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| Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) | An interface specification from Intel designed to facilitate 3-D graphics by allowing the graphics card to access the computer’s RAM to refresh the monitor’s display. |
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| Access | To store or retrieve information with a software application from a computer component such as a disk drive so the user can work with it. |
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| Access Time | The length of time that is required for a computer system to process a data request and then retrieve the data from memory or a storage device. |
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| Achromatic Colour | A neutral white, gray, or black colour that does not have a hue. |
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| Active-Matrix Display | A flat-panel LCD display used in laptop and notebook computers in which each pixel is controlled by its own (RGB) transistor triad, yielding sharper images and better colour than passive matrix LCD displays. |
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| ActiveX | An implementation of OLE (object linking and embedding) developed by Microsoft that allows the user to see desktop applications in a web browser. |
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| Adaptive Compression | A type of compression software commonly used to back up files. The method of compression changes with the type of file and is not recommended for photographic images because it may destroy the original data. |
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| Additive Colour | Refers to the colours that result from mixing the primary colours of light (Red, Green and Blue – RGB) to produce the visual spectrum of colours. When the primary colours are mixed at 100 percent intensity, white light is produced. |
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| Address | The unique location of data in memory, e-mail, Internet, or media access control address on a network. |
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| Addressable Resolution | The maximum resolution of any device. The finite number of pixels that any imaging device is capable of creating, manipulating, or imaging. |
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| Adobe Acrobat | Adobe’s software application for creation and viewing of Portable Document Format (PDF) files that can display a document as it was originally designed without having the particular software or fonts used to create the file. |
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| Adobe Type Manager | Software that produces Postscript outline fonts for display or output. |
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| Airbrushing | A software tool found in many image editing programs that simulates the effect of a mechanical airbrush. |
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| Algorithm | A process or set of rules that a computer follows to solve calculations. In imaging, the term is usually used to describe the set of routines that make up a compression or colour-management program and other RIP applications. |
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| Aliasing | The visual stair-stepping of edges that occurs in an image when the resolution is too low. This can be caused by improper image sampling or processing. See Jaggies. |
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| Alpha Channel | An image-editor channel used to contain a mask, partial picture element or colour that is used to calculate the transparency of each colour in an image. In a three-colour image, the alpha channel would be the fourth channel. |
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| Alphanumeric | The set of characters consisting of the alphabet and the numerals 0-9 as codes and computational expressions. |
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| AM (Amplitude-Modulated Screening) | An image screening method that uses halftones where dots vary in size but are located on a regularly spaced grid. |
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| American National Standards Institute (A | The official U.S. standards organization, and the U.S. member of the International Standards Organization (ISO). An organization within the federal government responsible for standardizing computer systems for trade and communications purposes. COBOL, FORTRAN, and C programming languages are all ANSI standards. |
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| Amiga IFF (Amiga Interchange File Format | Extension: .iff
A bitmap, 24-bit color file format originally associated with Commodore Amiga computers. This file format is supported by various applications and uses RLE lossless compression. |
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| Analog | An electronic signal, tone, or other measure that is continuously variable in its level as opposed to the discrete steps or levels of digital data. |
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| Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) | A device that converts continuously variable analog signals into discrete digital data. |
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| Anti-Aliasing | The removal or softening of jagged (aliased) edges by averaging or blending techniques. See Aliasing. |
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| Applet | A small Java program that can be attached to an HTML document and executed by a Java-enabled browser. |
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| AppleTalk | An inexpensive local-area network (LAN) architecture that is built into all Apple Macintosh computers and printers. Apple-Talk supports Apple’s “LocalTalk” cabling system as well as Ethernet and IBM Token Ring. It can connect Macintosh computers and printers, as well as PCs that are equipped with special AppleTalk hardware and software. |
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| Archive | A long-term storage area, often on a server or digital medium, for image storage, backup copies of files or for files that are no longer in active use. |
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| Area Array | An image sensor with a two-dimensional grid of photo sites or pixels. |
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| Artifact | In digital graphics applications, unwanted visual anomalies or defects generated by an input or output device or software operation that degrades image quality. |
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| Artist’s Proof | One of a small group of prints set aside from the edition for the artist’s use. Sometimes a number of printer’s proofs are done for the printer’s use. |
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| ASCII (American Standard Code for Inform | A computer coding system that converts letters, numbers, and symbols to binary values that a computer can understand. |
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| Aspect Ratio | The relationship of the horizontal and vertical measures of an image. The horizontal value is placed first (i.e., 3:2). |
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| Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL | A Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) on which data flows in (downstream) faster that it goes out (upstream). ADSL speeds range from 1.5 Mbps to 6 Mbps downstream and 64 Kbps to 384 Kbps upstream. |
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| Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) | A fast network communications system that can transfer voice, video, or data at speeds of 155 or 622 megabits per second and faster. To achieve these speeds, data is divided into 53 byte cells of information that are sent along the fastest possible route. |
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| Audio-Visual (AV) | The use of sight and sound to present information. |
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| Author | To create an interactive multimedia program. |
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| Authoring Software | A software program that facilitates the development of interactive multimedia through the use of scripting languages, hypermedia linking, or object programming. |
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| Backbone | A high-capacity network connecting subnetworks. |
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| Background Processing | Running applications behind others in a multi-tasking computing environment. The overall performance may be reduced due to the multiple allocation of computer resources. |
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| Banding | Patterned stripes on a print that create harsh, well-defined transitions between different ranges. Generally caused by insufficient colour or gray-scale ranges within the output device’s image processor, or by insufficient information contained within the original scan. |
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| Bandwidth | The capacity a network or data connection has for carrying data. For analog transmission, bandwidth is the range between the upper and lower transmission frequencies in a given range. It is measured in cycles per second or hertz (Hz). For digital transmission, bandwidth is measured in bits per second (bps), and the larger the bandwidth number, the faster the digital transmission. |
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| Barrel Distortion | A common geometric lens distortion causing an acquired image to pucker toward the center. |
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| Base Resolution | The Photo CD image resolution (512 x 768 pixels) that is formatted for display on current consumer televisions. |
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| Base x16 | The 2,048 x 3,072 pixel image that is scanned and stored on a Photo CD. |
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| Base x4 | The 1,536 x 1,024 pixel image that is scanned and stored on a Photo CD. |
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| Base x64 | The maximum resolution image file that is available on Pro Photo CDs. This 4,000 x 6,000 pixel image produces a 72 MB file. |
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| BASIC (Balustrade Image Sensor) | A specific type of image capture sensor or CCD that can capture high-quality digital images with a single chip. |
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| Basic Input Output System (BIOS) | A file that defines system control for a computer and facilitates the existing input and output connections between the keyboard, monitor, and other devices. |
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| Batch Processing | A method that allows for the repetitive processing groups of data or several digital files by executing only one command. |
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| Baud Rate | The number of voltage or frequency changes made per second on a communication line measured in bits per second (bps). |
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| Beta Test | The testing of a hardware or software product in the field under real operating conditions prior to general release. |
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| Bezier Curve | A type of curved line defined by a mathematical formula and control points. These points serve as handles in graphics programs that can be “gripped” by the mouse pointer to drag the curve into different shapes. |
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| Binary | The number system used by computers that is made up of only two digits: 0 and 1. |
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| binding. Index Color | A subset of colors of a specific color system that defines the palette used in a specific image. |
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| Bit | A bit is a binary digit. This is the smallest piece of binary information used by a computer. |
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| Bit Depth | The maximum number of bits that are used to define a pixel, a measure of the defined brightness range, the colour depth or pixel values for a digital image, or the number of possible colours or shades of gray that can be included in an image. |
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| Bitmap (BMP) | A rasterized graphic image formed by a rectangular grid of pixels or dots. |
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| Bits Per Second (bps) | A measurement of data transmission speeds. As the name implies, bps is the number of bits that pass a certain point in one second. |
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| Black Generation | A term describing the addition of black ink to the other process colours (CMY) when printing an image. Black generation is typically handled in one of two ways, gray component removal or under colour removal. See GCR or UCR. |
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| Black Point | The darkest shadow in an image histogram used to adjust the tonal range of the image. A colour that when scanned, produces values of 0, 0, 0 in a scanner. Ideally, the black point is 0% neutral reflectance or transmittance. See White Point. |
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| Bleed | Printing term referring to an image or inked area that extends beyond the trimmed edge of the page. |
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| Blooming | A visual effect caused by overexposing an image sensor to too much light resulting in a leakage into adjacent photo sites. This “digital overexposure” can cause distortions of the subject and/ or colour. |
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| Blur | The softening of image detail. |
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| BMP | See Bitmap. |
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| BMP (Microsoft Windows Bitmap File Forma | Extension: .bmp
A bitmap, up to 24-bit color file format originally designed to support imaging applications operating on Microsoft Windows platform. This file format is supported by various applications and uses RLE lossless compression. |
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| Bon-a-tirer (BAT) | Pronounced bone-ah-ti-ray. The proof accepted by the artist that is used as the standard for comparing all subsequent prints. Some printers require a signed BAT before production printing can begin. |
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| bps | See Bits Per Second. |
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| Brayer | A roller used for flattening, transferring or adhering two flat surfaces |
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| Brightness | The overall intensity of an image. The lower the brightness value, the darker the image; the higher the value, the lighter the image. See Chroma. |
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| Bronzing | A problem that can occur with certain ink/paper combinations where darkened, or “bronzed,” reflections from inked areas are juxtaposed with areas where little or no ink is present, resulting in full reflection of the paper. Also called “gloss differential.” |
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| Bubble Jet | A proprietary Canon thermal inkjet printing technology that uses heat to create “bubbles” in the ink supply which propels the ink through small nozzles onto the print media. |
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| Buffer | A temporary storage area in a computer’s memory, usually RAM, which holds recent changes to files and other information to be written later to the hard drive. |
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| Buffering | The neutralizing of acids in paper by adding an alkaline substance (usually calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate) into the paper pulp. The buffer acts as a protection from the acid in the paper or from pollution in the environment. |
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| Bulk Ink | Ink in large containers, supplying the printer in quantity. See Continuous Ink System. |
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| Burnish | To rub a surface to smooth and polish, or to help it adhere or transfer to another surface. |
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| Bus | The connection or path between the CPU and input and output devices. The number of bits used in the bus affects the data transfer rates between input and output devices. |
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| Byte | A standard unit of digital measurement where 8 bits = 1 byte. |
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| Cable Modem | A device that allows the connection to a network over the coaxial cable of a cable television network. Cable modem speeds can range from 500 Kbps to 10 Mbps. |
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| Cache | A bank of high-speed memory set aside for frequently accessed data. |
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| CAD (Computer-Aided Design) | The application of computers in the design process. |
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| Calibration | Adjusting a device to known specifications to help compensate for colour “drift” over time. The second step in the colour management process. See Colour Management. |
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| Calibration Bars | A strip of colour/tonal values used to check quality on a negative, proof, or printed piece. |
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| Camera-Ready Art | Any artwork or type that is ready to be submitted for prepress and printing. |
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| Capture | Digitally acquiring image information with a device such as a scanner or digital camera. |
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| Cartridge | The container for inks in inkjet printers. “Chipped” cartridges have electronic chips on them that can prevent refilling. “Unchipped” cartridges can be reused, or used with inks other than those of the manufacturer. |
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| CCD (Charged Coupled Device) | A light-sensitive device that collects electrical charges in a potential well proportional to the incident light. The charge is then read out digitally. |
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| CCITT (Consultative Committee for | See ITU. |
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| CD (Compact Disc) | The original standards for compact audio discs now refer to any 4.75-inch optical disc, which can store data in various forms. |
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| CD Array | See Area Array. |
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| CD-I (Compact Disc Interactive) | A CD-ROM format that holds audio, MPEG video, digital data and still graphics allowing a user to interact with the content on the disc by use of a mouse or other pointing device. |
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| CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable) | A format that allows CD writers to record data to a blank CDROM disc. |
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| CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) | A storage medium using CDs to hold computer data. A CD can hold about 650 MB of data, or about 300,000 pages of text. |
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| CD-ROM*XA (Compact Disc Read-Only | An extension of the CD-ROM format, introduced in 1991 by Sony, Phillips, and Microsoft. This format allows for interleaved compressed audio and data sectors on a track, making it possible for text and video to be narrated in CD-ROM software. |
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| CD-RW (Compact Disc ReWriteable) | A format that allows a recordable CD to be rewritten several times. |
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| CGA (Colour Graphics Adapter) | An early IBM video standard with 320 horizontal pixels by 200 vertical pixels in 4 colours. |
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| CGM (Computer Graphics Metafile) | A vector-based graphic file format. |
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| Channel | A component of a digital image that carries data for one colour layer (RGB or CMYK). When all channels are combined, a full-colour image is created. |
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| Characterization | Determining the colour reproduction characteristics of a device by measuring the device’s actual RGB or CMYK colour values with a colourimeter or spectrophotometer. The third step in the colour management process. See Colour Management. |
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| Chip | A piece of silicon with additional electronic circuitry components embedded in it. Also called an integrated circuit. |
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| Chroma | The purity or intensity of a colour. The strength of a particular colour by which we can distinguish a strong colour from a weak one. |
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| Chromagenic Print | A colour print made from a colour transparency or negative in which the print material has at least three emulsion layers of silver salts. Each layer is sensitized to one of the three primary colours and records information about the colour makeup in the photograph. In the initial development, a silver image is formed in each layer. With further development, dye couplers are added that, when united with the silver, form dyes of the appropriate colours in the emulsion layers. When seen against a white print
stock, the layers appear in full colour. |
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| Chromatic | Perceived as having a hue. Not white, gray or black. |
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| Chromaticity | The quality of colour, independent of brightness. |
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| Chromaticity Coordinates | The ratio of a set of tristimulus values to the sum of the coordinates. |
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| Chrome | A positive film image; multimedia technology of Microsoft that acts as an interface to DirectX, using a set of XML tags. |
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| Chrominance | The colour and saturation information in a video signal. |
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| CIE (Commission International de I’Eclai | The main international organization concerned with colour and colour measurement and the definition of standards related to colour measurement. |
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| CIE 1931 Standard Colourmetric Observer | An ideal colourmetric observer with colour matching functions determined by the CIE in 1931. |
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| CIE Colourimetry | The measurement of colour according to the spectral responsivities of a CIE standard observer. |
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| CIE LAB (L*a*b*) | The colour model that best describes human vision. The model consists of three variables: L* for luminosity, a* for one colour axis, and b* for the other colour axis. |
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| Client-Server Network | A network in which the processing responsibilities are split between the server and the client. |
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| Clipping | A condition where all values lighter than a specific tone are converted to white and all values darker are converted to black. Also, the loss of visual information caused by too little contrast, in which certain gray scale values are lost or compressed either into the range of pure white or pure black. This is usually an unwanted effect. |
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| Clone | Copying pixels of data to new spatial locations in an image; computing systems based upon IBM design using Windows operating systems. |
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| Closed Architecture | Computer systems that are “closed architecture” severely limit the addition of peripheral devices to the system, especially devices from other manufacturers. |
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| CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide | An electronic component used for RAM and fast data switching. CMOS semiconductors are made of two metal-oxide field effects transistors for high speed and low power use. However, they can be damaged by static electricity. |
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| CMY (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) | The three primary colours of the subtractive colour model, used in colour printing. In theory, the combination of pure CMY inks produces black; in reality, black must be added to produce a full colour gamut. |
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| CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key (Black) | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (or Key) are the four colours used in process-colour printing. |
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| Coating | The process of treating a media or substrate to accept inkjet inks. Also, a thin covering that provides protection from UVinduced fading, smudging and fingerprints, which may or may not improve the permanence of the print because most fading is due to visible light. |
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| Cockling | Describes the wavy or wrinkled appearance of paper when ink absorption limits have been exceeded. Or, a printing defect typically seen as deforming wrinkles on paper and usually caused by heavy ink loads or moisture. |
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| Code Value | The digital value assigned to each colour plane of a pixel. |
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| Cold Press Paper | Printmaking and watercolour paper made in a mold, roughly textured. |
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| Colour | Visual perception created when light of varying wavelengths in the region of approximately 400-700 nm is detected by the receptors of the eye and processed by the brain. |
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| Colour Balance | The ability to reproduce all of the colours in a scene within an acceptable standard. |
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| Colour Calibration | Software and/or hardware that adjusts and coordinates colours between two or more digital devices. Colour calibration systems commonly compare device colour profiles and translate one colour model into a device-independent language. |
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| Colour Cast | An unwanted tint of one colour in an image. This can occur due to an input or output device, or lighting conditions. |
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| Colour Compression | Shrinking the colour gamut of an original to the colour gamut a device can represent or reproduce. |
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| Colour Copier | Colour printing device using electrostatic and CMYK pigments. |
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| Colour Correction | The process of adjusting an image to correct for colour imbalances or for the characteristics of the chosen output device. |
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| Colour Curve | A graphic mechanism for displaying colour measurements and for making colour changes to an image. User adjustments to the angle and slope of the curve implement colour changes to one or all of an image’s colour channels. |
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| Colour Electronic Prepress Systems (CEPS | A digital system used to prepare colour images for mechanical printing. Usually this includes separation of the colour image to CMYK values. |
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| Colour Gamut | A range of colours that can be reproduced by a given system. |
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| Colour Look-Up Table (CLUT) | A table of colour values that is used to either convert from one colour space to another for inputting or outputting data to different types of devices. |
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| Colour Management | The process that helps overcome variations in colour reproduction workflows by creating data files that describe the unique characteristics of individual digital devices. The result enables colour matching between devices, including from monitor to print, between an original photograph and a digital file, and even between two prints created on different media with different inks. The four stages of colour management are consistency, calibration, characterization and conversion. See Profile. |
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| Colour Management System (CMS) | A combination of software and/or hardware devices used to produce accurate colour results throughout a digital-imaging system. |
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| Colour Model | A colour measurement scale or system that numerically specifies the perceived attributes of colour. Examples include RGB, CMYK and HSL. |
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| Colour Profile | See Profile. |
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| Colour Proof | A colour print output that is designed to provide designers and print buyers with an approximation of the colour characteristics that will appear on a press. |
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| Colour Separation | A process of separating a colour original into its individual components in a specific colour model. |
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| Colour Space | A three-dimensional mathematical model that includes all possible colours. The parts of the visible spectrum that can be reproduced, such as RGB for computer monitors, CMYK for print and web safe index colours for the Web. |
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| Colour Temperature | A scale used to refer to the visible energy system of various light sources. The scale uses degrees Kelvin as a measure of the mixture on a scale from red to blue-white. Daylight = 5,500 Kelvin, a blue-white colour. The tungsten in a light bulb produces approximately a 3,200 Kelvin, an orange colour. |
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| Colour-Matching Function | The amounts of three primary stimuli required to match equal radiant power at each wavelength. |
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| Colourant | Any substance that imparts colour to another material or mixture. Colourants can be dyes or pigments. |
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| Colourimeter | A device that measures colour through red, green, and blue filters and calculates values in three-dimensional colour spaces that closely represent human vision. |
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| Colourimetry | Colourimetry is a way of measuring and quantifying the colour of an object based on a standard light source and a standard model of human vision. Three basic types of colour measurement instruments are used in the graphic arts. Listed in increasing sophistication, they are densitometers, colourimeters, and spectrophotometers. |
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| Communications Port (com port) | The connector on a microcomputer for a communications interface, typically a serial port. |
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| Compact Flash | A non-volatile type of storage media using flash memory technology (see Flash Memory) that is used with some makes of digital cameras and portable computer devices. |
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| Complementary Colours | Two colours that, when combined, create neutral gray. On a colour wheel, complements are directly opposite the axis from each other, such as blue - yellow, red - green, etc. |
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| Compression | The process of removing irrelevant information and reducing unneeded space from a file in order to make the file smaller. Compression can cause losses and distortion, depending on the method. The two types of compression schemes are lossy and lossless. |
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| Consistency | Ensuring the device in a colour workflow, such as a monitor, scanner or printer is able to reproduce colour consistently. The first step in the colour management process. See Colour Management. |
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| Continuous Tone | An image that consists of a visually infinite tonal range of colours or gray values. Value changes appear as a continuous gradient. For printing purposes, continuous-tone images are converted to dot patterns (halftones). |
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| Contrast | Tonal gradation between the highlights, midtones, and shadows in an image. High contrast implies dark black and bright white. Medium contrast implies a good spread from black to white, and low contrast implies a narrow spread of values from black to white. |
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| Conversion | The process of matching color as closely as possible between input and output devices. For example, if an image is captured by an RGB scanner, edited in a design application, then printed on a CMYK printer, it must be converted many times. This occurs in a device-independent color space known as CIE LAB, or profile connection space. The fourth step in the color management process. See Color Management. CPU |
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| CPU (Central Processing Unit) | The primary device in which computation and logic are carried out in a computer. |
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| Crash | A sudden, unexpected termination of a program caused by a hardware or software error. Crop |
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| Crop Marks | Printed lines used for final trimming, showing the trim size of the final printed piece. |
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| Cropping (or Crop) | The digital or manual process of cutting away unwanted portions of an image. |
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| CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) | The display tube used in most televisions and standard computer monitors. An electron beam moves across the back of the screen exciting phosphor dots inside the glass tube, which causes an image to be displayed. |
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| Curves | Graphic tools in image manipulation software that allow the user to change the contrast and color values of an image. |
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| Cyberspace | Not a real location but rather the “world” created by computers, specifically the Internet. |
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| D-RAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) | A type of computer memory using transistors and capacitors to retain data. Because the capacitors lose charge they must be refreshed every millisecond. D-RAM is cheaper, takes up less space, and uses less power than S-RAM. |
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| D65 | The CIE Standard Illuminant that represents a color temperature of 6,504 Kelvin. Widely used as the standard white point for monitor calibration. See Kelvin. |
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| Dark Current | The voltage from a CCD when no light is present, directly related to noise. |
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| Data | Information stored in digital files including text, pictures, and sound. |
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| Database | Text, graphics, pictures, sound or video or other information stored and arranged in an orderly manner. |
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| Database Management System (DBMS) | The system that controls the organization, storage, and retrieval of fields, records or files from a database. |
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| Decompression | The process by which the full data content of a compressed file is restored. |
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| Delta-E | Delta-E is used to describe (mathematically) the distance between two colors. To calculate the Delta-E of any two colors, you need to know their LAB values. Once you have these values, all that you need to do to calculate Delta-E is to calculate the distance between the two points in the LAB color space. |
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| Densitometer | An instrument used to measure the optical density of a transmitting material, or the negative log of the reflectance of a reflecting material. They do not measure color, but rather indicate the percentage of a given area that is covered by halftone dots in density units or percentage dots. Densitometers are widely used in the graphic arts and photographic industries to ensure consistency and for process control. See Density. |
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| Density (Optical Density) | The degree of opacity of an image; a measure of reflectance or transmittance equal to log10 (1/reflectance) of log10 or (1/transmittance); the ability of a material to absorb light - the darker it is, the higher the density. Density measurements of solid ink patches are used to control ink on paper. See Densitometer. |
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| Descreening | The application of controlled blur when scanning halftone images to make them appear more like a continuous tone image and to minimize moiré patterns. |
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| Desktop Color Separation | A file format consisting of four .eps files, one for each of the process colors: CMYK. |
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| Desktop Publishing | The use of desktop computers to create and perform some prepress operations for printing and publishing. |
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| Device Dependent Color | A color space that is unique to a specific device and its colorrendering capabilities. |
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| Device Profile | Mathematical equations or look-up tables used to transform from a common color space to the specific color space of a device. |
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| Device-Independent Color | Color specifications that are based on an independent color model rather than the gamut of an output device. |
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| DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protoco | A Windows server protocol that provides a means to dynamically allocate IP addresses to PCs running on a LAN. |
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| Diffuse Highlight | A large highlight area of a photographic print or transparency that contains detail. |
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| Digit | A single character in a data system. |
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| Digital | Type of data consisting of (or systems employing) discrete steps or levels, as opposed to continuously variable analog data. |
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| Digital Audio Tape (DAT) | A recording format that stores data in digital form on magnetic tape. DATs are used for backup and archival storage but are too slow in access time for normal operating purposes. |
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| Digital C-Print | Another term for digital photoprint, these are actual photographic prints that are exposed to laser or LED light, then processed in traditional RA-4 wet chemistry. |
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| Digital Camera | Any camera system that is capable of capturing image data into a digital file. |
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| Digital Color Printing | A non-impact printing technology in which digital data is output to inkjet, electrostatic thermal transfer, dye sublimation, and photographic printing devices on a pixel-by-pixel basis. |
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| Digital Halftone | The reproduction of color and spatial resolution for digital image data using a series of dots arranged in a square pattern. |
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| Digital Imaging | The process of image capture, manipulation and final image form, accomplished by digital systems. |
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| Digital Photographic Printing | Any of a number of printing devices that expose photographic paper to LED, laser, or CRT light sources using a digital data input and pixel-by-pixel exposure. |
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| Digital Printer | Any device that is capable of translating digital data into hardcopy output. Typically refers to one of the digital output technologies, such as inkjet, electrostatic, thermal transfer, or laser photoprinting. |
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| Digital Signal Processor | A special chip created for high-speed data transmission and manipulation particularly in communications, graphics, and audio-intensive applications. |
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| Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) | A device that converts digital data into analog signals so the data can be retrieved from a digital device. |
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| Digitize | Convert analog signals or images to digital values. |
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| Direct Memory Access | The ability to transfer data from a storage device to memory without going through the processor. |
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| Direct-to-Press Printing | The printing process that allows for the elimination of film separations from the printing process. |
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| Disc | Any thin, round platter that stores various types of information in analog or digital formats. Not to be confused with the magnetic storage medium, which is called a disk. |
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| Disk | A circular, enclosed magnetic storage medium on which information may be accessed randomly, as opposed to sequentially. Not to be confused with the optical storage medium, which is called a disc. |
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| Dithering | The process used by some output devices to simulate shades of gray or color variations with a randomizing technique that uses varying sizes of and shapes of pixel groupings instead of an ordered array of halftone dots. (Diffuse dithering is a method for printing continuous tone images on a laser printer, in which the grayscale information is represented by randomly located printer dots.) |
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| Dmax | A measure of maximum density. It can apply to many things. When talking about paper and inks in digital printing, it is the blackest black possible. |
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| Dmin | The lowest level of density. |
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| Domain Name | The name corresponding to the numeric Internet Protocol (IP) address of a computer on the Internet. |
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| Dot Gain | The phenomenon that occurs when ink expands its coverage during printing onto a substrate; often caused by abnormal or excessive absorption by the substrate. |
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| Dot Pitch | The distance between the dots on a computer monitor, typically 0.24 to 0.38 mm. The closer the dots, the sharper the image on the monitor. |
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| Down-Sampling | The process of receiving data from another computer, server or system. The reduction in resolution of an image that results in a loss of detail. |
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| Download | To transfer data or code from one computer to another, typically from a large host or server to a smaller client. Compare to Upload. |
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| dpi (Dots Per Inch) | A measure of printer resolution that indicates how many ink dots the printer can place in one inch either vertically or horizontally. |
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| Driver | A program that allows a hardware peripheral device to communicate with a computer. |
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| Drum Scanner | A type of optical scanner where a flexible original is mounted to a rotating drum. As the drum spins, light is captured from the image point by point, using a photomultiplier tube detector.
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| Dry Down | The amount of time it takes for inks to become stable. |
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| DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) | Technology used to transmit data on regular copper phone lines. It can send analog or digital signals on the same line at very high transfer speeds. |
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| Duotone | A two-color representation of a single-color image. A duotone can be created by taking the tonal range, from lightest tones to darkest, and allocating a different color to specific areas of the tonal range. |
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| DVD (Digital Versatile Disc (formerly ca | Any of several formats that record MPEG-2 video with Dolby
or MPEG-2 audio. DVDs are capable of storing up to 4.7 GB
of data on each side of the disc. |
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| DVI (Digital Video Interactive) | A technology developed by RCA, Intel Corp., and GTE that allows for the compressed storage of full motion video data on a CD-ROM. |
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| Dye | A colorant that does not scatter light, but instead absorbs (and therefore reflects) certain wavelengths and transmits others. Dyes are generally organic and usually soluble in water or some other solvent system. |
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| Dye Sublimation (Diffusion Transfer) | A color printing technology that forms an image by delivering gaseous dyes to the receiver material with a thermal driver. |
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| Dynamic Range | The extent of values from lightest to darkest. |
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| E-commerce | The term is short for electronic commerce, conducting business or transactions over the Internet. |
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| Effective Resolution | The final appearance of a scan that has been enhanced to produce more data than the scanner can record. This is done by interpolation. |
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| EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adapter) | A display mode defined by 640 x 350 pixel resolution and 16 colors. |
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| EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive Electron | A hard drive controller with 32-bit transactions and in some cases direct memory access. |
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| Eight-bit (8-bit) Color | Each pixel has eight bits assigned to it, providing 256 colors or shades of gray. A grayscale image is an example of 8-bit color. |
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| EISA (Extended Industry Standard Archite | A standard for IBM-compatible 32-bit data bus that supports more than one processor. |
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| Electrostatic | A process of imaging where a toner is used to form an image by controlled static charges. Toner printing adheres to the charged areas. |
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| Electrostatic Copier | A type of output device in which toner placement is controlled by static charges. |
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| Encryption | The act of encoding a file through use of software programs so
that others may not gain access to its content. |
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| EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) | A graphic file format used to describe an image in the PostScript page description language denoted by file extension .eps. |
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| Error Diffusion | A printing technology that uses random dot placement to achieve optimal results. |
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| Ethernet | A standard for data communications and networking that allows for transfer rates up to 100 Mbps using coaxial, fiber-optic, or cabling similar to telephone line. |
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| EVGA (Extended Video Graphics Array) | A video display with 1,024 x 768 pixel resolution. |
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| Expanded-Gamut Printing | A printing system where manufacturers add additional colors of ink to expand the range of the standard CMYK inkset. Lighter densities of Cyan and Magenta (LC, LM), Orange and Green (O, G) and multiple Blacks are the most popular. |
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| Extended Graphics Array (XGA) | An IBM standard display mode providing 1,024 x 768 pixels of spatial resolution and 256 colors. |
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| Extensible Markup Language (XML) | A subset of SGML whose objective is to enable SGML to be served, received, and processed on the Web just as HTML. |
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| Extranet | A control access network that uses Internet technology to share public information, but keep private information secure through the use of a firewall. |
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| Fast Ethernet | 100 Mbps Ethernet. |
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| FAT (File Allocation Table) | A map of the hard drive that defines the exact location of tracks, sectors, and clusters. |
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| Feathering | A technique available in many image-editing programs that softens the edges around a selection. |
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| Fiber Optics | The transmission of data in the form of light pulses through a strand of glass or plastic fiber. |
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| File Format | The particular arrangement of digital information that is saved from an application program for a specific use. |
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| Film Terms | The processing transforms used in some scanner systems to compensate for different film characteristics. |
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| Film Writer (Recorder) | A device used to record digital images onto photographic film. |
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| Filters | Functions found in most image-editing applications that use algorithms to modify digital images by changing the values or arrangement of specific image areas. |
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| Firewall | A security system that prevents unauthorized access to resources or information on a network from being passed on to another network. |
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| FireWire | A high-performance serial bus standard developed by Apple and Texas Instruments that includes transmission speed scaleable from 100 to 400 Mbps, is a hot swappable connection, and allows for up to 63 devices to be connected at once. FireWire is
Apple’s version of the IEEE 1394 standard. |
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| Firmware | Software programs stored in a computer’s read-only-memory (ROM) that are permanent and cannot be changed. Such programs are associated with functions like the boot-up process. |
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| FITS (Functional Interpolating Transform | A software technology that allows the user to edit very large image files in near real-time by accessing only the image data being edited. |
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| Flare | Non-imaging stray light that can cause image degradation. |
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| Flash | A file format used for the delivery of vector graphics and sound over the Internet. |
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| Flash Memory | An EPROM module that has fast access and can be erased. |
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| Flash Pix | An image file format developed and supported by Eastman Kodak, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and other companies. This format uses FITS (see FITS) technology to facilitate the transmission and manipulation of large image files. |
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| FlashPix | Extension: .fpx
A file format developed by key manufacturers in the imaging field. This format stores multiple resolutions of an image allowing the user to access the appropriate file without having to load the entire “full resolution” image. The file format supports uncompressed as well as lossy JPEG file compression. |
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| Flatbed Scanner | A type of scanner that captures image data using a linear array detector. |
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| Font | Any given typeface containing all of the numbers, letters and symbols. |
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| Format | A printer’s print area, or a media/graphic’s width. “Medium format” is generally 11 to 24 inches in width, “large (wide) format” is generally larger than 24 inches in width; and “grand format” is usually larger than 72 inches in width. |
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| Four-Color Process | The use of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black dots to simulate a wide variety of colors. |
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| FPO (For Position Only) | A term for a low-resolution image used in page layouts to define the proper placement of the hi-resolution image. |
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| Fractal | A fractal is a mathematically generated pattern with an infinite amount of image detail. |
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| Fractal Compression | Compression scheme based upon converting image files into mathematical equations. The method can produce very high compression ratios. |
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| Fractal Image | Images converted into mathematical equations that describe the curves and other geometric features of the image. |
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| Frame Grabber | A device that captures and stores single video frames. |
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| Frequency Modulation (FM) Screening | A halftone screening method in which all halftone microdots are the same very small size, but their average number per surface area, or frequency, varies according to the tone value to be reproduced. |
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| FTP (File Transfer Protocol) | A client-server protocol that allows file transfer over a TCP/IP network. |
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| Full Bleed | A printing term used when an image or inked area extends beyond the edge of all four sides of the printed piece. |
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| Gamma | A measure of the amount of contrast found in an image according to the slope of a gradation curve. High contrast (steep curve) has high gamma and low contrast (shallow curve) has low gamma. |
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| Gamma Correction | The nonlinear tonal correction editing of an image’s gamma curve. This is typically used to manipulate image shadow detail and lighten the image without washing out the highlight areas. |
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| Gamma Ratio | The non-linear characteristic of displays, scanners, and digital cameras in their signal-to-observed light intensity. output = input ^ gamma. |
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| Gamut | The range of colors that are available in an image or output process. |
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| Gamut Compression | Editing an image to reduce the color gamut so the image can be displayed or output within the limits of a particular device. |
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| Gamut Mapping | The plotting of an image color gamut into the CIE color space. See Color Space. |
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| Gas Ghosting | The phenomenon where uncured inkjet prints, when framed, form a fogged or ghost image on the inside of the glass surface. This happens primarily with “barrier-type” paper, such as RC papers, and can be avoided with thorough or accelerated drying of the print. |
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| Gaussian Blur | An image softening effect using a bell-shaped gaussian distribution to soften the image. |
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| GB | See Gigabyte. |
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| GCR (Gray Component Replacement) | The process of removing areas of overlapping cyan, magenta, and yellow inks and replacing that amount with black ink in the black separation. Compare to UCR. |
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| Generation Loss | The loss of image quality or data as the image is reproduced multiple times. |
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| Ghosting | The effect of changing an object’s level of opacity in imageediting software. |
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| GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) | An image format type generated specifically for computer use. Its resolution is usually very low (72 dpi, or that of your computer screen), making it undesirable for printing purposes. |
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| GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) | Extension: .gif
A bitmap, 8-bit color file format originally used by CompuServe to facilitate the transfer of images online. This file format is supported by various applications and uses LZW lossless compression. |
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| Gigabit Ethernet | 1,000 Mbps Ethernet. |
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| Gigabyte (GB) | A unit of memory or file size that equals 1,024 megabytes. |
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| Global Color Correction | A color correction in a digital image that affects the entire image. |
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| Gloss Differential | See Bronzing. |
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| Gradation | A smooth transition between black and white or one color and another. |
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| Graphical User Interface (GUI) | The use of graphical symbols called icons, and menus to carry out commands, open files, and select options of a computer operating system or software application. |
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| Graphics Accelerator Card | A circuit board that reduces the time that a computer takes to produce an image on screen or perform graphic tasks. |
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| Graphics File Format | A file format used to store any of the file formats used to store images in a digital form, e.g., GIF, BMP, JPG, and TIF. |
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| Graphics Tablet | A device that gives users intricate control of cursor movements
by use of a stylus or pen in drawing or graphics programs. |
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| Gravure | An intaglio printing process that uses engraved cylinders that retain ink in engraved areas. It is ideal in long-run work and prints on most substrates. |
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| Gray Scale | The number of discrete gray levels that an imaging device is capable of resolving; image whose structure is based solely on brightness information and not color. |
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| GroupWare | A type of software design to let users on a network use the same software and work on projects at the same time. |
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| GUI | See Graphical User Interface. |
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| Guide Number | A numerical representation of the power output of an electronic flash. |
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| Halftone | A process for representing the tones in an image by dots of varying sizes. |
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| Halftone Cell | A matrix of printer dots that can be combined to produce varying sizes of halftone dots. |
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| HDTV (High-Definition Television) | A video signal that will resolve 1,125 lines in the USA and be capable of receiving digital video broadcasts instead of the current analog broadcasts with the current analog NTSC signal. |
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| Hertz (Hz) | A unit used to measure the number of waveforms per second. |
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| High-Fidelity Color | The extension of the tonal range of color images by means of stochastic printing and the use of six or more color inks to print images rather than the traditional four colors used in the CMYK process. |
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| Highlight | The lightest area of an image. |
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| Histogram | A graphical representation of the tonal values (brightness or color) in a scene based upon the frequency of occurrence of each value. |
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| Holography | A photographic system that uses laser light to expose film to a pattern developed by the interface pattern of the laser and the reflection. When these films are viewed under specific conditions, a 3-D image is visible. |
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| Hot Filter | An infrared cutoff filter that is placed in front of CCD chips to remove the infrared radiation to which the chips are sensitive. |
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| Hot Swap | Standards for input and output devices (i.e., USB) that allow computers to automatically recognize them without rebooting. |
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| HPGL (Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language) | A graphics language used by HP printing devices for printing and storing graphics files. |
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| HSB (Hue, Saturation, Brightness) | A color model in which numerical values describe hue, saturation, and brightness. |
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| HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) | A computer language using a standard group of tags to tell a Web browser how to display text and graphics. |
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| HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) | The standards that let users of the Web transfer information in web pages. |
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| Hub | A device that connects two or more devices so they may communicate. |
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| Hue | One of the characteristics of a color model that relates to its predominant color; the name of a color; a term used to characterize the entire range of color of the spectrum. |
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| Huffman Coding | A form of lossless compression coding that reassigns brightness values to variable length codes based on the frequency of their occurrence in an image. The most frequent brightness values are assigned shorter length codes leading to an overall decrease in file size of the image. |
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| Hybrid Imaging | The use of film for the original capture of an image and the scanning of that film to create a digital file. |
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| Hypermedia | The joining of video, sound, graphics, and other elements to form a non-sequential association of topics; hypertext. Multimedia, digital media, new media. |
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| ICC (International Color Consortium) | A group of companies in agreement that develop standards defining color and reproduction characteristics of hardware/software devices and media independent of device-specific
characteristics. |
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| IEEE 1394 | See FireWire. |
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| Illuminant | Mathematical description of the energy emitted by a light source. |
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| Image Enhancement | The processing of an image to improve elements such as color, tonal range, and defects. |
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| Image Pack | A 5- or 6-resolution Photo CD file stored in YCC format. |
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| Image Processing | Any operation that can be performed on digital data to alter its characteristics and thereby the image that it represents. |
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| Imagesetter | A high-resolution laser output device used in the printing industry to image a bitmap to a light-sensitive substrate. |
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| Import | The ability of a software application to bring in files that are not in its native file format. |
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| Imposition | The process of positioning pages of a publication into the correct position to ensure proper page order after printing and binding. |
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| Ink | A fluid or viscous substance used for writing or printing. In digital printing, the substance in inkjet printing (liquid or solid) that gets sprayed onto the medium; made up of a colorant, a
solvent or vehicle, and various additives. |
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| Ink Limiting | A control within a program that limits the percentage of ink applied to an area of print. |
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| Inkjet Printer | A type of non-impact printing technology that sprays tiny drops of ink onto a surface. |
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| Integrated Circuit (IC) | The building blocks of computer hardware in which transistors are combined to perform a particular function or series of functions on one computer chip. |
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| Interface | A communication link in a computer between hardware, software, and the operator. |
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| Interframe Coding | A technique used in compressing motion images that uses similarities between an image frame and a previous reference frame. |
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| Interlaced | A video signal in which two fields, odd-numbered lines followed by even-numbered lines, are interleaved that is common to the NTSC standard. |
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| Internet | A set of interconnected networks that forms a global TCP/IP network. |
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| Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) | The encryption of IP packets in an Internet protocol network. It is most suited for a private network not connected to the Internet. |
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| Internet Service Provider (ISP) | An organization that sells access to the Internet. |
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| Interpolation | A process for increasing image size by using nearby pixels to estimate the color for pixels in the new, larger image; any process used to estimate color. |
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| Intranet | An internal network using the TCP/IP standard allowing the sharing of resources such as printers, files, and storage space on a server. |
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| IP (Internet Protocol Address) | The address of a computer on a TCP/IP network written as four groups of up to three digits separated by periods, e.g., 121.119.115.11. |
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| IPIX | A format for panoramic images often at 360-degree view and requiring special viewing software. |
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| IrDA (Infrared Data Association) | A standard used to transfer data using infrared technology. |
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| ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Networ | A set of telecommunications standards that allows for digital voice, video, and data transmission by using two lines in which data can travel at 128 Kbps. |
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| ISO | A representation of the light sensitivity of an image sensor. The higher the number, the higher the sensitivity to light. Noise may increase as ISO increases. |
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| ISP | See Internet Service Provider. |
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| IT8 | Standard test targets for color characterization of different devices and media such as scanners and printers established by the Committee IT8 of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). |
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| ITU | Formerly known as CCITT, ITU is the Committee of the United Nations. Its job is to make sure all telecommunications devices (telephones, fax machines, modems, etc.) can “talk to” each other, no matter what company makes them or in what country they’re used. |
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| Jaggies | The effect caused by images or lines being rendered at too low a resolution and producing a stair-stepped effect that gives the image a rough appearance. See Aliasing. |
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| Java | A programming language similar to C++ that is optimized for object-oriented, multithreaded, distributed computing. A Java program may be downloaded and run dynamically in a Web browser – Java Applet. |
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| JavaScript | A script language that allows for the creation of interactive websites. |
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| Jazz Drive | A proprietary storage device manufactured by Iomega that allows for the storage of up to one gigabyte of data on a single removable disk. |
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| JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) | A standard lossy compression method for full-color or grayscale images using a cascade of compression modes that can achieve compression ratios as high as 100:1. |
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| JPEG 2000 (JPEG 2000: Image Coding Syste | Officially called ISO 15444, a standardized format that will expand the ability to manage and transport continuous tone images without noticeable loss of quality. |
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| Kb (Kilobit) | A unit of measure for digital data equal to 1,024 bits. |
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| KB (Kilobyte) (K) | A unit of measure for digital data equal to 1,024 bytes. |
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| Kbps (Kilobits Per Second) | A unit of measure for data transmission equal to 1,024 bits per second. |
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| KBps (Kilobytes Per Second) | A unit of measure for data transmission equal to 1,024 bytes per second. |
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| Kelvin | The unit in which color temperature is measured that is used in imaging to define the quality of a light source by referring to the absolute temperature of a black body that would radiate equivalent energy. Generally, a tungsten reading lamp is rated at 2,800 degrees Kelvin, TV or Film quartz lights are rated at 3,200 degrees Kelvin, and outdoor light averages around 5,600 degrees Kelvin. The higher the Kelvin temperature, the more
bluish the light appears. |
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| KEPS | Eastman Kodak’s system to bring Photo CD to the prepress industry using the Kodak Precision Color Management System. |
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| Kernel Size | The number of pixels sampled in image manipulation and sharpening processes. |
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| Key | The term for black ink in the CMYK printing process. |
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| KHz (Kilohertz) | Unit of measure for frequency equal to 1,000 wavelengths per second, also called 1,000 cycles per second and 1,000 hertz per second. |
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| Kiosk | A self-serve station set up in a public location that allows customers access to various imaging capabilities and output. |
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| L*a*b* (Lab) | See CIE LAB. |
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| LAN (Local Area Network) | A group of computers that operate over a limited distance, for example within an office or building. |
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| Large Format | A printer, media, or print 24 inches or greater in width. See Format. |
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| Laser | An intensely focused beam of light with a very narrow spectral distribution. Lasers are used in writing data to storage medium such as CD or in certain types of digital printers. Laser is also an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. |
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| Laser Printer | A printer that uses a laser beam to write on a photoconductive revolving drum that is coated with toner (fine, black powder). After the image is transferred to paper, it passes through a pair of heated rollers or a fuser that melts the toner, fusing it with the paper fibers. |
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| Lasso | A tool found in many image editing applications allowing the user to select an area of an image by drawing a line around it. |
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| Layering | In image editing software, the placement of one image or graphic over another. The opacity of the top image can allow the lower image to show through. |
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| LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) | A computer display technology based upon the changing optical density of certain types of molecules when placed in an electric field. LCD displays can be active-matrix or passive-matrix. |
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| LED (Light Emitting Diode) | A semiconductor that emits light when an electric charge passes
through it. LEDs are used in displays and also in certain types
of digital photo printers. |
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| Lenticular | The combination of interlaced digital images that when viewed with a specially designed, plastic lens creates the illusion of depth or motion. |
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| Lightfast | Resistant to the destructive action of light. |
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| Lightness | The characteristic of certain color models that relates to the visual perception that an area emits or reflects more light. |
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| Line Art | Single color diagrams or drawings. An image that requires sharp edges and high contrast between areas of the image that have ink and those areas that do not. A drawing that consists only of black and white with no intermediate grayscale information.
These images require a higher resolution to create the sharpness that is necessary. |
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| Line Screen | A printing term that defines the density of the elements of a halftone cell as the number of lines of ink dots per inch or millimeter. |
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| Linear Array | An image sensor composed of red, green, and blue photo sites arranged in a row. |
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| Linearization | The process of measuring and correcting for a device’s inability to see or reproduce a straight line of tones from black to white. Most commonly used to ensure that an imagesetter reproduces the same halftone dot values predicted by the imaging software.
Linearization is a critical first stage in setting up any color system. |
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| Linux | A Unix-based computer operating system. |
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| Lithograph | The process of printing from a stone or metal plate on which the image to be printed is ink-receptive and the blank area is ink repellent. |
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| Local Color Correction | Color correcting that only affects a selected area of an image. |
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| Look-Up Table (LUT) | A table of color values that is used to either convert from one color space to another for inputting, or outputting digital data to different types of output devices. |
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| Lossless Compression | A compression technique in which smaller file sizes are achieved without the loss of any of the original data values. This is achieved by a variety of encoding schemes (see Huffman Coding) that allow the original data to be re-created from the compressed format. |
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| Lossy Compression | A compression technique in which smaller file sizes are achieved by eliminating some of the original image data. The amount of the original data to be maintained is arbitrarily set by the user based upon the quality needed for the intended use. |
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| lpi (Lines Per Inch) | The number of lines per inch in a halftone screen. As a general rule, the higher the lpi, the higher the printed resolution and quality. |
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| lpm | Lines per millimeter. |
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| Lumen | A measure of the rate at which a source emits light. The ANSI lumen is used to define the brightness of overhead and video display projectors. |
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| Luminance | The rate at which a source emits light in a specific direction. The brightness part of a composite video signal. |
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| LZW (Lempel-Ziv-Welch) | A form of lossless block coding that compresses files by assigning codes to repeating patterns of blocks of pixels. |
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| Magnetic Storage | Any storage medium that uses variations in magnetic polarity to record information. |
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| Magneto Optic Storage Disc | A type of storage medium that uses magnetic polarity to record information and lasers to read the data. |
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| Markup | The instructions in a text document that specify formatting features
of which SGML is the universal standard. |
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| Marquee | A selection tool in image editing programs typically represented by animated dotted lines around the selected area. |
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| Maser Photo CD | Scans from 35mm transparencies or negatives produced in the Eastman Kodak PIW 2200 or 1200 workstation. Images are written to Kodak-branded media. |
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| Mask | A special effect that can modify images so that only part of the image can be seen, or so that the image blends into the background. |
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| Matrix | Traditionally, the plate or surface upon which an image is inscribed in order to hold ink before transferring the image to a substrate or paper. In digital terms, the matrix becomes the electronic file located on a computer’s hard drive or stored on a disk or CD. This matrix is made up of binary encoded information that can describe how the image file should appear on the digital raster screen or print. |
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| Matte Finish | A low-gloss finish with very little reflective quality. |
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| Mb (Megabit) | A measure of data equal to 1,048,576 bits. |
| | |
| MB (Megabyte) | A measure of data equal to 1,048,576 bytes. |
| | |
| Mbps (Megabits Per Second) | A data transfer rate equal to 1,048,576 bits per second. |
| | |
| MBps (Megabytes Per Second) | A data transfer rate equal to 1,048,576 bytes per second. |
| | |
| Media | The material to be printed on, such as watercolor papers, canvas, copper, wood veneer, cotton, or plastic. Media and substrate are the most common terms used in digital printing. |
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| Memory Stick | A type of storage media developed by Sony used in some digital cameras and portable computer devices. |
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| Metafile | A file format that contains both bitmap and vector data that can be used on different machines and in different applications. |
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| Metamerism | The phenomenon that describes the visual match of two or more spectrally different colors under certain viewing conditions but not in all viewing conditions. |
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| Mezzotint | A tonal, rather than linear, engraving process. First, the surface of the plate is roughened with a mesh of small burred dots, then the picture is produced by flattening and burnishing selected areas that print as highlights. Mezzotint is making a comeback as a printmaking technique. |
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| MHz (Megahertz) | A measure equal to 1 million cycles per second. |
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| Microdrive | A micro-sized hard-drive storage device that allows the storage and retrieval of data. |
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| Microporous | An inkjet media that has a receptor coating with voids that fill with ink. The ink is rapidly absorbed within the media rather than applying to the surface. This rapid absorption makes it instantly “dry” to the touch. |
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| Microprocessor | The integrated circuit, known as the CPU, that controls the computer. |
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| MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interfa | A set of hardware and software specifications that allows for the digital representation of music that electronic devices, such as keyboards and sound cards, universally understand. It provides a protocol for transforming music into data and vice versa. |
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| Midtones | Tones in an image that are in the middle of the tonal range, halfway between the lightest and the darkest. Also called “middle values.” |
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| MIPS (Millions of Instructions Per Secon | A measure of the processing speed of a computer equal to one million instructions per second. |
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| Modem | A device that converts digital data into audio signal for transmission over telephone lines and that converts audio signals back into digital data on reception. |
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| Moiré | An undesirable pattern effect that occasionally appears in combinations of overlapping halftone screens. Changes to screen angles will often eliminate these patterns. |
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| Monitor Calibration | The process of adjusting a video display to a known set of values in order to closely match input and output devices. |
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| Monochrome | An image made of a range of only one color. |
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| Monoprint | One of a series in which each print has some differences of color, design, texture, etc., applied to an underlying common image. |
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| Montage | The seamless combination of divergent images into a singular image. |
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| Morphing | To blend two images together by smoothing moving points from their original position to new positions to form a single image. |
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| MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) | A silicon wafer with channel transistors used to create integrated circuits. |
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| Motherboard | The main printed circuit board in a computer to which all other peripheral devices are attached. |
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| Mottling | A texturing seen in the smooth or monotone areas of an image that can be due to faulty processing and a number of improperly used digital processes, such as excessive unsharp masking. |
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| MP3 | A standard digital compression for high-quality audio storage and transmission using very small file sizes. |
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| MPEG (Motion Picture Expert Group) Compr | A variety of video and audio compression techniques that can reduce the data files at ratios of up to 200:1. |
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| MS-DOS | Microsoft Disk Operating System. |
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| Multimedia | A synthesis of digital media types combining texts, graphics, audio, animation, and video in an interactive format. |
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| Multimedia Card | A type of storage device that allows for the storage and retrieval of image data. |
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| Multiplexing | To deliver two or more signals on a single channel. |
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| Multisession | A type of CD-ROM format that allows information to be recorded incrementally in different recording sessions. |
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| Multitasking | The capability of a computer system to process more than one job at a time. |
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| Multithreading | The process of having a computer run several threads inside a program at the same time. |
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| Munsell System (of Color Notation) | A color model that identifies specific colors by their hue, value, and chroma. The system consists of more than 3 million sample observations of what people perceive to be like differences in hue, chroma, and value. |
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| Native File Format | The default format in which a specific application saves files. |
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| Network | A group of computers and other peripherals connected to one another for the purpose of passing information and sharing resources. |
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| Newton Rings | A degrading image artifact composed of concentric multicolored rings caused by the pressing of film to glass, often a problem in scanning from negatives or transparencies. |
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| NIC (Network Interface Card) | A printed circuit board that is installed in a computer so that it can be connected to a network. |
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| Noise | An unwanted electrical signal or data that distorts or degrades the signal. |
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| Non-Impact Printer | Any printing technology in which marks are made on paper without physical contact between the printer and the paper. |
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| Non-Interlaced | A video system that displays all of the horizontal lines across the screen in succession. Computer monitors are usually noninterlaced while television video monitors are often interlaced. |
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| NTSC (National Television Standards Comm | The committee that prepares standards for television broadcasting for the Federal Communications Committee. The standard for color television is 525 scan lines with odd- and even-numbered lines alternating at every 1/60 second. An entire frame (both even and odd lines) is completed every 1/30 second. |
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| Object | In multimedia, a video clip, audio file or graphical representation stored data element; a vector-based drawing. |
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| OCR (Optical Character Recognition) | The technology used to convert scanned text on printed pages
into editable ASCII text. |
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| ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) | A standard for transferring data between databases. |
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| Offset Printing (Offset Lithography) | Currently the most common commercial printing method where ink is offset from the printing plate to a rubber roller, then to paper. |
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| OLE (Object Linking and Embedding) | A standard that provides a software channel for inserting an object into a document that still has a link to its original application. |
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| On-Demand Printing | A digital application of printing in which documents can be output from a database directly to the print device in variable quantities as often as demanded. |
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| Opacity | Lacking transparency or translucence. The measure of the amount of light that can pass through a material. The property of a film that prevents “show through” of dark printing or
marks on a substrate (media). The degree to which a material obscures a substrate, as opposed to transparency, which is the degree to which a material does not obscure a substrate. |
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| Open Architecture | A computer design with open standards so that they are available to other manufacturers of hardware and software. This allows computer systems to be modified using many different manufacturers’ components. |
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| Operating System | The system used by the computer to control basic input and output operations and allow the operation of software applications. Examples include Mac OS, Windows, UNIX, and Linux. |
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| Optical Disc | A disc on which digital data may be read with reflected laser light that bounces off the surface of the disc. |
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| Optical Resolution | The maximum physical resolution of a device. Optical Resolution provides better image quality than interpolated resolution that uses software to create additional image information. |
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| Orientation | The direction that the page is printed; horizontal = landscape, vertical = portrait. |
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| OSI (Open System Interconnection) | A network model in which peer-to-peer communication is divided into seven layers. |
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| others may not gain access to its conten | A storage device that uses electric charges stored in an isolated MOS transistor to simulate data that can be stored for as long as 10 years, can be programmed, and erased. |
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| Output | In digital printing technology, to translate information from the computer to an external device, such as a printer or monitor, to print. Also, the visual display of digital information. |
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| Overlaminate | A protective clear film that extends an image’s durability and enhances its visual quality. Most often used in commercial signage. |
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| Packet | A unit of binary information organized in blocks for transmission including control data about the type of information, the length of the packet, the data, error detection and correction
bits. |
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| Packet Internet Groper (ping) | A program that sends a request to a designation on a network and waits for a reply. |
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| Packet Switching | A method of transferring data by addressing blocks of information into packets. The data network then determines the routing of the packets. |
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| PAL (Phase Alternation Line) | The European standard for color television, which operates at 25 frames per second with a full resolution of 768 pixels by 625 lines. |
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| Palette | The range of color or tone available in the imaging process, or a movable menu of tools or options found in software applications. |
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| Parallel Port | The computer interface that uses a data transmission scheme over wires connected in parallel and is usually found between a computer and a peripheral, most commonly a printer. |
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| Passive Matrix Display | A type of liquid crystal display (LCD) that uses one transistor for each row and one transistor for each column. |
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| PC Card | A storage device with a 68-pin connector containing two rows of 34 pins, used in digital cameras and notebook computers. |
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| PCD | A Proprietary file format used with the Eastman Kodak Photo CD system. |
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| PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) | A 32-bit local bus standard that supports up to 16 physical slots used to connect peripheral devices to a computer. |
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| PCL (Printer Control Language) | A page description language used by Hewlett-Packard for its
inkjet and laser printers. |
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| PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card In | The industry group that established the standards for PC cards. See PC Card. |
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| PCS (Profile Connection Space) | A scheme used to connect a series of color profiles. |
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| PCX | A Paintbrush file extension. |
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| PCX (Paintbrush File Format) | Extension: .pcx
A bitmap, up to 24-bit color file format originally designed to support graphics applications operating on the Microsoft Windowsplatform. This file format is supported by various applications and uses RLE lossless compression. |
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| PDF (Portable Document Format) | A document type created by the Adobe Acrobat Software Application to provide a cross-platform method to transfer information. Text, graphics or PostScript files are converted to PDF format that can be opened on any computer system with the free Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader. |
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| PDL (Page Description Language) | A programming language used to control the formatting and layout of a printed page, e.g., PCL and PDF. |
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| Peripheral | Any external device that may be connected to a computer. |
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| Phase Change Printer | An inkjet printer where the ink starts as a solid but is then heated, liquefied, and sprayed onto a substrate. |
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| Phosphor | A material that emits light when excited by electric charge used in the creation of cathode ray tube display units. |
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| Photo CD | A trademarked Eastman Kodak-designed storage system for photographic images using CD as media. |
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| Photo YCC | A color standard established by Eastman Kodak that is used to define the color space for digital imaging in Photo CD and desktop publishing. |
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| Photon | A packet (quantum) of light or of other electromagnetic radiation. |
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| Photoshop | Extension: .psd
The proprietary Adobe Photoshop file format that supports all the application’s features including layers, masks, and channels. This file format may not be able to be accessed by other applications. |
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| Pica | A unit of measurement used in the graphic arts industry that
equals approximately 1/6 inch. |
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| PICT | A graphic file format used by Apple computers. |
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| PICT File (Picture) | Extension: .pct
A bitmap, up to 32-bit color file format originally designed to support graphics applications operating on the Apple Macintosh platform. This file format is supported by various applications and is commonly used to transfer files between applications. This file format can utilize JPEG lossy compression schemes. |
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| Pigment | A type of colorant consisting of particles made up of many synthetic dye molecules or carbon black; generally more stable than dyes of the same color. Pigmented inkjet inks are credited with better longevity and may have a narrower color gamut. |
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| Pincushion Distortion | The distortion of an image that occurs when the center of the image compresses toward the center, most noticed at the center of the horizontal and vertical edges. |
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| Pixar (Pixar RIB, RenderMan Interface By | Extension: .pxr
A scene description file format designed for use in photorealistic modeling, 3-D, and animation programs such as PIXAR workstations. This file format is typically used to transfer images to and from PIXAR workstations. |
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| Pixel | The smallest element of a raster image where brightness or color values have been measured. Derived from pi(x)cture element. |
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| Pixel Depth | The amount of data used to describe each colored dot on a computer screen. For example, monochrome is 1 bit deep, grayscale is 8 bits deep, RGB is 24 bits deep. Images to be printed as CMYK separation should be 32 bits deep. |
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| Planographic | In printmaking, a surface that has ink on its flat plane as opposed to being engraved or embossed to hold ink. |
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| Platen | The glass surface of a flatbed scanner on which reflective art is placed for scanning. |
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| Plug and Play | The ability of an operating system to identify and configure the system to incorporate peripherals. |
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| PMS (Pantone Matching System) | A scheme for representing 3,000 distinct colors by means of a numbering system. |
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| PMT (Photomultiplier Tube) | A light-sensing device usually found in drum scanners. These vacuum tubes are much more sensitive to light than CCD chips. |
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| PNG (Portable Network Graphics) | Extension: .png
A bitmap, 24-bit color file format originally designed as an alternative to the GIF format for transfer and display of images online. The file format utilizes lossless compression. This file
format is not completely supported by all Web browsers and other applications at this time. |
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| Portrait (Mode) | The orientation of an image that is taller than it is wide. A setting controlling an output device to properly fit a computer document to the print medium. Vertical. |
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| Postcoat | Clear material applied as a final coat to protect prints or art work. |
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| Posterization | The conversion of an image to a more elementary form by reducing the number of tonal values, creating a surrealistic, stark result. |
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| PostScript | A standard page description language in desktop publishing that describes the appearance of text, graphical shapes, and images as printed or displayed pages in a device-independent way. |
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| ppi (Pixels Per Inch) | A measure of the amount of image information density. |
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| Pre-Flight | The process of checking a job for possible problems (such as missing fonts and pictures, or incompatible color systems) prior to entering the job into normal workflow. |
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| Prepress | The process of getting a piece ready to be printed on press including text layout and color separations. |
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| Print Density or Optical Density (OD) | The visually perceivable and measurable absorption of light on the surface of a medium due to the presence of a colorant. OD only measures the surface density of a dry hard copy, not the density of the total amount of ink that was sprayed onto the medium. |
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| Print on Demand | The ability of digital printing to consistently produce prints individually or sporadically over an extended period of time, allowing orders of a small number of prints when needed. |
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| Print Permanence | The resistance of a print to physical change of any type, from any source, such as light, heat, acids, etc. |
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| Print Service Provider (PSP) | A commercial, digital printing agency or firm that takes an artist’s image file and prints it to the artist’s specifications. |
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| Printer Driver | Printer-specific software that allows a computer to communicate with the printer. See RIP. |
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| Pro Photo CD | Photo CD images scanned on the Eastman Kodak 4045 or 4050 scanner, allowing for an optional Base x64. |
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| Process Color | The mechanical process of reproducing a full-color image with the three primary subtractive color inks plus black (CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black or “K”). When viewed under a loupe, the individual color halftone dots can be seen in a process color image. |
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| Profile | A mathematical equation used to transform from one color space to another color space in order to more accurately match the output of devices. In digital printing, generally used to refer to a color profile, especially of a specific piece of equipment (monitor, printer, scanner, etc.) that enables the user to correlate color consistently on various devices. See Color Management. |
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| Proof | A prototype that shows the printer and customer what the job will look like after printing, so any necessary changes can be made before the job goes to press. |
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| Protocol | A standard procedure or a set of procedures with which software and hardware systems must comply in order to be compatible. |
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Glossary |
