Printing Glossary - Letter P

Packing describes The paper or material that is placed under a plate or press blanket in order to support it and raise it to the desired height. It also refers to the technique employed in adjusting the squeeze pressure. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Packing Gauge can be defined as A simple device that is employed to calculate the relationship between the cylinder bearers and the height of the blanket or plate. It is a standard concept in printing. Usage varies with process and material.

Within the trade, padding glue refers to A flexible adhesive that is used to pad loose sheets. It is a standard concept in printing.

Page Flex — It refers to the number of flexes a book page can handle before it loses from the bind. It relates to book assembly and durability. It influences section alignment and page longevity.

Technically, page makeup describes In digital imaging, it means joining the various electronic page elements to create a complete page, ensuring that all the other elements are on a video display terminal as well as on a plate or film. In stripping, it is piecing together of different elements to create a complete page. It is a metric used for setup or quality evaluation. Higher values do not always imply better quality; context matters.

Page Proofs can be defined as The first impression of a page that is checked before the job is run. It is equipment used for production or quality control.

Within the trade, pages-per-inch (ppi) refers to The number of pages which make up an inch stack of papers. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.

In print practice, pagination means Refers to the process of carrying out page makeup in computerized typesetting. It is a method of producing printed images.

Technically, pallet describes A wooden platform with wide stringers which enables the use of a forklift to drive into it, making it possible for the platform to be lifted. In some cases, when it is specified by the customers, pallets are used to carry cartons for shipment. Usually, they are not reusable. It is a standard concept in printing. Usage varies with process and material.

In print practice, panchromatic means A kind of film that is sensitive to all colors of light. It impacts color reproduction and consistency.

Within the trade, pantone matching system (pms) refers to A commonly used ink color system in graphic arts. For both coated and uncoated paper, there are about 500 basic colors. Each color has a color number and formula that is seen under the color swatch in the ink book. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Paper (double-deckle) can be defined as Sheets with deckle edges of the same direction. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.

Paper Machine is A machine used to manufacture and dry paper. It is also used to wound the paper on rolls as well as slitting to an appropriate length. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.

Technically, paper master describes printing plate that is used with an offset-duplicator. The image on the paper is done by electrophotography, typewriter, or by hand drawing on this paper printing plate. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Within the trade, paper surface efficiency refers to The measure of the ability of a paper to take a print. This measure depends on several factors such as the smoothness of the paper surface, how even its caliper is, and the amount of ink absorbed by the paper. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Paperbound: A book that is covered with paper is referred to as paperbound. It is so known as a softcover or paperback. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Technically, papeterie describes A paper that is used for stationery, greeting cards, and many others. Unlike regular stock, embossing and special watermarks may be used on a papeterie. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Technically, paraded watermark describes A paraded watermark usually appears in a horizontal or vertical line on each sheet of paper. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.

Parallel Fold describes Series of folds made in sequence and a parallel arrangement. It is a standard concept in printing.

Paste Drier is A type of dryer used in ink making. It is usually a combination of different drying compounds. It affects drying, adhesion, and print appearance.

Technically, paste-up describes The assembling of various art elements on a page for photographing in a print order. It is a standard concept in printing.

Within the trade, pasted refers to A pasted grade is a grade of paperboard or paper which consists of several layers pasted together. It is achieved with the use of machine operation which efficiently combines different or same papers into a single thickness. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

In print practice, percent tensile means The tensile strength of A paper that is expressed in percentage points. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.

Perfect Binding commonly denotes A way of binding books such that all the pages of the book are converted to single sheets. After being held in a clamp, these sheets are then attached to a cover utilizing an adhesive. It relates to book assembly and durability. It influences section alignment and page longevity.

Technically, perfect case-binding describes When signatures are glued to a case that is made of a binder board. The binder board in this type of binding is usually covered with a plastic, leather, or fabric material which gives the book a hardcover. It relates to book assembly and durability. It influences section alignment and page longevity.

Perfecting Press commonly denotes Also known as a perfector, this press simultaneously prints both sides of a sheet of paper. In the case of an offset press, one cylinder acts as the impression cylinder for the other. It relates to book assembly and durability. It influences section alignment and page longevity.

Within the trade, perforate refers to The act of creating or punching holes in a line on a sheet of paper as a way of weakening the paper to allow easy tearing of the paper along that line. During folding, slits or holes are made at the fold to allow the escape of air as well as to prevent wrinkles. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Perforating Rule: A blade that is used in cutting impressions. The blade can be taped to the cylinders of an offset press. It is equipment used for production or quality control.

Technically, perforation tear strength describes Refers to how easy or difficult it is for perforation to be torn. It is a standard concept in printing.

Permanence means The term refers to the ability of a single sheet of paper to retain certain properties such as its folding endurance and color. The permanence of a paper can be affected by various factors like prolonged exposure to humidity, light, and adverse temperatures. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Technically, ph value describes This determines the acidity and alkalinity of a paper. The degree of the acidity or alkalinity is measured by a scale ranging from 0 to 14, with 7 being a neutral point. Measuring the pH value of a paper is important in the preparation of platemaking chemicals, as well as making paper and pigments. Controlling the pH of press fountain solutions is also crucial in assuring that uniform ink drying and maximum plate-life is achieved. On the scale, 0-7 is acidic and 7-14 is alkaline. 7 is neutral. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Photoengraving refers to The photochemical process of creating a relief plate. It is a method of producing printed images.

Photomechanical: Any platemaking process which makes use of photographic negatives and positives that are seen on plates and cylinder that are covered by the photosensitive coating. It affects drying, adhesion, and print appearance. Formulation choices influence drying time and rub resistance.

In print practice, pica means A unit of measure used in graphic arts. It is approximately one-sixth of an inch. One pica is made of up 12 points. It is a standard concept in printing. Usage varies with process and material.

Pick Tester: A special instrument which measures a papers pick resistance by using ink with different degrees of tack. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.

Picking means During the printing process, fibers in the paper tend to pull away from the surface. This happens when the ink stack or pull is greater than the papers surface strength. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

PICT — In digital imaging, The standard data format where most Macintosh illustrations are encoded. It is a standard concept in printing. Usage varies with process and material.

Pigment: Mineral or inorganic compound that is used to give the paper its color. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.

Pile Feeder commonly denotes A pile feeder automatically feeds paper from the top of a pile of papers. It is used in printing presses and folders. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.

Piling: In printing, The accumulation of ink on rollers such that they do not transfer readily. It is also the build-up of coating or paper dust on the blanket of an offset press. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock. Selection affects stiffness, opacity, and printability.

Pixel is The abbreviation of “picture element”. The smallest point of a raster image that can be resolved. In digital imaging, The basic unit. It belongs to file preparation and imaging before printing. Correct setup reduces errors on press.

Within the trade, plastic comb binding refers to A plastic binding that is in the shape of a comb. It relates to book assembly and durability.

Plate refers to Also known as a printing plate, it is a thin metal sheet which carries the printing image. The surface of the plate is often treated such that the image is the only thing that is receptive to ink. It affects drying, adhesion, and print appearance. Formulation choices influence drying time and rub resistance.

Plate Cylinder means The cylinder of a press. It is on this cylinder that a plate is mounted. It is equipment used for production or quality control.

Plate Finish is A finished paper that is hard. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.

Technically, plate flaking describes This mostly affects offset plates whose image area or copper plate has a high tendency to chip off. In plate flaking, the chip begins to move into the inked plate, train, or blanket. It affects drying, adhesion, and print appearance. Formulation choices influence drying time and rub resistance.

Platen — made up of a flatbed that is used for the printing form and a flat plate that is used to apply pressure on the printing form. It is equipment used for production or quality control. Calibration is essential for reliable results.

Within the trade, platen press (jobber) refers to letterpress used in the printing process. Throughout this process, the paper and the printing form lie flat on this letterpress. It concerns the properties or grades of the paper stock.