- M:
The abbreviation for magenta in four-color process printing.
- Magenta (M):
One of the three subtractive primary colors used in process color printing.
- Make Good:
The rerun of an ad or printed piece by a publisher or printer because of their error.
- Make Ready:
Refers to the process in which a printing press is prepared for printing. Also called 'set-up', the process includes hanging plates, putting inks in the fountains and loading paper the working to match what the press is producing to a supplied proof (bringing it up to color).
- Margin:
Non printing area of a page.
- Marksheet:
All marks appearing on proofs that are necessary for Press Operators, Trimmers, and Steppers to properly align images, scores, perforations, folds, laps, ears and sizes on press.
- Mark-Up:
The procedure of inserting file markers, field tags, and/or hypertext links in the text. Mark-up can be based on a standard markup language, such as the Automated Composition System of the Government Printing Office or the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). A useful markup language can also be unique to one organization or even to one file. The particular file marker and field tags used with a file are declared when in setting up a text indexer. Hypertext links do not have to be declared, because they are automatically indexed as searchable terms.
- Match Print:
A laminated presentation of color for a printed piece. Used primarily when the printed piece requires four-color process printing.
- Matte:
A coated paper with a non-shiny finish that inhibits ink from being absorbed by the paper.
- Maximum Density:
The highest degree of darkness (light absorption of opacity) of a photographic image.
- Mechanicals:
Paste-up boards that camera-ready artwork is mounted on. A second layer, often a sheet of acetate, contains the photographs or transparencies mounted in position. A sheet of tracing or other semitransparent paper is often attached and includes special information or instructions; for example, make this type blue or that logo red.
- Megabyte (MB):
A unit of measurement equal to 1024 kilobytes, or 1,048,576 bytes.
- Message Side:
Usually the advertising side of the card.
- Metallic Inks:
Inks that contain metallic powders mixed with the ink base.
- Mezzotint:
A patterned screen used to create the effect of a true mezzotint, which is a copper or steel engraving that creates the effects of light and shadow.
- Midtone:
The tonal values of an image that fall midway between the highlight and shadow dots; around 50% coverage.
- Moiré:
An undesirable optical pattern that happens when two or more grid patterns overlap, such as the halftone dots produced by an angled screen. A moiré pattern may also occur when there is a pattern in the artwork, such as a herringbone weave or window blinds, interferes with a halftone dot pattern. Manipulating artwork when scanned or using stochastic screening may eliminate the moiré.
- Monotone:
Printed with a single color, black or any color.