| 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, COUNTABLE | tabloid | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| page size of newspaper: half broadsheet sizea page half the size of a broadsheet | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | tabular figures | CHARACTERS |
| numeral characters with uniforn set-width, essential for setting tables | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | tabular setting | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| text set out in the form of a table: each column must be justified | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | tail of matrix | STEREOTYPING, RUBBER STAMPS |
| length of hard paper pasted to edge of matrix to extend it to the mouth of the casting box | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | teardrop terminal | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
| terminal ending in teardrop shape | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | teletypesetter | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| linotype attachment allowing unmanned operation from incoming telegraphic signals | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | template | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| file containing layout details, page dimensions | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | terminal | CHARACTER PARTS AND STROKES |
| free-standing end of a stroke: tops of ascenders, hooks of a,g,j | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | text | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| the written material, usu in paragraph form, making up the bulk of a document | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | text paper | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| paper for the body of a book: often supplied with matching cover stock | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | text type | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| typeface used for the main text of written material | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | thermography | EMBELLISHING |
| raised printing effect made by dusting resinous powder onto wet ink and fusing with radiant heat | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | thick space | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| a word space equal to one-third of the em [US: 3-to-em space] | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | thin space | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| a word space equal to one-fifth of the em [US: five-to-em space] | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | three colour process | COLOUR WORK, PRINTING INKS |
| full colour printing using three coloured inks alone (widely used early 20th C) | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | three-knife trimmer | FINISHING & BOOKBINDING |
| like three guillotines in one to trim top bottom and side of book in one pass | ||
| EQUIVALENT TERM | tied letters | CHARACTERS |
| ligature | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | tilde | CHARACTERS |
| diacritic above letter to show fluid or nasal sound: a curly bar: ~: also used separately as symbol | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | tint | COLOUR WORK, PRINTING INKS |
| colour broken down with white ink or by using screen on a solid area | ||
| VERB | tip in | FINISHING & BOOKBINDING |
| insert single leaf into book by gluing one edge | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | tracking | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| + or - variation of letterspacing from that intended by typeface designer | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | transfer | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| moves line from first elevator to second elev: spacebands left behind by s/elev | ||
| ADJECTIVE | transitional | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| face with characteristics in between old style and modern | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | transparency | IMAGES, HALFTONES |
| positive image on transparent medium, usu a colour photograph | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | trim line | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| a line in the layout where a guillotine cut is to be made after printing - may be visible or not | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | trim marks | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| marks towards the edge of the sheets showing the guillo operator where the invisible trim line is | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | triple caps case | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| upper case with three sets of divisions | ||
| BRAND NAME | TrueType founts | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| typeface technology adopted for Windows: one fount covers all sizes | ||
| ABBREVIATION | TTS | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| teletypesetting system | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | turned comma . . . 1 | CHARACTERS |
| before the open quote was cast separately, comps used an upside-down comma | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | turned comma . . . 2 | CHARACTERS |
| many founts of handset cast even today have no open quote - comma must be turned | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | two-letter matrix | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| mat with alternate character, often bold or italic, selectable by operator making mat sit higher | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | type | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| the relief surface from which words are printed: individual letters or slugs | ||
| BRAND NAME | Type 1 founts | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| widely available form of digital typeface | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | type cabinet | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| storage rack for type cases. May have 1, 2 or (rare) 3 columns of cases, 17 to 24 cases per column | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | type case | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| storage drawer for handset type; up to 98 divisions for letters, figures, punctuation and spaces | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | type case frame | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| a rack to carry type cases but with open framework, often sloping top | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | type family | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| a basic typeface and its variants, designed to be used together: the Bembo family | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | type height | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| height-to-paper: from foot to face: Anglo-American 0.918" (23.32 mm) | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | type high gauge | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| device to measure height of block or type: simple U tool to dial readout gauge | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | type page | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| the area of a layout that includes all printed elements but not the margin | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | type size | TYPE MEASUREMENTS |
| type body height: line-to-line spacing when type is set solid | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | typeface . . . . . 1 | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| unifying characteristics of a fount of type: stroke weight, serif shape, stress | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | typeface . . . . . 2 | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| the raised surface of the type, the part that prints, is its face | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | typefounder | TYPE CASTING |
| person who casts types from molten typemetal. To found means to melt and cast. | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | typefoundry | TYPE CASTING |
| place or business where metal types are cast. Not a place where digital typeface designs are sold! | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | typemetal | TYPE CASTING |
| an alloy of lead with tin and (usu) antimony and perhaps traces of other metals | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | typemetal strength | TYPE CASTING |
| harder grades of typemetal for foundry down to 60% Lead : softer 85% grade for Linotype use. | ||
| ABBREVIATION | typo . . . . . . . 1 | WORKFLOW |
| typographical error: an error introduced in the typesetting process | ||
| MISCONCEPTION / INAPPROP TERM | typo . . . . . . . 2 | WORKFLOW |
| often mistakenly used for any spelling error including author's errors | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | typographer | TYPOGRAPHY - GENERALITIES |
| 'writer with types' (Greek words): textual design specialist | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | typographic color | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| appearance of text, as a block on the page, as to darkness and evenness | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | typography . . . . 1 | TYPOGRAPHY - GENERALITIES |
| 'writing with types': art of typesetting and printing | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | typography . . . . 2 | TYPOGRAPHY - GENERALITIES |
| the art of planning text area of a document, or of typesetting the text using good design | ||
| ABBREVIATION | u & lc | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| upper and lower case | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | umlaut | CHARACTERS |
| diacritic above vowel, to indicate changed value. Consists of two dots, like the diaeresis. | ||
| ADJECTIVE | uncial | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| style of manuscript lettering without capitals: some typefaces emulate this | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | unit | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| setwise subdivision of typesize: each system has its own unit arrangement | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | unit arrangement | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| specification of which character-widths will go into which matrix-case row: includes stopbar code | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | unit of width | MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER |
| the set-size is divided into 18 units: characters specified to be so-many units, normal minimum 3 | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | upper case . . . . 1 | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| the upper, or rearmost of a pair of cases, holding the less used characters | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | upper case . . . . 2 | CHARACTERS |
| majuscule characters, often called capital letters | ||
| BRAND NAME | Varityper | COLD TYPE COMPOSITION |
| strike-on machine, one of the first with choice of typefaces for office use | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | varnish | COLOUR WORK, PRINTING INKS |
| vehicle component of common printing inks; traditionally boiled linseed oil | ||
| VERB | varnishing | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| use of 'ink without pigment' to coat previously printed work, usu on the press | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | vehicle | COLOUR WORK, PRINTING INKS |
| liquid component of ink: the vehicle oxidises, absorbs or evaporates, leaving the pigment solid | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | vellum | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| treated calf skin for writing: paper resembling this: rough absorbent surface | ||
| BRAND NAME | Velox | PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT |
| high-contrast positive photopaper, used for process bromides | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | verso page | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| a left-hand page of a book, usu even numbered - cf recto | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | vertical rule | CHARACTERS |
| fine vertical line: often matched up from one line to the next: may be double or modified | ||
| VERB | vertically justify | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| adjust vertical spacing of column of page to match its peers | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | vyce [US vise] | LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER |
| mechanism which positions mats and expands spacebands prior to casting | ||
| ADJECTIVE | washed out | IMAGES, HALFTONES |
| photo when reproduced has poor contrast, lack of distinct highlights and blacks | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | watermark | PAPER MAKING |
| image or pattern within paper: patterned dandy roller varies web thickness | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | wax stencil | OFFICE SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT |
| for stencil duplicator: imaged by parting the wax with unribboned typewriter or hand-held scriber | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | web | PAPER MAKING |
| the continuous strip of paper travelling the length of the paper-making process | ||
| ADJECTIVE | web fed | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| press which prints on a roll of paper, usu folding and sheeting off | ||
| ADJECTIVE | web fed flatbed | PRINTING, ANY PROCESS |
| flatbed letterpress which prints from a roll. Some newspaper presses print both sides from 2 formes | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | weight . . . . . . 1 | TYPE MEASUREMENTS |
| relative stroke thickness of characters, from light to ultra bold | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | weight . . . . . . 2 | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| general term for thickness or heaviness of paper or board | ||
| ABBREVIATION | WF | PROOF READING & CORRECTING |
| wrong fount: proofreader's mark to indicate a type from the wrong typecase | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | whiteletter | TYPE FACE DESIGNS |
| roman and italic faces (rather than blackletter like Old English) | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | widow | LAYOUT AND DESIGN |
| the solitary last line of a para forced onto next column or page -cf orphan | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | width | TYPE MEASUREMENTS |
| relative total width of characters, from extra condensed to extra expanded | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | window | PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT |
| blank (still clear) area on neg which will later have image stripped in | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | wire | PAPER MAKING |
| the wire mesh belt which picks up the pulp at wet end of paper machine | ||
| ADJECTIVE | woodfree | PAPER MAKING |
| where all lignin has been removed: mainly cellulose pulp | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | word break | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| a hyphenation, where word is divided rather than being carried whole to next line | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | word space | LETTERPRESS COMPOSING |
| the space-types normally used for inter-word spaces: thick, mid and thin | ||
| VERB | work and tumble | WORKFLOW |
| front and back of job imposed end-to-end on one plate:printed:tumbled:printed again:cut | ||
| VERB | work and turn | WORKFLOW |
| both sides of job imposed side-by-side on one plate:printed:turned:printed again:cut | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | wove paper | PAPER SPECIFICATIONS |
| finely textured paper with no visible wire marks | ||
| NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE | x-height | TYPE MEASUREMENTS |
| distance, pointwise, between base-line and x-line: height of typical l/c letter | ||
| NOUN, COUNTABLE | x-line | TYPE MEASUREMENTS |
| the upper-bounding line of typical non-ascending l/c letters | ||
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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