Print Terminology Bitmap (Bitmapped) In computer graphics, the collection of individual dots--or pixels--that make up a screen image.
Bleed A printed image that extends beyond one or more of the finished page margins and is later trimmed so that the image “bleeds” off the edge of the sheet.
Body Text The main portion of a book or other document, excluding front matter and back matter.
CMYK Abbreviation for cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). The four process colors. Used in print design.
Crop Marks Lines drawn or printed on a photograph, overlay, or printed product to indicate the proper cropping of the image or print in question. Also spelled as one word in cropmarks.
Diecutting In binding and finishing, a finishing operation involving the use of sharp steel blades to cut a specific pattern into a substrate or to cut the substrate itself into a specific pattern.
DPI (Dots per inch) is a unit of measurement used to describe the resolution of printed output. The most common desktop laser printers output at 300 dpi. Medium-resolution printers output at 600 dpi, and Image setters output at 1270-2540 dpi.
Duotone A two-color halftone produced by overprinting two halftone screens made from the same photograph (usually black-and-white photograph), as a means of generating a monochromatic image with a full range of tonal gradations.
Embossing In binding and finishing, a process in which images, patterns, or text are stamped or pressed into a substrate.
Foil Stamping In binding and finishing, a finishing operation in which a design or other image is pressed onto a substrate. In foil stamping, a heated die containing a relief (raised) image presses down on a roll of foil passing above the substrate to be decorated.
Font In typography, a set of all characters in a typeface.
Justification In typography, setting lines of text so that they line up on the left and right, as opposed to ragged right, in which the lines do not line up on the right.
Laminate To bond a plastic film by heat and pressure to a printed sheet for protection and appearance.
Landscape A page format in which the correct reading or viewing orientation is horizontal; the width of the page is greater than its height. See also Portrait.
Line Art Any illustration material that contains no halftone, continuous tone, or tinted images. Pen-and-ink drawings are line art.
Low-Resolution Descriptive of an image--either on a computer display or in printed form--that has a low number of dots--or pixels--per square inch.
Point (Point Size) Unit of measurement commonly used to specify type size. There are twelve points in a pica and 72 points in an inch.
Portrait A page format in which the correct reading or viewing orientation is vertical; the height of the page is greater than its width. See also Landscape.
Proof Any early copy of to-be-reproduced material produced as a means of checking for typos or other similar errors, as well as positional errors, layout problems, and color aspects.
Process Colors The printing of “full color” images utilizing a photographic color separation process in which each of three primary colors--cyan, magenta, and yellow, plus black--are separated from the original art and given their own printing plate.
Raster Graphics Alternate term for bitmapped graphics. See Bitmap.
Resolution A measure of the extent to which the human eye can distinguish between the smallest discrete parts of an image.
RGB Abbreviation for Red, Green, Blue. In computer graphics, the three basic components of visible light, the various combinations of which produce all the colors of the spectrum. More for use in web design.
Sans Serif In typography, characters (or typefaces) without serifs, which are lines crossing the free end of the stroke. “Sans serif” means “without serif”.
Serif In typography, an all-inclusive term for characters that have a line crossing the free end of a stroke. The term serif refers to both that finishing line and to characters and typefaces that have them.
Tabloid In newspaper publishing, a page size of a newspaper corresponding to 11 1/2 x 17 inches long. As tabloid paper was often used to print so-called “scandal sheets,” the term “tabloid” itself has come to refer to splashy, attention-grabbing (and, some would say, somewhat “sleazy”) journalism. Not to be confused with an 11 x 17 inch spread which is made up of two letter-sized pages.
Template In page layout, a background grid, image, or shape used to indicate where page elements are to be inserted. Templates are used to define the default page layout for a publication.
TIFF Abbreviation for Tag Image File Format (or sometimes, Tagged Image File Format). A graphic and page layout file format for desktop computers. TIFF is used to transfer documents between different applications and computer platforms.
UV Coating Liquid applied to a printed sheet, then bonded and cured with ultraviolet light.
Vector Graphic Also referred to as object-oriented, as elements within an image can be grouped together and considered by the software as individual “objects”. The detail of the image remains the same whether small in size or scaled larger.
WYSIWYG Abbreviation for “What you see, is what you get.”
Web
Autoresponder An email message which is sent automatically when an email is received to the email address.
Bandwidth Generally speaking, the quantity of information capable of passing through any system. Usually measured in bits per second.
Banner In web design, refers to the (usually) a large graphic or colored area at the top of each page that shows the company logo and other pertinent information and sets the look and feel of the web page.
Beta Test The first non-in-house trial of computer software or hardware, conducted among general computer users under normal working conditions as a means of detecting any bugs or other problems with the product, enabling their correction prior to general release.
Bitmap Format A particular type of graphics file format used for saving bitmap graphics. Some common bitmap file formats are TIFF, BMP, PCX, PIC, GIF, JPG, and TGA.
BMP A file format or file extension for a bitmap graphic. BMP files were first used in the Windows environment to display, for example, the desktop background (“wallpaper”). BMP files are also used in the OS/2 operating system.
Browser An application program used to explore--or “browse”--Internet resources, specifically Web pages. With a browser, the user can scroll from node to node (or page to page) without much concern for the technical details of such wandering. Some common browsers are Mosaic, Netscape, and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. See World Wide Web. Also referred to as a Web browser.
Browser-Safe Colors Also known as Web-Safe Colors. A total of 216 colors that appear as solid colors and nearly identical in hue across most commonly used browsers.
Bug Any fault or defect--often recurring and permanent--in computer hardware or software. The goal of alpha tests and beta tests is debugging, or finding and fixing these errors before the hardware or software is released.
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Allows developers to control the style and layout of multiple elements of web pages all at once and across multiple pages sharing the style sheet properties. With CSS you can make a change and that element is updated automatically wherever it appears within the site.
CSS Abbreviation for cascading style sheets. See Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
Cursor On a computer or computerized device, a moveable spot on the computer screen that indicates where the next entered character will go, or where the next action will occur. Text entry cursors are often blinking. Cursors controlled by a mouse are often known as pointers.
Database In computing, any organized, searchable collection of data, often in the form or records containing individual fields. A database, controlled by a database management system (BDMS), can store just about any information, from magazine or newspaper subscribers to 10,000 graphic arts terms.
Debug In computer application and system development, to search for and--purportedly-- correct bugs. See Bug.
DHTML Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language. The W3C does not have an official definition for it, but dynamic HTML combines HTML, style sheets, and scripts to make Web pages dynamic or interactive. DHTML has compatibility problems between browsers.
DNS Domain Name System. When a user sends email or points a browser to an Internet domain such as malanenewman.com, the DNS translates the names into IP address (218.46.152.16). The term refers to two definitions: naming hosts and how domain names are handled on the Internet.
Domain Name Domain names or Internet alias, usually an easy to remember name, are issued by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and have different extensions based on whether the domain belongs to a commercial enterprise (.com), an educational establishment (.edu), a government body (.gov), the military (.mil), a network (.net), or a nonprofit organization (.org).
Download To receive a data file on one’s computer from another computer (which can be a file server, or another individual’s computer), typically via the Internet connection. The opposite, upload, means to send a data file from one’s computer to another computer.
Dynamic Content A page that is generated by a website/script just as the user views it. This method has not traditionally created pages that rank as high in search engines as static HTML pages. Robots and spiders are getting better at indexing these pages although it is still not the preferred method for development.
eCommerce Online selling of products and/or services where an exchange of money occurs.
Email Alternate term for electronic mail. Sending messages using an electronic device or computer. You can send email in across a local area network or via the Internet.
Email Address In telecommunications and networking, address information that must be included in an email message in order for it to be delivered. An email address usually involves a user name, followed by a domain name. See Email. Also known as an Internet Address.
Email Alias A method of creating an email address and then redirecting that email to another pop3 or email address.
Extension A general term for any software program or utility that expands the functionality of a larger program or computer system, acting as it they were part of that program or system.
E-zine An electronic magazine. These may be delivered via email, viewable online, or may be in downloadable form.
File Compression In computing, a means of reducing the size of a file so that it occupies less space on a disk. File compression is useful not only to save space on disks, but also to reduce the amount of time it takes to transfer a file electronically (such as over a network or over the Internet).
File Extension A (typically) three-character addition to a computer file name preceded by a period, for example FILENAME.EXT. The extension is often used to indicate the file format in which the file was saved.
File Format A specification for the structure with which a computer data file is saved and stored, often requiring certain programs or computers to reopen and/or edit the information within.
Flash Vector drawing tool and animation program created by Macromedia.
Flyout Menu A term used to indicate a menu’s direction of appearance when a user mouses over a button. The menu “flys out” to the left or right. A pull-down is the term used for the menus appearing in a downward movement. A popup is the term used for menus that “pop up” above the button.
Font A type font contains all of the alphanumerics (letters and numbers), punctuation marks, special characters, ligatures, etc., contained in a typeface.
FTP Protocol used to copy files between computers - usually a client/computer and an archive/web site.
GIF Abbreviation for Graphics Interchange Format. See Graphics Interchange Format (GIF).
Gigabyte 1,073,741,824 bytes of computer storage. Giga is the prefix meaning “billion”, so it is common to consider 1 gigabyte as equal to 1 billion bytes, although that is not entirely accurate.
Graphical User Interface (GUI) A computer interface (i.e., the means by which the user and the computer communicate with each other) that uses visual, graphical icons, Windows, pull-down menus, and a pointing-clicking-dragging device (such as a mouse) to manipulate screen objects, rather than relying on a straight, somewhat cryptic and technical text, to convey messages and accept commands.
Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) A standard file format that was developed by CompuServe for the transmission of bitmapped graphics via Internet connection. GIF images are capable of displaying images in only eight bit (8-bit) color, or with a display of up to 256 colors. GIF files can also be saved as animated GIFs and/or transparent GIFs.
Hit Web site owners and webmasters refer to a hit as an HTTP request for a web page. System administrators concerned about server performance, refer to it as “any” file request. It is a request for a file on a web server.
Host Referred to as Web hosting, website hosting, or web site hosting and is the business of storing and serving files via HTTP requests from a server.
HTML Abbreviation for Hypertext Markup Language. HTML is commands and code that create hypertext documents or web pages. Your browser interprets this code and/or commands which is embedded in these pages and formats the page text, layout, and graphical elements.
HTTP The protocol for moving hypertext files across the Internet. Requires a HTTP client program on one end, and an HTTP server program on the other end. HTTP is the most important protocol used in the World Wide Web (WWW). See also: Client, Hypertext, Server, and WWW.
Hyperlink Hyperlinks are the graphics, words, or phrases you click on in HTML documents that jump from page to page or site to site.
Hypertext Text linked to other documents, pages or sites.
Icon Generally speaking, a simple pictorial representation of an object or concept, usually comprising an image that readily conveys what it represents.
Intranet An intranet is a restricted-access or internal network that works like the Internet. It enables employees or those with access to browse or share resources.
IP Address This is a unique string of numbers that identifies a computer or server on the Internet. These numbers are normally shown in groups separated by periods. Example: 216.239.51.100 is Google’s IP address.
ISDN Abbreviation for Integrated Services Digital Network, and international communications standard that allows ordinary phone lines to transmit digital instead of analogue signals, allowing data to be transmitted at a much faster rate than with a traditional modem.
ISP Abbreviation for Internet Service Provider. A company or organization that provides users and subscribers with remote Internet access and usually a host of other services.
Java Sun Microsystems developed Java as a programming language for adding animation and other action to Web sites. The small applications named applets that Java creates can play back on most web browsers.
JavaScript Designed by Sun Microsystems and Netscape as an easy-to-use scripting language of Java programming. JavaScript code can be inserted into standard HTML pages to create interactive documents special effects, etc.
JPEG or JPG Abbreviation for Joint Photographic Experts Group. A file format that compresses graphics of photographic color depth. This compression makes JPEG files--also known as JPG--smaller and quicker to download. The image deteriorates in quality as you ad compression. JPG (JPEG) and GIF files are used exclusively on the Internet for graphics.
Keyword In databases or other searching mechanisms, any significant and representative word ( or phrase) used to locate a particular file, document, web page, etc.. See also Meta Tags.
Link Alternate term for text hyperlinks or graphical hyperlinks. See Hyperlink.
Menu Any detailed list of choices--from restaurant dishes to computer functions. In computers, a menu is a list of available options, functions, etc., from which the user can choose, depending upon what the user would like the computer to execute.
Meta Tags HTML commands that are placed in the head section of an HTML document. The meta tags that can affect search engine rankings are Meta Description and Meta Keywords to a lesser extent as Inktomi is currently the only search results provider that acknowledges using the keywords tag or meta data.
MPEG Abbreviation for Motion Picture Experts Group, a committee working by arrangement with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
MP3 A digital audio compression algorithm that archives a compression factor of about twelve while preserving sound quality. It does this by optimizing the compression according to the range of sound that people can actually hear. MP3 is currently the most powerful algorithm in a series of audio encoding standards developed under the sponsorship of the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and formalized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Multimedia A technology for creating interactive presentations that incorporate sound, graphics, video, and text, usually playable on a computer, and increasingly, the Internet and World Wide Web.
Navigation In computing, a series of buttons, graphics, text, or any combination that together allow a user to move freely through the program.
Navigation Bar In web design, a series of buttons, graphics, text, or any combination (usually) aligned close to one another. Navigation bar buttons can have up to four button states, up state, over state, down state, and over-while-down state. They can also be set to be in the down state initially when the page loads indicating that the user is on that particular page.
Over State The appearance of a button when a user mouses over (or moves the pointer over) the button but before the user clicks on it. Other button states include up state, down state, and over-while-down state.
PDF Abbreviation for Portable Document Format developed by Adobe. PDF files have become a popular way to exchange platform independent documents with or without interactivity and hyperlinks which are viewable using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
POP Post Office Protocol. The standard for Internet based email access standards. Currently on version POP3.
Primary Colors Any set of colors within a particular color system that are the most basic colors for that system. All other colors can be produced from the primaries, but the primaries cannot be produced by combinations of other colors. In computing, the primary colors are red, green and blue.
Pull-Down Menu In computing, especially that utilizing a graphical user interface (GUI), a menu of commands and functions that scrolls down from a menu bar (usually located at the top of a screen or window) when a particular menu name is clicked on. See also Pop-Up Menu.
RGB Abbreviation for Red, Green, Blue. In computer graphics, the three basic components of visible light, the various combinations of which produce all the colors of the spectrum.
Robots Used by search engines to crawl the WWW and index sites and their pages following the hyperlinks within the pages along the way. Also called Spiders.
Rollover Buttons Buttons that have two button states; up state and over state.
Rule Line A type of horizontal line dividing areas of a page.
Scaling The act of--or the computer function that facilitates--altering the size of an image or font proportionately.
Screen Font A computer file containing bitmap outlines of a particular typeface used to display that font on the computer monitor. As bitmaps, screen fonts occasionally look fine and legible at the resolution of the computer display, but are of too low a resolution for high-quality typographic output. Most computers also utilize vector-based printer fonts that can be downloaded to the printer. See also Printer Fonts. Also called a bitmap font.
Screen Resolution This refers to both the color depth (i.e., eight-bit color vs. twenty-four bit color, or the total number of colors that can be displayed) and intensity of the displayed image, or to the number of pixels displayed per unit of length.
Script In this context, scripts are HTML coding and programming.
Search Engine A term used to describe applications that find words or phrases on the Internet. Some of the larger and more popular search engines are Google, Yahoo, AltaVista, Lycos, Ask Jeeves, LookSmart, Overture, FindWhat, About, AllTheWeb, MSN Search, and AOL Search Search.
Search String In computing, a sequence of characters purportedly located within a database that a user has requested the system locate.
Secondary Navigation A group of navigation buttons, whether text, graphical or any combination that are second to the main navigation in terms of importance.
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) A protocol that transmits your communications over the Internet in an encrypted form. SSL ensures that the information is sent, unchanged, only to the server you intended to send it to. Online shopping sites frequently use SSL technology to safeguard your credit card information.
Server A computer attached to a network of sorts. This can be a Internet, intranet, or networked server. The server allows multiple users to store and/or retrieve information, data, or files in most instances.
Server Side Includes (SSI) Commands and/or code that can be integrated into HTML pages which are processed by the server when users request a file or page. It is commonly used to display content in the header or footer areas of web pages which allow you to make one page or content and share it among many and/or all pages of the website.
Shopping Cart On the Internet this usually refers to the script or software used to store items while shopping an ecommerce site.
SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol. Electronic mail or email is sent using this protocol. It keeps the process regulated and standardized between mail servers.
SPAM Junk or many times unsolicited email.
Spiders Used by search engines to crawl the WWW and index sites and their pages following the hyperlinks within the pages along the way. Also called Robots.
Style Sheets Alternate term for cascading style sheets. See Cascading Style Sheets.
Tables Many web pages include embedded HTML code which dictates the layout of images and text on your screen. Using code for ‘tables’ allows the precise alignment of text or images alongside each other, and is a standard practice in most web design, with various levels of sophistication in its application.
TCP/IP Abbreviation for Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. The protocols, or conventions, that computers use to communicate over the Internet.
URL Abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator. Often referred to as “URL”. This is the equivalent of your home address on the Internet. An example is http://google.com/images . The protocol is “http://”, the server address or domain of “www.google.com”, and the directory is “images”.
Web Safe Colors Also known as Browser Safe Colors. A total of 216 colors that appear as solid colors and nearly identical in hue across most commonly used browsers.
Please use the brose button to search for the files you wish to upload, and then click upload to begin transfer. Acceptable file formats are: jpg, gif, png or pdf.
