Half-scale Black
Black separation made to have dots only in the shadows and midtones, as compared to full-scale black and skeleton black.

Halftone
(1) To photograph or scan a continuous tone image to convert the image into halftone dots. (2) A photograph or continuous-tone illustration that has been halftoned and appears on film, paper, printing plate or the final printed product.

Halftone Screen
Piece of film or glass containing a grid of lines that breaks light into dots. Also called contact screen and screen.

Halo Effect
Faint shadow sometimes surrounding halftone dots printed. Also called halation. The halo itself is also called a fringe.

Hard Dots
Halftone dots with no halos or soft edges, as compared to soft dots.

Head(er)
At the top of a page, the margin.

Head-to-tail
Imposition with heads (tops) of pages facing tails (bottoms) of other pages.

Heat-set Web
Web press equipped with an oven to dry ink, thus able to print coated paper.

Hickey
Spot or imperfection in printing, most visible in areas of heavy ink coverage, caused by dirt on the plate or blanket. Also called bulls eye and fish eye.

High-fidelity Color
Color reproduced using six, eight or twelve separations, as compared to four-color process.

High-key Photo
Photo whose most important details appear in the highlights.

Highlights
Lightest portions of a photograph or halftone, as compared to midtones and shadows.

Hinged Cover
Perfect bound cover scored 1/8 inch (3mm) from the spine so it folds at the hinge instead of, along the edge of the spine.

HLS
Abbreviation for hue, lightness, saturation, one of the color-control options often found in software, for design and page assembly. Also called HVS.

Hot Spot
Printing defect caused when a piece of dirt or an air bubble caused incomplete draw-down during contact platemaking, leaving an area of weak ink coverage or visible dot gain.

House Sheet
Paper kept in stock by a printer and suitable for a variety of printing jobs. Also called floor sheet.

Hue
A specific color such as yellow or green.

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Image Area
The actual area on the printed matter that is not restricted to ink coverage.

Imagesetter
Laser output device using photosensitive paper or film.

Imposition
Arrangement of pages on mechanicals or flats so they will appear in proper sequence after press sheets are folded and bound.

Impression
(1) Referring to an ink color, one impression equals one press sheet passing once through a printing unit. (2) Referring to speed of a press, one impression equals one press sheet passing once through the press.

Impression Cylinder
Cylinder, on a press, that pushes paper against the plate or blanket, thus forming the image. Also called impression roller.

Imprint
To print new copy on a previously printed sheet, such as imprinting an employee's name on business cards. Also called surprint.

Ink Balance
Relationship of the densities and dot gains of process inks to each other and to a standard density of neutral gray

Ink Fountain
Reservoir, on a printing press, that holds ink.

Ink Holdout
Characteristic of paper that prevents it from absorbing ink, thus allowing ink to dry on the surface of the paper. Also called holdout.

Ink Jet Printing
Method of printing by spraying droplets of ink through computer-controlled nozzles. Also called jet printing.

Inner Form
Form (side of the press sheet) whose images all appear inside the folded signature, as compared to outer form.

In-Plant Printer
Department of an agency, business or association that does printing for a parent organization. Also called captive printer and in-house printer.

Inserts
Within a publication, an additional item positioned into the publication loose (not bound in).

Intaglio Printing
Printing method whose image carriers are surfaces with two levels, having inked areas lower than noninked areas. Gravure and engraving are the most common forms of intaglio. Also called recess printing.

Integral Proof
Color proof of separations shown on one piece of proofing paper, as compared to an overlay proof. Also called composition proof, laminate proof, plastic proof and single-sheet proof.

Interleaves
Printed pages loosely inserted in a publication.

ISBN
A number assigned to a published work and usually found either on the title page or the back of the title page. Considered an International Standard Book Number.

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Job Lot Paper
Paper that didn't meet specifications when produced, has been discontinued, or for other reasons is no longer considered first quality.

Job Number
A number assigned to a specific printing project in a printing company for use in tracking and historical record keeping.

Job Ticket
Form used by service bureaus, separators and printers to specify production schedule of a job and the materials it needs. Also called docket, production order and work order.

Jogger
A vibration machine with a slopping platform to even-up stacks of printed materials.

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Key
(1) The screw that controls ink flow from the ink fountain of a printing press. (2) To relate loose pieces of copy to their positions on a layout or mechanical using a system of numbers or letters. (3) Alternate term for the color black, as in 'key plate.'

Keylines
Lines on a mechanical or negative showing the exact size, shape and location of photographs or other graphic elements. Also called holding lines.

Key Negative or Plate
Negative or plate that prints the most detail, thus whose image guides the register of images from other plates. Also called key printer.

Kiss Die Cut
To die cut the top layer, but not the backing layer, of self-adhesive paper. Also called face cut.

Kiss Impression
Lightest possible impression that will transfer ink to a Substrate.

Kraft Paper
Strong paper used for wrapping and to make grocery bags and large envelopes.

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Laid Finish
Finish on bond or text paper on which grids of parallel lines simulate the surface of handmade paper. Laid lines are close together and run against the grain; chain lines are farther apart and run with the grain.

Laminate
A thin transparent plastic sheet (coating) applied to usually a thick stock (covers, post cards, etc.) providing protection against liquid and heavy use, and usually accents existing color, providing a glossy (or lens) effect.

Landscape
Artist style in which width is greater than height. (Portrait is opposite.)

Lap Register
Register where ink colors overlap slightly, as compared to butt register.

Laser Bond
Bond paper made especially smooth and dry to run well through laser printers.

Laser-imprintable Ink
Ink that will not fade or blister as the paper on which it is printed is used in a laser printer.

Lay Flat Bind
Method of perfect binding that allows a publication to lie fully open. (Also known as Lay Flat Perfect Binding.)

Lay Edge
The edge of a sheet of paper feeding into a press.

Layout
A sample of the original providing (showing) position of printed work (direction, instructions) needed and desired.

Leading
Amount of space between lines of type.

Leaf
One sheet of paper in a publication. Each side of a leaf is one page.

Ledger Paper
Strong, smooth bond paper used for keeping business records. Also called record paper.

Letter fold
Two folds creating three panels that allow a sheet of letterhead to fit a business envelope. Also called barrel fold and wrap around fold.

Legend
Directions about a specific matter (illustrations) and how to use. In regard to maps and tables, an explanation of signs (symbols) used.

Letterpress
Method of printing from raised surfaces, either metal type or plates whose surfaces have been etched away from image areas. Also called block printing.

Lightweight Paper
Book paper with basis weight less than 40# (60 gsm).

Lignin
Substance in trees that holds cellulose fibers together. Free sheet has most lignin removed; groundwood paper contains lignin.

Line Copy
Any high-contrast image, including type, as compared to continuous-tone copy. Also called line art and line work.

Line Negative
Negative made from line copy.

Linen Finish
Embossed finish on text paper that simulates the pattern of linen cloth.

Lithography
Method of printing using plates whose image areas attract ink and whose nonimage areas repel ink. Nonimage areas may be coated with water to repel the oily ink or may have a surface, such as silicon, that repels ink.

Live Area
Area on a mechanical within which images will print. Also called safe area.

Logo (Logotype)
A company, partnership or corporate creation (design) that denotes a unique entity. A possible combination of letters and art work to create a "sole" entity symbol of that specific unit.

Looseleaf
Binding method allowing insertion and removal of pages in a publication (e.g., trim-4-drill-3).

Loose Proof
Proof of a halftone or color separation that is not assembled with other elements from a page, as compared to composite proof. Also called first proof, random proof, scatter proof and show-color proof.

Loupe
Lens built into a small stand. Used to inspect copy, film, proofs, plates and printing. Also called glass and linen tester.

Low Key Photo
Photo whose most important details appear in the shadows.

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