Glossary beginning with C

Glossary of Print Terms

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Click one of the letters above to be taken to a page of all terms beginning with that letter.

C

CMYK: This is an acronym for the four process color inks used in 4-color printing: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. Although the K commonly stands for black it does not have to. K is for "Key" plate. The Key plate holds the detail for the printed image, in 4-color printing this is usually black ink.
Coated Paper: Coated paper is paper which has been coated by a compound to give the stock certain unique qualities, including weight, surface gloss, smoothness or reduced ink absorbency. Coatings can be designed purely for aesthetics, for durability, or to create food-safe packaging. Printing on coated paper can give your piece added brilliance and character.
Color Bars: The strip of little colored squares on a press sheet or plate. These bars are a guide for pressmen to measure the amount and density of ink needed.

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Imposition

An imposition is the arrangement of individual pages of a print piece on the printer’s sheet in order to facilitate faster printing, simplified binding and less waste of paper. Correct imposition minimizes printing time by maximizing the number of pages per impression, reducing cost of press time and materials.