Technical jargon leaving you feeling a little confused? Fear not! We’ve put together a glossary of some terms that you may come across in the printing world...
From Box Frames, to Float Glass and Dye Sublimnation… what does it all mean? We’ve got you covered!
This term is sometimes used to describe materials that may have acidic content but have been buffered to increase their PH value. A neutral or alkaline PH value will provide a more stable environment for your print to be mounted to, and is linked with longer life expectancy. All our papers, window mounts and boards are acid free to protect and conserve your artwork.
The term archival refers to a material being permanent, durable or chemically stable. As such, the term is non-technical and unenforced. It is typically used for photographic printing papers and Giclée inks to signify the long-life of the materials. ‘Archival’ prints will generally last a very long time without fading or discolouring.
A backboard is attached to the back of the frame. The material used must be chemically inert or acid free so as not to damage or degrade the print over time.
The term ‘Internal backboard’ describes the board used to protect or help display artwork. Internal backboard is usually visible (although not always) and must be chemically inert or acid free so as not to damage or degrade the print over time.
A box frame uses a spacer or fillet between the glazing and the print. This framing solution is ideal for 3D artworks as the space be adjusted between the glazing and the artwork.
Buffered mount board uses an alkaline filler to raise the PH level from 7.0 (neutral) to 9.5 (high alkaline). This reduces the possibility of acids forming in the layers of the board and is linked with longer life expectancy.
A board is made from layers of compressed paper. Terms such as ‘8-ply’ refer to the layers of paper used – e/g. e.g. 8-ply board is made up from 8 layers of paper.
The C-41 process (often abbreviated to just C41) is a photographic processing system for developing colour negative film.
Chromaluxe is a trade name of Universal Woods inc, a manufacturer of dye-sublimation panels. The term ‘ChromaLuxe Fine Art printing’ is used to describe a process using ‘dye sublimation’ to fuse images on to metal. The term ‘sublimation’ describes the transition of a substance (in this case, the special inks) directly from the solid to the gas phase without becoming a liquid first. Chromaluxe prints can be known as HD metal prints, metal sublimation prints, dye sublimation prints.
Chromogenic prints, often referred to as ‘c-type’ prints are prints produced using chromogenic materials and processes. Read more about Chromogenic prints.
A colour profile is a set of data that characterizes a colour input or output device. They are used to ensure consistent colour throughout the digital printing process.
Conservation level framing uses techniques and materials to help preserve and protect artwork, ensuring longevity for the future. The Fine Art Trade Guild is the UK trade association for the Fine Art Framing industry and has defined five professional levels of framing which are recognised around the globe. Conservation level is the 2nd highest level designed to visually enhance artwork and offer a high level of protection for approximately 20 years under normal conditions.
Both traditional glazing and acrylic can be coated with a layer of fine film, designed to reduce glare and increase the UV filtration and abrasion resistance.
Conservation boards are boards made from purified wood pulp, with the Lignin removed. They contain small amounts of buffering to protect the board from acid pollutants.
CMYK is short for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (black) and describes the inks and the general process used by commercial lithographic printers to produce colour printed work on a printing press, like magazines and brochures. Photographic printing uses RGB instead of CMYK.
Deckled edges are rough and irregularly cut edges of a print. This should be float mounted as this allows the entire print including the edges to be on show.
A storage device used for digital files. This could be a camera card, CD, data DVD or external hard disk.
Dots per inch (DPI) is a measure of the amount of visual information that can be represented in one square inch. If you have a digital image that is A4 in size at 72dpi it is considered low resolution whilst a high resolution image will be 300 dpi or more.
The process of bonding an artwork to a mounting board using a dry tissue adhesive activated by heat, to keep the artwork permanently flat. The tissue is placed between the artwork and the board and then an iron or heat press will melt the tissue forming a bond between the board and the artwork.
Duratrans is short for Durable Transparency and is commonly known as a backlit display print. They can be found in many places from fast-food restaurant menus to corporate receptions and advertising hoardings.
The term ‘sublimation’ describes the transition of a substance (in the case of Chromaluxe Fine Art printing, the special inks) directly from the solid to the gas phase without becoming a liquid first.
The E-6 process (often abbreviated to just E6) is a photographic processing system for developing colour reversal or slide film.
Fillets are strips that can be made from wood or plastic, that run through the inner edge of the frame to create a separation between the artwork and the glazing of the frame. Fillets/spacers are used to help prevent mould growth and adhesion to the glass.
The term ‘Float Glass’ is used to describe the standard glass used in picture framing, it is transparent and colourless. The term Float refers to how the glass is made – by pouring molten glass on a bed of molten tin. The molten glass then floats onto the tin and form into the shape of the bed, creating a uniform thickness and flat surface.
FTP is an acronym for File Transfer Protocol and is simply a method of transferring digital files to or from your computer to a web server. It is as easy as copying a file from one folder to another.
Fujiclear – full name Fujiclear Display Material – is a material manufactured by Fujifilm which is laser-exposure optimised and has a clear-base for use in the production of transparent prints. These prints are also known as Duraclear (a trade name of Kodak) prints or Backlit transparencies. Backlit transparencies are ideal for display in lightboxes.
Fujitrans – full name Fujitrans Display Material – is a material manufactured by Fujifilm which is laser-exposure optimised and has a white base for use in the production of translucent prints. These prints are also known as Duratran (a trade name of Kodak) prints or Backlit transparencies. Backlit transparencies are ideal for display in lightboxes.
Ultra-high quality inkjet prints printed on special archival quality papers. Pronounced “gee-clay” the word derives from the French verb “to spray” and refers to the ink being sprayed onto the paper.
Hinges are used to secure an artwork to a backing board or to a mount board are placed on one edge of the artwork. This helps prevent the artwork from falling off, but in worst case scenario it does fall, the hinges will tear off rather than the artwork. Hinges act as extra barrier for the artwork.
Joining is a term used to describe how the edges of a frame are fixed together. There are different methods for this, for example: splicing, screw plug or underpinning. These methods used for joining can depend on the size or type of frame.
Kapa™ a trademarked name owned by 3A Composites GmbH. Foamboard is made up of three layers – an inner hard foam polyurethane core clad with a reinforced aluminium layer (adding protection for photographic images) and outer covering of card.
The term ‘keyline’ is a noun used to describe the outline on artwork or plans. In framing, keyline (in ‘keyline framing’) is used to describe a frame with as very slimline gap between the print (which is often face mounted) and the frame itself. No glass is used. This creates a thin outline, hence the name.
The Durst Lambda printer is a digital laser imager capable of producing large format images with the same quality, or even better, than conventional photo printing. Images can be combined with high quality graphics and text and printed onto a range of photographic materials.
A method of image compression used when saving files as a tiff in photoshop. Its use significantly reduces file size without any loss of image quality.
MDF stands for Medium Density Fibreboard. MDF is made from wood fibres, which are mixed together with resin and wax and heat pressed to form panels. Medium density refers to how many wood fibres have been broken down to form the MDF.
The term ‘Moulding’ refers to the shape of a wood profile used to make the outer part of a frame.
The process of attaching a photographic image to a thick base material to both keep it flat and provide a platform for easy display.
This is the space between the edge of your artwork and the edge of the mount, which can be increased or decreased to show more or less of the artwork through the aperture of the mount.
A window mount, or passe-partout, is a flat piece of board with an aperture in the middle so your artwork can be viewed through it. A mount is placed on top of an artwork (within a frame) to separate it from the glass and also to enhance the visual appeal of the artwork.
The term ‘Float Mount’ refers to displaying the entire artwork paper for view within the mount aperture. Float mounted prints are often presented with a deckled edge.
Museum level framing is archival grade framing used in museums and galleries worldwide to protect and preserve artwork for display. The fine art trade guild is the UK trade association for the fine art framing industry and has defined five professional levels of framing which are recognised around the globe. Museum is the ultimate level designed to visually enhanced artwork and offer the maximum level of protection for up to 35 years under normal conditions. Museum level framing uses reversible mounting methods to ensure the work framed is left undamaged when removed.
Non reflective glass is glass that has been acid etched on one or two sides to disperse reflective light.
‘Passé-partout’ (or passepartout) is a french term for a mat, paper or cardboard sheet placed over the print and under the glass in a picture frame. Passé-partouts are also known as window mounts, mats and liners.
Both terms are brand names used to describe Acrylic.
The term ‘print on demand’ refers to an order fulfilment method where prints are produced as orders are made. Files are kept on our server and prints are produced and sent as ordered by the client – without need to upload new files each time.
A raw image file contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of a digital camera or image scanner. Raw files are so named because they are not yet processed or ready to be printed. Precise adjustments can be made from raw files before conversion to a file format such as TIFF or JPEG for storage, printing, or further manipulation.
A preview of a digital file on your computer screen used to simulate how the final photographic print will look.
Split battens are a method of hanging artwork to the wall using corresponding strips of wood. One strip is fixed to the mount and the other is placed to fixed to your wall. The mount will simply ‘hook’ onto the attached batten on the wall.
A sub frame, or subframe is an inner frame that acts as a support system to secure the artwork inside the frame. This is placed behind the artwork and secured with screws. Sub-frames/strainers can also act as a hanging system. As support frames, subframes are particularly used on very large or extremely thin frames.
A traditional film format resulting from E6 processing. In their 35mm format, transparencies, trannies or trannys are commonly known as slides. They come in a variety of sizes up to 10×8″.
‘Tray frame’ is a term used to describe a glassless frame with space between the print and frame. The artwork is set back slightly from the edge of the frame to prevent damage and there is space left on all sides of the mounted print within the frame to achieve the ‘floating’ effect.
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