B0, B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7 - see under P, Paper sizes
Backing up – Printing the reverse side of a sheet already printed on one side (Duplex).
Bindery operations - The process of cutting, scoring/creasing, folding, trimming, collating, stitching, tabbing, wrapping, etc. after print has been placed upon paper.
Binding - The process of attaching sheets of paper to one another (e.g. attaching paper sheets together to form a book or booklet).
Bitmap - A computerised image made up of dots or pixels. Line art and photographs are often saved as bitmaps. To stop artwork from looking jagged, bitmaps should be saved at a minimum of 1200 dots per inch (dpi).
Bleaching – Papermaking process to whiten cellulose fibres.
Bleed - A gruesome sounding term that describes the mostly-harmless situation where printing goes right to the very edge of the paper. Whilst printed words almost never go to the very edge of the paper, some printed matter does (e.g. background colours on business cards and brochures, company logos, pictures and artwork). If the programme you are using does not support bleeds there is another way you can prepare your files for printing. Make your document 2mm too big in both dimensions. For instance, if the final size is 210mm x 297mm then make your document 214mm x 301mm. But keep in mind that 2mm around the image is going to be trimmed to the final size.
Bond – A paper that is commonly used for business forms and letterheads. Bond paper accepts ink readily and provides good erasability. This paper is used for printing, writing or typewriting. It may contain all chemical wood pulp or 25%, 50% or 100% rag pulp. Several grades are available, and the best are usually watermarked.
Brochure – A brochure/pamphlet is a small single A4 page, two-sided, folded document designed to be handed out or mailed, and is an excellent way of communicating condensed information to a targeted community. It presents information on a specific topic or product in a clear, organised manner. It should give enough information that the reader won’t be left wondering ‘what is this really about?’, but should also be a ‘quick read’ so that the reader doesn’t become bored before reaching the end. Because it doesn’t tell the whole ‘story’, it should contain the most important parts of the ‘story’, and be attractive and appealing so that the reader is motivated to find out more.
Burst Binding – Allows glue to penetrate the spine of a book and holds each section intact.
Brightness - The ability of a paper to reflect light. Brightness of paper is expressed as a percentage that is obtained by comparing the paper to be tested with a sample paper, called a ‘calibration sample’.
