CMYK
(Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) The standard color model used in the printing process. It is often called four color printing.

 

Color Separations
The process of separating CMYK into film layers, each layer is then printed separately one on top of the other to give the impression of full color.

 

DPI (Dots Per Inch)
A measurement of how many dots can fit into one inch. The higher the amount of dots the sharper the image will be.

 

Camera Ready
A layout that is created by a client and submitted as one hundred percent black ink on white paper. It is then scanned and turned into plates for printing. Usually contains text and logos in finished form.

 

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
The process of copying files between computers over the Internet.

 

Full-Color Process
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) The standard color model used in the printing process. Same as four color process.

 

Grayscale
The use of many shades of gray from white to black to represent an image.
Halftone

Black and white dots that vary in pattern to simulate shades of gray in an image.

 

High-Res
The resolution (Res) of an image indicates the number of dots per inch (dpi). High resolution is usually anywhere from 300 dpi to 2,500 dpi.

 

JPEG or JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
A file format used for color images. It retains a higher degree of color but files are smaller, but remember the more you compress a JPEG file the more detail and color is lost.
Line Art
Black and white artwork that does not contain any halftone screens.

 

Low-Res
The resolution of an image indicates the number of dots per inch (dpi). Low resolution is usually anywhere from 72 dpi to 250 dpi.

 

PDF (Portable Document Format)
A popular way of formatting documents so they can be viewed and printed on multiple platforms the way you intended. You use Adobe Acrobat Reader to view a PDF.

 

Pantone Color
A popular color matching system used by the printing industry to print spot colors.
PostScript
Is a language for printing, meaning it treats fonts, images and graphics as geometrical objects and stores it into one document.

 

Primary Colors
Are made up of RGB - Additive Primaries (which create white light) and CMYK - Subtractive Colors (which are used for printing).

Resolution
The quantity of pixels that can fit into one inch determines the sharpness and quality of an image. This is the image's resolution. (Example: 72 dpi is low-res, 355 dpi is high-res.)

 

Reverse
Type appearing in white or other light color on a black or dark background. Sometimes called a knockout if the type is the color of the paper.

 

RGB (Red, Green, Blue)
When mixed together these colors create a white light. (Example: televisions and computers display color in RGB.)
Screen Printing
Method of printing by forcing ink through a mesh stencil.
Spot Colors
Refers to a method of specifying and printing colors in which each color is printed with its own ink.

 

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
A TIFF is the most widely supported file format for storing images on a computer. It can handle a range from one bit to 24 bits of photographic image color with equal ease. A TIFF can be black and white, grayscale or color.

 

Typesetting
To layout words, text and logos.

 

Vector Image
Are more flexible than bitmapped images because they can be resized / stretched and placed over other images without a white block. (Example: an Illustrator EPS is a vector image.)