The Wells & Drew Printing Dictionary – N
N
NCR:
- See carbonless paper.
- natural color:
- very light brown color of paper. May also be called antique, cream, ivory, off-white or mellow white.
- negative:
- in photography, film containing an image in which values of the original are reversed so that the dark areas appear light and vice versa. In lithography; a film containing type or halftones in which the values are reversed, whites are black and blacks are clear film.
- nested:
- signatures assembled inside one another in the proper sequence for binding, as compared to gathered. Also called inset.
- neutral gray:
- Gray with no hue or cast.
- neutal ph:
- offset papers manufactured with a pH of 6.0 to 8.0 on a scale of 0 to 14.0. Neutral pH factors are built into paper as minumum value, to increase stabiltiy and improve permanence for use in printing of archival records.
- nominal weight:
- the basis weight of the paper at which the paper is billed. Unless otherwise stipulated by the mill and customer a plus or minus tolerance is allowed in the actual weight.
- news print:
- paper used in printing newspapers. Considered low quality and “a short life use.”
- newton rings:
- in reproduction from either photography or lithography, an objectionable series or irregularly colored circles caused by the prismatic action of interfacing different smooth surfaces together, such as in contact frames or transparencies on a scanner drum.
- nipping:
- in the book binding process, a stage where air is expelled from it’s contents at the sewing stage.
- non-heatset web:
- web press without a drying oven, thus not able to print on coated paper. Also called cold-set web and open web.Nonimpact PrintingPrinting using lasers, ions, ink jets or heat to transfer images to paper.
- non-reproducing blue:
- light blue that does not record on graphic arts film, therefore may be used to preprint layout grids and write instructions on mechanicals. Also called blue pencil, drop-out blue, fade-out blue and nonrepro blue.
- novelty printing:
- printing on products such as coasters, pencils, balloons, golf balls and ashtrays, known as advertising specialties or premiums.
- number up:
- quantity of images placed on a single flat. (i.e. – 24 postcards can be imaged on a single 26×40 flat. – 24 up)