Glossary — P
Page Proof
Proof of type and graphics as they will look on the finished page complete with elements such as headings, rules and folios.
Pantone
A registered trade name, system of colour matching used in computer software, paper and inks. Adopted the de facto standard in the global printing industry system gamut. There are scale Pantone (Eng. Pantone Colour Guide) for process and spot (non-process; it is also called Panton) print two types of paper: coated and uncoated.
PDF (Portable Document Format)
A file format developed by Adobe, which stores the output to the printer elements of the document. When such a file seeing in a special software (Adobe Acrobat Reader) appearance of the document on the screen corresponds exactly to its printed copy.
Perfect Bind
To bind sheets that have been ground at the spine and are held to the cover by glue. Also called adhesive bind, cut-back bind, glue bind, paper bind, patent bind, perfecting bind, soft bind and soft cover. See also Burst Perfect Bind.
Perforating
Taking place on a press or a binder machine, creating a line of small dotted wholes for the purpose of tearing-off a part of a printed matter (usually straight lines, vertical or horizontal).
Pica
A unit of measure in the printing industry. A pica is approximately 0.166 in. There are 12 points to a pica.
Picking
Phenomenon of ink pulling bits of coating or fiber away from the surface of paper as it travels through the press, thus leaving unprinted spots in the image area.
Pixel
Short for picture element, a dot made by a computer, scanner or other digital device. Also called pel.
Plate
Piece of paper, metal, plastic or rubber carrying an image to be reproduced using a printing press.
Platemaker
(1) In quick printing, a process camera that makes plates automatically from mechanicals. (2) In commercial lithography, a machine with a vacuum frame used to expose plates through film.
PMS
Obsolete reference to Pantone Matching System. The correct trade name of the colors in the Pantone Matching System is Pantone colors, not PMS Colors.
POS - The point of sale
The point of sale (POS) is the time and place where a printing material retail transaction is completed.
Postscript
It is a page description language which describes the content and layout of a page which has become the de facto standard command language to describe graphic images. Developed by Adobe. It is used to control printers, imagesetters and other output devices used in the printing industry.
Postscript file
Output file created by a team of printing desktop publishing. It is a set of operators and variables language Postscript and containing all the necessary information about the output device printed image.
Postpress
Postpress operations consist of four major processes: Cutting, folding, assembling, and binding. Not all printed products, however, are subjected to all of the processes. For example, simple folded pamphlets do not undergo binding.
Prepress
Prepress is the term used in the printing and publishing industries for the processes and procedures that occur between the creation of a print layout and the final printing. The prepress procedure includes the manufacture of a printing plate, image carrier or form, ready for mounting on a printing press, as well as the adjustment of images and texts or the creation of a high-quality print file.
Prepress Proof
Any color proof made using ink jet, toner, dyes or overlays, as compared to a press proof printed using ink. Also called dry proof and off-press proof.
Press Check
Event at which makeready sheets from the press are examined before authorizing full production to begin.
Press Proof
Proof made on press using the plates, ink and paper specified for the job. Also called strike off and trial proof.
Press Time
(1) Amount of time that one printing job spends on press, including time required for makeready. (2) Time of day at which a printing job goes on press.
Printing
Any process that transfers to paper or another substrate an image from an original such as a film negative or positive, electronic memory, stencil, die or plate.
Printing Plate
Surface carrying an image to be printed. Quick printing uses paper or plastic plates; letterpress, engraving and commercial lithography use metal plates; flexography uses rubber or soft plastic plates. Gravure printing uses a cylinder. The screen printing is also called a plate.
Printing Unit
Assembly of fountain, rollers and cylinders that will print one ink color. Also called color station, deck, ink station, printer, station and tower.
Process Color (Inks)
The colors used for four-color process printing: yellow, magenta, cyan and black.
Proof
Test sheet made to reveal errors or flaws, predict results on press and record how a printing job is intended to appear when finished.
Proofreader Marks
Standard symbols and abbreviations used to mark up manuscripts and proofs. Also called correction marks.