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| Printing | A process involving the use of a specialized machine to transfer an image from an image carrier to a substrate. |
| Printing Press | A specialized machine used to transfer an image from an image carrier to a substrate, usually paper. Can be divided into two main categories Sheet Fed and Web Fed. |
| Sheet Fed | Higher quality than Web fed but longer and more expensive make ready than Web Fed |
| Web Fed | Faster than Sheet Fed but quality is not as good and make ready is more expensive |
| Make Ready | Time needed to prepare the press between jobs. This time would be for changing ink, paper, and plates. |
| Image Carrier | A press plate or other intermediate used to transfer identical images onto a substrate. All of the major printing processes (Offset, Intaglio, Relief, and Porous) have image carriers or plates. Only Impactless Printing does not have plates. |
| Substrate | Any material with a surface that can be printed or coated. (The surface being printed on, most commonly paper) |
| Offset Printing | Also called Planography, Lithography – Most common printing process in the world. (Relies on the idea that oil and water do not mix) Plates for this process are flat (Example: large metal plates) Typical products printed using this process are Magazines, Brochures, Posters. The most common substrate for this process is paper |
| Flexography | Also called Flexo for short. A relief printing process that uses flexible printing plates. Plates for this process have a raised image area, are wrong reading and made of rubber or another flexible material. Commonly used for printing plastic bags, packaging, newspapers books, labels. |
| Letterpress | A relief printing process that uses metal printing plates. Oldest Method of Printing (Not used for printing anymore but is still used for finishing work) Plates have a raised image area, wrong reading, metal plates (not flexible) Typical products printed using this process? Embossing, Foil Stamping, Numbering |
| Impactless Printing | Term for several types of printing that do not require direct contact between an image carrier and the substrate. Often called Digital Printing (Examples include: Laser Printing, Ink Jet, Dye Sublimation) This process is ideal for short run personalized direct mail. |
| Porous Printing | Also called Screen Printing. A process that uses a squeegee to force ink through a porous screen covered by an emulsion with a design cut out of it. (Think of the aluminum fame shown in class with the pink coating over the screen). Ideal for printing on Clothing, windows, sporting equipment. |
| Intaglio Printing | Plates are etched or engraved. Everything is screened – no line art. Typical products printed using this process are magazines and newspaper supplements, package printing, aluminum for cans |
| Halftone | A continuous tone image that has been converted into a series of small in preparation for printing. |
| 300 ppi | The best resolution for color printing |
| 72 ppi | The most common resolution for layouts designed to be displayed on the web. |
| Separation | A color image that has been divided into 4 halftones, with each one representing the colors CMYK. |
| Line Art | Artwork that is solid in color no halftone dots |
| Continuous Tone Image | Lab produced images or hand made art such as drawings or paintings. These types of images DO NOT contain halftone dots. |
| Process | Term used to describe printing that is done using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black or CMYK. Process printing can be done with any of the Printing Classifications. |
