Glossary

The PRINTING United Alliance Glossary serves as an excellent industry terminology resource. It is the language by which we all communicate. Without it, universal understanding would be impossible.

To keep our constituents well informed about changes to the increasingly complex industry terminology, PRINTING United Alliance has developed this glossary of terms. Definitions are for general reference only. Usage may vary between companies, individuals, or national and country customs. The information presented is as accurate as the authors and editors can ascertain and PRINTING United Alliance assumes no responsibility for the use of information presented herein.
  • Detergent resistance
    Degree of, or ability to resist chemical action of detergents.
  • Deutschas Institut f?r Normung e V:
    A national standards organization in Germany.
  • Developer
    A solution or chemical for converting the latent or invisible image obtained during exposure into a visible image.
  • Developing
    The process of converting latent images, produced by exposure, into visible images. In screen printing, chemical solutions and/or water may be used for developing or washing exposed stencil films and printing screens.
  • Developing sink (darkroom sink)
    A fixture resembling a household sink, especially designed for developing photographic film with trays and/or partitions for solutions, water mixing faucet with or without temperature controls and some are designed with built-in light table for visually examining results.
  • Developing trays
    Large, shallow trays of plastic, stainless steel or other non-ferrous substances in which exposed films can be processed manually.
  • Deviation
    The difference between the value of the controlled variable and the value at which it is being controlled.
  • Deviation bridge
    Device used in measuring in percentage, the deviation from nominal value of electronic components.
  • Device-dependent
    Describes a color space that can be defined only by using information on the color-rendering capabilities of a specific device.
  • Device-independent
    Describes a color space that can be defined using the full gamut of human vision, as defined by a standard observer, independent of the color-rendering capabilities of any specific device.
  • Devitrification
    (1) A surface defect caused by the loss of gloss as a result of crystallization; (2) Change from vitreous to crystalline state.
  • Dewpoint
    The temperature at which a given sample of air will have a relative humidity of 100%.
  • Diacetone alcohol
    A ketone manufactured by the condensation of acetone in two grades, one containing up to 15% acetone and the other acetone free.
  • Diameter
    A straight line passing through the center of a circle dividing it into two equal parts.
  • Diamond grade
    A highly retro-reflective sheeting made of prismatic lenses formed in a durable resin, sealed with a white film and backed with a pressure sensitive adhesive.
  • Diaphragm
    An adjustable device for controlling the amount or area of light which passes through the lens of a camera.
  • Diapositive
    European term used to designate a photographic film positive or a manually made positive.
  • Diarylide yellow
    A strong organic yellow pigment with good color, small particle size, high tinctorial strength, poor to fair lightfastness.
  • Diathermal
    The property of transmitting radiant heat.
  • Diazo
    (1) A photosensitive chemical or process by which screen printing emulsions are made sensitive to actinic light; (2) A compound containing a group of two nitrogen atoms (N2) united with one hydrocarbon radical or with one hydrocarbon radical and another atom or group of atoms.
  • Diazo emulsion
    An emulsion for making a screen printing stencil that is sensitized with diazo chemicals rather than a bichromate sensitizer to make it light sensitive.
  • Diazo-photopolymer
    Refer to dual-cure emulsions.
  • Dice
    Very small cubic fractures in highly stressed glass.
  • Dichlorobenzidine yellow HR
    An organic yellow pigment with good bleed and fade resistance, fair in tints.
  • Dichroic color
    Property of having two peaks in the spectrophotometric reflectance curve causing it to respond differently to different light sources.