Software Glossary
Take a look at the terminology of software, especially as it applies to desktop publishing. Get definitions, examples, and tutorials.
Acrobat Reader
Software for reading PDF files created with Adobe Acrobat or other programs...
Software for reading PDF files created with Adobe Acrobat or other programs...
Adobe Acrobat
Software used to create, edit, and work with PDF files...
Software used to create, edit, and work with PDF files...
Adobe Acrobat Distiller
Software used to turn PostScript files into PDF format...
Software used to turn PostScript files into PDF format...
Aliasing (Jaggies)
Jagged edges on curves and diagonal lines in a bitmap image...
Jagged edges on curves and diagonal lines in a bitmap image...
Alpha Channels
Bitmap masks with transparency used in photo compositing and converted to clipping paths for hiding backgrounds...
Bitmap masks with transparency used in photo compositing and converted to clipping paths for hiding backgrounds...
Anti-Aliasing
The process of getting rid of the jagged edges on fonts and bitmap images...
The process of getting rid of the jagged edges on fonts and bitmap images...
Beta
Testing phase...
Testing phase...
Bitmap
Bitmap - A type of graphic composed of pixels in a grid...
Bitmap - A type of graphic composed of pixels in a grid...
Blend
Blend - Colors that change gradually from one color to the next...
Blend - Colors that change gradually from one color to the next...
Center Marks
Center marks indicate where to fold...
Center marks indicate where to fold...
Chart
graphics term
graphics term
Clip Art
graphics term
graphics term
Clipping Paths
graphics and page layout term
graphics and page layout term
CMYK
printing term
printing term
Color Separations
prepress and printing term
prepress and printing term
Column Dividers (Downrules)
layout term
layout term
Column Guides
page layout tool
page layout tool
Computer Crafting (Creative Printing)
desktop publishing term
desktop publishing term
Corner Marks (Crop Marks)
layout and printing term
layout and printing term
Creative Printing
desktop publishing term
desktop publishing term
Crop Marks
layout and printing term
layout and printing term
DCS
Desktop color separations - an enhanced EPS file format...
Desktop color separations - an enhanced EPS file format...
Desktop Publishing
computer publishing term
computer publishing term
Drag and Drop
How the mouse moves objects on the computer...
How the mouse moves objects on the computer...
DTP (Desktop Publishing)
computer publishing term
computer publishing term
Dummy Text (Lorem Ipsum)
layout and type term
layout and type term
Electronic Publishing
The process of creating and disseminating information via electronic means including email and via the Web...
The process of creating and disseminating information via electronic means including email and via the Web...
Embedded Paths
Hard-edged outline objects within an image that isolate portions of an image and are embedded in the graphics file to be read by some types of desktop publishing programs...
Hard-edged outline objects within an image that isolate portions of an image and are embedded in the graphics file to be read by some types of desktop publishing programs...
Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)
A vector format designed for printing to PostScript printers and imagesetters...
A vector format designed for printing to PostScript printers and imagesetters...
EPS
A vector format designed for printing to PostScript printers and imagesetters...
A vector format designed for printing to PostScript printers and imagesetters...
Expert Characters
Special characters, symbols, and styles of fonts used in fine typography...
Special characters, symbols, and styles of fonts used in fine typography...
Font Smoothing (Anti-Aliasing)
type term
type term
FPO - For Position Only
layout and printing term
layout and printing term
GIF
graphics format
graphics format
Graph
graphics term
graphics term
Graphics Software
software for desktop publishing
software for desktop publishing
Greeking
layout and type term
layout and type term
Guidelines or Guide Lines (Guides)
page layout term
page layout term
Guides
page layout tool
page layout tool
Halftone Frequency (LPI)
The way printers reproduce images, simulating continuous tone images...
The way printers reproduce images, simulating continuous tone images...
Jaggies
Jagged edges on some types of fonts or images...
Jagged edges on some types of fonts or images...
Job Jacket
Job Jacket - a QuarkXPress feature for insuring consistency and proper file handling...
Job Jacket - a QuarkXPress feature for insuring consistency and proper file handling...
Job Ticket
Job Ticket - a QuarkXPress feature for insuring consistency and proper file handling...
Job Ticket - a QuarkXPress feature for insuring consistency and proper file handling...
JPEG or JPG
A popular graphics format...
A popular graphics format...
Kerning Pair
Specific pairs of letters that are commonly in need of kerning...
Specific pairs of letters that are commonly in need of kerning...
Kerning
Adjusting space between pairs of letters...
Adjusting space between pairs of letters...
Knockout
A portion of an image that has been removed or reversed type...
A portion of an image that has been removed or reversed type...
Laser
desktop printing
desktop printing
Layout Guides (Master Guides)
page layout tool
page layout tool
Line Frequency (LPI)
printing term
printing term
Linked Text Frame
Linked Text Frame - allows text to flow from one frame to another...
Linked Text Frame - allows text to flow from one frame to another...
Lorem Ipsum
layout and type term
layout and type term
LPI
printing term
printing term
Magnification (Zoom)
In desktop publishing software, the tool that changes the view of the document on screen (enlarging or making smaller)...
In desktop publishing software, the tool that changes the view of the document on screen (enlarging or making smaller)...
Margin Guides
A dotted or rectangular non-printing rectangle representing the page margins of a document in page layout software...
A dotted or rectangular non-printing rectangle representing the page margins of a document in page layout software...
Master Guides
Non-printing lines that aid in text flow and alignment of objects found on master pages in page layout software...
Non-printing lines that aid in text flow and alignment of objects found on master pages in page layout software...
Non-Printing Guides or Guide Lines
Lines used to align page elements...
Lines used to align page elements...
Opacity
The measure of how opaque or see-through a graphic or a piece of paper is...
The measure of how opaque or see-through a graphic or a piece of paper is...
Open Source
A development method for some software...
A development method for some software...
OpenType Fonts
An extension of the TrueType font format but also can contain PostScript data...
An extension of the TrueType font format but also can contain PostScript data...
Overset Text
Overset text - excess text you can't see in a text frame or table cell...
Overset text - excess text you can't see in a text frame or table cell...
Page Layout
desktop publishing
desktop publishing
Pasteboard
Pasteboard - holding area for documents, text, and graphics...
Pasteboard - holding area for documents, text, and graphics...
PDF
software term
software term
Pica
layout and type term
layout and type term
Pictograph (Graph)
graphics term
graphics term
Placeholder Text (Lorem Ipsum)
layout and type term
layout and type term
Portable Document Format (PDF)
software term
software term
PostScript Fonts (Type 1 Fonts)
digital type technology
digital type technology
PPI
graphics term
graphics term
Preseparated (Separations)
prepress and printing term
prepress and printing term
Raster (Bitmap)
A type of graphic composed of pixels (picture element) in a grid...
A type of graphic composed of pixels (picture element) in a grid...
RGB
Red, Green, Blue color mode...
Red, Green, Blue color mode...
Ruler Guides
Non-printing horizontal and vertical lines used to align objects on the page in a page layout or graphics software program...
Non-printing horizontal and vertical lines used to align objects on the page in a page layout or graphics software program...
Screen Frequency (LPI)
printing term
printing term
Screen Resolution (PPI)
graphics term
graphics term
Separations
prepress and printing term
prepress and printing term
SPI
graphics term
graphics term
Spot Color
Design and printing term
Design and printing term
Tab Leaders (Leaders)
type and layout term
type and layout term
Template
layout term
layout term
Text Composition
typography and page layout
typography and page layout
Text Frame
Text Frame - where text goes in a page layout application...
Text Frame - where text goes in a page layout application...
Threaded Text Frame
Threaded Text Frame - allows text to flow from one frame to another...
Threaded Text Frame - allows text to flow from one frame to another...
TIFF
graphics format
graphics format
Transparency
graphics and paper term
graphics and paper term
Transparent
graphics and paper term
graphics and paper term
Trapping
printing term
printing term
TrueType Fonts
digital type technology
digital type technology
Type 1 Fonts
digital type technology
digital type technology
Type Composition (Text Composition)
typography and page layout
typography and page layout
Typesetting
Putting the words in the right type...
Putting the words in the right type...
Vector
A resolution-independent, scalable graphics format...
A resolution-independent, scalable graphics format...
Web Application
Publishing off your desktop...
Publishing off your desktop...
Web Design
The art and process of creating a single Web page or entire Web sites...
The art and process of creating a single Web page or entire Web sites...
WYSIWYG
A program where what you see displayed on the screen is more or less what you'll get when you print the page...
A program where what you see displayed on the screen is more or less what you'll get when you print the page...