Dandy roll
A roll that is located above the wet web of paper. It smoothes the top surface of the paper as it passes under the roll. A watermarking dandy roll has a skeletal structure which is covered with a wire cloth that has a design affixed to it. As the wet web of paper passes under the watermarking dandy roll, the design is impressed into the paper which results in a permanent watermark on the sheet.
Debossing
Debossing is the term used to describe the opposite process or effect, which involves applying pressure to the front side of a stock forcing the material away or down from the paper surface. Although it is not as commonly used as embossing, debossing is occasionally used to provide a different effect or appearance that fits a particular theme. A debossed image is shown below.
Deckle edge
Special effect used on paper where the edge of the paper looks untrimmed or torn. Used for aesthetic purposes. Generally used on formal stationery, invitations and announcements
Densitometer
Density is the level of darkness in a negative or positive film or print. The measurement of density is called densitometry. An instrument called a densitometer is used to measure the density. The density of a photographic positive or negative is a result of the amount of silver dye developed in the film or photographic paper. In printed copy, density is caused by the light-stopping ability of the pigments in the printing ink that are deposited on the paper by the printing process. Densitometers are widely used in the graphics industry to help control colour in each step of the printing process.
Die cutting
The main method or standard means of die cutting involves the use of metal dies to give paper or substrate products specific shapes or designs that cannot be accomplished by a straight cut on a web press or a guillotine cutter. By using knife-edge cutting blades formed into a pattern or die, a machine presses the die into the material to produce the desired shape. Almost any shape can be created and applied to a diverse array of raw materials. Labels, envelopes, folders, cartons, and documents are only a few of the many printed products that can be die cut for added functionality.The main method or standard means of die cutting involves the use of metal dies to give paper or substrate products specific shapes or designs that cannot be accomplished by a straight cut on a web press or a guillotine cutter.Die stampingProducing an image by stamping the printing material with a dieDigital PaperPapers that have been manufactured to meet the requirements for printing on digital equipment. They have a surface suitable to accept the inks and toners of the digital printers. They must also be of low moisture content to prevent the paper from curling when exposed to the high heat of some of the digital equipment.
Digital Printing
Any type of print reproduction method that utilizes electronic files to produce a printed piece from dots of ink, toner, or dye. The printed piece is created directly from a computer file without the need for film or conventional printing plates.
Direct Mail
Used to advertise a product or service offered by a company. The objective is to make an offer to the recipient and encourage a response to the offer. The mail package contains components such as response cards, envelopes, letters, brochures, coupons etc., generally mailed to a specific target audience.
Dot gain
When halftone dots print larger on the press than what they originally were on the plate or film, resulting in a loss of detail and lower contrast in the image. Dot gain occurs on every job to some degree. It is predictable to a point and can be compensated for when film and plates are produced Dot gain often occurs in long press runs, due to plates and/or pressure settings wearing or changing through out the run.
Dots per inch (dpi)
measurement of resolution of input devices, output devices and display devices. The measurement is stated with the horizontal measurement first and the vertical measurement second. The resolution of 800 x 600 indicates 800 dots per inch horizontally and 600 dots per inch vertically.
Double Coated
Coating a paper twice on one side. Should not be confused with coating on both sides.
Dummy
A mock layout created to simulate the final product. The complexity of the dummy can range from a simple mockup showing size and with a hand drawn sketch of the layout to one showing all the details exactly as the finished product will appear.DuotoneAn electronic image in which the picture elements have only two intensity values; black and white. 2. In printing, a duotone is printed in two colours from plates that were made from films that had the screen angles different from each other.
Duplex Paper
Dye sublimation
Colour printing technology in which solid dye pigments are heated, changing them directly into a gas. When the dye, in the form of a gas, makes contact with a specially coated paper, it changes back into a solid. The individual spots of dye created with the thermal dye sublimation process blend together to make an almost continuous tone image similar to an actual photograph.