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This dictionary covers graphic design, prepress and print terminology.
Stan Schwartz supplied most of the terms of this online glossary.
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tabloid
A paper size that is used in the US and measures 279 x 432 millimeters or 11 x 17 inches. This is half the size of a broadsheet, or twice the size of a sheet of ‘Letter’ sized typing paper.
tabular material
In typesetting, tables and charts with columns of data must be aligned.
TAC
Abbreviation for Total Area Coverage: the total build-up of ink on a given spot on the paper. An area where 70 percent cyan is combined with 50 percent yellow and 20 percent black has a TAC of 140. More information can be found on this page.
tack
The ’stickiness’ or adhesive quality of ink while printing.
tag
- A dense, strong paper stock.
- In page composition systems, a notation that defines each classification of text in a publication, such as the title, subtitles and body text. Typographic styles can then be assigned to each tag. This makes it possible for a designer to change just a single tag and experiment with type changes throughout the publication.
taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science and practice of classification. Within graphic arts, the term usually refers to the classification of images or other data in an asset management system. A taxonomy refers to a particular way in which assets are classified.
TB
Abbreviation for TeraByte, 1000 megabyte.
TCP-IP
Abbreviation for Transmission Control Protocol – Internet Protocol, the communication protocol that is used on the internet as well as most computer networks.
template
A temporary background image or shape on the computer monitor into which text and artwork are inserted. A template can also be a file that contains a style sheet and master or base pages which contain recurring images or place holders for text or images. Such a template is useful for publications in which pages share a common design.
tensile strength
A paper’s ability to withstand pressure.
terabyte
1099511627776 bytes (1000 megabyte)
terminator
A little device that prevents data signal reflection at the end of a conductor. The SCSI-bus nees a terminator (which is sometimes build into SCSI-devices) and on some systems, if you want to use only 1 processor on a dual-CPU system, a terminator has to be put on the empty processor slot.
tertiary colors
Colors that are made up with portions of all three process ink pigments.
TeX
Computer language designed for use in typesetting, in particular for typesetting math and other technical material. (According to its inventor, professor Donald Knuth, TeX rhymes with the word blecchhh.) TeX is pretty popular in universities or at publishers handling scientific publications. TeX systems are available on all common computer platforms.
text
- The main body of copy in a book or on a page opposed to headings.
- A high quality printing paper.
texturing
impressing a pattern into the surface of a film or paper.
text wrap
The ability within a computer application to run text around a graphic image or other object within a document, without the need to adjust each line manually.
TFT
abbreviation for Thin Film Transistor
thermal transfer printer
A color printer using colored waxes that are heat-transferred and fused to special coated papers.
thermography
A printing process whereby slow drying ink is applied to paper and while the ink is still wet, it is lightly dusted with a resinous powder. The paper then passes through a heat chamber where the powder melts and fuses with the ink to produce a raised surface.
thin space
The thinnest space normally used to separate words.
Thirty two sheet
A paper size that is typically used for posters, measuring 3048 x 4064 millimeters or 120 x 160 inches.
three-color black
A neutral gray made up of cyan, magenta and yellow pigments in correct percentages and ink densities. However, by over printing the process color inks in equal dot sizes, it appears brown, rather than gray, because of the ink impurities.
three-color process
Color separation and reproduction using only process cyan, magenta and yellow inks, with no black ink.
three quarter web
Type of web press that can print eight-page signatures whose flat trim size is typically 17 by 22 inches. Three-quarter Webs use rolls that are 22 to 27 inch wide.
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