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.
  • Side stitch
    A binding method by stapling individual pages together through the top of the stack.
  • Side wire
    To attach sheets on the side near the backbone.
  • Sienna
    A reddish variety of iron or magnesium oxide used as a pigment.
  • Sign board
    Paperboard made of wood pulp, and reclaimed paper stock, usually 0.51 to 1.02 mm (0.020 to 0.040 inch) in caliper that is white patent-coated or clay-coated, and is treated for water resistance.
  • Sign paper
    An outdoor/indoor sign and poster material, generally made of bleached wood pulp and surface sized or treated; normal basis weights are 90, 100 or 110 pounds with rigidity, light fastness, water resistance, and fair strength.
  • Signal-to-noise ratio
    The ratio of usable signal to unusable noise in a scan.
  • Signcloth
    Textile material, usually cotton, of very close weave, ordinarily impregnated with a sizing to seal the porosity so the surface will accept hand lettering or screen printing with feather edging or blurring.
  • Silhouetting
    A mask or image blocking that isolates an image from the background.
  • Silica
    A white or colorless crystalline compound occurring in quartz, sand, flint, agate, and many other minerals, used in glass manufacture and in some instances glass decorating colors.
  • Silica aerogel
    An almost pure silica used as a bodying agent in ink.
  • Silicone
    A polymer of organo-siloxane, used as an ink additive that aids in flow out.
  • Silicone rubber
    Made from silicone elastomers noted for its retention of flexibility, resilience, and tensile strength over a wide temperature range.
  • Silk
    A natural fiber with the high tensile strength produced by silk worms used in the manufacture of multifilament threads for use in weaving fine textiles and screen printing mesh.
  • Silk manifold
    The paper from which outdoor poster stencils are cut.
  • Silk screen
    Archaic designation; refer to printing screen. 
  • Silk screen process (silk screen printing)
    Archaic designation, now obsolete; refer to screen printing.
  • Silking
    A parallel hair-like marking that occurs in a coating.
  • Silver bromide
    A pale yellow crystalline compound that turns black on exposure to light used as light sensitive component in photographic film.
  • Silver chloride
    A white granular powder that turns dark on exposure to light.
  • Silver halide
    A silver salt such as silver chloride, silver bromide, or silver iodide suspended in a gelatin used in photographic film production.
  • Silver ink
    Specially prepared suspension of finely milled silver particles in a variety of resin systems, used to produce conductive pattern on flexible and rigid substrate; refer to aluminum ink.
  • Silver iodide
    Pale yellow odorless powder that darkens on exposure to light.
  • Silver nitrate
    A light sensitive compound that forms the base of all other silver compounds in photographic sensitizers.
  • Silver recovery (reclaiming fixer)
    The method of reclaiming silver thiosulfate from used fixing baths in photoprocessing, thereby reducing water effluent pollution and conserving a natural resource.
  • Silver thiosulfate
    A compound formed when silver nitrate photo emulsion is dissolved by thiosulfate in a fixer.