Glossary of Printing Terms

Bleed: To reproduce an image that continues beyond the edge of the sheet, page or sign.
CMYK: An abbreviation for the colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black. They are the core colors used in four-color process printing.
Four-Color Process: A printing process that combines four colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) to create full color images. It is used to reproduce continuous tone color photographs or to match colors. The colors are printed on top of one another to produce the desired image. See also CMYK.
EPS: Encapsulated PostScript File: An alternative picture file format supported by Adobe Systems ad some third-party developers. It allows PostScript data to be stored and edited, and is easy transfer between Macintosh and Ms-DOS machine. Will output only to PostScript devices, not to a display screen.
Font: A term that identifies the complete set of all characters, letters and numbers of the same typeface, such as Helvetica or Times.
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF): A digital image file format, GIF supports color and grayscale. Limited to 256 colors, GIFs are more effective for images such as logos and graphics rather than color photos or art. It should be noted that although the GIF format is widely used, it is technically proprietary. Files in GIF format end with a .gif extension.
Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG): A digital image file format, JPEG is a compression technique for color and grayscale images. Depending upon the degree of compression, the loss of detail may be visible to the human eye. Files in JPEG format end with a .jpg extension.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language): A document formatting language used on the World Wide Web. Web pages are built with HTML tags, or codes, embedded in the text. HTML defines the page layout, fonts and graphic elements as well as the hypertext links to other documents on the Web.
Megabyte: Unit of measurement equal to 1,024 kilobytes of digital data. One million bytes of information.
Line Spacing: The amount of space that separates lines of type. The measurement from the baseline of one line of type to the baseline of the type immediately below it.
Bitmap (BMP Files): A relatively low quality digital image file format, used most often in word processing applications. BMP format creates a lossless compression. Files end with a .bmp extension.
Compact Disk (CD): A type of optical disk storage media, compact disks come in a variety of formats. These formats include CD-ROMs that are read-only, CD-Rs that you can write to once and are then read-only, and CD-RWs that you can write to in multiple sessions.
Digital Versatile Disk (DVD): An optical disk with more storage capacity than CD-ROMs, these disks are also called digital video disks, but do not necessarily include video. Common types of DVDs include: DVD-ROM (read-only), DVD-RAM (rewritable), DVD+RW (competitor to DVD-RAM with similar functionality slightly greater storage capacity).
File: An element of data storage in a file system. A collection of data or information that has a name, called the filename. Almost all information stored in a computer must be in a file. There are many different types of files: data files, text files, program files, and directory files.
Format a disk: Prepare a disk for storing information.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR): OCR is the recognition of printed or written text characters by a computer. This involves analysis of the scanned-in image, and then translation of the character image into character codes, such as ASCII. OCR is being applied by libraries, businesses, and government agencies to create text-searchable files for digital collections. OCR is also used to help process checks and credit card slips and sort the mail.
Portable Document Format (PDF): PDFs are useful for viewing and printing multiple documents and images. Commonly used to capture, distribute, and store electronic documents, PDF preserves the fonts, images, graphics, and overall "look" of the original digital files. As with the GIF format, the PDF format is proprietary, although widely used. Files in PDF often end with a .pdf extension.
RAM (Random Access Memory): Primary storage used to hold programs and data.
Raster Image Processor: Device that translates page description commands into bitmapped information for an output device such as a laser printer or image setter.
Resolution: Sharpness of an image on film, paper, computer screen, disc, tape or other medium.
RGB: Abbreviation for red, green, blue, the additive color primaries.
Scale: To identify the percent by which photographs or art should be enlarged or reduced to achieve, the correct size for printing.
Scan: To convert an image from physical form to an electronic digital description. Scanning digitizes the mage.
Shade: Hue made darker by the addition of black, as compared to tint.
Tagged Image File Format: Computer file format used to store images from scanners and video devices. Abbreviated TIFF.
Vector Graphics: A type of graphics file that stores the image as a collection of geometric shapes.