Glossary

The PRINTING United Alliance Glossary serves as an excellent industry terminology resource. It is the language by which we all communicate. Without it, universal understanding would be impossible.

To keep our constituents well informed about changes to the increasingly complex industry terminology, PRINTING United Alliance has developed this glossary of terms. Definitions are for general reference only. Usage may vary between companies, individuals, or national and country customs. The information presented is as accurate as the authors and editors can ascertain and PRINTING United Alliance assumes no responsibility for the use of information presented herein.
  • Alpha
    (1) The average percent change in resistance per degree of a pure metal resistance device between 0 degrees and 100 degrees Centigrade, which is usually designated by the Greek letter A or a, with units of ohm/ohm/C; (2) The mask channel in a color system.
  • Alpha blending
    Ability to specify a fourth color component in addition to RGB, used to specify opacity, from completely transparent to opaque.
  • Alpha channel
    An eight-bit grayscale channel found in some graphics applications or the last eight bits in a 32-bit color scan. (The first 24 bits describe the color of objects. Alpha channels permit layering of images. Some uses include masking objects, making them transparent, or adding specific color instructions).
  • Alphabet length
    The space required for the letters of the alphabet in a particular type font.
  • Alphabet sheet
    Sheet containing fonts of letters that may be removed and relocated to form words and/or lines of copy. (They are either on transparent material having a pressure sensitive adhesive back, or the letters are printed on the back of the sheet and adhered to the new substrate by burnishing).
  • Alphanumeric
    Consisting of alphabetic and numerical symbols; a device or system that includes letters and numbers.