Glossary

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M
Abbreviation for a quantity of 1,000 sheets of paper.
Machine coated
Paper, which is coated one-or two-sides on a paper machine.
Machine direction
Same as grain direction in paper.
Magenta
Hue of a subtractive primary and a 4-colour process ink. It reflects or transmits blue and red light and absorbs green light.
Magnetic storage
Any disc, film, tape, drum or core that is used to store digital information.
Make-up
In composition, the arrangement of lines of type and illustrations into sections or pages of proper length.
Markeready
In printing, all work done to set up a press for printing.
Mask
In offset lithography, opaque material used to protect open or selected areas of a printing plate during exposure.
Master
The original copy.
Matt finish
Dull paper finish without gloss or lustre.
Mechanical pulp
In papermaking, ground wood pulp produced by mechanically grinding logs or wood chips. It is used mainly for newsprint and as an ingredient of base stock for lower grade publication papers.
Megabyte (MB)
One million bites.
Menu
In electronic publishing, a method for selecting alternative functions displayed as a list on a workstation screen. Selection via mouse keys or sequence of keys.
Methane
A natural gas responsible for about 16% of green-house gasses.
Middle tones
The tonal range between highlights and shadows of a photograph or reproduction.
Mill Broke
Paper that is impaired before it leaves the paper mill and is unsuitable for commercial sale. It is then repulped and added back into the paper making cycle.
Modem
(Modulator/DeModulator) A device that converts computer data into high frequency signals or vice versa, for transmission over phone lines.
Moire
In colour process printing, the undesirable screen pattern caused by incorrect screen angles of overprinting halftones.
Molleton
In offset lithography, a thick cotton fabric similar to flannel used on the dampening rollers of a press.
Monitor
A video screen on a workstation.
Monoculture
The large scale commercial growing of a single type of crop, in this case, trees suitable for pulping. Growing crops of any sort on a monoculture basis has considerable environmental impact. 
Montage
In artwork, several photographs combined to form a composite illustration.
Mottle
The spotty or uneven appearance of printing. Mottle may be apparent in solid ares, vignettes and areas of mid range screens. The cause may vary but is usually a combination of the design, press conditions and paper. Changing any of factors will usually eliminate the problem. Types of mottle include base sheet, back trap and printing machine mottle.
Mouse
A hand-held device that moves the cursor on a workstation by moving the device on a flat surface.
Mylar
In offset preparation, a polyester film specially suited for stripping positives because of its mechanical strength and dimensional stability.