PRINTING SUPPORT
Every industry comes with its own language. We want to know everything about your business so we can provide you with a more than satisfactory finished product.
And we also want you to feel confident in the processes we employ to get your projects done. So we make every attempt to educate you about our business. We've collected several resources over the years and have posted them here to help you feel comfortable about speaking our language.
Feel free to browse through our FAQs, glossaries, helpful hints about completing projects, downloadable software archives, and application tips and tricks. If you think of anything we've left out, please let us know.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here you'll find answers to common questions our clients ask. Start by selecting one of the links below. If you don’t see what you need – call or contact us online.
- At what resolution should I save my photos and graphics?
- Do you offer storage?
- How Do I Install Adobe PDF JobReady?
- How do I go about getting an estimate from you?
- How long does it take for you to complete my order?
- Is white considered a printing color?
- Tips on file format setups
- Tips on how to save your design files
- What are the comparative advantages of producing my job on your duplicating devices versus producing them on your presses?
- What do I need to provide for variable data projects?
- What does personalization mean?
- What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?
- What forms of payment do you accept?
- What is Adobe PDF JobReady?
- What is a "proof"?
- What is coated paper stock?
- What is the Pantone Matching System?
- What is variable data printing?
- What type of products and services do you provide?
- Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?
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At what resolution should I save my photos and graphics?
Resolution should be set to 300 dpi.
Pictures and graphics pulled from the internet are often low resolution, typically 72 dpi or 96 dpi. Avoid these graphics, as they will appear pixilated and blocky when printed.
Also note that you should save all photos in CMYK mode, not RGB mode when possible. Images saved in RGB mode may not print properly. If you are unable to save your image in CYMK mode, please let us know.
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Do you offer storage?
Yes. We offer free storage of most products. In some cases, minimum quantities may apply.
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How Do I Install Adobe PDF JobReady? Click the link to download a pdf file that will take you step by step through the process of installing Adobe PDF JobReady and printing your first file!
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Well, since you are here, we would suggest you use our online contact form. Otherwise, the best way to ensure that we get all the information necessary to do an accurate quote, call us at 937-222-9400 or email graphicsterminal1@sbcglobal.net
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How long does it take for you to complete my order?
There really isn't a short answer to this question. Some jobs can be produced in minutes and some jobs may take days. Let us know when you need your job completed and we'll let you know if it can be done. We go to great lengths to meet your most stringent demands.
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Is white considered a printing color?
Not typically. Because white is the default color of paper, it is simply recognized as the absence of any ink.
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Tips on file format setups
Many layout programs have collecting or packaging functions that will automatically collect your document, fonts, all art including and a report. When possible, it is recommended to use these functions because without any or all of these elements we will be unable to print your projects.
• Enclose all screen fonts and printer fonts
• Include all placed images
• Make sure your files are set with proper bleed, trim and safety areas.
BLEED: All art trimming off the edge MUST be pulled out 1/8” beyond the trim line
TRIM: This is the guideline where the card will be cut
SAFETY: All art and text within this safety area will assure that nothing will be trimmed off during the cutting process. A 1/4” guide in from the trim should work fine.
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Tips on how to save your design files
Make them print ready and acceptable for us to print.
COREL DRAW:
Saving your Corel Draw file as an Adobe Illustrator EPS
• Embed all Images
• Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
• Export as Illustrator EPS
FREEHAND:
• Embed all Images
• Convert all your text/copy to paths
• Export as Illustrator EPS or PDF
PAGEMAKER:
Saving your PageMaker file as an EPS
• Embed all Images
• Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
• Export your file as an EPS using the below settings:
Postscript Level 2
CMYK Mode
TIFF format and
Binary
PUBLISHER:
You will need to have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF. If you don’t please download and use our Adobe Job Ready Program. If you do have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF please follow the steps below.
Under File, Print, select Adobe PDF writer
Under Properties select Press Quality and Save your PDF
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What are the comparative advantages of producing my job on your duplicating devices versus producing them on your presses?
The advantages of our duplicating devices are best realized on runs of 1000 or less requiring black printing and where a fast turnaround is needed. If the piece included photos or halftone screens the copy quality would be lower than that achieved by the printing process. On longer runs or where multiple colors are desired, as well as when screens or halftones require higher quality, offset printing would be the best alternative. The only disadvantage of the printing process would be the longer production time requirements.
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What do I need to provide for variable data projects?
We work with many types of data files, but CSV files are the safest bet. These are data files that have commas separating each field, and returns separating each line of data. To save time and hassle, make sure your data is properly formatted with each piece of data in separate fields.
Complex projects may require other files, like image files or additional data files. If you are unsure of what may be required for a particular variable project, give us a call for a free consultation.
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What does personalization mean?
Personalization is another term for variable data—technology for printing documents so that each piece is personalized to the specific recipient.
Personalizing can be as simple as a unique name and address on every printed piece. But more sophisticated levels of personalization can include text or images that vary based on data specific to the recipient, or data-driven graphics such as a pie chart illustrating something specific to the recipient.
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What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?
PDF (Portable Document Format) is the most common and preferred file format for submitting digital documents. With the installation of a PDF print driver on your computer, virtually any program can generate a PDF file suitable for printing. Both commercial and free PDF print drivers are available online for download from different sources.
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What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, company check and all major credit cards. We can also set up a business account for you, as well. Contact us for details.
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To help you make PDF’s and send in your order we have an Adobe program called JobReady that you can download for FREE. JobReady automatically makes a PDF from your file, creates an order form and will send us your file directly from you desktop. All you need to do is follow the simply installation instructions. We promise once you have used Job Ready you will never want to use another application to transfer PDF’s again.
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What is a "proof"?
A proof is a way of ensuring that we have set your type accurately and that everything is positioned according to your requirements. Typically, we will produce a proof which will be sent to you online or printed on paper.
On multiple color jobs, we can produce a color proof on our color output device to show how the different colors will appear.
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What is coated paper stock?
Coated paper stock is a premium, high-quality paper that has been given a smooth glossy finish designed specifically for documents that require sharp details and vivid colors. Uncoated paper, by contrast, is relatively inexpensive but porous, and is best suited to the printing of black and white text documents.
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What is the Pantone Matching System?
The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a color reproduction standard in which colors all across the spectrum are each identified by a unique, independent number. The use of PMS allows us to precisely match colors and maintain color consistency throughout the printing process.
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What is variable data printing?
Variable data printing is technology for printing documents so that each piece is personalized to the specific recipient. At the most basic level, this means personalizing a name and address. But for real impact, many projects include unique graphics and content that speaks directly to the recipient.
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Good question! We are a full service shop and offer a wide range of products and services. To see a full listing and description of what we can offer you, check out the Products & Services area in the Customer Service Section of our website.
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Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?
In short, printers and monitors produce colors in different ways.
Monitors use the RGB (red, green, blue) color model, which usually supports a wider spectrum of colors. Printers use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color model, which can reproduce most—but not all—of the colors in the RGB color model. Depending on the equipment used, CMYK generally matches 85–90% of the colors in the RGB model.
When a color is selected from the RGB model that is out of the range of the CMYK model, the application chooses what it thinks is the closest color that will match. Programs like Adobe Photoshop will allow you to choose which color will be replaced. Others may not.
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS
We take great pride in making our clients feel confident about their jobs during the production process. To help you gain a better understanding of what's happening to your project, we've compiled a glossary of terms that we commonly use in our industry.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y
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Cable Paper
A strong paper used to wrap electrical cables.
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Cadmium Yellow
A pigment made from cadmium sulfide and cadmium selenide.
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Calendar Board
A strong paperboard used for calendars and displays.
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Calendar Rolls
A series of metal rolls at the end of a paper machine; when the paper is passed between these rolls it increases its smoothness and glossy surface.
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Caliper
The measurement of thickness of paper expressed in thousandths of an inch or mils.
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Cameo
A dull coated paper, which is particularly useful in reproducing halftones and engravings.
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Camera Ready
A term given to any copy, artwork etc., that is prepared for photographic reproduction.
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Canvas Board
A paperboard with a surface of simulated canvas, used for painting.
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Cap Line
An imaginary horizontal line running across the tops of capital letters.
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Caps & Lower Case
Instructions in the typesetting process that indicate the use of a capital letter to start a sentence and the rest of the letters in lower case.
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Caps & Small Caps
Two sizes of capital letters made in one size of type.
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Carbon Black
A pigment made of elemental carbon and ash.
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Carbon Tissue
A color printing process utilizing pigmented gelatin coatings on paper, which become the resist for etching gravure plates or cylinders.
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Carbonate Paper
A chemical pulp paper (calcium carbonate), used mostly for the printing of magazines.
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Cartridge
A rough finished paper used for wrapping.
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Case
The stiff covers of a hardbound book.
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Case Binding
Books bound using hard board (case) covers.
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Casein
A milk byproduct used as an adhesive in making coated papers.
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Casing In
The process of placing in and adhering a book to its case covers.
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Cast Coated
A paper that is coated and then pressure dried using a polished roller which imparts an enamel like hard gloss finish.
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Catching Up
A term to describe that period of the printing process where the non-image areas can take on ink or debris.
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Chain Lines
Lines that appear on laid paper as a result of the wires of the papermaking machine.
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Chalking
A term used to describe the quality of print on paper where the absorption of the paper is so great that it breaks up the ink image creating loose pigment dust.
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Chancery Italic
A 13th century handwriting style which is the roots of italic design.
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Chase
(old) Frame of steel, or cast or wrought iron, in which images are locked up for printing.
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China Clay
An aluminum silica compound used in gravure and screen printing inks. Also called kaolin.
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Chrome Green
The resulting ink pigment attained from the mixture of chrome yellow and iron blue.
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Chrome Yellow
A lead chromate yellow ink pigment.
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Circular Screen
A screen that utilizes a concentric circle pattern as opposed to dots used for halftones and to allow the platemaker to set exact screen angles.
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Clay-Coated Boxboard
A strong, easily folded boxboard with clay coating used for making folding boxes.
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Coarse Screen
Halftone screens commonly used in newsprint; up to 85 lines per inch.
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Coated (Paper)
Paper coated with clay, white pigments and a binder. Better for printing because there is less picking.
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Coated Art Paper
Printing papers used for printing projects that require a special treatment of detail and shading.
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Coated Stock
Any paper that has a mineral coating applied after the paper is made, giving the paper a smoother finish.
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Cold Color
Any color that moves toward the blue side in the color spectrum.
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Cold-Set Inks
A variety of inks that are in solid form originally but are melted in a hot press and then solidify when they contact paper.
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Collate
To gather sheets or signatures together in their correct order. (see Gather)
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Collating Marks
Black step-marks printed on the back of folded sheets, to facilitate collating and checking of the sequence of book signatures.
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Collating Marks
Black step-marks printed on the back of folded sheets, to facilitate collating and checking of the sequence of book signatures.
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Colophon
A printers or publishers identifying symbol or emblem.
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Color Bars
This term refers to a color test strip, which is printed on the waste portion of a press sheet. It is a standardized (GATF-Graphic Arts Technical Foundation) process which allows a pressman to determine the quality of the printed material relative to ink density, registration, and dot gain. It also includes the Star Target, which is a similar system designed to detect inking problems.
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Color Separating
The processes of separating the primary color components for printing.
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Color Strength
A term referring to the relative amount of pigmentation in an ink.
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Color Transparency
Transparent film containing a positive photographic color image.
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Column Gutter
Space between two or more columns of type on one page.
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Commercial Register
Color registration measured within plus or minus one row of dots.
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Composition
The assembly of characters into words, lines and paragraphs of text or body matter for reproduction by printing.
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Condensed Type
A narrow, elongated type face.
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Contact Print
A print made from contact of a sensitive surface to a negative or positive photograph.
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Contact Screen
A halftone screen made on film of graded density, and used in a vacuum contact with the film.
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Continuous Tone
Image made of non-discernable picture elements which give appearance of continuous spectrum of grey values or tones.
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Contrast
The degree of tonal separation or gradation in the range from black to white.
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Contre Jour
Taking a picture with the camera lens facing the light source.
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Copy
Refers to any typewritten material, art, photos etc., to be used for the printing process.
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Copyboard
A board upon which the copy is pasted for the purpose of photographing.
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Corner Marks
Marks on a final printed sheet that indicate the trim lines or register indicators.
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Cover
A term describing a general type of papers used for the covers of books, pamphlets etc.
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Cracking
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Creep
When the rubber blanket on a cylinder moves forward due to contact with the plate or paper. Result of added thickness of folded sheets being behind one another in a folded signature. Outer edges of sheets creep away from back most fold as more folded sheets are inserted inside the middle.
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Crop
To eliminate a portion of the art or copy as indicated by crop marks.
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Crop Mark
Markings at edges of original or on guide sheet to indicate the area desired in reproduction with negative or plate trimmed (cropped) at the markings.
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Cross-over
Elements that cross page boundaries and land on two consecutive pages (usually rules).
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Crossmarks
Marks of fine lines, which intersect to indicate accurate alignment of art elements.
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Crossover
A term used to describe the effect of ink from an image, rule or line art on one printed page, which carries over to another page of a bound work.
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Curl
Not lying flat and tending to form into cylindrical or wavy shapes. A term to describe the differences of either side of a sheet relative to coatings, absorbency etc.; the concave side is the curl side.
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Cut-off
A term used in web press printing to describe the point at which a sheet of paper is cut from the roll; usually this dimension is equal to the circumference of the cylinder.
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Cutter
Machine for accurately cutting stacks of paper to desired dimensions...can also be used to crease. Also trims out final bound books' top size (soft cover).
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Cutting Die
Sharp edged device, usually made of steel, to cut paper, cardboard, etc., on a printing press.
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Cyan
A shade of blue used in the four-color process; it reflects blue and green and absorbs red.
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Cylinder Gap
The gap in the cylinders of a press where the grippers or blanket clamps is housed.
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Dahlgren
A dampening system for printing presses which utilizes more alcohol (25%) and less water; this greatly reduces the amount of paper that is spoiled.
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Dampening
An essential part of the printing process whereby cloth covered rubber rollers distributes the dampening solution to the plate.
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Dandy Roll
During the paper making process while the paper is still 90% water, it passes over a wire mesh cylinder (dandy roll), which imparts surface textures on the paper such as wove or laid. This is also the stage where the watermark is put onto the paper.
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Deckle Edge
The rough or feathered edge of paper when left untrimmed.
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Deep Etching
The etching or removal of any unwanted areas of a plate to create more air or white space on the finished product.
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Delete
An instruction given to remove an element from a layout.
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Demy
A term that describes a standard sized printing paper measuring 17.5 x 22.5 in.
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Densitometer
An optical device used by printers and photographers to measure and control the density of color.
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Density
The lay of paper fibers relative to tightness or looseness which affects the bulk, the absorbency and the finish of the paper.
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Density
The degree of tone, weight of darkness or color within a photo or reproduction; measurable by the densitometer. Reference, densitometer.
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Descender
A term that describes that portion of lower case letters which extends below the main body of the letter, as in "p".
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Diazo
A light sensitive coal tar product used as a coating on presensitized plates, as well as overlay proofs.
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Die
Design, letters or shapes, cut into metal (mostly brass) for stamping book covers or embossing. An engraved stamp used for impressing an image or design.
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Die Cutting
A method of using sharp steel ruled stamps or rollers to cut various shapes i.e. labels, boxes, image shapes, either post press or in line. The process of cutting paper in a shape or design by the use of a wooden die or block in which are positioned steel rules in the shape of the desired pattern.
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Die Stamping
An intaglio process for printing from images engraved into copper or steel plates.
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Digital Proof
Color separation data is digitally stored and then exposed to color photographic paper creating a picture of the final product before it is actually printed.
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Dimensional stability
The qualities of paper to stabilize its original size when undergoing pressure or exposed to moisture.
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Diploma
A fine paper made specifically for the printing of diplomas, certificates and documents.
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Direct Screen Halftone
A color separation process using a halftone negative made by direct contact with the halftone screen.
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Display Type
Any type that stands out from the rest of the type on a page which attracts attention of the reader.
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Distribution Rollers
In the printing process, the rubber coated rollers responsible for the distribution of ink from the fountain to the ink drum.
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Doctor Blade
A term in gravure printing which refers to the knife-edge that runs along the printing cylinder; its function is to wipe the excess ink away from the non-printing areas.
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Dog Ear
Occurs when you fold into a fold (such as a letter fold). At the side of one of the creases you get an indentation. It may look like a small inverted triangle.
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Dot
The smallest individual element of a halftone.
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Dot Gain
Darkening of halftone image due to ink absorption in paper causing halftone dots to enlarge. Terms to describe the occurrence whereby dots are printing larger than they should.
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Draw-down
A method used by ink makers to determine the color, quality and tone of ink. It entails the drawing of a spatula over a drop of ink, spreading it flat over the paper.
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Drier
A term that describes any additives to ink which encourages the drying process.
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Drill
The actual drilling of holes into paper for ring or comb binding.
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Drop Folio
Page number printed at foot of page.
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Drop Shadow
A shadow image placed strategically behind an image to create the affect of the image lifting off the page.
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Dry Mount
Pasting with heat sensitive adhesives.
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Dry Offset
Process in which a metal plate is etched to a depth of 0.15 mm (0.006 in), making a right-reading relief plate, printed on the offset blanket and then to the paper without the use of water.
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Ductor Roller
The roller between the inking and the dampening rollers.
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Dull Finish
Any matte finished paper.
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Dummy
A term used to describe the preliminary assemblage of copy and art elements to be reproduced in the desired finished product; also called a comp.
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Dummy Model
Resembling finished piece in every respect except that the pages and cover are blank, used by the designer as a final check on the appearance and +feel+ of the book as a guide for the size and position of elements on the jacket.
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Duotone
Color reproduction from monochrome original. Keyplate usually printed in dark color for detail, second plate printed in light flat tints. A two-color halftone reproduction generated from a one-color photo.
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Duplex Paper
Paper which has a different color or finish on each side.
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Dutch
Any deckle edged paper, originally produced in the Netherlands. Reference, deckle edge
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Dye-Based Ink
Any ink that acquires its color by the use of aniline pigments or dyes. Reference, aniline
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Eggshell Finish
The finish of paper surface that resembles an eggshell achieved by omitting the calendar process. Reference, calendar rolls.
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Electronic Composition
The assembly of characters into words, lines and paragraphs of text or body matter with graphic elements in page layout form in digital format for reproduction by printing.
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Electronic Proof
A process of generating a prepress proof in which paper is electronically exposed to the color separation negatives; the paper is passed through the electrically charged pigmented toners, which adhere electrostatically, resulting in the finished proof.
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Elliptical Dot
Halftone screens in which the dots are actually elongated to produce improved middle tones.
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Em
A unit of measurement equaling 12 points or 4.5mm.
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Embossed
A method of paper finishing whereby a pattern is pressed into the paper when it is dry.
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Embossing
To raise in relief a design or letters already printed on card stock or heavy paper by an uninked block or die. In rubber and plastic plate making the process is usually done by heat.
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Emulsion
A light sensitive substance used as a coating for film; made from a silver halide compound. This side should face the lens when the film is exposed.
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Enamel
A term that describes a glossy coating on paper.
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Endsheet
Attaching the final sheet of a signature of a book to the binding.
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English Finish
A grade of uncoated book paper with a smooth uniform surface.
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Engraving
A printing process whereby images such as copy or art are etched onto a plate. When ink is applied, these etched areas act as small wells to hold the ink; paper is forced against this die and the ink is lifted out of the etched areas creating raised images on the paper.
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Estimate
The form used by the printer to calculate the project for the print buyer. This form contains the basic parameters of the project including size, quantity, colors, bleeds, photos etc.
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Estimator
One who computes or approximates the cost of work to be done on which quotation may be based.
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Etch
The process of producing an image on a plate by the use of acid.
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Even Smalls
The use of smaller sized capitals at the beginning of a sentence without the use of larger sized caps.
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Expanded Type
Type with width greater than normal producing a rectangular effect.
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Exposure
That stage of the photographic process where the image is produced on the light sensitive coating.
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Extender
A white pigment added to a colored pigment to reduce its intensity and improve its working qualities.
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F&G
A term in the binding process referring to folding and gathering.
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Fan Fold
Paper folding that emulates an accordion or fan, the folds being alternating and parallel.
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Fat Face
Type that is quite varied in its use of very thin and very wide strokes.
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Felt
A cloth conveyor belt that receives papers from the Fourdrinier wire and delivers it to the drier.
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Felt Finish
The smoother side of paper, usually a soft weave pattern used for book papers.
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Felt Side
It is the top side of the sheet in the paper making process that does not lie on the Fourdrinier wire.
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Filling In
A fault in printing where the ink fills in the fine line or halftone dot areas.
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Film Coat
Also called wash coat; any thinly coated paper stock.
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Finish
The surface quality of paper.
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Finish (Paper)
Dull - (low gloss) also matte or matte gloss.
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Fist
A symbol used in printing to indicate the index; seen as a pointing finger on a hand "+".
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Fit
The registration of items within a given page.
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Flash Point
A term given to the lowest temperature of ignitibility of vapors given off by a substance.
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Flat
In lithography, the assembly of photographic negatives or positives on vinyl acetate for exposure in vacuum frame in contact with sensitized metal press plate.
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Flock Paper
Paper that is patterned by sizing, and than coated with powders of wool or cotton, (flock).
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Fluid Ink
Also called liquid ink; ink with a low viscosity.
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Flush Cover
A bound book or booklet etc. having the cover trimmed to the same size as the text.
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Flushed Pigment
The results of combining a wet ink pigment with a varnish and having the wet pigment mix or transfer over to the varnish.
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Fogging Back
Lowering density of an image in a specific area usually to make type more legible while still letting image show through.
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Foils
Papers that have a surface resembling metal.
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Fold Marks
Markings at top edges that show where folds should occur.
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Folder
Machine used to fold signatures down into sections.
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Folio or Page Number
Number of page at top or bottom either centered, flushed left or flushed right often with running headline.
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Font
The characters which make up a complete typeface and size.
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Form Rollers
The rollers that come into direct contact with the plate of a printing press.
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Forme
(old) type matter or type and block with its accompanying spacing material secured in the forme called a chase.
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Forwarding
In Binding, the process between folding sheets and casing in, such as rounding and backing, putting on headbands, reinforcing backs, etc.
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Fourdrinier
A machine with a copper wire screen that receives the pulp slurry in the paper making process which will become the final paper sheet.
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Free sheet
Any paper that is free from wood pulp impurities.
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French Fold(er)
Folder with printing on one side so that when folded once in each direction, the printing on outside of the folds.
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Fringe
A halo that appears around halftone dots.
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Fugitive inks
Colors that lose tone and permanency when exposed to light.
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Furnish
The slurry mixture of fibers, water, chemicals and pigments, that is delivered to the Fourdrinier machine in the paper making process.
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Fuzz
A term for the fibers that project from the paper surface.
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Galley
(old) flat oblong tray into which composed type matter is put and kept until made up into pages in the forme. Also a similar tray on a slug composing machine which receives the slugs as they are ejected. Also a long column of composed text matter
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Galley Proof
A proof of text copy before it is pasted into position for printing.
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Galley Slave
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Gang
Group of frames or impositions in the same forme of different jobs arranged and positioned to be printed together.
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Ganging
The bundling of two or more different printing projects on the same sheet of paper.
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Gather
To assemble or collect sections into single copies of complete books for binding.
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Gathering
Assembling sheets of paper and signatures into their proper sequence; collating.
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Ghosting
Image which appears as a lighter area on a subsequent print due to local blanket depressions from previous image areas on a letterpress rotary machine as well as on an offset press.
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Ghosting
Marring a print by the placement of an image of work printed on the reverse side which has interfered with its drying so that differences in the trapping frame colors or glass variations are apparent.
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Gigo
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Gilding
Sticking on gold leaf to edges of books with a liquid agent and made permanent with burnishing tools.
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Glassine
A strong transparent paper.
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Gloss Ink
Quick drying oil based inks with low penetration qualities, used on coated stock.
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Glyphic
A carved as opposed to scripted typeface.
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Goldenrod
An orange colored paper with gridlines, used to assemble materials for exposure for platemaking.
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Graduated Screen
An area of image where halftone dots range continuously from one density to another.
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Grain
Direction of fibers in a sheet of paper governing paper properties such as increased size changes with relative humidity, across the grain, and better folding properties along the grain.
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Grained Paper
A paper embossed to resemble various textures, such as leather, alligator, wood, etc.
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Gravure
An intaglio or recessed printing process. The recessed areas are like wells that form the image as paper passes through.
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Gripper
A series of metal fingers that hold each sheet of paper as it passes through the various stages of the printing process.
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Gripper Edge
The grippers of the printing press move the paper through the press by holding onto the leading edge of the sheet; this edge is the gripper edge.
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Groundwood
Low cost papers such as newsprint made by the mechanical pulping process as opposed to chemical pulping and refining.
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Gumming
The application of gum arabic to the non printing areas of a plate.
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Gutter
Space between pages in the printing frame of a book, or inside margin towards the back or binding edge. The blank space or margin between the type page and the binding of a book.
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Hairline register
Printing registration that lies within the range of plus or minus one half row of dots. It is the thinnest of the standard printers' rules.
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Halftone
Tone graduated image composed of varying sized dots or lines, with equidistant centers.
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Halftone Paper
A high finish paper that is ideal for halftone printing.
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Halftone Screen
A sheet of film or glass containing ruled right-angled lines, used to translate the full tone of a photo to the halftone dot image required for printing.
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Hard Dot
The effect in a photograph where a dot has such a small degree of halation that the dot shows quite sharp.
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Head Margin
That space which lies between the top of the printed copy and the trimmed edge.
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Hickies
Imperfections in presswork due to dirt on press, trapping errors, etc.
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High Bulk Paper
Paper stock that is comparatively thick in relation to its basis weight.
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High Key Halftone
A halftone that is made utilizing only the highlight tones down through the middle tones.
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Highlight Dot
The highest density of a halftone image.
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Highlights
The lightest tones of a photo, printed halftone or illustration. In the finished halftone, these highlights are represented by the finest dots.
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Hollow
That space on the spine of a case bound book between the block of the book and the case binding.
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Hot melt
An adhesive used in the binding process, which requires heat for application.
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House Sheet
This is a term that refers to a paper that a printer keeps on hand in his shop.
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SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS
File Compression
When downloading items or sending artwork to us, you'll need a utility to compress and decompress your files. Compressing and archiving files together can make them substantially smaller in size, resulting in saved disk space, quicker transmission times and easier file management. If you're looking for a specific file compression utility, chances are that it appears below.
Windows
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ALZip is a freeware archiving and compression utility designed for speed and ease of use. It supports 36 archive and compression file formats including Zip, opens CD image files (ISO, BIN), opens virtual CD files (LCD), creates eight archive and compression file formats, creates self-extracting files and splits compressed files for easy transfers.
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The Windows version of the popular cross-platform compression utility, SuffIt Deluxe supports all popular compression standards, including Zip, RAR, SIT and many more. The utility features lossless compression, 512-bit data encryption, password protection, advanced archiving and cataloging capabilities, and archive splitting for ease of file transfer.
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WinRAR is a shareware file compression utility that features the ability to process non-RAR archive formats including Zip files, support for long filenames, self-extracting archives, the repair of damaged archives, authenticity verification and encryption.
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WinZip is the popular compression utility for the Windows environment. Its tight integration with Windows and its optional wizard interface makes file compression quick and easy. In addition to support for the Zip standard, WinZip features support for RAR, CAB, TAR, gzip and other standards.
Mac OS X
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MacRAR is a shareware RAR file compression utility for the Mac. It features drag-and-drop support, an appearance manager and navigation services. It also has AppleHelp documentation, information on archived items and on the archive itself.
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MacZip is a freeware tool that supports PKZip compression and extraction. MacZip can compress files for Mac, Windows, Unix and others. It also supports data encryption for secure archiving.
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The Mac version of the popular cross-platform compression utility, StuffIt Deluxe supports all popular compression standards, including Zip, RAR, SIT and many more. The utility features lossless compression, 512-bit data encryption, password protection, advanced archiving and catalog capabilities and archive splitting for ease of file transfer.
Linux
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The popular GNU Zip compression utility. It is commonly used with TAR to provide an excellent archiving format.
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The Linux version of the popular cross-platform compression utility, StuffIt supports all popular compression standards, including Zip, RAR, SIT and many more. The utility features lossless compression, 512-bit data encryption, password protection, and archive splitting for ease of file transfer.
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An X-Forms-based compression utility that supports eight different compression formats, including Zip, gzip, bzip2, *nix Compress, tar, tar+gzip, tar+bzip2 and tar+Compress.
Fonts & Typography
If you have ever attempted to create the perfect project, we're certain that a larger selection of fonts would have been useful. We've compiled a list of online font libraries for you to get just the right look for your next project.
Commercial Font Libraries
Free Fonts & Shareware Libraries
Internet Software
The internet can be a great resource for your business. However, to take advantage of all the features on our website and everything the internet has to offer, you'll need the right software. Below is a list of online software that will help you get the most from your internet experience.
Windows
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Firefox is a free, open source web browser available from Mozilla®. It features tab browsing, spell-checking, pop-up blocking, session restore and RSS support, as well as phishing protection and support for add-ons for extended functionality.
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Many documents available online now come in PDF format. Acrobat Reader for Windows is a free program from Adobe that will allow you to download and view them with ease.
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Internet Explorer 7 is the latest web browser available from Microsoft®. Available free of charge, IE 7 features tabbed browsing, advanced printing, RSS support and more. Its security features help defend against malware and phishing.
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Java software from Sun Microsystems® allows you to automatically and seamlessly run applications called "applets" within your web browser. Applets are used in many ways by websites to enhance your online experience. They allow you to do everything from play online games and communicate with people around the world, to view images in 3D and calculate mortgage payments.
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Opera is a free web browser and e-mail manager that offers many advanced features. It provides tab browsing, advanced security, individual site viewing preferences, a streamlined download manager, full support for style sheets and the ability to use add-ons to extend its capabilities.
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Thunderbird is a free, full-featured e-mail manager from Mozilla. It supports IMAP and POP mail protocols, as well as HTML mail formatting. It spell checks as you type, and provides a global inbox with advanced spam filtering and attachment handling.
Mac OS X
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Many documents available online now come in PDF format. Acrobat Reader for Mac OS X is a free program from Adobe that will allow you to download and view them with ease.
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Firefox is a free, open source web browser available from Mozilla. It features page tabs, spell-checking, pop-up blocking, session restore and RSS support as well as phishing protection and support for add-ons for extended functionality.
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Java software from Sun Microsystems® allows you to automatically and seamlessly run applications called "applets" within your web browser. Applets are used in many ways by websites to enhance your online experience. They allow you to do everything from play online games and communicate with people around the world, to view images in 3D and calculate mortgage payments.
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Opera is a free web browser and e-mail manager that offers many advanced features. It provides tab browsing, advanced security, individual site viewing preferences, a streamlined download manager, full support for style sheets and the ability to use add-ons to extend its capabilities.
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Safari is Apple's very own browser. Safari's performance and speed is among the best of any web browser, and comes with advanced features such as tabbed browsing, Google integration, a handy bookmarks manager and advanced support RSS feeds. It provides a secure browsing experience, and incorporates parental controls.
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Thunderbird is a free, full-featured e-mail manager from Mozilla. It supports IMAP and POP mail protocols, as well as HTML mail formatting. It spell-checks as you type, and provides a global inbox with advanced spam filtering and attachment handling.
Linux
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Many documents available online now come in PDF format. Acrobat Reader for Linux is a free program from Adobe that will allow you to download and view them with ease.
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Firefox is a free, open source web browser available from Mozilla. It features page tabs, spell-checking, pop-up blocking, session restore and RSS support as well as phishing protection and support for add-ons for extended functionality.
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Java software from Sun Microsystems® allows you to automatically and seamlessly run applications called "applets" within your web browser. Applets are used in many ways by websites to enhance your online experience. They allow you to do everything from play online games and communicate with people around the world, to view images in 3D and calculate mortgage payments.
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Opera is a free web browser and e-mail manager that offers many advanced features. It provides tab browsing, advanced security, individual site viewing preferences, a streamlined download manager, full support for style sheets and the ability to use add-ons to extend its capabilities.
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Thunderbird is a free, full-featured e-mail manager from Mozilla. It supports IMAP and POP mail protocols, as well as HTML mail formatting. It spell-checks as you type, and provides a global inbox with advanced spam filtering and attachment handling.
Layout & Design
When you are working on your latest project, there are many tools that can improve the process to allow your creativity to flow. From simple graphic conversion utilities and image viewers to commercial software packages, our list of Layout & Design software is a good starting place for helping you create a masterpiece.
Windows
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EZ-Pix is a fast, highly functional shareware image viewer and editor with support for all common image formats, including JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF and PNG. It has a streamlined interface, and can be used to retrieve images from scanners and digital cameras.
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Gadwin PrintScreen is a freeware utility that can capture the entire Windows screen, the active window or a specified area. The captured screen can be sent to the printer, or saved to disk as a file in six different graphic file formats.
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GIMP (short for GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freely distributed open source program for such tasks as photo editing, image composition and image authoring. It may be the closest thing to Photoshop® you can get for free!
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A large download directory of plugins for Adobe® (Photoshop®, Illustrator®, InDesign®, Acrobat®) and Apple® (Aperture®, AfterEffect®, FinalCut®) plugins. Includes reviews and user ratings.
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Browse installed and uninstalled TrueType fonts, view sample text, individual characters and detailed font information all with The Font Thing, the freeware font management utility. It lets you install, uninstall, print, copy or delete any number of fonts at once. You can even store your own notes with them, filter them according to type and group them into collections for convenience.
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The Print Shop includes all the tools you'll need to create the perfect greeting card, stationary set, calendar, CD label and more. Choose from more than 115,000 photos, graphics and web art. Select from more than 8,000 professionally designed project templates.
Mac OS X
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Art Text from BeLight® is a tool for creating custom logos, icons, headings, and banners. You can modify text and vector shapes, turning them into fancy graphics for your own use and exporting the result in PDF, TIFF, JPEG, GIF or PNG format.
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FontExplorer X from Linotype® delivers powerful font sorting, font shopping and font discovery capabilities in one easy-to-use font management tool. Best of all, FontExplorer X is free!
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GIMP (short for GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freely distributed open source program for such tasks as photo editing, image composition and image authoring. It may be the closest thing to Photoshop® you can get for free!
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The "Swiss knife" of graphic file conversion utilities, GraphicConverter can import 200 different graphic file types and export 80.
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iPhoto from Apple® is a photo viewer and editor that allows you to import photos from your digital camera, perform basic enhancements and corrections and easily organize and archive them on your Mac.
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A large download directory of plugins for Adobe® (Photoshop®, Illustrator®, InDesign®, Acrobat®) and Apple® (Aperture®, AfterEffect®, FinalCu®) plugins. Includes reviews and user ratings.
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Snapz Pro X is a shareware screen capture utility offering a multitude of options and rock-solid performance. You can save captures in a number of popular file formats, such as PNG, GIF, JPEG, TIFF, and PSD. It may be the best screen-capture utility for Mac OS X.
Linux
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GIMP (short for GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freely distributed open source program for such tasks as photo editing, image composition and image authoring. It may be the closest thing to Photoshop® you can get for free!
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gPhoto lets you take a photo from any digital camera and load it onto your computer and then print it, e-mail it, put it on your website, save it to your storage media in popular graphics formats or just simply view it on your monitor.
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Hamster Font Manager™ (HFM) is a font manager for Linux systems. With it you can control the availability of fonts in all of the supported applications from a central place. Included modules support X-Window, Ghostscript and TeX, as well as PostScript® fonts.
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Jahshaka is the world's first open source real-time editing and effects application. It takes advantage of the power of OpenGL and OpenML to give its users exceptional levels of performance. It currently supports Linux and Mac OS X. Jahshaka is licensed to the public under the GNU GPL agreement.
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RenderPark is a photo-realistic rendering tool developed at the Computer Graphics Research Group of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, in Belgium. The program offers many photo-realistic rendering algorithms, including several state-of-the-art rendering algorithms that are not yet present in other packages, not even in expensive commercial ones.
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Scribus is an open source program that brings award-winning professional page layout to Linux/Unix, Mac OS X and Windows desktops with a combination of "press-ready" output and new approaches to page layout. Underneath the modern and user-friendly interface, Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as CMYK color, separations, ICC color management and versatile PDF creation.
Printer Drivers
When you're setting up a printing job, it's useful to have the latest printer drivers installed on your system in order to ensure that everything comes together as easily and quickly as possible. Provided below are links to where you can find and download the latest drivers for many popular printers. Please note that from time to time, URLs may change. As such, the following were accurate at time of publication.
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TIPS & TRICKS
Quick Guide to File Compression
If you have owned your computer for a year or more, you have probably run into the problem of large files, and hard-drive space. The salesman’s promise, “You’ll never use all the space on this computer!”, sounds more and more like so much advertising. Once you actually start to use the computer for more than just the occasional game of solitaire, all of the programs, video games, and assorted emails begin to stack up. Before you know it you may start getting warning messages like, “Hard-drive space is running low. Do you want to clean up some files on your computer?”
Or perhaps you’ve run into a situation where you’ve spent hours working on a report containing lots of graphics, and charts, and some spreadsheets. You go to copy the report to a disk or send it as an email attachment, only to find that it has morphed into a 15 meg monster of a file.
The best way to combat these kinds of file space problems is to utilize a simple compression program. The function of a compression program is to take large files and make them smaller without changing, or losing any information in the file. It does this by using a complex set of algorithms and equations that take the bits of information in the file, reduce the size, and then remember how to put the files back together. Since a file is made up of 1000’s of bits of information it can be reduced from 1000’s down to 100’s without losing information because an algorithm can predict where those other bits WILL go when the file is uncompressed later.
Now of course, like everything in the computer world, there are many different compression programs out there to choose from. Even though each program uses different algorithms for their compression, they all compress files about the same. A typical compression rate for a 100k Word document containing all text is about 60%-90% of the original file size. With this in mind, choosing your own favorite compression utility is usually a matter of personal taste, and ease of use.
One of the most common, and user-friendly programs is called PKZIP. This program is freely available from www.PKware.com. It’s user interface combines functionality, with ease of use by putting the compression terminology into easy to understand terms.
Another highly used compression utility is called RAR. The RAR compression format is an extremely good one for packing together large programs into one very small file. One of the best features about this particular program is it’s ability to take extremely large files, and spread them out over several smaller files which can be stored on individual floppy disks. This program is also free to the public at www.RARsoft.com.
A third extremely popular shareware compressing agent is called ARJ, and can be found at www.ARJsoft.com. This program has all the same abilities as RAR, and PKZIP, but just in a different format, and file extension.
With the various compression utilities out there, it’s nice to have more than one around so that you can open other people’s files. You can only unzip a file with a .zip extension using PKZIP. A file with the .arj extension can only be opened with ARJ, and the .rar extension consequently can only be opened with the RAR program. Most files on the internet come compressed in one of these three above formats, and some sites even have 3 differently compressed copies for you to choose from all in the place.
The world of compression is an important one, simply for the fact that it allows us a little bit of control over the size of our computers, and the time which we spend downloading one another’s files. So when those files come up that just seem bigger than you can handle, pull out your favorite compression program, and cut it down to size.
How To Use Fonts (And Why You Should Care)
Communication, both face-to-face and in writing, occurs on two levels: verbal and non-verbal. To achieve maximum impact, it is essential that this dual communication consistently corresponds. Think about it. Would you find a snickering salesperson persuasive? Would you find a monotone motivational speaker inspiring? No. Not any more than you find your state Congressperson sincere. Why? Because communication is more than just words. Because, quite simply, presentation matters. In writing, size does matter. And spacing. And color. And everything else.
Presentation is crucial to all forms of communication—most of all when dealing with written communication. Unlike information conveyed personally, a written message is static. It must speak for itself. Expert communicators know that superb content is not enough. They know that to achieve truly effective communication one must pay equal attention to how the content is presented. Contrarily, untrained communicators don’t realize that style can, and often does, override substance—and corporate trash-cans nationwide brim with the ridiculed remains of their ransom-note-like resumes. So how can you enhance the quality of your presentation? Well, just like Coach used to tell you—put in your mouthpiece and start with the basics. And basically, the fundamental element of written communication is font.
But what exactly, you might ask, is font? Put technically, font is the interface between your ideas and your readers. Put simply, font is the style of your typeface. Is it big, bold, crisp, underlined, or colored? Is it spaced well? Is it even legible? These are all important questions—questions that any conscientious document creator must answer and act on. But why are font decisions so critical?
When utilized well, a font or font mix accomplishes four things: 1) focuses attention, 2) enhances readability, 3) sets a tone, and 4) projects an image. Font is your first line of defense against reader apathy—and your first chance to really capture an audience, create a positive and lasting impression, and encourage continued interest. Remember, though, while font can (and should) be used for good, it can also be used for bad…impressions that is. Every day, writers discover that font choice is an excellent opportunity to make a mockery of their work. This in mind, effective font should be chosen both carefully and strategically. To assist, presented here is a brief digest of useful font guidelines.
1. WATCH YOUR CASE
As per tradition, for typical documents you should use upper and lower case text for the body of your work. Avoid using all upper or lower case text anywhere in your document, as both can be difficult to read. As for headings and titles, use upper case lettering whenever prescribed or necessary.
2. SIZE DOES MATTER
Generally accepted writing guidelines for typical documents prescribe the use of 10-12 point font for the body, 14-48 point font for primary headings, and one-half of the primary heading point size for secondary headings. A warning though: font on your computer screen may appear larger than it actually is. If you err, err on the large side. Remember, if your text is too small to read, it simply won’t get read.
3. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Simplicity is a virtue in writing. Keep this in mind when choosing a font or font mix. Remember, your font is supposed to enhance your message, not sabotage it. Unless it is truly warranted, tend toward simple, inconspicuous fonts like Times New Roman or Arial. Also, these fonts, among others, are TrueType—this means that what you see on the screen is exactly what you will see on the page.
4. BE CONSISTENT...
Font is a privilege, not a right. So don’t abuse it by using three or four different styles in the same document. As a rule, never use more than two fonts in the same piece. Like the saying goes: three fonts is a crowd—on your reader’s attention. So once you choose a font, be committed and use it throughout. Your readers will thank you.
5. ...YET USE VARIETY WHEN NEEDED
Although, in general, font use should be consistent throughout a project, variety is sometimes needed to break the monotony. One good way to infuse diversity into a document is via the use of italicized, bold, or underlined text. These highlighting tools, as well as many others, are properly used to signal importance, emphasis, even inflection (see paragraph one). But remember, use them sparingly or don’t use them at all.
6. ABOVE ALL ELSE: MATCH YOUR MEDIUM
The goal of every project is different; as is the intended audience, the resources available, and so on. Accordingly, there isn’t one best font. Rather, it is the characteristics of your project that determine which font is superior. Remember, these are just guidelines, not gospel. If you need uppercase text, use it. A multicolored paragraph? Do it. Ultimately, the bottom line is: Does your presentation match your medium? If it does, bravo. If it doesn’t, it better.
Know Your PDF
A great, yet cryptic, philosopher king once said: "To know PDF is to know the universe." Is this true, you expectantly ask? Is this really true? Well no, sadly it is not. But don’t be disheartened, for the truth about PDF is of far more practical value (albeit far less philosophical value). In truth, to know PDF is to know a dynamic and versatile file format that can dramatically simplify and expedite document viewing, integration, and printing. So while it might not bring epiphany, PDF can most certainly bring efficiency.
And now we get to the "knowing" part. First off, the letters P, D, and F compose a file extension—one of those three-letter codes that appear at the end of file names (like know_pdf_story.pdf). This extension is like a little file recipe; it describes the file ingredients and tells your operating system how to prepare it for (electronic) consumption. Like most file extensions, PDF is also an acronym: short for Adobe Portable Document Format. Adobe PDF is widely used by publishers, web writers, graphic designers, and everyday laypersons; and is generally accepted as the preeminent format for universal document exchange. But why is PDF so popular? PDF’s popularity and power originate from its five key attributes:
Compatible: PDF is a cross-platform file format. This means that PDF can be used to recreate documents irrespective of where they were originally created. Also, PDF will preserve the document’s original style and formatting (including color, font, and imagery) exactly as they were intended to be seen. With Adobe Acrobat Reader, virtually anyone, on any computer, with any platform, running any application version, can recognize, read, and print identical PDF files. Anyone. You included.
Active: PDF files are highly navigable—this means you can sail around documents like a
mini-Magellan. PDF files contain highly useful navigation tools like: internal and external links, structured bookmarks, search capabilities, thumbnail page views, multi-directional buttons, magnification options, and more.
Accurate: PDF files are both ultra-printable and ultra-viewable. PDF utilizes the PostScript language-imaging model—you know about the PostScript imaging model, right? No? Good. It would scare me if you did. Just remember that PDF ensures true, faithful, and crisp printing—the kind of printing you like. Also, PDF files viewed on-screen retain precise color regardless of software or hardware variation, and also retain precise clarity in magnifications upward of 500%.
Convenient: PDF files are both smaller in size than original source files (e.g. potentially 20% as large as HTML files) and easier to download and view. PDF documents also offer page-at-a-time downloading; allowing you to read and revise the early pages of a document before the entirety has been received. Further, because of their economical size, you’ll download the whole document quicker than you would a source file anyway. Because of these convenient characteristics, PDF files are often referred to as 7-11 files. Not really, though. Someone might laugh at you if you called them 7-11 files.
Secure: PDF offers extensive security protections. Users can assign security passwords to PDF documents before sending them to maintain strict control over sensitive information. Further, PDF files can be authenticated and secured with digital signature technology. A PDF feature known as SelfSign enables creators and users to restrict and track access to critical documents through the use of an encoded digital signature. This feature also enables users to say cool things like, "Sorry, Glen. It seems you’re not authorized to view this material."
Enough already, you say, I accept that PDF is divinely inspired. Clearly, the multiple benefits of PDF have now been sufficiently revealed. But we’ve been talking about PDF files in the prime of their lives—where, you might ask, do new PDF files come from? Well, Timmy, it’s complicated. When two computer applications love each other very much….oops, different question. Actually, there are five primary methods for creating PDF files.
1. Adobe Acrobat: main Adobe software for the creation and modification of PDF files. Allows users to create a PDF file by simply dropping-and-dragging a document into Acrobat, choosing the format directly from Microsoft Office, or converting scanned or web documents directly, among other methods.
2. Adobe PDF Writer: software that mimics a printer driver to create PDF documents from nearly any Windows application.
3. Adobe Acrobat Distiller: software for workgroup-oriented, automated high-volume conversion of PostScript files to PDF.
4. Adobe Acrobat Capture: software designed specifically for the conversion of scanned image files to PDF—optimized for character recognition and clean-up.
5. Other software: other Adobe graphical and publishing software such as FrameMaker, PageMaker, and Illustrator can be used to automatically create PDF files. Also, a surplus of third party software like EZ-PDF, ActivePDF Printer, and even QuarkXPress offer PDF creation capability.
Tips on Paper Selection
Choosing the right paper for a printing job can be a daunting task. It doesn’t have to be though. When selecting the best paper type for a particular job, you’re often faced with an overwhelming number of options. Asking your printer for “white” is like asking your waiter for “food” — you’ll have to be more specific than that.
To the educated consumer, the choices don’t seem nearly as intimidating. Before you order though, you’ve got to know the menu. Paper has ten characteristics that affect its cost and appropriateness for a given job.
Surface
The surface of paper affects its look, feel and printability. When paper is pressed at the mill, it passes through a series of rollers in a process called calendaring. Calendaring affects paper in numerous ways. As the extent of this process increases, paper is made smoother, glossier, more capable of retaining ink, thinner, less opaque and less bright. Why does surface matter? Because people do judge books by their cover.
Color
The color of paper is perhaps the most salient of all characteristics. White is by far the most popular color and is generally optimal for conventional usage. Not all white is the same, however — it runs the gamut from ultra-severe hues to softer, more antique shades. Photo white paper is best for accentuating the contrast between light and dark hues.
Off-white sheets produce less glare, and are best used for publications such as novels or technical manuals that demand long and uninterrupted attention from readers. When comparing color, always examine paper under standard viewing conditions and with minimal atmospheric distractions.
Brightness
The brightness of paper measures the percentage of light that it reflects. Most papers reflect approximately 60 to 90% of incoming light. Remember: brightness and color are not the same thing. Unlike the color characteristic (which is highly subjective and imprecise), brightness is a strictly quantitative, or measurable, attribute. Brightness is important because it affects readability — high brightness can cause eye strain, while low brightness can produce a blurring effect.
Opacity
The opacity of paper is the degree to which other printing is visible through the page. High opacity, or density, minimizes the visibility of printing on subsequent pages, thus enhancing readability. Opacity increases with the bulk and weight of paper, and is influenced by numerous other factors, including paper color, ink color, coatings, chemicals and coverage.
Grain
The grain of paper describes the direction, or alignment, of its component fibers. Paper grain is either grain long or grain short. When fibers are patterned parallel to the length of a sheet, the paper is grain long. When fibers run parallel to the width of a sheet, the paper is grain short. Grain direction is a critical factor for print jobs because it directly affects usage — for example, paper strength, flexibility, tack and versatility are all impacted by grain direction.
Weight
The basis weight of paper is calculated as the weight in pounds of one ream, or five hundred sheets. Each main grade of paper has a basic size that is used to determine its basis weight. Remember that paper of equivalent basis weight is not necessarily of equivalent basic size. Smaller sized paper that is thicker can possess a basis weight identical to that of larger, thinner paper. Since paper is sold by the pound, understanding paper weight is imperative to successful cost control programs.
Caliper
The caliper of paper is its thickness. Caliper is measured in thousandths of an inch and referred to as point size. In this system, .001 inch equals one point — and eight-point paper would have a thickness of .008 inch. Do not confuse type point with caliper point. Type point describes the height of a particular font; caliper point describes paper thickness.
Bulk
The bulk of paper denotes its thickness relative to its basis weight. For example, uncalendared paper would have a higher bulk than gloss coated paper. Remember though that paper may be bulkier or thicker than another grade, yet still have the same basis weight.
Size
The size of paper describes its physical dimensions. An 8.5 x 11 sheet is 8.5 inches wide and 11 inches long. Access to specific information concerning the range of paper sizes available for any given printing job is essential to containing costs and ensuring efficient usage.
Quantity
The quantity of paper refers to the number of sheets bought, sold or used. A ream is a standard unit of numerical paper quantity. Paper that is “ream-wrapped” is packaged in a bundle of 500 sheets. Cartons of paper are not defined by exact numerical specifications, but approximate weight. Cartons typically weigh around 150 pounds and are used in practice as a standard unit of sales.
Raster Images vs. Vector Graphics
Computer graphics can be created as either raster or vector images. Raster graphics are bitmaps. A bitmap is a grid of individual pixels that collectively compose an image. Raster graphics render images as a collection of countless tiny squares. Each square, or pixel, is coded in a specific hue or shade. Individually, these pixels are worthless. Together, they’re worth a thousand words.
Raster graphics are best used for non-line art images; specifically digitized photographs, scanned artwork or detailed graphics. Non-line art images are best represented in raster form because these typically include subtle chromatic gradations, undefined lines and shapes, and complex composition.
However, because raster images are pixel-based, they suffer a malady called image degradation. Just like photographic images that get blurry and imprecise when blown up, a raster image gets jagged and rough. Why? Ultimately, when you look close enough, you can begin to see the individual pixels that comprise the image. Hence, your raster-based image of Wayne Newton, magnified to 1000%, becomes bitmapped before you can isolate that ravenous glint in his eye. Although raster images can be scaled down more easily, smaller versions often appear less crisp or “softer” than the original.
To maximize the quality of a raster image, you must keep in mind that the raster format is resolution-specific — meaning that raster images are defined and displayed at one specific resolution. Resolution in raster graphics is measured in dpi, or dots per inch. The higher the dpi, the better the resolution. Remember also that the resolution you actually observe on any output device is not a function of the file’s own internal specifications, but the output capacity of the device itself. Thus, high resolution images should only be used if your equipment has the capability to display them at high resolution.
Better resolution, however, comes at a price. Just as raster files are significantly larger than comparable vector files, high resolution raster files are significantly larger than low resolution raster files. Overall, as compared to vector graphics, raster graphics are less economical, slower to display and print, less versatile and more unwieldy to work with. Remember though that some images, like photographs, are still best displayed in raster format. Common raster formats include TIFF, JPEG, GIF, PCX and BMP files. Despite its shortcomings, raster format is still the Web standard — within a few years, however, vector graphics will likely surpass raster graphics in both prevalence and popularity.
Unlike pixel-based raster images, vector graphics are based on mathematical formulas that define geometric primitives such as polygons, lines, curves, circles and rectangles. Because vector graphics are composed of true geometric primitives, they are best used to represent more structured images, like line art graphics with flat, uniform colors. Most created images (as opposed to natural images) meet these specifications, including logos, letterhead, and fonts.
Inherently, vector-based graphics are more malleable than raster images — thus, they are much more versatile, flexible and easy to use. The most obvious advantage of vector images over raster graphics is that vector images are quickly and perfectly scalable. There is no upper or lower limit for sizing vector images. Just as the rules of mathematics apply identically to computations involving two-digit numbers or two-hundred-digit numbers, the formulas that govern the rendering of vector images apply identically to graphics of any size.
Further, unlike raster graphics, vector images are not resolution-dependent. Vector images have no fixed intrinsic resolution, rather they display at the resolution capability of whatever output device (monitor, printer) is rendering them. Also, because vector graphics need not memorize the contents of millions of tiny pixels, these files tend to be considerably smaller than their raster counterparts. Overall, vector graphics are more efficient and versatile. Common vector formats include AI, EPS, CGM, WMF and PICT (Mac).
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HOW-TO ARTICLES
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Additional Resources
If you haven't been able to find exactly the information you need to finish your project on time, we've compiled a list of other websites that provide additional details about the computer systems and software that you're using to design your next project.
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CorelDRAW, PhotoPaint, KPT Photoshop Plugins, and Ventura
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QuarkXPress, QuarkWrapture, and XTensions
Fonts & Typography
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Software and hardware reviews, price comparisons, purchasing recommendations, and technology news
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