Page Layout, Composition & Editorial Structure87 terms
Thumbnail
A small exploratory sketch used to quickly test multiple layout ideas, or a reduced-size version of an image used for identification and organization.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Rough
An early-stage sketch, more developed than a thumbnail but still loose, used to test a layout's overall composition before producing a tighter comp.
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Comp (Comprehensive)
A preliminary rendering of a design — showing layout, type, and imagery — created to preview how a project will look before it goes to print.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Format
The overall size, shape, and orientation of a printed piece or page.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Grid
A two-dimensional structure of intersecting vertical and horizontal axes used to organize text and images consistently across a layout.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for DesignersCommunication Design Glossary
Grid System
A structural framework of columns and horizontal units — modular, column-based, or hierarchical — used to organize visual elements consistently across a design.
FrameworkCommunication Design Glossary
Modular Grid
A grid composed of both vertical columns and horizontal rows, forming a matrix of units for precise element placement.
ConceptCommunication Design Glossary
Editorial Grid
A framework of columns, gutters, margins, and baseline units used in publication design to organize text and images consistently across pages.
ConceptCommunication Design Glossary
Baseline Grid
An invisible horizontal grid that aligns text across columns and pages to a consistent vertical rhythm, typically tied to the body text's leading.
ConceptCommunication Design Glossary
Master Page
A template in page-layout software providing standard columns, margins, and repeating elements (such as page numbers) applied automatically across a publication's pages.
ToolBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Style Sheet
A saved set of formatting attributes (size, leading, color, etc.) that can be applied instantly to selected text; called Paragraph or Character Styles in Adobe InDesign.
ToolBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161
Specs
Short for 'specifications' — a complete written description of a print job's features, such as type size, leading, paper stock, and binding method.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161
Points
A typographic unit of measure; there are approximately 72 points to an inch.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161
Picas
A typographic unit of measure equal to 12 points (roughly six picas to an inch); used to measure line length and column width.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161
Pica
A unit of type measurement, also historically associated with typewriter type sizing.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Gripper Margin / Space
The narrow, non-printing margin along the edge of a press sheet gripped by the mechanical fingers that pull the sheet through the press.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Page Safety
A margin inside the trim edge of a page within which essential text and images should be kept, to guard against shifting during trimming.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Page Trim
The finished edge of a page after excess material is cut away; see also Trim.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Page Gutter
The blank space formed at the inner margins of a spread, near the binding.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Crossover
An image or design element that spans across the gutter from one page to its facing page.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Page Grind-off
The small amount of inner-margin content lost when a book is trimmed after binding (particularly perfect binding), which can clip material placed too close to the spine.
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Spine
The part of a bound publication to which the pages are attached, on which the title, author, and publisher's names typically appear.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Title
The name of a publication or work as it appears on its cover or opening page.
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Subtitle
A secondary title that clarifies or expands on a publication's main title.
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Title Page
The page near the front of a publication displaying its title, author, and publisher.
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Colophon
A brief note, often at the back of a book, describing the typefaces, paper, and production details used.
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Banner / Nameplate
The distinctive typographic treatment of a publication's name as it appears on its cover or front page.
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Masthead
The formal listing of a publication's staff, ownership, and contact information, typically printed near the front.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Display / Headline
Large type used to draw attention to an article, section, or advertisement, distinct from body text.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
TOC (Table of Contents)
A listing of a publication's sections or articles and their corresponding page numbers.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Subhead
A smaller heading used to divide sections within an article or chapter.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Jump Head
A repeated headline marking where an article continues after being 'jumped' to a later page.
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Run-in Head
A subhead set into the beginning of a paragraph rather than standing on its own line.
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Side Head
A heading placed in the margin beside its related text rather than above it.
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By Line
The line identifying an article's author.
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Running Head / Running Foot
Text — often a title or page number — repeated at the top or bottom of every page in a publication.
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Text / Body Copy
The main reading text of a publication, usually set in serif faces sized 8–12 points for legibility in large blocks.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Greeking / Placeholder
Unreadable dummy text (often Latin) used to represent copy while planning a layout, so reviewers focus on the design rather than the content.
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Text Column
One of several vertical blocks of type into which a page is divided.
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Text Inset
An invisible margin, set within a text frame, that pushes text away from the frame's edges (called 'Inset Spacing' in Adobe InDesign) so it does not appear jammed against a stroke or fill.
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Indent
A set-in space at the beginning of a line, typically used to indicate a new paragraph.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
H & J (Hyphenation & Justification)
The combined typesetting settings controlling how a layout or word-processing program breaks and spaces lines of justified text.
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Bad Break
An awkward line or page break — such as a widow, orphan, or improperly hyphenated word — that disrupts smooth reading.
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Typo
A mistake within the copy of a layout.
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River
A series of interword spaces that accidentally align vertically or diagonally down a column of type, creating a distracting flow of white space.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Widow
A very short line — sometimes a single word — appearing alone at the end of a paragraph, column, or page.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Orphan
A single word or short line left over at the end of a paragraph, sometimes appearing alone at the top of a column or page.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Leaders
A row of dots or a short line used to lead the eye across a space (e.g., between a table of contents entry and its page number).
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161
Text Wrap / Runaround
Type set with a shortened line measure so it flows around a photograph, illustration, or other inserted visual element.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Clipping Path
A hard-edged mask, often exported as an embedded path or alpha channel, used to hide unwanted background or reshape an image into a non-rectangular form.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Lock to Baseline
A layout setting that snaps text to an underlying baseline grid so lines across multiple columns or frames align consistently.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Call Out
A short piece of text or label pointing to a specific element in a layout or diagram; also used as a synonym for pull quote.
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Pull Quotes
A short excerpt of text 'pulled out and quoted' in a larger typeface to attract attention within a long article; also called a call out or lift out.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Text Gutter / Alley
The blank space separating rows and columns of type, or between facing pages.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161
Column Rule
A thin vertical line printed between two columns of text to visually separate them.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Pagination
The sequential numbering of pages in a document.
MethodBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Folio
The page number printed on a page.
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Verso
The left-hand page of an open book or spread.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Recto
The right-hand, typically odd-numbered, page of an open book or spread.
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Caption
Text accompanying an image that identifies or explains it.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Credit
A line acknowledging the creator, source, or copyright holder of an image or piece of content.
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FPO (For Position Only)
A low-resolution or placeholder image used in a layout to indicate final size and placement before the final high-resolution image is inserted.
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Tint
A lighter variation of a color, produced by adding white, resulting in lower saturation and higher lightness.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Gradient
A directional, gradual transition of color or tone within an image or object.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Blend
A smooth transition created between two colors, shapes, or images; closely related to a gradient.
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Feather / Vignette
A softened, gradually fading edge applied to an image or selection so it blends into its surroundings.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Reflect / Flop (an Image)
To create a mirror-image reversal of a photograph or graphic, left to right.
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Ghost (an Image)
To screen back an image to a lighter tint so it can serve as a subtle background element.
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House Ad
An advertisement promoting a publisher's or company's own products, run in its own media rather than sold to an outside advertiser.
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Fractional Ad
An advertisement occupying less than a full page — for example, a half-page or quarter-page ad.
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Upload
To transfer a file from a local device to a remote server or system.
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Download
To transfer a file from a remote server or system to a local device.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Editorial
Content produced by a publication's own editorial staff — articles, reviews, features — as distinct from paid advertising.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Advertorial
Paid advertising content designed to resemble a publication's editorial content in style and layout.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Flatplan
A schematic overview of a publication showing each spread as a thumbnail, used to plan content sequence and balance before design begins.
FormatCommunication Design Glossary
Content Flow Mapping
The planning of how editorial content moves through a publication, including article sequencing, section pacing, and placement of advertising or white space.
MethodCommunication Design Glossary
Margins
Guides in page-layout software marking the body-copy area and page dimensions; margins themselves are not printed.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Double Page Spread
A layout that extends across two facing pages, treated as a single visual unit.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Element
Any distinct component of a layout, such as a logo, headline, image, or border.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Focal Point
The point in a composition to which a designer intends to draw the viewer's eye first.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Negative Space
Also called white space; the area of a page or composition that contains no images or words.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Asymmetrical
A layout in which graphics or text are not mirrored identically on both sides of a central line.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Border
A decorative edge or line forming the outer boundary of a surface or area.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Page Layout
The overall setup and arrangement of content on a page, such as in a magazine or brochure.
DisciplineGlossary for Designers
Page Size
A setting defining the dimensions of the page on which artwork is created.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Canvas Size
A setting that changes the total working area of a document without altering the size of its existing contents.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Graphic Novel
A book-length narrative told through sequential art — combining panel composition, lettering, and pacing — treated in publishing as a distinct editorial format with its own design conventions for page grids, gutters, and typography.
FormatDefinition supplied — general knowledge
Printing Processes, Prepress & Production64 terms
Bleed / Trim
Bleed is a page element that extends past the trim line to the edge of the sheet, ensuring no unprinted gap after trimming; trim is the finished page size after the excess is cut away.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Trager ADV 1161Glossary for Designers
Trim Line
The marked line indicating where a printed sheet will be cut to its finished size.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Crop Mark
A small printed mark at a page's corner indicating where the sheet should be trimmed.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Score / Score Mark
A crease pressed into paper or board to make a clean, controlled fold, particularly on heavier stock.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Register / Registration Mark
The precise alignment of multiple print elements or color plates so they overlay correctly; registration marks are small target-like symbols printed on press sheets to check that alignment.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Mis-registration
A printing error in which color plates or print elements fail to align correctly.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Perforation
A line of small cuts or holes punched into paper to allow a section to be torn away cleanly.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Separation
The process of dividing a full-color image into individual color plates (typically cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) for printing.
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Die Cut / Die Line / Die Stamp
A die cuts custom shapes or holes into paper or board using a shaped steel blade; the die line is the vector artwork indicating where the cut will occur; die stamping presses a design into a surface using a metal die, often with heat or foil.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Communication Design Glossary
Preflight
The process of checking a print-ready file — fonts, color modes, image resolution — for technical errors before sending it to a print supplier.
MethodBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Communication Design Glossary
Mechanical
A camera-ready, paste-up artwork prepared for the print reproduction process, historically assembled by hand before digital prepress.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Postscript
A page-description programming language developed by Adobe, historically fundamental to digital typesetting and prepress output.
ToolBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
FTP Site
A File Transfer Protocol server used to upload and download large files, historically common for delivering print-ready files to a printer.
ToolBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Imposition
The arrangement of pages on a press sheet or printing plate so they fall into the correct order once the sheet is printed, folded, and bound.
MethodBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Make-ready
The preparatory work — adjusting plates, ink, and press settings — performed before a print run begins, to ensure output matches specifications.
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Press Proof
A proof pulled directly on the actual printing press and stock, used for final approval before a full run.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Color Proof / Match Print
A prepress proof intended to show how colors will reproduce on press, used for client approval.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Analog Proof (Prepress Proof)
A proof made using ink jet, toner, dye, overlay, or photographic methods to approximate the finished printed product.
FormatGlossary for Designers
Hickies / Snowflaking
Small printing defects — spots or ring-shaped marks — caused by debris or dried ink on the printing plate or blanket.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Ghosting
A printing defect in which a faint, unwanted image appears where it shouldn't, typically caused by ink starvation on the press.
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Mottle
An uneven, blotchy appearance in printed ink coverage, often due to paper absorbency variation.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
AA (Author's Alteration)
A change requested by the client after a job has already gone to proof, typically billed separately from the original job cost.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
PE (Printer's Error)
A production mistake made by the printer, corrected at the printer's expense (as distinct from an Author's Alteration).
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Offset (Lithography)
A printing method in which ink is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the paper, rather than directly from plate to paper.
ToolBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Sheet Fed
A printing press configuration that feeds individual, pre-cut sheets of paper through the press, as opposed to a continuous roll (web).
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In-line
A production process in which multiple finishing operations (e.g., printing, cutting, folding) occur in sequence on a single connected press system.
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Web Press
A printing press that feeds paper from a large continuous roll rather than individual sheets, used for high-volume jobs like newspapers.
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Gravure
A printing process using an engraved cylinder in which ink fills recessed cells and transfers directly to the substrate.
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Flexography
A printing technique using flexible rubber or soft plastic plates wrapped around a rotating drum, commonly used for packaging.
ToolBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Letterpress
A relief printing technique in which inked, raised type is pressed directly against paper to create an impression; also called block printing.
ToolGlossary for Designers
Screen Printing
A printing technique in which a squeegee forces ink through a stencil and mesh fabric onto a substrate.
ToolGlossary for Designers
Thermography
A raised-print finishing process in which powder is applied to wet ink and fused with heat, creating a textured, embossed-like effect.
MethodBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Laser / Ink Jet / Phaser
Digital, non-offset print output methods that apply toner or ink directly to a substrate, commonly used for proofing or short-run printing.
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Swatch
A physical or digital sample used to specify and verify a color for print or production.
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Trap (Spread / Choke)
A slight, deliberate overlap between adjoining colors on press to prevent visible white gaps caused by minor misregistration; a spread expands the lighter shape, a choke expands the darker one.
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Aqueous (Spot / Overall)
A water-based protective coating applied to printed sheets, either across the whole surface or in selected areas, for sheen and durability.
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Laminate (Liquid / Heat)
A protective plastic film or liquid coating applied to a printed piece, using either heat-activated adhesive or liquid application.
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Tip In / Tip On
A tip-in is a page glued into a bound publication after the main printing (such as a fold-out or sample); a tip-on is a separate element glued onto a page's surface (such as a sample or card).
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Blow-in Cards
Loose reply or subscription cards inserted (not bound) into a magazine during the binding process.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
BRE / BRC
Business Reply Envelope / Business Reply Card — pre-addressed mail pieces that allow a recipient to respond without paying postage.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Halftone
A photograph or continuous-tone image converted into a pattern of dots of varying size, allowing it to be reproduced by a printing press that applies ink at a single density.
MethodBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Line Screen
The frequency of the dot pattern used to reproduce a halftone image, typically measured in lines per inch; finer screens (higher lpi) reproduce more detail.
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Moiré
An unwanted interference pattern that appears when two dot or line patterns (such as halftone screens) overlap at slightly mismatched angles.
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Descreen
To remove or reduce the dot pattern of a previously printed halftone image during rescanning, to avoid moiré when reprinting it.
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Continuous Tone
An image, such as an original photograph, in which tones blend smoothly without being broken into discrete dots.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Banding
Visible, unwanted stripes appearing in a gradient or halftone due to insufficient tonal steps or printing resolution.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Rosette
The circular pattern formed when the dot screens of the four process-color plates are printed at different angles over one another.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Loupe
A small magnifying lens used by printers and designers to examine halftone dots, registration, and fine print detail.
ToolBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Reflective Art / Non-reflective Art
Reflective art (such as a printed photograph) is scanned by bouncing light off its surface; non-reflective art (such as film transparencies) is scanned by passing light through it.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Dot Gain
The spreading of ink dots as they are absorbed into paper, which can make printed images appear darker or more saturated than intended.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Overprint
To print one color or element directly over a previously printed image or color, rather than knocking it out.
MethodGlossary for Designers
Over Run
Printed quantity produced beyond the amount ordered, typically within about 10% of the original run as standard industry practice.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Work and Turn
A press technique in which one side of a sheet is printed, the sheet is then turned left-to-right using the same gripper and plate, and the second side is printed.
MethodGlossary for Designers
Engraving
A printing or decorative process in which a design is cut into the surface of a metal plate.
MethodGlossary for Designers
Etch
To imprint a design onto a plate's surface using a chemical, such as acid.
MethodGlossary for Designers
Die-cut
See Die Cut / Die Line / Die Stamp.
ConceptCommunication Design Glossary
Substrate
The physical material on which a design is printed or produced — paper, board, fabric, vinyl, or metal — each offering different surface, weight, and finish properties.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Communication Design Glossary
Risograph (Riso)
A digital stencil-duplicator printing process producing layered, slightly imperfect spot-color prints at low cost; beloved in independent publishing and named by a participant ('small riso press') as a personal production channel.
ToolField Atlas — participantDefinition supplied — general knowledge
Computer-to-Plate (CTP)
The prepress technology that images printing plates directly from digital files, replacing the older film-based imagesetter workflow; the standard bridge between digital layout and the offset press.
ToolDefinition supplied — general knowledge
Digital Press
A production press that prints directly from digital data — toner or inkjet based — without plates, enabling short runs, variable data, and on-demand printing at near-offset quality.
ToolDefinition supplied — general knowledge
Wide-Format / Large-Format Printing
Inkjet printing at banner, poster, and signage scale — including flatbed machines that print directly onto rigid substrates — central to environmental graphics and display work.
ToolDefinition supplied — general knowledge
Densitometer
An instrument measuring ink density on press sheets, used alongside the spectrophotometer to control color consistency across a run.
ToolDefinition supplied — general knowledge
Bindery Equipment
The finishing machinery of print production — guillotine cutters, folders, saddle stitchers, perfect binders, laminators — that converts printed sheets into finished pieces.
ToolDefinition supplied — general knowledge
Vinyl Cutter / Plotter
A machine that cuts letterforms and shapes from adhesive vinyl following vector paths, used for signage, vehicle graphics, and environmental applications.
ToolDefinition supplied — general knowledge
Paper, Binding & Finishing31 terms
Cover Weight / Text Weight
Paper-weight classifications: cover weight is a heavier stock used for covers and heavier applications; text weight is a lighter stock used for interior pages.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Self Cover
A publication whose cover is printed on the same stock as its interior pages, rather than a separate, heavier cover stock.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Ream
A standard unit of paper quantity, traditionally 500 sheets.
MetricBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
# (Pounds)
The basis-weight measurement used to indicate the weight, and by extension the thickness, of a paper stock.
MetricBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Coated / Uncoated Paper
Coated paper has a surface treatment (gloss, matte, or satin) applied for smoothness and print quality; uncoated paper has no such surface treatment.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Gloss (Cast)
A coated paper finish with a high-shine surface, produced by pressing the coating against a heated, polished drum ('casting') while it dries.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Matte
A non-glossy, flat finish on coated photographic or printing paper.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Wove
An uncoated paper with a smooth, uniform surface and no visible laid lines.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Laid
A paper with a subtle ribbed texture created during manufacture, often used for stationery.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
News Print
A low-cost, lightweight paper used for printing newspapers; not considered a high-quality stock.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
UV Coating
A glossy protective coating applied to a printed surface and cured with ultraviolet light, adding shine and durability.
MethodGlossary for Designers
Varnish
A liquid coating applied to a printed surface for protection and a glossy or matte effect.
MethodGlossary for Designers
Watermark
A translucent design pressed into paper during manufacture, visible when the sheet is held up to light.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Glossary for Designers
Trim Size
The finished size of a printed piece after excess material has been cut away.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Form
A group of pages arranged and printed together on a single large sheet, which is then folded and cut to produce the final page sequence.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Signature
A single large printed sheet, folded and trimmed, that becomes a section of a bound publication.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Perfect Bound
A binding method in which pages are glued to a flexible spine and enclosed in a cover — the standard binding for paperback books and thicker magazines.
MethodBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Saddle Stitch
A binding method in which folded sheets are stapled through the fold line (the 'saddle') — common for thinner booklets and magazines.
MethodBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Section Sewing
A binding method in which folded signatures are sewn together through their folds, producing a durable binding often used for hardcover books.
MethodBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Glue Flap
The adhesive-coated flap of an envelope or folder used to seal it closed.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Flat Pocket / Gusset Pocket
A flat pocket is a simple, non-expanding pocket attached to a folder; a gusset pocket has expandable, pleated sides that allow it to hold thicker contents.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Tip In / Tip On
See entry under Printing Processes, Prepress & Production.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200
Blow-in Cards / BRE / BRC
See entries under Printing Processes, Prepress & Production.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200
Four-Page Fold
A simple fold that creates a four-page (single-fold) piece, such as a basic greeting card.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Barrel Fold
A fold in which each panel wraps around the previous one, like a rolled barrel, rather than folding back and forth.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Accordion Fold
A back-and-forth, parallel folding pattern that creates a series of alternating panels resembling an accordion's bellows.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Gate Fold
A fold in which both outer panels fold inward to meet at the center, like a pair of gates, before the whole piece folds again.
FormatBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Spread
Two facing pages treated as a single visual or production unit; can also refer to slightly enlarging an image to create a trapping overlap (also called 'fatty').
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Artist's Spread / Printer's Spread
An artist's spread shows facing pages in reading order for design purposes; a printer's spread rearranges those same pages into the order required for correct imposition on the press.
ConceptBrodeur ADV 1160/1200Definition supplied — general knowledge
Leaf
One piece of paper within a publication.
ConceptGlossary for Designers
Jog
To arrange a stack of paper sheets into a neat, compact, aligned pile.
MethodGlossary for Designers