Analog
Information in the form of electrical "waves," from high to low, much like the pitch of your voice.

ASCII
Pronounced (as-kee). The REPRESENTATION of your DOCUMENT that the computer sees. Your computer only understands numbers. Each character that your computer displays is REPRESENTED by an ASCII CODE. This works like a "secret code" - for example, "ABC" in ASCII is REPRESENTED by "24 8 6". You speak English, computers speak ASCII.

go top

BMP
A Windows bit map (Raster Image) file format.

BPS
Bits Per Second.This is the standard method for measuring data transmission speeds. Each 'bit' is one ASCII character. 9600 bps, in theory, means that 9600 characters can be sent down a given cable per second. This is also commonly called 'cps' (Characters Per Second) or 'baud rate' (when referring to modems).

go top

Compression
Decreasing the size of an image file for storage with little or no distortion of the image data and quality. Compressed data must be decoded at the receiving end of the communications path in order to extract the original information. With data compression, the sending modem compresses the data into a compact form and the receiving modem decompresses the data back to its original form. This process saves time and money.

Compression Software
This squeezes your file into a smaller space, allowing quicker modem transmission. We prefer files to be compressed with Stufflt, DiskDoubler (Macintosh) or with utilities supporting .ZIP (IBM/PC).

go top

DAT Tape
Digital Audio Tape. A high density storage media.

Digital
Information that is made up of "0s" and "1s" - computer-talk, if you will.

Decompression
Restoring a compressed image to its full file size.

Document
A collection of information, either printed or on screen.

600 DPI and 300 DPI
Dots Per Inch - A measure of the resolution of printers, imagesetters and other output devices. 600 and 300 refers to the number of dots per linear inch.

Drag and Drop File Transfer
The ability to transfer files via modem by selecting a file and dragging it to an icon. Upon releasing, the document will be automatically compressed and modemed to the recipient.

Docublob
The print optimized Raster image file created by DocuTech giving page positioning and formatting instructions to the DocuTech. It is significantly larger than a Raster file.

go top

E-Mail
The transfer of electronic messages and/or documents between computers.

Encapsulated Postscript (.eps)
A file format used to transfer PostScript image information from one program to another. The file includes PostScript code and a low resolution (PICT) representation of the image.

ES Tape
8mm Extended Storage Tape used to archive Docublob jobs.

go top

Font
In typography, a complete set of characters of one particular size, style, and weight, including punctuation marks, symbols, and numbers.

Format
The manner in which the DOCUMENT is placed on the MEDIA. For example: VHS and BETA both use 1/2" magnetic tape, but both arrange the DOCUMENT on tape differently.

FTP
File Transfer Protocol - a reliable method of transferring files over The Internet.

go top

GIF
This acronym stands for Graphic Interchange Format, a commonly used file compression format developed by CompuServe for transferring graphics files to and from online services.

Graphic/Image
A generic term for graphics incorporated into a document, usually associated with TIFF or EPS files.

go top

"Hayes Compatible" Modem
The modem lets you send files to us over ordinary phone lines. No particular brand is necessary, so long as the modem says "Hayes Compatible" on the box. We recommend using a 28.8K baud modem ("baud" refers to the modem speed), and consider 14.4K baud the minimum for effective use.

go top

Internet
The electronic super highway, or "Infobaun". (See page end)

Internet Carriers
The simplest way for the average person to access Internet. These carriers have direct lines to the Internet, while you use standard lines to access their computers. Think of it as a Gateway from your modem to Internet, without all the expensive direct digital lines and ISDN or T1 equipment. An added bonus is that these carriers provide easier-to-understand interfaces.

Interpress
Xerox's proprietary print definition language. It is an early predecessor to Adobe PostScript.

ISDN
This type of transmission involves a direct digital link to the local Central Office and an improved way of sending the data through the digital line. It acts as a wider pipe to allow information to flow more quickly than a standard modem.

go top

JPEG
The acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG is an image compression format used to transfer color photographs and images over computer networks. Along with GIF, it's one of the most common ways photos are moved over the Web.

go top

Magnetic Tape
A tape with a magnetizable layer on which data can be stored. Today's tapes can store several gigabytes on the same reel in standard formats.

Media
A place to put a DOCUMENT. Your MEDIA can be a hard disk, floppy disk, digital tape, or cartridge.

Megabyte
A unit of measure of stored data corresponding to 1,024 kilobytes or 1,048,576 bytes.

Modem
A device used to transmit data between two computers over telephone lines.

Modem or "Terminal" Software
This allows your computer to use the modem in the same way that your word processor uses your printer. If you have the time, call ahead before your first order, and we can send you our own special Terminal Software, or if you prefer, you may use whatever terminal software you have available.

go top

Optical Disk
A disk that contains digital data readable by laser or magnetic means. CD-ROMs are one form of optical disk.

go top

PDF
Portable Document Format - is the file format for representing documents in a manner that is independent of the original application software, hardware, and operating system used to create those documents. A PDF file can describe documents containing any combination of text, graphics, and images in a device-independent and resolution independent format. These documents can be one page or thousands of pages, very simple or extremely complex with a rich use of fonts, graphics, color and images.

PDL
Page Description Language - A programming language (such as PostScript) that uses special commands to describe how an image will be printed on a page. Output to any printer which contains an interpreter for the same page description language can drive that printer, regardless of its make or model. This means all processing is transferred from the computer to the printer, which has its own central processing unit and random-access memory for converting the mathematical representation of images.

Postscript
The REPRESENTATION of your DOCUMENT that most laser printers need to see. Your computer speaks ASCII, but your laser printer speaks POSTSCRIPT. To print to a laser printer, the ASCII must be translated to, or changed into, POSTSCRIPT.

Print-to-Disk-File
This is the result of the process by which your POSTSCRIPT file is converted to the fixed, non-editable REPRESENTATION which loads directly to our DocuTech. This REPRESENTATION is preferred because it ensures accuracy and conformity with your format preferences - such as page breaks, column breaks, graphics placement, etc. This REPRESENTATION is also "application independent", meaning that we do not necessarily have to have the exact program you created the file with. A PRINT-TO-DISK-FILE "locks" your DOCUMENT and allows no changes. Most computers also store font information in the PRINT-TO-DISK-FILE, so we do not need your fonts to print the document correctly.

go top

RAM
Random Access Memory - Memory used as the computer's primary storage area to write, store, and retrieve information and program instructions so that they can be used by the central processing unit. Unlike read-only memory (ROM), the contents of RAM are not permanent. This is short-term memory and is lost when the power is turned off. RAM requires a continuous flow of electricity to keep its contents.

Representation
One of the many ways a DOCUMENT can be displayed from a given FORMAT. From a computer file on disk (FORMAT) you usually have two REPRESENTATIONS, on screen and on paper.

RIP
Raster Image Processor - The RIP takes the IMAGE and figures out exactly where each dot on the page will be placed - the result is a RASTER - a dot-by-dot representation of your DOCUMENT. The entire process is referred to as "RIPing". RIPing is a complicated task, because the DocuTech prints 600 dots per inch (DPI), which means there are 360,000 dots per square inch, or 31,185,000 places those dots can go on an average 8 1/2 x 11 page.

ROM
Read-Only Memory - Hardware used to store permanent instructions for the computer's general house keeping operations. Microprocessor-based, usually permanent data storage that contains key instructions for the computer to start up and operate.

go top

Scalable Fonts
A font defined in such a way that it can be used in any point size without loss of quality. Most PostScript fonts are scalable.

Screen and Printer Fonts
Screen fonts allow one to see a font on-screen as it would be printed. Printer fonts tell the printer how to map out & scale the font as it is printing.

Source File
Term used for the file created when saving a document, i.e., "document.indd" is a source Adobe Indesign file.

Suitcase
A type of file containing all the available screen fonts for a given font family. For example, the Helvetica suitcase would contain Helvetica Book, Helvetica Bold, Helvetica Italic, Helvetica 12pt, etc.

SyQuest
Same as a Zip Drive but is a 5 1/4" removable hard drive, 44, 88 and 200 megabytes.

go top

T1
T1 takes ISDN a step further. T1 connections function as 24 separate 64 Kb transmission lines, which can be subdivided among phone, fax, and data transmissions. For example, eight phone lines, four fax lines, and 11 modem/data lines can be sent over one T1 line. T1 also has the added advantage of automatically using all available lines for speeding data transmissions. Through a technique called inverse multiplexing the transmission would automatically use as many of the 24 lines as it can (that aren't already being used) so that you can obtain the fastest transfer possible.

TCP/IP
A network protocol primarily associated with Unix Workstations and Main Frames. This is the communication protocol of the Internet.

TIFF
Tagged Image File Format - A graphics file format for scanned images which can be stored at up to 300 dots per inch. It is used to exchange black-and-white, gray-scale, or color bitmapped images between applications. An example would be "scanned in photos". Most scanners produce TIFF image files.

TrueType
Apple's own font technology that they created and own. A TrueType font works exactly like a PostScript font with Adobe Type Manager in that you can resize, reshape, and stretch the type, and it always looks smooth and sharp on the screen and when printed.

go top

Wildcat
Dial up Bulletin Board Software, allows users with rudimentary communications capabilities to see their library index and fill in an order sheet.

World Wide Web
Also known as WWW or W3, the World Wide Web is a hypertext-based Internet service used for browsing Internet resources.

go top

Zip Drive
A 100 megabyte 3 1/2 inch removable hard drive designed by Iomega Corp., compatible with MAC and PC's.