Rag Paper

Stationery or other forms of stock having a strong percentage content of "cotton rags."

Rainbow Fountain

Technique of putting ink colours next to each other in the same ink fountain and oscillating the ink rollers to make the colours merge where they touch, producing a rainbow effect.

Raster Image Processor

Device that translates page description commands into bitmapped information for an output device such as a laser printer or imagesetter.

Reader Spread

Mechanicals made in two page spreads as readers would see the pages, as compared to printer spread.

Ream

500 sheets of paper.

Recycled Paper

New paper made entirely or in part from old paper.

Reflective Copy

Products, such as fabrics, illustrations and photographic prints, viewed by light reflected from them, as compared to transparent copy. Also called reflex copy.

Register

To place printing properly with regard to the edges of paper and other printing on the same sheet. Such printing is said to be in register.

Register Marks

Cross-hair lines on mechanicals and film that help keep flats, plates, and printing in register. Also called crossmarks and position marks.

Relief Printing

Printing method whose image carriers are surfaces with two levels having inked areas higher than noninked areas. Relief printing includes block printing, flexography and letter press.

Repeatability

Ability of a device, such as an imagesetter, to produce film or plates that yield images in register.

Reprographics

General term for xerography, diazo and other methods of copying used by designers, engineers, architects or for general office use.

Resolution

Sharpness of an image on film, paper, computer screen, disc, tape or other medium.

Resolution Target

An image, such as the GATF Star Target, that permits evaluation of resolution on film, proofs or plates.

Reverse

Type, graphic or illustration reproduced by printing ink around its outline, thus allowing the underlying colour or paper to show through and form the image. The image 'reverses out' of the ink colour. Also called knockout and liftout.

RGB

Abbreviation for red, green, blue, the additive colour primaries.

Right Reading

Copy that reads correctly in the language in which it is written. Also describes a photo whose orientation looks like the original scene, as compared to a flopped image.

Rotary Press

Printing press which passes the substrate between two rotating cylinders when making an impression.

Round Back Bind

To casebind with a rounded (convex) spine, as compared to flat back bind.

Ruby Window

Mask on a mechanical, made with rubylith, that creates a window on film shot from the mechanical.

Rule

Line used as a graphic element to separate or organize copy.

Ruleup

Map or drawing given by a printer to a stripper showing how a printing job must be imposed using a specific press and sheet size. Also called press layout, printer's layout and ruleout.