Print Glossary
Listed below in our Print Glossary are the common terms used within the printing industry in everyday speak as well as a few definitions and explanations that will be of great help to you. If you ever wondered what is meant when a job 'bleeds' or when a 'dummy' is needed, then here is your chance to wise up on printers' jargon.
Click on the links below to view glossary terms
Washup |
Removing printing ink from a press, washing the rollers and blanket. Certain ink colours require multiple washups to avoid ink and chemical contamination |
Watermark |
A distinctive design created in paper at the time of manufacture that can be easily seen by holding the paper up to a light |
Web |
A roll of printing paper |
Web Offset |
Reel-fed offset litho printing. Three main systems of presses exist blanket-to-blanket in which two plate and two blanket cylinders per unit print and perfect the web of paper or board; three-cylinder system in which plate, blanket and impression cylinders operate in the usual manner to print one side of the paper or board; and satellite or planetary system in which two, three or four plate and blanket cylinders are arranged around common impression cylinders to print one side of the web in several colours |
Web Press |
The name of a type of presses that print from rolls of paper; Presses which are fed by paper from a reel as distinct from separate sheets |
Wire-O |
A bindery trade name for mechanical binding using double loops of wire through a hole |
Wire-O Binding |
A method of wire binding books along the binding edge that will allow the book to lay flat using double loops |
Work-and-Tumble |
To work on both sides of the sheet gripping on both edges using a perfecting press. The paper is turned over automatically inside the press, as opposed to work-and-turn where the paper is manually turned and then run through the press again; Printing one side of a sheet and turning it over from the gripper to the tail to print the second side using the same side guide and plate for the second side |
Work-and-Turn |
To print on the entire area of both sides of a sheet by using the same gripper edge. One side is printed, the paper is turned over and run through the press again |
Wove Paper |
A paper having a uniform unlined surface with a smooth finish |