A Glossary of Publishing Terms (D-E-F)

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dagger:

A printer's mark used especially for notational references or footnotes, including a double-dagger mark as second reference; also called "obelisk". See notation, reference marks.

DAI:

The abbreviation for Dissertation Abstracts International; which is a database that provides indexing and abstracting of doctoral dissertations and master's theses, submitted at universities in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and other European countries since 1861 (dissertations abstracted since 1980, and theses since 1988) in all academic disciplines. DAI is available in print, on CD-ROM, and online directly from the publisher, Bell & Howell Information and Learning, or online from Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) FirstSearch, updated monthly. See thesis, monograph, gray literature. [nb: proceedings and transactions are indexed (since 1993) in the PapersFirst database, and conference papers are indexed (since 1993) in the ProceedingsFirst database, both accessed through FirstSearch]

DAISY/DSY:

The acronym for Digital Audio-based Information SYstem, which is the ANSI/NISO standard for digital audio texts ("talking books"), as used by disabled persons. This XML specification enables text-based navigation to the level of chapters, page numbers, and paragraphs by computer software or specialized playback devices. The electronic text in the DAISY file can be output to the reader by audio clips, screen magnification, synthetic speech, refreshable braille, or printouts in either print or braille. The DAISY file is fingerprinted with a digital watermark (qv) to prevent piracy and protect copyright. See specialized format, accessibility, steganography.

dandy roll:

Wire-mesh drum on a papermaking machine that presses watermarks and surface patterns into paper while it is still saturated; derived from fine or excellent. See paper coating.

dash:

A mark or sign (-) used variously in printed or written matter, especially to note a break, pause, or hesitation, to begin and end parenthetic text, to indicate omission of letters or words, to substitute for certain uses of the colon, and to separate elements of a sentence or series of sentences, as a question from its answer. In printing, a dash may be configured one en long (half length) or one em long (full length). Compare hyphen, swung dash; see em, mutton, en, nuts, punctuation.

database:

A collection of organized information or related data on one or more subjects, especially one in electronic form that can be accessed and manipulated by specialized computer software. A flat file database has only one table, and a fielded database is composed of data in fields, rather than a fulltext database, which is a collection of text files and documents. A Relational DataBase has tables which are interrelated and interactive, with automatic updating and new table generation; with administration by a Relational DataBase Management System (RDBMS). A DataBase Management System (DBMS) uses a complex set of programs to store and retrieve data organized in fields, records, and files, while also monitoring system security; examples of DBMS include Oracle, Sybase, Datacom, mySQL, Lotus Approach, Microsoft Access, and Filemaker. DataBase 1 (DB1) and DataBase 2 (DB2) are also DBMSs for PC, OS/2, HP, and Sun computers. A computer in a local area network that maintains a database and performs searches for client computers is called a database server (DBS). Database interface among different formats is enabled by interoperable and open connectivity, so intersystem data can be shared. See SQL, program, markup, quantum, videotex, language, software.

dateline:

The attribution line placed at the beginning of a news story that gives the date and place of origin for the dispatch. Also, the publication date (qv) cited in the running head/foot of a periodical. See header, footer, foot and folio line, folio.

DCFGML:

The abbreviation for Document Composition Facility Generalized Markup Language, being an IBM precursor to SGML. See markup.

DCS:

The abbreviation for Desktop Color Separation, a format of four PostScript files for a color image. See illustration.

deadline:

The time limit by which something must be submitted or finished; as a publication being "put to bed". See publication date, morgue day.

deadlist:

Any book which is out of print, but may be revised or reprinted in a new edition (with a new ISBN) by the publisher at some future time to sustain copyright as a marketing strategy. See out of print, backlist, midlist, frontlist.

deadman/deadman's switch:

A control or switch that triggers activation of an illegally planted subroutine to damage data or processing whenever a safety or inhibition is interrupted, released, or removed; usually fabricated as the secondary element in serious computer sabotage. See Trojan Horse, virus, worm, malware, trapdoor.

dead storage:

The indefinite or perpetual storage of data, files, or the like. Compare RAM, ROM, flash memory.

deboss:

To incise or depress an image into paper so that it lays below the surface. Compare emboss; see stamp, finish, paper coating.

debug:

To detect defects and errors in computer software, and remedy them; also called "bugfix". See bug, glitch, crash, patch, kludge, beta test, tweak, GIGO, RTDM, FAQ, help.

deck:

The subhead, lead-in, summary/abstract, and any other pretext copy (including byline) that is placed at the beginning or top of a story, additional to the heading or headline; compare strap, kicker, contents. Also, one unit or part of a headline set in either a single typeface size and style, or set in a shaded or colored band.

deckle:

A board or platform, fitted under part of the wire (qv) in a papermaking machine (fourdrinier), for supporting the pulp (furnish) stack before it is sufficiently formed to support itself on the wire.

deckle edge:

The irregular or ragged edge of handmade paper, often used for ornamental effect in books and stationery; now usually produced artificially on machine-made paper with an untrimmed effect. Also known as "feather edge".

dedication:

An attributive inscription or ceremonial ascription to a person or cause, usually appearing on a separate page or with the acknowledgments in a book. See front matter, autograph. [nb: although a dedication may be "in memoriam", a literary eulogy (qv) is most appropriately contained with the back matter]

deferred income:

The amount paid in advance by subscribers for issues not yet served. By law, a publisher owes this amount and must return it if requested or if the magazine ceases publication before all the issues are served.

degauss:

To demagnetize electrical equipment, such as recorders or players, and to erase magnetic media, such as audio or video tapes, by means of a charged electromagnetic field, in preparation for re-use or rerecording, or for guaranteed destruction of confidential records. See format. [nb: magnetic data stored in electronic media for computerized access does not disappear when "erased" or "deleted" (DEL), and will only be irretrievable when over-written by new data and/or 'unconditionally' formatted (FORMAT/U) after being "deleted"]

DEMACS:

The extensible MS-DOS version of EMACS (qv), an open-source distribution since 1992. See text editor.

demand printing/on-demand printing:

Producing a specific quantity of documents or books as ordered by the author or publisher. Most printers set minimum runs at 200 - 500 pieces, but the unit price does not diminish with increased quantity. Demand printing is usually performed by ink-jet or xerography, in either simplex or duplex. Compare quick printing, short run; see reprography, press.

demon letters:

Letters which are easily confused when viewed in reverse as type. The expression, "mind your p's and q's", meaning to pay close attention to details, has been widely attributed to a dictum to watch the tavern tally of pints and quarts; but actually derives from the disassembly of set type by a novice or printer's devil, since the reversed letters are easily confused... which also applies to letters 'b' and 'd'. See ascender, descender, printer's pi, printer's devil.

demy:

Any of various sizes of paper, 16 x 21 inches (41 x 53 cm), as used in the U.S. for drawing and writing. Derived from "demi" for half, meaning middle-sized.

denouement/d‚nouement:

The final resolution of aliterary or dramatic plot (qv), or the resolution of a doubtful series of occurrences; derived from "untie the knot". Compare climax, catastrophe, kicker; see deus ex machina, drama.

densitometer:

Device used to measure light reflected or transmitted from paper or film. A transmittal densitometer is used directly on transparent colors, and a reflective densitometer is used indirectly on opaque colors. See zeroing.

density:

Regarding ink, the relative thickness of a layer of printed ink. Also, regarding color, the relative ability of a color to either absorb light reflected from it, or block light passing through it. Usually denoted as lines-per-inch, pixels-per-inch, dots-per-inch, or spots-per-inch (invisible). See Dmax/Dmin, opacity, illustration.

dentation:

Alteration of the edges of a digital image so as to improve blending with the background. See graphics, illustration, tweak; compare hint.

department:

Regular columns compiled by staff, and recurring features composed by stringers or freelancers, that appear in successive issues of a newspaper, newsletter, journal, or magazine. The style of departments, as well as sectional placement, should distinguish them from feature stories. Departments are usually laid-out with advertising; while features are separated from ads (full pages of each). Compare feature; see umbrella, editorial well, periodical.

deprecated tag:

A markup tag rendered obsolete by technological advances or programming changes. Deprecated tags, such as <LAYER> and <MENU>, are no longer developed or supported; but older documents may still retain or utilize them. In most cases, a tag becomes deprecated only when a new construction can do the same thing more simply, efficiently, or powerfully. The subtraction of obsolete codes is formally performed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Term derived from "beg relief"; but is widely confused with 'depreciated', which is derived from "undervalued". See slash, tag, HTML tag, markup.

descender:

The part of a lowercase letter, such as g/j/p/q/y, that goes below the body. See x-height, minuscule, baseline, font, body size, typeface, demon letters.

desideratum/desiderata:

A form of self-indulgent writing, as a diary, journal, or "wish book" of musings and yearnings; derived from "desire" (require + heaven). Compare thesis, opus.

design:

To skillfully intervene in generative events so as to achieve a desired result. Also, an organized outline or detailed scheme for the form and structure of something to be executed, as a plan, sketch, pattern, or motif. Media designers should always plan work as the final product will be viewed (eg: spread, link), identify a single or primary focal point, work from the inside outwards (ie: push dead zones or white space toward margins), and cluster related images. A captivating design will make the initial sale of a publication, but the content will attract a recurring audience that buys repeatedly. See graphic design, typography, golden proportion.

designing on press:

Printer's expression for the most inefficient method of project development and the most expensive means of product alteration. The necessity for reprinting is almost always due to the customer neglecting the proofs, not requesting samples, and not performing a press check. Some errors can be adjusted with spot/fifth color or varnish runs, but most "stop press" problems require entirely new setups. See design, CRAP, proof, recall, stylish, tweak, Occam's Razor, DTP, e-pub, web publishing.

desk copy:

A new book or revised edition provided to teachers by publishers on speculation. If the book is assigned to students for a class, the sample copy, also called an "inspection copy", will be free of charge; but is otherwise billed for purchase or return. Compare comps.

deskman:

A journalist or copywriter who prepares stories, features, and other copy from information provided by reporters on the scene or in the field. See copyboy, stringer, journalism, news, rim, slot, copy desk.

desktop:

Made to fit or be used on top of a desk or table, such as a desktop mini-/microcomputer; term coined by Paul Brainard when Aldus introduced "PageMaker" software in 1985 for Macintosh and 1986 for IBM-PC. See DTP.

deus ex machina:

Any artificial device or improbable technique used to resolve the difficulties of a plot. In ancient Greek and Roman drama, the introduction of a god into the entanglements of a play as a remedy or resolution; derived from the practice of mechanically lowering the statue of a god onto the stage. See catastrophe, denouement, anticlimax, kicker, drama.

device independent colors:

Hues identified by wavelength or by their place in systems, such as those developed by CIE, which colors can be described and specified regardless of how they are reproduced. See illustration.

Dewey decimal system:

A library classification system, devised by William T. Harris and adapted by Melvil Dewey in 1873, using three-digit numerals for major divisions and numerals following a decimal point for subdivisions; also called Dewey decimal classification. See LCN, ISBN, UPC, book categorization.

diacritic/diacritical mark:

A mark, point, or sign, such as a cedilla, tilde, circumflex, breve, dieresis/diaeresis (umlaut), macron, ogonek, hacek/caron, eth/edh, or thorn, added or attached to a letter or character, as to distinguish it from another of similar form, to give it a particular phonetic value, or to indicate stress. See point, tittle, punctuation, accent, floating accent, schwa, syllabary, Unicode. [nb: with the exception of the apostrophe, American and English braille use only one universal sign to denote the use of any diacritical marks; so blind readers will receive more accurate information from electronic text in synthetic speech, but this is not an option for deaf-blind readers]

dialect:

A language variation, distinguished by its phonology, affect, grammar, and vocabulary, and by its geographic or social usage. Compare idiolect; see accent, digraph, phoneme, slide, vernacular, language, sociolinguistics. [v: bidialectalism]

dialogue/dialog:

A conversational exchange between two or more characters in a literary or filmic work, including repartee, raillery, discourse, and interrogation, also known as "duologue"; as distinguished from monologue, narration, and byplay. See commentator, critic, drama, novel. [nb: "A good film script should be able to do completely without dialogue." by David Mamet]

diamond:

A 4.5 point type; see font, type.

diction:

The style of speaking or writing, as depicted by grammatical and verbal choices; including the accent, inflection, intonation, word-color, and speech-sound (enunciation) quality manifested by a mode of expression. See elocution, atticism, idiolect, key, catch-phrase, pap, slogan, rhetorical forms, language. [v: suppletion]

dictionary:

Initiated by printers (ca1520; first English dictionary c1603) to standardize spelling, dictionaries have ranged from prescriptive to descriptive, orthodox to heterodox, idiosyncratic to conventional. Defined as a book containing a selection of words from a language, usually arranged alphabetically, with information about their meanings, pronunciations, etymologies, inflected forms, parts of speech, style and usage guidelines, and so forth, expressed in either the same or another language; also known as lexicon, lexis, glossary, gloss, vocabulary, concordance, wordbook, wordlist, wordstock. See exception dictionary, vocabulary, thesaurus, gloss, word, punctuation, diacritic, syllabary, orthography, neologism, language, syntax, alphabet, stylebook, bible paper. [nb: "Words -- so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them." by Nathaniel Hawthorne]

die:

Any of various devices for cutting or forming material in a press or other machine. The longevity of dies depends upon the durability of die material used (plastic, magnesium, copper, brass, steel) before a replacement must be manufactured. See blank, emboss, deboss, engrave, rule, stamp, matrix.

die cut:

To consistently cut regular and irregular shapes by using a die. Low cuts and perforations are made by impressing onto a steel rule; high cuts are pressed by a "cookie-cutter". See kiss die cut.

die strike:

A sample or specimen impression by any available die on the specified foil or paper. See tail-in; compare proof.

differential pricing:

The widespread practice of marketing the same product to different customers at different prices, such as"introductory offer", "student rate", or "discount sale". The most notable variations in publication pricing include charter, library, and overseas subscriptions. Compare comps; see soft offer, subscription.

digest:

A summary collection or compendium, as of literary, legal, or scientific matter, especially when classified or condensed. See compilation, analects.

digital plate:

A plate burned from a computer file, instead of film. See illustration.

digital watermark:

A scattered bit pattern inserted into an electronic product, such as graphical image or digital audio files, that's intended to identify copyright data to protect intellectual property against piracy. Derived from the practice of distinctively marking stationery to identify the manufacturer, these scattered bit marks are undetectable (except by special software that seeks noise), and are normally resistant to ordinary file changes, such as reductions from lossy compression algorithms. This type of bit marking is also known as "digital fingerprinting", especially when registration or serial numbers are encoded. See steganography, key, DAISY; compare show-off, logo, watermark.

digitizing tablet:

An input device that enables drawings or tracings to be translated into a computer graphic. A screen display is compiled from image signals sent by the electronic tablet and puck or stylus. The tablet contains electronics that enable it to detect movement of the cursor or pen, and translate the movements into digital patterns stored by the computer. Each point on the digitizing tablet represents a fixed point on the display screen; which differs from mouse movements relative to the current cursor position. The static nature of digitizing tablets makes them particularly effective for tracing drawings. Most modern digitizing tablets also support a mouse emulation mode, which permits the pen or cursor to act like a mouse. Digitizing tablets are also called digitizers, graphics tablets, touch tablets, or simply tablets. Compare plotter.

digraph:

A pair of letters representing a single or sliding speech sound (diphthong), as ea in meat, th in path, or ae in aesthetics; also called "conjoint". See kern, ligature, logo, phoneme, alphabet.

dime novel:

A melodramatic or sensational novel, usually produced in a tawdry paperback edition, especially of the period c1850 to c1920. See potboiler, yellow journalism, novel.

dingbat:

A piece of type, or group of special type characters, used ornamentally as separaters, borders, or decorations; also called "printer's flowers". A computerized dingbat font is commonly called a "wingding". See bullet, ornament, typeface, Pi fonts, font, notation, hanging, page marker.

direct mail package:

In commercial magazine publishing this refers to a direct marketing effort designed to solicit new readers and is normally comprised of a number of components including but not limited to: a brochure outlining editorial highlights and the offer and terms ("4 issues at our special half-price rate of $15"); a letter, usually from the editor-in-chief or publisher, which is typically 2-4 pages, anecdotal, inclusive ("We're writing to you because we know you care about literature"), and persuasive; an order form which must include a source code, offer and terms, coupon, methods of payment, return address, additional postage information (ie: add $20 for airmail), etc; an outer envelope (generally with a window, so the label on your order form can show through) often with teaser copy; and a business reply envelope. See coding, BRE, reply coupon.

disc/disk:

Any thin, flat, circular plate or object, especially media so configured for storing electronic data; as derived from dish or "discus". The various media types include: compact disc, floppy diskette, Floptical disk, Winchester disk, harddrive disk. Also, the default bullet designated for marking an unordered list construction.

disclaimer:

A statement of disavowal or repudiation, posted by the author and/or publisher on the acknowledgments page of a publication, as a pro forma legality and public notice restricting liability for the material contents. Since its omission evinces a lack of "due diligence", and its inclusion is always deemed "inadequate" or "insufficient", many authors have crafted witty or sarcastic disclaimers to their work. Also known as "caveat lector" for a reader caution, warning, or alert; as "let the reader beware". See front matter, copyright.

disinformation:

False and misleading information publicly disseminated to the international news media, or secretly released by a government to rival intelligence agencies; as derived from Russian "dezinformatsiya", to misinform. Given the journalistic slant on news stories, differentiating between disinformation and a prejudiced agenda, where facts are sliced and diced or mixed and matched, can be daunting. See bully pulpit, censorship, factoid, counterfactual, propaganda; compare samizdat. [nb: neither 'bias' nor 'epithet' have a specific pro or con value inherently defined]

Display PostScript:

A version of PostScript used to display files on screen. The NeXT computer uses Display PostScript. See font, illustration.

display type:

Type larger than 14-points; see drop-cap, rubric, swash, majuscule, typeface; compare large print.

distributor:

A company hired by a publisher to make the publisher's books available to the trade (ie: bookstores and wholesalers), often taking the place of a sales and fulfillment department for the publisher. Like a wholesaler (whose responsibility is to the stores and libraries it serves), a distributor takes and fills orders, but also (theoretically) creates a demand for titles by using sales representatives. In this respect, a distributor's primary responsibility is to the publisher. Distributors either have staff sales representatives or commissioned sales reps that travel to bookstore accounts to sell publications. Distributors also sell to larger accounts, such as chain bookstores and wholesalers. Distributors charge a percentage of sales revenues for their services; the general range is 20% to 40% of net sales (ie: after discounts given to bookstores). They may demand other charges, such as fees for catalog listing, trade show display, return processing, warehousing, and shipping/handling. They may offer marketing services (for a higher percentage or a fee). Payment terms can be as long as 120 days. Distributors often ask for some kind of exclusivity in sales territory. You can often work out a deal where you are allowed to sell directly to Small Press Distribution, however. If there is a certain type of venue that you feel can be better reached by someone else (comic book stores, gift stores, etc), by all means negotiate the freedom to sell to those directly in your contract. See audience, audit, wholesaler.

dithering:

The illusion of new colors and shades created by varying the patterns of dots; including adaptive dithering, diffusion dithering, Floyd-Steinberg dithering. The more dither patterns that a device or program supports, the more shades of gray it can represent. In computer graphics, dithering is the attempt to simulate tones or to approximate hues which have been specified in the design, but do not exist in the output device, with the usual result being an irregular and inaccurate depiction. Background colors are often blotched or mottled, and the effect is incompatible with transparent images. In printing, dithering is usually called halftoning, and the shades of gray generated are called halftones. [nb: dithering differs from gray scaling: in gray scaling, each individual dot can have a different shade of gray; in dithering, different shades of gray are produced by varying the patterns of black and white dots, but there are no gray dots at all.] See stochastic screening, pixelated, web pox, illustration.

Dmax/Dmin:

The points of maximum/minimum density in an image, or the density range that a device can capture. See illustration.

DNS:

The abbreviation for Domain Name Server/Service/System, being the distributed name/address mechanism used on the Internet. A database system that translates an IP address into a domain name by transposing alphabetic and numeric characters. This directory list conversion is "resolved" by a co-processor on the server. See domain name.

docket:

The form used to specify the production schedule of a print job, and the necessary materials or processes; also called "job ticket", "production order", and "work order".

doctor blade:

Flexible metal strip on a gravure press (qv) that controls the thickness of ink by skimming or shaving the excess.

documentary:

Anything pertaining to, consisting of, or derived from documents, such as an accurate depiction of an actual event, era, or life story without fictional elements; sometimes designated "docudrama" or "infotainment" when emotional content is emphasized. See cinema verite, news, broadcast.

dog-ear/dogear:

A triangular fold, as place marking the corner of a page in a book or magazine, or a mishandling defect, especially a dimple or pucker made during improper cross-folding. A dog-ear indentation, also called a "gusset", can run wrinkles into a page of copy, or cause a sheet to misalign. "Dog-eared" is generally synonymous with wretched and deplorable. See French fold, signature, ear; compare corner snipe.

doggerel:

Doggerel verse, being crude, comic, or burlesque, and being loose or irregular in measure; especially a poorly written or lesser form of verse (qv). Doggerel is the poetic equivalent of "dog Latin". See jingle, jabberwocky, pap.

domain name:

The alphabetic form used to identify and locate a unique entity on the internet from its translated numeric address. Domain names are resolved into valid IP attributes by database nodes called Domain Name Server/Service/System (DNS). A "fully qualified domain name" (FQDN) contains its domain name, hostname (ie: server, network), classification (ie: net, com, org, edu, gov, mil, int), and protocol type (eg: http, ftp); subdomains or subdirectories may be indicated by suffix extensions. If no country code is specified in the path, then the domain is located in the USA. Due to internet expansion, additional top level domain (TLD) name extensions were approved for registration by ICANN through InterNIC on 16 Nov 2000; including: biz, info, coop, name, aero, museum, pro. Country codes adapted for alternative worldwide TLD registrations include: bz (Belize [British Honduras]), cc (Cocos/Keeling Islands), tv (Tuvalu [Ellice Islands]), ws (Western Samoa). See URL, internet address, IP, TCP/IP, homepage, web server.

DOS:

Abbreviation for Disk Operating System, being the most common computer operating system worldwide, including MS-DOS, PC-DOS, DR-DOS, Apple DOS, Amiga DOS, Novell DOS, and BOS versions. Initial versions were a simplified form of CP/M, and later acquired characteristics from minicomputer systems without reconfiguring from 16- to 32-bit processing. The operating system was designed to "boot" into the computer from an external disk called by a small subroutine permanently resident in memory, but later became an internal program. DOS does not support multiple users, and multitasking (qv) is constrained. The early versions of Windows (3.X - 98) were built on DOS, and DOS-based programs will run in NT and OS/2. Although DOS has not been upgraded, and is deemed inadequate for graphical environments, a DOS prompt can still be emulated as a DOS box (qv). An OpenDOS extension from Caldera and Lineo has built upon the Intel architecture to form a true multitasking version of Digital Research - Disk Operating System (DR-DOS). See command line, multitasking, shell, TSR, DOS box, program.

DOS box:

A DOS-compatible mode emulated within a graphical environment; a simulated or virtual command line window enabled by a graphical operating system for DOS applications.

dot area:

Refers to the percentage of ink coverage that a screen tint allows to print; also called "screen percentage". See illustration.

dot gain:

The phenomenon of halftone dots printing larger on both coated and uncoated paper than they are on films or plates, resulting in a loss of detail; also called "fan-out". See illustration.

dot-matrix:

The formation of characters and graphics with dots from a multiple-pin matrix, such as a computer printer. Originally an impact system, similar to ribbon-fed "strike-on" devices like typewriters, but thermal and electro-erosion systems have also been used. See Epson emulation.

dots-per-inch:

A measure of resolution for input devices, such as scanners, and for output devices, such as imagesetters and laser printers; abbreviated dpi, and sometimes called "dot pitch". See screen ruling, density.

double black duotone:

Duotone printed from two halftones, one exposed for highlights, and the other exposed for midtones and shadows. See illustration.

double burn:

To burn a plate twice to different negatives or files, and thus create a composite image from double exposure. See illustration.

double entendre:

A word or expression that can be used ambiguously, or to imply more than one sense or meaning, especially when one interpretation is risqu‚. See pun, rhetorical forms, word.

double pica:

Approximately a twenty-one point type; see font, type.

double pyramid:

Advertising arranged on a page, or on facing pages, that forms a space or well (qv) to receive editorial copy.

double spread:

Advertising copy extending across two facing pages, which unifies opposing pages by eliminating the gutter; also called "double truck". See center spread, crossover, page spread, spread.

doubling:

A printing flaw created by a slight bounce of the blanket against the paper.

down style:

A headline with only the first word and proper nouns capitalized. See C&IC, U&LC, heading.

draft-quality/draft quality:

A relatively high-speed but low-grade print output mode available on most office machine and desktop printers for the production of working materials that do not require higher resolution characters or images, with a consequent saving of ink; also called "draft-mode". Compare near-letter-quality, letter-quality.

drama:

A prose or verse composition, presenting a story in dialogue (qv) and action that involves circumstantial conflict (qv) or contrast of characters, intended to be performed in subdivided scenes or acts on stage or film; derived from "consequential act". See play, catastrophe, climax, catastasis, epitasis, protasis, denouement, anticlimax, deus ex machina, pathos, tragedy, melodrama, bathos, revue, comedy, pantomime, interlude, script, dramatis personae, opus, recast, muse, broadcast, writer.

dramatis personae:

A listing of the characters preceding the text of a play or novel; also called "cast of characters". See protasis, drama, play, novel, series, broadcast.

dramaturgy:

The art, craft, or techniques of dramatic composition, as practiced by a playwright, scriptwriter, or screenwriter. See drama, play, wright, writer.

draw:

Caused to move in a particular direction, as paper forced out of alignment by cutting; see trim, crop, guillotine cutter. Also, refers to the number of copies taken by your distributor(s), which usually sells fewer copies than are ordered; so a "draw" should not be figured in your paid circulation tally. See sell-through rate, circulation.

drawdown:

Sample of inks specified for a job applied to the substance specified for a job, usually to test the accuracy of spot or fifth color formulation; also called "pulldown" or "roll-out". Compare eye markers.

drawing program:

A software program used for drawing illustrations. Illustration programs store images in vector graphics format. Examples are Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, and CorelDRAW. See CAD, vector graphics, graphics.

drop-cap:

The enlarged and indented initial capital letter of a composition, such that its top is level with the first line of the first paragraph, and subsequent lines are flush with the outline of the stylized initial capital letter; also called "drop initial", "inset letter", or "sunken initial". See small-cap, initial, rubric, swash, majuscule.

drop out:

Halftone dots or fine lines absent or eliminated from highlights by overexposure during camera work, as the lost copy "dropped out". Compare knockout, cutout, reverse; see band, illustration.

dry transfer:

Finished characters, symbols, or drawings (such as "Letraset") that can be applied to the paste-up or artwork by rubbing them off the back of the transfer sheet with a burnisher. This technique is categorized as 'cold type'. See illustration.

dry-trap:

To print over dry ink in multiple pressruns, as contrasted with wet-trap. See trap, illustration.

DSS:

The abbreviation for Digital Satellite System, a network of satellites that broadcast digital data. An example of a DSS is "DirecTV", which broadcasts digital television signals. DSS is expected to become more important as television entertainment and computer information converge into a single medium. See VSAT, broadcast.

DTD:

The abbreviation for Document Type Definition; being a way of describing the structure of an XML or SGML document and how the document relates to other objects. See XSD, HTML, meta tag, markup. [nb: In general, good document structure systems are usually more obvious than good data structure systems. Content tends to cross the formal boundary between document structure and data structure, especially when it's made convertible into different media. The encoding standards for print to e-text conversion, including prose, playscript, poetry, and scholarly commentary, have been ascertained by the "Text Encoding Institute"; and their compilations are accessible at <http://www.uic.edu/orgs/tei>.]

DTP:

The abbreviation for DeskTop Publishing, by use of small sized but high-capacity computers running specialized publishing software, the creation, development, layout, editing, and printing can be performed in whole or in part from a single workstation; see desktop, e-pub, web publishing, webcast, text editor, word processor. Also, the abbreviation for Direct To Press/Plate, for electronic files compiled without film or stripping, and represented by digital proofs, with the approved data streaming into publication from the computer; see e-pub, proof, pipeline, designing on press.

dual edition:

A split edition (qv). Also, any publication presented simultaneously in more than one format, such as a CD-ROM packaged with a reference work, or a print magazine augmented by its online electronic version.

dual-purpose bond paper:

Bond paper suitable for printing by either lithography (offset) or xerography (photocopy). Abbreviated DP bond paper. See paper.

dull finish:

A flat (not glossy) finish on coated paper, that is slightly smoother than matte; also called "suede" and "velvet". See paper coating.

dummy:

Sheets folded and made-up to show the size, shape, sequence, and style of a contemplated piece of printing; a prototype, mock-up, model, representation, simulation. Also known as bulking dummy and comprehensive dummy (qqv). See hand sample, F&G, bombproof, take-off, Greek type.

dummy text:

See Greek type.

duodecimo:

A book size of about 5 x 7 inches (13 x 19 cm), determined by printing on sheets folded to form 12 leaves or 24 pages; symbol: 12mo. Also called twelvemo. See sheet.

duotone:

A black-and-white photograph reproduced using two halftone negatives, each shot to emphasize different tonal values in the original. See double black duotone, illustration.

duplex:

To print on both sides of a sheet from a dedicated peripheral or a networked device, as in the remote queuing of corporate or institutional documents; compare perfect, simplex, see xerography, reprography, demand printing, quick printing. Also, a telecommunications system permitting transfer in both directions at the same time (bidirectional simultaneity); compare simplex. Also, a computer network permitting data transfers in both directions at the same time, usually on paired/coaxial cables or on subdivided bandwidth frequencies; a "half-duplex" connection transmits data alternately in either direction.

duplex paper:

Thick paper made by pasting together two thinner sheets, usually of different colors; also called "double-faced paper" and "two-tone paper". Compare backtrack, cc, copy; see paper.

duplicator:

An offset press of limited features, size, and capacity, made for quick printing of lower quality images.

dye:

A coloring material or matter, pigment. Also, a liquid containing coloring matter, for imparting a particular hue, color, or stain to various substances. Compare ink, toner; see illustration.

dye transfer:

A photographic color print, using special coated papers to produce a full color image, that can serve as an inexpensive proof. See illustration.

Dylux:

Brand name for photographic paper used to make blueline proofs, which is often used as alternative term for a proof (qv).

dynamic range:

The practical limit of a scanner or press to capture or reproduce an image. Compare density, gray levels; see illustration.

- E -

EAN Bookland bar code:

The electronic scanning lines printed on the back cover or book jacket encoded with the ISBN and retail price. See bar code, UPC, coding.

ear:

A small box in the upper corner of the front page of a newspaper, containing a slogan, epigraph, homily, weather forecast, snippet, or other squib; compare call-out. Also, a small serif-like stroke extending from the body of a letter, as on a bowl (re: lowercase "g") or on a stem (re: lowercase "r"); see finial, kern, serif, crossbar, stem, typeface, font, typography.

easel:

A stand or frame for supporting or displaying graphic artwork at an angle; compare showcase. Also, a mounting frame, with adjustable masks to control borders, for printing photographic enlargements.

EBCDIC:

The acronym for Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code; being a standard method of assigning binary (numeric) values to alphabetic, numeric, punctuation, and transmission-control characters. EBCDIC is analogous to the ASCII coding scheme, but differs in using 8-bits, thus allowing 256 possible characters (in contrast to the 128 characters of the 7-bit system). See ASCII, Unicode.

echo effect:

The condition where one form of promotion augments other marketing or enhances other merchandising. See word of mouth, advertising.

edit:

To collect, prepare, and arrange materials for publication; includes substantive revision as well as stylistic copyediting. See redact, blue-/red-pencil, proofread, copyedit, recension, pore, rewrite, cast off, over-set, stylebook, privilege.

edition:

A version, or one of a series of printings, as of a book or newspaper; each issued at a different time and differing from another by alterations and additions; see polyglot. Also, the format in which a literary work is published; see vulgate. Also, the entire number of impressions or copies of a publication printed from one set of type at one time.

editor:

The person who supervises the content of a newspaper, magazine, journal, or other periodical; and in some cases, the person who is also responsible for its publication. Also, a person who prepares the works of authors for publication. An editor may be responsible for selecting material included in an anthology or collection, and for preparing copy for the printer, including the annotation of the text, verification of the accuracy of facts and bibliographic citations, and the addition of an introduction and notices. Periodicals and multi-volume reference books often have a general editor who supervises the work of an editorial staff. In larger publishing houses, the editing process may be divided into separate functions, with a different person in charge of each: acquisition editor - recommends works to the publisher; author's editor - assists the author in preparing the work for acceptance; manuscript editor - assists the author in organizing and shaping the accepted work; contributing editor - writes regular feature, advises on management, lends prestige; copyeditor - perfects details of grammar and style, fact checks; managing editor - coordinates resources required for publication, develops the publication schedule; production editor - oversees the transition from editorial process to production (printing, binding, distribution). Also, a device for editing film, tape, computer files; see text editor, DTP, word processor.

editorial:

A brief essay on a current political, social, or cultural issue that is clearly and explicitly expressed as the position of the publication or the opinion of the management. The editorial page, normally located at the end of the news section of a newspaper, usually includes syndicated columns, letters to the editor, and political cartoons. Editorials in news magazines normally appear at the beginning, before letters to the editor and feature articles. A British editorial is called a "leader". Compare think piece, Op-Ed. [v: ex parte Lambdin Milligan 1866]

editorial well:

The regular and recurring departments in a periodical; the mainstay sections of a publication, as distinguished from its feature stories, which are usually listed apart in the table of contents. Editorial matter (departments) are usually laid-out with advertising; while features are separated from ads (full pages of each). Compare feature well, advertorial.

EGA:

The abbreviation for Enhanced Graphics Adapter, being a graphics standard for microcomputers which can be added or built into a system to give sharper characters and improved color with the correct display device. Standard EGA resolution is 640 by 350 dots in any 16 out of 64 colors. See screen, illustration.

Egyptian type:

A typeface style having square-serifs and a nearly uniform thickness of strokes; also known as "slab- serif". See type, type family, font.

eight sheet:

A poster measuring 60 x 80 inches (153 x 203cm), and traditionally composed of eight individual sheets. Compare octavo; see sheet.

elegy:

A mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, especially a lament for the dead; derived from "lament". Any poem or song of melancholy or solemn contemplation that's written in elegiac meter, being couplets of alternating hexameter and pentameter lines since the lyric poetry of ancient Greece and Rome. A formal poem lamenting the death of a particular person, or in contemplation of mortality. See poetry, verse, foot, rhetorical forms, eulogy, obituary.

elision:

The omission of a vowel, consonant, or syllable in pronunciation; such as in verse, the omission of a vowel at the end of one word when the next word begins with a vowel. Also, any act or instance of eliding or omitting something. Compare ellipsis; see accent, foot, caesura.

elite:

A 10-point type widely used in typewriters and having 12 characters to the inch. Compare pica; see typeface, font.

ellipsis/ellipses:

The omission of one or more words from a title, phrase, sentence, or other construction; which omission is represented by a set of three dots (...), asterisks (***), or dashes (---). Grammatical ellipsis is characterized by an extreme economy of expression in speech or writing, which can be ambiguous, cryptic, or obscure. [nb: When an ellipsis ends a sentence, the terminal period (fourth dot) concludes the sentence, and is not part of the ellipsis.] Compare elision, end sign; see punctuation, stylebook.

elliptical sentence:

An economical or condensed expression that represents a complete statement or command (eg: Indeed./Been there. Done that./Enough on that subject./Now, to proceed to your next point.); and is therefore concluded by a period. Elliptical expressions often occur as answers to questions or as transitional phrases. Unlike an elliptical expression, a "sentence fragment" is a word, phrase, or clause that is incomplete; and should either be joined with other elements to form a complete sentence, or punctuated as a fragment (v: ellipses). See phrase, clause, sentence, period, punctuation, parts of speech, stylebook.

elocution:

The study and practice of the styles of public speaking, and of reading aloud. See eloquence, diction, atticism, rhetorical forms; compare euphemism, puffery.

eloquence:

The ability to aptly and fluently use language, as in eloquent speech or writing. See atticism, euphemism.

em:

A square unit with edges equal to the point size of the selected font; derived from the letter 'M', which was originally as wide as the type size. See en, mutton, dash. [nb: the em square measure is both height and width, while the en measure is full height but half the width of em; both pica and point are linear measures, with pica of line length, and point of line height]

EMACS:

Contraction of Editing MACroS, being a screen editor from GNU used for writing programs on UNIX and other systems (eg: VMS, MS-DOS/Windows, OS/2, etc). This freeware text editor is portable and extensible, which means that not only can the source code be modified and copied, but all aspects of the program can be customized for any environment or preference (including key bindings, fonts, colors, buffers, windows, frames, menus, and the like). EMACS actually identifies a family of text editors; from the original TECO (Tape Editor and COrrector/Text Editor and COrrector) through Gosling Emacs (commercial UniPress Emacs) to GNU EMACS (written by Richard Stallman). GNU EMACS is not a WYSIWYG word processor, since it's used for programming (eg: Lisp, TECO, Scheme, Trac Mint, C languages, etc) and typesetting (eg: TeX, LaTeX, tROFF). All EMACS commands are 8-bit ASCII characters, and the set of all key bindings (ie: meta characters, prefix or compound key combos) make up the EMACS command set. EMACS provides common programming modes that assist code editing, compiling, and debugging, providing context sensitive indentation and layout. If a file with the "*.TEX" extension is imported, EMACS will automatically invoke the TeX program for editing it. EMACS also provides mail readers, news readers, World Wide Web, gopher, and FTP clients, spell checking, and even an UnDo UnDo restoration feature. Detractors claim that EMACS means "Emacs Makes A Computer Slow". See text editor.

e-mail/email:

The contraction for electronic mail; being the transmission of messages over a communications network. E-mail is a version of post office or telegraphic messages sent computer-to-computer or terminal-to-terminal, as with interoffice mail. Used on both Local Area Networks (LAN) and larger communications networks, electronic mail enables users to send and receive text, voice, and graphics messages; and users can also forward mail, include "carbon" copies, request return receipts, edit contents, and attach files. Enriched or "rich e-mail" includes style attributes, such as fonts and colors, image or audio clips. Delivered messages are stored in electronic mailboxes assigned to users on the network, either to individual recipients or in broadcast form to larger groups, and can then be viewed, saved, or deleted by the recipient. The protocol indicator for internet message transmission is "mailto:". See emoticon, flame, spam, underline, UseNet, MIME, SMTP, POP, SLIP, URL; compare PaperNet.

e-mag:

Contraction of electronic-magazine, as either an independent "webzine" or an online supplement to the printed version; see magazine, little magazine, magapaper, zine, tabazine, tabloid, gazette, journal, newsletter, periodical.

emboss:

To raise designs from a surface, to represent images or ornaments in relief; also called "cameo" and "tool". Embossing depth depends upon paper weight and line-art dimensions. Raised designs may be one uniform depth ("single-level emboss") or several depths ("multi-level emboss"). Compare deboss; see blank, die, stamp, tool line, blind emboss. Also, the surface treatment or effect applied to paper after being made; such "dry impressions" are conventional. Compare genuine finish; see finish, paper coating.

emoticon:

The contraction for emote/emotion icon; being a keyboard picture of a facial expression composed from punctuation characters, used in e-mail and other Internet communications to clarify "burst" speech or to express attitude and style. Emoticons (read sideways) signal the writer's mood, and assist the interpretation of ambiguous messages. See ASCII art, flame, instant messaging.

emulsion:

A coating of light-sensitive chemicals on papers, films, printing plates, and stencils. In preparation to make a plate or stencil, the emulsion side may be designated 'face down' (away from the viewer) as ED or E-down, or designated 'face up' (toward the viewer) as EU or E-up. See plate, film, burn, illustration.

en:

A unit of measurement based upon the point size of the selected font; derived from the letter 'N', which is approximately half the width of the letter 'M'. See em, nuts, dash. [nb: the em square measure is both height and width, while the en measure is full height but half the width of em; both pica and point are linear measures, with pica of line length, and point of line height]

Encapsulated PostScript file:

Computer file format (abbreviated EPS) containing both images and PostScript commands. See illustration.

encyclopedia/encyclopaedia:

A book, or set of books, containing articles on various topics covering all branches of knowledge, or all aspects of one subject, usually arranged alphabetically; derived from having a well-rounded or "circular education". See dictionary, syllabary, stylebook, bible paper.

end mark:

See end sign.

endpaper:

A sheet of paper, also called an end sheet, folded vertically once to form two leaves, one of which is pasted flat to the inside of the front or back cover of a book, with the other pasted to the inside edge of the first or last page to form a flyleaf. Compare end sheet, flyleaf; see binding.

end sheet:

Sheet that attaches the inside pages of a case bound book to its cover. Compare endpaper, flyleaf; see binding.

end sign:

The triple asterisk sign, or any other terminal symbol or end mark, used to indicate the close of text or the end of material; see proofreader's marks, 30, dingbat, bullet, compare ellipses. Also, a special symbol, such as the horseshoe-shaped Greek letter "omega" (inverted U/ê) or the control character (CTRL+END/^z or EOF/^d) keyboard combination, used to delimit processing or to terminate documentation. Also called "end stop" or "ender". [nb: morse code uses a similar convention by closing traffic with the abbreviation "EOT" for the "end of transmission"]

English:

A 12.5 point type; see font, type.

English finish:

Smooth finish on uncoated book paper; smoother than eggshell, rougher than smooth. See paper coating.

engrave/engraving:

Printing method using a die, or a plate with an image carved into its surface. Compare emboss, intaglio, thermography; see etch, mezzotint, micrographia, xylography, zincography, vignette.

ENIAC:

The acronym for Electronic Numerical Integrator (Analyzer) And Computer; being the world's first operational digital electronic computer, developed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania for Army Ordnance to plot World War II ballistic firing tables. The ENIAC, weighing 30 tons, using 200 kilowatts of electric power and consisting of 18,000 vacuum tubes, 1,500 relays, and hundreds of thousands of resistors, capacitors, and inductors, was completed in 1945. In addition to ballistics, the ENIAC's fields of application included weather prediction, atomic-energy calculations, cosmic-ray studies, thermal ignition, random-number studies, wind-tunnel design, and other scientific uses. See computer.

enlightenment:

Conventionally characterized as a Protestant phenomenon, fostered by the Reformation, subsequent to the Renaissance and prior to the Industrial Revolution, during which reason or rationalism innovated political, educational, and religious doctrines. See athenaeum, literature.

entrepreneurship:

The organizational initiative and management risk with limited resources during a confined period of opportunity that forms a viable business operation. See venture, budget, scalable.

envelope:

A flat paper container, wrapper, or cover, as for a letter or thin package, usually having a gummed flap or other closure method; abbreviated "ep". Envelopes are classified by flap style (ie: flat, square, wallet, pointed, mail point), by opening (ie: open-side [flap/seal on long side], open-end [flap/seal on short side]), by seam (ie: side, center, diagonal), and by dimension (ie: mailable, mailable with surcharge, non-mailable). The most useful ISO envelope sizes are C3 - C6, but a special C6/C5 format was created by DIN 678 to replace the most popular DL business size, which is incompatible with automated postal machines. The DL designation originally meant "DIN Lang", but the abbreviation is now more diplomatically explained as "Dimension Lengthwise". The ISO 269 envelope standard does not include transparent "address window" envelopes, so the international standard is defined by DIN 680. See courtesy envelope, C sizes, converter, pre-consumer waste, kraft paper. [nb: "envelope" is noun; "envelop" is verb]

envoy:

A short concluding stanza to a poem, especially a ballade, or a postscript to a prose work, often containing a summary, acknowledgement, or dedication; derived "to send". See back matter.

ep:

The abbreviation for envelope.

EPC:

The Electronic Product Code, being a passive form of "smart tag", and the successor to the bar code. A computerized product description encoded for response to electronic inquiry on sale or purchase price, expiration date, inventory stock number, manufacturer's production control, and related data. See RFID; compare UPC.

epigone:

An undistinguished imitator or successor of an important artist, author, or composer. Derived from "born afterward".

epigram:

A short poem or concise prose, often witty or satirical, that tersely expresses an ingenious turn of thought; also recognized as a monostich, saying, bon mot, witticism, quip, chrea, maxim, apothegm, aphorism, apostil, adage, proverb, dictum, axiom, slogan, motto, stele, soliloquy. Also called "initial quote". Compare epigraph; see bite, snippet, squib, ear.

epigraph:

An apposite quotation, terse saying, or concise poem at the beginning of a book, chapter, or the like. Compare epigram, cento; see hokku, bite, squib, snippet, call-out, fair use, ear.

epilogue:

A concluding part added to a literary work. Also, a speech, usually in verse, delivered at the end of a play by one of the actors. Compare prologue; see back matter.

epiphany:

A section in or the theme of a literary work presenting a perceptive moment of intuitive insight or sudden revelation into the essential meaning of ordinary things and commonplace events.

epitasis:

The part of an ancient drama, following the protasis, in which the main action is developed; derived from "stretching", increase of intensity. See drama.

EPS:

The abbreviation for Encapsulated PostScript; being a graphics file format that can be used with many different computers and printers. EPS files can be imported into most desktop publishing (DTP) software. See streambedding, illustration.

Epson emulation:

The standard control codes for dot-matrix printers, to which the industry complies. See printer driver.

e-pub:

The contraction for electronic publishing, which has been called the "new papyrus", and contrasts with the "dead-tree edition". E-pub is producing and storing documents to be transmitted for viewing on computer screens, which may never be printed on paper. Electronically published documents may be on CD-ROM or floppy disk, or available via computer networks such as the internet. In addition to text (eg: TeleText) and illustrations (eg: VideoText), e-pub may include video and sound clips, animated graphics, and hypertext links to other documents, electronic mail, and search engines. Related E-pub concepts include e-commerce, e-production, e-mag, e-book, e-text, e-material, e-editor, and e-author. Copyright on e-pubs should be filed with the Registrar of Copyrights, Copyright Office, Library of Congress, Washington DC 20559-6000 using form TX, available at <http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/>. See hypernovel, selective binding, dual edition, DAISY, videotex, designing on press, DTP, word processor, text editor, web publishing, webcast, multicast backbone, broadcast, microform.

equivalent paper:

Paper that is not the brand specified, but looks, prints, and may cost the same. See paper.

erratum/errata:

An error in writing or printing; derived from "stray" orr "wander". Also, a statement of an error and its correction, inserted in a book or other publication on a separate page. See corrigenda, tip.

escalation:

A contractual agreement to increase the magnitude of royalty payments when sales exceed a predetermined quantity, or when a publication is reprinted, revised, or reissued in a different format. See advance, royalty, offprint.

escape sequence:

Character entities that will display markup text or code symbols for presentation or demonstration purposes without executing their special representation; see markup, language. Also, a sequence of characters, usually beginning with one of the control keys, such as the escape key (ESC/ASCII 27/hexadecimal 1B), followed by one or more characters that collectively issue an instructional command to a program or device, such as a printer; see printer driver. [nb: phrase originated with ANSI commands which all begin with the escape character]

escrow key:

The access system used to decode or decipher an encryption algorithm, which is deposited with a third party; also called "master key" or "passkey". Such reserved protocols or solutions are intended for governmental surveillance or investigation pursuant to judicial authority, but privacy violations and other malfeasances are probable. See trap door, PGP, Clipper, password, proxy, firewall.

essay:

A short literary composition on a particular theme or subject, usually in prose, and generally analytic, speculative, or interpretative.

estimate:

Price that states what a specific job will probably cost within a given limited period; also called bid, quotation, and tender. See fixed costs, variable costs, formula pricing, unit cost, specifications.

etch/etching:

The process of engraving designs or pictures onto a metal, glass, or other suitable surface by the corrosive action of an acid, that when charged with ink will transfer the impression to paper or another substance. Also, an impression, as on paper, of the design or image taken from an etched plate. Also, the plate so produced. Derived from "to eat" or graze. See engrave, intaglio, zincography, gravure press, thermography, vignette.

Ethernet:

The most popular type of local area network, which sends its communications through radio frequency signals carried by a coaxial cable or twisted pair wiring, at 1 or 10 Mbps, to a physical controller board address, expressed as a 48-bit number in hexadecimal notation. Each computer checks to see if another computer is transmitting and waits its turn to transmit. If two computers accidentally transmit at the same time and their messages collide, they wait and send again in turn. Software protocols used by Ethernet systems vary, but include Novell Netware and TCP/IP. Fast or Gigabit Ethernet extend standards, providing increased network bandwidth and interoperability among Ethernets at operating speeds from 10 Mbps to 1000 Mbps. Gigabit Ethernet can be used in backbone environments to interconnect multiple lower speed Ethernets. Its tenfold increase in bandwidth will benefit high performance file servers. It uses the Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection (CSMA/CD) protocol of the original Ethernet standard. See LAN, MAN, WAN.

etymology:

An account of the origin and development of a particular word or word element. Also, the study of historical linguistic change, as manifested in individual words. See morpheme, dictionary.

eulogy:

A laudatory speech or written homage in praise of something or someone, as when honoring a deceased person; derived from "good + word" [eulogium], an encomium, panegyric, or paean. See obituary, elegy, back matter; compare dedication. [nb: a literary eulogy is appropriately positioned at the end of a publication]

euphemism:

The substitution of an indirect or vague expression for one thought to be blunt or offensive; also known as "weasel word" or "circumlocution". Social conventions change, as the once acceptable "arse", derived from 'tail' and referring to 'buttocks', has become the unacceptable "ass"... which cannot be said, but can be shown! Over time, etiquette and diplomacy have been complicated by legalese and bureaucratese, such that reasonable tact (eg: "passed away" = 'died') has been displaced by unreasonable obfuscation (eg: 'handicapped' = "physically challenged"), and communication is in jeopardy. See vernacular, censorship, pap, propaganda, expurgate, slander, trigger term, puffery, oxymoron, elocution, eloquence, language, rhetorical forms. [cf: dysphemism]

exception dictionary:

A store of pre-hyphenated words that do not conform to the usual rules contained in the hyphenation and justification subroutine (ie: H&J) of word processing or desktop publishing software. Some text and publishing programs (eg: PageMaker) are only outfitted with an integral exception dictionary, so users must augment their software with a supplementary dictionary. See dictionary, word processor.

exclamation point:

The sign (!) used in writing after an exclamation or interjection, expressing strong emotion or astonishment, or to indicate a command; also called "exclamation mark", "exclam", "bang", or "screamer". See interrobang, punctuation.

ex libris:

An inscription denoting "from the library of" before the ascription, as on a bookplate (qv).

expanded type:

A typeface with a slightly wider body, giving a flatter appearance; also called "extended". See set size, type.

expert set:

A base font enhanced with supplemental alphabets (eg: small caps, condensed, expanded, etc) and miscellaneous characters (eg: ligatures, logotypes, initials, etc) that are emplaced by a font change, as if selecting a different type; but this technique is the recommended procedure for accurate and coordinated embellishments. The alternative is to tag the affected text, as by bold/strong or Italic/emphasis, and allow the computer to distort a font (eg: slant Roman = "Italic") to approximate the desired result in an uncontrolled manner. See typeface, font.

expiration date:

The closing date of an offer, or the terminal date of a contract; such as the last moment to accept a special price, or the end of a subscription cycle without renewal for either a specific period or number of issues. See fulfillment period, renewal rate, renewal series, subscription.

expire issue:

The last issue of a given subscription term. A fundamental of circulation record-keeping. Tracking expire information allows you to plan timely renewals, formulate accurate print-runs, as well as to project income and other operational essentials. See subscription.

expletive:

A syllable, word, or phrase that serves to fill out a sentence or a line of verse, without conveying any meaning of its own (eg: There is an antelope herd that is running across the plain. = An antelope herd is running across the plain.); see forced line, compare truncation. Also, an interjectory or emphatic expression, sometimes objectionable, such as an exclamatory oath or an odious profanation.

expose/expos‚:

A public revelation, as to uncover or exhibit something discreditable; also variously known as divulgence, divulgation, disclosure, spill the beans, eyeopener, bombshell, shocker. See yellow journalism, muckracker, bully pulpit, tabloid, news.

Express:

A printer control language (PCL) developed by OASYS. See printer driver.

expurgate:

To amend a text by the excision of words or passages deemed objectionable, as to purge whatever is morally offensive; derived from "cleanse" or "clear away". Also called bowdlerize, abridge, excerpt. See euphemism, trigger term, censorship, imprimatur, curiosa, pornography.

eye markers:

In flexography, color control images consisting of small squares of process color printed outside of image areas. Compare drawdown, ink roll-out, color control bar, cheater bar.

- F -

face:

Jargon truncation of typeface (qv). Also, the actual character to be printed using relief type; see foundry type. Also, the outside front cover of a book or magazine (qqv); see cover.

factoid:

Something fictitious or unsubstantiated that is presented as factual; a canard, deception, or myth. Such disinformation (qv) is devised to gain publicity, and persists due to constant repetition. See bully pulpit, journalism, propaganda, sleazy, flackery, counterfactual, anachronism, byplay, sidebar, call-out, pull-quote, text box, box. [nb: "As many lies as will lie in thy paper, although the sheet were big enough for the bed of Ware in [Hertfordshire] England." by William Shakespeare; "The great mass of people... will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one." by Adolf Hitler]

fair use:

A provision of the Copyright Act that entitles anyone to quote or cite protected material in literary review, educational instruction, scholarly research, editorial opinion, news report, comparative advertisment, or parody without infringement or permission. Any extensive excerpts or qualitative collections must be authorized for use, reprint, or release by the copyright or trademark owner. Factors to be considered when determining whether to apply the Fair Use doctrine include purpose and character of the use, nature of copyrighted work, amount and substantiality of portion used, and effect of use on potential copyright market. While every commercial use is "presumptively unfair", that presumption is easily overcome by productive or transformative, nonsuperseding use, a secondary use that produced a new result or purpose, different from the original... the commercial character of song parody does not create presumption against fair use. In order to prevail on the effect on the market for the copyrighted work element, on alleged copyright infringer's contention of fair use, copyright owner is only required to show that challenged use, should it become widespread, would adversely affect potential market for copyrighted work. Certain nonprofit uses can qualify as fair use, even though they may involve nonproductive superseding copies. See public domain, plagiarism, appropriation, subsidiary rights, volume rights, specialized format.

fan:

A book bound at only one point, usually one of the four corners. See side binding, binding.

F&G/F-and-G/F 'n' G:

Abbreviation for Fold and Gather, being a production specimen of the fully printed signature contents before binding. Compare comprehensive dummy.

FAQ:

Acronym for Frequently Asked Questions, being the quick or ready reference on common inquiries, product details, known problems, troubleshooting, and contact information for hardware and software. See help, RTDM, debug, program.

fascicle:

A section of a book or set of books being published in installments as separate pamphlets or volumes; also called "fascicule" and "fasciculus". Unlike permanent book or volume parts, a fascicle is a temporary physical subdivision of a publication, which installments may or may not be numbered, and does not adhere to the content sections or chapters. Issued in self-cover wrappers, they may be properly sequenced for binding into a single volume at a later time. See series, serialization.

fax:

A method for transmitting documents, drawings, photographs, or the like by telephone or radio for exact reproduction elsewhere; derived from "facsimile". Also, a device ("fax machine" or "telefacsimile machine") for such transmittals. [nb: Fax technology dates from the 19th Century. In 1843, Alexander Bain invented an early fax machine, which had two pens that were connected to two pendulums, and it could reproduce writing on an electrically-conductive surface. In 1862, the Italian physicist Giovanni Caselli built a "pantelegraph" (pantograph + telegraph), which improved on Bain's invention by including a "synchronizing apparatus" that helped two machines interface. In 1934, the Associated Press news agency introduced the first system for transmitting "wire photos" to augment reports. Thirty years later, the Xerox Corporation introduced Long Distance Xerography (LDX). In 1966, Xerox introduced the "Magnafax Telecopier", a smaller, lighter facsimile machine that was easier to use and could be connected to any telephone line. Using this machine, a letter-sized document took about six minutes to transmit.]

featheredge:

A thin or tapered sharp edge. Compare feathering, dot gain, hairline.

feathering:

An inconsistent line that tapers, blurs, or bleeds; compare featheredge, dot gain. Also, the addition of blank lines or spaces in a column or page to force the vertical justification or centering of copy; see justify, flush, straight composition, ragged, alignment, furniture; compare leading, quad, slug, nonpareil, solid.

feature:

Something offered as a special or main attraction; a prominent article or conspicuous write-up, as a feature story. Also, a regular part of a newspaper or magazine, such as a column, book review, feuilleton, funny paper. See service feature, feature well, violin piece, anchor, squib, editorial well, boilerplate, sidebar, contents, 30, half-life.

feature-length:

Long enough to develop the story line, as a full-length essay.

feature-shock:

Slang for a website that's content-heavy with promotionals and other visuals, but content-light on facts, details, or other relevant information; by association with "Future Shock" by Alvin Toffler. Compare cobweb-site; see website.

feature story:

A major article usually written from a personal perspective; including the most prominent story in a periodical, such as the cover story.

feature well:

The unique feature stories in a periodical; the topical allure that impels single-copy sales of a publication, as distinguished from its regular and recurring departments. Unlike departments, which have their own stylized format, features are often framed by interlarded art or full page advertising. The feature well is either bracketed between front and back matter, or placed to precede or succeed departments. Compare editorial well.

feedback:

The return of part of the output from a circuit, system, or device to the input, either direct or indirect. Also, output data furnished for automatic monitoring or regulating of machine operations. Also, a self-regulating exchange, in which an input reaction or response to a particular process or activity affects further output. Also, confirmation or acknowledgement; as the completion of a reciprocal communications system (ie: sender, message, medium, recipient, feedback). See noise, interface.

feeding unit:

Component of a printing press that moves paper into the register unit. See press.

felt finish:

Soft woven pattern in text paper. See paper coating.

felt side:

Side of the paper that does not make contact with the fourdrinier wire during papermaking; usually considered to be the "top side" or "front side". Compare wire side; see deckle, paper.

feuilleton:

The part of a European newspaper devoted to light literature, fiction, criticism, and the like; derived from "little leaf". See feature.

fifth color:

Spot color run in addition to process colors. See illustration.

filename:

The set of letters, numbers, and permissible punctuation or symbols assigned to a file that distinguishes it from all other files in any particular hierarchy. Users save or call specific blocks of information with discrete filename "handles" or keys. Filenames, often with extensions, identify the type or purpose of data. In MS-DOS, a filename can be up to eight alphanumeric characters long, with a three character extension. On Macintosh computers, a filename can be up to 31 characters long, and can include any symbol other than the colon (:), which is used to separate the elements of a path. In the OS/2 High-Performance File System (HPFS), filenames can be up to 254 characters long, but no path can exceed 259 characters. In the Windows NT File System (NTFS), filenames can be up to 255 characters long. Although HPFS and NTFS both support spaces in filenames, web servers do not allow spaces. UNIX does not allow spaces in filenames, and is case sensitive. The UNIX and Macintosh operating systems permit a file to have more than one name, which is called "alias" or "symbolic link". See path, slash, backslash, pipe, MIME, internet address.

file system:

A method of organizing and indexing the data stored on electronic media, which table or list enables the computer operating system to designate data connections, to track the status of segmentalized storage space, to map the available sectors, and to mark any defective areas. Files are commonly stored, as space allows, in fixed-size groups of character bytes, rather than as continuous strings of text or numbers, thus often scattering a single file in pieces over many separate storage areas. The operator uses a directory command (DIR) or finder subroutine to locate stored data. The MS-DOS file system is known as the File Allocation Table (FAT), which can also be utilized by OS/2, Windows, and UNIX. The OS/2 file system is known as the High-Performance File System (HPFS), which can also be utilized by Windows. The Windows NT ["Northern Telecom Ltd" trademark] file system (NTFS) is configured for object-orientation, POSIX subsystem compatibility, and other features, including FAT and HPFS recognition. See filename, program, language, computer.

filler:

Decorative or textual material of secondary importance used to fill a space, close a gap, or end a section. See squib, bite, snippet, paragraph, puffery, mannerism. [v: bagatelle]

fillet:

A decorative line impressed onto a book cover, usually at the top and bottom of the back cover. [nb: not 'cover lines'] See tool line, rule; compare reglet.

fill-in:

Something that completes or substitutes, as a replacement or insertion. Also, a brief summary or a rundown. See proofread, proofreader's marks, notation, insert, interpolation, sandwich, interlinear.

film:

A medium, such as a cellulose nitrate or cellulose acetate composition, made in thin sheets or strips and coated with a light-sensitive emulsion for taking photographs or motion pictures; see plate, flat, burn, emulsion. Also, the genre of motion picture art and entertainment, also called "cinema", "movie", "video", "flick"; see cinematography, cinema verite, trailer, photography, storyboard, vignette, curiosa, censorship. [v: phi phenomenon, blue movie]

film coating:

Method of coating paper that leaves a relatively thin covering and rough surface, as compared to blade coating. See paper coating.

fine papers:

Papers made specifically for writing and printing. See paper.

finial:

A curve terminating the main stroke of the characters in some Italics type fonts; derived from "final". See kern, bowl, ear, stem, font, typeface, typography.

finish:

The surface characteristics of paper; see paper coating. Also, the general term for trimming, folding, binding, and all other post-press operations.

firewall:

A system designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a network; also known as a "drawbridge". Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. Firewalls are frequently used to prevent unauthorized Internet users from accessing private or restricted networks, especially intranets. All messages passing through the firewall are examined, and those which do not meet the specified security criteria are blocked. There are several types of firewall architecture: screened-host or packet filter, application gateway, circuit-level gateway, dual-host or proxy server. In practice, many firewalls use two or more of these techniques in concert. A firewall is considered to be the initial defense in protecting privileged data or sensitive information. For greater security, data can be encrypted. See password, PGP, SSL, proxy, trap door, escrow key, virus, malware, software.

FireWire:

A serial bus developed by Apple Computer and Texas Instruments (IEEE 1394), that's formerly known as High Performance Serial Bus, and is also known as iLink. The High Performance Serial Bus can connect up to 63 devices in a tree-like daisy chain configuration, and transmit data (video, audio, power) at up to 400 megabits per second over a single cable. FireWire supports Plug-and-Play, and peer-to-peer communication between peripheral devices.

fishbowl:

Slang for the control and communications center of a broadcast studio, which glass-walled operating environment resembles an aquarium; such an "executive tank" has displaced the slot (qv) in modern computerized publishing.

fist:

Printer's slang for the 'pointing finger' symbol used like a bullet to draw attention to an item, usually indented; also called "fistnote". See index, disc, guillemet, dingbat, page marker.

fixed costs:

Budget and expenses that remain unchanged by the quantity of any pressrun. Compare variable costs; see estimate, quotation, unit cost, specifications.

flackery:

Publicity; provided by a press agent or publicist, a "flack" or "flacker". See advance, blad, co-op ad, co-op money, publicist, copywriter, ad diction, puffery, counterfactual, factoid.

flame:

The expression of intense ardor, zeal, or passion, as related to combustion; especially derision or scorn conveyed through UseNet or e-mail messages. Related terms include: flamer, flame on/off, flame-bait, pain in the net, fry the screen, flame war; and emoticons include: ~:-(for flamer, ~= for lit candle, -= for snuffed fire. See poison-pen, emoticon, screed, spam.

flame-bait:

Any message deliberately posted or broadcast so as to provoke a response or to incite a reaction, as to instigate, foment, stimulate, goad, prod, spur, or fillip by rude and insensitive expressions; also known as "troll". See flame, spam, screed, poison-pen.

Flash:

A bandwidth friendly and browser independent vector graphic animation technology. As long as different browsers are equipped with the necessary plug-ins, Flash animations will look the same. With Flash, users can draw their own animations or import other vector-based images. Flash animation can only be created using the Flash animation application from Macromedia Inc. Flash was known as FutureSplash until 1997, when Macromedia Inc. bought the company that developed it. Compare SVG; see graphics, crawl, illustration.

flash memory:

A small printed circuit board that holds large amounts of data in memory. Flash memory is used in laptops and palmtops, because it is small, and holds its data when the computer is turned off. Compare RAM, ROM, bento storage.

flat:

Stripped film ready for platemaking. See film, illustration.

flat size:

The dimensions of a layout when opened-out and fully spread, for use in plotting the optimal position for conserving paper during press setup.

flexography:

A relief printing technique (c1890) on a web press, similar to letterpress, that employs rubber or soft plastic plates, a simple inking system, and fast-drying inks; also known as "aniline (dye) printing", and abbreviated "flexo". See press.

flier/flyer:

A small handbill or circular. See fly sheet, panel.

flimsy:

A thin tissue or onionskin (qv) paper used for making manifold or carbon copy sets. Compare NCR paper; see copy, cc, paper.

flipbook/flip book:

A small book consisting of a series of sequential images that give the illusion of continuous movement when the page edges are riffled. See animation, illustration.

floating accent:

An accent or diacritical mark which is set separately from the affected character, so appears beside or nearby, but is stylistically discontinuous.

floating flag:

A title or head placed at other than the top of the page, and displayed compressed, compact, or vertically. See nameplate, heading.

flood:

To print a sheet completely with an ink or varnish. Also, to increase ink flow or color saturation for more intensity or better coverage. See paper coating.

flop:

To invert the negative of a photograph so that the right and left sides are transposed; see illustration. Also, abbreviation for FLoating-point OPeration, wherein normalized signed decimal number data followed by a signed exponent is arithmetically processed for spreadsheet and computer-aided design (CAD) calculations. Coprocessing computers may be rated by measurement of their FLOP per second performance, as in millions (MFLOPS), billions (GFLOPS), or trillions (TFLOPS).

Floptical disk:

A small, high-capacity, removable disk for storing computer data that combines magnetic disk and optical disc technologies; see disc, hardware.

flourish:

The addition of embellishments or ornamental lines to letters and writing. See paraph, swash, calligraphy, ornament.

flowchart:

A graphic representation, using symbols interconnected with lines, of the successive steps in a systematic procedure, with logical options and remedies already integrated; also called "flow diagram". See storyboard.

flush:

Even or level with the margin on a page layout, and without indention, as "flush left" for alignment to the left, and "flush right" for alignment to the right; also known as "ranged". See justify, feathering, straight composition, ragged, alignment, H&J, indent.

flyleaf:

A blank leaf in the front or back of a book, sometimes translucent; derived from something attached at the edge. Compare end sheet, endpaper.

fly sheet:

A sheet on which information or instructions are printed. See flier, leaflet, handbill.

FMT:

Contraction of ForMaT, being a UNIX text formatter that fills each line to 72-characters with justified margins, skipping over extra spaces and applying a hyphenation algorithm. FMT can be run within screen-oriented editors, such as "Vi". See text editor.

foil:

A very thin metal sheet or metallic backing; see stamp. Also, an arc or rounded space between cusps, as in ornamental tracery.

foil blocking:

A process for stamping a design on a book cover without ink by using a colored foil with pressure from a heated die or block. Compare blind emboss.

foil stamp:

Method of printing that releases foil from its backing when stamped with the heated die; also called "hot stamp" or "block print".

fold lines:

Inconspicuous dotted or dashed lines on copy, which are either concealed or trimmed, that guide the post-press assembly of printing. See gather, imposition, nested, signature, finish, binding; compare register marks, keylines, crop marks.

foldout:

A page larger than the trim size of a magazine or book, folded one or more times, so as not to extend beyond the edges, and designed to be unfolded for use; also called "gatefold". See accordian-fold, concertina-fold, French fold, parallel-fold, wrap-fold.

folio:

A sheet of paper folded once to make two leaves, or four pages, of a book or manuscript. Also, a volume having pages of the largest size, formerly made from such a sheet. Also, a leaf of a manuscript or book numbered only on the front side. Also, the number of each page in a book, or the number of each page together with the name and date of the newspaper; also called "folio line". See sheet.

font/fount:

A complete assortment of type of one style and size. In typeface styles, size is subordinate to series, and series is a subset of families; so a type family (qv) will contain numerous fonts. See proportional font, scalable font, raster font, screen font, Display PostScript, Character Map, hint, weight, aspect ratio, ATM, TT, OpenType, printer font, expert set, quad, suitcase, Pi fonts, type, foundry type, typeface, alphabet.

foolscap:

A type of inexpensive writing paper, especially legal-size, lined, yellow sheets, bound in tablet form. Derived from the watermark of a fool's cap (dunce's cap) formerly used on such paper. Compare legal paper; see paper.

foot:

The lowest part of a page; see basement. Also, the part of the type body that forms the sides of the groove, at the base. Also, a group of syllables constituting a metrical unit of a verse (eg: anacrusis, monometer, dimeter, ionic, iamb, syzygy, trimeter, tetrameter, alcaic, pentameter, hexameter, heptameter, octameter, dieresis, catalectic, acatalectic, hypercatalectic, trochee, tetrabrach, tercet, haiku, tanka, refrain, running rhythm, macron, pyrrhic, breve, arsis, ictus, truncation, colon, period); see meter, scansion, prosody, verse, rhyme, caesura.

foot and folio line/foot-and-folio-line:

The title and page number of a publication appearing at the bottom of every page; may include chapter, section, or department subhead title as well as web address. See running foot, footer, folio, dateline.

footer:

A line or lines of text set to display at the bottom of every page in a document or publication, usually for identification; may include graphic lines or automatic page sequencing, but usually includes title, subtitle, or web address. See header, dateline.

footnote:

A note of explanation, emendation, or other commentary placed at the bottom of the same page where the specific part of the text has been referenced, usually by a distinctive mark or a superscript numeral; an annotation distinguished from an appendix, sidebar, marginalia (qqv), obiter dictum, or endnote. See gloss, notation, reference marks.

forbearance agreement:

Refraining from action or abstaining from enforcement, as such restraint being sufficient consideration to fulfill contractual terms; especially applicable in schedule of debt payments without delay penalty. See golden handcuffs, trade secret; compare non-disclosure agreement, non-competition agreement.

forced line:

A composition or construction, especially rhyme, which calls attention to itself by its stilted language or awkward grammar; word order or phrasing selected to affect or fulfill a scheme, instead of conveyed meaning [eg: "little grubby hands with dirt and soot/up with which she could not put"]. See accent, prosody, verse, expletive.

foreshadowing:

A basic technique for building suspense in many genres by which an author hints at future trends or coming events; the admixture of subtle clues into the story line to sustain or increase interest. See plot, drama.

foreword:

A short introductory statement in a published work by someone other than the author. A preface usually follows a foreword, if both are used. Compare afterword; see front matter.

form/forme:

An assemblage of printing types, leads, and the like, secured in a chase to be printed from; classed as live (ready for press; typeset and proofed), dead (printed; awaiting melt or disassembly), or standing (stored for later use; never melted or disassembled). Also, each side of a signature; see sheet.

format:

The size, shape, style, or organization of a layout for a published product, with consideration for content, audience, and medium; see formula, stylesheet, master page, template, Snap, trademark. Also, the configured structure of electronically processed data, with particular consideration to system compatibility and file convertibility; see protocol, degauss.

form bond:

Lightweight bond paper made for business forms; also called "register bond". See paper.

form class:

A class of words or other forms in a language having one or more grammatical features in common, such as the form class of all plural nouns. See word class, parts of speech.

formula:

A magazine's editorial makeup, specifying types of content and regular departments; also known as "unity" for consistency of make-up. See format, stylesheet, master page, template, editorial well, feature well, magazine, trademark.

formula pricing:

Prices shown on a grid or spreadsheet; an industry-wide uniform price schedule is available in the Franklin Printing Catalogue. See estimate, quotation, unit cost, specifications.

form web:

Press using rolls 8-1/2" to 10" wide to print business forms, direct mailers, catalog sheets, stationery, and other products with a flat size typically 8-1/2" X 11". See press.

For Position Only:

Refers to inexpensive or low resolution images, used to indicate placement and scaling, but not intended for reproduction; abbreviated FPO. See sketch, thumbnail.

FORTH:

A fourth-generation programming language developed by Charles Moore in the late 1960s. The first use of FORTH was guiding the telescope at NRAO, Kitt Peak. It has also been used with games and robotics. See language.

FORTRAN:

The contraction of FORmula TRANslator, being a high-level programming language, developed by IBM in 1954, used mainly for solving problems in science and engineering. See language.

forum:

An online conference or discussion group; also known as newsgroup. BBS and online service providers sponsor a variety of forums (some moderated) where participants can openly exchange messages of common interest on a specific subject. See UseNet, thread, BBS, listserve, blog, chatroom.

foundry type:

Type formed by casting (founding) molten metal. Originally, steel dies punched molds into copper, and molten base metals (especially alloys of lead, tin, antimony, bismuth, and zinc) formed the reverse characters necessary for printing. Relief typeface anatomy includes: face, beard, shoulder, belly, back, feet, nick, counter. See type case, California job case, letterpress, hot type, type metal, hellbox, typeface. [nb: relief type could not be readily exchanged because type heights differed: English @0.918", Italian @0.928", German @0.975", Dutch @0.977"]

fountain pen:

A pen (qv) with a refillable reservoir that provides a continuous supply of ink to its penpoint. Compare quill; see writing instrument.

fountain solution:

Mixture of water and chemicals that dampens a printing plate to prevent ink from adhering to the non-image area; also called "dampener solution". See ink fountain, illustration.

four-color process:

A continuous tone printing method for color images on offset or lithographic presses; also called "color process printing". See CMYK, PMS, process colors, illustration.

fourdrinier/Fourdrinier:

A machine for manufacturing paper; ca1830 eponym after English papermakers, Henry and Sealy Fourdrinier. See deckle, wire.

FPO:

Abbreviation of For Position Only (qv); see sketch, thumbnail.

FPS:

The abbreviation for Frames Per Second, which is also known as "frame rate"; being a unit used to measure computer and display performance. A frame is one complete scan of the display screen. Each frame consists of a number of horizontal scan lines; each scan line includes a number of pixels on the computer screen. The number of horizontal scan lines represents the vertical resolution and the number of pixels per scan line represents the horizontal resolution of the display. The refresh rate, or the number of times the displayed image is refreshed per second, is measured in frames per second. When video is exported to a QuickTime file, the different formats have different FPS rates. Lower FPS rates produce smaller files. As a measurement of the speed at which pictures (frames) are displayed in sequence in a film or video, the more frames displayed per second, the smoother the motion appears. Full-motion video uses 30 fps or more. See illustration.

fractional ad:

Small-sized advertisements, usually sold by the column inch, and classified advertisements, usually sold by the word, often placed at the back of magazines and newspapers. See agate, column inch, milline, tombstone, card, island ad, advertising.

frame:

A newspaper layout pattern, with the outermost columns on opposite sides of a page, each containing a single story or complete article. Compare well, poster make-up.

frames:

In DTP software, a delimited area of variable size and scope with text or graphics and coded instructions specific to that environment; thus a single page may contain several independent frames, or an entire document may be sequenced within one templated frame. On WWW pages, a bordered area that acts as an independent browser window. There can be a number of frames within the same webpage, and they can be separately scrolled, linked, and viewed. Sometimes a frame can be used to view an entirely different website without leaving the original site that contains the frame. Frames can only be accessed on webpages with browsers that support or enable this technology.

freedom of information:

The statutory right of public access to official information compiled and maintained by the federal government, embodied in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) passed by the U.S. Congress in 1966, and subsequently enacted in most European and United Kingdom countries. Under provisions of the FOIA, applicants may indicate in writing the information to which they seek access, and must either be supplied with copies (fee payment prior to delivery) of the requested documents, or a denial notice stipulating the reason must be received within a specified period of time. Disclosure of information which might prove harmful to national defense, foreign relations, law enforcement, commercial activities of third parties, or personal privacy is exempted. See censorship, information law.

freedom of speech:

The right of people to publicly express themselves by words or images, without governmental interference, subject to the laws against defamation, incitement to violence, etc. Privileged exceptions to restraint extend to "fair comment" (ie: personal perspective, subjective speculation, or reasonable alternative) and to "opinion" (ie: figurative hyperbole, pernicious satire, or vituperative parody), as distinct from verifiable facts and truth. Speech proposing a transaction or exchange is commercial or contractual, and does not enjoy the Free Speech protections of open debate. The legislated "hate speech" caveat is a form of double-jeopardy, which civil libertarians may eventually address and ultimately redress. Also called free speech, freedom of expression. See copyright, public domain, censorship, editorial, libel, slander, trigger term, intellectual freedom. [v: "preventative restraint" 1863 Clement L. Vallandigham, John W. Basughman, Paul R. Shipman, Beale H. Richardson, Francis Richardson, Stephen J. Joyce]

freelance:

A person, also known as a "freelancer" or an "independent contractor", selling their work or services, usually by negotiated contract, without being on a regular salary basis for only one employer; derived from a "mercenary" without loyalty, alignment, or allegiance. See work for hire, kill fee, stringer, outsource.

free sheet:

Paper made from cooked wood fibers mixed with chemicals and washed free of impurities; also called "woodfree paper". See paper.

free verse/vers libre:

Poetry that uses natural rhythmic cadences, recurrent image patterns, and stressed and unstressed syllables rather than any set metrical scheme. It may be rhymed or unrhymed. Free verse is used in the Psalms and the Song of Solomon in the King James Bible. Milton experimented with the form in Lycidas and in Samson Agonistes. The French Symbolists did a great deal to popularize free verse in France, as did Arno Holz in Germany, and Walt Whitman in America. Compare blank verse; see verse.

freeware:

A computer program, application, or adaptation that has been made available to the public, often through user groups and BBS postings, without charge. Freeware is usually licensed to a single user, without authority to modify or distribute the software; hence the independent developer retains all copyright to the "free-software". Freeware is usually offered as a public service, or as a test for future marketing of a similar product. See open-source, public domain software, shareware, software. [nb: The most prominent example of software with a freely adapted source code is Linux (qv), which may be copied and distributed at will. The Free Software Foundation developed the General Public License (GPL), which specifies provisions for the distribution and modification of Linux, and other GNU free software. This mode promotes creative use and development, regardless of funding or other strictures, and is only hindered by interfaces with proprietary device drivers that have restrictive copyright or license agreements.]

French fold:

A sheet which has been printed only on one side, then pleated with two right-angle folds, forming an uncut four page section. Compare parallel-fold; see foldout, wrap-fold, accordian-fold, concertina-fold, dog-ear.

frisket:

A cloth or padlike device interposed in a hinged frame between the platen of a printing press and the sheet to be printed, in order to restrict the exposed portion of the press sheet; perhaps related to "looped pile fabric" (frise/fris‚). See tympan, letterpress.

frobnicate:

To manipulate or adjust something, especially a bidirectional or biconditional entity; colloquially contracted to "frob". See tweak; compare debug, twiddle. [nb: "frobnosticate" is probably a combination of frobnicate and prognosticate]

frontispiece:

An illustrated leaf preceding the title page of a book, often placed verso to the recto title page, without pagination displayed; derived from "forehead + look", as to peer ahead. Compare tailpiece, headpiece.

frontlist:

Books published in the current season. Commercial publishers often make the distinction between frontlist and midlist, frontlist being those books that are featured in the front of the catalog. Commercial frontlist books are those deemed as most salesworthy, and receive more publicity attention and budget than midlist books. Independent publishers, which usually publish fewer books per season, generally do not make a distinction between front- and midlist. See midlist, backlist, deadlist.

front matter:

Printed material preliminary to the body copy of a book, consisting of title and copyright pages, acknowledgments, dedication, autograph, disclaimer, foreword, preface, prologue, introduction, table of contents, incipit, and any other related materials. These pages are often paginated with lowercase Roman numerals [v: pagination]. Compare back matter.

front-page/frontpage:

The first and outermost page of a newspaper, therefore the place where the most important stories or features begin; corresponds to the cover of a magazine, with headlines equal to cover lines. Also, anything significant or conspicuous. See half-life, news.

FTP:

The abbreviation for File Transfer Protocol, being a client-server protocol, which allows a user on one computer to transfer files to and from another computer over a TCP/IP network. Also, the client program that the user executes to transfer files. See anonymous FTP, HTTP, TELNET, protocol, internet address, URL, internet. [nb: use "ws_ftp" or "cute ftp" utility to access or edit websites from ftp://]

fugitive materials:

Transient publications (eg: pamphlets, broadsides, etc) which tend to disappear, due to small quantity production, limited distribution, or topical application, before they can be collected or catalogued. Direct mail advertising, political handbills, and other circulars are often considered expendable. The class of "ephemera" is typically reserved for historical (eg: newspaper clippings, archival notes, etc) or collectable (eg: exhibit posters, performance programs, etc) constituents. Compare gray literature.

fulfillment house:

A company that handles the entire ordering process for books, such as storing, packing, mailing, maintaining records, and other business related operations for the author or publisher.

fulfillment period:

The period of time during which paid subscribers are entitled to receive periodical issues; also called "subscription cycle". See renewal series, renewal rate, expire issue, expiration date, subscription.

full web:

Press using rolls 35" to 40" wide to print sixteen-page signatures with a flat size typically 23" X 35"; also called "sixteen-page web". See press.

funny paper/funny papers:

The section of a newspaper reserved for comic strips, puzzles, word games, and other light entertainments; also called "funnies". See cartoon, feature, tabloid, newspaper.

furnish:

A mixture of fibers, water, dyes, and chemicals poured from the headbox onto the wire of a papermaking machine (fourdrinier); also called "slurry" and "stock". See deckle, wire.

furniture:

Pieces of non-type material (eg: aluminum, wood) used for holding type set into place as pages within a chase (qv). See leading, slug, nonpareil, quad, feathering, reglet, quoin.

FYI:

The abbreviation of For Your Information, being an advice or data copy; also called "head's up" or notice. Compare RFC.