Newspaper Printers Key Terms

Understand the essential newspaper printers key terms

By Nikki Wheeler

A critical step in putting out a newspaper is getting it printed by a quality printer. As the newspaper industry increasingly becomes more technical, a complete understanding of newspaper printers key terms is a necessary starting point in the search for the right printer. Once the newspaper printing business is delved into, you will find that there is much more to learn and a whole new world of newspaper printing technical and business terms.

Offset printing

Offset printing is a fast and inexpensive technique most commonly used for newspaper printing in which the ink transfers from a plate to a blanket to the paper.
Try: Read about the offset printing process and see photos of how the offset printing presses work at How Stuff Works.

Four-color process printing

Four-color process printing might also be referred to as color-process printing, full-color printing or just process printing. It simulates full-color pictures using only four colors: black, magenta, cyan and yellow.
Try: Find out more about the four-color printing process at Printing For Less.

Ink-jet printing

Ink-jet printing is a higher-quality technique for printing full-color images using ink squirted through computer-controlled tiny nozzles. It is usually only used for full-color ads in newspaper printing.
Try: Visit Profit Through Innovation to read about the latest technological innovations in ink-jet printing.

Newsprint

Newsprint is the name for the very thin, inexpensive paper used for printing newspapers. It is made purposefully for a short life, and innovative newspaper printers are offering the option of printing on recycled paper.
Try: Look at Uline Shipping Supplies to see an example of what newsprint paper looks like, the different sizes that can be used for newspaper printing and the different possible weights used.

Perfecting press

A perfecting press is a newer technology that prints both sides of the paper at the same time, perfecting alignment and cutting newspaper print time in half.
Try: Learn about a perfecting press and how it works, in addition to the benefits of using one, at Print Industry.