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.
  • Prescreened film
    A sensitized film for making halftone positives and halftone negatives, where the halftone effect or dot formation is incorporated in the sensitized emulsion of film and produces a dot pattern automatically when film is exposed to object or copy.
  • Pre-sensitized film
    Screen printing stencil film made for making photographic stencils that has been sensitized before shipping.
  • Prespacing
    The application of a series of die-cut or kiss-cut patterns in a predetermined relationship onto an application paper in order that all marking components or designs may be applied to the substrate at one time.
  • Press check
    An event where test sheets are examined and approved before production run is authorized.
  • Press run
    The total number of copies printed, refer to as an "edition" in fine art serigraph printing.
  • Pressure contact frame
    A frame for holding two or more sheets face-to- face, or face-to-back, in-contact while exposing.
  • Pressure equalizer
    A device that uses pneumatic pressure to equalize squeegee pressure along the blade.
  • Pressure forming
    A thermoforming process where pressure is used to press the sheet to be formed against the mold.
  • Pressure head
    That portion of a heat-release decorating machine that applies pressure to a heat-release decal, forcing it into contact with the ware.
  • Pressure sensitive label stock (self-adhesive label stock)
    Pressure sensitive substrate material suitable for the production of labels.
  • Pressure sensitive pen
    A tool that allows information to be entered in a computer with a stylus in a manner similar to writing or drawing.
  • Pressure washer
    A screen cleaning unit consisting of a device for multiplying tap water pressure through a hose and a spray-type nozzle under high pressure.
  • Pressurized screen printing
    A screen cleaning unit consisting of a device for multiplying tap water pressure through a hose and a spray-type nozzle under high pressure.
  • Pretreatment
    Preparing the screen mesh by degreasing and abrading before stencil application; also refer to prep.
  • Pretreatment standards
    (1) Municipal limits requiring industry to treat effluents prior to their arrival at waste treatment plants; (2) In wastewater treatment, any process used to reduce pollutants before the process waste-water in introduced into a main sewer system or delivered to a treatment plant.
  • Preucil Ink Evaluation System
    A color evaluation system where a reflection densitometer is used to measure a printed ink film through a Wratten #25, #58, #47 filter relative to substrate, then converts information to hue error and grayness parameters for plotting on color diagram.
  • Prewetting
    (1) A procedure used by outdoor advertising installers of soaking printed paper overnight prior to posting; (2) A procedure that is used to soak stacks of water slide decals in a tray prior to application.
  • Primary colors
    The three primary light (spectral) colors are red, green, and blue; the three primary ink colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow. The three basic colors, properly selected and mixed, produce any hue.
  • Primary standard
    A standard of reference units and physical constants maintained by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) upon which all measurement units are based (US).
  • Principal axis
    The axis of maximum and minimum normal stress.
  • Print
    The final form of the printed image; the act of printing.
  • Print area
    The area of a printing form that produces the image or the area printed on a substrate.
  • Print base
    The support on which the substrate is placed for printing; also refer to print table, platen.
  • Print cloth
    Plain woven fabric, not napped, weighing not more than six ounces per square yard.
  • Print contrast
    The ratio of the difference in the density of a 75% (three-quarter) tone and a solid print to the density of the saturated solids on a press sheet.