ISO 12637-3:2009

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 12637-3
First edition
2009-04-15
Graphic technology — Vocabulary —
Part 3:
Printing terms
Technologie graphique — Vocabulaire —
Partie 3: Termes d'impression
Reference number
©
ISO 2009
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but
shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In
downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat
accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation
parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In
the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.

©  ISO 2009
The reproduction of the terms and definitions contained in this International Standard is permitted in teaching manuals, instruction
booklets, technical publications and journals for strictly educational or implementation purposes. The conditions for such reproduction are:
that no modifications are made to the terms and definitions; that such reproduction is not permitted for dictionaries or similar publications
offered for sale; and that this International Standard is referenced as the source document.
With the sole exceptions noted above, no other part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or
ISO's member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 12637-3 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 130, Graphic technology.
This first edition cancels and replaces ISO 12637-5:2001, of which the terms and definitions have been
incorporated.
ISO 12637 consists of the following parts, under the general title Graphic technology — Vocabulary:
— Part 1: Fundamental terms
— Part 2: Prepress terms
— Part 3: Printing terms
— Part 4: Postpress terms
Introduction
Documentation gives rise to numerous international exchanges of both intellectual and material nature. These
exchanges often become difficult, either because of the great variety of terms used in various fields or
languages to express the same concept, or because of the absence or the imprecision of useful concepts. To
avoid misunderstandings due to this situation and to facilitate such exchanges, it is advisable to select terms
to be used in various languages or in various countries to express the same concept and to establish
definitions providing satisfactory equivalents for the various terms in different languages. The purpose of this
part of ISO 12637 is to provide definitions that are rigorous, uncomplicated and which can be understood by
all concerned.
This part of ISO 12637 contains terms and definitions of printing technology and addresses printing systems
and processes.
iv © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 12637-3:2009(E)

Graphic technology — Vocabulary —
Part 3:
Printing terms
Scope
This part of ISO 12637 defines terms for printing systems and processes.
Terms and definitions
analogue copying machine
image-producing device that operates by transferring the original image via a lens onto a photosensitive
substrate and creates a visual image by utilizing electrophotographic or other means
anilox cell
engraved, etched, ablated or otherwise created recession in the anilox roller to contain the ink to be
transferred to the printing forme
anilox roller
cylinder with evenly distributed cells generally mounted on a flexographic printing press to transfer a controlled
quantity of ink to the printing forme
anti-setoff powder
anti-setoff spray powder
particles sprayed onto a printed surface to prevent ink set-off
aperture size
aperture width
〈screen printing〉 distance between two adjacent warps or weft wires (strands, threads) measured in the
projected fabric level
back printing
reverse printing
printing on the underside of a transparent film so that a readable image is visible on the top side
back-up cylinder
roll which holds down the small diameter impression cylinder to prevent bending
bearer
hardened steel ring mounted on both sides of the impression, blanket and plate cylinders which is the true
pitch circle diameter of the gear cylinders
bias roller transfer
support for the rubber blanket that acts as the intermediate carrier of the original images from the forme to the
substrate
blanket
〈offset printing〉 elastomeric image carrier that transfers original images from the printing forme to the
substrate in offset printing
blanket cylinder
rolling rubber blanket in contact with the plate cylinder of an offset press which transfers the inked image to
the substrate carried by the impression cylinder
blanket-to-blanket web offset printing
process in which sets of plate and blanket cylinders simultaneously print on both sides of the substrate with
each blanket cylinder acting as the impression cylinder for the other
bleeding
〈ink〉 penetration or migration of substances from the ink film into or onto a substrate, during or after printing,
causing an overlap of colours
blocking
condition that occurs when layers of printed substrates stick together
capsule toner
〈electrophotography〉 colorant carrier, designed for low temperature melting that is formed by a low melting,
point resin with a hard shell
carrier
〈electrophotography〉 magnetic beads transporting toner particles to the photoconductor used in a
multi-component dry electrophotographic developer
2 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

channel
〈gravure printing〉 area that links two adjacent cells in electromechanical engraving of pyramid-shaped cells in
circumferential direction
charge transfer
〈electrophotography〉 process in which colorant particles are conveyed from the photoconductor to a substrate
by corona treatment
charging roller
charge roller
〈electrophotography〉 roller that applies a static charge to the photoconductor prior to imaging
clogging
〈flexo printing〉 filling of the anilox cells with dried ink remains
clogging
〈ink jet printing〉 blockage of printer head
coating thickness
〈screen printing〉 difference between the screen-printing stencil thickness and thickness of mesh
conductive brush charging
〈electrophotography〉 process that uses electroconductive fibres tied together in brush form, the ends of which
are then brought into contact with a photosensitive surface and charged with DC voltage
corona transfer
〈electrophotography〉 process of electrostatic charging of photoconductors and substrates by passing them
under a thin, high voltage wire
crawling
insufficient wetting of the print substrate by the printing ink
creep
tendency of a printed image to drift out of register or position
cylinder press
printing press with a moving flat bed that holds the forme while a fixed rotating impression cylinder provides
the pressure
dampening system
device that wets the printing forme prior to the inking rollers
deflection electrode
〈continuous ink jet printing〉 electrode that determines the trajectory direction of charged ink droplets
direct stencil
〈screen printing〉 stencil produced on the screen-printing carrier
direct-indirect stencil
〈screen printing〉 stencil with which the direct and the indirect production methods are combined
doctor blade
blade that wipes the excess (surface) ink from a gravure cylinder or anilox roller before printing or the excess
coating from a cylinder during finishing operations
doctor roll
fountain roll in a flexographic press
dot area
percentage of the surface which appears to be covered by a single colour
double sheet detector
device on a sheet-fed press that can be set to automatically stop the feeding action when the sheet separation
unit of a feeder picks up two or more sheets simultaneously
dry back
change in colour, gloss or density of an ink film as it dries and penetrates the substrate
dryer tunnel
compartment through which the substrate passes for final drying after printing
4 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

dye ink
ink containing a colorant in dissolved form
effective squeegee angle
〈screen printing〉 angle between the blade and the forme when pressure has been applied
feathering
spreading of particles from the ink film onto the substrate, creating an irregular larger image
fill in
plugging
undesired effect in which small non-image areas are filled by ink
flooding
flow coating
flood coating
flood pulling
〈screen printing〉 filling the openings of the screen-printing forme with printing ink before the printing process
flooding
flow coating
flood coating
flood pulling
〈gravure printing〉 condition where the ink volume is so great that the image of the individual cells is no longer
visible
flooding
flow coating
flood coating
flood pulling
〈offset printing used in lithography〉 excess water on the printing plate or in the ink caused by improper ink
and/or water balance
forme roller
ink or dampening roller that directly contacts the printing forme
fountain solution
dampening solution
mixture of water and chemical agents used to wet the lithographic forme
frame height
〈screen-printing〉 distance of the frame above the substrate for the correct screen release
gear mark
irregular density that appears at regular intervals as bands in half-tones and solids parallel to the gripper
margin of the sheet
ghost image
undesirable, faint printed images appearing on substrates where they are not intended to be reproduced
grain
〈plate〉 roughened or irregular surface of a printing plate
gravure cell
engraved, etched, ablated or otherwise created recession in the gravure cylinder to contain the ink to be
transferred to the substrate
gravure cylinder
printing forme with an engraved pattern used in the gravure process, directly resulting in the printing image
after inking in a gravure press
half-tone gravure
printing process in which the ink-receptive cylinder cells are produced to vary in surface area and depth
halo
irregular outline that appears around printed characters and/or images, especially in relief forme printing, flexo
and letter press printing
hickey
imperfection on a printed sheet caused by unwanted particles that cling to the image carriers during
lithographic or letterpress printing
image area
part of the printing area on which ink is laid down
6 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

impression bar
small diameter rod or bar supported by another part of sufficient rigidity used in place of the impression
cylinder for running delicate substrates
impression cylinder
device which presses the substrate against an inked image carrier transferring the original image to the
substrate
indirect stencil
〈screen printing〉 stencil that, after its production, is attached to the screen-printing stencil carrier
ink-absorbing layer
coating layer on a substrate to provide a quality image without irregular bleeding
ink consumption
〈screen printing〉 wet volume of a certain printing ink required for printing with a certain printing forme
ink-ejecting heater
tiny heater plate located in the pressure chamber of the thermal ink jet printer head
ink fountain
pan on a printing press that holds the ink supply to be transferred to the inking system
ink rest
area on the upper surface of the screen-printing forme outside the printing area
ink trail
〈screen printing〉 area on the surface of the screen-printing forme outside the printing area
ink transfer
amount of ink supplied to a substrate as expressed in a percentage of the total ink available
in-line press
combination of modular printing and converting units
...

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 12637-3
First edition
2009-04-15
Graphic technology — Vocabulary —
Part 3:
Printing terms
Technologie graphique — Vocabulaire —
Partie 3: Termes d'impression
Reference number
©
ISO 2009
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but
shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In
downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat
accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation
parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In
the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.

©  ISO 2009
The reproduction of the terms and definitions contained in this International Standard is permitted in teaching manuals, instruction
booklets, technical publications and journals for strictly educational or implementation purposes. The conditions for such reproduction are:
that no modifications are made to the terms and definitions; that such reproduction is not permitted for dictionaries or similar publications
offered for sale; and that this International Standard is referenced as the source document.
With the sole exceptions noted above, no other part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or
ISO's member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 12637-3 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 130, Graphic technology.
This first edition cancels and replaces ISO 12637-5:2001, of which the terms and definitions have been
incorporated.
ISO 12637 consists of the following parts, under the general title Graphic technology — Vocabulary:
— Part 1: Fundamental terms
— Part 2: Prepress terms
— Part 3: Printing terms
— Part 4: Postpress terms
Introduction
Documentation gives rise to numerous international exchanges of both intellectual and material nature. These
exchanges often become difficult, either because of the great variety of terms used in various fields or
languages to express the same concept, or because of the absence or the imprecision of useful concepts. To
avoid misunderstandings due to this situation and to facilitate such exchanges, it is advisable to select terms
to be used in various languages or in various countries to express the same concept and to establish
definitions providing satisfactory equivalents for the various terms in different languages. The purpose of this
part of ISO 12637 is to provide definitions that are rigorous, uncomplicated and which can be understood by
all concerned.
This part of ISO 12637 contains terms and definitions of printing technology and addresses printing systems
and processes.
iv © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 12637-3:2009(E)

Graphic technology — Vocabulary —
Part 3:
Printing terms
Scope
This part of ISO 12637 defines terms for printing systems and processes.
Terms and definitions
analogue copying machine
image-producing device that operates by transferring the original image via a lens onto a photosensitive
substrate and creates a visual image by utilizing electrophotographic or other means
anilox cell
engraved, etched, ablated or otherwise created recession in the anilox roller to contain the ink to be
transferred to the printing forme
anilox roller
cylinder with evenly distributed cells generally mounted on a flexographic printing press to transfer a controlled
quantity of ink to the printing forme
anti-setoff powder
anti-setoff spray powder
particles sprayed onto a printed surface to prevent ink set-off
aperture size
aperture width
〈screen printing〉 distance between two adjacent warps or weft wires (strands, threads) measured in the
projected fabric level
back printing
reverse printing
printing on the underside of a transparent film so that a readable image is visible on the top side
back-up cylinder
roll which holds down the small diameter impression cylinder to prevent bending
bearer
hardened steel ring mounted on both sides of the impression, blanket and plate cylinders which is the true
pitch circle diameter of the gear cylinders
bias roller transfer
support for the rubber blanket that acts as the intermediate carrier of the original images from the forme to the
substrate
blanket
〈offset printing〉 elastomeric image carrier that transfers original images from the printing forme to the
substrate in offset printing
blanket cylinder
rolling rubber blanket in contact with the plate cylinder of an offset press which transfers the inked image to
the substrate carried by the impression cylinder
blanket-to-blanket web offset printing
process in which sets of plate and blanket cylinders simultaneously print on both sides of the substrate with
each blanket cylinder acting as the impression cylinder for the other
bleeding
〈ink〉 penetration or migration of substances from the ink film into or onto a substrate, during or after printing,
causing an overlap of colours
blocking
condition that occurs when layers of printed substrates stick together
capsule toner
〈electrophotography〉 colorant carrier, designed for low temperature melting that is formed by a low melting,
point resin with a hard shell
carrier
〈electrophotography〉 magnetic beads transporting toner particles to the photoconductor used in a
multi-component dry electrophotographic developer
2 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

channel
〈gravure printing〉 area that links two adjacent cells in electromechanical engraving of pyramid-shaped cells in
circumferential direction
charge transfer
〈electrophotography〉 process in which colorant particles are conveyed from the photoconductor to a substrate
by corona treatment
charging roller
charge roller
〈electrophotography〉 roller that applies a static charge to the photoconductor prior to imaging
clogging
〈flexo printing〉 filling of the anilox cells with dried ink remains
clogging
〈ink jet printing〉 blockage of printer head
coating thickness
〈screen printing〉 difference between the screen-printing stencil thickness and thickness of mesh
conductive brush charging
〈electrophotography〉 process that uses electroconductive fibres tied together in brush form, the ends of which
are then brought into contact with a photosensitive surface and charged with DC voltage
corona transfer
〈electrophotography〉 process of electrostatic charging of photoconductors and substrates by passing them
under a thin, high voltage wire
crawling
insufficient wetting of the print substrate by the printing ink
creep
tendency of a printed image to drift out of register or position
cylinder press
printing press with a moving flat bed that holds the forme while a fixed rotating impression cylinder provides
the pressure
dampening system
device that wets the printing forme prior to the inking rollers
deflection electrode
〈continuous ink jet printing〉 electrode that determines the trajectory direction of charged ink droplets
direct stencil
〈screen printing〉 stencil produced on the screen-printing carrier
direct-indirect stencil
〈screen printing〉 stencil with which the direct and the indirect production methods are combined
doctor blade
blade that wipes the excess (surface) ink from a gravure cylinder or anilox roller before printing or the excess
coating from a cylinder during finishing operations
doctor roll
fountain roll in a flexographic press
dot area
percentage of the surface which appears to be covered by a single colour
double sheet detector
device on a sheet-fed press that can be set to automatically stop the feeding action when the sheet separation
unit of a feeder picks up two or more sheets simultaneously
dry back
change in colour, gloss or density of an ink film as it dries and penetrates the substrate
dryer tunnel
compartment through which the substrate passes for final drying after printing
4 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

dye ink
ink containing a colorant in dissolved form
effective squeegee angle
〈screen printing〉 angle between the blade and the forme when pressure has been applied
feathering
spreading of particles from the ink film onto the substrate, creating an irregular larger image
fill in
plugging
undesired effect in which small non-image areas are filled by ink
flooding
flow coating
flood coating
flood pulling
〈screen printing〉 filling the openings of the screen-printing forme with printing ink before the printing process
flooding
flow coating
flood coating
flood pulling
〈gravure printing〉 condition where the ink volume is so great that the image of the individual cells is no longer
visible
flooding
flow coating
flood coating
flood pulling
〈offset printing used in lithography〉 excess water on the printing plate or in the ink caused by improper ink
and/or water balance
forme roller
ink or dampening roller that directly contacts the printing forme
fountain solution
dampening solution
mixture of water and chemical agents used to wet the lithographic forme
frame height
〈screen-printing〉 distance of the frame above the substrate for the correct screen release
gear mark
irregular density that appears at regular intervals as bands in half-tones and solids parallel to the gripper
margin of the sheet
ghost image
undesirable, faint printed images appearing on substrates where they are not intended to be reproduced
grain
〈plate〉 roughened or irregular surface of a printing plate
gravure cell
engraved, etched, ablated or otherwise created recession in the gravure cylinder to contain the ink to be
transferred to the substrate
gravure cylinder
printing forme with an engraved pattern used in the gravure process, directly resulting in the printing image
after inking in a gravure press
half-tone gravure
printing process in which the ink-receptive cylinder cells are produced to vary in surface area and depth
halo
irregular outline that appears around printed characters and/or images, especially in relief forme printing, flexo
and letter press printing
hickey
imperfection on a printed sheet caused by unwanted particles that cling to the image carriers during
lithographic or letterpress printing
image area
part of the printing area on which ink is laid down
6 © ISO 2009 – All rights reserved

impression bar
small diameter rod or bar supported by another part of sufficient rigidity used in place of the impression
cylinder for running delicate substrates
impression cylinder
device which presses the substrate against an inked image carrier transferring the original image to the
substrate
indirect stencil
〈screen printing〉 stencil that, after its production, is attached to the screen-printing stencil carrier
ink-absorbing layer
coating layer on a substrate to provide a quality image without irregular bleeding
ink consumption
〈screen printing〉 wet volume of a certain printing ink required for printing with a certain printing forme
ink-ejecting heater
tiny heater plate located in the pressure chamber of the thermal ink jet printer head
ink fountain
pan on a printing press that holds the ink supply to be transferred to the inking system
ink rest
area on the upper surface of the screen-printing forme outside the printing area
ink trail
〈screen printing〉 area on the surface of the screen-printing forme outside the printing area
ink transfer
amount of ink supplied to a substrate as expressed in a percentage of the total ink available
in-line press
combination of modular printing and converting units
...