Glossary of Printing & Technical Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

B 

Back up:

To print on the reverse side of a printed sheet.

Banding:

A defect in the output of a graduated tint.

Barn Door:

A page with two flaps which open out like a barn door.

Belly Band:

A band of paper usually wrapped round a book or magazine with a promotional message on it.

Binding:

Process of fastening papers together.

Bitmap:

An image file made up of dots (pixels) generated by computer to represent type and images.

Blanket:

Thick rubber sheet that transfers ink from plate to paper on the press.

Blind emboss:

Impression of an un-inked image onto the back of a sheet which produces a raised 'embossed' image on the front of the sheet.

Bleed:

Where the printed image extends beyond the trim edge of a sheet or page. A bleed may occur at the head, front, foot and/or gutter of a page. It is typical to extend by 3mm.

Blend:

A smooth transition between two colours, also known as a graduated tint.

Bond paper:

A grade of paper suited for letterheads, business forms etc.

B Format series paper sizes:

See paper sizes here.

BS8555:

An environmental standard that was introduced in 2003 to help SMEs to achieve ISO14001 or EMAS by taking a phased approached to implementing an EMS. Developed and piloted through The Acorn Trust and is now managed by the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA). See http://www.iema.net/acorn/bs8555

Bulk:

Thickness of paper.

Bull's eye:

An imperfection in the printing process created by a spec of dust preventing contact between the paper and the printing process.