Saddle Stitch:

To bind by stapling sheets together where they fold at the spine, is compared to side stitch. Also called pamphlet stitch, saddle wire, and stitch bind.

Salting Out:

Precipitation of a substance from a solution, by the action of added salts, through temperature drop, or from over-concentration resulting from evaporation of the liquid in the solution.

Sans-Serif:

A font that lack serifs (the crosswise end strokes on most letters). Examples include Helvetica and Avant Garde.

Satin Finish:

Alternate term for dull finish on coated paper.

Saturation:

The nature of colors in terms of density. A color with heavy saturation will have higher densitometric values when compared to a color having less saturation and lower densitometric values. In photography, a saturated color original would show colors at their maximum reproduction density without reproduction as a shadow. Color will tend to appear pure in nature when heavy with nature.

Scale:

(1) A defect in coated papers consisting of slightly colored reflective spots, caused by dry coating material embedded in the paper during calendering. (2) To identify the percent by which photographs or art should be enlarged or reduced to achieve, the correct size for printing.

Scale Compression:

The shortening of the tonal scale used in conventional lithographic processes to compensate the ink and paper press gains often found in the printing process. It can also effectively lighten a dark original when scanning. This scale compensation always takes place, we don't have any choice, and it is part of the color reproduction process.

Scaling:

Determining the proper size of an image to be produced (or reduced/enlarged). It is important that both directions be scaled in order to ensure proper fit in the final reproduction.

Scanned Image:

The image that results when a photograph, slide, paper image or other two or three-dimensional image is converted into a digital, raster image.

Scanner:

A laser-driven device used to digitize images to be manipulated, output or stored on a computer.

Scattering:

Diffusion or redirection of radiant energy encountering particles of different refractive index. Scattering occurs at any such interface, at the surface, or inside a medium containing particles.

Scavenger Marks:

Etched or engraved areas in a nonprinting area of a print cylinder, used to lubricate the doctor blade.

Score:

To imprint a crease. It is preferable to score heavy paper before folding it, in order to avoid cracking.

Scratching:

Marks on a photographic print or film appearing as streaks or scratches, caused by the condition of the developer.

Screen Angles:

(1.) Angle that cylinder cells and corresponding printed ink dots are positioned in relation to the horizontal axis of the cylinder or print. (2.) In lithography, it is necessary to rotate the angles of the screens in order to create a rosette pattern. Using a horizontal line as a base plane, the first angle would be found at 45-degree angle from the base, 75 degrees would be the next, 90 degrees and finally 105 degrees.

Screen Density:

Refers to the percentage of ink coverage that a screen tint allows to print. Also called screen percentage.

Screen Frequency:

A measure of how many lines of dots compose each inch of a halftone screen. A 120 lpi screen ruling has 120 lines of dots for each inch of the halftone screen. The lower the screen ruling the lower the overall reproduction quality.

Screening:

(1) A print defect caused by uneven flow of ink between cells, usually forming a screen pattern. Caused by high viscosity ink, or ink drying too fast. (2) Shapes of cylinder cells showing up in print.

Screen Printing:

A printing process that employs stencils adhered to tightly drawn screens. Ink is forced through the openings in the stencil and onto the substrate. This process is well suited for printing on materials like glass, wood, thick plastics and textiles.

Screen Process Inks:

A stenciling process by which a heavy film of ink is applied to the image area. Variation of the thickness of screen material and mesh size determines the thickness of ink film laid down. By the use of specialized inks with the proper adhesion characteristics, bonding can be accomplished to a wide range of materials from metal to paper to plastics. All of these inks must be short to print without running and squeegee with little resistance.

Screen Ruling:

The number of lines or dots per inch in both directions on a contact screen to make halftones or separations. Screen rulings are available from 65 lines per inch to 200 lines per inch. For color separations, however, it is best to use 150 line screens for best press control and visual resolution.

Screen Tint:

Color created by dots instead of solid ink coverage. Also called Benday, fill pattern, screen tone, shading, tint and tone.

Scuff-Resistant Inks:

The container industry requires special ink that will stay bright and attractive in spite of rough handling in shipment and packaging.

Scumming:

A deposit on ink on the non-printing areas of a gravure cylinder, often leaving a residual haze over a large area of web. Also known as Greasing.

Secondary Colors:

Colors created by combining two primary colorants of a color system. Example: red would be the secondary color produced with magenta and yellow. Also referred to as overprint colors.

Sell Copy:

Packaging copy that describes the benefits of the product inside. See also - Romance Copy.

Sequence of Colors:

In multicolor printing, the trapping characteristics of each color depend on the sequence of colors as it is printed.

Serif:

A crosswise stroke at the end of a letter. Example fonts include Bookman and Times.

Serigraphic Printing:

Printing method whose image carriers are woven fabric, plastic or metal that allow ink to pass through some portions and block ink from passing through other portions. Serigraphic printing includes screen and mimeograph.

Service Bureau:

Business using imagesetters to make high resolution printouts of files prepared on microcomputers. Also called output house and prep service.

Set:

Inks are said to have “set” when the printed sheets, though not fully dry, can be handled without smudging.

Set-Off:

An undesirable transfer of ink from a printed sheet to the back of the printed sheet next to it. Sometimes mistakenly called "offsetting."

Shade:

Hue made darker by the addition of black, as compared to tint.

Shadow:

The darkest parts of a photograph, which receive little or no light, represented in a halftone by the largest dots and greatest printing density. In printing, it is advisable to avoid excessive information in the shadow area because when separations are made, the tones and ranges of the original are compressed, making it difficult to maintain shadow details.

Shaft Deflection:

The amount of printing cylinder deflection at center due to impression pressure.

Sharp Wire:

The resultant angle of the doctor blade to the cylinder as the doctor blade angle is decreased. Also referred to as Steep Wipe.

Sheetfed Press:

Press that uses precut sheets of paper, rather than rolls.

Shield:

A non-conducting medium for altering the current distribution on an anode or cathode, sometimes employed to control current where anode and cathode areas are disproportionate.

Short Ink:

An ink that does not flow freely.

Showthrough:

Printing on one side of the paper that can be seen when looking at the other side.

Shrink Wrapping:

A technique of packaging in which the strains in a plastic film are released by raising the temperature of the film thus causing it to shrink over the package.

Side Register:

The control of print register on the horizontal axis, i.e., from one edge of the web to the other.

Side Stitch:

To bind by stapling through sheets along, one edge, as compared to saddle stitch. Also called cleat stitch and side wire.

Signature:

(Also called "sig") In printing and binding, the name given to a printed sheet after it has been folded. In stripping, the name given to the stripped flats to be printed and folded.

Silhouettes:

A likeness to another image cut from dark material and mounted on light background. Removing the background of an image by displaying through a mask.

Sizing:

Resins, starches or other com- pounds added to paper to increase its resistance to penetration by ink and water. Paper with little sizing, such as newsprint is called slack-sized; heavily sized papers such as bond and ledger are called hard-sized. Sizing may be mixed in the pulp or applied to the surface of a partially dry web (surface-sized).

Skew:

Twisting or turning associated with print register where one side of the printed substrate is in register while the opposite side is out of register (at the same time)

Skinning:

The formation of a dried layer or film on the surface of a quantity of ink after a period of standing.

Sleeve:

Tubular part of a base cylinder, which can be mounted on a shaft.

Slime Hole:

A paper defect caused by bacteria or fungus, which replace or impose themselves upon paper fibers.

Slip:

An ink additive that imparts lubricating qualities to the surface of the dried ink film.

Slip Compound:

An additive for ink that imparts lubricating qualities to the dried ink film.

Slipped Core:

A paper defect in which the paper in a roll is not properly glued to the core.

Slip Sheets:

Separate sheets (stock) independent from the original run positioned between the "printed run" for a variety of reasons.

Slitter Turnover:

An edge break on a roll of paper caused by a slitter that turns over during winding. The edge of the break protrudes from the roll.

Slitting:

Cutting printed sheets or webs into two or more sections by means of cutting wheels on a press or folder.

Slug Hole:

A paper defect resulting from the paper machine picking out a group of fibers superimposed over the sheet.

Slur Stick:

A small, specially designed stick of wood or other soft material used to dislodge foreign particles from the edge of a doctor blade.

Slurry:

A suspension of solids in water.

Smoothness:

A physical characteristic of paper describing its levelness or flatness, essential for total contact with the gravure cylinder.

Snowflaking:

Condition of a printed area characterized by very small dots of unprinted areas showing throughout a deposited ink.

Soak Cleaning:

Cleaning by immersion in a cleaning solution, as opposed to electrolytic cleaning.

Soft End:

A paper defect caused by web thickness variation-one part of the roll feels soft compared with an adjacent end.

Soft Proof:

A proof that can be viewed on a monitor instead of on paper.

Soft Start:

A tension controller feature used in unwind zones; soft start causes the controller output to drop to a preset low level to prevent brake lockup when the machine starts; the feature is actuated automatically upon loss of tension below a preset trip point, by a change in machine speed, or by an external contact closure.

Solid:

Any area of the sheet receiving 100 percent ink coverage, as compared to a screen tint.

Solid Loading:

The spring or hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder in a press. When completely compressed, it causes the loading to become direct.

Solids Content:

The percentage of solid material contained in an ink formulation; includes pigment, extender, binder, plasticizers and wax.

Solvent:

Liquid that dissolves a solid. In ink, the evaporation of solvent leaves the solids behind as an ink film on the substrate.

Solvent Load:

The maximum rate of solvents to be evaporated in a dryer or solvent recovery system.

Solvent Recovery System:

A system designed to remove evaporated solvents from dryer exhaust air and the pressroom air, collecting the solvent for reuse.

Solvent Release:

The ability of a binder to influence the rate of evaporation of a solvent.

Soy-Based Inks:

Inks using vegetable oils instead of petroleum products as pigment vehicles, thus are easier on the environment.

Specialty Printer:

Printer whose equipment, supplies, work flow and marketing is targeted to a particular category of products.

Specifications:

Complete and precise written description of features of a printing job such as type size and leading, paper grade and quantity, printing or binding method. Abbreviated specs.

Specific Gravity:

A comparison of the weight of a given volume of a material with the weight of an equal volume of water. Water has a specific gravity of 1.0.

Spectral Curve:

A color's “fingerprint,” a visual representation of a color's spectral data. A spectral curve is plotted on a grid comprised of a vertical axis-the level of reflectance intensity; and a horizontal axis-the visible spectrum of wavelengths. The percentage of reflected light is plotted at each interval, resulting in points that form a curve.

Spectral Data:

The most precise description of the color of an object. An object's color appearance results from light being changed by an object and reflected to a viewer.   Spectral data is a description of how the reflected light was changed. The percentage of reflected light is measured at several intervals across its spectrum of wavelengths. This information can be visually represented as a spectral curve.

Spectral Power Distribution Curve:

Intensity of radiant energy as a function of wavelength, generally given in relative power terms.

Spectrophotometer:

An instrument for measuring color samples at specified increments throughout the visible spectrum. Unlike densitometers and colorimeters, the spectrophotometers measure discrete wavelengths of light referenced to human perception. Spectrophotometers are the most common tool for measuring printed color samples used to create ICC profiles.

Spectrophotometric curve

A curve that is plotted and with data generated by a spectrophotometer; a graph with relative reflectance or transmittance (or absorption) as the ordinate, plotted with wavelength or frequency as the abscissa.

Spectrum:

The complete range of colors in light in a rainbow, from short wavelengths (ultraviolet) to long wavelengths (infrared) red.

Specular Gloss Test:

A means of measuring paper or ink gloss by determining the amount of light reflected from a sample at specified angles.

Specular Highlight:

Highlight area with no printable dots, thus no detail, as compared to a diffuse highlight. Also called catchlight and dropout highlight.

Spine:

The binding edge of a book or publication.

Split Run:

(1) Different images, such as advertisements, printed in different editions of a publication. (2) Printing of a book that has some copies bound one way and other copies bound another way.

Spitting:

A mist or fog of tiny ink droplets thrown off the press by the rollers. Also known as Misting.

Splice/Splicing:

The joining of the ends of rolled material.

Splicing Unit:

The mechanical section of the press that automatically splices the expiring roll of substrate to a new roll. Most commonly found on presses built to print board.

Spoilage:

Paper that, due to mistakes or accidents, must be thrown away instead of delivered printed to the customer, as compared to waste.

Spot Color:

A color designated to be printed with a specific matching ink, when CMYK/process color is unnecessary (less than 4 colors) or needs to be augmented (florescent pink headline or metallic tint).

Spot Varnish:

Varnish used to highlight a specific part of the printed sheet.

Spread:

(1) A design that encompasses two or more facing pages (ex: the center spread in the morning newspaper). (2) Literally spreading the ink around a colored object to eliminate gaps between colors (ex: yellow text on blue background).

SRGB:

Standard RGB. An RGB specification promoted by Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard. It specifies a gamma of 2.2 and a white point of 5000_ K.

Square Dot:

Differs from an elliptical dot in that the dots have a square appearance instead of round or elongated. Best used for commercial web printing.

Standard:

A reference for performance comparisons. An established, approved reference against which instrument measurements of samples are evaluated.

Standard Illuminants (CIE):

Known spectral data established by the CIE for four different types of light sources. When using tristimulus data to describe a color, the illuminant must also be defined. These standard illuminants are used in place of actual measurements of the light source.

Standard Observer (CIE):

1) A hypothetical observer having the tristimulus color-mixture data recommended in 1931 by the CIE for a 2° viewing angle. A supplementary observer for a larger angle of 10° was adopted in 1964. 2) The spectral response characteristics of the average observer defined by the CIE. Two such sets of data are defined, the 1931 data for the 2° visual field (distance viewing) and the 1964 data for the annular 10° visual field (approximately arm's length viewing). By custom, the assumption is made that if the observer is not specified, the tristimulus data has been calculated for the 1931, or 2° field observer. The use of the 1964 data should be specified.

Standard Viewing Condition:

An area used to view color that is surrounded by a neutral gray and illuminated by a light source of 5000 Kelvin. Such conditions are used for viewing transparencies, reflective originals, proofs and printed sheets.

Starred Roll:

A paper roll exhibiting a "starred" visual effect on the end of the roll, caused by uneven winding-causes fluctuations in reel tension during press runs.

Starvation:

Areas in the printed surface that exhibit insufficient ink coverage. May also appear as a dark swirl in the printed surface. Also known as Ink Voids.

Static Balance:

A state of balance in a cylinder that involves only the weight of the cylinder. The weight of the cylinder is evenly distributed around all cross-sections of the cylinder.

Static Electricity:

Literally “electricity at rest.” The result of the exchange of electrons that occurs during friction between objects.

Statistical Process Control:

Method used by printers to ensure quality and delivery times specified by customers. Abbreviated SPC.

Steam-Set Inks:

Inks that dry by the application of steam or moisture.

Step-and-Repeat:

Prepress technique of exposing an image in a precise, multiple pattern to create a flat, plate, or cylinder. Images are said to be stepped across the film, plate or cylinder.

Stet:

A proof mark meaning let the original copy stand.

Stock:

The material to be printed.

Stop-Off (Stopping-Off):

The application of a resist to any part of an electrode, cathode, anode, or rack. See also – Resist.

Stray current:

Current through-paths, other than the intended circuit, such as through-heating coils or the plating tank.

Streaking:

Not wiping clean, leaving stripes or lines of color on web.

Strength:

Usually refers to intensity of a color of ink.

Strike:

(1.) A thin film of metal to be followed by other coatings. (2.) A solution used to deposit a strike. (3.) To plate for a short time, usually at a high initial current density. See also - Flash.

Strikethrough:

The penetration of the vehicle of a printing ink through the sheet, so that the ink is apparent on the opposite side.

String Score:

Score created by pressing a string against paper, as compared to scoring using a metal edge.

Strip:

A process or solution used for the removal of a coating from a basis metal.

Stripping:

(1.) In offset-lithography, the positioning of negatives (or positives) on a flat (Mylar, plastic, rubylith, etc.) prior to plate making. (2.) A printing imperfection observed when the printed copy becomes alternately more and less intense across the web.

Stroke of Oscillation:

The distance the blade oscillates.

Substrate:

The material on which printing is performed: paper, board, film, foil or plastic.

Subtractive Primaries

Cyan, magenta and yellow. Theoretically, when all three subtractive primaries are combined at 100% on white paper, black is produced. When these are combined at varying intensities, a gamut of different colors is produced. Combining two primaries at 100% produces an additive primary, either red, green or blue: 100% cyan + 100% magenta = blue 100% cyan + 100% yellow = green 100% magenta + 100% yellow = red.

Sulfate:

The anion SO4-2. It is found combined with copper in acid baths (CuSO4.5H20).

Sulfate Process:

The chemical pulping method(s) employing caustic soda and sodium sulfide as reagents to break down wood into free fiber. Called sulfate because the sodium salt introduced is sodium sulfate. Sulfate pulps are also called Kraft.

Sulfite Process:

Any of several chemical-pulping methods employing bisulfites of calcium, ammonia, magnesium or sodium. Bisulfites in solution with water create sulfurous acid, the active agent in this process.

Supercalender:

A process employing coiled iron rolls and cotton-filled rolls in combination with a steam shower to increase density, smoothness and gloss of paper.

Supercalendered Roto News:

The highest grade of Roto News, also known as Type A.

Supercalendering:

A special calendering process employing chilled iron rolls and cotton-filled rolls in combination with a steam shower to increase density, smoothness and gloss.

Superimpose

An imaging technique that lays one image over another so that it appears as if the first image rests on top of the second.

Surface-Sized:

See also - Sizing.

Surface Tension:

The tendency of a liquid surface to contract rather than flow out.

SWOP:

Abbreviation for specifications for web offset publications, specifications recommended for web printing of publications.