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.
  • Touch plate
    The use of an additional screen to produce a special color, fluorescent, or white.
  • Touch up
    The process of making corrections as in opaquing pinholes or defects in negatives and positives or adding final minor corrections to artwork, making corrections, or spotting pinholes in printing screens.
  • Toughness
    The relative ability of an ink, coating, or other material to resist cracking on impact.
  • Tower ager (vertical ager)
    A structure consisting of a vertical chamber where screen printed cloth may be festooned from rods at the top for aging or heat curing, and a means of introducing steam or dry heat into the chamber.
  • Tower easel
    An easel for supporting very heavy displays.
  • Toxic chemical
    A chemical that has demonstrated a potential to cause death, cancer, or genetic defects through exposure to living organisms.
  • Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)
    Enacted by Congress in 1976 to give EPA the ability to track the 75,000 industrial chemicals currently produced or imported into the United States.
  • Toxicity
    (1) The degree or intensity of virulence of a substance judged to be harmful to humans; (2) Property of being harmful or poisonous.
  • Toxicity rating
    Measurement used to determine toxic levels of substances, expressed as threshold limit value in parts per million (TLV-PPM).
  • Toyo
    (1) A Japanese ink manufacturing company; (2) An alternative color matching system to Pantone Color Matching (PMS) called Toyo Color Finder.
  • Toyo 88 Color Finder
    Color matching system that contains more than 1000 colors mixed from eleven basic colors, five additive colors, and three specialty (metallic, florescent, and pearlescent) ink.
  • Tpc
    Acceptable abbreviation for threads per centimeter.
  • Tpi
    Acceptable abbreviation for threads per inch.
  • TQM
    Acceptable acronym for total quality management.
  • TR
    Acceptable acronym for total resistance of an electronic component.
  • TR limits
    Minimum and maximum allowable deviation of an electronic component from nominal value.
  • Trace
    The conductive path of current in a membrane switch.
  • Traceability
    The ability to determine history, application, or location of an item or activity by means of recorded identification.
  • Tracing
    The transferring of an image by placing a transparent sheet over it and penciling the outlines on the transparent sheet.
  • Tracking
    (1) The degree of lateral movement of a belt such as a conveyor on a belt dryer; (2) The adjustment of overall spacing between all text characters in a word or words.
  • Trade name
    Identifies the name of a product or service of a manufacturer or distributor as it is known to the trade.
  • Trade secret
    Any confidential formula, pattern, process, device, information or compilation of information that is used in an employer’s business, and that gives the employer an opportunity to obtain an advantage over competitors.
  • Trademark
    A name, symbol, or other identifying mark registered and legally restricted to the use of a specific owner or manufacturer.
  • Train
    The moving area or zone of a printing screen that immediately follows the contact zone of the squeegee with the substrate, and precedes the release area determined by the off-contact distance and screen tension. (The train is the often visible part of the printing screen which adheres to the substrate temporarily prior to snap-off).
  • Transfer adhesive
    A powdered/granular adhesive that is dusted on a wet plastisol transfers to increase adhesion properties.