Abrasion Resistance
The resistance to rubbing or wearing away by friction of a decal surface – including its own material, the printing or any protective coatings that might be present.

Acetate
A plastic synthesized from acetic acid which exhibits rigidity, dimensional stability and ink receptivity.

Acrylic
A class or group of plastics that exhibit high impact strength, rigidity, and compatibility with other plastics often used as base compounds in formulating ink and adhesive systems.

Adhesion
A mechanical or chemically reactive bond between surfaces. Molecular attraction between two substrates.

Adhesion, Peel
A measure of the force required to remove a material from a test panel at a specified angle and speed after the material was applied to the panel under specific conditions.

Adhesion, Shear
A measure of the time required to slide a standard area (as of a decal) from a standard flat surface in a direction parallel to the surface.

Adhesions, Specific
The force required to remove a decal adhesive from a specified substrate under specified conditions.

Adhesion, Ultimate
The mature bond established under controlled conditions between the tack surface of a decal or similar and a substrate.

Adhesive Bleed (Ooze)
Adhesive exudation from pressure sensitive stock and emblems before or after processing to finished product as a result of cold flow or clamp pressure.

Adhesive, Pressure Sensitive
A type of adhesive which when solvent free is aggressively and permanently tacky at room temperature and firmly adheres to a variety of dissimilar surfaces on contact, without the need of more than finger or hand pressure.

Adhesive, Removable
An adhesive characterized by high cohesive strength and low ultimate adhesion. It can be removed intact from most substrate surfaces without leaving a residue or a stain.

Adhesive Residue
The adhesive remaining behind on a substrate due to cohesive failure when a self-adhesive material is removed from the substrate.

Aggressiveness
A means of comparatively categorizing adhesive products by degree of tackiness and speed with which bond occurs.

Application Tape (Application Paper)
A support used to facilitate the application of pressure sensitive markings.

Art Work, Separated
Art work produced to indicate separations of color areas; i.e., a separate layout for each color.

Back Slit
A cut or split through the backing sheet of pressure sensitive films.

Backing Paper (Release Liner)
The stock used to protect the adhesive and to keep it from sticking to objects before the label is to be used. Most often referred to as a release liner or release paper.

Base Material
See Face Material

Biodegradable
A substance capable of being broken down into simpler compounds by biological organisms.

Butt Cut Labels
Labels which are separated by a single knife cut to the release liner.

Chalking
A condition of a screen printing ink in which the pigment is not properly bound to the substrate and can be easily rubbed off.

Chemical Resistance
The resistance of a pressure-sensitive material to the deteriorating effects of exposure to chemicals under specified conditions.

Clear Vinyl
Vinyl plastics can be formulated so that the resulting sheet or film is transparent.

Close Tolerance Printing
Screen printing with extreme precision in relation to dimensions and/or placement of design elements, as in electronic circuits.

Cold Temperature Adhesive
An adhesive that will enable a pressure-sensitive material to adhere when applied to a cold (50 degrees Fahrenheit or colder) substrate.

Color Density
That property of any color which provides near-approach or absolute opacity. Also a measure of purity or brilliance.

Color Fastness (Color Permanence) (Color Stability)
The property of screen printed imprint to retain its color under normal storage or age conditions and to resist color change when exposed to light, heat, or other environmental influences.

Conductive Inks
An ink for the screen printing of electronic circuits which contains materials that permits electric current flow through the printed line or pattern.

Conformability
The ability of a decal to yield to the contours of a surface that is other than smooth and flat, such as a ribbed, curved, or surface of another type of contour.

Cure
The resolving of organic material into a usable or specific state by heat or chemical action other than baking in the usual sense, firing or burning.

Cure Time
The time/temperature combination required to bring organic decoration to the desired level of hardness, caustic and chemical resistance, etc.

Curing
A drying process usually requiring elevated temperature of a film that cannot be dried by oxidation.

Cut Score
A score made by cutting partially through the stock.

Cyan
Blue green color, complimentary to red and one of the three primary subtractive pigment colors, the other two being yellow and magenta.

Deboss
Where the image is depressed below the normal surface of label stock. Positive printing generally has a deboss effect.

Decal
Originally an abbreviated form of decalcomania, the French designation of a design printed on special paper for transfer to a substrate. Current usage includes pressured sensitive markings or any or all designs that are externally processed prior to application.

Decal Adhesive
A clear, screen printable, water soluble compound to be printed over the face surface of decals so that they may be adhered face down on a transparent substrate for viewing through the substrate.

Detergent Resistance
Degree of or ability to resist chemical action of detergents.

Die
Any of various tools or devices used for cutting a desired shape.

Die Board
The plywood base into which the steel rule dies are inserted.

Die Cut Label
Pressure sensitive label on a release liner from which the matrix has been removed.

Die Cut Pre-spaced
The die cutting of pressure sensitive sheet to pre-determined patterns, the die being made to accurately space the portions on the sheet, then, application tape is applied to the facing to maintain the pre-spacing of the patterns or parts.

Die Cutting
The impressment of a die onto or into the surface of a sheet to separate into the form(s) dictated by the shape of the die.

Die Cut to Liner
The die cutting of a pressure sensitive sheet to the depth of the face layer only, without cutting the backing or support sheet.

Die Line
The line or marking on a tracing which indicates where the blades of the die should strike in cutting.

Dot Pattern
The pattern formed by the dots in a halftone screen for use in camera or for use as a stencil in screen printing, which represents the original art or subject, in light and dark tones produced by varying size of dots which make up the whole image.

Embossed
Printing or design in raised relief on the surface of face material, the relief being gained by suitable designed pressure plates.

Embossed
Where the image is raised above the surface of the self-adhesive material. Reverse printing generally has embossed effect.

Face Cut Label
A die cut label product from which the matrix has not been removed.

FESPA
Initial designation of Federation of European Screen Printing Associations

Fish Eyes
A flaw in a screen printed film of ink consisting of a generally circular defect caused by slight bubbling of the ink with resulting dispersion of the pigment within the immediate area, causing non-uniformity of color.

Flammability
The capability of supporting combustion ranging from extremely easy to ignite to self-extinguishing.

Flat Finish
Term used to describe a surface appearance which shows no gloss in reflected light.

Fleet Markings
General term applied to decals or pressure sensitive applications designed and produced for customers having more than one company owned vehicle for business use, delivery transport use, etc. Usually produced to identify and promote the company owning the fleet.

Fluorescent Ink
An ink formulation in a range of colors containing pigment which has the property of increasing apparent brilliance when coated over a white or light colored substrate. The phenomena involves the changing of light wave lengths of certain portions of the light spectrum to the base wave length of the color of the pigment in each case, thus, adding to the intensity of the light reflected from the colored surface. This phenomenon increases the brilliance up to four times that of conventionally formulated screen printing inks of the same base color.

Four Color Halftone
A halftone print composed of four colors deposited in very small dots which by proximity or overlapping have the capacity to form all intermediate tones. Colors used are magenta, yellow, cyan and black.

Four Color Halftone Hues
Magenta, cyan, yellow and black.

Four Color Process Printing
A system of printing an illustration or design to produce all colors in the original by using magenta, cyan, yellow and black ink printed through color separated halftone printing screens.

Gloss
Characteristic of the surface which causes it to reflect light at a given angle.

Gloss Ink
An ink that dries with minimum penetration into the substrate surface and which yields a high luster.

Halftone
A screen print in which details and dark and light tones are represented by dots of varying sizes in relationship to the tones or shades which they must portray. Small dots form light tones, larger dots form darker tones.

Heat Resistance
The property of a material which inhibits the occurrence of physical or chemical changes caused by exposure to high temperatures.

High Temperature Adhesive
An adhesive that will enable a pressure-sensitive decal to withstand sustained elevated temperatures (300 degrees Fahrenheit or higher).

Ink, Receptivity
That property of a substrate which caused it to accept and/or absorb ink.

Inks, Dull
Inks which dry with only very slight reflecting surface, it any at all.

Kiss Cutting
The die cutting of the face material of a laminated substrate without cutting the support material.

Label
An identification denoting contents, ownership, directions, destination, rating, etc., that can be applied to any object.

Label, Pressure Sensitive
Any label manufactured from pressure sensitive substrates.

Label, Punched Out
Labels that have been die cut through the face and the backing sheet or liner.

Label, Roll
Labels produced on continuous strips of pressure sensitive substrates packaged in continuous roll form.

Label, Sheet
Labels that have been produced for packaging in sheet form.

Label, Split Top (Butt Labels) (Knife-Cut Labels)
Labels so located on the sheet that one edge abuts the comparable edge of another so that one edge of the die separates the label sin cutting.

Label, Tamper Proof
Labels so made that after application they cannot be removed without destroying the label, thus preventing re-use.

Laminate
A series of thin layers bonded into a single sheet; the technique of placing two or more sheets together with an adhesive between to form a single, multi-layered sheet.

Laminating Film
Usually a clear or transparent sheeting; laminating film is manufactured for use as a protective top strata of a cold seal or thermal lamination to processed material. Since abrasion resistance and general protection are prime requisites, usually the more durable polyesters are frequently used.

Lamination
A sheet of material composed of two or more layers of material adhered together to form the sheet, e.g., liner and face material adhered together with adhesive to form a sheet of pressure sensitive label stock.

Low Tack Adhesive
An adhesive with an initial non-aggressive character for ease of application that usually becomes a more permanent bond after 24 hours, or other pre-selected time period.

Luminescence
A phenomena of light emission by a chemical composition which is film forming and which absorbs light, releasing it when extraneous light sources have been removed. A “glow-in-the-dark” capability.

Metallic Inks
Inks for screen printing compounded with metallic powders, binders, solvents, etc, which, when printed and dry, present an appearance of metal, such as gold, aluminum, etc.

Moiré
Undesirable screen pattern in color process printing caused by incorrect screen angles of halftones.

Mylar
Trade name for a clear plastic sheet with excellent dimensional stability

Newton’s Rings
A phenomenon created by light rays passing through layers of essentially transparent materials in areas where air may be trapped between the layers, thus causing uneven refraction. The appearance, similar to a drop of oil on water, is easily identifiable and correctable because the light rays are separated into their spectrum colors.

Non-Flammable
No readily combustible. The opposite of flammable.

Nonporous Surfaces
Surfaces such as glass, polished metal, etc., in which tendency to absorb slightly, or bond with any application of ink, etc., is absent.

Opacity
The measure of the amount of light that can pass through the material. The hiding quality of an ink film.

Opaque
Not able to transmit light; not transparent and not translucent; light-proof parts of transparent positives and negatives.

Orange Peel
A term describing the surface of a dried ink film which failed to flow out to a perfectly smooth surface, thus retaining very small elevations and valleys resembling the texture of an orange peel.

Pantone System (PMS)
A printing ink matching system involving a range of very few stock colors which by intermixing in prescribed combination and amounts an ink mixer can obtain an almost infinite range of prescribed tints, tones, shadings and intermediate hues.

Peel Adhesion (Peel Strength)
The force required to remove a pressure sensitive label from a standard test panel at a specified angle and speed after the label has been applied to the panel under specified conditions.

Perforation
A series of small, usually circular incisions made in laid-in labels or sheet material to facilitate tearing along a predetermined line.

Permanent Adhesive
A pressure sensitive adhesive that once applied becomes extremely difficult to remove without leaving a residue on the surface to which the decal has been applied.

Pinholes
Refers to the failure of a printed ink to form a complete film. This condition will become visible by the appearance of small holes in the solid print areas.

Polycarbonate
A thermoplastic material with high impact strength, low water absorption and good electrical and optical properties.

Polyester
The name of a class of plastics. These will be better known by the trade names of the company that makes them; for instance Mylar.

Pre-mask
A low tack material used to temporarily hold a decal in position for application after the matrix and the liner have been removed, allowing precision positioning of the decal.

Pre-Spacing
The application of a series of die cut or kiss cut patterns in a predetermined relationship onto an application paper in order that all marking components or designs may be applied to the substrate at one time.

Pressure Sensitive
1.  A tacky adhesive which can be applied to sheet material to enable the sheet to be adhered to an unrelated surface by contact and light pressure.
2.  A sheet material that has pressure sensitive adhesive applied either at the factory or in the screen printing plant.
3.  A term commonly applied to the adhesive system employed in the manufacture of screen printing substrates in which the tacky, adhesive coated film causes adhesion with moderate pressure and without the use of water or solvents.

Pressure Sensitive Label Stock
The combination of face material, pressure sensitive adhesive, and liner paper from which pressure sensitive labels are made.

Process Colors (Process Inks)
Inks of semi-transparent nature specifically formulated for four color process screen printing. The colors are magenta, yellow, cyan and black.

PVC
Abbreviation for polyvinyl chloride.

Release Liner (Backing)
The component of pressure sensitive stock which functions as a carrier for the pressure sensitive label, and protects the adhesive prior to application.

Removable Adhesive
A pressure sensitive adhesive characterized by low ultimate adhesion to a variety of surfaces.

Roll Label
Pressure sensitive labels that are packaged in continuous roll form.

Run
The working of a complete screen printing job.

Sawtooth
The effect of stencil material which tends to conform to the meshes of a screen printing fabric rather than the cleaner contours of the design on the film positive from which the stencil is produced. The filling in of the meshes produces a notched effect where lines of the design cross the fabric mesh diagonally.

Scotchlite
Trade name for a reflective sheet material usually used for outdoor applications.

Scratch Test
A test for adhesion of an ink film on a substrate which involves placing the sample on a hard, smooth surface and scratching with a tool such as an Exacto knife, using quite heavy pressure, to determine if the ink imprint will flake off the surface under normal abrasion conditions.

Screen Printing
A method of printing in which the ink is forced through a design on a taut screen, on to the object to be printed.

Scuff Resistance
The ability of a dried ink film or substrate surface to withstand wear by friction.

Serializing
Numbering screen printed items consecutively.

Shear
The relative movement of adjacent layers in a liquid or plastic during flow.

Shelf Life (Storage Life)
The period of time during which a product can be stored under specified conditions and still remain suitable for use.

Short Runs
Screen printing production runs that require less than the average number of imprints usually produced.

Silk Screens
Archaic designation for printing screen, now obsolete. Printing screens are made with other fibers other than silk.

Silk Screen Process (Silk Screen Printing)
Archaic term, now obsolete to denote screen printing.

Slip Sheet
Inexpensive paper sheet, similar to newsprint or bond grades, used to separate printed sheets or parts to prevent surface damage by rubbing.

Slit
A cut through the backing sheet or release liner of a decal to facilitate removal of the decal for application to the substrate.

Solvent Resistance
The resistance of a pressure-sensitive decal to the destructive action of specific organic liquids.

Split Back (Back Split) (Slit Back) (Split Liner)
Splits in the release liner to facilitate removal of the decal by hand.

Substrate
A term meaning, generally, a surface to which something adheres, the base material to be printed on, the surface to which a pressure sensitive decal is adhered.

Sunlight Resistance
The ability of a material to resist the deteriorating effects of sunlight – especially those wavelengths in the ultra-violet end of its spectrum.

Surface Tension
The property, due to molecular forces, by which all liquids through contraction of the surface tend to bring the contained volume into a form having the least area.

Tamper Proof (Destructible)
A pressure sensitive material which cannot be removed intact from a substrate, making reuse of the label impossible.

Tamper Proof Adhesive
An adhesive that is extremely aggressive to the point where it will not permit the decal to be removed in one piece, thus self-destructing.

Tamper Proof Label (Destructible Label)
A pressure sensitive construction of low strength face material so that attempted removal of the label will result in its destruction.

Thermal Die Cutting
cutting to desired shape by means of heated elements that have been formed to the desired design.

Tolerances
Allowable deviation from exact, original specifications.

Topcoat
A surface treatment on a film which enhances ink receptivity.

Translucent
Descriptive of a material or substance capable of transmitting some light, but not clear enough to be seen through.

Transparency
The ability of a facestock to allow transmission of light without appreciable scattering.

Transparent Inks
Screen printing inks which, when printed, permit passage of light.

U.V. Resistance
The ability of any material to withstand extended exposure to sunlight (ultra-violet) without degradation, hardening or excessive discoloration.

Vinyl
Synthetic plastic products which can be made in film, sheet and other forms. Sheets can be manufactured in either right or flexible constructions. Generally more flexible and formable than polyesters, they are resilient and abrasive resistant.