GRAPHIC DESIGN TERMS
A
ACHROMATIC: A colorless scheme using blacks, whites and grays.
ACROBAT: A product developed by Adobe systems to create PDF (Portable Document Format) files. Acrobat is an independent means of creating, viewing and printing documents.
AGGRESSIVE (Warm) COLORS: Reds, oranges and yellows.
AIRBRUSH: A propellant using compressed air that to spray a liquid, such as paint and ink.Often used in used in illustration and photo retouching.
ALIGNMENT: The adjustment of arrangement or position in lines of a text or an image; left, right, centered, etc.
ALPHA CHANNEL: The process of incorporating an image with a background to create the appearance of partial transparency. Alpha channels are used to create masks that allow you to confine or protect parts of an image you want to apply color and opacity, and also to make other changes.
ANALOG PROOF (PREPRESS PROOF): A proof that uses ink jet, toner, dyes, overlays, photographic, film or other methods to give a an idea of what the finished product should look like.
ANALOGOUS: Using any shades, tints or tones of colors that lie adjacent to each other on the color wheel.
ANCHOR POINT: Points that allow the user to manipulate a path's shape or direction by clicking the point and moving it in a direction. They appear along the path at every curve and at the beginning and end of a path. You can also add or subtract anchor points on a path.
ANIMATED GIF: A small animation based on continuous GIF images, giving the impression of movement or action.
ANIMATION: Generating movement by displaying a series of images using frames.
ART DIRECTOR: The individual responsible for the selection, execution, production, so on, of graphic art.
ASYMMETRICAL: When graphics and/or text are not identical on both sides of a central line.
B
BAD BREAK: Widows or orphans in text copy, or any break that causes awkward reading.
BAR: The horizontal or vertical line drawn through a grapheme (unit of writing, such as a letter). Sometimes added to distinguish one grapheme from another.
BASELINE: An imaginary line upon which letters sit and descenders extend below the baseline.
BEVEL: A tool in design software for drawing angles or modifying the surface of work to a certain inclination.
BEZIER CURVE: A parametric curve that represents a vector path in computer graphics; frequently drawn using a pen tool and by placing anchor points which can be controlled to form shapes or lines.
BINDERY: The place where books are bound.
BITMAP: A series of bits in a structure that represents a graphic image. The color of each pixel is individually defined.
BLEED: When a graphic object extends through another in an unwanted manned. It is then trimmed so there is no chance for a white line on the edges.
BMP (BitMaP): This type of image is a bitmapped graphics format used by Windows. It has a lower resolution and is commonly used as a simple graphics file format. BMP files are usually not compressed and are typically much largee than compressed image file formats. As such, BMPs are generally unsuitable for transferring images on the internet. (Uses: invoices in QuickBooks) (filename.bmp @ recommended 72dpi)
BODY TYPE: The typeface used in the main text of printed matter
BORDER: The decorative design or edge of a surface or line or area that forms an outer boundary.
C
CALL TO ACTION: In advertising, this refers to the portion of ad copy that encourages consumers to actively engage in the purchase of a product or service. All effective sales copy should include a snappy call to action featured prominently at a central position in the web or print advertisement.
CANVAS SIZE: Allows you to change the complete size of the document without adjusting the contents of the document.
CHROMA or INTENSITY: The brightness or dullness of a color.
CLIPPING PATH: A tool or shape that is used to cut out an image.
CLONING PIXELS: A function that allows you to replicate pixels from one place to another.
CMYK COLOR MODEL: A ‘subtractive color model’ used in printing. It is used to create, define and describe colors. It is based on mixing pigments to make other colors.
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black): Represents the colors used in 4-color process printing: C=Cyan, M=Magenta, Y=Yellow and K=Black. are: C=Cyan, M=Magenta, Y=Yellow and K=Black.
COLOR AND DISTANCE: Distance causes receding (cool) colors to "black out." Consequently, lighter values of color should be employed for greater emphasis.
COLOR AND LIGHT: Subdued evening and candlelight create a distortion of color. Under these circumstances, light colors need more intensity and dark colors less.
COLOR MANAGEMENT: Depending on whether you are looking at a monitor, a piece of paper or through a camera lens, color changes. While computers use a RGB color system, printers use a CMYK color system, and often, translation between the two is difficult. Color management involves making an effort to color-match as colors are transferred through every phase of the production process, from image creation to printing. Some jobs, such as those where precise coloring is very important, require ‘critical color’ matching.’ Others, where color plays second fiddle to content or concept, may only require ‘acceptable color’ matching to achieve a close match.
COLOR WHEEL: A circular diagram which shows the relationship between different colors. There are many kinds of color wheels, but the CMYK wheel is used most effectively by color printers because the huge gamut of colors resulting from combinations of cyan, magenta, and yellow organized on the wheel provides the ideal guide to duplicating any color that is printed with precision. Color wheels are helpful to the artist, designer and printer in selecting effective and accurate color combinations.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS: Colors which, when mixed together, cancel each other's hue to produce an achromatic (white, gray or black) mixture. They are usually found on opposite sides of the color wheel. Side by side, they are considered to offer the most striking contrasts, but mixed, they produce a neutral, gray or black mixture. Yellow and purple are an example of complementary colors.
COLOR PALETTE: A set of colors that make up the total range of colors used in graphic computers.
COMP or COMPOSITE or COMPREHENSIVE: A print out or mock up of the initial design project to show what it will look like before it is printed, showing the layout of the text and illustrations.
CONTRAST: The difference in color found between the light and dark parts of an image.
COPY: Editorial text supplied for incorporation into a design or website.
CROP: To cut off parts of a picture or image. A croping tool removes portions of an image; usually used on digital photographs.
D
DESCENDER: The part of a lowercase letter that stretches below the body.
DIAD: Using two colors that are two colors apart on the color wheel (i.e. red and orange).
DIE CUT: A die that cut shapes or holes in a wide range of material.
DINGBAT: An ornament used in typesetting to add space around an image or a symbol.
DODGE: To lighten or reduce part of an image by shading.
DOT GAIN: A term used to explain the difference in size between the dot on the plate vs. the dot on the paper. When the ink hits the paper, it is absorbed and somewhat spreads out.
DOUBLE PAGE SPREAD: A double page spread is a layout that extends across two pages.
DPI or DOTS PER INCH: A term to describe the measure of sharpness within an image. Images and files should be at least 300dpi in order to print clean and sharp.
DROP SHADOW: A visual effect added to an image to give the impression the image is raised from the background by duplicating the shadow.
DUMMY: A mock up or display of the final product.
DUOTONE: A method of printing an image using two colors, usually black and a spot color.
E
EAR: The rounded part of the lowercase letters such as ‘g’ and ‘q’.
ELEMENT: Any distinct part of a layout, such as the logo, headline, images or borders.
EMBEDDING: Process of transfering all the data of a font or image into the file itself.
EMBOSS: To give a three dimensional effect to a text or an image by using highlights and shadows on the sides of the illustration.
ENGRAVING: To print designs by cutting the surface of a metal plate.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript): An EPS is a vector image that you can make as big or as small as you would like without compromising print quality. Your printers, silk screeners/embroiders and sign builders will use these files. (Uses: stationery, brochures, ads, packaging, apparel, signs, billboards, vehicle graphics, some Microsoft Office Programs and virtually any page layout, word processing and graphic applications accept imported or placed EPS files) (filename.eps @ recommended 300dpi)
ETCH: To imprint a design onto the surface of a plate by using a chemical such as acid.
EXPORT: To save a file in a format usable by other programs.
EXTENDERS: The part of a letter which extends above the mid line, such as ‘b” or “d”.
E-ZINE: An electronic magazine and refers to the name of a website that is represented for a print magazine; an online only magazine that you can subscribe to.
F
FEATHERING: A tool used in graphic design software that makes the edges of an image appear softer.
FILL: A tool used to fill selected parts of an image with a selected color.
FILTER: A pre-created effect that can be applied to images to acquire a certain look.
FLEXOGRAPHY: A printing technique where printing plates are made of rubber or soft plastic material and then stretched around a drum on the press that rotates.
FLYER: A single sheet of paper handed out or posted on a wall to advertise or announce something.
FOIL STAMP: The procedure of pressing a heated die on top of a sheet of foil, which fress the foil from its backing and attaches itself to a surface.
FOLIO: This is a single leaf of a manuscript or book and also refers to a line on each page that contains the page number and other publication information.
FONT: A complete combination of characters created in a specific type of one style and size. The set of characters in a font entail the letter set, the number set and all of the special characters and marks you get when pressing the shift key or other command keys on your keyboard.
FOUR-COLOR PROCESS or 4-COLOR PROCESS: The process of combining four basic colors to create a printed color picture or colors composed from the basic four colors. The colors used in 4-color process are: C=Cyan, M=Magenta, Y=Yellow and K=Black - also known as CMYK.
FRAMES: (1) In animation, a frame is a single graphic in a distribution of graphic images. The speed of an animation is judged by frames per second. (2) In printing, a frame is a like a border or decorative design that forms an outer boundary.
G
GANG or GANG RUN: To combine multiple jobs on one print plate in order to reduce costs and setup charges.
GAMUT: The range of colors available to a particular output device or a given color space, such as a laser printer or an image setter. If the color range is too wide for that specific device, it is indicated as ‘out of gamut’.
GATEFOLD: A type of fold in which the paper is folded inward to form four or more panels.
GIF (Graphics Interfile Format): A GIF is another low resolution file that displays up to 256 colors, great for web and computer use. It is fully optimized to view with any browser. It supports animation and allows an individual palette of 256 color for each frame. The color limitation makes the GIF format inappropriate for reproducing color photographs and other images with consistent color. GIF images are compressed using the LZW lossless data compression method to decrease the size of the file without corrupting the visual quality. (Uses: website, internet marketing, email signature, email marketing and some Microsoft Office Programs) (filename.gif @ recommended 72dpi)
GRADIENT: A function in graphic software that permits the user to fill an object or image with a smooth transition of colors.
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Visual communication using text or images to represent an idea or concept. It is also a term used for all activities relating to visual design, including web design, logo design, ad design, print design, etc.
GRAPHICS: Visual presentations that feature printed messages more clear or appealing.
GRAYSCALE: Images that consist of no color (black and white) and up to 256 shades of gray.
GRID: A two-dimensional format made up of a set of horizontal and vertical axis used to structure content.
GUTTERS: In book production, the white space formed by the inner margins of a spread near the books spine.
HALFTONE: (1) To photograph or scan a consistent tone image to alter the image into halftone dots, (2) A photograph or continuous-tone illustration that has been half toned and that is displayed on film, paper, printing plate or the final printed product.
H
HALO EFFECT: A vague shadow sometimes surrounding halftone dots printed. Also called "halation." The halo itself is called a fringe.
HARD COPY: The permanent reproduction of the output of a computer or printer. For example: continuous printed tapes, computer printouts, archived discs, etc.
HEADER: The text which appears at the top of a printed page
HEADLINE: A large text illustrating the opening statement used in a layout.
HIGHLIGHTS: Lightest part of a photograph or halftone, as opposed to midtones and shadows.
HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGE: An image with an extreme level of sharpness/clarity.
HLS: A color space that represents hue, lightness and saturation.
HSB: A color space that represents hue, saturation and brightness.
HUE: Another name for color.
I
I-BEAM: The form the pointer assumes when the text tool is chosen.
IDEOGRAPH or IDEOGRAM: A character or symbol representing an idea without expressing the punctuation of a specific word or words for it.
IMAGE MAP: An image map is an HTML document containing multiple clickable hyperlinks.
IMAGESETTER: Laser output device for producing professional-quality text with extremely high resolution
IMPOSITION: A layout of pages on mechanicals or flats so they will appear in proper order after press sheets are folded and bound.
INDENTS: A set in or back from the margin.
INITIAL CAP: Big, capital letters which are found at the beginning of paragraphs or chapters.
INKJET PRINTER: A printer which tiny ink droplets are sprayed electrostatically onto paper.
INTENSITY or CHROMA: The brightness or dullness of a color.
INVERT: Inversion of the tonal values or colors of an image. On an inverted image, black becomes white, blue becomes orange, etc.
ITALIC: The style of letters that usually slope to the right. Used for emphasis within text.
J
JOG: To arrange sheets of paper into a compact pile.
JPEG or JPG (Joint Professional Experts Group): A JPEG is a web-ready image that can be viewed with any browser. Since it has a much lower resolution and compresses file size by selectively discarding data, a JPEG can not be enlarged without losing design detail. This file is for web and proof use only and is not recommended for printing. (Uses: website, internet marketing, email signature, email marketing and some Microsoft Office Programs) (filename.jpg @ recommended 150dpi)
JUSTIFY: To make a line of type a certain length by spacing out the words and numbers.
K
KERNING: Modifying the horizontal space between letters.
KEY COLOR: Dominant color in a color scheme or mixture.
KEYFRAME: Any frame in which a specific aspect of an item (its size, location, color, etc.) is specifically defined.
KEYLINE: A keyline is another name for a rule, line or even a frame border. Keylines can be set in design software applications to different widths, to be solid or dotted, or even with numerous patterns.
L
LAYERS: A tool within graphic software that permits the user to gather, organize and re-edit their artwork.
LEADING: The amount of vertical spacing between lines of text.
LEAF: One piece of paper in a publication.
LEGEND: A table on a map, chart, etc. listing the specific illustrations and how to use them.
LETTERPRESS: A technique of printing from raised surfaces, either a type of metal or plates whose surfaces have been carved away from image areas. Also called "block printing."
LOSSLESS: A form of data compression where the detail is maintained and no data is lost after file downsizing. The lossless compression method is often used in TIFF and GIF formats.
LOSSY: A form of data compression where detail is deleted as the file size are decreased. A usual lossy compression method is JPEG.
LOWERCASE: The smaller form of letter used in type.
LOW-RESOLUTION IMAGE: A low-quality image; may appear well online but is not good for printing.
LUMINOSITY: The brightness of an area arranged by the amount of light it reflects or diffuses.
M
MAGIC WAND TOOL: A tool in graphic software that permits the user to select fractions of an image, such as, areas with the same color.
MARGINS: Guidelines in page layout software to show the user the body copy areas. It also allows the user to indicate the dimensions. Margins do not print.
MASK: See Clipping Path.
MASTER PAGE: A property found in page layout software that allows the user to create a constant page layout. Repeating elements like page numbers are created once on a master. This permits the user to stay clear of adding the numbers to each page manually.
MATTE FINISH: Non-glossy finish on photographic paper or coated printing paper.
MEAN LINE: The line on which the top parts of most of the lowercase letters lay. Imaginary point of all lowercase characters without ascenders.
MIDTONES: In a photograph or illustration, tones composed by dots between 30-70% of coverage, as opposed to highlights and shadows.
MOCK UP: A recreation of the original printed material and possibly containing instructions or direction.
MODERN: An altered version of Old Style typeface. These high contrast letters have heavy, untapered stems and light serifs. Originally established by Firmin Didot and Giambattista Bodoni during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
MONOCHROMATIC: Using any shade, tint or tone of one color.
MULTIMEDIA: (1) In brandingm, multimedia consists of various communications, such as, print, web, television, radio, etc. (2) In fine art, multimedia is a combination of different materials in one project, like paint, charcoal, clay, wire, etc.
N
NEON GLOW: A type of glow on a graphic image that gives the appearance of neon lighting.
NEUTRAL GRAY: Combination of black and white.
NEWSPRINT: Lower grade paper used in printing newspapers; stretches on the press.
NOISE: Distracting pixels around the main object which are typically not intended.
O
OBLIQUE: A Roman typeface which slants to the right. Often confused with italics.
OFFSET PRINTING: A printing method that transfers ink from a plate to a blanket to paper instead of directly from plate to paper.
OLDSTYLE: A style of typeface characterized by slight contrast between light and heavy strokes and slanting serif.
OPACITY: The degree of a color or tonal value. The opacity of an image or object can range from transparent (0% opacity) to opaque (100% opacity). The ability to edit the opacity of specific objects allows the designer to create images that seem to flow into and through one another.
OPENTYPE: A newer font format created by Adobe and Microsoft designed for use on Mac and Windows operating systems. Open Type fonts can include a set of glyphs defined as TrueType or Type1 curves.
ORPHAN LINE: The first line of a paragraph appearing on its own at the bottom on a page with the remaining part of the paragraph appearing on the next page.
OUTLINE: The outside edge of a font or to the outer edge of a vector graphic image, drawn in a package such as Illustrator or Freehand.
OVERLAY: Layer of material taped to a mechanical, photo or proof. Acetate overlays are used to divide colors by having some type or art on them instead of on the mounting board. Tissue overlays are used to carry instructions about the underlying copy and to protect the base art.
OVERPRINT: To print additional material or another color over a previously printed image.
OVERRUN: Additional printed material beyond order. Overage policy differs in the printing industry, usually within 10% of the original quantity run.
P
PAGE LAYOUT: The setup and style of content on a page. An example of a page layout is the pages in magazines or brochures.
PAGE LAYOUT PROGRAM or WORD PROCESSING PROGRAM: A software application package that assists in creating, editing and printing.
PAGE SIZE: A setting that allows the user to define the dimensions of a page.
PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM (PMS): The Pantone matching system is used for defining and blending match colors. It accommodates designers with swatches of over 700 colors and gives printers the formulas for making those colors.
PDF (Portable Document Format): A universal file format that can be transferred easily online and is recognized by all computer operating systems. These files can also be saved as high resolution PDFs for professional printing.
PICA: A unit of measurement for type. Commonly used for typewriters.
PIXEL: The smallest picture content that can be individually assigned a color.
PLATE: A piece of paper, metal, plastic or rubber carrying an image to be duplicated using a printing press.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics): A PNG (pronounced “ping”) was created to improve and replace the GIF format while maintaining background transparency. It is a bitmapped image format that employs lossless data compression. The PNG format displays images without jagged edges while keeping file sizes rather small, making them popular on the web. PNG files are generally larger than GIF files and can be 10 times the size of a JPEG file but preserve sharp edges. PNG files are designed for transferring images on the internet, not professional print graphics, and so does not support other color spaces such as CMYK. PNG supports palette-based, grayscale or RGB images. (filename.png @ recommended 72dpi)
PPI or PIXELS PER INCH: A measurement of the resolution of a computer display.
PRIMARY COLORS: Red, yellow and blue cannot be mixed from any other colors. The primary colors are put together to produce the full range of other colors (non-primary colors), within a color model. The primary colors for the additive color model is: Red, Green and Blue. The primary colors for the subtractive color model is: Cyan, Magenta and Yellow.
Q
QUARKXPRESS: An industry leading page layout application utilized by professional graphic designers and printers.
QUICK MASK: A filter in Photoshop in which a translucent colored mask covers selective areas of an image.
QUICK TIME: A program used for displaying and editing animation. It was developed by Apple Computer and built into MAC operating systems.
R
RAGGED: The imbalanced alignment of text lines. Ragged is the opposite of flush. A text block may be formatted to be evenly flush (align) right and unevenly aligned (ragged) on the left.
RASTERIZE: A vector image that has been converted to a bitmapped. When opening a vector image in a bitmap-based editing program, you are generally presented with a dialog box of options for rasterizing the image.
RECEDING (Cool) COLORS: Greens, blues and violets.
RESAMPLE: A function accessible in image editing that permits the user to change the resolution of the image while keeping its pixel count intact.
RESOLUTION: This is an important factor in deciding the attainable output quality. The higher the resolution of an image, the less pixilated it will be and the curves of the image will appear smoother.
RGB (Red, Green, Blue): The color model used to project color on a computer monitor. By conbining these three colors, a large percentage of the visible color spectrum can be represented.
RICH MEDIA: Banner ads that use technology more developed than standard GIF animation, for example; Flash, Shockwave, Streaming video etc.
RIGHT JUSTIFIED: Type aligned with its right margin. Also known as “flush right.”
RIP (Raster Image Processor): Transfers fonts and graphics into raster images, which are used by the printer to draw onto the page.
RIVERS: A river is a typographic term for the ugly white gaps that can appear in justified columns of type, when there is too much space between words on concurrent lines of text. Rivers are particularly common in narrow columns of text, where the type size is relatively large.
ROYALTY-FREE PHOTOS: Intellectual property like photos and graphic images that are sold for a single standard fee. These can be used repeatedly by the purchaser only, but the company that sold the images usually still owns all the rights to it.
S
SANS SERIF: A style of typeface that means “without feet.” The most common sans serif typefaces include Arial, Helvetica, AvantGarde and Verdana.
SATURATION: The Intensity of hue. The quality of difference from a gray of the same lightness or brightness
SCALE: A design or program is said to scale if it is relevantly efficient and reasonable when applied to larger situations
SCREEN PRINTING: The technique of printing by using a squeegee to force ink through an assembly of mesh fabric (screen) and a stencil.
SECONDARY COLORS: Two primary colors mixed together resulting in orange, green and violet.
SELECTION: An area of an image that is isolated so it can be edited while the rest of the image is protected.
SHADE: Color plus black.
SHADOW DETAIL: The amount of detail held in the dark areas of an image. If the shadow is lightened too much in an attempt to expose more detail, the risk is there to reduce the overall contrast of the image.
SHARPEN: To reduce in color strength, as when halftone dots become smaller; opposite of “thicken” or “dot spread.”
SMALL CAPS: Letters that are about the same height as the tvpeface’s x-height. Some software programs automatically create their own small caps, but true small caps are often only found in expert typefaces.
SPREAD: (1) Two pages that face each other and are created as one visual or production unit. (2) Method of slightly enlarging the size of an image to make a hairline trap with another image. Also called "fatty."
SPLIT COMPLEMENTS: Choosing one color and using the color on each side of its complement on the color wheel.
SUBTRACTIVE COLOR: The three subtractive primary colors: Cyan, Magenta and Yellow, as opposed to the three additive colors: Red, Blue and Green.
T
TEMPLATE: A general layout. A printing project’s basic details in regards to its dimensions.
TERTIARY (Intermediate) COLORS: One primary color and one secondary color mixed together.
TETRAD: A contrast of four or more colors on the color wheel.
TEXT WRAP: Specific to the way that text can be shaped around the edges of images.
THUMBNAIL: A reduced-size version of the original image; used for preview mode.
TIFF or TIF (Tagged Image File Format): A flexible bitmap image, a tif is a raster, high-resolution file that is used for basic printing and transferring digital images among various applications. (filename.tiff @ recommended 300dpi)
TINT: Color plus white.
TOLERANCE: The range of pixels in which a tool in graphic software functions. Or the range of shade or color pixels a Magic Wand tool selects, etc.
TONAL DISTRIBUTION: Tones can be redistributed during the scanning or image editing process in order to lighten dark images or to darken light images.
TONE: Color plus gray.
TRIAD: Color scheme in which three colors are equally spaced from each other (i.e. the three primary colors - red, blue and yellow).
TRIM SIZE: The size of the printed material in its finished stage.
TRUE COLOR SYSTEM: A 24-plane graphics subsystem which composes the entire range of 16.7 million colors.
TYPEFACE: A series of fonts and a full range of characters, such as, numbers, letters, marks and punctuations.
U
UNCOATED PAPER: A stock that has not had a coating applied to it for smoothness.
UNSHARP MASK: A method used to heighten the sharpness or focus of images by selecting and increasing the contrast of pixels alongside the edges of images.
UPPERCASE: Also known as capital letters, they are the larger characters in a typeface.
UV COATING: A glossy coating applied to the paper surface and dried using ultraviolet light. It is glossy and adds a certain level of protection to the printed material.
V
VALUE: The lightness or darkness of a color.
VARNISH: A liquid coating applied to a surface for protection and for a high gloss effect.
VECTOR GRAPHICS: These type of files allow the designer to enlarge or reduce the image without any loss in quality..
VERSO: The left-hand page of a book or a manuscript.
W
WATERMARK: A translucent design impressed on paper created during manufacture, it is visible when held to light.
WEB-SAFE COLORS: A color table containing only 216 out of a possible 256 colors, used to accurately match the colors of graphics and pictures in cross-platform browsers.
WEIGHT: The range of a stroke’s width. Also knows as light, semibold and bold. Some typeface families have many weights like ultra-bold and extra-light. Associated to the heaviness of the stroke for a specific font, such as Light, Regular, Book, Demi, Heavy, Black and Extra Bold.
WHITE POINT: One of a handful of reference illuminants used in colourimetry which is used to define the lack opf color or “white.” Based on the application, different definitions of white are needed to give sufficient results.
WHITE POINT ADJUSTMENT: Establishes the amount of highlighted detail in an image.
WIDOW LINE: A single line of a paragraph at the bottom of a page or column.
WIDTH: Refers to whether the basic typeface has been lengthened or compressed horizontally. The typical variations are Condensed, Normal or Extended.
WORD PROCESSING PROGRAM or PAGE LAYOUT PROGRAM: A software application package that assists in creating, editing and printing.
WORK AND TURN: This is when you print on one side of a sheet of paper and then turn the sheet over from left to right and print the other side. The same gripper and plate are used for this process.
WYSIWYG: "What You See Is What You Get." This is an approximate screen representation of what the final printed image will look like.
X
X-HEIGHT or MEAN LINE: The height of the lowercase letters that do not have ascenders or decenders, such as a, c, e and mm.
Y
YELLOW: One of the subtractive primary colors of CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) that is used in four-color process inks.
Z
ZIP or Zone Information Protocol: This is a way of compressing files into a smaller size so they can be transferred with more ease over the Internet or any other means.
ZOOM: Most design software lets you zoom in or out on an image to get a closer or farther away look. Zooming in is especially useful when photo retouching or working on tiny details.