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L

Laid
A pattern of parallel lines within a sheet of paper running the length of the sheet.

Lamination
A laminate is a clear plastic coating applied with a water-based adhesive that covers the printed sheet, increasing tear resistance and protecting the image from marking. Laminate is available in matte, gloss and satin. Matte laminate scuffs more easily than gloss and this is especially apparent on dark colors.

Landscape
A page or image that is wider than it is deep (high).

Laser Cutting
Laser cutting is a relatively new technology allowing for much finer areas of a sheet to be cut away than is possible with die cutting.

Laser Printer
Laser printers use lasers to charge a digital image onto a xerographic cylinder. The charged image area attracts a toner which is then transferred by heat to the print medium (paper, acetate, etc.)

Laser Proof
A color proof showing copy, basic layout and low resolution images. A color laser proof is not an accurate check for color. The color check will come at a later stage of the print process using a Cromalin, Matchprint or wet proof.

Lateral Reversal
A positive or negative image transposed from left to right as in a mirror reflection of the original.

Lay Edge
Edge of a sheet of paper being fed into a printing press.

Layout
A sketch of a page for printing showing the position of text and illustrations and giving general instructions.

Leading
The space measured in point size between lines of type. Named after the strips of lead which in traditional letterpress were inserted between lines of metal type. Note: in digital typesetting, it is possible to have a leading which is smaller ("tighter") than the type size. This would have been very difficult to implement in traditional letterpress.

Leaf
One of a number of folds (each containing two pages) which compose a book or manuscript.

Letter Spacing
The addition of space between the letters of words to increase the line-length to a required width or to improve the appearance of a line.

Letterpress
A relief printing process in which a raised image is inked to produce an impression; the impression is then transferred by placing paper against image and applying pressure. Until the advent of photoengraving, letterpress plates were engraved by hand or machine, or composed of pre-engraved letters arranged in a case called a chase.

Letterset
A printing process combining offset printing with a letterpress relief printing plate.

Light Face
Type having finer strokes than the medium or regular typeface.

Light Print
Areas of the printed sheet where required densities can not be achieved.

Limp Binding
Usual method of binding for large or high-quality paperback books. Differs from perfect binding because signatures are section-sewn and the spine is not ground down, improving durability.

Line Art
Artwork comprised of areas of solid colors with no halftone or other non-solid shading.

Line Drawing
(See Line Art.)

Line Screen
Named after the physical screen used to make halftone images photographically (see halftone screen), but also referring to the pattern produced electronically, line screen refers to the density of dots measured in lines per inch (LPI) of a halftone image. Up to a certain point, the higher the line screen, the more detail an image can hold. Sheetfed offset lithography generally uses line screens of 133 to 175 LPI. Although line screens of 200 DPI have been reproduced on offset presses, higher line screens can wash out detail in highlights due to loss of the smallest dots.

Linen Tester
A magnifying glass designed for checking the dot image of a halftone.

Lines Per Inch
(See LPI)

Lining Figures
Numerals that align on the baseline and at the top.

Linotype
Manufacturers of a range of high-resolution phototypesetting machines such as the 100, 202, 300 and 500. The 100, 300 and 500 series are capable of processing PostScript files through an external RIP and typesetting desktop publishing files direct from disk at 1270dpi and beyond.

Lithography
Lithographic offset printing (often referred to as litho or offset) is based on the principle that oil and water do not mix. The plate cylinder holds the plate and the plate contains the image. The image is transferred onto the plate from film by laying the film over the blank aluminum plate and exposing the film and plate to a light which burns the image from the film onto the plate.

The image area on the plate is grease-receptive and water-repellent, while the non-image area is water-receptive and grease-repellent. The plate is mounted on the plate cylinder which rotates to bring the plate into contact first with a dampening roller wet with water or a dampening solution and then with an ink roller wet with ink. The non-image area is receptive to the dampening solution and therefore wet when it comes into the contact with the oil based ink. The water on the non-image area repels the ink and the image area, being receptive to the ink, picks it up and carries it to the next stage of the process – the blanket.

The blanket is made of rubber and is mounted to the blanket cylinder. The positive image on the plate is transferred to the rubber blanket creating a negative image. The paper then passes between the impression cylinder and the blanket cylinder, transferring the negative image on the blanket onto the paper as a positive image. This offset transfer from a rubber blanket gives a smoother, cleaner image than other traditional forms of print.

Logo
Short for logotype. In traditional letterpress, a word or combination of letters set as a single unit. Now used to denote a specially styled company name designed as part of a corporate image.

Loose Leaf
A method of binding which allows the insertion and removal of pages for continuous updating.

Loss of Print at the Gap
The inability to print the bleed area on the lead or tail end of the form. Normally occurs on the lay edge of the form.

Lower Case
The small letters in a font of type. Derives its name from the practice in traditional letterpress of keeping small letters in a case below that for large letters.

LPI (Lines Per Inch)
A measure of the resolution of a halftone. LPI tests use alternating black and white lines of diminishing size and measure the number of lines (per inch) which can be seen as distinct entities. The more lines that are visible, the higher the LPI and the ‘sharper’ the image.