As a day-to-day manager of design and print projects, being able to use the right vocabulary as I shuttle among customers, artists, vendors and production managers is key to our mutual success.
Like slang, the latest words make the design world go ‘round.
Not long ago, International Paper Company’s Pocket Pal was the reference tool used to confirm the differences between impositions and impressions; moiré and make-ready; tracking and trapping. I would jot new terms down in the back of the book -- words from the trade like easel-back and carton convenient, or words adapted among my vendors for communications purposes such as smidge, smoosh and the real definition of “ASAP”.
Today, the book is in its 19th edition, and I’m confirming the difference between GIF and TIFF (or is it TIF?); matchprint and match color; recycled and recyclable; cross-platform and cross-media; line-screen and stochastic.
With so much change coming to design, production and traffic, sources of new terminology are worth keeping as reference. For instance:
• A local staffing company, The Creative Group, has issued a QuarkXPress-to-InDesign glossary as a stand-up card to aid those working with both layout programs. We are starting to cross over here at JDA, so this is helpful.
• Paper manufacturer Sappi publishes The Standard, a spiral-bound guide to design for print that carries a glossary specific to that issue’s topic.
• Orange County-based printer, Main Graphics publishes a newsletter, Print Tips, and the one I kept was April’s “Modern Typography” edition containing a vocabulary of terms. They credited Webopedia, an online computer dictionary for computer and Internet terms for their definitions.
• I went to Webopedia, and while it is heavy going (mostly computer terms for programmers and code writers), it is an interesting wholesome, work-related online excursion.
In our offices, there is a little bit of local slang (and satire) going around; we’ve even done a “Bush-ism” or two, such as verbing of nouns.
• “PDF me, please.” means the job is OK to show the customer
• “OMG! Now!” means it’s a surprise rush.
• “Make the Logo BIGGER!” means there’s been a request to redesign the piece.
• “Excellent!”, “Awesome!”, and “Good Times!” mean the art directors and designers are primed to perform miracles.
Words are a fun, ever-evolving part of our lives, and very colorful here at JDA.
--Elyse Barrett
Like slang, the latest words make the design world go ‘round.
Not long ago, International Paper Company’s Pocket Pal was the reference tool used to confirm the differences between impositions and impressions; moiré and make-ready; tracking and trapping. I would jot new terms down in the back of the book -- words from the trade like easel-back and carton convenient, or words adapted among my vendors for communications purposes such as smidge, smoosh and the real definition of “ASAP”.
Today, the book is in its 19th edition, and I’m confirming the difference between GIF and TIFF (or is it TIF?); matchprint and match color; recycled and recyclable; cross-platform and cross-media; line-screen and stochastic.
With so much change coming to design, production and traffic, sources of new terminology are worth keeping as reference. For instance:
• A local staffing company, The Creative Group, has issued a QuarkXPress-to-InDesign glossary as a stand-up card to aid those working with both layout programs. We are starting to cross over here at JDA, so this is helpful.
• Paper manufacturer Sappi publishes The Standard, a spiral-bound guide to design for print that carries a glossary specific to that issue’s topic.
• Orange County-based printer, Main Graphics publishes a newsletter, Print Tips, and the one I kept was April’s “Modern Typography” edition containing a vocabulary of terms. They credited Webopedia, an online computer dictionary for computer and Internet terms for their definitions.
• I went to Webopedia, and while it is heavy going (mostly computer terms for programmers and code writers), it is an interesting wholesome, work-related online excursion.
In our offices, there is a little bit of local slang (and satire) going around; we’ve even done a “Bush-ism” or two, such as verbing of nouns.
• “PDF me, please.” means the job is OK to show the customer
• “OMG! Now!” means it’s a surprise rush.
• “Make the Logo BIGGER!” means there’s been a request to redesign the piece.
• “Excellent!”, “Awesome!”, and “Good Times!” mean the art directors and designers are primed to perform miracles.
Words are a fun, ever-evolving part of our lives, and very colorful here at JDA.
--Elyse Barrett
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