Glossary - P

Page count

Total number of pages that a newsletter has. Also called extent.

PageMaker

A common desktop publishing software.

Pagination

The numbering of pages in a book.

Pantone

A registered name for an ink colour matching system.

Parallel fold

A method of folding; eg two parallel folds will produce a six page sheet.

PDF

Stands for Portable Document Format. Created by Adobe Systems in its software program Adobe Acrobat as a universal browser. Files can be downloaded via the web and viewed page by page, provided the user's computer has installed the necessary plug-in which can be downloaded from Adobe's own web site.

PNG

Stands for Portable Network Graphics format, and is generally pronounced "ping." PNG is used for lossless compression and displaying images on the web.

Picking

The effect of ink being too tacky and lifting fibres out of the paper. Shows up as small white dots on areas of solid colour.

Pigment

Particles that absorb and reflect light and appear coloured to our eyes; the substance that gives ink its colour.

Pixel

The smallest dot that can be produced on a computer screen.

Perfect binding

A common method of binding paperback books. After the printed sections having been collated, the spines will be ground off and the cover glued on.

Pi fonts

Characters not usually included in a font, but which are added specially. Examples of these are timetable symbols and mathematical signs.

Pica

A printing industry unit of measurement. There are 12 points to a pica. Originally, one pica was approximately 0.166in. Now, in the era of computerization, a pica is 1/6 of an inch.

PMS

Obsolete reference to PANTONE Matching System. The correct trade name of the colors in the PANTONE Matching System is PANTONE Colors, not PMS Colors.

Point

The standard unit of type size of which there are 72 to the inch (one point is approximately 0.01383in). Point size is the measured from the top of the ascender to the bottom of the descender.

Portrait

An upright image or page where the height is greater than the width.

PostScript

A page description language developed by Adobe Systems. Widely supported by both hardware and software vendors it represents the current 'standard' in the market.

PPI (Pages per Inch)

A measure assigned to paper stock by the manufacturer to be used in calculating book spines; i.e., total book pages (256) divided by paper PPI (512) = 1/2 spine.

Prepress

Camera work, color separating, stripping, platemaking and other prepress functions performed by the printer, separator or a service bureau prior to printing. Also called preparation.

Preprint

To print portions of sheets that will be used for later importing.

Preflight

Preflight is a process that checks the print files prior to going to press.

Press proof

A copy obtained from inked type, plate, block or screen for checking purposes; a reasonably accurate sample of how a finished piece is intended to look. Also, to check for consistency and accuracy.

Primary colours

Cyan, magenta and yellow. These three colours when mixed together with black will produce a reasonable reproduction of all other colours.

Progressives

Colour proofs taken at each stage of printing showing each colour printed singly and then superimposed on the preceding colour.

Proof

A copy obtained from inked type, plate, block or screen for checking purposes.

Proof correction marks

A standard set of signs and symbols used in copy preparation and to indicate corrections on proofs. Marks are placed both in the text and in the margin.

Proofread

To examine a manuscript or proof for errors in writing or typesetting.

Proofreader marks

Standard symbols and abbreviations used to mark up manuscripts and proofs. Most dictionaries and style manuals include charts of proofreader marks. Also called correction marks.

Proof sheet

1) Photographic term for sheet of images made by contact printing negatives. Also called contact sheet. 2) Printing term for any proof or press sheet used as a proof.

Pulp

The raw material used in paper making consisting mainly of wood chips, rags or other fibres. Broken down by mechanical or chemical means.