glossary - digital printmaking terms
artist's proof
A print from an edition set aside for the artist’s use.
beziér curve
A way of drawing curves in vector drawing software, using endpoints
and anchorpoints.
calibration
A means of setting colour for consistency between diffent input/output
devices (for example, between a monitor and a printer)
cold press paper
Roughly textured paper made in a mold, used for printmaking and
watercolour.
colour gamut
Colours that can be reproduced on any given system.
complementary colors
Two colours that, when mixed, produce a neutral gray. Complementary
colours are those directly opposite each other on a colour wheel
(for example; yellow/purple, red/green, blue/orange).
digital art
Artwork using one or several digital technologies
digital printer
A printing device able to translate a digital image into hard
output: includes inkjet, electrostatic, thermal transfer, or laser
photoprinting.
expanded-gamut printing
Where manufacturers add extra colours of ink into their devices
to extend the range of the standard cmyk (cyan, magenta, yellow,
black) printer gamut; for example, by adding lighter versions of
the cyan and magenta inks.
gamut
The colour range of a given device (A printer or a monitor, for
example)
giclée (pronounced zhee-clay)
Usually either an original print made by a digital process and
output (typically) on an inkjet printer or a copy of an original
artwork produced originally in other media and then reproduced using
digital methods.
inkjet
A digital printing device that employs nozzles to spray ink onto
a substrate.
limited edition
An artwork identically produced to a specific number, which bear
the artist’s signature and are numbered in relation to the
total prints in the edition; produced from a single master.
mask
An effect used to hide parts of an image.
matte finish
Similar to a satin finish, low gloss with very limited reflectivity.
midtones
‘middle value’ tones in an image, neither the lightest
or the darkest.
nozzle
The part of the inkjet printhead from which ink droplets are sprayed
onto the substrate.
open edition
An identical set of prints from a master that are not limited
in number.
palette
The range of colours produced by a particular device, or a range
of colours used by an artist in their artwork.
pixel
The smallest and most basic element of a digital image, derived
from Pi(x)cture element.
print on demand
One of the advantages/peculiarities of digital printmaking is
the ability to produce identical prints sporadically either individually
or in small runs over a period of time, known as ‘print on
demand’, something almost impossible using traditional printmaking
techniques.
print permanence
A print’s ability to resist physical change with exposure
to light, heat etc.
printer driver
Software that facilitates communication between a computer and
a printer.
proof
An initial print used to assess and adjust the qualities of an
image, prior to printing an edition or a definitive version.
RIP (Raster Image Processor)
Software which allows very specific instructions to be passed
between a computer and printer, often incorporates features such
as colour calibration.
saturation
The purity of a colour.
soft proof
Assessing an image on a monitor rather than on an output ‘hard’
copy.
substrate
The material or surface that receives the printed image, usually
paper.
thumbnail
A low resolution version of an image, small in size.
WYSIWYG
‘What You See Is What You Get’. The ability to see
the output of a computer more or less exactly represented on screen.
Colour gamut for different systems