Glossary
B
The transparent layer on the surface of a traditional photograph in which the image is suspended.
Discontinuity of the binder layer.
Dispersion of the binder into solution.
The migration of of a colorant through or across the surface of a print.
The migration of a colorant through the print to the reverse side.
The sticking together of materials due to physical contact.
Lack of image, character, or line sharpness.
Canon Inc.’s trademarked name for their drop-on-demand inkjet printers.
C
The accelerated fading of one colorant caused by the presence of another colorant upon exposure to light.
The divergence of a color of a given value from gray of the same value; sometimes referred to as “saturation.” One of the three main characteristics that describe a color (along with hue and value).
Traditional color photographic print.
A storage condition with temperatures usually under 45°F (7°C).
A chemical within photographic films and papers that reacts during photo processing to create the image-forming dyes.
The full range of colors possible within a given printing or electronic display system.
A substance (dye or pigment) that imparts color to an ink or toner.
Printer in which the print head directs a steady stream of electrically charged ink drops onto the substrate, deflecting unneeded drops into a channel.
An image formed by the uninterrupted gradient of color.
A storage condition with temperatures usually between 45°F (7°C) and 60°F (16°C).
D
Digital printer that uses heat to diffuse dyes from a donor ribbon into the paper’s image receiver layer.
Loss of colorant when a print is stored in the dark.
The ability of a material to resist degradation when stored in the dark.
Separation of layers in a print.
Variation in gloss across the surface of a print.
The non-image area of a print.
Loss of original paper color or reversal of age-induced yellowing upon prolonged exposure to UV radiation or airborne oxidants.
Increase in density in the non-image area of a print.
Tendency of ink dots to spread during printing as they interact with the paper.
Broadening of printed dots due to high-humidity-induced migration of colorants across the surface of the print.
Printer in which the print head nozzle releases drops of ink only as needed to form the image.
Period from the moment the print is made until the ink solvent (often water) has evaporated.
An organic colorant soluble in the ink vehicle.
A common name for dye diffusion thermal transfer. See D2T2.
E
Printing process in which the image is formed by transfer of charged toner to paper and then fixed by heat, pressure, or evaporation.
See Binder Cracking.
F
Loss of colorant resulting in image lightening or color shift.
A change in surface gloss due to intimate contact with another surface under high humidity.
Localized separation of layers in a print.
The process in electrophotography by which dry toner is fixed to the surface of paper by heat and/or pressure.
G
Resistance of prints to change upon exposure to atmospheric pollutants.
The discoloration, usually to yellow, of the gelatin binder or ink receiver layer in traditional photographic and some digital printing papers.
A term often used for marketing fine-art inkjet prints.
Reflectivity of the print’s surface. Sometimes referred to as "sheen."
Loss or gain in the gloss of a print in discrete areas or over the entire surface of the print.
H
An image formed by a regular or irregular dot pattern in which the dots are all of equal density.
The named categories of colors such as “blue,” “green,” “yellow,” purple,” etc. One of the three main characteristics that describe a color (along with chroma and value).
Print color change due to the unequal fade rates of individual colorants or yellowing of the paper base.
The tendency of a print to become damaged by exposure to high humidity.
Chemical reaction between water and colorants, image layers, and/or papers resulting in their degradation. Acids, alkalies, and/or heat can accelerate these reactions.
I
The layer on the surface of digital printing papers to which the colorant is applied.
Migration of image colorants to adjacent materials.
An electrophotographic print made with the HP Indigo liquid toner digital press.
See Image Receiver Layer.
The fluid component that acts as a carrier for the pigment or dye.
A digital printer that produces an image by propelling droplets of ink onto the printing surface.
A worldwide developer of standards based in Geneva, Switzerland. It is a non-governmental organization whose membership is composed of national standards bodies.
A print created with an Iris continuous inkjet printer.
L
A digital electrophotographic printer that uses a laser beam to create an image across the printer’s photoreceptor.
Loss of colorants induced by light or UV radiation.
Resistance of prints to change upon exposure to light or UV radiation.
Broadening of a printed line due to high-humidity-induced migration of colorants across the surface of the print.
See Toner.
N
Any of several oxides of nitrogen: nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O). Produced mainly by combustion when nitrogen (N2) combines with oxygen (O2).
Printing technologies in which the colorant is applied to the printing paper without physical pressure (example: inkjet, D2T2, electrophotographic).
P
A test method described in ISO 18916 that is used to predict certain chemical interactions between enclosure materials and photographic images.
The fading of colorants by an oxidizing agent accelerated by light and/or UV radiation.
Defined by ISO as “material that meets the requirements of this International Standard [18902-2007] so that it will not accelerate the natural ageing photographic prints or films.”
See PAT.
The fading of colorants directly by light and/or UV radiation.
Type of drop-on-demand inkjet printer in which a piezo crystal, located behind the ink reservoir of each nozzle, changes shape or size in response to an electric charge. This generates a pressure pulse in the reservoir that forces an ink drop out of the nozzle and onto the paper.
An organic or inorganic colorant insoluble in the ink vehicle.
A chemical added to plastics to increase their pliability.
Polymer of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. A clear or pigmented plastic film commonly used for enclosures.
Polymer of ethylene. A clear or translucent plastic film commonly used for enclosures.
Paper for inkjet printing in which the ink receiver layer is a moisture receptive polymer. Also referred to as swellable-coated paper.
A plastic generally considered safe by ISO for use with photographs. However, many plastics are treated with thin coatings, so polypropylene products should still pass the PAT in order to be considered safe.
Polymer of vinyl chloride. A clear plastic film occasionally used for enclosures, but excluded for use by ISO 18902-2007.
Paper used for inkjet printing on which the image receiver layer is formed by minerals (such as silicas or aluminas) bound by polymers to create cavities for the ink to be absorbed. Also referred to as nano- and micro-porous-coated paper.
See Polyvinyl Chloride.
R
See Resin-Coated Paper.
The ratio of water vapor present to that needed for saturation for a given temperature.
A paper that has been coated with polyethylene film on both sides.
See Relative Humidity.
A storage condition with temperatures usually between 60°F (16°C) and 75°F (24°C).
S
Unintended specks or drops of colorant outside the printed dot shape.
Chemical compound formed between silver and a halogen (bromide, chloride, iodide) employed as the light-sensitive component in traditional photographic film and papers.
Chemical reaction that alters metallic or ionic silver in a black-and-white photograph.
Photographic print in which the final imaging material is metallic silver suspended in a gelatin binder.
Inks that use a solvent other than water to carry the colorant to the paper surface during printing.
See Polymer-Coated Paper.
T
See Dye Sublimation.
Temperature-induced colorant loss.
A type of drop-on-demand inkjet printer in which heat creates a bubble in the ink pushing an ink drop out of the nozzle onto the paper.
The ability of a material to resist temperature-induced degradation.
Dry or liquid coloring substance used in electrophotographic printers.
V
The relative lightness (or darkness) of a color. One of the three main characteristics that describe a color (along with hue and chroma).
See Ink Vehicle.
X
See Electrophotography.