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Print Glossary

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Océ

Generic term used to refer to the digital printing department which houses all Océ digital printing machines.

Océ Web

Generic term used to refer to the complete reel-fed Océ printing line.

Offset Printing

Printing technique that transfers ink from a plate to a blanket to paper instead of directly from plate to paper.

OKTP

Generic abbreviation for OK To Print. An indication of approval for press.

On Demand

The process whereby clients can order any TSO publication and have it printed and posted out to them within 24 hours. This whole operation is carried out in the Océ Digital Printing Department. A typical day's requirement could range between 200 and 500 totally individual publications for the same amount of individual clients. Also referred to as Print On Demand or PoD.

Onion Skin

A specific lightweight kind of paper usually used in the past for air mail or wrapping fruit.

Opacity

1. Characteristic of paper or other substrate that prevents printing on one side from showing through the other side.

2. Characteristic of ink that prevents the substrate from showing through.

Opaque

Not transparent.

Open Prepress Interface (OPI)

Hardware and software that link desktop publishing systems with colour electronic prepress systems.

Orphan

First line of a longer paragraph that prints as the last line of text on the page.

Outer form

Form (side of a press sheet) containing images for the first and last pages of the folded signature (its outside pages) as compared to inner form.

Outline Halftone

Halftone in which background has been removed or replaced to isolate or silhouette the main image. Also called knockout halftone and silhouette halftone.

Outwork

Work or services that are performed by an outside contractor or service provider.

Overlay

Layer of material taped to a mechanical, photo or proof. Acetate overlays are used to separate colours by having some type or art on them instead of on the mounting board. Tissue overlays are used to carry instructions about the underlying copy and to protect the base art.

Overlay Proof

Colour proof consisting of polyester sheets laid on top of each other with their image in register, as compared to integral proof. Each sheet represents the image to be printed in one colour. Also called celluloid proof and layered proof.

Overprint

To print one image over a previously printed image, such as printing type over a screen tint. Also called surprint.

Over Run

Additional printed matter beyond order. Overage policy varies in the printing industry. Advance questions avoid blind knowledge.

Overs

Non-waste copies which, at the end of a production run, are additional to the quantity required.

Print Glossary

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