Here are some Frequently used Printing Terminology (L-P).

Laid Finish a paper with a translucent pattern of lines running both parallel to, and across the grain. Laid finished paper like Champion Mystique is created by dropping a patterned dandy roll onto the paper machine while the paper is still wet. see also dandy roll, finish. Return to top

Laser Compatible paper that performs on a laser printer or copier. Laser compatible paper has good dimensional stability that keeps it from curling, changing shape, and causing paper jams in printers and copiers. All of the premium writing grades that Champion manufactures are laser compatible. see also dimensional stability, xerography. Return to top

Leading The space, measured in points, between consecutive lines of type. (Original name derived from the strips of lead placed between lines of hot type in the early 1900's.). Return to top

Letterpress a relief printing method. Printing is done using cast metal type or plates on which the image or printing area are raised above the nonprinting areas. Ink rollers touch only the top surface of the raised areas; the nonprinting areas are lower and do not receive ink. The inked image is transferred directly to the page, resulting in type of images that may actually be depressed or debossed into the paper by the pressure of the press. see also printing methods, relief. Return to top

Lignin the natural, glue-like substance that holds together the cellulose fibers of wood plants. Lignin that is left in pulp causes paper to age and yellow over time. see also acid-free, cellulose fiber, groundwood paper. Return to top

Like-sided paper that has the same appearance and characteristics on both sides (the opposite of two-sided). see also twin-wire machine, two-sidedness. Return to top

Linen Finish a paper finish that is similar to the texture of linen fabric, such as Champion Carnival Linen. Linen finishes are embossed after the paper comes off the paper machine. see also embossing, finish. Return to top

Lines Per Inch (lpi) the number of lines in an inch, as found on the screens that create halftones and four-color process images (for example, "printed 175-line screen"). The more lines per inch, the more detailed the printed image will be. With the demand for computer-generated imagery, the term "dots per inch" (which refers to the resolution of the output), is replacing the term "lines per inch." see also dpi, four-color process, halftone, screen. Return to top

Litho short for lithography or offset lithography. Return to top

Lithography a printing process using flat surface planographic plates nally stone) that is based on the principle that oil and water don't mix. The image to be lithographed is created on the plate with greasy material that repels water. Water is run over the plate, and the non-image areas absorb it. When the oily ink hits the plate, it's attracted to the similarly greasy image, and repelled by the rest of the wet plate. When paper is pressed onto the plate, it picks up the ink (and a bit of the water). This process is now used primarily for limited-edition prints. see also offset, planographic, plate, printing process. Return to top

Lupe From the German word for magnifying glass, a lens used by photographers, printers, and designers to examine details in printed materials. Return to top

M weight the weight in pounds of 1,000 sheets (or two standard 500- sheet reams) or paper. On the label of a paper ream, the M weight is often given after the dimensions of the paper in the ream: for example, 23"x29"-42M. The capital letter M, like the Roman numeral M, designates 1,000; the 42 indicates that the 1,000 sheets weigh 42 lbs. see also basis weight, ream weight, weight. Return to top

Machine Coated paper that is coated on the papermaking machine. see also coated paper. Return to top

Machine Finish a paper texture of finish imparted onto the paper white it's still on the papermaking machine. see also felt finish, finish, vellum. Return to top

Make-ready all the activities involved in preparing a printing press for a print run, such as setting the registration, balancing the color, and adjusting the plates and blankets for paper thickness. see also imposition, impression cylinder, plate, printing methods, registration. Return to top

Making Order see manufacturing order manufacturing order also know as making order. A quantity of paper manufactured to custom specifications, such as a special weight, color, or size not available as a standard stocking item. Special order require- ments are necessary, and should be discussed with a local paper consultant. see also imposition, paper consultant, stock. Return to top

Match Color a custom-blended ink that matches a specified color exactly. Match colors are used to print line copy and halftones in one, two, three, or occasionally more colors. The specified colors are chosen from color systems. The most widely used systems are the PATONE MATCHING SYSTEM, Colorcurve, and Toyo. see also Colorcurve, PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM, Toyo. Return to top

Match Print A color proofing system developed by 3M. A high quality proofing system. Return to top

Matte Coated a non-glossy coating on paper, generally used to refer to papers having little or no gloss. A matte coated sheet is often specified when there is a lot of type, since it makes for easier reading. see also coated paper, dull coated, finish, gloss. Return to top

Mechanical Pulping separating wood fibers for pulp by grinding wood chips mechani- cally, rather than by using a chemical process. Return to top

Merchant a distributor of papers, often representing several different paper mills or manufacturers. Return to top

Metamerism the tendency of color to change with the light source in which it's viewed. For example, two reds may appear to match under fluorescent light, but clash badly in the light of the sun. Return to top

Mill the physical site where paper is manufactured;refers to a company that manufactures paper. Champion premium papers, for example, are manufactured at the Hamilton, Ohio mill. Champion is also referred to as a mill. Return to top

Mill Broke paper generated at the paper mill prior to completion of the manufacturing process. Wet mill broke originates at the wet end of the papermaking machine, while dry mill broke comes from the dry end of the papermaking machine. see also dry end, wet end. Return to top

Moire a pattern created by printing several repetitive designs on top of each other. In four-color process printing, four screens of col- ored dots print on top of each other. If the angles of the halftone screens of each of the four colors are not properly aligned with each other, an undesireble, blurry pattern, called "moire" appears in the final image; the term is from the watery or wavy pattern seen on moire silk. see also four-color process, halftone, rosette, screen. Return to top

Newsprint Paper a grade of paper made primarily from groundwook (mechanical) pulp rather than chemical pulp, resulting in a short lifespan. Newsprint is one of the least expensive printing papers. see also groundwood paper, pulping wood. Return to top

OD100 Process a proprietary term used to describe Champion's bleaching tech- nology that combines oxygen delignification and 100% substitu- tion of chlorine dioxide for elemental chlorine. see also bleach filtrate recycling, elemental chlorine free, oxygen delignification. Return to top

Offset Printing (Offset lithography) Currently the most common commercial printing method, in which ink is offset from the printing plate to to a second roller then to paper. Return to top

Office Reprographic Paper commonly referred to as reprographic paper, includes a variety of business paper grades (both cut-size and copier rolls), like bond, mimeo, duplicator, and reproduction papers. see also bond paper, electronic printing, xerography. Return to top

Off-machine Coating coating paper after it comes off the papermaking machine rather than while it is still on the machine. Off-machine coaters may be used to add a single layer of coating to a paper, or to add a second layer to a paper that has already been machine coated. see also coated paper. Return to top

Offset an indirect printing process. Ink is transferred to paper from a blanket that carries an impression from the printing plate, rather than directly from the printing plate itself. Generally, when we say "offset" we mean "offset lithography," even though other printing processes, such as letterpress, may also use this indirect technique. The term offset (or "set off") can also refer to the smudges cre- ated when ink from one printed sheet transfers to another. Offset spray is used to prevent this. see also impression cylinder, lithography, planographic, plate, printing processes. Return to top

Offset Papers book and text weight papers that are made to withstand the rigors of offset printing. These papers are more resistant to water and less susceptible to picking. Most book and text grades of paper can be used on offset presses. Often the term "offset" is used synonymously with "book." The basic size of off- set papers is 25"x38". see also basic size, book papers, picking, text paper. Return to top

Opacity a measure of how opaque a paper is. The more fibers or fillers a paper has, the more opaque it is, and the less it allows "show- through" of the printing on the back side or on the next page. Opacity isn't always determined by thickness or weight; a thinner paper may have more opacity than a thicker paper if opacifying thickeners are used. see also calcuim carbonate, fillers, thickness, titanium dioxide, weight. Return to top

Oxygen Delignification a processing step that takes place after pulping and before bleaching. Oxygen is used to remove lignin (delignify) resulting in lower chemical usage in the bleach plant. see also bleaching, lignin, OD100 process. Return to top

Pallet a platform with a slatted bottom, used to hold and ship cartons of paper stacked on top of each other. Return to top

PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM the most widely used system for specifying and blending match colors. The PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM identifies more than 700 colors. It provides designers with swatches for specific colors, and gives printers the recipes for making those colors. PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM was developed by neither a commercial printer nor an ink manufacture, leaving the choice of ink brand up to the printer. see also Colorcurve, match color, Toyo. Return to top

Paper a complex matted web of cellulose fibers. Return to top

Paper Consultant a representative from a paper mill or merchant who has the expertise to help designers and printers choose just the right paper for a specific job. see also manufacturing order, merchant, specifying paper. Return to top

Paper Cut the excruciating, often unforseeable, and usually invisible-to- the-naked-eye cut received when skin slides along the edge of a piece of paper at just the wrong angle. Return to top

Paperboard paper with a caliper greater than .012 inches, or 12 points. Paperboard is used primarily for packaging and construction materials. Paperboard doesn't need to have the same white- ness and brightness as premium printing and writing papers, and because the process of deinking is less important in its manufacture, it is a perfect product for using recovered fiber. see also caliper, deinking. Return to top

Paper-ink Affinity the tendency for paper and ink to attract and stay attracted to each other. This keeps the ink on the paper and off the reader's hands or the next sheet. An incompatibility between ink and paper can cause printing problems. see also dry trap, tack, wet trap. Return to top

Papermaking creating a web of fiber from plant cellulose (or, less commonly, from synthetic fbers). Papermakers today follow the same steps that its inventor, Ts'ai Lun, followed almost two thousand years ago: pulping vegetable matter and leaving the cellulose fibers behind; mixing the pulp with lots of water; draining it; forming paper on a sieve-like mold; pressing the paper to remove some of the water; and drying it to remove the rest of the water. Technology has sped up the process and helped to improve the smoothness, brightness, and printability of the paper, but it hasn't changed the essence of papermaking. papermaking process see also additives, alkaline papermaking, calendering, chemical pulping, deinking, dry end, drying, felt finish, felt side, Fourdrinier, grain, ingre- dients of paper, lignin, pulping wood, semi-chemical pulping, supercalender, wet end, wire side. Return to top

Papyrus an aquatic plant found in northern Africa. Although papyrus is considered to be the first paper, it's not, in the strict definition of the word, paper (which is a matter web of individual fibers). Rather, early papyrus "paper" was made by peeling the plant, which is constructed like an onion, and placing one layer on top of another. The natural juices acted like glue, bonding the layers and leaving the cellular structure of the plant layers intact. see also scrolls. Return to top

Parchment a writing substance made from the skin of animals. Today, parchment-like paper, or vegetable parchment, is made by dip- ping paper quickly into sulfuric acid, then quickly washing it and neutralizing the acid. This melts the fibers on the outside, which in turn coats the other fibers and fills the void between them. The result is a grease resistant sheet that is difficult to recycle. Return to top

PDF Portable Document file. A proprietary format developed by Adobe Systems for the transfer of designs across multiple computer platforms. Return to top

Perfect Binding A book binding process where pages are glued together and directly to the cover of the book. The appearance is of a flat spine on the end of the book such as a paperback book. Return to top

Perfecting Press a printing press that simultaneously prints both sides of a sheet of paper as it passes through the press. On other presses, printing both sides means running the street through the press to print one side, allowing the ink to dry, turning the paper over, and then running the sheet through the press again to print the other side. see also imposition, printing methods. Return to top

Permanence a paper's ability to resist tears, fading, and general aging over time. The national standard for permanence requires a pH of 7.5-8.5; at least 2% calcium carbonate; and no ground wood or unbleached fiber. The standard also has specific fold endurance and tear resistance requirements. Paper meeting the standard for permanence can be expected to last more than 100 years. Paper with a pH level of 5.5 or higher can be expected to last up to 50 years. see also alkaline papermaking, archival paper, pH. Return to top

Petroleum-based Ink an ink using petroleum as the vehicle for carrying the pigment. Ink manufacturers are seeking new vehicles to reduce the need for petroleum-based solvents, which may be toxic at high levels. see also ink, vegetable-based ink. Return to top

pH the measeure of the acidity or alkalinity of a material. Paper with a pH below 7.0 is considered acidic; paper with a pH above 7.0 is considered acid-free, or alkaline. see also acid-free paper, alkaline papermaking, archival paper. Return to top

Photo CD A proprietary format developed by Eastman Kodak for storing photographic images on a compact disc. Usually 35mm format. Images can be easily accessed for use in professional printing. Return to top

PhotoCopy A mechanical printing process that uses a light sensitive printing element, magnetic toner and a heating element to fuse the toner to the paper. Return to top

Photo Illustration An image, primarily consisting of a photograph or composite image containing a photograph. Return to top

Photo Plate A light sensitive printing plate. The plate is developed like film, then used on a printing press. Return to top

Photograph An image or picture made by exposing light sensitive film with a camera. Return to top

Pica A unit of measurement equal to twelve (12) points or one sixth (1/6) of an inch. Used by designers and other graphics professional for its precision. Return to top

Pick Out a problem on press caused by unevenly sealed paper, or paper with low bonding strength. The ink "picks" off weak ares of the paper, lifting coating from a coated stock, or lifting fibers from an uncoated stock, and transferring them to the printing blanket. These fibers will eventually be transferred back onto the sheets being printed, causing inking and surface inconsistencies. see also bonding strength, hickey, picking, sizing. Return to top

Pick Resistance the ability of paper fibers to hold together during the printing process. see also bonding strength, pick out sizing. Return to top

Picking a problem generally resulting from using an ink that's too tacky for the paper it's printed on. The ink actually pulls tiny pieces of the paper off the surface of the sheet. Two types of picking are fiber bundles and coating picking. Fiber bundles are caused by weak fiber bond, and coating picking occurs when the adhesive properties of coating binder aren't strong enough to hold up the high tack of the offset printing process. see also bonding strenght, pick out, sizing. Return to top

Pigment a material, such as titanium dioxide, added to pulp before it is formed into paper. White pigments boost brightness and opaci- ty; colored pigments and dyes control the shade or change the color see also fluorescent dye, ingredients of paper, opacity, titanium dioxide. Return to top

Pixel Depth The amount of data used to describe each colored dot on the computer screen. i.e. Monochrome is 1 bit deep. Greyscale is 8 bits deep. RGB is 24 bits deep. Images to be printed as CMYK separation should be 32 bits deep. Return to top

Planographic a method for printing ink onto paper, where the image sits on the same surface as the printing plate. The image area is greased to attract ink, while the rest of the plate attracts water and repels ink. As the paper is pressed onto the flat surface of the plate, it picks up ink from the greasy image areas and a small bit of water from blank areas. This is the printing process used in lithography and offset lithography. see also lithography, offset, plate, printing methods. Return to top

Plate brief for printing plate, generally a thin sheet of metal that carries the printing image. The plate surface is treated or configured so that only the printing image is ink receptive. see also electronic printing, intaglio, letterpress, lithography, offset, planographic, printing methods, relief. Return to top

Plate Ready Film Final photographic film used to "burn" printing plates. Return to top

PMS color (Pantone Matching System) A proprietary color system for choosing and matching specific spot colors. Almost all printers worldwide use this system for color matching. Return to top

Point in measurements of the thickness of paper, one point is 1/1000 or .001 inches; measurements of the size of type, one point is 1/72 inch. see also caliper, thickness. Return to top

Porosity refers to the openness or compactness of the fibers in a paper, is measured by the ability of air to pass through the sheet. The more open a paper is, the greater its porosity. Return to top

Pre-consumer Recovered Paper paper recovered after the papermaking process, but before use by a consumer. see also recovered paper, recycled content paper, recycled paper. Return to top

Post-consumer Recovered Paper paper material recovered after being used by a consumer. see also recovered paper, recycled content paper, recycled paper. Return to top

PPI paper per inch, or the number of sheets in a one-inck stack of paper; used to describe the bulk of a paper. see also bulk, caliper, thickness. Return to top

Precision Sheeting converting rolls of paper into finished sheet sizes in a single operation. Return to top

PrePress The various printing related services, performed before ink is actually put on the printing press. (i.e. stripping, scanning, color separating, etc. . .). Return to top

Press Proof a test printing of a subject prior to the final production run. Press proofs are generally printed on the paper stock that will be used for the finished project. A few sheets are run as a final check before printing the entire job. Return to top

Printability how well a paper performs with ink on press. Absorbency, smoothness, ink holdout, and opacity all affect printability. see also absorbency, dimensional stability, ink holdout, opacity, relative humidity. Return to top

Printing The process of applying images to a variety of surfaces. Some printing processes include: offset lithography, thermography, la gravuer, letterpress, silkscreen, digital, laser, dye sub, photographic. Return to top

Print Quality the overall excellence of a printed piece. Paper, ink, press, and the skill of the press operators all affect print quality. see also printability. Return to top

Printing Methods a means or tool for placing ink on paper. Most printing is done with a plate. The four main types of printing methods are relief, where words or images are raised above the surface of the plate; intaglio, where they are etched through the surface; plano- graphic, on the same plane as the surface; and stencil, or screen printing, cut below the plate surface. Words and images may also be "printed" electronically, using photocopiers and inkjet printers. see also electronic printing, intaglio, letterpress, lithography, offset, planographic, plate, relief, screen printing, stencil, waterless printing, web press. Return to top

Process Colors the four process colors: magenta (process red), cyan (process blue), yellow, and black used to print four-color images. see also color separating, four-color process, subtractive colors. Return to top

Process Color The mechanical process of reproducing a full color image with the three primary subtractive color inks (CMYK/ Cyan, Magenta,Yellow and Black) and black. When viewed under a lupe, the individual color halftone dots can be seen in a process color image. Return to top

Production Artist (Paste-up Artist) A skilled laborer who produces finished camera ready or plate ready artwork from the visual elements and instructions provided by the designer or client. Return to top

Pt. abbreviation for "point." see also point. Return to top

Pulp a wet slurry of fibers and water that is the basic ingredient of paper. see also cellulose fiber, pulping wood, slurry, wet end. Return to top

Pulping Wood transforming wood, the raw material of most paper, into pulp. Pulping breaks wood apart, separating the rows of cellulose fibers that are stuck together with lignin. These separated fibers will later create the matted web of fibers we know as paper. Paper may be made with pulp from just one of the following processes, or by mixing mechanical and chemical pulps. types of pulping techniques see also cellulose fiber, freesheet, groundwood paper, lignin, papermaking q.html. Return to top