| Melbourne Museum of Printing | Our Glossary of Printing and Typography |
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| SUGGESTION: HOW TO EXPLORE THIS GLOSSARY | ||||||||||
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IF YOU KNOW THE NAME OF A TERM, GO TO THE ALPHABETIC PAGE eg to find PICA choose the Alphabetic Page N-Q. You will find several meanings of this word, and that it is mostly used in TYPE MEASUREMENTS. | ||||||||||
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IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE OTHER TERMS ABOUT TYPE MEASUREMENTS look in the Thematic Glossary about Typecasting and Type Measurements | ||||||||||
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| ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THESE DEFINITIONS INCLUDE: | |||
| usu = usually | cf = compare with | eg = for example | typic = typically |
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | rag paper | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| high quality paper with fibres from cotton or linen rags | ||
| ADVERB | ragged right | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| lines that line up on the left but are unequal on the right | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | raised capital | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| first letter set in larger size than rest of para and lined up at baseline | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | raised comma | CHARACTERS |
| the apostrophe/close quote matrix was struck from the comma punch in higher pos'n | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | random top | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| sloping top applied to type cabinets or frames, flexibly allowing work space and storage boxes | ||
| EQUIVALENT TERM | ranged left | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| same as flush left: same as ragged right | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | reader spread | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| pages laid out in pairs the way a reader will see them: useful in mock-ups - cf printer spread | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | ream | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| the quantity of paper usually wrapped for distribution: commonly 500 sheets | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | recto page | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| right-hand page of a book, usu even numbered - cf verso | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | reducing glass | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| opposite of magnifying glass: enables designer to visualise reduced form of an oversize layout | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | reference mark | CHARACTERS |
| symbol used in text to direct the reader to a footnote (exc numbered footnotes) | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | reflection copy | IMAGES, HALFTONES |
| text or image on paper base: it can be photographed with incident light | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | register | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| correct positioning of image on printed sheet | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | register quoin | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| small quoin placed each side of a block to adjust its position within the forme | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | reglet | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| wooden spacing strip (similar function to leads) usu 6 and 12 pt, also 18 and 24 pt, by any length | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | relief printing . .1 | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| printing from a raised surface: includes letterpress, flexography,linocuts, woodcuts | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | relief printing . .2 | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| raised surface is inked, the lower (relieved) areas receive no ink: raised area pressed into paper | ||
| ABBREVIATION | repro | WORKFLOW |
| reproduction (as in repro proof, repro press) | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | required hyphen .. 1 | CHARACTERS |
| hyphen needed for hyphenated words: not added by word-break | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | required hyphen .. 2 | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| a hyphen which must not be eliminated; not a hyphen inserted by a hyphenation function; hard hyphen | ||
| ADJECTIVE | reverse reading | PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT |
| any object, whether positive or negative, whose image is laterally reversed | ||
| VERB | reverse [out] | PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT |
| alter an image so black areas become white and white black | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | ribbon format . . .1 | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| there are 31 rows of holes, 14 for each axis plus Spacing, Fine and Coarse justification | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | ribbon format . . .2 | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| each axis has 15 logical values (A to O, 1 to 15) but O and 15 have no holes: a blank row = O-15 | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | ribbon punch | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| the keyboard punching unit has the needed 31 punches plus 2 dummy punches for balanced operation | ||
| ADJECTIVE | right reading | PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT |
| matrix is right reading: type is reverse reading: printed item is right reading | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | roman [face] . . . 1 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| a roman is an upright, normal weight, serif face whether oldstyle or modern | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | roman [face] . . . 2 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| the upright, normal version of a sans serif is often called the roman | ||
| BRAND NAME | Roneo | OFFICE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT |
| a leading brand of stencil duplicator | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | rotary press | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| prints with rotary motion from curved plate: invariably web fed | ||
| ADJECTIVE | royal | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| paper size 20in x 25in: press which handles this size | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | rubber stamp making | STEREOTYPING, RUBBER STAMPS |
| a traditional sideline for general printers, using types, matrix, raw rubber, glue and wood mounts | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | rubber stereos | STEREOTYPING, RUBBER STAMPS |
| rubber stereotypes, made like rubber stamps, basis for flexographic printing eg on plastic bags | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | rule . . . . . . . 1 | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| type-high strip of any material which prints a straight line: the line so printed | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | rule . . . . . . . 2 | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| may be brass, typemetal, wood, steel: may be multiple line, dashed or dotted | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | rule . . . . . . . 3 | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| face may be hairline or point width: eg 2pt rule on side of 6pt body | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | rule bender | CUTTING & CREASING |
| device to bend steel rules to exact pattern for cutting forme | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | rule forme | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| typeforme containing rules, leaders, verticals etc to print a business form eg an invoice | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | running foot | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| line of information repeated below the text from page to page | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | running head | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| line of info, folio, etc repeated above text from page to page | ||
| VERB | saddle stitch | FINISHING & BOOKBINDING |
| stitch/staple sheets in the fold, for books/booklets of modest size | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | safety breaking key | LUDLOW TYPOGRAPH SYSTEM |
| in the drive train, a consumable breaking key protects against jam-ups | ||
| ADJECTIVE | sans serif | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| meaning `without serifs': class of faces designed without serifs: lineale styles | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | satin finish | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| term sometimes used for matt art paper | ||
| EQUIVALENT TERM | scoring rule | CUTTING & CREASING |
| same as creasing rule | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | scraperboard | IMAGES, HALFTONES |
| artists' board with clay coating that can be scraped away to modify an image | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | screen . . . . . . 1 | IMAGES, HALFTONES |
| glass or film carrying fine rulings or dot patterns: used in making half-tones | ||
| VERB | screen . . . . . . 2 | IMAGES, HALFTONES |
| convert continuous-tone image to half-tone, using screen or software | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | screen angle | IMAGES, HALFTONES |
| screens for halftone negatives must be at correct angles for right effect | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | screen ruling | IMAGES, HALFTONES |
| screens vary from 50 to 300 lines per inch, depending on paper and process | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | second elevator | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| accepts line of used mats (no spacebands) from transfer and moves them to disser | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | section | FINISHING & BOOKBINDING |
| printed sheet folded to 8, 16 etc pages ready for binding and trimming | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | section symbol | CHARACTERS |
| reference mark, also used to indicate a new section (rare) | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | security paper | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| having features like patterns, dyes, watermarks to make documents tamperproof | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | self-centring stick | LUDLOW TYPOGRAPH SYSTEM |
| automatically equalises space each side of short line | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | serif | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
| cross-stroke at end of stem or terminal: stone engravers use it for neatness | ||
| ADJECTIVE | serif [face] | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| class of faces with serifs: old style, modern or stylised serifs exist | ||
| VERB | set off | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| accidental transfer of image on one sheet to the back of the next | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | set size | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| width in points of an 18-unit character or quad in a particular face and size | ||
| VERB | set solid | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| set type with no added line spacing | ||
| VERB | set type | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| [hand set] pick up types, arrange them to form words, justify them to a line | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | set width | TYPE MEASUREMENTS |
| measure of character along the line: often in units-of-set | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | setting rules | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| piece of brass rule, exact length, used in composing stick as an aid. Typical set from 6 to 48 ems | ||
| EQUIVALENT TERM | setting stick | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| another term for composing stick | ||
| ADVERB | setwise | TYPE MEASUREMENTS |
| measured along the direction of set, ie along the line [opp pointwise] | ||
| ADJECTIVE | sheet fed | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| press which prints on sheets of paper rather than a roll | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | shooting stick | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| hand tool for tightening wooden quoins: used with a mallet | ||
| ADJECTIVE | short grain | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| sheets with grain running in the direction of the shorter dimension | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | show through | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| visibility of printing on the other side due to lack of opacity in paper | ||
| ADJECTIVE | side stitched | FINISHING & BOOKBINDING |
| sheets or sections stiched or stapled along the edge before cover drawn on | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | sight gauge | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| enables operator to align characters on body better than 0.0005" from standard | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | signature | FINISHING & BOOKBINDING |
| identifying letter or figure on first page or spine of book section | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | single letter matrix | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| matrix with only one letter, usu display sizes, or old mat before two-letter mats were invented | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | size, internal | PAPER MAKING |
| substance added to paper pulp to control ink flow through the paper | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | size, surface | PAPER MAKING |
| substance added to surface of paper web during making to control ink retention | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | skip wheel | NUMBERING MACHINES & ATTACHMTS |
| alternate wheel for numbering machine, to print only certain numbers as 2,4,6,8 | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | slab serif | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
| serif as thick as the bold strokes of character: may be abrupt or adnate in shape | ||
| EQUIVALENT TERM | slug . . . . . . . 1 | CHARACTERS |
| solid circle character, also called a bullet [magazine speak] | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | slug . . . . . . . 2 | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| line of type from a linecaster (Lino or Ludlow): all-slug typesetting | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | slug . . . . . . . 3 | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| (standing slug): heading re-used in each edition of paper, like MARKET REPORT | ||
| VERB | slug . . . . . . . 4 | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| to place new slugs (addits or corrections) into an existing job (on a galley) - also "to slug in" | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | slug . . . . . . . 5 | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| a six or twelve-point lead (archaic usage) | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | slug, blank | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| slug (Linotype or Ludlow) produced with no characters: casting blank slugs | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | slur . . . . . . . 1 | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| where paper moves in relation to type or blanket while under impression, giving blurred image | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | slur . . . . . . . 2 | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| altered manner of speech when the operators come back after lunch | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | small capitals | CHARACTERS |
| alternative alphabet of capitals sized like l/case letters: common in Roman faces | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | soft hyphen | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| hyphen which is automatically suppressed when not needed for word-break | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | sort | TYPE CASTING |
| a single piece of type, also a type not part of the alphabet, usu sold as an extra, eg fractions | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | space | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| word spaces and quads: usu well below character shoulder height: typical 0.750" | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | space case | LUDLOW TYPOGRAPH SYSTEM |
| spaces held in separate case at front of cabinet and shared over many founts | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | space matrix | LUDLOW TYPOGRAPH SYSTEM |
| Ludlow spaces are calibrated in points, from 1/2 to 36: ems don't exist as such | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | spaceband . . . . 1 | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| pair of thin steel wedges, placed between words during assembly of each line | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | spaceband . . . . 2 | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| pairs of wedges expand when pushed up between words before casting, tightening the line of mats | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | spaceband box | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| storage place for spacebands, from where they drop into the assembling elevator as required | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | spine | FINISHING & BOOKBINDING |
| the edge of the book where the binding is: spines arrayed on the bookshelf | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | spirit duplicator | OFFICE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT |
| using an image in pigment on a paper master, printed by pressure onto paper wetted with spirit | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | steel rules | CUTTING & CREASING |
| inclusive term for cutting, perforating and creasing rules as used in cutting formes | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | stem | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
| vertical stroke of a character like b d h k l p q B D E F H I K L M N P R T | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | stencil duplicator | OFFICE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT |
| The wax-impregnated paper stencil is mounted onto a fabric sheet fed with ink from behind. | ||
| VERB | stet | PROOF READING & CORRECTING |
| proofreader's mark, cancelling a previous correction: let it stand [Latin] | ||
| EQUIVALENT TERM | stick | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| informal term for composing stick | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | stone | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| working surface for assembling pages of type: made from stone/marble/cast iron | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | stopbar | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| a stopbar gives the keyboard mechanism the unit advance needed for a particular row of an arrangmnt | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | stopbar frame | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| device carrying the set of stop bars. Inserted into keyboard. Stopbar code stated in Unit Arrangemt | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | strawboard | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| low grade board, often very thick: used for binding boards, also for boxes | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | stress | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| the angle within a bowl-shaped letter of the variation in stroke thickness: usu near vertical | ||
| VERB | strike . . . . . . 1 | MATRICES FOR TYPECASTING |
| impress the punch into the matrix material by hammering or with slow pressure | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | strike . . . . . . 2 | MATRICES FOR TYPECASTING |
| matrix after being struck and before being justified: some metal pushed aside by striking, visible | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | strike-on typeset'ng | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| where typing element strikes through ribbon eg Varityper, IBM Composer, Kroy | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | strike-through | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| visibility of print on the other side due to ink soaking through the sheet | ||
| VERB | strip | PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT |
| correct film-negs, assemble negs in exact register into a flat for platemaking | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | strippable emulsion | PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT |
| special neg material whose emulsion can be stripped out and replaced for errors | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | style | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| copyediting rules: publisher's style, printer's style, style for one publication | ||
| ADJECTIVE | subscript | CHARACTERS |
| reduced size and lined below baseline: common for maths and science characters | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | subtractive colours | COLOUR WORK, PRINTING INKS |
| a pigment absorbs some colours: two pigments absorb more colours: reflected light | ||
| ADJECTIVE | super calendered | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| very smooth paper without coating: polished on heated rollers: see calendered | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | Supercaster . . . 1 | TYPE CASTING |
| (Monotype): casts type to 72 pt: leads, rules, borders, furniture | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | Supercaster . . . 2 | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| typecasting system developed by Monotype: adjunct to their composition system | ||
| ADJECTIVE | superscript | CHARACTERS |
| reduced size and lined above baseline: common for maths and science characters | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | swash letter | CHARACTERS |
| letter with flourish: usu alternate: eg l/c e with long tail for end of word | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | symbol fount | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| fount where every character is a special symbol | ||
Persons wishing to use these are asked to contact the author at Melbourne Museum of Printing.
Comments and suggestions about terms and definitions will be very welcome.
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