Face

Edge of a bound publication opposite the spine. Also called foredge. Also, an abbreviation for typeface referring to a family of a general style.

Fake Duotone

Halftone in one ink colour printed over screen tint of a second ink colour. Also called dummy duotone, dougraph, duplex halftone, false duotone, flat tint halftone and halftone with screen.

Fast Colour Inks

Inks with colours that retain their density and resist fading as the product is used and washed.

Feeding Unit

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

Felt Finish

Soft woven pattern in text paper.

Felt Side

Side of the paper that was not in contact with the Fourdrinier wire during papermaking, as compared to wire side.

Fifth Colour

Ink colour used in addition to the four needed by four-colour process.

Film Gauge

Thickness of film. The most common gauge for graphic arts film is 0.004 inch (0.1 mm).

Film Laminate

Thin sheet of plastic bonded to a printed product for protection or increased gloss.

Fine Papers

Papers made specifically for writing or commercial printing, as compared to coarse papers and industrial papers. Also called cultural papers and graphic papers.

Fine Screen

Screen with ruling of 150 lines per inch (80 lines per centimeter) or more.

Finish

(1) Surface characteristics of paper. (2) General term for trimming, folding, binding and all other post press operations.

Finished Size

Size of product after production is completed, as compared to flat size. Also called trimmed size.

Fit

Refers to ability of film to be registered during stripping and assembly. Good fit means that all images register to other film for the same job.

Fixed Costs

Costs that remain the same regardless of how many pieces are printed. Copyrighting, photography and design are fixed costs.

Flat Colour

(1) Any colour created by printing only one ink, as compared to a colour created by printing four-colour process. Also called block colour and spot colour. (2) colour that seems weak or lifeless.

Flat Plan (Flats)

Diagram of the flats for a publication showing imposition and indicating colours.

Flat Size

Size of product after printing and trimming, but before folding, as compared to finished size.

Flexography

Method of printing on a web press using rubber or plastic plates with raised images. Also called aniline printing because flexographic inks originally used aniline dyes. Abbreviated flexo.

Flood

To print a sheet completely with an ink or varnish. flooding with ink is also called painting the sheet.

Flush Cover

Cover trimmed to the same size as inside pages, as compared to overhang cover. Also called cut flush

Flyleaf

Leaf, at the front and back of a casebound book that is the one side of the end paper not glued to the case.

Fogging Back

Used in making type more legible by lowering density of an image, while allowing the image to show through.

Foil Emboss

To foil stamp and emboss an image. Also called heat stamp.

Foil Stamp

Method of printing that releases foil from its backing when stamped with the heated die. Also called block print, hot foil stamp and stamp.

Folder

A bindery machine dedicated to folding printed materials.

Fold Marks

With printed matter, markings indicating where a fold is to occur, usually located at the top edges.

Foldout

Gatefold sheet bound into a publication, often used for a map or chart. Also called gatefold and pullout.

Folio (Page Number)

The actual page number in a publication.

Form

Each side of a signature. Also spelled forme.

Format

Size, style, shape, layout or organization of a layout or printed product.

Form Bond

Lightweight bond, easy to perforate, made for business forms. Also called register bond.

Form Roller(s)

Roller(s) that come in contact with the printing plate, bringing it ink or water.

For Position Only

Refers to inexpensive copies of photos or art used on mechanical to indicate placement and scaling, but not intended for reproduction. Abbreviated FPO.

Forwarding

In the case book arena, the binding process which involves folding, rounding, backing, headbanding and reinforcing.

Fountain

Trough or container, on a printing press, that holds fluids such as ink, varnish or water. Also called duct.

Fountain Solution

Mixture of water and chemicals that dampens a printing plate to prevent ink from adhering to the nonimage area. Also called dampener solution.

Four-Colour Process Printing

Technique of printing that uses black, magenta, cyan and yellow to simulate full-colour images. Also called colour process printing, full colour printing and process printing.

Free Sheet

Paper made from cooked wood fibers mixed with chemicals and washed free of impurities, as compared to groundwood paper. Also called woodfree paper.

French Fold

A printed sheet, printed one side only, folded with two right angle folds to form a four page uncut section.

Full-Range Halftone

Halftone ranging from 0 percent coverage in its highlights to 100 percent coverage in its shadows.

Full-Scale Black

Black separation made to have dots throughout the entire tonal range of the image, as compared to half-scale black and skeleton black. Also called full-range black.