DTP terms

Question	Answer
Bitmap	An image file comprised of pixels. These tend to be large files.
Bleed	An extension of a graphic or block of colour beyond the trimmed edge of the page.
Body text or Body copy	The main blocks of text on the page.
Caption	A brief description that accompanies a photograph, graphic or table.
Clip-Art	Ready-made graphics and photos stored in a gallery.
Column	The width of the frame of the body text. it shortens the line length, making the text easier to read.
Cropping	Trimming excess material from a photograph or graphic.
Drop capital	The first letter (upper case) in an article or paragraph that is enlarged and dropped below the line. it identifies the start of an article.
Drop shadow	A shadow created behind an object or text to create depth and emphasis.
Eye dropper/Colour picker	A DTP tool that enables exact colour matching of one colour to another.
Flow text along a path	Text that travels in the same direction as a line or a curve.
Footer/Folio	Information, often a page number (folio) in the footer space at the bottom of a publication.
Footer space	The space at the foot of a page.
Fonts and typeface	The styles of text lettering used in a document. Font styles can be chosen and sized to suit their target audience and purpose.
Frames	Non-printing boxes that contain text or graphic items. these can be moved, resized and rotated.
Graphic	An illustration or artwork produced for use in the publication.
Grid	A square grid of lines or dots that aids accurate positioning.
Guidelines	Lines dragged in from top and side to help construct a layout.
Gutter	The narrow space between columns of text.
Handles	These are attached to frames to allow manipulation.
Header	Information that appears in the header space at the top of the page in a publication.
Header space	The space above the title or heading.
Headline/Heading/Title	The text that introduces the article or subject; usually a large font.
Import/Export	The process of sending digital files (graphics or text).
JPEG	A common image file type used for photographs. File sizes are relatively small.
Margins	The white space and borders around the page.
Mirror/Reflection	Creating a symmetrical or opposite image.
Page formatting	The orientation of the page: portrait or landscape.
Page sizes	The physical size of a document: for example A5, A4, A3.
Portable Network Graphic (PNG)	A file type that allows the background to be transparent.
Point size	Text size is measured in points. Therefore point size is the size of the font.
Reverse	A reverse is when the text colour is changed from clack to white on a dark background. It creates contrast.
Snap	Cursor attaches to grid or guides to improve speed and accuracy.
Sub-heading	An intermediate level of heading, having a size between that of the heading and the body text.
Text alignment or justification	The way the text lines are arranged in a frame: aligned left, right, centred or fully justified. Not to be confused with lining up items on the page.
Text wrap	When text follows the outline of a graphic.
Transparency	Making fills and images partially see-through.
Vector graphic	A scalable computer graphic made of shapes, lines and fills.
White space	When blank space is left on a layout deliberately. It gives the reader breathing space if the publication is quite busy.
Line	Lines are used to divide up a layout and connect elements in a layout. Underlining words can emphasize a point.
Shape	Creative use of shape can help sustain reader interest. It can also help organise a page by separating items and making the layout easier to follow. Shapes can be categorised as natural, geometric or abstract.
Physical texture	Texture that is provided by the coarseness or smoothness of the paper.

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	Created by Meg McAteer about 8 years ago