Sappi Fine Paper North America

Paper with no acidity and a slight alkaline content. It is also used for microfiche jackets because of the sensitivity of film to acids. The manufacturing process uses no elemental chlorine.

A style of threadless binding where the leaves of a book are held together at the binding edge by glue or synthetic adhesive. (Also known as perfect binding.)

A style of threadless binding where the leaves of a book are held together at the binding edge by glue or synthetic adhesive. (Also known as perfect binding)

Which has received a coating of china clay and size resulting in a very smooth surface, suitable for the reproduction of high quality halftone illustrations. Obtainable in a gloss, matt or dull finish.

Copy changes a client makes after the first repro proof.

To print the reverse side of a sheet.

The back of a book is the binding edge. To back a book is to shape the back of a previously rounded book, so as to make a shoulder on either side against which the front and back covers fit closely.

Medium-width papers used for stationery, forms and other documents with a weight of 60gsm or less.

A pattern of lines and numerals which are printed on a product, that can be read by a scanning light.

The cylinder on an offset lithographic printing machine on which the blanket is carried and by means of which the printing image is taken from the plate and transferred to the paper or other material.

In offset printing, a rubber-surfaced fabric clamped around the cylinder which transfers the image from plate to paper.

Printed matter, which runs off the edge of the sheet or page. Or ink bleeding

A pattern, which is stamped onto a sheet or envelope without gold-leaf or ink, leaving a raised impression on the paper.

Blank impression made on book covers by binders' brass, without gold leaf or foil.

In binding, to impress or stamp a design upon the cover. The design can be blocked in coloured foils, gold leaf or metal foil (see blind). Or stick together (freshly printed sheets).

Good quality papers used for stationery, forms and other documents having a basic weight of more that 60gsm; often containing a watermark.

The paper's ability to reflect a volume of light.

Bronzing Printing with sizing ink, then applying bronze powder while still wet to produce a metallic lustre.

Relative thickness of a sheet or sheets, for example, a bulky paper and a thin paper both of the same weight.

The thickness of paper. In the metric system usually expressed in hundredths of a millimetre (like 0,09mm) or micro meter (like 150 µm). In the imperial system expressed in thousands of an inch or points.

Coated paper, dried under pressure against a polished cylinder to produce a high gloss finish.

Pulp that is prepared from chipped wood by treating with chemicals to remove the non-cellulose material. Used in the better grade of wood pulp papers, and improves the qualities of mechanical pulp when the two are mixed.

A polystyrol film or acetate window, which is almost completely transparent, used mainly due to its exceptional clarity. This product is not biodegradable.

The four process colours used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

Paper that has been coated with mostly white pigments to provide a smooth printing surface, apt for colour printing. Coated paper is available with either a glossy, silk or a matt finish.

In plate making: the light-sensitive mixture applied to a metal plate. In printing: an emulsion, varnish or lacquer applied over a printed surface to give added protection or gloss. And paper coating

To check through the signatures or pagination of the sections of a book to ensure that they are complete and in correct sequence for binding.

Black step marks (usually a six point rule) printed on the back folds of sections and in progressively different positions so that any displacement of sections may be checked after gathering.

Colour formula guide, a book showing samples names or numbers, and printing ink mixing formulas.

Coloured strip on the back edge of the sheet, which enables the plate maker and printer to check by eye, or instruments the printing characteristics of each ink layer.

Changing the colours of pixels in an image to achieve a desired effect when printed.

An image that has been separated into the four process colours

A photographic image on a transparent film used as artwork.

A method of folding a sheet of paper into multiple panels in a zigzag format. Also known as accordion fold or fan fold.

A method of folding a continuous web of paper without cutting it into sheets. Also called zig-zag folding.

A photographic image, which has not been screened and contains gradient tones, eg a normal photograph.

Continuous tone, as opposed to half tone screened.

A standard scale image onto film or plates to check and control quality

To mechanically press a rule into heavy paper or board to enable folding without cracking. (Also known as score)

Actual colour proof for customer and printer reference.

Markings on the margins of the film or artwork, showing the proper position and (if there are bleeds) the portion of the art to be printed.

To select part of an image and to discard the rest.

Chemical Thermo Mechanical Pulp. This is a combination of impregnation (mixing with a chemical), cooking, grinding and bleaching.

Desktop Colour Separation - an image file format the creates five files for each colour image (one postscript file for each cmyk layer and one pict preview file).

The untrimmed feather edges of paper formed where the pulp flows against the deckle. The width of the wet sheet as it comes off the wire of a paper machine.

The width of web (machine width), which a papermaking machine is capable of making, being limited by the deckle straps.

The closure flap folds down over 90% of the bottom and side flaps of the envelope.

The degree to which fine image detail has been produced.

An instrument used to measure the density of a given area or screen, eg 50%

The range from the smallest highlight dot to the largest shadow dot.

The ability of an object to stop or absorb light. The less the light is reflected, the higher its density, eg a solid black area on film reflects no light and therefore has 100% density.

Most used in the envelope flap gum. Dextrines are made from starch re-wettable gum.

The use of sharp steel rules to cut special shapes from printed sheets.

A printing process using an engraved, intaglio (depressed) image and producing an embossed, relief effect on the substrate.

Producing page proofs directly from stored digital information without film or plates, eg laser, inkjet, thermal transfer dye sublimation or bubble jet systems.

Enlargement of the halftone dot between film and print: which should be assessed and allowed for in reproduction.

Dots per inch; a measure of resolution

A paper book cover, which is attached to the sewn book by gluing the spine and approximately 8mm on the front and back covers.

A sample of a proposed job made up with the actual materials and cut to correct size to show bulk, style and binding, etc. Also a complete layout of a job showing position of type matter and illustrations, margins, etc.

The reproduction of a black and white picture in two colours, normally black and another colour. One colour tends to stress the highlight areas and the other the shadow.

A type of halftone dot with an elliptical rather than circular shape, which sometimes produces better tonal values.

Where paper or board is compressed by means of a die to forma raised image on the material.

The photosensitive layer on a piece of film, paper or plate onto which an image can be exposed.

Printers 'fingerprint' their presses with a variety of different papers. In fact, they often have specific performance data for the combination of paper, press, and pre-press techniques being used. Printers can be invaluable in helping specify a sheet.

Ascertain the appropriateness of the paper's finish to the desired end result. For example, a gloss finish offers the ultimate in reproduction detail, while dull and matte finishes offer easier reading for large quantities of text.

1) The hand operations of lettering and ornamenting the covers of a book. (2) All operations after printing.

A relief process in which printing is done from rubber or plastic on a web-fed press using liquid inks.

A style of binding in which the covers and leaves are the same size after binding.

The application of metallic or metallised images to a substrate by means of a heated relief block and controlled pressure.

A process, which uses black plus the three subtractive printing colours to reproduce all other intermediate, colours and shades. The four colours used are cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

In magazine production, a type of fold in which a double width page or pair of pages is turned inward from the fore-edge.

To place in their correct order the sections or sheets to make up a book.

The long way of the paper web and the direction in which the cellulose fibres tend to lie due to the motion of the papermaking machine. The sheet has stronger physical properties in the machine direction and shows less dimensional variation when subjected to changes in humidity.

Also grain direction. In a sheet of paper, the direction along which most of the fibres is aligned. The term 'with the grain' means parallel to the grain of the paper. The folding edge should run with the grain in order to minimise cracking, when using solid printing.

The weight of a material such as paper defined in grams per square metre (gsm or g/m²).

Also rotogravure printing or intaglio printing. Uses a sunken or depressed surface for transferring the image. A copper wrap-around plate or cylinder with the image etched below its surface rotates in a bath of ink. The excess is wiped off the surface by a doctor blade. The ink remaining forms the image by direct transfer to the paper. By contrast, letterpress printing uses a raised surface and offset printing uses a flat surface.

A strip of standard grey tones ranging from white to black, placed at the side of an original during photography to measure range and contrast.

(gcr) Similar to under colour removal, which is the removal of cmy and the replacement of black, but gcr is more extreme.

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

The unprintable blank edge of paper in which the grippers bear.

(g/m²) Abbreviation grams per square metre. A method of indicating the substance of paper on the basis of weight in grams per square metre.

An expansion pleat folded and scored into a pocket to give it greater capacity when filled.

The blank space or margin, from printing area to trim.

Register within ½ - row of dots

A certain number of pages imposed in one form, printed on one side and then backed up with the same form. The printed sheet is then cut in half giving two complete copies or sections. Backing up may be accomplished by using either a 'work and tumble' or 'work and turn' process.

Halftone An image which is formed by using dots of various sizes and shapes. In printing, continuous-tone art (such as a photograph) is reproduced using halftones, which are either created by photographing the original artwork through a screen or by manipulating the image on a computer.

A narrow band of sewing round a strip of cane at the top and bottom of the spine of a hand-sewn book. It adds to the strength. Imitation headbands made in long strips are sometimes glued to the head of a machine-sewn book in order to give it a better appearance.

Spots or imperfections in printing due to dirt on the press, dried ink, paper particles, etc.

The lightest part of an image in a halftone represented by the area with the smallest dots or no dots at all.

Holdout refers to a paper's ability to hold ink on the surface consistently, so that it will dry in a sharper, more clearly defined dot and produce higher ink gloss. When ink is absorbed into the sheet, it spreads, creating a phenomenon referred to as 'dot gain'.

The main attribute of a colour that distinguishes it from another.

To arrange the pages of a book or magazine in the correct sequence and making allowance for suitable margins and trims.

The arrangement of the pages of a book so that they will follow in correct sequence when folded.

Printing done on an inkjet printer

An imposition containing the pages, which fall on the inside of a printed sheet in sheet work – the reverse of the outer forme.

A piece of paper or card printed separately from the main job and positioned between the leaves of a book or magazine in the gathering and binding stage.

(1) In printing - the placing of sheets of paper between printed sheets as they come from the machine to prevent set-off; also known as 'slip-sheeting'. (2) In book binding – insetting into and folding around the sections of a book paper different from that used in the general body of the book. Also the alternating of processed and plain sheets, for example, in a duplicate book.

To make the edges of a pile of paper straight and regular or flush.

A parent reel of paper from where smaller reels or sheet sizes are cut.

To make the edges of a pile of paper straight and regular or flush.

Paper which is produced from wood pulped by a sulphate process which dissolves the lignin that binds the wood fibres together. Kraft has long fibres for added strength and is brown in colour.

Uncoated paper with a prominent pattern of ribbed lines in the finished sheet. It’s customary for the laid lines to run across the width and the chain lines to runhead to foot. The mould used to make laid paper has numerous narrowly spaced laidwires that are woven together by very thin wires or threads called chain lines.

A plastic film bonded by heat and pressure to a printed sheet, used for protection or appearance.

A book or printed sheet having its long sides at the head and foot.

The position of the print on a sheet of paper. Lays (front and side) – The guides or gauges (at front and side) to which paper is fed before being printed or otherwise processed on a machine (for example, folding). Lay edges – the edges of a sheet, which are laid against the front and side lays. Also known as guide or gripper edge.

A sheet of a book, containing two pages one on each side. Thus a section of a book containing 16 leaves has 32 pages.

Paper with a raised surface design, simulating linen.

Also offset lithography - litho printing. Printing which uses a flat surface for transferring the image. A metal plate is treated so that water will adhere every place except where the image is located. Water is applied and then ink. The moist areas refuse to accept ink. Next this plate transfers its image to a rubber cylinder which finally transfers it to the paper. By contrast, letterpress printing uses a raised surface and gravure printing uses a sunken or depressed surface.

The lines per inch; a measurement of resolution.

All work done prior to printing on a press – adjusting the feeder, grippers, side guide and putting ink in the fountain or duct.

A thin strong, uncoated paper used for business forms and documents, where low bulk is required.

Any paper containing 10% or more mechanical wood pulp, such as newsprint.

Produced by grinding wood mechanically; used for example in newsprint, and combined with larger proportions of chemical wood pulp for other qualities.

Machine-glazed paper - Paper based on a bleached, soft-wood, sulphite base which has been polished (glazed) on one side. Commonly used for printing bags, wrappers and posters.

The tonal value of dots located approximately between the highlight and shadow values.

An undesirable pattern in colour printing, resulting from incorrect angles being used on overprinting colours or reproducing from an already printed subject.

Film containing an image in which the values of the original are reversed so that black areas appear white.

Paper made from ground wood-pulp and small amounts of chemical pulp; used for printing newspapers.

There are two types of opacity: 'apparent opacity' refers to the actual opacity of the unprinted paper itself; 'printed opacity' is affected by holdout, in that the lessened opacity is actually caused by absorption of ink. As ink is absorbed into a sheet of paper the printed opacity of the page decreases, causing the image to show through on the back

An imposition containing the first and last pages of a printed sheet in sheet work; as distinct from the inner forme.

Additional quantities manufactured over and above the required amount of the order.

A book is said to be paged when the pages are numbered consecutively; as distinct from folioed.

A photographic film or plate sensitive to all visible colours of the spectrum.

An international system of matching colour for printing, designating unique colours by standard numbers.

A style of threadless binding where the leaves of a book are held together at the binding edge by glue or synthetic adhesive. (Also know as adhesive binding)

A row of small holes or cuts so that the paper can be detached easily, ie bangtail envelope.

A lifting of the paper surface during printing. This occurs when pulling force (tack) of the ink is greater than the surface strength of the paper.

A single dot on a computer display or in a digital image.

(1) Any relief, plano graphic, or intaglio-printing surface. (2) An illustration in a book printed separately from the text and usually on different paper.

The Pantone colour formula guide. A book showing samples, names or numbers, and printing ink mixing formulas for Pantone colours.

PMS stands for Pantone matching system, a trademark of Pantone, Inc. PMS colours are usually identified by a three or four digit code number which helps printers and their clients to communicate using a common standard when specifying colours and inks for envelope printing use only uncoated (u).

A traditional standard of type measurement. (12 points is equal to ±4mm)

Film containing an image as per the original (the reverse of negative).

Pixels Per Inch - a measure of the density of scanned information in an image. The finer the optics of the scanner, the higher the scan resolution.

Material with an adhesive coating protected by a backing sheet until used, which will stick without moistening.

The four process colour inks used in printing – cyan, magenta, yellow and black. (also known as cmyk)

Proofs made from the seperate plates in colour process work, showing the sequences of printing and the result after each additional colour has been applied.

A version of a document or colour illustration produced specifically for the purpose to review prior to reproduction.

Style of binding in which the back covering is of one material and the sides of another.

Certain number of sheets of paper, wrapped in protecting paper.

Any one of several types of presses, which print, from continuous rolls of paper, rather than relying on a sheet fed process.

Crosses or other marks, which are added to the margins of the original artwork before, colour separation or photography. During printing, they are again aligned and can be used as a guide to assist the printer with proper colour registration. Also crossmarks.

The printing of two or more plates in juxtaposition so that they complete a design if printed on the same side of the sheet or back up accurately if printed on opposite sides of the sheet.

Marks that appear on film, used to check that all the colours line up.

The alignment of two or more print colours to form a complete image. Also refers to the proper positioning of print copy relative to the edges of the envelope or sheet of paper. See also close registration.

Thomo plastic adhesive designed for use mainly on resealing of products such as envelopes and publicity material.

The number of pixels per inch (or cm) in an image or the number of dots per inch (or cm), used by an output device to measure sharpness.

Altering the original from left to right in the reproduction and vice versa.

An image containing red, green and blue as per a TV screen (or monitor).

Paper/film, positive/negative from a phototypesetter, which can be read in the usual, way that is left to right.

The hand or machine operation of shaping a book after sewing so that the back is convex and the fore-edge concave, and the formation of a shoulder against which to fit the cover boards.

Each grade of paper behaves differently on press. A paper's ability to absorb ink uniformly (absorbency), printed ink gloss (holdout), dimensional stability, and surface texture are all important factors to consider when preparing your design. For example, a paper with excellent opacity will present crisp, full-color images without 'showing through' on the back of the sheet, and can provide more flexibility when designing and laying out the printer's form.

To fasten a booklet by wiring saddle-wire through the middle fold of the sheets.

An electronic device that digitises and converts photographs, slides and paper images into bitmapped images.

To partially cut with a rule onto heavy paper or board to break the grain and so to enable easier folding. (Also known as crease)

The angles at which halftone screens are positioned in relation to one another to avoid moiré patterns. The set of angles most commonly used are black –45°, magenta –75°, cyan –105°, yellow –90°.

The number of dots per inch or cm. (Also known as screen frequency)

A folded sheet of paper forming part of a book. Sections sometimes made of folded sheets four, eight, 16 or more pages insetted.

A flexo or litho pattern or solid which is printed onto the inside of the envelope for privacy. This can be customised to client specifications ie repeat of logo or a picture, or simply by changing the colour ink used. Also inside tint or opaque.

Also colour separation. Separate film or stats for each colour, which is to be printed. Registration marks are used to indicate the proper position and alignment for each colour.

The unwanted transfer of ink from a substrate to parts of the press or other parts of the substrate, etc

The width of a type character: in the monotype unit system, the width (set) of the widest character (em) of a font is measured in points and sub-divided into units, which are one eighteenth of the set. All characters are multiples of units of their own set and their location in the matrix case is determined accordingly.

To fasten the sections of a book together by passing thread through the centre fold of each section in such a way as to secure it to the slips. In distinction from stitch.

The darkest part of an image, represented by the area with the largest dots.

The process of increasing the contrast at specific points in a photographic image where lighter and darker areas touch.

The ability to reproduce minute details of an original. The sharpness is related to the resolution of a photograph. The sharpness of a digital image can be manipulated artificially.

See lay.

To stitch through the side from front to back at the binding edge with thread or wire.

The consecutive number or letter, which is printed at the foot of the first page of a section to enable a binder to check the position and completeness of the sections. Signatures are often indicated by printing a rule in the back of each section so that when the sections are folded and gathered the signatures appear 'stepped' on the back fold.

Resin or other sizing material included in the furnish of a paper to bind the fibres and loading together and to provide greater resistance to ink and greater strength in the sheet.

The even and consistent continuity of the surface

To sew, staple or otherwise fasten together by means of thread or wire the leaves or signatures of a book or pamphlet.

The word Stochastic means” involving a random variable. I.E. Stochastic screening uses randomly placed dots instead of the traditional halftone dots aligned to screen angles. It keeps the dots the same size and varies the frequency or number of dots and location of these dots to simulate the original image

To insert and tie string on hanging cards, catalogues, and other work either singly or in batches.

(1) To remove the waste material from between cartons and other diecut work. (2) Procedure, which film positions, images in a precise order for plate making.

Like the single-wing strut, but it has two fold-out supports for use on large constructions or where firmer stability is required.

Normal a die-cut, single fold out cardboard for counter stands, etc.

Lightweight polyethylene fibre paper interlocked in different directions. The paper is water resistant, brilliant white and non-tearable.

A flat even tone area of a colour.

An overlap that prevents gaps from appearing along edges of an object or flat colour area in a separated image which would otherwise appear due to paper stretch or slight misalignment of a printing press.

Wet-on-wet printing: The successful capture of consecutive ink films on a sheet or web as it passes from one printing unit to the next.

A particular font used to construct written material.

An electronic scanning or retouching method that reduces the amount of cyan, magenta and yellow in a black area and increase the amount of black. This improves trapping in printing and reduces ink costs.

Shortage in quantity of the order placed.

A thin coating applied to a printed sheet, for protection or appearance.

To apply oil, synthetic, spirit, cellulose or water varnish to printed matter by hand or machine to enhance its appearance or to increase its durability.

The process of cleaning the roller, form or plate and sometimes the fountain of a press. A wash up is required each time the press switches to a job with a new ink colour.

A subtle design embedded in the texture of the paper itself. This design, which is formed in the manufacturing process, can be seen when the paper is held to the light.

Reel-fed offset litho printing.

The unwound material from a reel as it passes through the printing process.

Printing several colours in rapid succession, one on top of another, on a multicolour press.

The ability to reflect all colors of light equally

Any paper made from chemical wood pulp and containing less than 5% mechanical wood pulp.

When a sheet is printed on one side and turned over on its narrow direction and printed on the reverse side by gripping in the opposite long edge.

See concertina folding.