Glossary

The PRINTING United Alliance Glossary serves as an excellent industry terminology resource. It is the language by which we all communicate. Without it, universal understanding would be impossible.

To keep our constituents well informed about changes to the increasingly complex industry terminology, PRINTING United Alliance has developed this glossary of terms. Definitions are for general reference only. Usage may vary between companies, individuals, or national and country customs. The information presented is as accurate as the authors and editors can ascertain and PRINTING United Alliance assumes no responsibility for the use of information presented herein.
  • Posterization
    (1) A special effect performed on a piece of art that compresses all of the tonal values into a smaller range of tones usually not more than four; (2) A special effect created by using a limited number of gray levels within an image, computer created by setting a defined number of gradient steps in a bitmapped image.
  • PostScript
    A page description programming language created by Adobe. A device-independent industry standard for outputting documents and graphics.
  • PostScript point
    A slight revision to the "Point" measurement unit. A Postscript point is exactly 1/72 of an inch. Most graphics software utilizes this refined value for a point.
  • Potassium bichromate
    Orange red crystals sometimes used in the preparation of solutions for sensitizing carbon tissue, screen printing films, and coatings for screen printing stencils. (Bichromates are considered an environmental and health hazard and are no longer used in the industry).
  • Pound (lb)
    A unit of weight equal to 16 ounces avoirdupois or 453.592 grams.
  • Pound per square foot (psf)
    A unit of pressure equal to the pressure resulting from a force of one pound applied uniformly over an area of one square foot.
  • Pounds per square inch (psi)
    A measurement of pressure exerted per unit area.
  • Powdered adhesive
    A thermoplastic bonding agent primarily used to aid a plastisol transfer to adhere more efficiently to nylon or polyester substrates.
  • Power factor
    Cosine of the angle between the voltage applied and the current resulting.
  • PPD
    Refers to PostScript Page Description, a small file used to describe a particular printer’s characteristics and capabilities to a graphics or word-processing software.
  • PPE
    Acceptable acronym for personal protective equipment.
  • Pre-bowing
    The application of force to the sides of a static frame prior to gluing tensioned mesh to the frame.
  • Prebreaking
    The breaking of scores before shipping a display.
  • Precision
    State of being precise as to meaning, exactness, accuracy.
  • Pre-flight
    A process of checking a job for possible problems before the job is sent for final output.
  • Preheat cycle
    To heat before-hand using a time and temperature relationship.
  • Preheat zone
    That portion of a lehr where all organic compounds are burned off before entering the firing zone.
  • Premasking
    The application of protective paper or tape to the surface of a substrate prior to printing.
  • Prep
    The process of preparing screen mesh to receive a photographic stencil; a make ready procedure prior to use.
  • Pre-pack
    A display designed to be packed with merchandise by the advertiser and shipped as a unit.
  • Preparing a Retensionable Frame
    1.0 Task: Preparing a Retensionable Frame 2.0 Job Area: Screen Room 3.0 Tools and Equipment:
    • Cleaning solvents
    • Emery cloth
    • Frame
    • Rags
    • Razor blade
    4.0 Instruction: CAUTION: Wear safety glasses and Protective gloves. This instruction involves the use of chemicals. Please follow HMIS labels and instructions. 4.1 Clear the mesh holding channels of tape, debris and ink. Remove tape adhesive residue, blockout or ink using solvent or water. [[{"fid":"1379","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default"}}]] 4.2 Put the frame on a flat table to check for warping. Examine the locking channel and locking strips or bar for damage. NOTE: Do not use the frame if excessive warping and damage are found. [[{"fid":"1380","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default"}}]] 4.3 Remove any sharp areas or burrs present in the locking channel and locking strips using emery cloth. [[{"fid":"1381","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default"}}]] 4.4 Clean the locking channel and locking strips using an appropriate solvent if there is oily residue or dirt remaining. [[{"fid":"1382","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"class":"media-element file-default"}}]]
  • Prepreg
    A thermosetting plastic, such as polymide, reinforced with glass cloth for use as a circuit board laminate, especially for multilayer boards.
  • Pre-press
    All preparatory operations performed before the actual printing operation.
  • Preprinting
    Screen printing a distortion pattern or design onto a plastic sheet that will be heat or vacuum formed, where during forming, the distortion is transformed into a correct image; refer to distortion copy.
  • Pre-scouring
    Washing of fabric to remove residual spinning oils and waxes that could interfere with dye acceptance.