Desktop Publishing Glossary for Adobe InDesign
Adobe InDesign preferences
The preferences file stores application-specific information such as palette positions, measurement options, and display options for graphics and typography. The preferences file is saved each time you save an InDesign publication.
alpha channel
The component of a bitmap or Raster image that stores mask or selection information. See also, channel.
anchor points
The nodes of a path that mark where a segment starts and ends. By moving anchor points or directional handles, you can modify path segments and change the shape of a path.
application defaults
The application-wide settings, attributes, and preferences that InDesign remembers even after you quit and restart it. You set application defaults by changing menu and dialog box settings while no publication is open. The settings you specify will apply to every new InDesign publication you create.
bitmap image
Bitmap images are graphics that are made up of pixels. They can be created using image-editing programs such as Adobe Photoshop or by scanning applications. Bitmap image formats include TIFF (Tagged Image File Format), JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), GIF (Graphic Interchange Format), BMP (Windows bitmap), MacPaint, and PCX (PC Paintbrush).
bleed
Text or art that extends beyond the trim page boundaries, or the crop marks, on one or more sides of a page.
blend
See gradient fill.
boilerplate
A standardized layout or standardized text or graphics that appear in a publication.
calibration
The process of returning a device to known color conditions. Commonly done with devices that change color frequently, such as monitors (phosphors lose brightness over time) and printers (proofers and other digital printing devices can change output when colorant or paper stock is changed.)
calibration bars
A strip of varying shades usually ranging from 0% to 100% (in 10% increments) on film, proofs, and press sheets. Prepress service providers use calibration bars to measure and control screen percentages for printing and proofing.
channel
A grayscale image acting as a single component of a color bitmap image. Typically, an image file contains one channel to represent each color component, such as four channels for a CMYK image or three channels for an RGB image. Additional channels, called alpha channels, can be used to store mask or selection information.
child, children
One or more master pages based on an existing master page, called the parent. Changes made to the parent master page affect all the children.
clipping path
A technique for creating the illusion of transparency in a bitmap image or other object by defining a portion of the object with a path, causing everything outside the defined area to be hidden (masked) for display and print purposes.
closed path
A path that is continuous and has no beginning or end; a circle is an example of a closed path.
CMS
See color management system.
CMYK
Abbreviation for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, the four process color inks which, when properly overprinted, simulate a subset of the visible spectrum. Also refers to digital artwork that contains information necessary for creating color separations. See also color separation.
color management system
A collection of software tools for making color device-independent. Ideally, the colors seen on-screen in a scanned image should accurately represent the colors in the original image and the colors you see on the final output. A CMS maps colors from the color gamut of one device into a device-independent color space, and then maps those colors to the color gamut of another device.
color model
The dimensional coordinate system used to describe colors numerically. Some models include: RGB (Red, Green, Blue); HLS (Hue, Lightness, Saturation); CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black); LAB (Lightness, a, b).
color overlay
A sheet of film or paper whose text and art correspond to one spot or process color. Each color overlay becomes the basis for a single printing plate that will apply that color to paper.
color proof
A representation matching the appearance of the final printed piece. Includes color laser proofs, color overlay proofs, and laminate proofs.
color separation
The process of transforming color artwork into components, often corresponding to the four process colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Color separations may consist only of spot colors or spot colors used in addition to process colors. Each component is imaged on film or paper in preparation for making printing plates that correspond to each ink.
color space
The specific range of colors a device can produce. Also called gamut. A color is said to be "out of gamut" when its position in one devices color space cannot be directly translated into another devices color space. For example, the total range of colors that can be reproduced with ink on coated paper is greater than that for uncoated newsprint, so the total gamut for uncoated newsprint is said to be smaller than the gamut for coated stock. The CMYK gamut is generally smaller than their RGB gamut.
composite proof
A version of an illustration or page in which the process colors are used together to represent full color. When produced on a monochrome output device, colors are represented as shades of gray.
contextual menu
A list of options that appears directly under the pointer and contains only commands relevant to the active tool, selection, palette or window. Contextual menus give you quick access to features when and where you need them. You can display a contextual menu by clicking the right mouse button (Windows) or by pressing Control as you click (Mac OS).
continuous tone
The quality of having multiple shades or colors within an image. Photographs are examples of continuous tone images.
corner point
An anchor point whose path segment sharply changes direction from the connecting path segment. Unlike a smooth point, moving a direction line radiating from a corner point adjusts only the segment on the same side of the direction line.
crop marks
Short, fine lines used as guides for final trimming of the pages within a press sheet.
custom printer description file
A file containing information specific to a type of output device; used in conjunction with a standard PPD to customize the printing process.
DCS
Abbreviation for desktop color separation, a version of the EPS file format. DCS 1.0 files are composed of five PostScript files, including a cyan, magenta, yellow, and black file plus a separate low-resolution FPO image to place in a digital file. In contrast, DCS 2.0 files have one file that stores process and spot color information.
defaults
The settings, attributes, and preferences InDesign automatically applies to publications, text, or objects when you create them. If you change menu and dialog box settings while no publication is open, these settings (called application defaults) apply to all new publications you create. If you change settings while a publication is open and no text or objects are selected, these settings (called publication defaults) apply to new text or objects you create in that publication.
densitometer
A device used throughout the printing process to measure the amount of light passing through or reflecting from a given media.
device dependent
A term that describes an attribute (e.g., resolution, RGB or CMYK color) that varies depending on the medium (such as a monitor or printing press) used to represent it.
device independent
A term that describes an attribute (e.g., vector paths, LAB color) that does not change between mediums (such as monitors or printers) used to represent it.
die line
In a digital file, the outline that will be used to create a device for cutting, stamping, or embossing the finished printed piece into a particular shape such as a rolodex card.
direction handle
The terminating point of a direction line that determines the shape of a corresponding curved path segment. You modify the shape of the curve by dragging the handle.
direction line
A line tangent to a curved path segment that extends from the anchor point and ends in direction handles.
downsampling
A technique for reducing the resolution and size of a bitmap image to the specified dpi setting by averaging the pixel color of several pixels in an area and replacing that area with a pixel of the averaged color. Downsampling preserves more image quality than subsampling, but is slower than subsampling.
dpi
Abbreviation for dots per inch, a way of measuring the resolution of a device, such as a printer.
DSC
Abbreviation for Document Structuring Conventions, a set of organizational and commenting conventions for PostScript files designed to provide a standard order and format for information so applications that process PostScript can easily find information about a documents structure and imaging requirements. These conventions allow specially formatted PostScript comments to be added to the page description; applications can search for these comments, but PostScript interpreters usually ignore them.
embedding
Including information from one file in another, such as including a publications fonts in a PDF file.
emulsion
The light-sensitive coating on film or photographic paper.
endpoint
The first or last anchor point on an open path.
EPS
Abbreviation for encapsulated PostScript, a single-page PostScript file that contains grayscale or color information and can be imported into many electronic layout and design applications.
fill
The area enclosed by a path.
FPO
Abbreviation for "for position only"; low-quality art reproductions used to indicate placement and scaling of an art element on mechanicals or camera-ready artwork. In digital publishing, FPOs can be low-resolution TIFF files that are later replaced with high-resolution versions. An FPO is not intended for reproduction, but only as a guide to the prepress service provider.
font
A set of characters in a single typeface, such as Helvetica Light or Helvetica Light Oblique. Most fonts include uppercase and lowercase letters, numerals, punctuation marks, and extended characters. See also font family.
font family
A complete set of characters, letters, and symbols of a particular typeface design. For example, Minion represents a font family; Minion Semibold Italic is an individual member of the Minion family.
frame
In InDesign, a container for text or graphics. Each frame in InDesign is a path.
gamut
See color space.
GCR
Abbreviation for gray component replacement, a technique for minimizing ink coverage.
glyph
A representation of a character.
gradient fill
An area that gradually changes from one color (or gray) to another. Gradient fills are also known as blends, gradations, graduated fills, and vignettes.
graduated fill
See gradient fill.
gray component replacement
See GCR
grayscale
The representation of colors using varying shades of gray.
grid
A non-printing pattern of colored vertical and horizontal lines to assist you in positioning objects on the page or pasteboard. You can have InDesign automatically snap objects to a gridline as the object moves close to it.
group
The combining of several objects so that the objects are treated as a single unit. After selecting a group, you see only the selection handles for the group rather than for its constituent elements.
guides
Non-printing colored lines you position freely on a page (page guides) or a spread (spread guides) or pasteboard to assist you in positioning objects. You can have InDesign automatically snap objects to a guide as the object moves close to it.
halftone
The use of a series of dots of various sizes to create the illusion of continuous tone in a printed image.
handles
Small boxes that appear on a selected objects. Dragging a handle is a common way to modify the shape of a selected object.
ICC
The International Color Consortium; established in 1993 by eight industry vendors (including Adobe Systems Incorporated) to create, promote, and encourage the standardization and evolution of an open, vendor-neutral, cross-platform color management system architecture and components. For more information, see http://www.color.org .
ICC profile
A file that describes how a particular device (e.g., monitor, scanner, printer, or proofer) reproduces color (i.e., its specific color space). Profiles can be either generic or custom.
- Custom device profiles are created for an individual device, using a color measuring instrument (e.g., a spectrophotometer or colorimeter) and device profiling software. Custom device profiles are far more accurate than generic device profiles, but cost more to create.
imagesetter
A high-resolution output device using photo-sensitive paper or film.
imaging
The process of producing a film or paper copy of a digital file from an output device.
imposition
The process of arranging individual pages on a form to construct a signature so that after printing, folding, and binding, the pages are in proper sequence. See signature.
island
A spread that doesnt match the default number of pages per spread. This exception to the default isnt affected when you add or remove pages. You can clear an island, which regroups spread pages to match the publication default setting for the number of pages per spread.
kerning
The process of adjusting the spacing between two characters. Traditionally, typographers used kerning to fix particular pairs of letters that draw attention to themselves by appearing too close together or too far apart.
keyline
A thin border around a picture or a box indicating where to place pictures. In digital files, the keylines are often vector objects while photographs usually bitmap images.
knockout
A printing technique that prints overlapping objects without mixing inks. The ink for the underlying element does not print (knocks out) in the area where the objects overlap. Opposite of overprinting.
layer
In InDesign, the digital equivalent of transparent sheets of film that are stacked on top of each other. You can see through them to any other visible layers (except where opaque objects block the view of objects on lower layers). You can add objects and guides that are specific to each layer.
leading
The amount of vertical spacing between lines of type, measured in points.
ligature
Two or more typeface characters that are designed as a single unit; fi, fl, and ae are common ligatures.
local override
A change made to master page items on a regular page. Local overrides do not affect master page items on other pages.
lossy
Said of a software compression scheme that discards data to reduce file size. JPEG is an example of lossy compression.
marquee
A dotted rectangle that appears as you drag a selection tool to indicate that you are selecting objects within or under the rectangle.
mask
Cropping part of an object so that only a portion of it appears. Depending on the application, you may create a mask using paths and store it with the object as an alpha channel.
master page
A digital representation of a page that is not part of the printed publication itself, but which acts as a foundation for its pages. A master page typically contains basic design elements (such as headers, footers, and page numbers) and nonprinting layout guides (such as column guides, ruler guides, and margin guides) that are common to most or all pages in a publication.
merge
To combine two layers into one. The objects and guides that were formerly on the two layers are moved to the single merged layer.
metafile
A file format that can contain both vector and bitmap information. Metafile formats include Macintosh PICT, Adobe Illustrator, EPS, PDF, CGM (computer graphics metafile), and WMF (Windows metafile).
misregistration
The unwanted result of incorrectly aligned process colors and spot colors on a finished printed piece. Misregistration can be caused by many factors including paper stretch and improper plate alignment. Trapping can compensate for misregistration.
nesting
Including one set of grouped objects inside another such group.
neutral density
The lightness or darkness of a color. A neutral density of zero (0.00) is the lightest value possible and is equivalent to pure white; 3.294 is roughly equivalent to 100% of each of the CMYK components. See also visual neutral density.
object
Anything independent of a page. Text frames, paths, and imported images are all examples of objects. Margins stay with specific pages or spreads and therefore are not considered objects.
object-oriented art
Vector-based artwork composed of separate elements or shapes described mathematically rather than specifying the color and position of every point. This contrasts to bitmap images, which are composed of individual pixels.
open path
A path has a beginning and an end. For example, a horizontal rule is an open path.
OPI
Abbreviation for Open Prepress Interface, a set of PostScript-language comments for defining and specifying the placement of high-resolution images in PostScript files on an electronic page layout.
ordinal numbering
In InDesign, page numbers for the entire publication starting from the first page. See also section numbering.
output device
Any hardware equipment, such as a laser printer or imagesetter, that produces paper or film copies of text or graphics created on a computer.
overprint
A printing method that prints one ink on top of another ink. In overprinting, the inks may combine to make a new color. The opposite of knockout.
parent
A master page on which other master pages are based. Changes to a parent master page affect all master pages and regular pages based on that parent.
pasteboard
An area outside a page where you can store objects that arent yet positioned on a page. This space also accommodates items that bleed.
path
A vector object such as those you create using the drawing or frame tools in InDesign. A single straight line, a rectangle, and the outline of a map are all typical examples of paths. Paths can be open or closed.
Abbreviation for Portable Document Format, a file format used widely for viewing and distributing both printed and online documents. PDF preserves page layout, graphics, and typography and supports interactive features such as sound, video, buttons, and form fields linked to a database on a server. PDF files can be displayed and printed using Acrobat Reader, downloadable at no charge from the Adobe website at www.adobe.com .
PICT
A Mac OS file format for both object-oriented graphics and bitmap images.
pixel
Abbreviation for picture element; the dots generated by a computer or output device that collectively constitute an image.
plug-in
Software programs developed to add features to InDesign. A number of importing, exporting, automation, and special effect plug-ins come with InDesign, and are automatically installed in the Plug-Ins folder.
point of origin
A fixed location on an object in relation to which InDesign performs transformations. The default point of origin is the objects center point.
PostScript
A device-independent page-description language developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated.
PostScript Printer Description file
See PPD.
PPD
Abbreviation for PostScript printer description, a file format developed by Adobe Systems Incorporated, that contains information enabling software to produce the best results possible for each type of designated printer.
ppi
Abbreviation for pixels per inch, a way of measuring the resolution of a device, such as a monitor.
preferences
See Adobe InDesign Preferences.
prepress service provider
In the publishing industry, the generic term for color separation houses, commercial printers, electronic prepress houses, service bureaus, and in-plant printers.
preseparating
Converting images to CMYK and targeting the image to the proper output device before printing in order to shorten the time it takes to image a file.
printers marks
The marks printed on a press sheet or film to aid in positioning the print area, checking the quality of the printed image, and trimming the final pages. Printers marks may include calibration bars, crop marks, and registration marks.
process colors
The four transparent inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) used in four-color process printing. See also color separation.
profile
A file that describes the gamut for a particular device, such as a monitor, scanner, or printer. InDesign uses ICC (International Color Consortium) profiles, an industry standard format for describing a gamut.
publication defaults
The settings, attributes, and preferences that apply to the current publication only. You set publication defaults by changing menu and dialog box settings while a publication is active and no text or objects are selected. InDesign saves the new settings with the publication so you dont have to reset them the next time you open the publication.
rasterize
The process of converting digital information into pixels.
registration marks
Figures (usually crossed lines and a circle) placed outside the trim page boundaries in color-separation overlays to provide a common element for proper alignment.
rendering intent
The method a color management system uses for converting or mapping colors from one devices gamut to another. Some examples of rendering intents are perceptual intent, which is appropriate for photographs and aims to preserve hue relationships in a way that is perceived as natural to the human eye. Saturation intent is appropriate for office and presentation graphics, as its intent is to create vivid color at the expense of accurate color. Absolute relative colormetric intent is best for business graphics such as logos. This intent aims to maintain color accuracy at the expense of preserving relationships between colors.
resolution
The amount of information in a bitmap image or on a computer monitor or from an output device as expressed in dots per inch (dpi) or pixels per inch (ppi).
RGB
Abbreviation for red, green, blue; the colors of projected light from a computer monitor that when combined simulate a subset of the visual spectrum. Also refers to the color model of most digital artwork. See also CMYK.
RIP
Abbreviation for raster image processor, the part of an output device or imagesetter that converts digital information into dots on film or paper. See also rasterize.
script
A file containing a series of commands and programming conventions to automate tasks and simplify your work in InDesign.
section numbering
In InDesign, page numbers that begin at 1 for each section you have set up or can restart using any page number up to 9,999. You can also start a section and restart page numbering anywhere within a publication. See also ordinal numbering.
selecting
The act of designating which object or text you want subsequent actions to affect. Selecting with the selection tool or direct-selection tools often highlights the selected material (in the case of text) or causes it to display small boxes, called handles (in the case of objects). The most common methods of selecting involve clicking an object, dragging a marquee over one or more objects, or dragging the text tool over existing text.
SEP
A PostScript file format created from InDesign that can contain multiple pages plus links in the form of OPI comments to high-resolution images, in color or in black and white.
separation
See color separation.
shuffling
The QuarkXPress feature that automatically repositions, renumbers, and reformats pages to maintain the proper left/right facing page layout as you insert, delete, or move pages.
signature
A group of pages printed on the same sheet, front and back. For example, a 4-up signature is a sheet that contains 8 pages. The pages on signatures typically appear in imposed order so that they are in proper sequence after the sheet is folded. See imposition.
smooth point
An anchor point along a continuous curved paths. Unlike a corner point, moving a direction line radiating from a smooth point adjusts the curves on both sides of the point simultaneously.
snap
A magnetic-like pull exerted by guides and grids in InDesign and other applications used for aligning objects to the guide or gridlines.
space
- em space: A unit of horizontal space equal to a square lead base of the type size. For example, in 10 point type, a standard em is 10 points wide and 10 points high, but em size varies. Em spaces are often used to specify the size of paragraph indents. Originally, an em was the space occupied by a typeface's capital letter M.
- en space: 1/2 em
- thin space: 1/4 em
- hair space: 1/24 em
- figure space: width of '0' when available in font, width of space when not
- punctuation space: width of '.' when available in font, width of space when not
- non-breaking space: same as plain space
- flush space: a variable amount of space used to separate the last word of a justified paragraph from an end character, like a decorative font.
spot color
Any premixed colored ink that is not one of or a combination of the four process color inks.
spread
A set of pages the reader sees all at once. The most common example is the double-page spread in a typical book or magazine. In InDesign you can create spreads of more than two pages, as in publications printed on a sheet that unfolds into multiple panels. The maximum spread size in InDesign is 10 pages.
stop
The point at which a gradient fill changes from one color to the next. In InDesign, a stop is identified by a square below the gradient bar in the Gradient palette.
stroke
The outline of a path.
subsampling
A technique for reducing the resolution and size of a bitmap image to the specified dpi setting by choosing a pixel in the center of the sample area and replacing that area with the pixel chosen. Subsampling is faster than downsampling but preserves less image quality.
target
(1) The currently selected layer to which newly created objects are automatically added. (2) To designate an output device for a InDesign publication.
text
The stream of characters in your publication; not to be confused with type.
thumbnail
Miniature representations of art or pages for proofing, layout, or design work.
TIFF
A file format for bitmap images containing grayscale or color information. A TIFF file can also include an alpha channel.
tint
A screened (lighter) version of a spot color, printed on the same plate as the spot color.
tracking
The process of inserting uniform spacing between more than two characters in selected type. Traditionally, typographers used tracking to change the visual denseness or openness of type on the page.
trapping
The process of creating an overlap between abutting colors to compensate for imprecision in the printing process.
trim page size
Area of the finished page after the job is printed, bound, and trimmed.
type
The appearance of characters in your publication.
typeface
The look or design of a font family that is common to the individual type styles within that family.
type style
An individual member of a font family, such as bold, italic, bold italic, and so on.
UCR
Abbreviation for under color removal, a technique for minimizing ink coverage.
under color removal
See UCR.
unnamed color
A color that isn't in the swatches palette in InDesign, but which was created using the Color palette and applied to objects or text in a document.
vector objects
Artwork or text characters constructed from mathematical statements instead of individual pixels. Vector objects can be scaled to virtually any size without losing visual quality. Fonts (such as PostScript and TrueType), illustrations from drawing applications, and files from InDesign are common examples of vector objects.
vignette
See gradient fill.
visual neutral density
The degree to which a color is perceived to be light or dark. Prepress service providers measure visual neutral density using a densitometer with no process filters.
weight
The thickness of a stroke.
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