Die

Metal rule or imaged block used to cut or place an image on paper in the finishing process.

Die Cutting

The process of using sharp steel rules to cut special shapes for labels, boxes and containers, from printed sheets. Die cutting can be done on either flatbed or rotary presses. Rotary die cutting is usually done inline with the printing.

Die-Stamping

An intaglio process for the production of letterheads, business cards, etc., printing from lettering or other designs engraved into copper or steel.

Digital Color Proof

A color proof produced from digital data without the need for separation films.

Digital Printing

Printing by plateless imaging systems that are imaged by digital data from prepress systems.

Dithered/Dithering

In order to display a full-color graphic image on a 256-color monitor, computers must simulate the colors it cannot display. They do this by dithering which is combining pixels from a 256-color palette into patterns that approximate other colors. At a distance, the human eye merges the pixels into a single color. Up close, the graphic image will appear pixilated and speckled.

Dot Gain

In printing, a defect in which dots print larger than they should, causing darker tones or stronger colors.

DPI

dots per inch: the unit of measurement used to describe the resolution of printed output. The most common desktop laser printers output a 300 dpi. Medium-resolution printers output at 600 dpi. Image setters output at 1270-2540 dpi.

Dummy

A preliminary layout showing the position of illustrations and text as they are to appear in the final reproduction. A set of blank pages made up in advance to show the size, shape, form and general style of a piece of printing.

Duotone

A halftone image printed with two colors, one dark and the other light. The same photograph is half toned twice, using the same screen at two different angles; combining the two improves the detail and contrast.

Dylux

Photographic paper made by DuPont and used for bluelines.