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.
  • Graphics Installation Bid Creator
    Easily submit bids to qualified installers by utilizing SGIA's online Graphics Installation Bid Creator. Simply check all boxes that apply to your specific job, and then, view a list of PDAA installers that match your project needs and are within close proximity. On the final page, you have the option to choose which companies receive the bid request.
  • Graphics tablet
    A device that allows the user to plot position points on a tablet using a pen or stylus to input drawing coordinates.
  • Graphite paper
    A type of carbon placed between acetate paper and porcelain.
  • Gravure printing (rotogravure printing)
    An intaglio printing process where the ink is carried in minute etched cells on the plate, the excess being removed from the surface by a doctor blade; also known as rotogravure printing.
  • Gray balance
    The combination of cyan, magenta, and yellow halftone dots that yield a neutral gray tint without hue for a specific press, substrate, and ink combination (Gray balance elements are targets made up of overprints of cyan, magenta, and yellow halftone tints that are intended to appear as a neutral gray with no hue).
  • Gray component replacement (GCR)
    An electronic color scanning technique that determines the amount of black ink to be used to replace cyan, magenta, and yellow in areas where those three inks overlap; also refer to achromatic reproduction.
  • Gray contact sheet
    Similar to the magenta contact screen except that the dots are gray in color and are sharper than the magenta screen.
  • Gray levels
    The number of steps available to reproduce a color in an imaging system. Typically, in an 8 bit system there are 256 gray levels per color.
  • Gray scale
    (neutral wedge) (1) A range of luminance values for evaluating shading through white to black; (2) a reflection or transmission scale of gray tones in steps from clear or white at one end to black at the other, with steps in-between showing evenly intensified series of gray tones (It is attached to the original design or copy to determine accuracy of exposure and uniformity of color separations. Patches of yellow, cyan and magenta are included with the scale when photographing for color separations); also referred to as gray or step wedge.
  • Gray scale continuous
    Continuous tone black and white image on film where the density gradually increases from zero.
  • Grayed-down
    A process of mixing black or the complement of the color to make the color gray; a neutral, muted variation of a pure color.
  • Grayness
    Attribute calculated from density readings that relate to the degree of three-color contamination in cyan, magenta, and yellow process color ink.
  • Grease proof ink
    Ink or coating that is resistant to the action of fats, oils and greases.
  • Green
    (G) One of the three additive primary colors of light.
  • Green strength
    (1) Mechanical strength of an unfired ceramic greenware body; (2) the ability of an adhesive to hold two surfaces together when first contacted, but before the adhesive has developed its ultimate bonding properties (when full cured).
  • Greenware
    A formed ceramic article that has not been fired.
  • Greige goods (gray goods)
    Fabric that has been removed from the loom, before any finishing or dyeing.
  • Grin through
    Loss of color saturation that occurs in knitted textiles when they are stretched and the undyed fiber shows through the printed design.
  • Grinding
    The process of pulverizing raw materials to a desired degree of particle size.
  • Grindometer
    Instrument used to indicate the presence of coarse particles or agglomerates in an ink dispersion (The fineness of grind is rated at the point on the scale where oversized particles first appear in concentration).
  • Gripper edge
    The leading edge of the substrate as it passes through the press.
  • Grippers
    (gripping fingers) Mechanical fingers on a press that grasp or hold a substrate for positioning.
  • Grit
    The abrasive material on a grinding belt or wheel used for sharpening squeegee material.
  • Grog
    Small particles of sand, bisque, or quartz that are added to a clay body to give it strength.
  • Grommet
    (1) A metal reinforcement, usually in the form of a round ring, mounted in the edge or corners of a printed banner for hanging; (2) a small rubber ring used to insulate a printing screen used in hot ink screen printing.