express that colour. See dithering.
GIF (GRAPHICS INTERCHANGE FORMAT)
An image format type generated specifically for computer use. Its resolution is usually very low (72 dpi, or that of your computer screen), making it undesirable for printing purposes.
GIGO
Garbage in, garbage out. A computer industry slang term that implies the quality of a copy is only as good as the quality of the original.
GREYSCALE
An image containing a range of grey levels as opposed to only pure black and pure white.
GRAPHIC ELEMENTS
The basic elements of design, such as a button, gradient, logo, other shapes, objects, and so on, that combine to create visual and verbal designs.
GUI
Abbreviation for Graphical User Interface, a computer operating or control system that enables graphics for the operator to command the computer with a mouse or stylus.
H
HALFTONE
The process of reproducing a continuous tone image as a series of various sized dots within a fixed grid that can be reproduced with ink. The finer the dot grid the higher the quality of the reproduction.
I
INDEXED COLOUR
A colour system that defines a palate of colours to be used in a specific image. Often this makes images small and manageable.
INKJET PRINTER / PLOTTER
A printer that applies colour by spraying ink onto the page. As opposed to continuous tone colour.
J
JPEG
A graphic file format was created by the Joint Photographic Experts Group, hence the name. Usually used for compressing full-colour or grey-scale images. Usually used for screen display rather than printing.
L
LAMINATE
The application of one of various types of film to a print using a hot or cold process. Often this makes the print more durable and can even help make a print water-resistant.
LARGE FORMAT (WIDE FORMAT)
A printer, media, or print 13′′ or greater in width.
LASER PRINTER
A copying machine that uses the electrostatic printing process. The image is sent to the printer and a laser beam ‘draws’ the image on a selenium-coated drum using electrical charges.
LINE ART/DRAWING
An image that is made up of elements that have sharp edges and high contrast between areas where there is ink and where there is no ink. These images must be printed at a higher resolution to create the necessary sharpness.
LINES PER INCH (LPI)
The number of lines or rows of halftone dots in a linear inch. Generally, the lower the LPI the lower quality of the image.
M
MATTE FINISH
A low gloss finish. We offer matte finishes in both paper and laminate choices.
MEDIA/MEDIUM
The materials to be printed on. It can be anything from bond paper to copper and wood vellum.
MEGABYTE
Approximately one million bytes. Commonly written as MB and spoken as a ‘meg’.
MONITOR CALIBRATION
The process of bringing a monitor to a set standard. The process involves the colour, saturation and brightness of the monitor and makes sure that the image displayed on the screen will be as close as possible to the print.
MONOCHROME
Technically a ‘single colour’ In graphics, usually refers to a black and white image as opposed to a colour one.
MOTION GRAPHICS
A design discipline specializing in animated content for television, the Internet or live presentations.
MYLAR
A type of translucent material for printing.
NATIVE FILES
The original file is still in the original application format. A native file can still be opened and edited.
O
OBJECT
In graphics, an object is a graphic or picture that is inserted into a file. A scanned image or placed logo can be an object.
ODC (ON-DEMAND COLOUR)
Refers to short-run colour printing. Includes inkjet, electrostatic and direct-to-press printing.
OFFSET PRINTING
The printing process makes a print by transferring ink from a plate to a rotating blanket that makes direct contact with the media.
OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technology that enables printed text to be scanned and saved as an editable text file.
OPTIMIZATION
This term is used to refer to the reduction of the size of an element to be more ideal for web use. Example: Images used on a website should be optimized to smaller file sizes to decrease the time it takes to load a site page.
ORIENTATION
The direction that a page is printed. Horizontal is a landscape and vertical is a portrait.
OVERPRINTING
Printing one ink over another. Commonly used in trapping.
P
PAGE FORMAT
The standardized page sizes used across the industry: A2 - 420mm x 594mm
A3 - 297mm x 420mm
A4 - 210mm x 297mm
PAGE LAYOUT
The process of setting up artwork and text in pages. Also refers to software packages specializing in the process of the page layout.
PAGINATION
The assignment of page numbers, either manually or electronically, in a document.
PANTONE
A colour matching system for print and computer applications. The system represents about 3,000 colours that are referred to by number.
Adobe Portable Document Format. Format allowing files to be displayed and printed on any platform without access to linked images or fonts.
PICTURE FILE FORMAT (PICT)
Developed by Apple Computer, Inc. for use on Macintosh computers. The PICT format is adequate for storing and displaying data at 72 dpi, using the Macintosh screen, but is not sophisticated enough for higher-quality print work.
PIXEL
The smallest distinguishable part of any image. Closely related to resolution, which determines how many pixels are in an image. The actual size of a pixel is screen-de- pendent and relies on the size of a screen and the resolution.
PLATFORM
Proprietary computer system. Maybe Windows, Macintosh, Unix or Linux
PLOTTER
A printer, usually wide-format, that prints vector graphics.
POINT OF PURCHASE (POP) DISPLAY
Signor display set up close to the actual retail product being sold.
PORTRAIT OR PORTRAIT MODE
The image is vertical, taller than it is wide.
POSTSCRIPT
A page definition language (PDL). When a page of text and/or graphics is saved as a PostScript file, the page is stored as a set of instructions specifying the measurements, typefaces, and graphic shapes.
PPD FILE
PostScript Printer Description file. A file that contains information on-screen angle, resolution, page size and device-specific information for a file to be printed on a particular postscript printer.
PPI
A measure of screen resolution indicating the number of pixels on the horizontal axis by pixels on the vertical axis, 800×600.
PREFLIGHTING
The process of checking a print job for problems such as missing graphics or fonts before it is sent to print. Several applications offer pre-flighting tools. Usually, pre-flighting includes checking linked files and fonts.
PRINT ON DEMAND (POD)
Printing documents as needed. As opposed to offset printing, where documents are printed in large quantities and stored until needed.
PRINTER DRIVER
Software that allows the computer to communicate with the printer.
PROCESS COLOUR
In four colour process printing, the primary process ink colours are cyan, magenta, yellow plus black. These four colours are used to create a full-colour range.
PROFILE
A digital measurement that describes the difference between the colour that a device scans, displays, or prints and the actual colour of an image.
PROGRAMMATIC BUYING
In advertising, an algorithmic bidding system for targeting individual consumers instead of aggregate audiences.
R
RASTER IMAGE
An image is displayed as a series of lines of dots. As opposed to a vector image.
RASTER IMAGE PROCESSOR (RIP)
The hardware engine converts data that has been stored in a computer to information a printer can understand. The software that drives the RIP often includes features for colour calibrating resizing and various utilities.
RASTERIZATION
Converting images from vector to raster.
REFLECTIVE
In printing, reflective refers to duplicating a hardcopy original by reflecting light off them. As opposed to digital printing or shining light through a translucent original, such as the diazo/blueline process.
RENDERING
The Interpretation of a document, image, or another file so that it can be displayed on a computer.
RESOLUTION
A measure of the quality of an image. Print resolution is generally expressed as dpi and screen resolution is usually expressed as PPI. Pixels on the horizontal axis by pixels on the vertical axis, i.e. 800×600.
RETOUCHING
Altering artwork or output to correct faults or enhance the image.
RGB
Red, Green, Blue. The primary colours, called ‘additive’ colours, are used by colour monitor displays, TVs and some colour output devices. The combination and intensities of these three colours can represent the whole spectrum.
S
SADDLE STITCHING
A method of binding where the folded pages are stitched through the spine from the outside, using wire staples. Usually limited to 64 pages size.
SCALE
The means within a program to reduce or enlarge the amount of space an image will occupy. Some programs maintain the aspect ratio between width and height whilst scaling, thereby avoiding distortion.
SCAN
To convert pictures, artwork or images into digital information.
SCANNER
An electronic device that scans. Scanners utilize electronic circuits to correct colour, compress the tones and enhance the detail. Types of scanners include flatbeds and drums.
SEPARATIONS
Dividing the image into colours for printing. Commonly used in four-colour and spot colour offset printing.
SERVICE BUREAU
A company that offers print output services. Spectrum Printing is a service bureau.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Web-based and mobile technologies that use multi-way communications to build communities and tribes.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
A business discipline that uses social media to establish brand tribes and communicate marketing messages.
SOCIAL NETWORK
A community of individuals or organizations, technically known as nodes, that are connected through ties of friendship, kinship, economic interest, status or other interdependencies.
SPOT COLOUR
A specific colour in a design, usually designated to be printed with specific matching ink, rather than through process CMYK printing. Used to reduce cost or when CMYK is unable to accurately represent a colour.
STYLE GUIDE
A style guide is a document that includes all of the colours, fonts, and branding guidelines for a website, brochure, book or complete brand.
SUBSTRATE
The media on which something is printed or adhered to.
T
THUMBNAIL
A small low-resolution version of an image, page or graphic.
TIFF
Tag Image File Format. A document format developed by Aldus, Microsoft and leading scanner vendors as a standard for colour or grey-scale graphics, including scanned images.
TONER
A dry ink powder that has been electrically charged. Used in printers, fax machines and copiers. Generally, the image is translated into bitmapped charges of the opposite polarity on a special drum in the printer.
TRANSLUCENT
Media that allows some light to shine through, for example, vellum, sepia or mylar.
TRAPPING
Printing one ink over another ink in order to eliminate problems with registration. Registration refers to the alignment of different colour graphics in a print. If registration is off, there are often white gaps between graphics.
TURNAROUND
The time it takes to get a job back from a service bureau. This time is dependent on several factors including the size and complexity of the job.
TWAIN
Acronym for ‘Technology Without An Interesting Name’. A universal standard for scanning devices.
TXT
Text-only format. Retains no formatting.
TYPEFACE
Style and design of a particular alphabet.
TYPEFACE (SERIF)
A typeface with small decorative strokes, called ‘serifs’, is found at the end of horizontal and vertical lines. Serif typefaces tend to look professional, authoritative, and traditional in appearance.
TYPEFACE (SANS SERIF)
A typeface without the small decorative serif strokes. Sans serifs tend to look more modern, stylish, and cleaner than their serif counterparts.
TYPOGRAPHY
The artistic arrangement of type in a readable and visually appealing way. Typography usually concerns the design and use of various typefaces in a way that helps to better visually communicate ideas.
U
UV RESISTANT
Lasts longer when exposed to sunlight and other ultraviolet rays than non UV resistant materials.
UX (BRAND EXPERIENCE)
Brand experience and user experience should work together to engage and delight customers. The aim is to convey the desired brand perception to a target audience when defining and designing the characteristics of products.
V
VECTOR
Images are defined by sets of straight lines, defined by the locations of the endpoints. As opposed to a raster image.
VECTOR TO RASTER CONVERSION
Converting images from vector to raster. See ‘Rasterization’.
VARIABLE DATA PRINTING
Printing files where certain data changes from page to page while the rest of the data stays the same.
W
WYSIWYG
An acronym, pronounced ‘wizzy wig’, stands for ‘What You See Is What You Get’. Refers to a graphics or publishing program that displays images on the screen the way they will appear on paper.
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