Glossary

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CAD/CAM
Acronym for Computer Assisted Design, Computer Assisted Make-up or Manufacturing.
Calender Rolls
A set or stack of horizontal rolls at the end of a paper machine. The paper is passed between the rolls to increase the smoothness and gloss of its surface.
Calliper
The thickness of paper usually expressed in thousandths of a centimetre (microns). Sometimes in points (hundredths of an inch).
Camera Ready
Copy, which is ready for photography.
Case
In bookbinding, the covers of a hardbound book.
Cast Coated
Coated paper dried under pressure against a polished cylinder to produce a high-gloss enamel finish.
CCD
Acronym for Charged Couple Device. An electronic scanning device used in imaging systems.
CD-ROM
Acronym for Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory. A CD-ROM drive uses the CD format as a computer storage medium.
Cellulose
A complex carbohydrate which is synthesised by all green land plants. Cellulose obtained from trees account for over 90% of primary cellulose fibre used in the paper making process.
Chain of Custody (CoC)
The "Chain of Custody" concept ensures that wood and paper products are certified at each stage of manufacture providing a means to identify products that meet stringent environmental standards.
Chalking
In printing, a term which refers to improper drying of ink. Pigment dusts off because the vehicle has been absorbed too rapidly into the paper.
Character Generation
The production of typographic images using font master data. Generated to screens or output devices.
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)
Chemical substances which consume oxygen. It is a measure of theamount of oxygen required for the total chemical breakdown of organic substances in water.
Chemical Pulp
In papermaking, treatment of wood chips with chemicals to liberate the cellulose fibres by removing the binding agents such as lignin resins and gums. There are two types, sulphite and sulphate.
Chemistry
In photography and plate making, a term used to describe the composition of processing solutions.
Chlorine Bleaching
The use of either chlorine gas or chlorine dioxide in the production of chemical pulp. Used to fully separate out the cellulose fibres and to produce an acceptable white pulp.
Chlorine Free Pulp
Should mean TCF (Totally Chlorine Free) pulp, but may also refer to ECF (Elemental Chlorine Free) pulp.
Chokes And Spreads
Overlap of overprinting images to avoid colour or white fringes or borders around image detail. Called trapping in digital imaging systems.
Clearcut
The removal of all the background from around an image.
CMYK
A short hand notation for four colour process printing signifying cyan, magenta, yellow and black ink printing.
Coated Paper
Any quality of paper that has been coated with a pigment (usually china clay or calcium carbonate) together with a mixture of binders, (starch and polymers). Coating gives a smooth shiny, satin, or matt surface to improve printability; coated papers are commonly used for four-colour process printing.
Coating
In plate making, the light-sensitive polymer or mixture applied to a metal plate. In printing, an emulsion, varnish or lacquer applied over a printed surface to protect it.
Cold Colour
In printing, a colour with a bluish cast.
Collate
In binding, the gathering of sheets or signatures.
Colour Balance
The correct combination of cyan, magenta and yellow to: (1) reproduce a photograph without a colour cast, (2) produce a neutral grey, or (3) reproduce the colours in the original scene or object.
Colour Correction
Any method such as masking, dot etching, re-etching and scanning used to improve colour rendition.
Colour Filter
A sheet of dyed glass, gelatine or plastic, or dyed gelation cemented between glass plates, used in photography to absorb certain colours and transmit others. The filters used for colour separation are blue, green and red.
Colour Proofs
See off-press proofs progressive proofs.
Colour Separation
In photography, the process of separation colour originals into the primary printing colour components in negative or positive form.
Commercial Register
Colour printing on which the misregister allowable is within + one row of dots.
Common Impression Cylinder Press
In flexography, letterpress and lithography, a press with a number of printing units around a large impression cylinder.
Computerised Composition
An all-inclusive term for the use of computers to automatically perform the functions of hyphenation, justification and page formatting.
Concertina Fold
In binding, a term used for two or more parallel folds, which open like a concertina.
Condensed Type
A narrow or slender typeface.
Contact Screen
A halftone screen on film having a dot structure of graded density used a vacuum contact with the photographic film to produce halftones.
Continuous Tone
A photographic image, which contains gradient tones from black to white.
Contrast
The tonal graduation between the highlights, middle tones and shadows in an original or reproduction.
Copy
Any furnished material (typewritten manuscript, pictures, artwork, etc.) to be used in the production of printing.
Copy fitting
In composition, the calculation of how much space a given amount of copy will take up in a given size and typeface. Also, the adjusting of the type size to make it fit in a given amount of space.
Copy Preparation
Directions for, and checking of, desired size and other details for illustrations, and the arrangement into proper position of various parts of the page to be photographed or electronically processed for reproduction.
Corporate Reporting
Reporting which is based on guidelines to achieve sustainable development. Among these are the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) used internationally and Triple Bottom Line (TBL), a reporting system used in Australia which covers economic, social and environmental issues.
Cover
The outer four pages of a book or brochure. Often using different stck to the body of the work.Also often used to describe heavy, (above 175 gsm), coloured or textured paperboards, as in text and cover.
Cover Paper
A term applied to a variety of papers used for the covers of catalogues, brochures, booklets and similar pieces.
Crop
To eliminate portions of the copy, usually on a photograph or plate, indicated on the original by crop-marks.
Cross-marks
See: Register Marks.
CRT
Acronym for Cathode Ray Tube-a video display.
CTP
Acronym for computer-to-plate.
Curl
In paper, the distortion of a sheet due to differences in structure or coatings from one side to the other, or to absorption of moisture on an offset press.
Cut Off
In web printing, the cut or print length.
Cut score
In die-cutting, a sharp-edged knife, usually several thousandths of an inch lower than the cutting rules in a die, made to cut part way into the paper or board for folding purposes.
Cyan
Hue of a subtractive primary and a 4-colour process ink. It reflects or transmits blue and green light and absorbs red light.
Cylinder Gap
In printing presses, the gap or space in the cylinders of a press where the mechanism for plate (or blanket). Clamps and grippers (sheeted) are housed.