Glossary
What is a native file?
It is the proprietary file type for a particular program. Microsoft Word files with the extension .doc are native to Word while .indd files are native to InDesign.
What is a plot style or CTB file?
A plot style controls how an object or layer is plotted by determining plotted properties such as line weight, color and fill style. Plot style tables collect groups of plot styles. The Plot Style Manager is a window that shows all the plot style tables available in AutoCAD LT.
There are two plot style types: color-dependent and named. A drawing can use only one type of plot style table. You can convert a plot style table from one type to the other. You can also change the type of plot style table a drawing uses once it has been set.
For color-dependent plot style tables, an object's color determines how it is plotted. These plot style table files have .ctb extensions. You cannot assign color-dependent plot styles directly to objects. Instead, to control how an object is plotted, you change its color. For example, all objects assigned the color red in a drawing are plotted the same way.
Named plot style tables use plot styles that are assigned directly to objects and layers. These plot style table files have .stb extensions. Using them enables each object in a drawing to be plotted differently, independent of its color.
What does 4/0, 4/1 and 4/4 mean?
4/0 refers to four color printing on one side of a page with nothing printed on the back. This regularly means full color process printing because four inks (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) are used to create a full color image. 4/1 regularly indicates a page with full color on one side with black on the other. 4/4 means there is full color printing on both sides of a sheet (double sided color printing).
What is a bleed? Why can bleeds cost more?
A bleed is any part of the image which extends to the edge of the page. Most photographs from your local photo center are printed with a bleed (without a white margin or border). To create a bleed, the image must extend past the cut size of the final printed piece, generally by 1/4 inch. Bleeds cost more than an image without a bleed (one with 1/4 inch margin) because a larger sheet of paper is needed for printing so we can trim the final piece to your desired size.
What is the difference between a C, M, U and CVC color swatch?
Pantone inks consist of a library of inks all with their own color recipes. The number represents the ink color, while the letters represent the paper stock: "C" stands for coated paper, "M" stands for matte paper and "U" stands for uncoated paper. When the color red prints on a coated sheet it looks vibrant, but when it's printed on an uncoated sheet it appears duller because the coated sheet reflects light, unlike the uncoated sheet which absorbs it. It is because of this difference that we need separate color libraries for our design software and digital printers. When “C” color swatch and “U” color swatch are viewed side-by-side on the screen they will look different and print differently on a digital printer. Therefore the ink color must coordinate with your paper selection to obtain realistic expectations. CV (computer video), CVC (computer video coated) and CVU (computer video uncoated) are no longer used by Pantone, but still exist in older page layout programs. Please use the current color extensions (C,M,U) if available to you.
What is a pixel?
A pixel, or picture element, is the smallest display element that makes up the images you see on a computer monitor or television. A typical image contains millions of pixels, which is why digital cameras are defined in megapixels (mega=millions).
What is resolution?
Resolution is often referred to as the number of dots per inch (dpi) or pixels per inch (ppi) an image contains. Specifically, dots refer to the quality of printing, while pixels refer to the digital image on your monitor, scanner or camera. Generally, the higher your image resolution, the better the image will print.
What is a raster or bitmap image? What is a vector image?
Raster images consist of pixels, which are referred to as the image's resolution. A paint-by-number painting is a good representation of resolution. When finished, the image may
represent a landscape, but there is a great distinction between one color and the next. Now think of a pointillism painting by Seurat. The painting is comprised of many more smaller dots and the detail is much more refined. The computer takes it one step further with the ability to display millions of tiny squares (pixels) with millions of colors. Raster image are resolution dependent.
Vector images are described by mathematical equations that can be scaled exponentially while retaining the same quality at any size. Vector images are resolution independent.
What is interpolation?
Interpolation occurs when you increase the size of the image through the software’s resize or resample command. The software must create new pixels and estimates the color values of the new data based on the surrounding pixels? Vector images are not plagued by interpolation because they do not have pixels.
