Acid Free (Neutral pH)
A quality of all papers manufactured by Mohawk. Acid-free papers are manufactured in an alkaline environment, which prevents the internal chemical deterioration of the paper over time. The addition of calcium carbonate as a buffer also makes the paper resistant to the effects of an external acidic environment.

AF&PA
The American Forest & Paper Association is the national trade association for the forest, paper and wood products industry. Members grow, harvest and process wood and wood fiber, manufacture pulp, paper and paperboard products from both virgin and recycled fiber and produce solid wood products. One of AF&PA’s main objectives is to support sound environmental and economic practices in the growth, harvest and use of forests.

Air emissions
Air polluting by-products from combustion or manufacturing activities.

Alternative energy
Alternative energy refers to energy sources that are not based on the burning of fossil fuels or the splitting of atoms. For example, solar energy, wind power and hydroelectricity.

ANSI
American National Standards Institute facilitates the development of consensus standards and conformity assessment systems.

ascii
A file encoded in the industry-standard representation for text, ascii(acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange; pronounced “ask-ee”). An ascii file contains only plain text and basic text-formatting characters such as spaces and carriage returns; it does not contain graphics or special character formatting. The ascii character set of a microcomputer usually includes 256 characters or control codes. For example, the letter “A” is stored as ascii 65, “B” as 66, “a” as 97, “b” as 98, etc. Some ascii “characters” do not display as characters on the screen but instead control the display in other ways. ascii 8 is the backspace, 10 is the line feed, 13 is the carriage return, and 27 is escape. Other ascii characters, consisting of letters from non-English alphabets and graphic symbols, fall in the range from ascii 128 to 255.

Basis Weight
The weight in pounds of 500 sheets (one ream) of a standard basic size. For example, the standard basic size for text papers is 25x38”. A ream of basis 70 text sheets in that size weighs 70 lbs. The basic size for cover papers is 20x26”. Weighing 500 sheets of any grade of paper in its proper basic size will determine its basis weight. In other words, 500 sheets of 17x22” 24-pound Bond will weigh 24 pounds.

Beneficial use
The use of a waste product that poses no threat to human health or the environment in another process that provides a positive benefit to the public and the environment; for example, the use of sludge, a by-product of paper manufacturing, in the composting of materials to produce a high-grade soil conditioner.

Biodegradable
Biodegradable waste is capable of being broken down into non-harmful products by the action of living things such as microorganisms.

Biosphere
The regions of the earth’s surface, subsurface and atmosphere where living organisms exist.

BEP
Best Engineering Practices are techniques and/or methodologies that, through experience and research, have proven to reliably lead to a desired result. A commitment to using the best practices in engineering is a commitment to using all the knowledge and technology at one’s disposal to ensure success.

Bit
Short for binary digit, it is the smallest unit of information a computer can interpret. It can indicate only two conditions-black or white, for instance, or on or off.

Bitmap
A computerized image made up of dots. Images are “mapped” directly from corresponding bits in memory (hence the name). Also referred to as paint format.

Bleed
An image that is printed to the edges of a page, or the ability of a press or printer to print an image to the edges of a page. A full bleed document is printed on a larger sheet and is trimmed to size, since ink or toner would foul press cylinders or belts if it actually extended off the edges of the paper.

Boiler
An enclosed vessel in which water is heated and circulated, either as hot water or as steam, for heat or power.

Boolean
Use of operators “and,” “or,” and “not” to combine search terms.

Bond
Originally a term applied to cotton-content paper used for printing bonds and legal documents, and distinguished by strength, performance, and durability. Bond paper may now be made from either cotton, chemical wood pulp, or a combination of the two. Today, writing, digital, and cut-size papers are often identified with the bond scale.

Book
General term for papers suitable for the graphic arts; may be coated or uncoated. Equivalent in weight to text papers.

Brand equity
A brand’s valuation, sometimes quantitative, based on an audience’s positive and negative perceptions of its quality, relevance, scale, influence and similar factors.

Brand identity
The attributes, characteristics or personality that a brand aspires to communicate.

Brand loyalty
When consumers’ disposition toward a brand is so favorable that it creates a “barrier to exit,” making it difficult for other brands to compete.

Brand name
The title of a product, line of products or service established for trade in a commercial
marketplace. Most are designated and protected by trademark.

Brand positioning
The simplest expression of what an organization wants its products or services to stand for in the mind of a target audience. It is the nuts-and-bolts idea upon which a marketing message is built.

Brand strategy
The communications system that governs all points of contact with an organization’s (or product’s or service’s) stakeholders and directly supports the business strategy.

Brightness
Brightness is measured as the percentage of light in a narrow spectral range reflected from the surface of a sheet of paper. It is not necessarily related to color or whiteness. A paper with a brightness of 98 (like Mohawk Navajo) is an extremely bright sheet with almost all light being reflected back to the viewer. Bright white papers illuminate transparent printing inks, giving cleaner, crisper color, and contrasty blacks.

Byte
The number of bits used to represent a character. For personal computers, a byte is usually eight bits.

Caliper
Caliper is a measure of paper thickness expressed in thousandths of an inch. The micrometer is used to measure caliper.

Carbon dioxide
A colorless, odorless non-poisonous gas normally part of ambient air. As a by-product of combustion, it contributes to global warming.

Cast Coated
High-gloss coated paper manufactured by casting the coating paper against a highly polished, heated steel drum.

Cationic
A chemical substance in which the active constituent is a positive ion, thus having an infinity for other compounds or elements that have a net negative charge. Although cationic dyes are now commonly used in the papermaking industry, Mohawk was a pioneer in their use when they first came on the market in the early to mid-1980’s.

CCD
Charge coupled devices.

CERES
Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economics is the leading U.S. coalition of environmental, investor and advocacy groups working together for a sustainable future.

Chain of custody
A systematic procedure for tracking a material or product from its origin to its final use.

Charge
Either a positive or negative property of electricity, charges are used in electrophotography in order to direct or attract toner to form an image.

Click
Term for one revolution/one copy on a digital copier/printer.

CMYK
A method of representing color based on the standard printing ink colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Scanners and video monitors deal in rgb.

Coated Paper
Made with a surface coating, which allows for maximum smoothness
and ink holdout in the printing process. Coated papers are available in a range of finishes from dull to matte, and gloss.

Collate
The ability of a printer, copier or press to assemble sheets in a proper order, for instance, for binding.

Color Separation
The process of separating a color image into a series of single-color (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) images that will be used as negatives. Printed on top of one another, the color separations create a full-color (or “process”) image. Color separation was initially done by photographing the image three times through different color filters. However, electro-optical methods using lasers and ccds are now employed.

Compliance
Complying with legally enforceable rules, regulations, laws or mandates.

Compression
Computer files are flattened so that the same information is stored in less memory. On cd-rom, image files are routinely compressed, and text files can be compressed if necessary. Compression and decompression schemes are mathematical.

Copier/Duplicator
The traditional light lens copier focuses light from the original through a lens onto a photoconductive receptor that converts light energy into spots of electrical energy that accept toner for transfer to paper. Newer copiers are actually combinations of digital scanners and electronic printers that take the spots of the scanned image and output them as laser energy to create a charge on the photo receptor for toner transfer.

Corona
The element that cleans the photoconductive drum or belt of an electrophotographic system after an image is printed.

Conductivity
The electrical property of a sheet of paper which enables it to attract charged toner. Low conductivity can result in poor image quality in digital systems.

Cover Paper
Also called card stock, these papers are heavyweight coated or uncoated paper with good folding characteristics. Their diverse uses include folders, booklet covers, brochures and pamphlets.

CPU
Central processing unit on a computer.

Critter
A tongue-in-cheek term used for an icon that represents an animal, such as the Merrill Lynch® bull or the Izod® alligator.

Cut Size
Papers cut to a small common size, usually 8.5x11” and 17x11”.

Database
Collection of information stored in machine-readable form. Also called “file.”

Data Compression
The process of compressing the information in a computer file into a format that uses less computing space. When the file is to be used, it must be decompressed.

Deckle Edge
Produced in hand-papermaking by drainage under a wooden frame surrounding the hand mould. The rough edges on hand-made and some machine-made papers were originally
considered an imperfection. The deckle edge came back in fashion with the handcraft revival in the last decade of the 19th century.

Digital Imaging Surface
A new and unique surface treatment for both uncoated and coated papers, specifically engineered to enhance paper:toner performace and yield increased print fidelity.

Digital Papers
Papers designed for the speci½c processes of the emerging digital printing technologies. Unlike traditional offset printing, the digital environment is centered in quick turnarounds, short runs, and the ability to vary printed information within the run. Mohawk Digital Papers—Navajo, Options, Super½ne, Satin 2.0, and 50|10plus —are designed for both digital and offset operations, and are available in popular digital sheet sizes and small rolls.

Digital Proofing
Proofing directly from digital files, as opposed to using film to create proofs.

Digital Workflow
Now that the Portable Document Format has become a predictable, platform-independent, page-independent entity, which solves many of the limitations of PostScript, we must tackle other print-related workflow issues. Issues such as trapping, imposition and OPI (picture replacement) play an important role in the success of PDF as a link to the completely digital workflow for the high-end printing and publishing world. The very essence of digital workflow for printing and publishing involves the integration of many process steps. The most common processes include: preflighting, trapping, imposition, and OPI serving. From manual techniques, each of these steps has evolved to
computer operation with manual intervention — and now totally automated approaches.

Dioxin
Dioxins are environmentally persistent compounds that find their way into the food chain. They have been linked to chronic diseases such as cancer and are believed to be a cause of birth defects. Dioxins are produced during incineration of wastes and are a contaminant in chemical manufacturing processes. Dioxin is also a by-product of older, chlorine pulp bleaching technologies.

Distributed Printing
Also called distribute and print. Electronically forwarding a file and then printing the job at the point of delivery.

Disk Array
A disk array connects two or more disks through a single controller. To the computer, the array looks like a single volume. The controller shuttles data between each disk, allowing for more optimal SCSI usage. While one disk is writing a block of data, the other disk is available for the next block. In this way, data transfers can be two or three times faster than with a single disk. Disk performance is directly related to how fast the disk spins (rotation rate) and how quickly the drive head can seek, access, and transfer data.

Dots Per Inch (dpi)
Measure of the resolution of a screen image or printed page. Dots are also known as pixels. The Macintosh screen displays 72 dpi, the LaserWriter printer prints 300 dpi; and a photo imagesetter can print 2540 dpi or more.

Double-Thick Cover
Stiff, durable cover papers produced by laminating together two pieces of equal-weight paper. The resulting sheet is heavy and strong, with excellent printing and folding
characteristics.

Download
Transfer of data from computer to a floppy disk or hard drive. Also called save.

Duplexing
The ability of a press or printer to print on both sides of a page without having to manually turn the sheet over.

Dynamic Range
Scanner’s ability to capture an image’s gradations from the lightest highlight to the darkest shadow.

Ecosystem
A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment.

EHS
Environmental, health and safety.

Electrophotography
A printing or copying method, which uses an electrical charge to create an image on a photoconductive surface. Toner is attracted to the charged area and then transferred and fused to paper.

Endemism
Refers to plant and animal species native or confined to a particular locality or region.

Environmentally sound manufacturing
Manufacturing processes that are designed to minimize environmental impacts.

Environmental sourcing
The purchase of environmentally preferable products, along with efforts to support suppliers with sound environmental practices.

Environmental Standard for Recycled Printing and Writing Papers or Coated Papers
Federal Standard (Executive Order 12783) that establishes minimum content standards for printing and writing paper procured by federal agencies. Paper is divided into two groups based on end use: copier paper, computer print out paper, carbonless paper are one group; writing and office paper, book paper, cover stock paper are a second group. The minimum content for recycled material varies within each group.

EPS
(Encapsulated PostScript) An alternative picture file format supported by Adobe Systems and third-party developers. It allows PostScript data to be stored and edited and is easy to transfer between Macintosh, ms-dos and other systems. Will output only to PostScript devices, not to a display screen. Also referred to as eps files.

Formation
Refers to the uniformity and distribution of ½bers within a sheet of paper. In a well formed sheet, solid ink coverage will go down smoothly. A poorly formed sheet will exhibit a mottled appearance when printed. Formation can be checked by holding the paper up to a light source: A well formed sheet appears uniform, while in a poorly formed sheet the fibers appear as clumps, giving it a cloudy look.

FSC
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a nonprofit organization that encourages the responsible management of the world’s forests and sets standards that ensure forestry is practiced in an environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable way.

Full-Text Database
A database where individual records contain the complete text of articles, chapters, newspapers, etc. Sometimes includes graphs, photos, and other images.

Genuine Felt Finish
A finish applied to paper by means of marking felts while the paper web is still very wet. These felts impart their distinctive textures by gently rearranging the paper fibers. This creates a soft, resilient, textured surface suitable for printing and relief operations.

Grain Direction
As the paper web is carried forward on the machine, the majority of fibers orient themselves in the machine direction. When the web of paper is sheeted, the sheets will be grain long (fibers that follow the long side of the sheet) or grain short (they follow he short side). Grain direction should be considered during the design process for best results during printing, folding, and converting.

Green Seal
A nonprofit organization devoted to environmental standard setting, product certification, advertising claims substantiation and public education.

Grid-based electric demand reduction programs
Programs in which participating companies reduce their electric energy consumption in periods of heavy demand, such as during a heat wave, in order to prevent widespread failure of the electric power system. Electric consumers are given financial incentives in the form of cost savings to reduce their energy load.

Grid Pattern
The shape of the halftone screen dots. Some common shapes are linear, elliptical, and round. Different shapes cause different effects in the final output. Adobe Photoshop allows you to specify a diamond dot, which is supported on some of the newer imagesetters. Contact your vendor to find out whether your imagesetter supports the diamond dot function.

Groundwater contamination
Chemical or petroleum product contamination of water that is dispersed in soil or rock strata.

Guerrilla marketing
An aggressive, highly targeted and sometimes subversive, street-level promotional campaign intended to create unexpected and memorable encounters between a product and its consumers.

Halftone
Because laser printers and printing presses cannot produce gray, the reproduction of a continuous-tone image, such as a photograph, is processed through a screen that converts the image into dots of various sizes to provide the illusion of gray.

High conservation value forest
Forests that possess one or more of the following attributes:

a.) forest areas containing globally, regionally or nationally significant concentrations of biodiversity values (e.g. endemism, endangered species, refugia) and/or large landscape level forests, contained within, or containing the management unit, where viable populations of most if not all naturally occurring species exist in natural patterns of distribution and abundance

b.) forest areas that are in or contain rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems

c.) forest areas that provide basic services of nature in critical situations (e.g. watershed protection, erosion control)

d.) forest areas fundamental to meeting basic needs of local communities (e.g. subsistence, health) and/or critical to local communities’ traditional cultural identity (areas of cultural, ecological, economic or religious significance identified in cooperation with such local communities).

Holistic
A belief that a system must be managed as a whole, rather than addressing the individual components that make it function.

Icon
An image, symbol or graphic representation capable of standing alone as a representation of a product or business.

Imposition
The arrangement of pages on a press sheet so they are in the proper order when folded.

Impressions
A usually quantitative number of audience encounters with a brand, advertising campaign
or single advertisement.

Impressions Per Minute/Hour
The number of printed units a press, printer or copier can print in a minute or an hour.

Industrial hygiene
Programs within EHS management systems that are designed to protect employees from
workplace hazards.

Ink Holdout
A characteristic of paper related to its capacity to keep ink sitting on its surface rather than absorbing into the sheet. Better ink holdout produces sharper printed images.

Inkjet
A type of printer that sprays droplets of ink onto paper to form an image. Continuous inkjet printers spray a continuous stream of ink, which is electronically controlled to print an image. Drop on demand inkjet printers shoot out single drops of ink as needed.

Inxwell
Revolutionary technology created and patented by Mohawk Paper Mills. Exclusive chemical technology produces text and cover papers with the classic uncoated feel, but with the added advantages of superior ink holdout, lower dot gain, and significantly increased opacity. Inxwell papers are available in the Mohawk Options and Navajo products, and are ideal for both offset and digital printing.

ISO
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is comprised of national standards institutes from 148 countries in partnership with governments and industry to develop international standards.

ISO 14000
A series of international standards that rely on changes in organizational commitment, focus and behavior (rather than on government coercion) to provide the basis and key to the realization of strategic environmental management.

Jaggies
Colloquial term for the jagged edges formed on raster-scan displays when displaying diagonal lines.

Just-In-Time Printing
Storing documents digitally and then printing only the number needed at any particular time. See on-demand printing. Keyword Searching Use of any word to search a database, as opposed to descriptor searching, in which controlled vocabulary must be used.

Laid
A linear pattern which is applied by a dandy roll while the paper is still very wet, to mimic the effect of some hand-made papers. The laid dandy roll is comprised of wires that run parallel to the roll’s axis (laid lines), and chain lines, which connect the laid lines and run in the grain direction.

LASER
Acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission from Radiation. An intense, focused beam of light used in many imaging systems to produce images through electronic impulses.

Laser Paper
Very smooth, low-moisture papers manufactured in cut sizes for laser printers and office duplicating equipment. Low moisture prevents paper curling from high heat in laser printers. Note: If your job is designed to run through a laser printer, you should specify laser-compatible offset inks.

Laser Printer
A desktop printer that uses a laser beam to create an image on a photoconductive drum. Dry toner is attracted to the charged area and is fused to paper with heat and/or pressure.

LED
Light emitting diode

Lpi
Halftone screens are measured in lines per inch. A low lpi indicates a coarse screen ruling; higher lpi’s indicate finer screens.

Linen Finish
One of the many textured effects that is produced by embossing a web of paper with a patterned steel roll. Embossing takes place off the machine as a separate operation.

Logo
A graphic representation of a company name, trademark or product, typically designed for recognizability, memorability and market differentiation. The meaning of a logo is defined by the quality of the thing it represents, not the other way around.

Logotype
A typographic representation of a company name, trademark or product. May stand alone or with a logo or icon.

Lossless Compression
A method of compressing electronic data so that no information is lost in the compression process. It is not as effective in reducing file sizes as lossy compression.

Lossy Compression
A method of compressing electronic data that selectively discards information in order to dramatically decrease file size. The lost information may or may not be noticeable. It is more effective in reducing file sizes than lossless compression.

Machine Felt Finish
Rubber marking rolls apply a felt-type finish to paper right before the dryer section. This technique yields a softer surface than embossing, and better bulk. The surface is slightly harder than with a genuine felt finish. Though less natural in feel, a machine-felt texture is more economical and provides greater ink holdout because of its compact surface.

Make-Ready
Work done to a press to make it ready for printing a particular image, including loading plates, paper, ink and toner, as well as adjustment of color and registration

Mission and vision statement
For internal corporate audiences, an inspiring simplification of an organization’s goals and ideology, intended to focus effort, change culture and improve performance.

Mohawk Laser Guarantee
Papers bearing the Mohawk laser guarantee are guaranteed to perform in your laser printer, copier, or plain paper fax machine within the limits outlined by your equipment manufacturer.

Moisture Content
The amount of moisture found in a sheet of paper. If the moisture content in a sheet is too high or too low, the paper can curl or build up static, which affects the way it runs through a press, printer or copier.

MSDS
MSDS is an abbreviation for Material Safety Data Sheet. An MSDS provides details of the hazards associated with a particular chemical and gives information on how to use the chemical safely.

M-Weight
The weight, in pounds, of 1000 sheets of paper of a given size.

Network
Computers that are connected in order to share databases, software, printers, etc.

Non-integrated mill
A paper mill that does not have an on-site pulp mill and must purchase all the pulp it requires.

Offset Paper
Uncoated paper designed for use in offset lithography. Important properties include good internal bonding, high surface strength, dimensional stability, lack of curl, and freedom from foreign surface material.

Offset Printing
A printing process that uses an intermediate blanket cylinder to transfer an image from the image carrier (the plate) to the substrate (usually paper).

Old growth forest
Forestlands that have undergone a natural progress of succession, without significant human intervention, until they are comprised primarily of a dominant species of tree.

On-Demand Printing
Term for new business developing around short-run color printing. Small quantities of high-quality color printing can be delivered “on demand” wherever and whenever required.

On the Fly
A phrase often used in digital printing to describe a press’ ability to print variable data as it is operating, without being shut down for a new make-ready.

Opacity
Measure of the percentage of light passage through a sheet of paper. The more opaque a paper is, the less show-through there will be from printing on the sheet below. Basis weight, brightness, type of fibers, fillers, coatings, and formation all influence opacity. Generally, opacity and brightness are inversely related to each other: the brighter the paper, the less opaque. Mohawk’s revolutionary Inxwell papers provide brightness along with higher opacity. Other factors that affect opacity are bulk, surface smoothness, and shade.

Open space
An area of land that is valued for natural processes and wildlife, agricultural and sylvan production, active and passive recreation, and/or providing other public benefits. These landscapes are often undeveloped and essentially free of human structures.

OPI (Open Prepress Interface)
A method for replacing high-resolution images with a placeholder image, called a viewfile, proxy image, or FPO image, to minimize the handling large data files. OPI-compliant publishing programs let you layout pages as usual, using text, line art, charts, graphics, and other images, but substitute a small viewfile with OPI comments for high-resolution images to make your working files smaller and more manageable. OPI software generates the viewfiles and automates the process of merging the image data back into the page. OPI is one of the most common forms of image replacement. Other methods are DCS (Desktop Color System) and APR (Automatic Picture Replacement.

Page Buffering
The ability to spool an entire image to disk and print in a continuous motion.

Paper and Envelope Converter
A company that constructs various envelopes and other end-use products from parent-size sheets of paper.

Paper Grade
A system used to classify papers by their common features or content, such as recycled, coated or newsprint papers.

Paper Manufacturer
A company that makes web, sheet, and/or cut size paper and sells it through paper merchants and paper stores.

Paper Merchant
A liaison between the paper manufacturer and the paper buyer who offers a number of lines of papers and can offer advice to buyers on the best sheets to specify for particular jobs. Merchants sell paper and envelopes to printers.

Paper Stores
A retail outlet often run by a paper distributor, which sells paper in cut sizes — such as Mohawk Digital Papers — to end users. Paper stores typically offer a larger assortment of premium printing papers and envelopes than Office Superstores, which tend to emphasize papers for xerography.

PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl. Any of several organic compounds used in plastics manufacturing, transformers and capacitors that are toxic and persistent environmental pollutants and tend to accumulate in animal tissues.

PCF
Process Chlorine Free refers to papers that contain postconsumer recycled fiber that was processed without the use of any additional chlorine or chlorine compounds. If these papers also contain a percentage of virgin fiber, the virgin fiber must have been processed without the use of any chlorine or chlorine compounds. Because PCF paper contains recycled-content fibers, PCF paper production can also reduce water, energy and virgin fiber usage.

Pixel
Stands for picture element; the smallest dot you can draw on the screen. A pixel is also a location in video memory that corresponds to a point on the graphics screen when the viewing window includes that location. In a monochrome display, each pixel can be either black or white, so it can be represented by a bit; thus, the display is said to be a bitmap. In color or gray-scale displays, several bits in ram may represent the image. In a high-resolution display each pixel is represented by either two or four bits. Thus, the display is a pixel map instead of a bitmap.

Plateless Printing
A printing process in which an image is transferred directly to paper or another substrate without the use of a printing plate.

Porosity
The characteristic of a paper’s surface that lets air pass through it.

Portable Document Format (PDF)
PostScript refers to both the page description language that describes the format of a printed page and the interpreter that converts the page description into pixels or bits to control a raster-based output device. As a general-purpose programming language, PostScript contains procedures, variables and control constructs that may cause unpredictability. Adobe Acrobat, which built upon the base of PostScript, allowed users to view and manage documents in an application independent manner and on a computer platform in an independent manner. Some saw Acrobat as a substitute for paper rather than a transportable printing format. But users saw more potential in the PDF or Portable Document Format than just looking at pages on a screen — they saw the high end of the printing world — direct to film, plate, printer, press — as well as viewable documents for disk and Web distribution. Each page of the Acrobat PDF document is independent of the others. In PostScript a “page” is the byproduct of some calculation or procedure. The PDF page approach eliminates the variability of PostScript and provides a foundation for effective digital print production workflow. High-end printing and color controls can be integrated with the PDF file.

Postconsumer recycled fiber
Fiber recovered for papermaking from postconsumer waste paper.

Postconsumer waste
A material or product that has served its intended use and has been discarded for disposal after passing through the hands of a final user. PCW is a part of the broader category “recycled material”.

PostScript
Computer language created by Adobe Systems. PostScript allows a programmer to create complex pages using a series of commands. Text and graphics can be controlled with mathematical precision.

PPML/VDX
An open standard defined by CGATS that allows designers and printers to exchange final-form variable data documents, just like PDF allows designers and printers to exchange traditional documents.

Preflighting
Covers all the information and skills needed to quickly, accurately, and effectively determine if all job components required for output, and/or proofing are met before a project enters the production workflow, including font issues completeness of electronic mechanicals missing page elements communicating with the originator
linked image files

Print Engine
The part of a digital press that drives its printing process.Print on Demand The ability to print only the documents you want, in the quantities you want, when you want.

Process Color
The colors of ink or toner-cyan, magenta, yellow and black-used in four-color offset and digital printing.

Proofing
Moving to dotlessness may be the theme in the color proofing area. The contract proof (the verification proof that the client, service bureau, and printer agree will be the standard for color and quality) issue is moving toward an uneasy acceptance. Most contract proofs have used film-based technology, but with the increasing move to all-digital workflows, and as computer-to-plate systems avoid film entirely, film-based proofing is being replaced by proofs from digital data. A contract proof has traditionally shown the exact halftone dot structure so that potential printing problems like moiré can be avoided.

Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance is a leading international conservation organization whose objective is to protect the environment, wildlife, workers and communities by implementing better business practices for biodiversity conservation and sustainability.

Raster
An electronic file type which mathematically describes points on a grid. Also called bitmap. The finer the grid, the higher the resolution, and the larger the file size. Low-resolution files are smaller in file size than high-resolution files.

Raster Image Processor (RIP)
Device or program that translates the instructions for a page in a page-description or graphics-output language to the actual pattern of dots (bitmap) supplied to a printing or display system.

Recycled
Papers that contain post-consumer fiber can currently be called recycled. The Federal Executive Order calls for a 30% post-consumer fiber minimum for uncoated papers, and a 10% post-consumer fiber minimum for coated papers.

Refugia
A place or source of shelter or safety.

Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy that is derived from continuously available sources that do not rely on exhaustible fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. Examples of renewable energy are wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal and ocean tides.

Remote Proofing
A major trend is that of remote proofing, where an ink jet or dye sublimation or other color proofer is physically installed in a customer location. PDFs from the customer are sent to the prepress or printing service and processed. The server system prepares a version of the PDF that calibrates to the eventual reproduction device and the files are returned to the customer for proofing printout. Since the PDF files are compressed, they can be sent via telecommunications lines to and from the customer.

Resolution
The degree of clarity of a display or printer image. Resolution is usually specified in dots per inch (dpi). The higher the resolution, or the greater the number of dpi, the sharper the image. For film recorders, resolution usually refers to the number of lines that makes up the entire screen on a display or on film. The resolution of film recorders ranges from the low pc standard (200 lines for cgato 350 lines for ega) up to 10,000 lines.

RGB
Abbreviation for red-green-blue; a method of displaying color video by transmitting the three primary colors as three separate signals. There are two ways of using rgb with computers: ttlrgb, which allows the color signals to take on only a few discrete values; and analog rgb, which allows the color signals to take on any values between.

RIP
See raster image processor.

Risk reduction
Adoption of practices that reduce the possible occurrence of a harmful event.

Server
On a computer network, a server is a CPU or other unit that handles printing, communication tasks, filing, and other jobs, in order to free up other computers on the network for other tasks.

SFI
Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The Sustainable Forestry Initiative was developed in 1995 by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and is comprised of management practices designed to ensure the future health and growth of forests.

Sludge (Paper)
The fiber and other components of papermaking that are recovered from wastewater treatment processes.

SmartWood
A nonprofit environmental organization whose purpose is to improve the effectiveness of sustainable forestry in conserving biodiversity and providing equity for local communities, fair treatment to workers and creating incentives for businesses so that they can benefit economically from responsible forestry practices.

Smoothness
The surface quality of a sheet of paper, related to the flatness of the sheet. Smoothness affects ink and toner receptivity. The Sheffield scale measures smoothness. A higher value typically indicates a rougher sheet. For example, Navajo’s smoothness is 45, whereas vellum offset may have a rating from 200-250.

Stewardship (Environmental)
A commitment to make environmental protection and enhancement an integral part of the corporate mission.

Substrate
The material upon which something is printed, usually paper.

Sustainable
Development practices that are inclusive of business, social and environmental goals.

SWOP
Acronym for Specifications for Web Offset Publications.

Sylvan
Relating to trees and forests.

Tagline
A short, dramatic series of words or sentences that summarize a brand or product’s emotional and functional benefits to the marketplace.

Text and Cover Papers
A class of high-quality uncoated papers in a wide variety of colors and textures. Text is usually made with a matching or coordinating cover.

TIFF or Tagged Image File Format
A file format used for storing and exchanging bitmapped or raster images, such as are created in paint or photo manipulation programs.

Toner
Tiny plastic resin particles that are used in the electrophotographic printing process to form an image. Toners can be dry or liquid. For both types, the toner particles are charged and applied to the image area on a photoconductive drum or looped belt. Then it is applied and fused to paper.

Trap
How well a printed ink can accept the next ink printed compared with how well blank paper accepts that ink. The thickness of ink application; the drying time of that ink; the printing ink sequence; and the settings of the press all affect trap.

Trapping
The process of overlapping two adjoining colors in an image so that holes are not left in the image by the normal registration variations of the printing process. There is usually some debate about who should handle trapping-the designer or the printer-so it’s important to discuss the matter before any files are created.

Uncoated Paper
Paper manufactured with no surface coating. There is a wide variety of grades and levels of quality among uncoated papers.

Underground storage tank
Tanks that are buried or encased below the ground surface. Leaks from tanks of this type are not easily detected.

Variable Imaging/Data Printing
The ability to print different text and/or images on each sheet of paper that runs through a printer or press. Both the press and the software driving it must be able to offer this capability in order for the process to work.

Vector
A computer file that uses mathematical formulas to describe lines, curves and tints. Draw programs can create/handle vector images.

Vellum Finish
Natural or machine finish, like antique or eggshell.

Viral marketing
A nontraditional promotional effort designed to quickly spread enthusiasm about a product or service, usually conducted through word-of-mouth and by targeting thought-leaders in select “communities” of influence.

Visual identity
The graphic system of logos, logotypes, typography, illustration and photography—and, often, rules for their application—that identifies a brand or organization.

Waste reduction strategy
Adoption of practices that reduce the need for disposal of waste materials.

Waterless Printing
A process on which fountain solution is not necessary. Non-image areas of the printing plate are treated with silicone so that they reject ink.

Watermarks
Designs formed in fine wire or in low-relief metal castings and sewn onto the dandy roll. The resulting thick and thin areas make the watermark slightly more translucent than the rest of the sheet. Watermarks were historically used to convey a sense of quality in letterhead papers.

Welding
Occurs when the edges of paper is not cut cleanly, causing them to stick together.

Well-managed forests
The primary objective of the Forest Stewardship Council is that forests are managed in an environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable manner. Forests and management practices are inspected and audited against standards developed by the FSC.

Wind energy
Electric energy that is produced by wind driven turbines.

Wind farm
A cluster or group of wind turbines (windmills) placed in a location that has an above-average occurrence of strong and steady winds. Good locations include hilly terrain, canyons or shorelines of large water bodies.

Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a mechanical device that converts the energy of wind into electricity.

Wire Side
The side of the sheet that rests on the paper machine wire as it moves through the wet end, as distinguished from the felt or top side.

Writing Paper
Suitable for pen and ink, pencil, laser printing or offset printing. Writing grades are designed for letterheads, corporate identity programs, and office copiers.

Xerography
An electrophotographic process that electrostatically charges an image on a photoconductive drum or belt. The charge attracts toner, which is then fused to paper.