Label Printing and Printers Glossary
The wholesale label printing glossary resource for all of your questions.
A - D E - H I - L M - P Q - T U - Z All
Quickstick: The property of a P.S. adhesive which allows it to adhere to a surface under light pressure. Also a measure of the bond strength immediately after application.
Ragged Left: Type that is justified to the right margin and the line lengths vary on the left.
Ragged Right: Type that is justified to the left margin and the line lengths vary on the right.
Ream: Five hundred sheets of paper.
Ream Weight: The amount which one ream of paper weighs.
Recto: Right-hand page of an open book.
Reflectance: The measured level of light reflected by a paper or imprinted characters thereon, expressed in percent of a standard reference material.
Reflective Copy: Copy that is not transparent.
Register: To position print in the proper position in relation to the edge of the sheet and to other printing on the same sheet.
Register Marks: Cross-hair lines or marks on film, plates, and paper that guide strippers, platemakers, pressmen, and bindery personnel in processing a print order from start to finish.
Relative Humidity: The amount of water vapor present in the atmosphere, expressed as a percent of maximum that could be present at the same room temperature.
Release Coat: Material coated on the liner which allows P.S. labels to release.
Release Liner: The component of the pressure-sensitive label stock which functions as a carrier for the pressure-sensitive label. Prior to application, it protects the adhesive, and readily separates from the label immediately before the label is applied to product.
Removable Adhesive: A pressure-sensitive adhesive characterized by low ultimate adhesion and clean removability from a wide variety of surfaces.
Removability: A relative term to describe the force or condition under which a P.S. label can be removed from a substrate. A removable label is one in which no damage or staining occurs to the substrate or face material and no adhesive residue is left on the substrate upon removal.
Repeat: The printing length of a plate cylinder, determined by one revolution of the plate cylinder gear.
Residue: Adhesive left on substrate when a label is removed.
Resolution: 1. The dimension of the smallest element which can be printed using a particular technique. 2. The narrowest element dimension which can be distinguished by a particular reading device.
Reverse: The opposite of what you see. Printing the background of an image. For example; type your name on a piece of paper. The reverse of this would be a black piece of paper with a white name.
Rip Film: A method of making printing negatives from PostScript files created by desktop publishing.
Rockwell Hardness: A method of determining the surface hardness of a substance. Degree of hardness.
Roll Label: Pressure-sensitive labels that are produced in a continuous roll form.
Roll to Roll: A method of running materials through a printing machine. A roll of material is fed into a printing unit, is printed, then is rewound into a roll as it exits the machine.
Roll to Sheet: A method of running material through a printing machine. A roll or material is fed into a printing unit, then is sheeted as it exits the printing machine.
Rotary Press: A press that in normal use features a roll-to-roll operation.
Rotary Printing: Accomplished by means of a cylindrical impression cylinder and a cylindrical printing plate.
Rubber Base Adhesive: Pressure-sensitive adhesive based on natural or synthetic rubber. Can be coated as a solvent, hot melt or emulsion system.
Running Register: That control on a flexographic press which accurately positions, while in the run mode, the printing of each color station in the direction of the web travel. Also called circumferential register or longitudinal register.
Saddle Stitch: Binding a booklet or magazine with staples in the seam where it folds.
Sandwich Construction: Panels composed of a lightweight core material to which two relatively thin, dense, high strength faces or skins are adhered.
Scanner: Device used to make color separations, halftones, duo tones and tri tones. Also a device used to scan art, pictures or drawings in desktop publishing.
SCK: (Super-calendered Kraft) A bleached, white paper used as a release liner with most standard roll label products.
Score: A crease put on paper to help it fold better.
Screen Angles: Frequently a desktop publishers nightmare. The angles at which halftone, duo tones, tri tones, and color separation printing films are placed to make them look right.
Screen Printing: Method of printing in which the ink is forced through a design on a taut screen and onto the object to be printed. This process results in a heavy ink deposit that provides excellent outdoor durability.
Self-Cover: Using the same paper as the text for the cover.
Self Wound: A roll of material with a single liner, which is coated on both sides with a release coating and a carrier having a pressure-sensitive adhesive on both sides. Also a material that has pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to one side and then rolled up on itself (no liner).
Service Temperature: The temperature range that a P.S. label will withstand after a 24-hour residence time on the substrate. The range is expressed in degrees Fahrenheit or Celsius.
Shadow: The darkest areas of a photograph.
Shear Cut: Term that describes a cut of a continuous web of stock using an action similar to the action of scissors.
Shear Strength: The internal or cohesive strength of the adhesive.
Sheeting: Process whereby rolls of P.S. base stock are converted into sheets of finished labels by cutting them to the desired length in the sheeting stations on a rotary press.
Shelf Life: The period of time during which a product can be stored under specified conditions and still remain suitable for use (normally one year).
Show-Through: Printing on one side of a sheet that can be seen on the other side of the sheet.
Side Guide: The mechanical register unit on a printing press that positions a sheet from the side.
Side Stitch: Binding by stapling along one side of a sheet.
Signature: A sheet of printed pages which when folded become a part of a book or publication.
Silhouette Halftone: A term used for an outline halftone.
Silicone: A polymer of organo-siloxane used as an ink additive to aid ink flow out. Also used for pressure-sensitive adhesives capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. A polymeric material with exceptionally high repellency properties towards adhesives used extensively in the coating of release liners.
Silicone Coating: A unique polymer system which can be a very effective release coating.
Silicone Stain Test: A water based stain used to test silicone coating coverage and continuity on die cut paper release liners.
Skid: A pallet used for a pile of cut sheets.
Slit: To cut rolls of stock to specified widths. Either rotary or stationary knives or blades are used with mechanical unwinding and rewinding devices.
Slot: A cut make in a material of a specific size and location. May have the face material removed when used to feed through imprinters.
Smudge Resistance: The resistance of a printed surface to smearing.
Solvent: A chemical substance capable of thinning or reducing the viscosity of ink, coating or adhesives. Specifically, a solvent is a liquid that dissolves another substance.
Solvent Adhesives: Adhesives' components are dissolved in a variety of organic solvents for coating. Rubber or acrylic-based systems can be coated this way.
Solvent Resistance: The resistance of a P.S. label to the action of specific organic liquids.
Specifications: A precise description of a print order.
Spine: The binding edge of a book or publication.
Split Back: Slits in the release liner to facilitate its removal by hand.
Split Face: Slits in face or pressure-sensitive product usually for facilitating removal from the release coated backing.
Split Fountain: Putting more than one ink in a printing fountain to achieve special color affects.
Spoilage: Planned paper waste for all printing operations.
Spot Varnish: Varnish used to hilight a specific part of the printed sheet.
Spunbonded Olefin: Describes a synthetic plastic material formed by the random distribution of very fine continuous fibers which are self-bonded by heat and pressure.
Stack Press: Flexographic press where the printing stations are placed one above the other, each with its own impression roll.
Stacker: Device on the take-off end of a press that automatically stacks sheeted labels.
Stamping: Term for foil stamping.
Start Stop Character: A bar code character that provides the scanner with start or stop reading instructions as well as code orientation. The start character is usually at the left-hand end and the stop character at the right-hand corner of a picket-fence oriented code.
Stat: Term for inexpensive print of line copy or halftone.
Static: Electrical charges generated in handling materials which cause materials to cling together. Can jump to humans or equipment causing shock or fire if solvents are present. With reference to films, causes them to cling to one another or to other insulating surfaces.
Static Cling: An induced property of a film which enables it to grab onto a smooth clean surface without using a pressure-sensitive adhesive. Static cling is a phrase applied to both mechanical grabbing and grabbing by electrical static.
Static Eliminator: A device for neutralizing static electricity.
Step and Repeat: A procedure for placing the same image on plates in multiple places.
Stepped Anvil: An anvil which has had either the bearer or body area reduced in order for die blades to cut to different depth than originally intended.
Stet: A proof mark meaning let the original copy stand.
Stickyback: Double-faced adhesive coated material used for mounting printing plates to the plate cylinder.
Stock: The material to be printed.
Stripping: The positioning of film on a flat prior to platemaking.
Stub Roll: A short roll of face material or pressure-sensitive label stock.
Styrene: A liquid unsaturated hydrocarbon (CgHg). See polystyrene.
Substance Weight: A term of basis weight when referring to bond papers.
Substrate: The surface to which a label is applied; adherend. Converters also refer to the face stock being printed as the substrate.
Tack: The property of a P.S. label which causes it to adhere to a surface instantly with a minimum of pressure and contact time.
Tags: Any identification that is only partially affixed to the product/item. System tags: converted through roll-fed production equipment. Merchandise tags: converted through narrow web roll-fed production equipment.
Tamper Evident Label: A pressure-sensitive construction made of materials which will partially destruct upon removal, indicating that a package, label or container has been tampered with.
Tedlar: Du Pont's trademark for bi-axially oriented polyvinyl fluoride. One of the most durable, chemical-resistant, protective films.
Tensile Strength: The force parallel to the plane of the specimen required to break a given width and length of stock under specified conditions.
Tension: The mechanical control of unwinding a rewinding paper, film, foil and other roll materials. The stress caused by a force operating to extend, stretch or pull apart.
Text Paper: Grades of uncoated paper with textured surfaces.
Thermal: A printing system where dots are selectively heated and cooled and dragged upon heat-sensitive paper. The paper turns dark in the heated areas.
Thermal Transfer: A printed system like thermal except a one-time ribbon is used and common paper is used as a substrate; eliminates the problems of fading or changing color inherent in thermal.
Thermal Transfer Paper: A face paper specifically designed to accept heat-activated ink from the ribbon of a thermal-transfer printe
Thermographic Paper: A label paper having a heat activated coating that will accept an image from a thermal graphic printer.
Through Cut: A die cut in a pressure sensitive label which has been made through all components of the label stock and liner.
Tie: A term used to denote the uncut portion of a perforation.
Tints: A shade of a single color or combined colors.
Tissue Overlay: Usually a thin transparent paper placed over artwork for protection uses for marking color breaks and other printer instructions.
Tolerance: Dimensions within a given range of preset standards.
Tooling: Usually refers to die cutters, butt cutters, etc., used to cut out the labels.
Tooth Count: Refers to the actual number of teeth there are on the gear which is attached to the dies and printing cylinders. Each tooth count refers to a separate and actual repeat length.
Top Coating: A chemical coating applied to the surface to improve ink and toner anchorage.
Top Lamination: See overlaminating.
Tractor Feed: See pin feed.
Transfer Tape: A peel and stick tape used in business forms.
Translucent Label: Material capable of transmitting light yet not totally transparent.
Transparency: A positive photographic slide on film allowing light to pass through.
Transparent Copy: A film that light must pass through for it to be seen or reproduced.
Transparent Label: Material capable of transmitting light so that the objects can be distinctly seen through the specimen.
Transparent Ink: A printing ink that does not conceal the color under it.
Trigger or Key Mark: A code bit(s) that tells the scanner if the code is in a position to be read; used with some fixed beam readers.
Trapping: The ability to print one ink over the other.
Trim Marks: Similar to crop or register marks. These marks show where to trim the printed sheet.
Trim Size: The final size of one printed image after the last trim is made.
Tyvek: Du Pont's trademark for spun bonded polyolefin material frequently used as a face stock where very high tensile strength is required.