Glossary I - K
Glossary
This is a basic list of words that may help understand printing terminology
| Icon: | Simplified graphic element created to suggest an idea or topic is called an icon. Icons are used to categorize and index ideas and content. |
| Imagesetter: | An imagesetter is basically an extremely high quality printer. Imagesetters are used to create the film from computer based prepress operations. In process color work the imagesetter creates the separated, output film by printing the image four times (once each in Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black) using four different screen angles for each color. An Imagesetter also can create plates as in the CTP Process for Polyplates |
| Imposition: | The correct positioning of pages on a press sheet so that when the press sheet is folded to form a signature, the pages are in correct numerical sequence. |
| Impression: | The pressure of the image carrier, whether it be the type, plate or blanket, when it contacts the paper. |
| Indent: | The most common indent is at the beginning of a paragraph when the first line is "set-in" from the left edge of the column. An indent can be placed on the left side only (as in paragraph beginnings) or on the left and right sides of copy (when a block of text needs to be set apart from the rest of the paragraph). |
| Indicia: | USPS markings pre-printed on mailing envelopes, post cards or other mail pieces to replace the stamp. |
| Insert: | A piece of printed material that is prepared for the purpose of being inserted into another piece of printed material, such as a magazine. |
| Italic: | Italic is the slanting of a serif type. |
| Jaws PDF Creator: | An alternative to Adobe Acrobat. Jaws PDF Creator is seen as a printer in Windows or Macintosh, allowing users to 'print' to a PDF file directly from any application. |
| Jog: | Stacking of finished pages so that they are tightly aligned for final trimming or other bindery work. |
| JPEG: | (Joint Photographers Experts Group) A set of standards developed by this group for compressing and decompressing digitized images with computers. |
| Justified: | Justified type is when the left and right sides align with each other and fill a column's width. Wordspacing and letterspacing will vary more with justified type than with nonjustified type layouts. |
| Kern: | To reduce space between two or three characters so those characters appear better fitted together, e.g. Yo, Po, Ti, etc. Kerning is different from tracking and changing letter spacing, each or which adjusts the distance between all selected characters. |
| Kerning (noun): | The portion of a letter that extends beyond the letter's width; i.e., the letter shapes that overhang. |
| Kerning (verb): | To adjust the spacing between characters in words to improve their appearance. |
| Keyboarding: | Keyboarding is the process of typing in the raw text (headlines, subheads and body copy) for a publication in preparation for turning it over to a graphic designer. A word processing program should be used for keyboarding and the files should be saved in ASCII formats or as "text only" or "export files" for proper file transfer. |
| Keylines: | Black and white artwork which has been output and pasted into position on a sheet with "key" "identity" "lines" indicating the position of trims, drill holes, folds, scores, and die-cuts. Keylines are also referred to as camera-ready artwork." |
| Knockout Mask: | A mask created to prevent an area of an image from recording. When one image is layered over another, the base image often must be knocked out so that the second image can be reproduced right on the paper and not on top of the first image. |
| Knockout: | When type or line art is to be printed over a photograph or other variable color background, the best way to produce a consistent color is to first "reverse" or "make white" the type or artwork out of the background, the drop in the desired color or let the paper show through. This process is referred to a Knocking out. |