M

M: In printer lingo, "M" means "One Thousand". So if you want 5,000 finished copies, ask for 5M.

Mechanical Binding: Mechanical binding is a means of fastening sheets of paper together using metal or plastic attachments inserted through punched or drilled holes in the paper. Mechanical binding is the process of binding a book using methods such as cerlox, spiral wire, wire-o or plasticoil binding.

Miniature Folding: Miniature folding is commonly defined as any folding job with a panel size smaller than 2".

O

Offset printing: for high-volume reproduction -- utilizes three rotating drums: a plate cylinder, a blanket cylinder, and an impression cylinder. The printing plate is wrapped around the plate cylinder, inked and dampened. The plate image is transferred, or offset, onto the blanket cylinder. Paper passes between the blanket cylinder and the impression cylinder, and the image is transferred onto the paper.

Opacity: The degree to which you can see the printed image through the other side of the paper. Generally, the thicker the paper, the more opacity you have.

Overrun: This is when your printer prints more copies than you need. Say you asked for 1,000 brochures, and 1,153 get printed. You have an overrun of 153 brochures. The industry allowance is between 5% & 10% of the quantity ordered.

P

Padding: A finishing operation in which a flexible adhesive - called padding glue - is applied to one edge of a stack of sheets. When the adhesive is dry, sheets can be torn off individually. (also used to create notepads)

Padding Glue: A flexible adhesive used in padding.

Perfect Binding: A type of binding in which signatures are bound together with adhesive. This is used to eliminate the thread-sewing method of bookbinding.

Perforating: Any operation that punches tiny slits or holes in a sheet of paper or other substrate. Perforating is performed using perforating dies. Materials are perforated either to allow a portion to be easily removed (such as an order form or coupon), or to allow air to escape from folded signatures, which helps prevent wrinkling.

Pica: A pica is the basic measurement unit in typesetting. There are 6 picas in 1 inch.

Plastic Comb Binding: A means of mechanical binding in which the pages are bound together by means of a plastic comb. This comb consists of a plastic strip off which extend a series of curved plastic prongs, which are inserted into drilled or punched holes along the binding edge of the pages.

Pixel (picture element): the smallest unit that a device can address. Most often refers to display monitors, a pixel being the smallest spot of phosphor that can be lit up on the screen.

Position (tab): Sequential location of a special tab in a bank.

Proof: The proof is a copy of your job, which you then can make corrections on. Proofs can be sent to the client electronically, or as a hard-copy proof. Some hard-copy proofs will incurr additional charges.

PUR Glue: Polyurethane-reactive hot-melt glue which is more flexible than older types of glues and is used as layflat adhesive binding. PUR glue is considered to be the most flexible and durable bookbinding glues on the market. They yield products that lie flatter and require less backbone preparation than other glues.

PVA Glue: PVA glue is applied cold; once dried, the resins pentrate deep into the structure of the paper stock, forming a solid bond.