Printing, Display & Output — 60 Terms Defined

Hard Proof Printing, Display & Output A physical test print made to verify colour and tone before committing to a final print run.

HDR Display Printing, Display & Output cd/m² A screen capable of much higher peak brightness and contrast than conventional displays, showing a wider range of tones.

Ink Limit Printing, Display & Output % The maximum total quantity of ink permitted in any one area, set to prevent flooding and bleeding. Total ink % = sum of channels

Ink Set Printing, Display & Output count The complete group of ink colours a printer uses, including additional greys and extended-gamut colours beyond basic CMYK.

Inkjet Printing Printing, Display & Output dpi Printing by spraying microscopic droplets of ink onto paper, the dominant method for photographic and fine-art output.

Laser Exposure Print Printing, Display & Output ppi A chromogenic print exposed by red, green and blue lasers or LEDs scanning across photographic paper under digital control.

LPI Printing, Display & Output lpi Lines per inch: the frequency of the halftone screen used in commercial printing. ppi ≈ 2 × lpi

Lustre Surface Printing, Display & Output A semi-gloss paper finish with a fine texture, offering much of gloss's density with reduced reflection.

Mat Board Printing, Display & Output mm A card window placed over a print inside a frame, separating it from the glazing and providing visual space.

Matte Paper Printing, Display & Output Paper with a non-reflective surface that scatters light diffusely, giving a soft appearance free of glare.

Mounting Printing, Display & Output Attaching a print to a rigid backing so it stays flat and can be handled or framed.

Nozzle Check Printing, Display & Output A test pattern printed to confirm that every ink channel is firing correctly.

Offset Lithography Printing, Display & Output lpi The dominant commercial printing process, in which ink is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to paper.

Optical Brightening Agents Printing, Display & Output Fluorescent additives in paper that absorb ultraviolet light and re-emit it as blue, making the sheet look whiter.

Paper Profile Printing, Display & Output An ICC profile describing how a specific combination of printer, ink and paper reproduces colour.

Paper Weight Printing, Display & Output g/m² The mass of a paper per unit area, used as a rough indication of its substance and rigidity.

Photo Black and Matte Black Printing, Display & Output Two distinct black inks formulated for glossy and matte papers respectively, only one of which can be active at a time on many printers.

Photobook Printing, Display & Output pages A bound sequence of photographs designed to be read as a whole rather than viewed as individual prints.

Pigment Ink Printing, Display & Output Ink in which the colourant is solid particles suspended in a carrier, sitting on the paper surface rather than dissolving into it.

PPI Printing, Display & Output ppi Pixels per inch: the number of image pixels mapped to each inch of output. ppi = pixels / inches

Print Bleed Printing, Display & Output mm Image area extending beyond the intended trim line, so that no unprinted edge appears after cutting.

Print Crop Ratio Printing, Display & Output ratio The proportional relationship between a print's dimensions, which rarely matches a camera's native aspect ratio.

Print Head Alignment Printing, Display & Output A calibration routine that corrects for mechanical offsets in how the print head lays down ink in each direction.

Print Permanence Printing, Display & Output years The expected life of a print before visible fading or colour shift, under stated display conditions.