ADJUSTABLE IDLER An idling roller that moves, or can be moved, adjusted, to control the web. A pipe roller. See, cocking idler, spring loaded idler, compensator, floating idler.
ANGLE BARS A pair of turning bars used to transfer the web from one side of the press to the other. See turning bars.
ANTI-FRICTION (1) A machine in which the majority of rotating members are mounted in ball or roller bearings.  (2) Specifically, a newspaper press in which the plate and impression cylinders, inking rollers, and web guide rollers are mounted in roller or ball bearings rather than in bronze or babbitt sleeve type bearings.
ANTI-FRICTION PRESS A press with anti-friction bearings.
ARCH (1) The general appearance of a unit type press which has inking rollers going from the floor up to the printing couples which form the top of the "arch".  (2) The space on a unit type press under the printing couples and between the inking rollers.  (3) Term used to distinguish a unit type press from the deck type and flatbed presses.
ARTIFICIAL TENSION The amount of braking force that must be applied to a roll of newsprint by mechanical means. The natural tension plus the artificial tension equals the total tension of the roll.
ASSOCIATE (1) To bring together, usually the webs in the press.  (2) To bring the folded web from one former together with the folded web from another former.  (3) To "cross-associate" is to transfer a web from one side of the press to the other side. See transfer.
AT SPEED (1) Usually the normal running speed of the press. This is not necessarily the maximum speed of the press.  (2) Sometimes, any speed above inching speed.
ATMOSPHERE Climatic conditions, usually temperature and humidity as they affect paper, ink, and ink rollers.
AUTOMATIC LEAD DEVICE A mechanical device for taking the lead from the reel to the unit above. An automatic lead device usually consists of a chain, or canvas tape, that follows the path of the lead and a clip which holds the lead.
AUTOMATIC PASTER (1) Attaching by means of special equipment a new roll of newsprint to expiring web while the press is running.  (2) The equipment used for attaching a new roll of newsprint to the expiring web while the press is running.
AUXILIARY INK DRUM On the Goss Headliner press, the lower or smaller ink drum.
BACKLASH (1) In machinery, the recoil or play due to loose fitting or worn parts.  (2)  In printing presses, the play which results in out of register printing due to loose fitting or worn gears.
BALLOON The former plate located above another former plate.
BAR (1) On the press, to turn a shaft or cylinder with a bar.  (2) Transferring the web from one side of the press to the other with angle bars.  (3) To change the direction of the web with a turning bar.
BARE DIAMETER Diameter of the impression cylinder without blankets, or the plate cylinder without plates.
BARRING HUB The enlarged portion of a shaft into which a bar can be inserted to turn the shaft by hand. Barring hubs are usually located on the drive shafts horizontal and vertical, and on the plate cylinders.
BAY WINDOW An idling roller, or series of rollers, mounted on the side of the superstructure and set at right angles to the roller-top-of-former, and a pair of turning bars set at an angle of 45 degrees. Bay windows are used to turn the web over, and sometimes to insert the web at another place in the newspaper.
BED (1) On a flatbed press, the part of the press on which the form, from which the paper is printed, is placed.  (2) The area on which a press is installed.  See bed plate.
BED GIBS Side pieces on the track of a flathead cylinder press which holds the bed in place to prevent side motion.
BED PLATE The frame, surface, or foundation on which a press is installed. Generally, a bed is the area constructed in the pressroom for the press, while a bed plate is sold as a part of the press.
BELLY A plate, or other objects, that rises up in the center.
BELTS (1) Metal, leather, or composition strips applied to the outside of a roll of paper to act as a brake on the roll and thus increase the amount of pull, or tension, on the web. The belts may be fixed (see static belts) or they may move at a speed slightly less than the surface speed of the web (see running belts).  (2) Leather, fabric, or composition strips used to guide the web through the press, usually known as tapes.
BLANKET CYLINDER A term used to refer to the impression cylinder to which the blankets are attached. See impression cylinder.
BLANKETS The material used to cover the impression cylinder. The blankets usually consist of one layer of cork and one of felt, or one layer of cork an done of rubber covered by a protective layer known as the drawsheet. In some cases the cork and rubber are combined to form a single blanket. See impression, impression cylinder.
BLISTERS (1) Raised portions on blankets, caused by the use of kerosene or oil.  (2) A raised or damaged drawsheet.
BOLSTER The raised portion of the blankets on the impression cylinder. The part of the blankets not compressed by the plate striking the impression cylinder.
BOLSTER MARKS (1) Ink or grease stains along the side of the newspaper made because the bolster came in contact with the edge of the paper. Wiping the plate and impression-cylinder ends once a day will help to prevent bolster marks.  (2) Heavy printing obtained by printing on the bolster.
BRACKET MOUNT A steel frame, supported by two columns, for holding the reek or the reel-tension-paster mechanism. Contrasted with pedestal mount or column mount.
BRAKE SIDE The side of the press on which the brake shoes are located.
BRUSH In an automatic paster mechanism using wet glue, the brush that pushes the expiring web against the new roll when the paster is made.
BRUSH ASSEMBLY The brushes and related parts for controlling the brushes in the automatic paster mechanism using wet glue.
BUCKLING (1) The bending of a stereotype plate due to the pressure on the sides of the plate from the compression type lockup. (2) A stereo mat that did not fit against the casting box.
BULL DOG The first edition of a newspaper.
BULL GEAR A large gear which drives several other gears.
BULL HORN LOCKUP A lockup arrangement that is manipulated with a bull horn wrench.
BULL HORN WRENCH A wrench with handles that are approximately the size and shape of a bull's horn. This wrench is usually used to lock plates on Goss presses.
BUTT END A roll of newsprint that has been partially used.
CENTER RING On the plate cylinder of a double width press, the metal ring against which the stereotype plate is placed to be held on the press.
CENTRIFUGAL THROW-OFF (1) Ink misting caused by ink being thrown off of rollers.  (2) Slight lift of a stereotype plate from the plate cylinder.
CHASE A metal frame or container in which type is placed.
CHEEKWOODS Pieces of wood or fiber on both sides of the knife in the cutting cylinders. The cheekwoods press and hold the web against the rubber in the folding cylinder to permit the knife to make a clean cut.
CHEESE ROLL See dinky or quarter roll.
CHOKE A jamming of the press equipment with newsprint, usually refers to a fold jam.
CHOPPERS (1) A term used to refer to the knives that sever the web during the paster cycle, or to the knife that severs the web when the web break detector drops and stops the press.  (2) Any knife, or set of knives, that operate with a quick short cutting stroke (hence, "choppers"). Usually not used to refer to the knives in the cutting cylinder.
CHUCK (1) A Cylindrical piece of metal so designed that one end fits into a roll of newsprint while the other end fits the reel spider arm or the shaft of a roll stand. There are a variety of chuck designs.  (2) In general, any device used to hold either a tool, or work, in a machine
CIRCUMFERENTIAL REGISTER (1) The position of one plate in relation to another plate around the plate cylinder.  (2) The moving or adjusting of a plate so the printing is either raised or lowered on the page as contrasted with sidelay register where the plate is adjusted to move the print either left or right on the page.
CLAMP BAR (1) A bar used to lock or unlock the mechanism that holds the plates on the press.  (2) A bar used to push the blankets onto the pins in the impression cylinder and to hold the blankets on the pins.
COCK Placing a stereotype plate at an angle on the plate cylinder.
COCKING IDLER An adjustable idling roller that is fixed on one end and adjustable on the other end. Cocking idlers are ordinarily located between the roll of paper and the printing couple and are used to even, or smooth, the web after the newsprint leaves the roll. Also known as a leveling roller.
COLLECT CYLINDER The cutting cylinder of a 2 to 1 folder. On this type of folder the section to be collected travels around the cutting cylinder while the next section is being brought into the folder, hence, the cutting cylinder collects the sections. The cutting cylinder does not have a collect action on the 3 to 2 folders.
COLLECT RUN On a semi-cylindrical press only, a printing arrangement where one plate on the cylinder prints one page while the opposite plate prints another page (see straight run). In a collect run the folder is so adjusted that one section of the paper is held back until the next section is ready to go with it around the folding cylinder, hence the term "collect".
COLOR HUMP  Pressroom terminology for auxiliary plate cylinder or color cylinder. The term is derived from the "hump" on the unit made by the auxiliary plate cylinder.
COLORTROL Trade name for a remote control device that regulates the amount of ink going from the ink fountain to the printed page. Manufactured by the Goss Printing Press Co.
COLUMN ADJUSTING SCREW The screw used for regulating the amount of ink supplied to a column on the newspaper. The column adjusting screw does not always correspond to a column on a page due to variations in paper size and the number of columns per page.
COMPENSATOR (1) An adjustable idling roller located between the printing couple and the folder. The compensator is parallel to the folder and is moved forward and backward to control the length of the web from the printing couple to the folder.  (2) In the folder, an adjustable idling roller used to control the web.  (3) On some unit type presses, an adjustable idling roller between printing couples.
COMPRESSION PLATE LOCKUP A mechanism for locking stereotype plates on the plate cylinder. Wedge-shaped clips are pressed against the side of the plate to hold it in position, hence the term "compression".
COOKSEY SEVERING DEVICE A cutting device between the roll of newsprint and the printing couple combined with a non-reversing roller above the unit to prevent cylinder wraps when a web breaks.
COUNTER On the folder, a counting device that records the number of papers produced for a straight run.
CREASERS (1) A term used to refer to the second fold rollers which pull the final product from the folder and crease it, hence the term "creasers".  (2) Former plates, used more frequently with magazine presses.
CROSS ASSOCIATE To bring the web across the press from the former to the folder under the adjacent former.
CROSSHEAD The part of a flatbed press that drives the impression cylinder back and forth during printing. The assembly extends across the press, hence the name.
CROSSHEAD SLIDES On the far side of a flatbed press, the smooth surface on which the crosshead travels.
CROWNING On the impression cylinder of a flatbed press, sheets of paper placed against the cylinder and under the layer of cork to give the packing a slight rise in the center.
CYLINDER (1) A general term used to refer to the plate cylinder, the impression cylinder, or almost any other cylindrical part of a press.  (2) The plate used on a cylindrical or tubular press.
CYLINDER BEARERS (1) At each end of the plate and impression cylinders on a hard packing press, the smooth surfaces against which the plate and impression cylinder ride to maintain a fixed distance between the two cylinders.
CYLINDER COLLECT A collect run where the collecting action takes place by having the first section travel around the cutting cylinder.
CYLINDER JUMPS (1) Light and dark streaks across the printed page due to variations in impression or ink while the web is being printed.  (2) The slightly non-circular rotation of the plate or impression cylinder which results in light and dark horizontal streaks on a page.
CUT-OFF The length of a newspaper page; usually 21 1/2 , 23 3/4, or 23 9/16 inches.
CUTTING CYLINDER In the folder, the cylinder that holds the cutting knives that cut the web into individual newspapers. In a 2 to 1 folder, the cutting cylinder is sometimes known as the "collect" cylinder since it has a function in the collect action.
CUTTING RUBBER In the folding cylinder, a strip of rubber against which the knife blade of the cutting cylinder cuts.
DECK (1) Printing couples arranged one above the other. In a deck type press, the printing couples may be six or eight high.  (2) On a unit type press, a deck refers to a printing couple above the regular unit.  (3) Sometimes used to mean an auxiliary plate cylinder.
DINKY (1) A common term used to mean a dinky or quarter roll of newsprint.  (2) A sheet of newsprint one page wide, hence, the web that is one page wide.
DIRECT IMAGE OFFSET In offset printing, printing from a plate on which the design was originally made, rather than having the design photographed and then transferred to a plate. This procedure is common to duplicating work rather than printing.
DIRECT IMPRESSION METHOD A procedure for adjusting inking rollers. The inking roller to be adjusted is released and two or three strips of paper about four inches wide are placed along the ink roller. The roller is then tightened into position an released. The strips of paper are removed and the ink mark, or impression obtained from the contact with the other rollers is measured to determine the amount of adjustment necessary.
DISHED A roll of newsprint that has dried on the ends. Also, an ink roller that has dried on the ends.
DISTRIBUTOR ROLLER An inking roller that contacts only one drum. The distributor roller is used to spread and distribute the ink on the roller and drum.
DOUBLE DECK Printing couples arranged above another set of printing couples.
DOUBLE TRUCK (1) Printing the center pages of a section so there is no center margin.  (2) On a press, two adjacent plates grooved to print with no center margin.  (3) Sometimes used to mean a two page plate.
DOUBLE WIDTH A newspaper press that is wide enough to print four pages across. See single width.
DRAWSHEET (1) Printing the center pages of a section so there is no center margin.  (2) On a press, two adjacent plates grooved to print with no center margin.  (3) Sometimes used to mean a two page plate.
DRIVEN ROLLER In the superstructure of the press, a grooved cylinder about five inches in diameter used to help carry the web from the printing couple to the folder. Driven rollers are geared to the web but do not exert a pull on the web. The driven roller at the former plate is known as the roller-top-of-former, and should be so designated.
DRIVE SIDE (1) The side of the press on which the drive shafts, horizontal and vertical, are located and most of the drive gears are placed.
DUCTOR ROLLER An ink roller that transfers ink from the fountain roller to the first or main ink drum of the ink distribution system. In some inking systems, the ductor roller moves back and forth from the fountain roller to the ink drum.
EAR Corner of a stereotype plate.
EXPANSION BANDS Metal straps used on the 3 to 2 or the 2 to 1 folder to adjust the folder for different sizes of products.
EXPIRING ROLL A roll of newsprint that has been used to the diameter where a new roll should be installed.
FAN An arrangement of wheels and blades that receive the finished product from the second fold rollers and places it on the conveyor. Also known as the delivery fan.
FEED The push up action of the newsprint to the folder by the printing couple impression. The printing couple pulls the paper from the roll of newsprint and feeds the newspaper to the folder.
FEEDING ROLLERS (1) The idling rollers that feed the paper to the press.  (2) On a flatbed press, the infeed rollers and the outfeed rollers that help move the web into and out of the press.
FEED-IN ROLLER On a flatbed press, the rollers that drive the tapes or belts that feed the paper into the press. Also known as infeed rollers.
FEED-OUT ROLLERS On a flatbed press, the rollers that drive the tapes and belts that feed the paper to the roller-top-of-former. Also known as the outfeed roller.
FELT A blanket made of felt. Commonly used on flatbed presses.
FIRST IMPRESSION PAGE The side of the sheet printed first. When a section is opened at the center, all pages facing the reader are normally first impression pages.
FLAT (1) The flat impression width.  (2) The area of the inking roller that is being compressed at any given time.  (3) A flat surface on an inking roller.
FLAT IMPRESSION WIDTH The width of the mark made on the strip of paper used in setting inking rollers by the direct impression method.
FLOATING ROLLER An idling roller located between the roll of newsprint and the printing couple. The floating idler absorbs the shock of sudden changes in demand for paper, and with automatic tension systems, keeps the tension at a set amount.
FLY The part of the press where the newspapers leave the folder and enter the conveyor, or where the papers are removed by hand on presses without conveyors.
FOLDER (1) That part of the press that includes the roller-top-of-former, former, driven and idling rollers, folding and cutting cylinders, the fan, and the short delivery conveyor.  (2) Sometimes used to mean the folding and cutting cylinders only.  (3) In some pressrooms, a separate machine that is used for folding paper.
FOLDER CHOKE Newsprint jammed in the folder, resulting in the stopping of the press.
FOLDING CYLINDER (1) In the folder, the cylinder that holds the cutting rubbers and a tucker blade for making the second fold.  (2) The cylinder that carries the product to the second fold rollers and starts the second fold.
FORMER A triangular metal plate over which the web passes to receive the first, or vertical, fold.
FORM FINISHING ROLLER The second of two form inking rollers that apply ink to the printing plate.
FORM INKING ROLLER The first of two inking rollers that apply ink to the printing plate.
FOUNDATION The blanket that is placed against the impress cylinder.
FOUNTAIN BOWL The part of the ink fountain that holds the ink. The reservoir.
FOUNTAIN DRIVE The mechanical arrangement of gears and shafts that rotates the ink fountain roller.
FOUNTAIN KEYS Wing nuts, thumbscews, or wrench controlled screws used for controlling the amount of ink permitted to flow to the page.
FPM Abbreviation for feet per minute, a common method for expressing the surface speed of the web. See web speed. The speed of a press is usually stated in papers per hour.
FUDGE DECK (1) A term used to identify a late news device which can print on a small area of the page, hence, can "fudge" in for an open space.  (2) In some pressrooms, a term used to identify an auxiliary plate cylinder.
FULL ROLL A roll of newsprint four pages wide.
FUSED CORE The last few hundred turns on a roll of newsprint, welded together by excessive watering at the paper mill.
GATE On a unit type press, the protective metal cover over the printing couple and inking rollers.
GHOSTING A black printed area in which a faint image of some design can be seen.
GRAIN The direction of the long fibers in a sheet of paper.
GRAVURE A method of printing in which the design is etched into the plate, usually a cylinder.
GUTTER (1) The inside margin of a newspaper.  (2) On the plate cylinder, the space between the head and toe of the plate or plates.  (3) On a tabloid plate, the space that is grooved for the inside margin (the center fold) of the paper.
HALF ROLL A roll of newsprint two pages wide. This is the largest size roll that can be used in a single width press.
HALF-TONE A photo-engraving which produces a picture or drawing.
HAND PASTER The procedure for attaching a new roll of newsprint to the expiring web without automatic splicing equipment. Usually requires that the press be stopped or nearly stopped.
HARD PACKING PRESS A press, usually used for color printing such as comics, where the plate presses the newspaper against the packing material rather than into the packing material.
HEAD (1) The top of the page.  (2) The edge of a plate nearest to the top of the page.
HEAD BAR (1) On the plate cylinder, a metal bar against which the head, or top of the stereotype plate is placed. Also known as a stagger bar.
HIGHLIGHTS The white and light grey areas of a half-tone.
HIGH SIDE (1) On the press, the side of the press on which the plates with the higher page numbers are placed, in most instances this would be the operating side. The drive side of the press is know as the low side.  (2) On the plate cylinder, when plating the press for a collect run, the side of the plate cylinder on which the plates with the higher page numbers are placed. The opposite side of the plate cylinder is known as the low side.
HORIZONTAL DRIVE SHAFT (1) Sometimes, the main drive shaft on a unit type press.  (2) Any horizontal drive shaft such as the shaft from the vertical drive to the drive rollers.
HUMP (1) The auxiliary plate cylinder on a unit.  (2) The hump appearance made by adding an auxiliary plate cylinder to a unit.
IDLING ROLLER A smooth surfaced free-turning cylinder used to guide and control the web through the press. Idling rollers serve several specific functions.
IMPRESSION (1) On a letter press, the depth the surface of the plate presses into the paper and impression cylinder in order to print. (2) The amount of pressure on the paper in order to print.  (3)  The place at which the printing takes place, thus the first and second impression.
IMPRESSION CYLINDER A large metal cylinder, the circumference of which is usually twice the length of the newspaper, on which is placed a packing of cork or felt, and rubber to permit the necessary depth and resilience for impression printing. The letter press plate presses the web into the packing on the cylinder in order to print. Impression cylinder can be soft packing or hard packing.
INCH To move the press very slowly with a motor and control installed for this purpose. Used while preparing the press for the run.
INK DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM A combination of bare metal cylinders and rubber covered rollers which break the ink to a thin uniform film before applying the ink to the printing plate. The ink distribution system transports the ink from the ink rail or ink fountain to the plate. Also called ink motion.
INK DRUM The bare metal ink cylinders in an ink motion which the rubber cover rollers contact. Several ink drums or cylinders are in each ink motion, some or all of which are driven through a gear train and oscillate.
INK FOUNTAIN An arrangement for controlling the ink to the ink distribution system by adjusting the distance between the ink fountain blade and the ink fountain roller.
INK KNIFE A thin steel flexible knife, spatula in shape.
INKING ROLLER THROW-OFF A mechanical arrangement for moving one inking roller out of contact with the fountain or ductor roller and the inking rollers in the press to prevent ink from accumulating when the press is not printing.
INK MIST Fine particles of ink that are thrown from the inking rollers during high speed operation.
INSERT A section added to the newspaper after printing, frequently in an advertising piece, sometimes color comic sections.
INSERTING Placing sections in one another after the press run.
INSERT PRODUCT A single section newspaper.
INTERMEDIATE ROLLERS Ink rollers between the ductor roller and the form inking rollers.
INWARD ROTATION The rotation of the impression and plate cylinders in such a way that the web is pulled into the press rather than being pulled from the press outward. From the working position, the web will be pulled into the printing couple rather than being pushed out. Inward rotation offers greater working hazards than outward rotation. Sometimes achieved on unit type presses by reversing either printing couple for multicolor printing.
JOG On rotary presses, to move the press at inching speed. On some control stations the inching button is marked jog.
JUMP SLITTER A cutting device that permits part of the web to pass uncut. Used most frequently during a collect run when a single tabloid is printed with several sections of a standard size newspaper. The jump slitter alternately cuts the tabloid section but does not cut the standard section.
KEY A metal bar used to prevent a gear, or similar device from turning a shaft.
KEY PLATE When registering color printing, the plate to which the other plates are registered.
KICKER Immediately below the delivery fan in the folder, a metal arm for hitting the end of every 25th or 50th paper to knock it out of line.
KNIFE (1) On an automatic paster device, the knife blade, or blades, that sever the web after the paster has been made.  (2) In the cutting cylinder of the folder, the knife blade that cuts the web into the finished product.  (3) During the make-ready for a paster, a hand knife that is used to trim the breaks from the edge of a roll of newsprint.  (4) In an ink fountain, the blade that rides over or under the ink fountain to control the amount of ink that feeds to the inking rollers.  (5) In a web severing device, the knife that cuts the web just below the unit.
KNIFE ASSEMBLY (1) On an automatic paster device, the knife blade and the controlling mechanism for severing the expiring web after the paster has been made.  (2) In the cutting cylinder of the folder, the knife and cheekwoods, mounted in a metal frame for installation in the cutting cylinder.
KNIFE BOX The metal frame for holding the knife and cheekwoods in the cutting cylinder of the folder.
KNOCKDOWN The amount that new blankets are expected to pound during usage.
KNURLING (1) Fine diamond shaped marks on the edges of a newspaper due to too much pressure from either the trolleys or the nipping rollers, or both.  (2) Fine diamond shaped cut made in the circular metal surface to provide a better grip.
KRAUT Narrow strips of paper cut from the end of the product, usually during a collect run. Kraut can be distinguished from spaghetti by its short length and saw toothed edges.
LEAD (1) The web from a roll of newsprint after it has been torn diagonally for a distance of about 12 to 14 feet. (Sometimes used to  mean the web or the web pattern in the press).  (2) Lead and web are often used interchangeably. A lead is usually used to mean the beginning of the web, or the beginning of the roll of paper that is being threaded through the press. After the press has been threaded the paper in the press in known as the web. However, after the press is started a web break may be referred to as a lost lead; or threading the press may be referred to as webbing the press.  (3) A common term for stereotype metal.
LETTER PRESS A method of printing in which the design is raised above the level of the plate. Most newspaper presses are letter presses.
LIFTER The tendency for a stereotype plate to bend upward when locked on a plate cylinder with a compression type lockup.
LINER Pressroom terminology for plate or pages containing classified advertising.
LITHOGRAPHY A method of printing which depends upon the separation of oil and water. The design at the same surface level as the plate takes the oily ink while the plate takes the water and repels the ink.
LIVE NEWS PAGE A page, the content of which may change after the first edition, hence the plate on the press may have to be changed.
LIVER A rubber-like mass of ink obtained when ink stands for a long period of time.
LOCKUP (1) A mechanical arrangement for holding the plates on the press. See compression plate lockup.  (2) The act of locking the plates on the press.
LOWER INK DRUM The ink drum lowest in a group of inking rollers.
MAIN INK DRUM The ink drum nearest the ink supply.
MAKE-READY (1) In some pressrooms, any activity that is carried on to prepare for the printing of the newspaper. This may include the composing room and stereotyping work, or it may not. The term has different meanings in different pressrooms.  (2) Anything relating to the preparation and registration of color plates only.  (3) Preparing the impression cylinder with spot sheets on a hard packing press.
MALE CYLINDER The cutting cylinder (female cylinder - in the folder - the folding cylinder).
MARGIN The unprinted area around the printed matter. Usually identified by location, such as side margin, top margin, bottom margin and center margin.
MARK On two parts of the press a painted stripe, metal strip, or cut, used to synchronize the press when making adjustments or connections prior to the press run.
MASTHEAD On page one, the name of the paper.
MILL EDGE The outside edge of a roll of newsprint. Contrasted with the slit edge which is the edge of the slitter in the press.
MILL SPLICE Two sheets of newsprint attached to one another at the mill during the manufacture of newsprint.
MOTTLE Cloudy or greasy printing caused by excessive reducer or inferior inks.
NATURAL TENSION The amount of braking force inherent on a roll of newsprint. The natural tension plus the artificial tension equals the total tension on a roll of newsprint.
NEUTRALIZER An electric device for removing static electricity from the paper.
NEWSPRINT A pulpwood paper used primarily for printing newspapers.
NEWSPRINT WRAP (1) One or more layers of newsprint wound around a plate cylinder, impression cylinder, or inking rollers as the result usually of a web break.  (2) The amount of surface, usually given in degrees, that the web covers when going around the impression cylinder, a driven roller, or other cylindrical surface.
NIPPING ROLLERS In the folder, driven rollers that guide the folded web from the former to the cutting and folding cylinders.
NORMAL LEAD The pattern of the web is such that the web goes through the printing couples so the inside of the sheet is printed first, first impression, and the outside of the sheet is printed second, second impression.
OFFSET (1) A method of printing in which the ink is transferred to a blanket, usually rubber, and then to the paper.  (2) On a web-perfecting press, the ink from the first impression transfers to the impression cylinder of the second impression and back onto the printed web.
ON SPEED The normal running speed of the press. This is not necessarily the maximum speed of the press.
OPEN PAGE A page with considerable white (unprinted) space.
OPERATING SIDE The side of the press on which most of the controls are located.
OSCILLATING INK DRUM An ink drum that moves from side to side while it rotates. The oscillating motion helps distribute the ink. Also known as a vibrating ink drum, reciprocating ink drum.
OUT-OF-PHASE (1) Alternating current motors that are not synchronized electrically. This condition will result in serious damage to the motors.  (2) In the ink distribution system, oscillating ink drums that have the back and forth motion so that they do not change direction at the same time.
OUT-OF-ROLL A web break originating at the roll.
OUTWARD ROTATION The rotation of the printing couples so that the web travels from the inside of the unit to the outside. Outward rotation is common to unit type presses; inward rotation is common to deck type presses. See inward rotation.
OVERSHOT FOUNTAIN The side of the press on which most of the controls are located.
OVERSHOT FOUNTAIN An ink fountain that delivers the ink over the top of the fountain roller. The knife blade controlling the flow of ink are on top of the fountain and fountain roller.
PACKING (1) The materials used for covering the impression cylinder.  (2) On a letter press, the cork and rubber blankets covered with a drawsheet.  (3) On hard packing and some flatbed presses, the manila paper and other materials placed on the impression cylinder.  (4) On certain flatbed presses, felt and rubber blankets covered by a tympan.
PANS (1) Sheet metal containers for collecting ink.  (2) A sheet metal arrangement called a feed-in pan for guiding the web into a printing couple.
PASTER (1) Two webs joined by an adhesive.  (2) A web splice made in the pressroom, rather than a mill splice which is a web splice made at the paper mill.  (3) The device that performs the pasting operation.
PIN HOLES At the bottom of the newspaper, the holes made by the pins in the folding cylinder.
PINS (1) In the folding cylinder, the pins that pull the paper around the cylinder.  (2) In the cutting cylinder, the pins that hold the sections to the cutting cylinder during a collect run.  (3) In the impression cylinder, the pins that hold the blankets, or packing, on the impression cylinder.  (4) With the canvas on the impression cylinder, bankers pins that attach the drawsheet to the canvas.  (5) Generally, any set of pins that are used on the press.
PLATE (1) The object from which a print is made.  (2) A stereotype plate.
PLATE CYLINDER The cylinder to which the stereotype plates are attached.
PLUG PAGE A house ad sometimes used to fill in for a sleeper page.
PLY A turn of newsprint on a roll.
POCKETS (1) The part of the press frame that has been cut away to permit installation of a part on the press.  (2) On the underside of a stereotype plate, cuts made to fit the fingers of a tension or underside plate lockup.
PORTABLE INK FOUNTAIN An ink fountain that can be attached or removed from the inking system of one unit and moved to the inking system of another unit. Portable ink fountains are usually used for color runs to eliminate the need for cleaning the regular ink fountains.
PRE-DRIVE In an automatic paster system, the arrangement that is used to bring the roll of newsprint up to the speed of the expiring web.
PRIMARY COLORS Yellow, red, and blue.
PRINTING COUPLE A plate and an impression cylinder, used for printing one side of the web.
PROCESS COLOR The method of printing colors by using the three primary colors (yellow, magenta, and cyan) and black to obtain all other colors. (2) Sometimes used to mean three color process which uses the three primary colors but does not use black.
PROCESS INK Ink of the three primary colors used for printing all colors.
PRODUCT (1) In a newspaper pressroom, the newspaper.  (2) Anything that has completed the printing process.
PULP Wood or other vegetable fiber used in paper making.
QUADRUPLE PRESS A two-unit double-width press.
QUARTER ROLL Roll of newsprint one page wide. Sometimes knows as a cheese roll or a dinky roll.
RED BUTTON STOP An emergency stop made by pushing the red button in the station control box, or by the falling of a web break detector. A red button stop shuts off the driving power, applies the brakes (if any) to the press and applies the stopping tension to the newsprint roll when controlled by automatic tension. A red button stop made when a web break detector drops includes the severing of the web that has been supporting the detector. Red button stops are used in emergencies only, as braking action may cause a web to break.
REDUCER Anything that is used to thin ink.
REEL (1)  An arrangement for holding rolls of newsprint that are being fed to a unit. A reel consists of a center shaft that hold two 3-arm spiders into which the rolls of a newsprint are placed. As one roll expires the next roll is rotated into position and the spider arms with the expired roll can be reloaded while the press is running.  (2) In the impression cylinder, the shaft around which the canvas and drawsheet are wrapped.
REEL ARM One arm of the three-arm spider that holds the newsprint in a reel. Also known as a spider arm.
REEL ROD On the impression cylinder, the shaft around which the canvas and drawsheet are wrapped.
REEL ROOM Directly under a unit type press, the floor on which the reel stands are located.
REEL SHAFT (1) On a reel stand, the shaft that holds the spider arms.  (2) The reel rod in the impression cylinder.
REEL-TENSION-PASTER The term used to identify the paper supply system that consists of a reel, an automatic tension system, and an automatic paster arrangement. Usually abbreviated R-T-P.
REGISTER The location of one plate in relation to another plate.
RELATIVE HUMIDITY The total amount of moisture in the air expressed as a percentage of the total amount that the air can hold at a given temperature and atmospheric pressure.
RESERVOIR (1) Any part of the ink supply system in which ink is stored.  (2) The bowl that holds the supply of ink in an ink fountain.  (3) The part of the box on an ink pump that holds ink.
REVERSE  LEAD The web is threaded through the printing couples so the outside of the sheet is printed first and the inside of the sheet is printed second. Webs are reversed in order to obtain second impression printing on a page that would ordinarily receive a first impression printing.
REVERSED PLATE Generally, a plate that prints a black background with white letters.
REWIND The procedure for taking several butt ends of rolls of newsprint and winding them into one large roll for use in the press.
ROLLER A general term that may mean an idling roller, a driven roller, or an inking roller.
ROLLER SETTING Adjusting the amount of the flat area made by the pressing of two inking rollers together.
ROLLER THROW-OFF (1) A mechanical device for releasing the form inking rollers from contact with the plate cylinder on a tubular press.  (2) A mechanical device for taking an ink roller out of contact with the inking system to prevent ink from accumulating on the inking rollers.
ROLLER-TOP-OF-FORMER The driven roller directly behind the former plate. The term is used to distinguish this driven roller from the driven rollers in the press. Abbreviation is R-T-F.
R.O.P. COLOR Abbreviation for Run Of Paper Color, which indicates that color can be printed in any page of the newspaper although it may not be possible to print color on all pages of the newspaper at the same time. A press that is not equipped for R.O.P. color may be able to print color on certain pages only.
ROTOGRAVURE An intaglio process fro printing, sometimes referred to as process printing. The printing surface is etched in the plate cylinder rather than being raised as in letter press printing.
R-T-F Abbreviation for Roller-Top-of-Former.
R-T-P Abbreviation for Reel-Tension-Paster.
RUN (1) The printing of the newspaper from the time the press starts until the required number of newspapers have been printed. (2) The number of papers printed for each edition.  (3) In the control box on the press, the button that is used to remove a safe button.
SAFE (1) In the control box on the press, the button that is pushed to prevent the press from starting, or if the press is running, a safe will allow the press to be decreased in speed or be stopped, but will prevent an increase in speed.  (2) In some electrical control systems, a connection that is removed to break the electrical circuit and thus prevent the press from starting.
SCRAPER BLADE The knife blade that controls the amount of ink released by the ink fountain. So called because it scrapes the excess ink from the fountain roller.
SECOND FOLD ROLLERS The driven rollers directly under the folding cylinder. These rollers remove the finished product from the folding cylinder, crease it, and push the paper into the delivery fan.
SECOND IMPRESSION PAGE The side of the sheet that is printed second on a web-perfecting press.
SEMI-CYLINDRICAL (1) A place cylinder with circumference twice the length of the newspaper.  (2) A press that has plate cylinder with a circumference twice the length of the newspaper.
SET COLOR To adjust the amount of ink that is going to the printed page.
SHAVINGS Small pieces of metal from the shaving machine that cuts the ribs on the back of the stereotype late, or form the router that cuts the face of the plate,
SHEAR PINS Metal pins designed and place to break or shear when a jam or wrap occurs that places an overload on the press.
SHEETER A device attached to the end of a web fed press to cut the web and deliver sheets of a predetermined size rather than a folded product.
SHIMMING The practice of putting thin sheets of paper (shims) between the plate and the headbar, or the plat and the center ring, in order to register the plate. Also known as carding.
SIDE JUMPS (1) Any uncontrolled side-to-side movement of a part of the press.  (2) During the paster operation, the movement of the web to one side due to changing from one roll to another.
SIDE LAYS (1) Any controlled movement from side-to-side of a part of the press, contrasted with side jumps which are not controlled.  (2) Web controls which move the web from side to side for side margin adjustment. See side margin control.  (3) Moving a stereotype plate across the cylinder for registration.  (4) Moving the plate or impress cylinder horizontally.
SIDE MARGIN The amount of white space, or margin, on either side of the page.
SIDE MARGIN CONTROL The device for moving the web from one side of the press to the other in order to have the same amount of white space, margin, on each side of the web. On the older and smaller presses, the side margin control is made by hand, on the presses with a reel arrangement for paper feed, the side margin control is an electric push button and the roll is moved by an electric motor either directly or through a hydraulic arrangement.
SIDE STROKE The distance, in inches, that the oscillating roller or drum travels back and forth.
SIGNATURE The folded product of a web-fed press.
SINGLE REVERSE The direction of rotation of one printing couple has been reversed.
SINGLE WIDTH A press that prints a web two pages wide.
SINK HOLES On a stereotype plate, areas that are below the height of the printing surface.
SLEEPER A missing plate at edition starting time. Usually due to copy not being ready. See plug page.
SLIP SHEET METHOD A method for setting inking rollers. A piece of newsprint is placed between two sheets of Kraft paper. The inking roller is tightened until the sheet of newsprint can be just pulled out from between the sheets of Kraft paper.
SLIPPING CORE Loose paper turns near the core allowing a roll of newsprint to move sideways or around. Results in walking web or failure of an automatic paster attempt. Opposite of fused core.
SLIT EDGE The edge of the web obtained by cutting the web with a slitter in the press. Contrasted with the mill edge which is an outside edge of a roll of newsprint.
SLITTER (1) A circular knife for cutting the web into a desired page width.  (2) Sometimes used to refer to any cutting device that makes a longitudinal cut.
SLUR Printing with a fuzzy edge rather than with a sharp or clean appearance.
SMEAR Blurred printing due usually to the slipping of the web through the printing couple.
SMUT (1) Ink stains on white areas of a printed page.   (2) An unwanted type-high spot on a stereotype plate.
SOFT PACKING A letterpress on which the plate pushes the paper into the blankets on the impression cylinder in order to obtain the correct impression. Contrasted with hard packing.
SPAGHETTI A long strip of paper about an eighth of an inch wide made by the slitter cutting the edge from a half or quarter roll web. Spaghetti has a smooth edge and is extremely long, kraut has a saw tooth edge and is less than a page width in length.
SPIDER On the reek shaft, the three arm arrangement that holds the newsprint.
SPIDER ARM One of the arms of a spider. A spider usually has three arms, although some only have two arms.
SPINDLE (1) The steel shaft that extends through the core of a roll of newsprint for hanging in a roll stand.  (2) To prepare a roll of newsprint for hanging in a roll stand by inserting the steel shaft.
SPIRAL RIBBED ROLLER On the Goss Headliner press, an inking roller with spiral ribs. The roller transfers the ink from the fountain roller to the ink drum so it sometimes referred to as a ductor roller.
SPIRAL ROLLER A ductor roller with spiral ribs or grooves to help distribute the ink.
SPLICE Two webs attached together.
SPIRAL CYCLE The operation of an automatic paster during the actual pasting, usually from the time the paster button is pushed until the web of the expired roll has been severed.
SPOT COLOR An area printed with a single color, sometimes not registered with the black print.
SPOTTING UP Pasting patches on a make-ready sheet after it has been marked out. Also known as filling in.
SPRING LOADED IDLER An idling roller held in position by springs. Spring loaded idlers are found on the paper feed arrangement where they absorb the changes in web tension due to increase or decreases in press speed. In some web control systems, the spring loaded idler also controls the amount of tension (braking) applied to the roll of newsprint.
SPRING TENSION ROLLERS On the paper feed system, usually from a roll stand, idling rollers that are held in position by springs. The springs take up the uneven pull on the web during changes in press speed.
SQUEEZE The amount of impression between the plate and the impression cylinders.
STAGGER On a double width press, the arrangement of the plates on the plate cylinder in such a way that the heads of the plates on one side of the press are not in line with the heads of the plates on the other side of the press. The heads of the plates on one half of the press are out of line by either 90 degrees, or 60-120 degrees. A 60-120 degree stagger is used for tabloid products.
STAGGER BAR On the plate cylinder, the steel bar against which the plate is placed. So called because they are staggered across a double-width press. Also known as the head bar.
STAGGER MARKS (1) Dark printing at the top and/or bottom of the page due to the plate striking the edge of the slot on the impression cylinder.  (2) Smut or ink marks made on the top or bottom margin areas due to ink from the stagger bar being transferred to the paper.
STANDARD PAGE The largest size page that can be printed on the press. There is not standard dimension for page size. See cut-off for the three most common page lengths,
STATIC An electric charge on the surface of the paper.
STEEL TO STEEL The distance between the steel surface of the plate cylinder and the steel surface of an impression cylinder. This distance is used to determine whether the plate and impression cylinder are parallel.
STEREOTYPE The process of producing a metal plate from a design embossed on a paper mat.
STOOL PIGEON An identifying mark printed in the center margin.
STRAIGHT MARK A web that remains in the same relative position when threaded through the press. Contrasted with a barred sheet which is transferred from one side of the press to the other.
STRIP To remove the plates from the press.
STUB A roll of newsprint that has been partially used. See butt, butt end.
STRAIGHT RUN Each page printed on the web is the same as the preceding page. Also see collect run.
TABLOID A newspaper with a page size one half or less the standard page size of the press.
TAIL (1) The bottom of the page.  (2) The edge of the plate nearest the bottom of the page.  (3) In an automatic paster, the amount of web between the splice and the cut end of the expiring web.
TENSILE STRENGTH The number of pounds of pull per linear inch necessary to break a sheet of paper.
TENSION The amount of pull on the web.
TENSION BELTS Strips of leather, copper, or brass that press against a roll of newsprint to control the rate at which the roll unwinds.
TENSION PLATE LOCKUP On the Goss presses, a lockup arrangement where metal fingers grip the pockets on the inside of the plate and pull the plate around the plate cylinder.
THREE QUARTER ROLL A roll of newsprint three standard pages wide.
THREE-TO-TWO FOLDER A folder with a folding cylinder that has a circumference equal to the length of three newspapers and a cutting cylinder with a circumference equal to the length of two newspapers.
THROW-OFF (1) To take an inking roller out of contact with other inking rollers.  (2) A mechanical device that takes on inking roller out of contact with other inking rollers,
TRANSFER To take the folded web from one side of the press and put it through the folder on the other side of the press.
TRANSFER ROLLER An inking roller that transfers ink from one inking roller to another.
TRANSVERSE COLLECT PRODUCTS A newspaper made by bringing the web from one former to the web and folder across the press and having the folder set for a collect run. Using two formers, the final product would consist of four sections.
TRICO Trade name for trichloroethylene, a solvent that is used to make Cline tape sticky during the paster operation.
TRIM To cut damaged parts from a roll of newsprint.
TUBULAR (1) A general term to identify a cylindrical press that prints one page per revolution of a cylinder.  (2) A stereotype plat that has a tubular appearance, commonly referred to as a "stove pipe".
TUCKER BLADES In the folding cylinder, a series of blades that force the newspaper away from the folding cylinder and into the second fold rollers.
TURNING BAR A solid steel non-rotating shaft used to change the direction of travel of the web by 90 degrees and to turn the web over. A turning bar is commonly found on flatbed presses an on rotary presses where the former plate is at a right angle to the plate cylinder. Plural, two turning bars, commonly known as angle bars, are used to transfer the web from one side of the press to the other on a double width press.
TWINNED Two presses, each single width, driven together by a shaft under the floor.
TWO-TO-ONE FOLDER A folder with the folding cylinder equal in circumference to the length of two newspapers and cutting cylinder equal in circumference to the length of one newspaper.
TYMPAN A paper or fabric covering over the packing or blankets on the impression cylinder.
UNDERCUT (1) On the plate cylinder, the distance from the outside surface of the cylinder to the height of the type on the stereotype plate.  (2) On the impression cylinder, the distance from the steel surface of the impression cylinder to the outside face of the stereotype plate on the plate cylinder.  The undercut distance of the plate cylinder plus the undercut distance of the impression cylinder equals the "steel-to-steel" distance. The packing on the impression cylinder is equal to the undercut distance plus an amount allowed for overpacking. The amount of overpacking determines the distance above the pitch line that a plate cylinder is set.
UNDERLAY (1) A thin sheet of paper, usually of the Kraft type, placed under a stereotype plate in order to obtain a heavier impression from that portion of the plate. This practice is sometimes used to get the head to print a little darker than the rest of the page.  (2) A term frequently used in the stereotype and composing room.
UNDERSHOT FOUNTAIN An ink fountain with the ink fed from under the fountain rather than over the top.
UNIT (1) That part of a unit type press that prints one web.  (2) Two printing couples and the inking systems arranged to form an arch or an inverted "U" design. Contrasted with deck type presses and flatbed presses.
UPPER FORMERS Formers located above the regular formers on the press. Usually referred to as the balloon formers.
VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT The drive shaft that extends upward from the main drive shaft to the gears that drive the printing couples.
VIBRATING ROLLER An ink drum or roller that moves from side to side to distribute the ink as well as rotating, hence, an oscillating roller or reciprocating roller
WALKING The movement from side to side of a web.
WASHUP Cleaning the inking system for a change from one color to another.
WEB Newsprint that has been threaded through the press. See lead.
WEB BREAK A break in the newsprint that has been threaded through the press, usually during the run. The difference between the terms "lost lead" and "web break" is neither distinct nor consistent.
WEB BREAK DETECTOR (1) A metal shoe that rides on the web. When the web breaks the shoe drops, causing the web severing device to cut the web and the press to come to an emergency stop.  (2) An electric eye arrangement that also severs the web and brings the press to a red button stop when a web break occurs.
WEB FED A press that prints on paper in roll form as contrasted with a sheet fed press.
WEB-PERFECTING A press that prints both sides of the sheet during the run through the press rather than printing one side and then having to be sent through the press for the second printing, and including the folding operation.
WEB ROLLERS A general term for idling rollers and driven rollers over which the web passes.
WEB SEVERING DEVICE A knife assembly through which the web must pass before entering the printing couples. When a web detector drops, the knife severs the web to prevent the newsprint from wrapping around the plate impression.
WEB SPEED The surface speed of the web measured in feet per minute. The number of feet per minute can be determined by multiplying the length of the newspaper in inches (cut-off) times the number of papers per hour and dividing that by 720 (60 minutes times 12 inches). For a specific press the only variable is the number of papers per hour, so divide the paper size (cut-off) by 720 and then multiply this by the number of papers per hour for a straight run.
WEIGHT The number of pounds per ream of paper of a stated size.
WIRE SIDE The rough side of the paper due to the wire screen which supports the wet pulp during drying.
WRAP (1) Newsprint wrapped around the impression cylinder, plate cylinder, or inking rollers; usually occurs from a web break.  (2) The amount of surface usually given in degrees, that the web covers when going around the impression cylinder, a driven roll, or other cylindrical surface.
WRINKLE (1) A printed newspaper with a page or pages printed over a fold.  (2) Any non-smooth appearance of the web.