- Data Compression:
The storing of a computer file into a format that uses less disk space. Compressed files must be decompressed to be used.
- Densitometer:
Used to measure and control the density of ink colors on the substratate.
- Density:
1) The degree of darkness of a photographic image. The darker a tone, the higher its density. 2) The thickness of a layer of printed ink. 3) The ability of a color to absorb light reflected from it or block light passing through it. 4) The tightness or looseness of paper fibers.
- Descender:
The portion of a lower case letter that extends below the main body, such as g, j, p, q, and y.
- Desktop Publishing (DTP):
The process of creating fully composed pages using a computer, off-the-shelf graphics software and an output device such as a laser printer.
- Destination Profile:
One of the two types of profiles required for converting an image or document from one color space to another. The destination profile communicates to the CMS the color values required to reproduce the color appearance of the original (as defined by the source profile) on the destination device (which can be any kind of output device). This may be selected by the user at the time of conversion (i.e. choosing a printer profile at the time you print), or automatically selected as a default setting (via assuming) in the application.
- Device Profile:
A profile that describes the color space of a device in terms of its dynamic range (the color and brightness of the white and black point, and the difference between the two), its gamut (the color and brightness of its colorants or display), and its tonal-reproduction characteristics.
- Device-Independent Profiles:
Otherwise known as a Color Space Profiles, they describe device-independent (not representing any devices) color spaces such as CIE LAB, CIE XYZ or some sort of RGB color space such as sRGB, Adobe RGB, ColorMatch RGB, and Apple RGB.
- Die Cutting:
The process of using sharp steel dies to cut special shapes from printed sheets either on flatbed or rotary presses.
- Die:
A device for cutting, scoring, stamping, embossing or debossing.
- Dingbats:
Typographical ornaments such as bullets, arrows and check marks, used for design emphasis within text.
- Dithering:
Dithering refers to the technique of altering the color values of adjacent dots or pixels to give the illusion of intermediate colors; for example, a printed field of alternating cyan and yellow dots appears to be green. Dithering can give the effect of shades of gray on a black-and white-display or the effect of more colors on a color display.
- Dot Area:
The dot area is indicated by a percentage from zero to one hundred percent.
- Dot Gain:
An inherent characteristic of the printing process in which dots are enlarged, resulting in darker or stronger colors. Dot gain can be compensated for during film preparation or by using coated stock and heatset printing because the ink dries before it soaks into the paper.
- Dot:
1) Variable-sized spots found on film to which create the illusion of multiple colors or shades from one single color. 2) The individual element of a halftone.
- Dots Per Inch (DPI):
A unit of measure for the output resolution of a printing device (i.e. laser or inkjet printer), the DPI refers to the number of dots that print within an inch. DPI is often used – incorrectly – to refer to the resolution of a scanner or digital images obtained by scanning or a digital camera. But in these cases there isn’t any printed dots to consider, but rather, the act of digitizing a photo or original artwork and the resulting electronic image that exists in the form of pixels. The resolution of an electronic image is referred to as PPI (pixels per inch), which has no influence on the DPI of an output device, though it will effect how sharp the image will print on any given device.
- Drawing Program:
A type of graphics program that creates images using vectors (line and curve segments) rather than a grid of individual pixels.
- Drilling:
The process of creating holes in a printed piece that will permit the insertion over rings or posts in a binder or in the case of a hole for hanging a calendar.
- Duotone:
A duotone is a monochrome original, such as a black and white photograph, that is printed with one or more inks, usually black plus a spot color. Depending on how many colors are used to print the photo, they can also be referred to as tritones (3 colors), and quadtones (4 colors).
- Dynamic Range:
A scanner's ability to capture an image's tonal range, from the lightest highlight to the darkest shadow.