Backbone
Is the spin of a bound book, the part where the book is bound together.
Blanket
Is a part used in an offset press which transfers the ink from the plate to the paper. Is normally made of a rubber coated fabric, rubber, or rexine.
Bleaching
Is the whitening process for pulp, brightens and whitens pulp. Various systems can be used such as ECF, TCF, PCF, see these definitions in their respective places in the glossary.
Bleed
Is when the printing extends beyond the area of the final trimmed product. This is done so that the product is trimmed through the colour allowing the colour to go all the way to the edge of the page without a gap.
Blind embossing
Blind embossing does not include the use of ink or foil to highlight the embossed area. The change in the dimensional appearance of the material is the only noticeable difference resulting from the embossing. The blind embossing process provides a clean and distinctive or subtle image on paper stock. It is best used to create a subtle impression or low level of attention to the piece, yet provide some slight form of differentiation for the finished work.
Blind image
An image that has been embossed, debossed, or stamped into the paper but has not been printed in any manner.Board
Term applied to a paper above an accepted weight. The accepted cross-over point from paper to boards varies but in general would be around 180gsm. Below this weight are papers above this weight would be boards.
Bond Paper
A relatively high-grade paper stock generally used for letters, business forms, and copying. Some types of bond paper may have a rag content ranging from 25 percent to 100 percent.
Brightness
Refers to the percent of light reflected back from a sheet of paper as measured by a light meter reading. Contrast is reduced and highlights are not as strong when paper with a lower brightness is used for a printed piece.
Bulk
A term applied to the substance, thickness and feel of paper.