Adhesive:   Any material which is applied to one or both surfaces to form  bond between the two. An adhesive can be either permanent or removable.

Bar Code:  A system of portraying data in a series of machine-readable lines of varying widths. The "UPC" on consumer items is a bar code. In document management, a bar code is used to encode indexing information. In microfiche, bar codes allow the automatic control of the duplication process, plus contains indexing information. These bar codes usually appear in the last two or three title frames in the first title row of a microfiche.

Blanket:  In offset printing, the covering on a rotating cylinder that places the printed image on the paper.

Blanket Order:  Usually a large order that is shipped in several releases.

Bleed:  When the image runs off the edge of a sheet of paper, it said to "bleed." This technique is a very useful design tool, but requires that a larger sheet of paper be used for printing. The paper is trimmed to the desired size after printing.

Buttcut:  This label is cut with square corners. Its dimensions can be almost any size. Normally there is no die fee for standard buttcut labels. Bleeds are not recommended on buttcut labels due to the inconsistency in color at the label cut.

Caliper:  The thickness of sheet of paper or board expressed in microns (millionths of a meter). Also the name of the tool used to make the measurement.

Core:  The diameter of the core around which the labels are wrapped.

CMYK:  Stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. K is a printer designation for black. These are the colors used in 4-color process printing to reproduce most of the colors of the visible spectrum. CMYK is also a digital method of reproducing color images on a computer screen and outputting film. Using CMYK gives desktop publishers a more accurate view than RGB of how a color image will look in the final printed process.

Density:  A measure of the relative difference between a white area and a toned or black area. Can be applied both to black and white and color. The ability of a material to absorb light. It is inversely proportional to the amount of light reflected or transmitted through the sample.

Densitometer:  A photomechanical tool that measures optical density of images or colors, used to determine and control consistency throughout a press run.

Diecut Labels: Labels cut from a manufactured die. The advantages of diecut labels are that you may have them in any shape you like, rounded corners, Christmas trees, angels, dogs, any shape can be diecut. There is a one time set-up charge to manufacture the die in the shape of your choice.

Die Cutting:  The process of using specially designed cutting tools to create custom shapes or cutouts in printed materials.

Dot Gain:  A defect that occurs in the reproduction process in which dots print larger than they should, causing darker tones or colors. Compensating for press dot gain is a key element in calibrating a digital prepress system.

End User:  Any single entity or individual who buys directly from Repacorp label Products with the sole purpose of using those  products and services.  End users are not authorized to resell products or services purchased from Repacorp Label Products.

Encapsulated Postscript: An  art file that can be created from many programs and contains most of the information necessary to output the file. In several illustration programs the .eps file is not editable and the original art file (ie., .cdr, .fh4 or .fh5) is necessary to be able to trap and make changes. Commonly generated from Adobe Illustrator, Aldus Freehand, Corel Draw or Adobe Photoshop.

Fanfold:  Labels delivered on continuous fan folded sheets or strips for feeding into a printer that uses this type material.

Finish:  Refers to a type of paper surface;  gloss, dull, uncoated, smooth, vellum, laid, linen or felt.

Flexography:  A rotary letterpress process printing from rubber or flexible plates and using fast drying inks. Mainly used for packaging.

Four Color Process:  Printing in full color using four color separation negatives: yellow, magenta, cyan and black. When blended, these four colors reproduce only a small portion of all the colors found in nature, but they can reproduce the widest range with the fewest inks when printing.

Gloss Ink:  For use in litho and letterpress printing on coated papers where the ink will dry without penetration.

Gradation:  A smooth transition between black and white, one color and another, or color and the lack of it.

Gravure:  A rotary printing process where the image is etched into the metal plate attached to a cylinder. The cylinder is then rotated through a trough of printing ink after which the etched surface is wiped clean by a blade leaving the non-image area clean. The paper is then passed between two rollers and pressed against the etched cylinder drawing the ink out by absorption.

Imagesetter:  A device used to output a computer image or composition at high resolution onto photographic paper or film.

Impression Cylinder:  The cylinder of a printing machine which brings the paper into contact with the with the printing plate or blanket cylinder.

Laminate: A thin transparent plastic coating applied to paper or board to provide protection and give it a glossy finish.

Matte Finish:  Dull finish on coated paper, lacking gloss or luster

Overprinting:  Printing over an area already printed. Contrast with knockout.

Offset Lithography:  The printing process used by presses which transfer the image from a plate, to a rubber blanket and then onto a sheet of paper.

Pinfed:  Labels provided on fan folded sheets with pinfed holes along the side for feeding into a printer.

Plate:  In offset printing, a metal, plastic or paper sheet attached to a rotating cylinder on the press and carrying the image to be printed. The image areas of the plate attract ink and the image is offset to the blanket, which in turn is offset to the paper.

Plate  Hotstamp:  An intaglio process for creating designs engraved into copper or steel, usually used for producing letterhead, business cards, and other specialized printing jobs.

Pantone Matching System (PMS):  An international system used to mix inks to standard colors. This is similar to paint-mixing systems used at paint stores.

Process Colors:  In printing, the subtractive primary process ink colors are cyan, magenta, yellow plus black in four color process printing.

Process Color Printing:  The recreation of color by combing two or more of the subtractive colors (cyan, magenta, and yellow, and black).

Proof:   A Facsimile of the printed item prepared during various stages of the process for the customer’s approval.

Register:  In printing, the act of printing two or more colors together with extreme accuracy. Pieces that are printed "in register" show clean, crisp edges and no white space between adjoining colors. Proper trapping and accurate printing will solve registration problems.

Register Marks:  Distinctive symbols placed on the outer edges of artwork before photographing. Used to help plate makers and press operators align copy in two or more colors of ink.

Reseller:  An authorized entity or individual who buys directly from Repacorp label Products with the sole purpose of reselling products and services.

Repeat:  The print length of a plate cylinder, determined by one revolution of the plate cylinder gear.

Score:   To make an indentation in paper before folding to make it fold more easily.

Screen:  An easy way to add varying shades of ink to a printed page. The amount of ink printed on the page is varied by printing it as a series of small, equal-sized dots, usually too small to be seen without a magnifying glass. Screens can be used to emphasize or subdue various elements. Type may be printed over a screen. Best results are obtained if the screen is 50% or less. Type may be reversed out of screens that are 50% or darker.

Separation:  All printing methods require separations to reproduce color photos, slides or transparencies. Printers use varying intensities of red, blue, yellow and black inks to reproduce almost all of the colors we can see. The original image is separated on a color scanner that breaks up the image, in minute increments, into the correct intensities of each of the four base colors (also called the CMYK system). When printed in the four colors, these separations will closely match the colors in the original image.

Shrink Wrapped:  A finished goods packaging procedure where a package is wrapped in a plastic film and then heat is applied.  The applied heat shrinks the plastic film and seals the package.

Tagged Image Format (TIF):  A graphics file type usually used for scans. Commonly created in Adobe Photoshop. Can be read by Mac or PC.

Under Color Removal (UCR): Removing excessive densities of cyan, magenta and yellow in neutral shadow areas to allow for more press controllability without plugging up the shadows

Varnish:  A thin protective coating applied to a printed sheet for protection or to add a glossy appearance.

Vellum Finish:  In papermaking, a toothy finish which is relatively absorbent for fast ink penetration.

Velox:  A positive, photographic paper image in black and white created from a negative.

Vignette:  An illustration in which the background fades gradually away.

Washup:  Cleaning ink off parts of a press so that a different color of ink can be applied.

Web:  The paper, foil, film or other flexible material, from a roll, as it moves through the machine in the process of being formed or in the process of being converted or printed.

Web Press:  A press which prints on continuous rolls or paper rather than separate sheets.

Wound In:  Finished rolls of labels rolled onto a core. The labels come off from the inside of the core.

Wound Out:  Finished rolls of labels rolled onto a core. The labels core off from the outside of the core.