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Glossary

Taxonomy/Vocabulary for use with the Glossary Function

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Click one of the letters above to be taken to a page of all terms beginning with that letter.
Cabinetsearch for term
An electric sign, not including the components and structurei. A cabinet is made up of a facei and back, or two faces, along with the edgei. (Also called cani.) Synonyms: can
Calendered Vinylsearch for term
Vinyli sheeting squeezed between a series of heated rollers (also extruded) to achieve a small-enough thickness for cutting with a knife plotteri. Calendered film is generally thicker and less expensive than cast vinyli.
Calibrationsearch for term
Operation of matching color shades and hues between any input devise(design software/monitor/scanneri/camera) and output device (printer). Also the operation of keeping colors consistent during printer operations, compensating for changes in humidity, media, toners, etc.
Candelasearch for term
A unit of measure indicating the amount of intensityi displayed by artificial light. Abbreviated as cdi. Synonyms: cd
Capacitorsearch for term
An electric circuit element used to store charge temporarily, consisting in general of two metallic plates separated and insulated from each other by a dielectric. Also called condenseri. Synonyms: condenser
Captive Audience Networkssearch for term
A captive audience networki is a digital advertising media network installed where your target audience is assured to remain in place for a period of time. Typical captive audience networksi are installed in supermarket queues, gas station pumps, banks, and wherever people gather and wait.
Carriersearch for term
Substance in which pigments in inks are suspended. Aqueous, solventi and eco-solvent carriers evaporate after printing. Monomers are considered carriers in UV-curingi inks, but are transformed into solid polymers after curing.
Carrier Sheetsearch for term
Generally, a backing material used to temporarily hold or protect another material.
Cast Acrylicsearch for term
Acrylici sheet produced by pouring acrylic resins into a mold and allowing them to cool. (See also Extruded acrylici). Yields best results from laseri engravingi. See also: Extruded acrylic
Cast Vinylsearch for term
A type of vinylfilm formedi by spreading a molten plastic mixture on a carrier sheeti in a thin layer, and then baking at high temperatures to remove solvents and fuse the remaining material into a film. Cast film is usually thinneri, more pliable and more-expensive than calendered vinyli.
Castingsearch for term
A method for mass-producing objects such as sculptures, letters, embellishmentsi or individual signs by pouring liquid material into a prepared mold.
CAT5 Cablesearch for term
A data and communications cable adopted by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and International Standards Organization (ISO). This version of Category 5 uses all four pairs of wires to both send and receive. See also: International Standards Organization
Cationic UV-Curingsearch for term
A form of UV-curingi ink chemistry. Cationic inks are said to adhere to an extremely wide range of substrates. Unlike free radical UVi-curing, with cationic UV curing the cure reaction continues to completion even after exposure to UV energy has ceased.
Channelsearch for term
In digital signagei, a channeli is a script that has been published in such a way that when its contents change, the updated material is forwarded to machines running the viewer that have subscribed to the channel.
Channel Lettersearch for term
The outline of a letter, with extended sidewalls that create depth, into which a light source is placed.
Character Generatorsearch for term
A device for creating text on video. Character generators are often used to make information channels and electronic bulletin boards for TV and Cable.
Charged Couple Devicesearch for term
A device made up of semiconductors arranged in such a way that the electric charge output of one semiconductor charges an adjacent one. The light-sensitive element inside many flatbed scanners. CCDi-based scanners typically have Synonyms: CCD
Chasesearch for term
The illusion of movement in neoni tubes or incandescent bulbs created by turning the light sources on and off in sequencei. Also, to decorate metal, typically by engravingi or cutting.
Chromaticitysearch for term
The quality of a color as determined by its purity and dominant wavelength, which is relative to saturationi and huei, as used in the HSVi model.
Chromesearch for term
High-quality positive color film, ordinarily shot by professionals. It includes 35-mm slides, 2 1/4" x 2 1/4" medium-formati film and 4" x 5" view-camera transparencies. Chromei positives are often used for proofing.
Chrominancesearch for term
The property of a color that describes its saturationi, intensityi, or colorfulness, used in differentiating two colors of equal brightnessi and huei.
Claddingsearch for term
Cover material applied over the framework of a structurei.
Classic Glasssearch for term
Tubing used for neoni signs or artwork in which the glass itself is colored achieving a deep, saturated color not possible with clear glass and phosphor coatings; typically a soda-lime based glass.
Clipsearch for term
A predefined graphic image, such as a picture, drawing, symbol, etc., that cani be imported and positioned on a background.
Clip Artsearch for term
Ready-made, royalty-free pieces of printed or computerized graphic art.
Cloggingsearch for term
The result of dried ink molecules in an inkjet printheadi. Although some cloggingi is typical with inkjet printers and is rectified by following a cleaning procedure, prolonged or severe clogging may result in the printhead having to be replaced.
Closed-Circuit Televisionsearch for term
Traditionally, a private television networki that is broadcasted internally within an organization. Modern narrowcastingi solutions work over the Internet, deploying custom video and messaging anywhere in the world.
CMYsearch for term
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow See also: Color Space
CMYK search for term
(Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Blacki)—The four process colors used in most analog and digital printing systems. Black is called “K” because in process printing black is the key plate or keyline color. See also: Color Gamut, Color Look Up Table, Color Modes, Color Separation
Coat-Outsearch for term
To paint the surface before the art is applied. See also: Coverage
Codecsearch for term
A software module responsible for compressing and/or decompressing an encoded media formati such as AVI digital videoi.
Cold Cathodesearch for term
The technical name for all forms of neoni lighting. The term “cold cathode” is used to refer to 18mm to 25mm tubing operating at currents 60mA to 240mA. These gas discharge lamps also have electrodes that depend on a large emission surface area rather than high temperature for their operation.
Color Calibrationsearch for term
Hardware and/or software that allows a color match to be made between multiple digital devices.
Color Curvesearch for term
Visual control used in photo-illustration and other graphics software to display color measurements and make tonal changes to an image.
Color Gamutsearch for term
The range and scope of colors that cani be reproduced by a specific display or output or display device, or by a method of color representation (such as RGBi or CMYK). See also: CMYK
Color Look Up Tablesearch for term
A digital color-processing tool for converting color from one color spacei or device to another, such as from RGBi (scale, 0–255) to CMYK i(0–100%). See also: CMYK Synonyms: CLUT
Color Managementsearch for term
Refers to coordination of color with output and display. In output, color managementi is often handled on a device-by-device basis by imaging production software. See also RIPi.
Color Modessearch for term
Models of tones based upon different values, such as: hue, saturation and luminancei (HSL); hue, saturation and brightnessi (HSB); hue, saturation and valuei (HSV); red, green, and blue (RGBi); and cyan, magenta, yellow and blacki (CMYK). See also: CMYK
Color Separationsearch for term
Color separations consist of artwork that has been split into component plates of cyan, magenta, yellow and blacki in preparation for process printing (CMYK), or into the required number of plates for spot colori printing. Each separation prints a single process or spot color. Digital files cani be composite separations (all information in one file) or pre-separated (each color on its own pagei). See also: CMYK
Color Spacesearch for term
The set or model of how a device organizes color, assigning some formula—such as numeric values—as a way of replicating color. Examples of color spaces are RGBi, CMYi (without K, or blacki), and HSVi. See also: CMY
Color Specificationsearch for term
Color values used to numerically specify a color within a color system.
Color Wheelsearch for term
Arrangement of the visible spectrum of electromagnetic radiation (color) in a circular fashion so that the primary colorsi (red, yellow, blue) are located 180 degrees from the secondary colors that complement them (green, violet, orange, respectively).
Colorantsearch for term
Colored material, such as including pigments, dyes or toners, that are mixed with a carrieri to create inks.
Colorimetersearch for term
An optical device that measures absorbance of light by filtering reflected light into regions of red, green and blue. While dedicated colorimeters do exist, most instruments are actually spectrophotometers that compute colorimetric values based on spectral reflectance or transmittance curves.
Commission Internationale de l’Eclairagesearch for term
A color-standards organization based in Vienna, Austria. The CIE’s chromaticityi diagram is a two-dimensional reference for defining colors and color spaces based upon physiological measurements of human color vision. An abbreviation for the CIE L*a*b*i (CIELAB) color space. Synonyms: CIE, CIELAB
Computer Numeric Controlsearch for term
Communications language used in some robotics and larger machine-controlled cutting devices such as computerized routers, industrial mills and lathes.
Computer-Aided Designsearch for term
The use of computer programs and systems to design detailed two- or three-dimensional models of physical objects, such as mechanical parts, buildings, and signs. Synonyms: CAD
Computer-Aided Manufacturingsearch for term
The process of using specialized computers to control, monitor, and adjust tools and machinery in manufacturing.
Conduitsearch for term
A metal or PVCi plastic tube for protecting electric cables.
Confirmed Broadcastingsearch for term
In digital signagei, a type of broadcasti contenti in which there is a back channeli through which media players cani respond to transmissions with confirmation or error messages.
Contentsearch for term
In digital signagei, contenti consists of any files that are played back on video screens, including graphics files, sound files, video files, data feeds and script files.
Content Foldersearch for term
In digital signagei, it is a folder on the media playeri for contenti files that has been placed on the machine by some method other than being sent by the network manageri, or downloaded by a separate application, for example. See also Content Folderi. See also: Installed Content Folder
Content Managementsearch for term
In digital signagei, the act of controlling the flow and updating of the contenti of networked signage.
Continuous Inkjetsearch for term
Process where ink is pumped through inkjet printing nozzles at a steady pace. Droplets are either shot onto a substratei/material, or electrically charged and deflected away from the printable surface and into a collection system.
Continuous Tonesearch for term
Method of printing where color dots of equal size are placed in a variable-spaced patterni, creating the effect of a more-natural color look to an image; a direct result of stochastic screeningi.
Contour Cutsearch for term
With vinyli cutters and print-and-cut digital printing devices, the ability to cut around the outlines of an image, both on the outer border and along any internal closed-loop borders.
Contrastsearch for term
In graphic design, the use of dissimilar or opposing elements, such as light and dark areas. Also, a term describing the difference between elements within an image in terms of their relative lightness and dark.
Control Consolesearch for term
In electronic signage, the device that receives information entered on a keyboard by the operator and transfers that information to the sign’s message controlleri.
Control Framesearch for term
In digital signagei, the frame of the network manageri window, from which you choose which networki manager screeni to work in.
Control Pointsearch for term
A connection between two line/arc segments or a selectable handle on a bounding boxi. Moving a control pointi changes the shape of an object, altering a line path, shape or size.
Coordinatesearch for term
A point that cani be referenced by its position on the X, Y, or Z axes. The use of line or arc segments to connect coordinates creates paths for knives or bits to follow when cutting or routingi an image. See also: Axis
Corona Treatmentsearch for term
Process that alters static charge of sheeting, especially corrugated plastic, for greater adherence of media such as ink for decoration.
Corrugated Boardsearch for term
A board created by gluing a corrugated piece to a flati facei, or between two flat faces.
Countersearch for term
In a given typefacei, any completely or partially enclosed area of a letter.
Cove Lightingsearch for term
A type of indirect decorative illumination created by placing a lighting source inside a trough or cove to produce a haloi effect.
Coveragesearch for term
The area (usually given in square feet) that a given material will coat-outi. See also: Coat-Out
Crawltextsearch for term
In digital signagei, the segment of text that moves through a text crawl element box.
Crazesearch for term
Thin cracks or breaks in paint, plastic or vinyli, caused mainly by weathering, though it may also be caused by the incompatibility of paint layers or solvents.
Cross Barsearch for term
A horizontal arm that is attached to a sign. The cross bari typically runs perpendicular to the sign’s facei and parallel to the building’s facadei. It is used with guy wires to help stabilize building-mounted signs.
Crosslinksearch for term
In UV-curingi, a term describing the chemical process by which the liquid ink is converted to a less-fluid, firmer, solid after exposure to a source of ultra violate light.
Crossoversearch for term
The connection between two portions of a neoni tube, intended to be unnoticed in the finished sign. Typically, crossovers are coated with blockouti paint.
Curingsearch for term
The process of effecting a chemical change in some inks or paints by the application of heat or ultraviolet lighti.
Currentsearch for term
The flux or rate of flow of electrical charge carriers in a conductor. A unit of currenti is typically given in amperes or milliamps (mA). See also: Ampere
Cut-Outssearch for term
Lettering or graphics that are cut from another material, then attached to the sign facei to provide depth.
Cyclohexanonesearch for term
is rated by the EPA as a hazardous material containing high levels of harmful VOCsi. Mild-solventi (or light solvent) inks contain lower levels of the substance, but still contain VOCs. Fumes from cyclohexanonei are managed through proper ventilation or air-scrubbing systems.