Glossary beginning with C

Glossary of Print Terms

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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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Aliasing

A pixelated or stair-step appearance that can occur when printing or viewing a low resolution image (below 300 pixels per inch) or outputting a file or image on a low-resolution drive. This is the what causes curves or diagonal lines to appear pixilated.