Melbourne Museum of Printing
PRINTING EXPLAINED
Our Glossary of Printing and Typography
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Glossary Theme

Alphabetic Glossary, page 6, N-Q


SUGGESTION: HOW TO EXPLORE THIS GLOSSARY
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.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXPLORE OTHER TERMS ABOUT TYPE MEASUREMENTS
look in the Thematic Glossary about Typecasting and Type Measurements
CHOOSE
ANOTHER
ALPHABETIC
PAGE:
A,B
C
DEF
G-K
L,M
N-Q
R,S
T-Z
CHOOSE A THEMATIC PAGE:
CHARACTERS, TYPEFACES
LAYOUT, PREPRESS, TYPOGRAPHY
TYPECASTING, MEASUREMENTS
MACHINE TYPESETTING, HOT/COLD
LETTERPRESS COMP, STEREOTYPES
WORKFLOW, PROOFREADING, IMAGES
PRINTING: LETTERPRESS, LITHO
FINISHING: CUT, NUMBER, BIND

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THESE DEFINITIONS INCLUDE:
usu = usually cf = compare with eg = for example typic = typically

NOUN, COUNTABLE negative IMAGES, HALFTONES
colour film or print with reversed colour renditions, eg blues appear as yellow

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE negative leading COLD TYPE COMPOSITION
where instead of adding space between lines, interline spacing is reduced

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE newsprint PAPER SPECIFICATIONS
lower quality, absorbent paper, from mechanical pulp

NOUN, COUNTABLE nick TYPE CASTING
groove in one (usu front) surface of type body: some founders made multiple nicks

NOUN, COUNTABLE nick purpose TYPE CASTING
the nick and wire stop newly-cast sort lifting in mould when matrix is lifted off

NOUN, COUNTABLE nick tongue TYPE CASTING
in later moulds a rectangular tongue replaces wire making square nick

NOUN, COUNTABLE nick wire TYPE CASTING
in some type moulds the nick is formed by a wire inset into the mould halves

NOUN, COUNTABLE nick, partial TYPE CASTING
the nick may not go across the whole body width, esp larger sizes

NOUN, COUNTABLE nick, tooled TYPE CASTING
some typefaces had one or more of their multiple nicks added after casting

NOUN, COUNTABLE nicks, multiple TYPE CASTING
many typefounders provided nick patterns to help comp identify similar faces

VERB nip FINISHING & BOOKBINDING
squeeze newly bound book to ensure flatness: nipping press

NOUN, COUNTABLE nipping press FINISHING & BOOKBINDING
bookbinder's screw press to hold book(s) flat

NOUN, COUNTABLE nonbreaking space CHARACTERS
space character which is treated as letter for word-break purposes

NOUN, COUNTABLE nonpareil [nomprul] LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
strip of 6pt lead or reglet: drop some nonpareils between those lines

NOUN, COUNTABLE normal wedge MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER
steel wedge giving mould blade the correct opening for a particular set-size and pattern of units

NOUN, COUNTABLE normal wedge number MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER
includes the stopbar code required by the Unit Arrangement, plus the set-size, eg s554-13pt

NOUN, COUNTABLE numberer (hand) NUMBERING MACHINES & ATTACHMTS
hand-held numbering machine with inbuilt inking device, usu adjustable for repeat numbering

EQUIVALENT TERM numbering box NUMBERING MACHINES & ATTACHMTS
colloquial term for numbering machine

NOUN, COUNTABLE numbering machine NUMBERING MACHINES & ATTACHMTS
set of numbered wheels, type-high: change automatically after each impression

NOUN, COUNTABLE nut LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
guard word for 'en', to distinguish from 'em'.

ADJECTIVE oblique . . . . . 1 TYPE FACE DESIGNS
slanted version of face, like italic but without changes from the roman

VERB oblique . . . . . 2 TYPE FACE DESIGNS
modify a face by slanting it. Obliqued faces may be generated on the fly

ABBREVIATION OCR TYPE FACE DESIGNS
optical character recognition

EQUIVALENT TERM offset PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
common term for offset photolithography, today's common printing process - see LITHO theme page

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE offset letterpress PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
also called letterset - printing from a right-reading relief plate (or unusually, type) to blanket

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE offset lithography LITHOGRAPHY INCL OFFSET
offset printing from a lithographic stone or plate - the plate prints first onto the blanket

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE offset printing PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
process where the image moves from type or plate to paper via an intermediate surface (blanket)

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE old style TYPE FACE DESIGNS
faces having angled stress and tapered serifs

NOUN, COUNTABLE old style figures CHARACTERS
figures varying in height: 1,2,0 are x-height; 6,8 ascend; 3,4,5, 7,9 descend

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE onion skin PAPER SPECIFICATIONS
very lightweight translucent paper, traditionally for airmail documents

NOUN, COUNTABLE open quote mark CHARACTERS
(in English) the turned comma, like a small figure 6

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE optical char. recog TYPE FACE DESIGNS
faces designed in the 1960's for computerised reading with simple scan software

NOUN, COUNTABLE orphan LAYOUT AND DESIGN
a solitary first line of para at the bottom of a column or page, with rest of para carried over

ADJECTIVE outline TYPE FACE DESIGNS
face that is largely 'hollow': just the outline of each character

VERB overprint PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
add new image (usu text) to already printed item: may be variable information or correction

VERB overstrike CHARACTERS
produce non-standard character or effect by printing a character over another

BRAND NAME Ozalid PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT
brand of diazo process often used for making proofs of line art and text

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE pagination LAYOUT AND DESIGN
putting of matter into pages: placing of numbers on pages

BRAND NAME Pantone COLOUR WORK, PRINTING INKS
a widely used colour matching system

NOUN, COUNTABLE paper plate LITHOGRAPHY INCL OFFSET
offset printing plate made from paper: see: Silvermaster, OE-1, direct image

NOUN, COUNTABLE paragraph symbol CHARACTERS
reference mark, a stylised, reversed P; also used as proofreader's mark

NOUN, COUNTABLE parallel fold FINISHING & BOOKBINDING
where a sheet is folded with two or more folds in the same direction

VERB paste up . . . . . 1 PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT
adhere to a layout or mounting board by paste, glue or usu adhesive wax

NOUN, COUNTABLE paste up . . . . . 2 PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT
artwork prepared from type, illustrations, etc, pasted/adhered to layout sheet

EQUIVALENT TERM paste up . . . . . 3 PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT
in some colonies called a mechanical: includes overlays where needed

VERB perfect bind FINISHING & BOOKBINDING
trim/grind off spine-edge and glue the pages into their cover

NOUN, COUNTABLE perfector PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
two-unit press which prints both sides of the sheet

NOUN, COUNTABLE perforating rule CUTTING & CREASING
rule with sharp top segmented to perforate board or paper: usu in Cutting Forme

NOUN, COUNTABLE photoengraving IMAGES, HALFTONES
engraving made by etching into metal where light exposure has not hardened plate

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE photogravure PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
where the gravure image is etched to cylinder photographically

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE phototypesetting COLD TYPE COMPOSITION
image of characters formed on sensitive film or paper by light beams

EQUIVALENT TERM pi LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
cute term, using the Greek letter pi to represent the word pie - see Printer's Pie

NOUN, COUNTABLE pi character . . . 1 CHARACTERS
character not included in a fount: it must be accessed by special means

NOUN, COUNTABLE pi character . . . 2 COLD TYPE COMPOSITION
character not on the normal keyboard: accessible by codes or alt layouts

NOUN, COUNTABLE pi matrix LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER
matrix that runs in the pi channel: does not run in a magazine channel

NOUN, COUNTABLE pica . . . . . . . 1 TYPE MEASUREMENTS
traditional typesize name, later taken as the standard 12 point measure

NOUN, COUNTABLE pica . . . . . . . 2 TYPE MEASUREMENTS
defined (around 1890?) as 0.1660 inch: 6 picas = 0.996 inch

NOUN, COUNTABLE pica . . . . . . . 3 COLD TYPE COMPOSITION
in some computers (1980's), pica became 1/6 inch thus 0.4 % more than historic

NOUN, COUNTABLE pica . . . . . . . 4 TYPE MEASUREMENTS
European equivalent of pica is the Cicero (about 7% larger)

NOUN, COUNTABLE pica . . . . . . . 5 LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
strip of 12pt lead or reglet: grab a few picas

VERB picking PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
ink too tacky, lifting fibres or coating from paper: fibres become hickeys

EQUIVALENT TERM pie LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
see printer's pie, pi

VERB pied LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
if you pie a job, the type is spilt or disarranged

NOUN, COUNTABLE pigment COLOUR WORK, PRINTING INKS
finely ground solid material: gives colour and opacity to ink

NOUN, COUNTABLE pin perforator CUTTING & CREASING
forces a row of pins through a few sheets at a time. Usu treadle operated.

NOUN, COUNTABLE planer LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
flat wooden block: placed on type during lockup and tapped with mallet

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE planographic printng PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
producing image from a flat surface, where image area is chemically different. Usu lithographic.

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE plaster matrix STEREOTYPING, RUBBER STAMPS
the plaster-cast matrix process places no pressure on the type and produces a grainless stereo

ABBREVIATION PMS (colour numbers) COLOUR WORK, PRINTING INKS
Pantone Matching System: now named Pantone Colors

NOUN, COUNTABLE point . . . . . . 1 TYPE MEASUREMENTS
fundamental unit for type body sizes: the point is defined as 1/12 pica

NOUN, COUNTABLE point . . . . . . 2 TYPE MEASUREMENTS
Anglo-American point is 0.013833 inch (1/12 of 0.1660) or 0.351 mm

NOUN, COUNTABLE point . . . . . . 3 TYPE MEASUREMENTS
some computers use pica = 1/6 inch: their point has become 0.013889 inch

NOUN, COUNTABLE point . . . . . . 4 TYPE MEASUREMENTS
points are also used for spacing and rules: 3pt leads; 1pt rule face on 2pt body

NOUN, COUNTABLE point . . . . . . 5 TYPE MEASUREMENTS
European point (or Didot) is 1/12 of a Cicero (about 0.0148 inch)

NOUN, COUNTABLE point . . . . . . 6 TYPE MEASUREMENTS
in practical terms, 36pt is half an inch, and so on: no easy conversion to metric

NOUN, COUNTABLE point size TYPE MEASUREMENTS
size of type body: typeface designed for that body size

ADVERB pointwise TYPE MEASUREMENTS
in the vertical axis of a piece of type: the bowl measures 3.6 pts, pointwise

ADJECTIVE portrait LAYOUT AND DESIGN
type block or image having height greater than width

NOUN, COUNTABLE positive . . . . . 1 PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT
film or print with image-bearing area in black, non-image white or clear

NOUN, COUNTABLE positive . . . . . 2 IMAGES, HALFTONES
colour film or print with correct (non reversed) colour renditions

BRAND NAME PostScript PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT
Adobe Systems' widely accepted system for defining and outputting text and images

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE prepress PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT
converting ideas and images into negatives and plates for printing

NOUN, COUNTABLE press check WORKFLOW
final check when job is already on the press: examining first printed sheets

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE preview mode COLD TYPE COMPOSITION
for non-WYSIWYG typesetters, a way of seeing page as it will print

NOUN, COUNTABLE printer spread LAYOUT AND DESIGN
pages laid out in the way they will appear on the printing plate - cf reader spread

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE printer's pie LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
the mess of types formed when quantity of type is spilt or dropped: a pied job

NOUN, COUNTABLE printmaking PRINTMAKING (FINE ART)
use of elementary forms of printing (etching, litho, letterpress, woodcuts) for artist-made prints

NOUN, COUNTABLE process camera PRE PRESS, COMPUTER LAYOUT
large camera to make full-size negative from artwork:may enlarge or reduce

EQUIVALENT TERM process engraving IMAGES, HALFTONES
same as photoengraving

NOUN, COUNTABLE progressive proofs COLOUR WORK, PRINTING INKS
series of proofs showing each colour printed over previous colours and singly

NOUN, COUNTABLE proof WORKFLOW
a copy of a work in progress, usually for checking and correcting

ABBREVIATION proofer PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
proofing press

NOUN, COUNTABLE proofing press PRINTING, ANY PROCESS
a press designed for proofing: usu simplified, perhaps hand inked or hand fed

NOUN, COUNTABLE proofreader PROOF READING & CORRECTING
once called corrector of the press and a greatly prized skill, now devalued but still important

NOUN, COUNTABLE proofreaders' marks PROOF READING & CORRECTING
standardised set of marks used on proof sheet to indicate corrections needed

VERB proofreading PROOF READING & CORRECTING
reading a proof copy beside the original copy to detect errors in content or style

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE proportional spacing TYPE FACE DESIGNS
set-sizes (body widths) varying to suit characters: most printing types conform to this

NOUN, UNCOUNTABLE pulp PAPER MAKING
raw material for paper making: mainly fibres from wood, paper and rags

NOUN, COUNTABLE pump stop LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER
stop-block under pump lever which moves away to allow casting only when vyce jaws detect full line

NOUN, COUNTABLE punch MATRICES FOR TYPECASTING
an original character carved into tip of steel rod and hardened

NOUN, COUNTABLE punch bar MONOTYPE COMPOSITION CASTER
33 cross bars actuated by keybar pips: each bar operates one ribbon punch

NOUN, COUNTABLE punch proof MATRICES FOR TYPECASTING
as each punch progressed, the letter-cutter would proof it to ensure its fidelity to design

NOUN, COUNTABLE quad . . . . . . . 1 LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
spacing material within the line but wider than word spaces: em quad, 3-em quad

VERB quad . . . . . . . 2 LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
use quads to quickly fill out blank portion of a line: quad the line [out]

NOUN, COUNTABLE quad caps case LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
upper case with four sets of divisions. One use is for founts withfour face sizes eg Mono Spartan

NOUN, COUNTABLE quadder LINOTYPE/INTERTYPE LINECASTER
attachment which can set mats to left right or centre without use of quad mats

NOUN, COUNTABLE quadding stick LUDLOW TYPOGRAPH SYSTEM
stick with slide to quickly infill space at RH end of line

EQUIVALENT TERM quadrat LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
the original term for quad before the abbreviation became the normal term

VERB quarter bind FINISHING & BOOKBINDING
staple front and back covers onto book and cover spine with wide adhesive cloth

NOUN, COUNTABLE quire PAPER SPECIFICATIONS
quantity of paper: 1/20 of a ream so normally 25 sheets

NOUN, COUNTABLE quoin LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
wedge or wedging device for locking type, spacing, etc into chase for printing

NOUN, COUNTABLE quoin, mechanical LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
expanding device of metal with wedges, cams, screws, etc

NOUN, COUNTABLE quoins, pair of LETTERPRESS COMPOSING
pair of wooden wedges or cast iron wedges, tightened by knocking together with a shooting stick


The definitions and formats in this work Copyright © E. Michael Isaachsen 2000.

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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