We speak the same language!
In our work, we often use technical terms that are natural to us but may
be unclear to those outside the industry.
In this glossary, we have collected and explained them simply to help you better navigate
and communicate your projects with us more effectively.
Alignment
The regular arrangement of graphic elements or text relative to margins, columns, or reference points.
Main types:
Left-aligned: text is arranged along the left margin, while the right margin remains uneven (“ragged right”).
Right-aligned: text follows the right margin, with an uneven left margin.
Centered: lines of text are organized along the central axis of the column.
Justified: text is aligned to both the left and right margins; spaces between words and characters are distributed to completely fill the column width. To avoid excessively wide or irregular gaps between words, the use of hyphenation is recommended.
Appendix
An appendix is a section inserted at the end of a text to supplement or clarify the main content, often published after the first edition. It can take different forms and include various types of content, such as added passages, critical texts, notes, documents, and the like.
Back Cover
The back cover is the rear side of a book or magazine cover.
Binding
In typography, a ligature consists of joining two or more letters into a single glyph, such as “fi” or “fl”. It promotes text flow and prevents visual collisions between characters; in modern fonts, it can be activated through OpenType features.
Binding
Binding is the process of joining and securing the pages of a book or document and can be performed in several ways.
Bitmap
A bitmap is a type of digital image consisting of a grid of pixels—small colored dots that together create the final image. Each pixel contains precise information about its color, and the overall quality of the image depends on the resolution, or the total number of pixels present.
As a raster image, a bitmap cannot be enlarged without losing sharpness: as the size increases, individual pixels become visible and the image appears blurred or “pixelated.”
Black and White
Black and white printing uses only one ink color: black.
Files intended for printing must contain only the K (black) channel, while different shades of gray are achieved by varying the percentages of this channel.
All images must be created and saved in grayscale, without including any additional color components.
Bleed
Refers to graphic elements or images that extend to the edge of the printed format, without leaving any white margin. For this reason, to achieve a precise bleed cut, it is necessary to include a bleed area in the graphic file, so as to allow cutting without errors or visual interruptions.
Bleed
Bleed is a safety margin of a few millimeters added to the edges of a print file, beyond the finished size. This extra space compensates for any minor inaccuracies in the cutting process, preventing unwanted white borders from appearing in the final product, especially in graphic elements and backgrounds that extend to the edge. When creating a graphic file, it is essential to include at least 3 mm of bleed on each side.
Blueline
A blueline is a preliminary, low-quality proof print that reproduces the layout and page arrangement before final printing. Traditionally produced on blue-tinted paper, hence the name, it is now often printed on regular paper as a control proof. It is used to check layout, page sequence, margins, folds, text, and alignment, allowing corrections before final production, but is not suitable for color verification.
Bold
The term bold refers to a typographic variant of a typeface characterized by thicker, more pronounced strokes compared to the regular version.
Its primary purpose is to create visual hierarchy, draw attention, and highlight important parts of the text without the use of additional colors or decorations.
It is used in headings, subheadings, keywords, labels, and any context where an element needs to be emphasized, facilitating readability or underscoring its importance.
Brand identity
Brand identity is the coordinated set of visual, stylistic and communication elements that define a brand’s identity and influence how it is perceived by the public.
It includes components such as logo, color palette, typography, graphic style, tone of voice, iconography, layout and all the aesthetic choices that make the brand recognizable and consistent in every context.
A well-designed brand identity enables the company to communicate its values, positioning and brand personality, ensuring uniformity across all communication materials: marketing, packaging, advertising, social media, websites and printed products.
Calendering
Calendering is a finishing process in which paper is passed through a series of smooth, compressed rollers, called calenders, which even out the surface of the sheet.
This treatment increases gloss, reduces porosity, and makes the sheet more uniform and pleasant to the touch.
The intensity of calendering can vary depending on the desired effect, from light smoothing to a very smooth and compact surface.
It is used to improve print quality, image definition, and the professional appearance of the substrate.
Call-to-action
A call-to-action is a clear and immediate textual or graphic element that encourages the user to take a specific action, such as “Buy now”, “Subscribe”, or “Find out more”.
It plays a fundamental role in digital marketing, UX, and advertising graphics.
Cardboard
Cardboard is a material composed of multiple layers, thicker and more rigid than paper, obtained by overlaying pressed paper and fibers.
Its weight exceeds 450 g/m² and its thickness can reach up to 20 mm.
Cardstock
Cardstock is a material positioned between paper and cardboard, with greater thickness and rigidity than paper but less than cardboard.
The weight generally ranges between 160 g/m² and 450 g/m².
Casing-in
Casing-in is the bookbinding phase in which the book block is inserted into the hardcover (case). It includes applying the adhesive, positioning the block, adhering it to the boards, and finishing the spine.
Cellophane Wrapping
Cellophane wrapping is the process of coating or packaging a product with a transparent film, typically cellophane or similar plastic material.
Its purpose is to protect the contents from dust, moisture, and handling, ensuring their integrity and enhancing their presentation.
It is used for books, magazines, stationery sets, food packaging, and products requiring hygienic sealing or a neater, more commercial appearance.
Characters
In typography, indicates the number of characters, including letters, spaces, and punctuation marks, present in a text or in a single line.
Claim
A claim or slogan is a short, punchy, and memorable phrase that conveys the value, message, or distinctive promise of a brand, product, or campaign.
It often accompanies the logo and is used in advertising, packaging, and visual communication to strengthen identity and positioning.
Clipping Mask
A clipping mask is a graphic software tool that allows you to display only the portion of an image or element contained within the shape of another object. It is used to create precise compositions, text filled with images, or controlled visual effects without altering the original content.
CMYK
CMYK is the color model used in color printing, based on the combination of four fundamental inks: Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K).
By mixing these pigments in different proportions, a wide range of colors is achieved.
It is the standard system for offset and digital printing, as it allows faithful reproduction of photographic colors, illustrations, and graphic elements intended for physical media.
Coated Paper
Coated paper is a paper substrate treated with a mineral-based coating that smooths the surface and enhances print quality.
The coating can be glossy, for more vibrant colors and sharper contrasts, or matte, for an elegant, soft, and less reflective finish.
Thanks to its smooth and low-absorbency surface, it allows for highly detailed image reproduction, making it ideal for catalogs, brochures, magazines, packaging, and any product requiring high photographic quality.
Collated
Refers to sheets or signatures gathered in sequence to form a book block.
Collation, performed by hand or machine, precedes binding and ensures that pages are in the correct order before stitching, perfect binding, or spiral binding.
Colophon
The colophon is a textual list, usually placed at the beginning or end of a layout (catalog, magazine, book, etc.), which provides technical and editorial information on the production of the work, such as the typography or printer, the printing date, and the graphic and editorial credits.
It has informative and historical value and is a well-established tradition in professional publishing.
Color Map
A color map is a scheme that collects the chromatic references of a project, such as palettes, spot colors, and CMYK, RGB, or Pantone codes. It ensures consistency throughout the entire production process, from design to printing, facilitating management and accurate color reproduction.
Color profile
A color profile is a file that defines how a device (monitor, printer, camera) interprets and reproduces colors.
Standards such as ICC profiles ensure chromatic consistency across different devices, preventing unwanted variations between what is seen on screen and what is printed.
It is essential in professional workflows for color security and fidelity.
Color Proof
A color proof is a preview, digital or printed, of a project used to check color accuracy, contrast, and graphic rendering before final production. It allows for any necessary corrections and helps minimize potential errors during printing.
Color Space
The term color space indicates the number of colors used in printing, which can be monochrome (a single color), duotone, tritone, or four-color process (CMYK).
The choice of color space affects the visual result, production costs, and the technical complexity of the graphic design project.
Composition
Composition is the process of organizing graphic and typographic elements within a layout to ensure they are balanced, legible, and visually effective.
It involves the arrangement of text, images, white space, shapes, and visual hierarchies, following design principles such as alignment, rhythm, contrast, and proportions.
A well-executed composition guides the viewer’s eye, conveys a clear message, and enhances the content.
Concept
The concept is the guiding idea that establishes the visual style and creative approach of a project. It captures the atmosphere, tone, stylistic choices, and aesthetic vision that guide the entire design process.
A well-defined concept ensures consistency across all visual components (colors, typography, imagery, layout) and allows the project to communicate a clear and easily recognizable message.
Copyright
Copyright is the legal right that protects a creative work (texts, images, photographs, graphics, music, software, multimedia content), guaranteeing the author exclusive control over its reproduction, distribution, modification, and use.
Corporate Identity
Corporate identity is the set of visual elements that consistently define and represent the identity of a company, brand, or organization. It includes logo, typography, color palette, layout, printed materials, photographic style, icons, patterns, and digital applications, with the goal of ensuring immediate recognition, communicating brand values and personality, and ensuring uniformity across all materials (web, print, packaging, social media, office, merchandising). It represents a fundamental branding tool, often compiled in a corporate identity manual or brand guidelines that regulate its use and applications.
Corrugated cardboard
Corrugated cardboard is formed by bonding one or more flat sheets (liners) with a central corrugated layer (flute), which provides strength and shock absorption.
Flutes differ in thickness and pitch:
E-flute: very thin, suitable for precision packaging and quality printing.
B-flute: medium, used for sturdy yet easily printable boxes.
C-flute: higher, ideal for robust packaging.
Micro-flute: extremely thin, perfect for cases and premium packaging with detailed graphics.
Creasing
Creasing is an incision that creates a groove in the paper to facilitate folding. This process prevents the paper from breaking, cracking, or the ink from flaking during folding.
Crop marks
Crop marks are small right-angled symbols placed at the corners of a graphic design, indicating the precise point where the sheet should be trimmed to ensure a clean and accurate cut.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
CSS is a language used to define the visual style of web pages, including colors, typography, spacing, layouts, animations, and graphical behaviors.
It works alongside HTML, separating content (HTML) from presentation (CSS).
Debossing
Debossing is a technique that creates an inward relief on the substrate, lowering the surface using a die and counter-die, and is the opposite of embossing. It provides an elegant tactile effect and is used on packaging, covers, fine papers, and promotional materials.
Debossing (concave relief printing)
Debossing is a finishing technique that creates an inward relief, or a concave indentation on the surface, achieved using a die and counter-die to shape paper or cardboard without applying inks or foils.
This technique provides tactile elegance and three-dimensionality and is often used for logos, titles, patterns, and decorative details on packaging, covers, cards, and high-end products.
Definition
Definition refers to the level of detail and sharpness with which an image, text, or graphic element is reproduced. It is measured digitally via DPI or PPI, and in printing based on the quality of the substrate, machinery, and ink type. High definition ensures that lines, gradients, and textures are displayed with precision, preventing graininess, pixelation, or loss of detail.
Densitometer
A densitometer is a tool used in print quality control to measure the optical density of inks. It detects how much light a color absorbs or reflects, allowing for the verification of consistency, saturation, and uniformity across copies or print runs.
It is essential for ensuring color fidelity, calibrating printing presses, and maintaining consistent results throughout production.
Descender
A descender is the portion of a typeface character that extends below the baseline of the text.
It is found in letters such as p, q, g, j, and y, contributing to the visual rhythm and legibility of the typeface; its length and style influence the font’s aesthetics, vertical balance, and line spacing.
Die cutting
Die cutting involves cutting a substrate into irregular or custom shapes, such as circles, curves, or specific figures. It is performed using dies or plotters and is used for packaging, labels, and creative promotional materials.
Die-cutting
A die is a tool used to cut or crease substrates such as paper, cardboard, or adhesives according to a predetermined shape. It allows for custom shapes that are impossible with a simple linear cut, especially in packaging production.
Digital printing
Digital printing is the process of creating prints directly from electronic files, without the use of plates. It is ideal for short runs, customization, quick corrections, and various substrates.
Domain
A domain is the unique name that identifies a website on the Internet, consisting of a name and extension (.it, .com, .org), and allows access to the site without using IP addresses.
DPI (Dots Per Inch)
DPI is a unit of measurement that indicates the number of dots printed in a linear inch and, in printing, higher values correspond to sharper and more detailed images.
It affects sharpness, edge rendering, photographic precision, and overall product quality, making it essential for preparing files intended for digital and offset printing.
Drilling
Drilling is the process of creating one or more holes in a printed substrate, typically to allow for filing in binders or the addition of elements such as lanyards and hangers.
It can be performed using perforators, paper drills, or circular dies.
Drop Cap
A drop cap is an enlarged, decorative letter placed at the beginning of a paragraph, often spanning multiple lines of text.
It is used to create a strong visual impact, introduce sections or chapters, and give the page an elegant or narrative look.
It is employed in publishing, magazines, illustrated books, graphic projects, and layouts that require a distinctive introductory element.
Duodecimo
Duodecimo is a traditional editorial and typographic format in which the printing sheet is folded twelve times, producing a number of pages that varies depending on the signature.
This is a historical measurement related to printing and layout, used to classify book formats and folding methods; although less common today, it remains a reference in classical editorial techniques and the cataloging of antique volumes.
Dust Jacket
A dust jacket is a sheet of paper or cardstock that wraps around the cover of a hardcover book. It serves protective, aesthetic, and promotional functions and is often decorated with graphics and special finishes, such as varnishing or foil stamping.
Dutch Binding
Dutch flexible binding is a type of binding that uses a thinner board compared to traditional hardcovers, making the cover flexible yet durable. It is often covered with materials such as cloth, specialty paper, or faux leather, combining lightness and practicality with an elegant aesthetic.
It is used in premium notebooks, journals, editorial publications, and curated editions that require a good balance between rigidity and handling.
Dyed-in-the-pulp colored paper
Dyed-in-the-pulp colored paper is colored during production by adding pigments directly to the cellulose pulp, resulting in a uniform color throughout the entire thickness.
Unlike paper that is simply printed or surface-dyed, it shows no color variations on cut edges and maintains a stable tone over time.
It is perfect for premium projects such as paper converting, packaging, covers, invitations, business cards, or work involving exposed cuts, die-cutting, or embossing.
Embossed paper
Embossed paper has a surface relief created through embossing, a process that produces regular patterns such as textures, designs, or tactile finishes.
This treatment gives the substrate a more decorative and textured appearance, adding aesthetic and sensory value to printed products.
It is used in packaging, greeting cards, covers, labels, and materials that require a tactile element or distinctive design.
Endpapers
Endpapers are the pages or sheets that connect the text block of a book to the hardcover. They can be plain or decorated and serve to protect the book and absorb the tension of the binding.
EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) – vector format
EPS is a PostScript-based graphic file format designed to contain high-quality vector elements, text, and images while maintaining scalability and precision.
It is widely used in professional settings for logos, vector illustrations, and graphics, ensuring compatibility with graphic design, prepress, and printing software without loss of quality.
Exporting
Exporting involves converting or preparing a graphic file into a specific format for printing, web, sharing, or archiving, by selecting the format, resolution, color profiles, and compression settings.
When performed correctly, it ensures compatibility, quality, and consistency with the technical specifications required by the production process.
Exposure
Exposure, in graphics and photography, refers to the amount of light that reaches the digital sensor or film, affecting the brightness, contrast, and detail of the image.
It is controlled by shutter speed, aperture, and ISO value, and in printing it can also refer to the exposure of the plates that transfer digital content onto the substrate.
Finishing
Finishing includes all treatments applied to a printed product after printing, such as lamination, UV coating, embossing, foiling, die-cutting, creasing, and debossing.
These processes serve to protect the product, enhance its aesthetic appearance, and add tactile or visual value.
Flap
A flap is a part of a book’s cover or dust jacket that is folded toward the inside of the volume, creating a sort of “fold-over” of the cover itself. It may include information such as the book’s synopsis, the author’s biography, reviews, or images, with the aim of providing additional details to the reader and encouraging a purchase. The term can also refer to a small part of a packaging used to close or secure the structure.
Fluorescent
Fluorescent colors are special high-brightness inks that reflect UV light, producing extremely vivid shades that cannot be achieved with standard CMYK four-color process.
They are used to highlight graphic elements, packaging, posters, and high-visibility materials and require the use of spot colors.
Font
In graphic design, a font is the group of typographic characters that share a consistent style, including weight, size, and slant.
It determines the visual appearance of text and affects readability, communicative tone, and the identity of the graphic project.
Font weight
Font weight represents the thickness of a character’s strokes, such as light, regular, bold, or black. It determines visual hierarchy, readability, and aesthetic impact, and is selected based on the context, size, and function of the text within the layout.
Footer
The footer is the bottom section of a page, typically reserved for page numbers, notes, editorial references, or other recurring elements. In professional layout design, it ensures consistency, orientation, and visual hierarchy within the document.
Footer
The footer is the section located at the bottom of a graphic or editorial page, intended to house recurring information such as page numbers, notes, references, copyright elements, or symbols.
It ensures visual consistency and order within the overall structure of the document.
Four-color process
Four-color process (CMYK) is a printing method that uses four base colors—Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K)—to reproduce color images by overlapping ink dots. It represents the standard in commercial printing.
Front and back
A printing technique where the sheet is printed on both sides.
The term ‘front’ (bianca) refers to the side of the sheet printed first, which is fundamental as it determines page management in subsequent printing stages. Conversely, ‘back’ (volta) refers to the opposite side, printed at a later stage. Single-sided printing, however, refers to printing performed on only one side of the sheet.
Gathering
Gathering is a bookbinding technique that involves overlapping two or more signatures—folded and printed sheets—to ensure proper page progression within a booklet. This procedure is also useful for inserting signatures printed on different paper stock from the rest of the volume, or for completing a publication that does not end in multiples.
Generative Design
Generative design is a design process in which shapes, layouts, or visual solutions are created with the help of algorithms, software, or artificial intelligence. The designer defines rules, constraints, and objectives (such as proportions, colors, style, functionality) and the system generates multiple possible variants, exploring solutions that would require much more time manually.
Ghost Image
A ghost image is a printing defect where part of an already printed image reappears faded in another area of the sheet. It can be caused by offsetting, setoff, dirt on the rollers, or pressure issues, generating unwanted shadows or pale duplications of the subject.
GIF
GIF is an 8-bit compressed image format that supports up to 256 colors and allows simple animations through sequential frames. It is primarily used on the web for icons and lightweight images, but is not suitable for printing due to its limited color depth.
Gloss
Gloss is a surface finish that gives printed material a shiny, reflective appearance, achievable through UV coating, lamination, or film coating. It enhances color brilliance, detail definition, and surface durability.
Gluing
Gluing is the process by which adhesive is applied to the edges of a stack of sheets to join them together, creating a book block or a notepad.
The type of glue and the technique used determine the flexibility, strength, and durability of the binding.
It represents a fundamental stage in editorial production, as well as in the printing of catalogs, pads, and paper products.
Glyph
A glyph is the graphic form of a single character within a font and includes letters, numbers, symbols, accents, stylistic variants, and ligatures. Each glyph has a specific design and may vary based on the typographic style or function within the font.
Gradient
A gradient is a gradual transition between two or more colors, or between a color and transparency. It can be linear, radial, or more complex and is used to create depth, volume, lighting effects, or decorative shading; in printing, it requires special attention to avoid color banding.
Grammage
Grammage represents the weight of paper expressed in grams per square meter (g/m²) and determines its thickness, stiffness, opacity, and strength. Low values are used for lightweight printing sheets, while high grammages are intended for covers, cardstock, packaging, and premium products.
Grayscale
Grayscale is a color representation system that uses exclusively shades of grey, from black to white. It is used in photography, monochrome printing, and in layout design where color is not necessary.
Grid
The grid is a modular structure formed by vertical and horizontal guidelines that organize the page space. It allows for consistent alignment of text, images, and graphic elements, ensuring visual balance and readability, and is essential in every professional layout, from editorial designs to digital projects.
Gripper
The gripper is the edge or section of the printing press that grabs the sheet to guide it through the cylinders. It is essential for proper media advancement, color alignment, and printing precision.
Gripper edge
The gripper edge is the margin of the sheet in the press that is grabbed by the grippers to be guided toward the printing cylinders.
Half-Title Page
The half-title page is the first interior page of a publication, typically preceding the title page, and includes institutional information such as author, full title, publisher, series, year of publication, often presented with an elegant and clear graphic layout.
Halftone Screen
A halftone screen is a pattern composed of dots or lines used in halftone printing to reproduce gradations and continuous tones. By varying the size, shape, and density of the dots, chiaroscuro effects and different color gradations are achieved.
Hardcover
Hardcover binding is a type of binding that uses high-thickness cardboard to create solid, stable, and durable covers. It is typically covered with printed paper, cloth, or special materials, allowing for premium finishes. It ensures excellent wear resistance and is the ideal choice for hardcover books, premium catalogs, rigid boxes, and high-end publishing products.
Header
The header is the top section of a page, newspaper, or magazine that contains the title, logo, date, issue number, or editorial information. It serves an identifying and structural function, guiding the reader.
Header
The header is the top section of a page, whether printed or digital, reserved for recurring elements such as section titles, logos, page numbers, dates, or editorial information. It contributes to layout organization and navigation, ensuring visual consistency and a constant reference point for the reader.
Header
The header is the top section of a document or page, whether printed or digital, where information such as chapter title, document name, logos, dates, or editorial references are placed. It serves the function of orientation and consistency, facilitating navigation and ensuring content recognition.
Headline
The headline is the main title of a page, article, poster, or graphic composition. It serves to immediately capture attention, introduce the content, and define its communicative tone, and is generally the most prominent typographic element, characterized by size, weight, and contrast designed to ensure maximum readability and strong visual impact.
High relief (Embossing)
Embossing is a finishing technique that creates an outward relief by raising the surface of the substrate using a die and counter-die.
It provides three-dimensionality, elegance, and tactile impact, and can be performed as blind embossing or combined with hot stamping, inks, or metallic foils. It is used for logos, titles, patterns, and premium details on covers, packaging, business cards, and high-quality items.
Holography
Holography is a technique that produces three-dimensional images or iridescent effects by exploiting light diffraction. In printing, it is achieved through holographic films or special finishes that create multicolored reflections and dynamic patterns visible when changing the viewing angle, and is used for premium packaging, security labels, anti-counterfeiting certifications, and high visual impact materials.
Hot Foil Stamping
Hot foil stamping is a process in which the pigment contained in a colored film is transferred onto an object. The technique is based on the combined use of heat, pressure and contact time and can be applied to all surfaces.
HTML
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the markup language used to structure and organize the content of a web page. It defines elements such as headings, paragraphs, images, links, tables, and semantic sections, providing the logical and hierarchical framework of the document, while the visual appearance is managed separately by CSS.
ICC profile
An ICC profile is a standardized color profile that defines how a device (monitor, printer, camera, paper) reproduces colors. It ensures consistent color management throughout the entire workflow, guaranteeing a match between what is displayed on the screen and what is printed.
Imposition
An imposition, or editorial imposition, is a reduced graphic layout that shows the arrangement and sequence of all pages in a publication, such as books, magazines, or catalogs. Used during the planning phase, it allows you to preview the final layout, define the content structure, and facilitate print organization, including signature management.
Indentation
Indentation is the space between the start of a line of text and the left margin. It is used to distinguish paragraphs, quotes, and bulleted lists, and to visually organize the text.
Indexing
Indexing involves the insertion of colored initial letters or decorative titles, often created by hand or digitally, at the beginning of chapters or sections. It serves to improve the readability, structure, and aesthetic impact of the text.
Infographics
Infographics are visual representations of complex data, information, or processes, created using charts, icons, illustrations, diagrams, and concise text. They are designed to communicate concepts clearly, immediately, and intuitively by combining design, visual hierarchy, and informative synthesis, and are used in editorial, scientific, corporate, or educational contexts.
Ink trap
An ink trap is a typographic detail where certain portions of letters feature small indentations designed to contain ink expansion during printing. This prevents thickening and loss of definition in strokes and is particularly used in fonts intended for printing on absorbent paper or at small sizes.
Inkjet Printing
Inkjet printing involves depositing ink droplets directly onto the substrate. It is versatile, suitable for short runs, customization, and various types of materials, but can be slower than offset printing for large volumes.
Italic
Italic is a typographic variant with slanted letters or more fluid and elegant forms compared to the regular version, derived from handwriting and used to emphasize parts of text, distinguish foreign terms, quotations, titles, or elements with a more dynamic or refined tone.
In modern digital typography, italic can be a simple slant (oblique) or a true dedicated design.
Italic
Italic is the cursive variant of a font, featuring slanted letters and more fluid shapes compared to the roman style. It is used to emphasize terms, quotations, foreign words, or specific graphic elements; in professional typography, it represents a dedicated design with distinct proportions and strokes, rather than a simple mechanical slant.
JPEG
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is a raster image format with lossy compression, designed to significantly reduce file size while maintaining acceptable visual quality. Its compression removes information considered less perceptible to the human eye, making it suitable for photographs and images with many continuous tones.
Justified
Justified text is a typographic mode in which lines are aligned to both the left and right margins through automatic adjustment of spaces between words, and sometimes between letters. It creates a uniform and orderly block of text, characteristic of professional editorial layout.
K (CMYK black)
The “K” in the CMYK model represents black (Key), the key color in four-color printing. It is used to add depth, contrast, and definition to details, reducing excessive use of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow, and is employed for text, fine lines, and to achieve rich blacks in controlled combination with the other channels.
Kerning
Kerning is the adjustment of horizontal space between two individual characters to achieve a visually balanced appearance, correcting gaps that are too wide or too narrow which could compromise the readability and harmony of the text, especially in headlines or large-format typographic compositions.
Proper kerning improves visual rhythm and ensures a professionally typographic result.
Kerning
Kerning is the adjustment of space between specific pairs of characters to improve the balance, readability, and harmony of the typographic composition. Certain combinations, such as “AV” or “To”, require custom spacing to avoid irregular gaps; it is a precision adjustment that contributes to the professional quality of the text.
Keyframe
A keyframe is a primary frame used in animation and motion design to define the start or end of a movement, transformation, or effect. The software automatically interpolates the frames between keyframes to create smooth animations; it is an essential concept for videos, animated GIFs, transitions, and dynamic digital content.
Kraft Paper (natural brown)
Natural brown kraft paper is a highly durable type of paper made using the kraft process, which preserves the strength of cellulose fibers.
It features a natural brown color and a raw appearance, evoking sustainability and authenticity.
It is widely used for shopping bags, packaging, envelopes, wrapping, labels, and graphic design projects that require durability and an eco-friendly aesthetic.
Laid paper
Laid paper is a type of paper characterized by a texture of thin parallel lines, created by the watermark of the dandy roll.
This texture provides an elegant and traditional appearance, similar to that of handmade papers.
Laminated cardboard
Laminated cardboard is a material made by bonding multiple layers of paper or cardboard with adhesives, resulting in a more rigid and resistant support.
The layers can have different characteristics (coated, colored, kraft, corrugated), making the material suitable for premium packaging, rigid boxes, displays and customized packaging.
It is particularly valued for its versatility and ability to combine aesthetics and strength.
Lamination
Lamination is a finishing treatment that involves coating a printed substrate with a plastic film to increase its resistance, durability, and aesthetic impact.
Glossy: offers greater brilliance and higher contrast.
Matte: creates a velvety effect and reduces reflections.
Anti-scratch: protects the surface from scratches and wear.
Soft touch: provides a soft, velvety tactile feel with a premium look.
Lamination
Lamination is a finishing treatment that involves applying a plastic film to the printed surface to protect it and enhance its appearance.
Thermal lamination: the film is applied using heat and pressure, offering high durability and finishes such as gloss, matte, or soft-touch.
Cold lamination: the adhesive film is transferred without heat and is suitable for temperature-sensitive substrates, such as plastic materials or delicate digital prints.
Landing page
A landing page is a web page created for a specific purpose, such as lead generation, selling a product, or presenting an offer. It features a clear structure, targeted content, and a strong focus on the call to action, serving as a fundamental tool in digital design and online marketing.
Landscape
Refers to a type of binding with a horizontal orientation, where the width of the volume is greater than its height. This orientation is primarily chosen for illustrated books, photography books, or corporate catalogs.
Laser printing
Laser printing uses a toner that is fused to the substrate through heat and pressure. It ensures high definition, speed, and low costs for medium-to-low volumes, making it ideal for business documents, labels, and quick copies.
Layout
Layout is the compositional structure of a page or graphic design project and establishes the arrangement and relationships between text, images, white space, and visual elements, following principles of balance, hierarchy, and readability. It forms the foundation of professional page composition, both in print and digital content.
Layout grid
The layout grid is the usable space within the page where content is placed, defined by margins, columns, and safety zones. It determines the design area, ensuring order, typographic consistency, and compliance with trim and bleed areas.
Layout Mockup
A dummy is the preliminary layout of a publication or editorial work that establishes the arrangement of pages and the distribution of text, headings, and images. It functions as a “skeleton” of the layout, created before final composition to define the structure, rhythm, and order of content.
Lettering
Lettering is the art of creating custom-styled letters and words, specifically drawn rather than based on an existing font. It is used in logos, headlines, and projects requiring a unique character, differing from typography because it cannot be replicated for long-form text.
Line spacing
Line spacing is the vertical space separating lines of text and affects the readability, rhythm, and flow of the typographic composition. Correct line spacing prevents visual overlap, improves page balance, and supports text hierarchy; it can be specified in typographic points or as a proportional value.
Lithographic Plate
The lithographic plate is the matrix used in offset printing. It is made of metal, typically aluminum, and carries the image to be printed through a chemical process that distinguishes hydrophilic areas, which attract water, and oleophilic areas, which attract ink. The plate then transfers the image to the blanket and subsequently to the sheet, ensuring high quality and definition.
Lithography
Lithography is a planographic printing technique based on the repulsion between water and ink. Originally developed using limestone, it now forms the basis of modern offset printing, ensuring high print runs, consistent quality, and excellent reproduction of text and images.
Logo
A logo is the graphic element that visually represents a company, brand, or product. It can include symbols (pictogram), text (logotype), or a combination of both, and must be recognizable, versatile, and consistent with the brand’s visual identity.
Lorem ipsum
Lorem ipsum is placeholder text used in layouts to simulate real content. It allows you to evaluate the appearance, typographic rhythm, and visual rendering of the page layout without being influenced by meaning, and derives from Cicero’s Latin work De finibus bonorum et malorum.
Make-ready
Initial phase of printing during which the press is adjusted and tested before starting actual production. It is used to check colors, registration, and print quality before beginning the main print run.
Master Page
A master page is a template used in page layout software to set recurring elements such as headers, footers, page numbers, or grids; applied to multiple pages, it ensures uniformity and simplifies updating the overall layout.
Mat
A mat is a support or inner frame that separates and enhances a graphic or photographic work from the glass or outer frame.
Milling
Milling is a mechanical process performed on the edge of the book block, typical of perfect binding, which removes a thin portion of the signatures’ spine to create a rough surface and ensure a solid, long-lasting binding.
Mockup
A mockup is a realistic, sometimes photorealistic, representation of a graphic design on its final medium (packaging, posters, magazines, gadgets). It allows you to visualize the product’s appearance before production, facilitating presentations, approvals, and aesthetic checks.
Moiré Effect
The moiré effect is an unwanted visual interference that appears as wavy, screened, or striped patterns when two regular textures overlap, in printing or digital photography.
It can be avoided by using correct screen angles, high-resolution images, and specific moiré reduction algorithms.
Monochromatic
Monochromatic refers to a project created using a single hue and its variations in saturation or brightness. It produces clean, elegant, and consistent solutions, and is used to emphasize minimalism, strong identities, or applications where chromatic simplicity is a core value.
Monospaced
A monospaced font is a typeface in which each glyph occupies the same horizontal space, regardless of its shape. It originated from typewriters and is used for code, tables, diagrams, or text that requires precise character alignment.
Moodboard
A moodboard is a visual board that gathers images, colors, textures, typography, and stylistic references to define the atmosphere and language of a graphic or design project. It serves to guide the creative direction, sharing ideas, tone, and inspiration with the client and the team.
Mounting
Mounting, also known as laminating, consists of gluing one or more sheets of paper or cardboard onto a thicker support, with the objective of obtaining a specific weight and certain physical characteristics, making it suitable for products such as business cards, covers, and other quality printed materials.
Naming
Naming is the creative and strategic process of developing a name for a brand, product, service, or company. It is a fundamental pillar of brand identity, as the name serves as the primary element of recognition and communication. This process integrates linguistic, creative, and legal aspects to create a name that aligns with values and positioning, while remaining memorable, distinctive from competitors, trademarkable, and suitable for digital and international use.
Octavo
In typography, the octavo (or 8vo) is a book format created by folding a printed sheet three times, resulting in 16 pages (8 leaves per side). It is a traditional format originating in the 16th century, which in modern books typically features a height between 20 and 28 cm.
Offset Printing
Offset printing is an indirect printing process derived from lithography and represents one of the most common systems for reproducing text and images in black and white or color, used for books, newspapers, magazines, and the like.
The “offset” method is based on the use of a flat plate, with printing areas that hold ink and non-printing areas treated to repel it, generally made of zinc through photolithographic processes. During printing, the plate does not come into direct contact with the paper, but transfers the reversed image onto an intermediate rubber-coated cylinder, which then applies it correctly to the printing surface.
This process allows for high definition, large print runs, and the ability to print not only on paper, but also on rough or rigid materials such as cardboard, wood, metal, and other special substrates.
Omega Stapling
A binding technique that uses omega-shaped (Ω) metal staples. It allows documents to be easily inserted into ring binders without the need to punch holes.
OpenType
OpenType is an advanced font standard designed to ensure broad compatibility and sophisticated typographic features. It supports automatic ligatures, true small caps, stylistic alternatives, extended glyphs, and multilingual characters, making it the most widely used professional format thanks to its quality, flexibility, and ability to include thousands of glyphs in a single file.
Optical white
A type of white that is perceived as brighter and more brilliant, often used in printing paper or digital graphics.
Out of Register
Out of register occurs when, in printing, the different color passes or the two sides of the sheet are not perfectly aligned, causing unwanted doubling, shadows, or colored edges. This defect can result from incorrect cylinder adjustment, substrate tension issues, or poorly calibrated multiple passes.
Overprinting
Overprinting is the technique where a color or graphic element is applied over another already present, without removing it. It is used to create graphic effects, avoid unwanted transparency, or prevent registration issues.
Packaging
Packaging includes all materials and solutions used to package a product, designed to ensure protection, facilitate transport, and support brand marketing and communication.
Padded Hardcover
Padded binding is a bookbinding technique in which the hardcover is enhanced with an inner layer of soft material, typically wadding or foam.
This creates a soft, volumetric effect, giving the cover a more elegant, premium, and tactile appearance.
It is used for photo albums, special editions, fine books, luxury packaging, and editorial products that require a strong visual impact.
Pagination
Pagination consists of the progressive numbering of the pages in a document.
It is essential for layout, as it ensures correct assembly and facilitates text consultation as well as the management of indexes and internal references.
Palette
A palette is the set of colors chosen for a graphic project, including primary and secondary tones as well as variations in saturation and brightness; it ensures visual consistency and chromatic harmony across all materials.
Pantone
Pantone is a standardized color classification system that uses spot colors. Each color has a unique code, allowing the same shade to be accurately reproduced across different media and production processes.
Paper Engineering
Paper engineering encompasses all industrial and artisanal processes that transform paper and cardboard into finished products.
It includes operations such as die-cutting, folding, gluing, laminating, creasing, assembly, and packaging.
This sector is responsible for the production of packaging, cases, boxes, displays, binders, shoppers, and paper items for the commercial, industrial, and publishing sectors.
Paragraph
A paragraph is a block of text made up of one or more lines, structured as a semantic and visual unit. In typography, its formatting includes line spacing, indents, alignment, and spacing, affecting the readability, rhythm, and organization of the document.
Paragraph
A unit of text beginning on a new line, typically highlighted by an indent or outdent, encompassing all content until the following paragraph.
Path
A path is a vector route composed of lines, curves, and anchor points used in graphic design software. It can define the outlines of shapes, letters, or illustrations, allowing for the creation of scalable elements without any loss of quality.
Pattern
A pattern is a graphic motif repeated regularly to create decorative surfaces, textures, or backgrounds. It can feature geometric, illustrative, or photographic elements and is used in packaging, textiles, wallpaper, and visual identity projects.
Payoff
A payoff is a short phrase that accompanies the logo, summarizing the brand’s promise, distinctive value, or positioning. Unlike a slogan, which is linked to temporary campaigns, a payoff is permanent and institutional.
Its main characteristics are: being concise and easy to remember, expressing the brand’s personality, clarifying what the company offers or represents, and strengthening the corporate identity and institutional communication.
PDF – Portable Document Format
PDF is a universal file format that preserves layouts, fonts, images, and graphic elements on any device or software. It is ideal for sending, archiving, and professional printing, ensuring a faithful reproduction of the original design.
Perfect Binding
A binding method in which the pages, milled at the spine, are joined solely with adhesive and attached to a soft cover.
Perforation
A line composed of small perforated dots that allows you to easily detach a portion of the sheet, as in the case of coupons or postcards.
Photo Retouching
Photo retouching includes all digital image editing operations to improve its appearance, such as color correction, defect removal, light and shadow adjustment, compositing, or creative manipulation.
It is performed using professional software to obtain more consistent, attractive, or print-ready images.
Pictogram
A pictogram is a clear and easily recognizable graphic symbol that represents a concept, action, or object without using text. It is used in signage, digital interfaces, and infographics to communicate immediately and universally.
Pixel
A pixel is the smallest unit of a digital image or screen. It determines the resolution and visual quality of photos, graphics, and displays: the more pixels in a given area, the greater the image detail.
Plotters
A plotter is a machine used for printing or cutting large-format materials, such as paper, vinyl, or fabrics. It is employed to create prototypes, banners, signage, and CAD applications, offering high precision even on large-scale surfaces.
PNG
PNG is a digital image format that supports transparency and uses lossless compression. It is particularly suitable for web graphics, icons, logos, and compositions with transparent backgrounds. However, it is not recommended for large-scale professional printing.
Point
The point is the typographic unit of measurement used to define the size of characters and spaces. It corresponds to 1/72 of an inch and is used to establish font size, leading, and margins, ensuring uniform and standardized typographic design.
Point Size
Point size is the typographic measurement that indicates the height of a typeface, generally expressed in points (pt). It represents not only the height of the visible letters, but the entire space occupied by the typeface, including ascenders, descenders, and safety margins.
The choice of point size directly affects readability, visual hierarchy, and layout perception, varying according to the type of medium and graphic context.
PPI (Pixels Per Inch)
PPI indicates how many pixels are present in a linear inch of a digital image. The higher the PPI value, the greater the resolution and visual quality of the image. It is important to distinguish between PPI, which concerns the digital sphere, and DPI, which refers to printing, to obtain consistent results between the screen and the physical medium.
Pre-spaced cutting
Pre-spaced cutting is a die-cutting technique where the contours of an element are precisely cut and separated, leaving predetermined margins for adhesion, folding, or assembly. It is used in packaging and paper processing.
Press proof
The initial print of a document or graphic design, used to check colors, layout, and any errors before the final print run.
Press Sheet
The press sheet is the printed sheet that contains multiple pages or copies of the same subject before the cutting, folding, and finishing stages of the final product.
Its size varies depending on the printing press and affects efficiency, costs, and workflow organization.
Print area
The actual usable space for printing, excluding bleed margins and non-printable areas. Corresponds to the final format of the job.
Print Run
The print run indicates the number of copies produced for a print, book, magazine, or other graphic material. It is a fundamental factor for planning, estimating production costs, and selecting the most efficient printing technique.
Print-ready file
The print-ready file is the final document prepared for printing, created after the graphic design and verification stages. It contains CMYK colors, bleeds, crop marks, high-resolution images, and embedded fonts. It represents the final technical document intended for the print shop and must be error-free to ensure accurate printing that remains faithful to the design.
Printing Matrix
The printing matrix is the physical element used in traditional printing techniques to reproduce letters or images. It can be a plate, a cliché, a lead type, or an engraved surface. It is the “forme” from which the print is derived and is inked to transfer the image onto the substrate.
Printing Plates
A printing plate is a matrix, engraved manually or chemically, used in printing processes such as flexography or hot foil stamping.
Its function is to transfer an image or a repeatable graphic element onto a surface through pressure.
It can be made of metal, rubber, or photopolymer and is used for logos, patterns, textures, and decorative elements, particularly in packaging and paper processing.
Pull quote
A pull quote is a citation or phrase taken from a text, typographically highlighted with quotation marks or special formatting. It is used to provide emphasis, distinguish content, or underline importance within an editorial context.
Punch
A punch is a metal tool used to emboss shapes, letters, or symbols onto paper, cardboard, or metal through pressure. It is used in die-cutting, foil stamping, and branding to achieve tactile effects or decorative engravings.
QR Code
A QR Code is a two-dimensional code that contains information readable with smartphones or scanners.
It can link to websites, contacts, addresses, digital menus, landing pages, downloads, or payments.
Quarto
A quarto is a typographic unit of measurement related to paper folding and corresponds to one quarter of the original printing sheet. It is used in publishing to define formats, pagination, and print divisions.
Raster
Raster is the digital representation of an image through a grid of pixels, each containing color and brightness information. Raster images, such as photographs, lose quality if enlarged beyond their original resolution.
Rasterize
Rasterizing means converting a vector image or graphic element into raster format, i.e., into a grid of pixels. This process is necessary for certain digital processing or printing operations, but it reduces scalability without loss of quality.
Readability
Readability measures how simple and easy a text is to read. It is influenced by typographic elements (font, size, leading, spacing), color (contrast), composition (columns, margins), and the type of medium; it is essential for editorial design and an effective user experience.
Rebranding
Rebranding is the process of updating, partially or completely, a brand’s identity.
Registration
Registration refers to the precise alignment of different colors or elements during printing. Proper registration ensures that colors overlap without blurring, bleeding, or shifting, and is essential in offset, rotary, or multi-pass digital printing.
Registration marks
Registration marks are small graphic symbols placed at the margins of the sheet that serve as reference points for precisely aligning the different plates or color passes during printing, ensuring correct color overlay and preventing misregistration, smudging, or misalignment.
They represent essential tools for quality control in professional printing.
Rendering
Rendering is the process by which a final image is generated from a digital model, calculating colors, lights, textures, and materials. It is used in 3D graphics, animation, and in creating realistic simulations of packaging or environments.
Resolution
Resolution indicates the level of detail in a digital or printed image, measured in PPI (pixels per inch) or DPI (dots per inch). The higher the resolution, the sharper the image appears. Checking it is essential to avoid pixelation or loss of quality in printing.
RGB
RGB is a color model based on three light colors, Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B), primarily used for monitors, displays, and digital content. The combination of the three colors at different intensities generates all the shades visible on screen. It is not suitable for direct printing, as the colors may differ from those obtained in CMYK.
Rich black
Rich black is a black obtained by mixing the K channel with calibrated percentages of cyan, magenta, and yellow to create a deeper, more uniform, and intense color compared to K black alone. It is used for large backgrounds, solid elements, and areas requiring homogeneous coverage, but it is not recommended for thin or small text to avoid registration issues.
Rotogravure
Rotogravure is a rotary indirect printing process in which the image is engraved on metal cylinders. It allows for high print runs, high photographic quality, and printing on thin paper or flexible materials. It is used in magazines, catalogs, and industrial packaging.
Saddle stitch
This is a binding technique where sheets, folded into booklets, are secured together using wire staples inserted along the central fold.
Safety Area
The inner margin of a print file where text or graphic elements must be positioned to prevent them from being cut during trimming. Typically, its value is 3 mm from the edge.
Sans-serif
Sans-serif is a typeface without serifs, featuring clean and uniform lines. It ensures clear readability even at small sizes or on digital displays and is commonly used in modern design, digital interfaces, and headlines.
Saturation
Saturation indicates the intensity or purity of a color. Highly saturated colors appear vivid and brilliant, while less saturated colors tend toward gray. It is an essential parameter in color management and the creation of harmonious palettes.
Scratch-off
A scratch-off is a printed or adhesive element that covers information, numbers, or codes with a removable coating, which can be revealed by rubbing the surface. It is used in lotteries, games, vouchers, and promotional campaigns.
Screen Printing
Screen printing is an indirect printing technique where ink is passed through a mesh fabric, such as silk or polyester, with certain areas blocked by stencils. It allows for printing on flat or three-dimensional surfaces, including unconventional materials.
Selective white
Selective white is a special finish that allows for the printing of white ink on specific substrates. White printing is a complex process, as this color cannot be reproduced through the combination of four-color process (CMYK) inks. Traditional inkjet printers only reproduce colors within the spectrum around white, without being able to print white itself. For this reason, advanced printing houses have introduced white as an additional fifth printable color. Selective white printing is primarily used on materials such as transparent, translucent, colored, mirrored, or metallic substrates.
Serif
A serif, or “grazia,” is the decorative element found at the ends of letter strokes in a font. It aids readability, guides the eye along the lines, and conveys elegance or a sense of typographic tradition. Serif fonts are widely used in books, magazines, and long-form texts.
Serifs
Serifs are small decorative extensions placed at the ends of letter strokes that distinguish serif fonts, deriving from the tradition of lapidary writing. They enhance readability in long texts and give typographic compositions a more classic, elegant, and editorial tone.
Sewn binding (thread stitching)
A binding method in which the signatures are sewn with thread and then glued to the spine, ensuring greater strength and durability compared to perfect binding.
Side guide
The side guide is the edge of the sheet placed against the printing press guides to ensure correct alignment. Together with the gripper edge, it ensures precise positioning of the sheet during every printing pass.
Signatures
Signatures are groups of printed sheets folded together to form the inner block of a book. They are subsequently bound according to the chosen binding type. Correct numbering and arrangement of the sheets are essential for precise assembly.
Singer sewn binding
This is a binding method where the stitching is placed along the spine, making it visible and decorative; it is primarily used for creative graphic and editorial projects.
Sixteen-mo
The sixteen-mo (16mo) is a typographic and editorial unit of measurement indicating the division of the original sheet into sixteen equal parts, commonly used to determine very compact book or booklet formats.
Small Caps
Small caps are a typographic variant in which lowercase letters are replaced by reduced-size capital letters. They maintain consistent weight and style with regular capitals, creating elegant and uniform text.
Spacing
Spacing refers to the distance between characters (tracking), between words, or between lines (leading). It affects readability, text balance, and the aesthetic impact of the composition.
Spine
The spine is the part of the book or binding that joins the pages and remains visible when the volume is shelved vertically, typically featuring the title, author, publisher, and other identifying elements. Its width varies based on the page count, paper type, and binding method; a well-designed spine facilitates book identification while ensuring structural stability for the entire binding.
Spiral
A binding technique in which punched sheets are joined together using a metal or plastic spiral, allowing the volume to open completely at 360°.
Spot Color
Spot colors are special premixed inks used as a substitute for or in addition to four-color process inks (CMYK). Each spot color requires a dedicated printing plate. Varnish is also considered a spot color, as it requires a separate plate for printing.
Squares
The squares are the portions of the hard cover that project beyond the edges of the book block. Their function is to protect the edges from wear and provide a more finished appearance, extending a few millimeters on three sides and slightly lifting the cover from surfaces to preserve the integrity of the volume.
Still life
Still life is a photographic technique focused on capturing inanimate objects, such as products, food, design pieces, or promotional materials.
Storytelling
Storytelling is the technique of communicating a message, brand, or product through a structured narrative.
It utilizes narrative elements such as characters, emotional tone, conflict, and pacing to create engagement, convey values and identity, make the message memorable, and guide the audience through an emotional or informative journey.
Straw Paper
Straw paper is an economical type of paper characterized by a fibrous and irregular texture, traditionally obtained from the processing of straw or recycled natural fibers.
It has a straw-yellow color and a rustic, sustainable appearance.
It is used for bags, food packaging, eco-friendly products, and graphic design projects that require a simple, natural, and artisanal aesthetic.
Style
In typography and graphic design, style refers to a font variant (such as italic, bold, or light). It determines the visual appearance of glyphs and contributes to hierarchy, emphasis, and communicative tone.
Style sheet
The style sheet compiles all the typographic and graphic settings of a project, such as fonts, sizes, leading, colors, spacing, and formatting rules.
It ensures consistency throughout the document and speeds up the creation of complex content, especially in publishing software like InDesign.
SVG
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is a digital vector format that represents images through mathematical paths, shapes, and lines. Scalable without loss of quality, it is ideal for logos, icons, web graphics, and animations.
Swiss binding
A type of hardcover binding where the cover is detached from the inner block by a hollow back (not glued to the book block), often featuring a cut or groove on the sides, allowing for greater opening and flexibility of the volume.
Template
A template is a predefined layout or design model that serves as the foundation for a graphic or editorial project. It ensures uniformity and consistency, facilitating the creation of multi-page documents or promotional materials.
Texture
Texture is the visual or tactile appearance of a material or graphic element. It can be real, such as paper or fabric, or digitally simulated, and is used to add depth, realism, and aesthetic effect to a project.
Thickness gauge
A thickness gauge is a tool used to measure the thickness of paper, cardstock, or other printing materials. It must ensure sufficient precision to allow readings of up to 0.01 mm.
TIFF
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is an uncompressed or lossless compressed raster image format, ideal for professional printing. It ensures high quality, precise detail, and color fidelity, and is widely used in photography and publishing.
Tracking
Tracking is the uniform adjustment of the distance between all characters in a text or text block. Unlike kerning, which affects individual letter pairs, tracking acts on the overall spacing to improve readability and visual harmony.
TrueType
TrueType is a digital font format developed by Apple and Microsoft, compatible with operating systems and graphics software. It allows scalable outlines, ensuring quality and readability both on screen and in print.
Type Foundry
A type foundry is a company or group that designs, develops, and distributes fonts.
Once producers of lead type, they now create digital typeface families, manage licensing, and ensure technical and stylistic quality.
Type Scale
A type scale is a tool used in typography to measure font sizes, line spacing, letter spacing, and other typographic dimensions. It ensures precision and consistency in design and printing.
Typeface
The term typeface refers to a specific typographic family consisting of a consistent set of shapes and styles that define the appearance of letters, numbers, and symbols.
Each typeface has a visual personality that influences readability, communicative tone, and the perception of a graphic design project.
A typographic family includes variants such as regular, bold, italic, light, and other weights or styles.
UI (User Interface)
UI, or User Interface, is the set of graphic and interactive elements with which the user interacts in an application, website, or software. It includes buttons, menus, icons, colors, and layouts, designed to make the experience intuitive and functional.
Uncoated Paper
Uncoated paper is a non-coated substrate, characterized by a natural and slightly porous surface that absorbs ink more easily than coated paper.
It has a warm and textured appearance, with less saturated but softer colors, offering a more authentic tactile feel.
It is used for books, notebooks, letterhead, forms, business cards with a natural character, and graphic design projects where an editorial or artisanal look is desired.
UNI Formats
UNI formats (e.g., A5, A4, A3…) are international standards established by ISO 216.
They are based on constant geometric ratios that allow reductions and enlargements without distortion and are used for printing paper, documents, publications, and professional applications throughout Europe.
UV Varnish
UV varnish is a liquid coating applied to the print and cured with ultraviolet light. It can be gloss, matte, or high-build to create tactile and visual effects, protecting the print while enhancing specific details or areas.
UX (User Experience)
UX, or user experience, concerns the overall interaction of the user with a digital or physical product, focusing on ease of use, satisfaction, efficiency, and accessibility. It includes interface design, navigation flows, and the user’s overall perception.
Vector
A vector image is made up of geometric shapes, paths, and anchor points rather than pixels. It can be scaled infinitely without loss of quality and is ideal for logos, icons, illustrations, and large-format printing.
Visual hierarchy
Visual hierarchy defines the reading order and the level of importance of various elements within a graphic design project. It is created through differences in size, font weight, color, spacing, positioning, and contrast, guiding the user’s eye and making the message clear and easy to understand.
Visual identity
Visual identity is the set of graphic elements that define the visual appearance of a brand or project, such as logos, color palettes, typography, icons, patterns, and promotional materials. It ensures consistency, recognizability, and effective brand communication.
Watermark
A watermark is a visible or transparent mark embedded in an image or digital document to indicate ownership, copyright, or protection against unauthorized use. It can take the form of a semi-transparent logo, text, or symbol.
Widow
A widow is a single line of text left isolated at the end of a page or column, causing visual discontinuity. In professional publishing, it is avoided by applying layout rules and typographic controls.
Window Decal
A window decal is a graphic printed on transparent adhesive material applied to glass surfaces. It can be designed for viewing from the outside, with mirror printing on the back of the adhesive, or from the inside, with internal adhesion and outward-facing readability.
Wireframe
A wireframe is a structural blueprint of a web page or digital application that represents the layout, content hierarchy, and potential interactions without final graphics. It is used to plan architecture and functionality before the full design phase.
Woodcut
Woodcut is an artistic and typographic printing technique that involves engraving images or text onto wooden blocks. Ink is applied to the raised surfaces and transferred to the substrate, allowing for the production of multiple copies with high-quality craftsmanship.
Workflow
Workflow is the operational work flow that describes the stages and processes required to complete a graphic, print, or digital project. It includes creation, review, approval, and production, ensuring efficiency and coordination between activities.
ZIP
ZIP is a data compression format that reduces the size of individual files or entire groups of files while allowing for full recovery. It is used to share graphic designs, font packages, images, work documents, or print files in an organized and lightweight manner.