This dictionary covers design, prepress and printing topics.
It was created with the help of S. Schwartz.

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

value
A measure of the colour lightness or darkness attribute rate 0-10 in the Munsell system.

vaporware
Software that doesn’t exist, may never exist, or is incapable of performing as promised.

VAR
Abbreviation for Value-Added Reseller: organisation that sells equipment but also takes care of aspects like assembly, integration, training or service

variability
Changing data on one or more impressions of a print job to enable some change in data depending on audience segment.

variable data
Highly customized (text, graphics, and images), high-quality print pieces with a specific message targeted to a specific individual or group.

varnish
A transparent liquid coating that is applied to a printed product to either protect it or make it visually more pleasing. Varnish can be either matte or glossy and is sometimes only applied to certain elements of a page to make them stand out.

vector
A line between two points of a drawing

vector file
A file created on a page makeup system containing page design commands that specify the start, the end, and the length of each line. A vector file might also specify geometric shapes and their dimensions, e.g. a circle is defined by three pieces of discrete data, the circle center point x, y location and the circle radius.

vector graphics
Drawing software that processes drawings and illustrations as a series of points and connections, which are compact for a computer to store and manipulate. Most drawing and illustration software employ vector graphics.

vehicle
The fluid in printing ink that carries the pigment. The solvent of an ink into which the pigment is added.

vellum
An fairly even uncoated paper finish

velox
A paper type imaging material that was used on graphic cameras for camera ready logos and halftones

verso
The left-hand page opposed to the recto. The verso always carries an even numbered folio. Also refers to the reverse side of the sheet.

vertical justification
The process of aligning a block of text vertically within a preset area.

video card
A board in the computer that is used to drive the monitor

vignette
A gradation change of only one color that varies only in strength or lightness. A vignette can also refer to an illustration or image that gradually fades away, blending into the unprinted paper. It is sometimes refered to a graduated background tone.

VIP
Abbreviation for Visionary Interpreter for PostScript, a Scitex proprietary desktop-to-prepress system that allows any PostScript file to be interpreted into a Scitex Visionary CEPS. It uses an Adobe interpreter to convert PostScript files into the Scitex linework format.

virtual memory
A technique that fools a computer or application into thinking it has more memory (RAM) than is physically available by using disk space on a hard disk as an extension of RAM. All modern operating systems support virtual memory. Some memory-hungry applications like PhotoShop or PostScript RIPs have their own virtual memory manager.

viscometer
A device that measures viscosity

viscosity
Thickness or thinness of a fluid as measured by its resistance to flow.

visible spectrum
Light that is visible to the human eye and is perceived as different colors. The visible spectrum is the 400 to 700 nanometer portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is the entire range of wavelengths from gamma rays to the longest radio waves. Infrared wavelengths are longer, and ultraviolet wavelengths are shorter than the visible spectrum.

Visionary
A Scitex proprietary desktop-to-prepress system that used a Macintosh and a version of QuarkXPress software to send page geometry information to a Scitex CEPS.

voice-grade line
A communications line that is used for normal telephone conversations with a nominal bandwidth of 4 kHz of information.

VMM
Abbreviation for Virtual Memory Manager: see virtual memory

VPN
Abbreviation for Virtual Private Network

VRAM
Abbreviation for Video Random Access Memory: type of fast computer memory that is specifically used on video cards.

VRML
Abbreviation for Virtual Reality Modelling Language: file format designed to display three dimensional objects and environments on the world wide web.