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S

Saddle Stitch
The saddle stitch, or twin wire stitch, is the process of securing pages by wire staples through the collated sections of a book or leaflet.

Sans Serif
A typeface that has no serifs (small strokes at the end of main stroke of the character).

Saturation
In color saturation, refers to the brightness of colors. Or, absorbency or coverage of ink.

Scraper Board
A board prepared with black India ink over a china clay surface. Illustrations are produced by scraping away the ink to expose the china clay surface.

Scoring
Otherwise referred to as Creasing. A score is made in a sheet by a scoring cylinder before folding to prevent cracking along the fold. Scoring is used on heavy sheets (200gsm or over) or jobs with solid areas of ink across folds.

Screen
Also known as contact screen. A halftone screen on film or bromide with a dot structure of graded density.

Screen Angle
Angles at which halftone screens of each color are placed in relation to each other to avoid interference and moiré patterns. In four color process printing most commonly black 45°, magenta 75°, yellow 90° and cyan 105°.

Screen Rulings
The density of lines or dots in a halftone screen.

Scum
In offset lithography, a film of ink printing in the non-image areas of a plate where it should not print.

Scumming
The occurrence of the plate taking on ink in the non-image area. Normally due to improper ink water balance.

Sealer
A thin liquid coating used to reduce ink smudging or fingerprints marking onto a job. Sealers are applied during printing at the end of the press and dry quickly to seal in the ink. Your job may require a sealer particularly if there are large areas of ink coverage.

Security Paper
Paper incorporating special features (dyes, watermarks, etc) for use on checks or college transcript paper.

Separations
A full color image broken down into process ink colors (usually Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black). The original image is printed by combining these colors in the proper places and densities on paper.

Serif
A small cross stroke at the end of the main stroke of the letter, such as the base or tip of the letter "l".

Set Off
A problem that occurs when ink is not dry and sheets rub against each other. The ink is then smudged onto the sheets stacked below it. The use of varnishes and sealers helps to avoid set off.

Set Solid
Type set without extra leading (line spacing) between the lines. Type is often set with extra space; e.g. 9 point type set with 10 point leading (this example in usage is pronounced "nine over ten.")

Shadow
The darkest areas of a halftone image.

Sheet Fed
Sheet fed presses print onto paper cut to sheets to fit the press.

Sheetwise
A method of printing a section. Half the pages from a section are imposed and printed on one side of the sheet. The remaining half of the pages are then printed on the other side. This is the usual method for printing on sheetfed presses.

Show-Through
Where a printed image on one side of the paper is visible from the other side.

Side Stitching
Method of binding where sections of a book are secured by wire stitches at the spine from the front page through to the last.

Signature
Printed sheet (or its flat) that consists of a number of pages of a book, laid out so that they will fold and bind together as a section of a book. Also, the printed sheet after folding.

Slurring
A smearing of the image caused by paper slipping during the impression stage.

Small Caps
A set of capital letters which are smaller than standard and are equal in size to the lower case letters for that type size. Also an abbreviation for "Caps and Small Caps".

Smash
The transfer of foreign material between the blanket cylinders or the plate and blanket cylinder resulting in damage to the blanket.

Smash Resistance
The ability of a blanket to withstand more than normal printing pressure.

Smoothness
Smoothness is a surface characteristic relating to the flatness of a sheet, which affects its ink receptivity. Generally, the smoother the sheet, the sharper the image. The Sheffield smoothness test measures the amount of air that escapes when a Sheffield tester is pressed flat against the paper and air is blown out. The less air that escapes, the smoother the paper. Paper mills often classify the smoothness of uncoated papers as follows (from smoothest to roughest): super smooth, smooth, vellum, antique, eggshell, wove, satin and luster.

Spine
Back of a bound book connecting the front and back covers.

(See also Pantone® Matching System.)

Spiral Binding
A binding method where a plastic or metal spiral is wound by hand or machine through holes in the trimmed leaves.

Spot Color
Any color which is to be printed separately from the process ink colors.

Spot Varnish
When only a specific area of a printed piece is varnished, it is referred to as spot varnishing. Can be used to improve the appearance of printed photographs or illustrations, or as an element of the design.

Spread
An image which crosses over the spine, appearing continuously on adjacent pages.

Stem
The main vertical stroke making up a type character.

Stock
Type of paper or other material to be printed.

Strawboard
A rough, thick board made from straw pulp, used in bookwork and in the making of padded envelopes and cartons. Not suitable for printing.

Streaking
Areas on the printed sheet, in the cross direction, that appear darker or lighter. Streaks can be uniform in location, i.e., gear streaks, or non-uniform.

Stripping
Assembling loose film into aligned flats.

Subscript
Small characters set below the normal letters or figures.

Superscript
Small characters set above the normal letters or figures.

Swash Letters
Italic characters with extra flourishes used at the beginning of chapters.

Swatch
A color sample.