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.
  • Gelatin emulsion type film
    Any photosensitive film, or one that can be rendered photosensitive that is compounded to be water-soluable on a colloid base.
  • Gelatin stencil
    A screen printing stencil made from gelatin, colloid emulsion or film.
  • Generation loss
    The loss of quality that is unavoidable in any type of analog duplication, not present in digital duplication.
  • Generator
    Any person or company that produces hazardous waste as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
  • Generic
    Not identified by a specific trademark or trade name.
  • Generic fiber codes
    Acceptable acronyms developed by the International Standards Organization for manufactured fiber.
  • Geometric distortion
    Image deformation in a uniform manner.
  • Geometric printing
    To the screen print fabricated objects other than flat sheets such as glassware, cylindrical, spherical, and other irregular shapes.
  • Germicidal lamp
    A low pressure mercury-vapor lamp operating between one and ten watts per linear inch, and used as a UV energy source in conjunction with those units utilizing an inert atmosphere.
  • Ghost image
    (1) Ink stains on screen mesh that were not removed during screen cleaning and reclaiming; (2) an image that remains on a substrate after chemically removed or washed.
  • Ghosting
    (1) An image of the printed design or copy that extends beyond the limits of the stencil, usually with less ink deposition than the intended print area, caused by the slight creeping of improperly stretched screen mesh; (2) wet-on-wet printing, resulting in offsetting of wet prints onto the back of the screen.
  • Gicl?e
    (Fr. "a spraying of ink") A term for fine-art digitally produced prints.
  • Giga (G)
    A prefix utilized in the metric system of measurement that denotes 10 to the ninth power (109 ) or 1,000,000,000; symbol is G.
  • Giga ohms
    Measure of electrical resistance in a dielectric material.
  • Gigabyte (GB)
    An electronic unit of measure equal to one thousand megabytes or one billion bytes.
  • GIGO
    Acceptable acronym for garbage in garbage out.
  • Gilsonite
    Trademark of a natural black bitumen, sometimes used in the formulation of black printing ink.
  • Glacial acetic acid
    A chemical used in fixing baths and in stock hardener solution that is 99.8% pure.
  • Glass
    (1) Refer to loupe; (2) an inorganic product of fusion that has cooled to a rigid condition without crystallizing.
  • Glass blowing
    The forming or shaping of molten glass by air pressure.
  • Glass ceramic
    A material melted and formed as a glass, then crystallized by controlled heat treatment.
  • Glass colors
    Colored glass flux or enamel used to decorate glass.
  • Glass etch
    Any of several compounds that permit the frosting of glass by acid based screen printing directly on the ware.
  • Glass transition temperature (Tg)
    Midpoint of the temperature range over which a material undergoes a phase change from brittle to rubbery or vice versa.
  • Glassine
    A class of smooth, lightweight, dense paper that is usually semi-transparent and coated on one or more faces with silicon or similar agent that inhibits adhesion to another surface; once used as a stencil material.