Mm

m
(1) prefix in the metric system for milli; (2) unit symbol in the metric system for meter.

m²
abbreviation for square meter.

m³
abbreviation for cubic meter.

mA
abbreviation for milliampere.

M weight
the weight of 1000 sheets of paper cut to its basis size.

macerate
the shredding of fibers, such as for use in a molding resin.

machine coated
paper or board that has been coated with a mixture of a mineral pigment and a suitable adhesive during the papermaking process.

machine direction (grain)
indicates the directional flow of a paper web from wet end to dry end on a papermaking machine; used interchangeably with grain direction.

machine finished
any paper whose surface has been finished to a generally smooth to medium finish on a papermaking machine.

machine glazed
a paper with a high gloss finish on one side only.

magenta
process red; a purplish color; one of the four process color inks used in printing process; designated by letter M.

magenta contact screen
a contact screen that has a dye instead of silver dot pattern, makes it possible to control halftone contrast by the use of color filters.

magenta printer
in process color reproduction the prepress material used to produce the magenta image.

magnesium carbonate
a very light odorless white extender used in some screen printing inks.

magnetic ink
ink made from iron oxide pigments (ferrosoferric oxide (Fe₃O₄) in a special crystalline form, made for magnetic ink character recognition (MICR).

magnetic ink character recognition (MICR)
the process of machine reading characters by means of magnetic sensing.

magnetic ink character recognition paper
paper free of all metallic and magnetizable particles with superior strength, levelness, good stiffness, and propensity for flatness dispite continual handling.

magnetron
a device designed to produce very short radio waves in radio-frequency energized UV lamps.

magnifier
refer to linen tester, loupe.

main exposure
a camera exposure that establishes highlight and intermediate tone detail.

make ready (set up)
the procedures necessary to properly adjust production equipment to perform a print or finishing operation; the act of making ready or setting up to print.

make-up
the arrangement of lines of type and illustrations into pages or sections.

maleic resin
a hard synthetic resin formed by the reaction of maleic acid and modified resin.

mandrel
a spindle or round device for supporting ware during printing.

manganese dryers
materials containing chemically combined manganese used to accelerate oxidation and polymerization of an ink film.

manila
a fiber from cardage, rope, or hemp plants used to manufacture strong tough papers.

manometer
an instrument for measuring the pressure of liquids and gases.

maquette
a preliminary model or prototype, usually smaller than the final work, designed to estimate, measure or gauge overall appearance during product planning.

mar resistance
property of an ink, coating, or substrate to remain unimpaired by slight abrasion, impact, or pressure; also called abrasion resistance.

margin
the white space extending from the printed edge to the edge of a sheet.

margin gluer
a device for gumming or applying adhesive to single wing easels, or edges of display parts that are to be adhered.

marking
another term for emblem or decal, also used as a generic term that including striping, accent, and trim pieces and die-cut lettering.

marver
a slab of machine cast iron, lubricated by wax and oil on which the gob (gather) at the end of a blow pipe is rolled to form a cylindrical shape before blowing into desired shape.

mask
a covering or coating used to protect, cover, or conceal.

masking
(1) technique of placing a mask in the path of light to stop passage, reduce the quantity of light, or modify a photographic result; (2) technique that allows manipulation of one area of an image while other areas remain unaffected.

masking film
(1) manual knife-cut film that does not permit passage of actinic light; (2) photographic-light sensitive film for making masks for color correction.

maskoid
refer to liquid frisket.

mass flow rate
volumetric flow rate times density such as pounds per hour or kilograms per minute.

masstone
(1) a color, viewed by reflective light, of a pigment-vehicle mixture, that is of sufficient thickness to obscure completely the background; (2) an area of solid color compared to a halftone print.

master
the original from which subsequent copies and comparisons are made.

master frame
a screen printing frame so designed that smaller screen printing frames may be affixed inside it for printing.

masthead
any design or logo type used as identification.

mat
the random arrangement of glass fibers used in reinforcing a molded shape such as an outdoor fiberglass sign.

Match Print™ proof
(1) a four color print that estimates how the final print will appear; (2) a direct digital color proofing process that allows the printer to see the colors desired in the final print; (3) a 3M registered trademark.

material
yard goods or cloth; substrate.

material safety data sheet (MSDS)
a product specification sheet that identifies chemical substances and other health and physical hazards encountered by employees handling the material.

matrix
the areas of substrate surrounding a die cut label or similar product that is discardable on use; also called waste; refer to weed.

matte finish
a dull, low-gloss, or no-gloss finish.

matte stock
a low-gloss or non-reflective stock material.

maturing range
time/temperature range required when firing ceramics.

maturing temperature
the temperature where glass decoration must be held for a selected time to achieve the desired cure properties.

Mayer rod/bar
a metal rod wound with a fine wire around its axis, used to draw an ink down evenly and at a given thickness.

maximum opacity
the thickness of an applied ink film where additional amounts of ink will not affect reflectance measurements.

maximum operating temperature
the maximum temperature at which a device can be safely operated.

MB
acroynm for megabyte.

Mb
acroynm for megabit.

MDPE
acroynm for medium density polyethylene.

mean temperature
the average of the maximum and minimum temperatures of a process at equilibrium.

mechanical
camera-ready art work.

mechanical flat-bed press
refer to flat-bed press.

mechanical hysteresis
the difference of the indication with increasing and decreasing strain loading, at identical strain values of the specimen.

mechanical properties
material properties associated with elastic or inelastic reactions to an applied force.

mechanical stretching device
an apparatus used for simultaneously tensioning screen mesh in both the warp and weft dimensions.

mechanically fed
refer to automatic machine.

mechanical resistance of ink
the extent to which a heavy bodied ink inhibits good printing, by resisting proper flow through the stencil with normal squeegee pressure.

media
(1) another term for substrate, a material to be printed; (2) plural form of medium.

medium
(1) a resinous fluid substance, or vehicle with which pigments are mixed; (2) a singular form of media, the material to be printed; (3) general term applied to the screen printing process as one of several print communication media.

medium finish
a non-coated sheet with a smoothness approaching a vellum finish.

medium weight
a classification for fabric of 22 to 24 single yard where the number of yarn denotes the overall fabric weight.

mega
a prefix utilized in the metric system of measurement that denotes 10 to the power of six (10 ⁶) or 1 000 000; prefix is M.

megabit (Mb)
a unit of memory measurement equal to approximately one million bits.

megabyte (MB)
a unit of memory measurement equal to approximately one million bytes; acroynm MB.

megarad (Mrad)
standard measurement of energy per unit mass such as 2.30 calories per gram equals one million rads (1 Mrad).

MEK
acroynm for methyl ethyl ketone.

melamine
a very resistant thermoset plastic made from the resin of melamine and formaldehyde, has excellent hardness, clarity, and electrical prperties.

melt
(1) to change a solid into a liquid by the application of heat; (2) the liquid resulting from a melting action.

melting point
temperature at which a given solid begins to liquefy under standard conditions.

membrane switch
a series of thermally stable films containing a backer board, spacer, circuit sheet, and graphic overlay, which together perform the function of an electronic switch.

memory
the capacity of a plastic or other material to return to an original state after applied stress.

mercerization
a treatment for cotton yarn or cloth to make it look silky or to accept dye.

mercury halide lamp
a light source that uses an electrical discharge enclosed within a quartz glass tube containing mercury to produce light for stencil exposure; also referred to as metal halide lamp.

mercury oxide, yellow
a mineral pigment used to dilute burnished gold in glass decoration; (this oxide is no longer used because of its toxic hazard).

mercury vapor lamp
an enclosed light source that produces radiation by passing an electrical current through gaseous mercury.

Merrow™
(1) edging around a patch or emblem; (2) trademark of Merrow Machine Company.

mesh
(1) a uniformly spaced arrangement of interlaced or interlocked strands of thread or wire; screen material; (2) the open space between the threads of a woven material; (3) a type of garment fabric characterized by its net like open appearance.

mesh aperture
the space between the woven threads of screen printing mesh through which the ink passes during printing.

mesh composition
type of fiber used to make screen material such as polyester, nylon or stainless steel.

mesh count
the number of openings in a screen mesh in centimeters or inches.

mesh counter
a magnifier with a 6.35mm (1/4 inch) square opening, by means of which the number of threads per centimeter or linear inch of a screen printing mesh can be determined; also referred to as a linen tester.

mesh geometry
the dimensions required to specify the three-dimensional aspects of mesh structure.

mesh marks
(1) a fine, cross-hatch pattern left by the printing mesh in the ink film; (2) a condition occurring when certain areas of the screen do not properly separate from the substrate; refer to screen marks.

mesh number (mesh count)
the number of openings percentimeter or linear inch in any given screen printing mesh; the higher the mesh number or mesh count, the finer the weave.

mesh, plain weave
uniform pattern of weaving with one over and one under in each direction.

mesh opening
a measure of the distance across the space between two parallel threads, expressed in microns.

mesh opening area
refer to aperture percentage, percentage open area.

mesh stretcher
a mechanical device for tensioning screen printing mesh over the screen frame.

mesh tensioning
the act of imparting stretch in warp and weft directions to a screen printing mesh preparatory to securing the mesh to the frame.

mesh thickness
the total average height of two crossing threads in a woven screen mesh measured under tension.

mesh, twill weave
weaving pattern with a configuration of one over and two under; (deposits approximately 20% more ink than plain weave).

mesh volume
a mesh aperture width and length multiplied, then multiplied by the total thickness of the mesh without consideration of stencil thickness.

met
abbreviation for metallic.

metal cloth
refer to metal screen mesh.

metal foil
very thin sheet of metal capable of being laminated to another sheet material such as paper, to provide a metal facing, or being used, without laminating to a support sheet, in the manufacture of parts by chemical milling.

metal halide lamp
a mercury light source enhanced by the addition of metallic elements to increase emission spectra and output energy; also refer to mercury halide lamp.

metal mask
a stencil made entirely of metal, with open (print) areas having been etched into it, leaving completely open apertures, void of screen mesh. Used for depositing solder onto surface mount circuit boards.

metal screen mesh
a screen printing material that is woven from wire strands of stainless steel, phosphor bronze, nickel or copper usually used for very close tolerance screen printing or where abrasive inks such as frit for ceramics and glass are used; also referred to as wire cloth.

metallic fiber
an inorganic fiber made from minerals and metal.

metallic ink
an ink that produces an effect gold, silver, bronze, or metallic color.

metallize
to impart a metallic appearance to a plastic or other substrate, by depositing a microscopic layer of metal.

metallized mesh
screen mesh woven of polyester threads that have been totally encased in nickel by an electrocoating process.

metallized film
a plastic or resinous film that has been coated on one side with a very thin layer of metal by vacuum.

metamerism
a condition where colors change hue under different light sources.

metamerism, instrument
the phenomenon in a scanner where two colors that look the same to an observer look different to the scanner, or two colors that look different to an observer look the same to the scanner.

meter
metric system unit of length equivalent to 39.37 inches.

meter, cubic
refer to cubic meter.

meter, square
refer to square meter.

methacrylate resin
a type of resin produced by the polymerization of methacrylic esters.

methanol
one of the alcohols that has a high toxic and solvent power used in printing inks where high volatility is essential.

methyl alcohol
used in combination with ethylene dichloride as a solvent and thinner for some types of water-soluble blockouts used to remove lacquer knife-cut stencils from a screen.

methy carbitol
one of the trade names for diethylene glycol mono methyl ether, a high boiling solvent for printing inks and pastes used as a solvent for many natural and synthetic resins, dyes, fats, oils and waxes.

methy cellosolve
one of the trade names for ethylene glycol mono methyl ether used in lacquer formulations, having high solvent strength for cellulose acetate; considered to be toxic.

methyl chloride
used in combination with ethyl alcohol as a solvent and thinner with some types of water-soluble blockouts.

methy ethyl ketone (MEK)
widely used in the manufacture of lacquer-type screen printing inks and industrial lacquers, also used as a thinner for some screen printing inks of lacquer base.

methy isobutyl ketone (MIBK)
a solvent used in the manufacture of lacquer compounds and some resins such as vinyl.

methyl violet
a class of strong purple dyes and pigments.

metric system
an international decimal system of weights and measures.

metric ton
a unit of mass and weight equal to 1000 kilograms or 2,205 pounds.

mezzograph
a halftone screen with a grain formation intead of ruled lines.

mezzotint
the dots that form a contact screen for making simulated halftone effects that are irregular in shape and size and non-uniform in position.

mg
symbol for milligram.

mho
backward spelling of ohm, a unit of conductivity equal to the conductivity of a body where resistance is one ohm.

MHz
acroynm for megahertz.

MIBK
acroynm for methyl isobutyl ketone.

MIC
abbreviation for microscope.

MICR
abbreviation for magnetic ink character recognition.

micro
prefix utilized in the metric system of measurement that denotes 10 to the negative power of six (10^-6) or 0.000 001; symbol μ.

microadjustment
the fine tuning adjustments that allow for precise movement in all directions.

microcircuits
electronic circuits produced with extremely small dimensional specifications, expressed in Angstrom units equal to 1/100,000 cm.

microelectronics
a technology dealing with the processes for producing electronic circuits by fabricating solid structures, printing circuits and various electronic systems, and components or parts of subminiature size.

microlayer
an extremely thin imprint usually as applied in subminiature circuit production.

micrometer
(1) micron, defined as 10^-6 meter; (2) instrument used to measure thickness, or caliper.

micron
(1) a prefix utilized in the metric system of measurement that denotes 10 to the negative power of six (10^-6) or one millionth (0.000,001) of a meter, 0.000039 inch. (2) a term used to express the wavelength of light or the size of a pigment particle.

micro-registration
a method of on-press adjustment that allows for very small changes in position and allows for the fine tuning of print registration.

microscope mesh counter
a device utilizing a microscope and redicule to counting the number of threads over a defined distance.

microwave drying
a technique using ultra-short electromagnetic waves to transfer energy from an electromagnetic field to a polar dielectric such as screen printing ink generating heat to cause drying of the ink film.

mid-tone (middle tone)
the tonal range of color or graduations of grays that lie halfway between the lightest highlight and the darkest shadow.

mid-tone dot
a point in the middle gray area of a halftone that equals or comes close to the average of the nearly background area.

migration
the movement of a substance, ink, dye, or coating into another causing unwanted color change; also refer to dye migration.

mike
to measure the thickness of a substrate using a micrometer.

mil
a metric unit of length measurement equal to 0.001 inch or 25.4 microns.

mileage
refer to coverage.

mill
refer to ball mill.

mill swatch
substrate sample book provided by a mill.

milled flock
nonuniform flock fibers typically produced from cotton or synthetic textile waste materials; also refer to flock.

milli
a prefix utilized in the metric system of measurement that denotes 10 to the negative 3 (10^-3) or 0.001; symbol m.

millijoule
a measure of light output equal to 1/1000 of a joule.

milliliter
a unit of capacity measurement in the metric system equal to 1/1000 of a liter, 1.0 cubic centimeters or 0.06102 cubic inches; symbol ml.

millimeter
a unit of length measurement in the metric system equal to 0.001 meters or 0.03937 inches; symbol mm.

millimicron
a standard measure for a light wave.

millisecond
one thousandth of a second.

milori blue (Chinese blue)
refer to iron blue.

MIL SPEC
abbreviation for military specification.

minature
a size class of electronic circuits below the usual size standards.

mineral oil
a light hydrocarbon oil, a distillate of petroleum.

mineral spirits
an aliphatic solvent with a mild odor that is one of the most widely used solvent and thinning agents of any of the hydrocarbons.

minuscule
a lower case letter.

mirror
(1) function of reversing type or image in a design; (2) a software function that vertically or horizonally reverses on image.

mirror resist
a screen printing ink that can be printed on glass which is to be silvered to make mirrors, and which resists the silvering acids to form a clear pattern on the glass.

mirrorized polyester
polyester sheet film that has been surfaced by metallizing with a highly reflective material resembling the surface of a conventional silvered glass mirror.

miscible
ability to mix with another material.

misprint
a print that does not meet quality standards; also referred to as a reject.

misregistration
an incorrectly positioned image during printing or finishing; or the failure to be properly aligned, one color imprint to another.

mist
(1) a watery vapor suspended in the atmosphere; (2) a watery vapor condensed on a surface.

MIT tester
a durable tool used by a mill to measure folding resistance; also refer to Schopper tester.

mitography
a comprehensive term coined by Albert Kosloff (deceased), meaning screen printing. (The word was taken from the Greek prefix mitos, meaning "threads of fibers" and the suffix graphein, meaning "to write or print").

mixed life
the length of time during which two or more components will not react unfavorably after intermixing.

mixing white
a white ink, either transparent or opaque, used in making tints.

mixture
a composition of two or more substances that are not chemically bonded to each other.

ml
abbreviation in the metric system for milliliter

mm
abbreviation in metric system for millimeter.

mobile
a display composed of several separate parts that are counterbalanced and suspended, so that each part may move independently of others in a light air current.

mock leno weave
a fabric weave that draws two or more threads together and then leaves a space between the next grouping. The warp threads do not actually cross each other as in a true leno weave.

mock-up
refer to blank dummy.

modacrylic fiber
a manufactured fiber with higher resistance to chemicals and combustion and a higher specific gravity than acrylic.

model
the original creation from which a mold is made.

modifier
an inert ingredient added to a formulation that changes its properties.

modular
a machine system where several different or similar operations are controlled by a computer.

modulated transfer function (MTF)
a test that measures the optical frequency response of a scanner or other optical system.

module
an electronic circuit, part, or unit consisting of prescribed standard or fixed dimensions, serving prescribed electrical functions, used as sub-assemblies in the construction of electronic equipment.

modulus of elasticity
a measure of the rigidity of a material; the ratio of the stress or load applied to the strain or deformation produced in a material that is elastically deformed.

modulus of rupture (MOR)
the fracture strength of a material under a bending load.

Mohs scale
a tool for measuring the relative resistance of material to scratching.

moiré
an undesirable optical pattern that occurs when one regular set of parallel lines or dots crosses another set, at various angles of intersection or by the regular pattern of mesh threads intersecting the halftone screen pattern.

moisture content
amount of water present in a material.

moisture equilibrium
a condition attained by a product when the amount of water absorbed and the amount desorbed, as shown by a change in weight, shows no net difference or trend.

moisture proof
the property of a material that makes it substantially impervious to water vapor; also designated moisture barrier.

moisture regain
the ability of a completely dry fiber to absorb moisture at 70 degrees F and 65% RH.

moisture resistant
a substrate or material that will not easily change its chemical and physical properties due to moisture.

moisture transport
the movement of water from one side of a fabric to the other caused by capillary, wicking, chemical, or electrostatic action.

moisture vapor transmission rate
a measure of the rate of water vapor transmission through a pressure sensitive label or other material.

molarity
unit of measure of concentration expressed in mols per kilogram of solvent or mols per liter of solution.

mold
(1) a form or cavity designed to determine the shape or form of an application; (2) to shape plastic or other materials into another form or design by application of heat and pressure; (3) a form or cavity used as a holding device for three-dimensional parts during printing.

mold release
a lubricant that prevents a plastic from sticking to its mold; also referred to as a release agent.

molding shrinkage
the difference in dimension between a molded part and the cavity in which it was molded, measured at room temperature.

molecular-dye films
a diazo film, suitable for photographic contacting only, and popular for high resolution capability such as in microfilming and the printed circuit industry.

molecular weight
the sum total of atomic masses of the various elements found in a molecule.

molecule
(1) a group of atoms bonded together that forms the fundamental structural unit of most organic substances; (2) the smallest unit of a substance that still retains the properties of that substance.

molybdate orange
an inorganic pigment used to produce opaque orange and red inks, contains a mixture of lead chromate and lead molybdate; (no longer used because of its toxic hazard).

molleton
a thick cotton fabric with a long nap that is similar to flannel.

monitor
a device for continuously measuring a pollutant or effluent.

monitor calibration
a process used to adjust monitor color specifications, saturation, and brightness into synchronization with the final output device.

monkey pot
a small crucible for glass melts.

monochlorbenzene
used effectively as a solvent for vinyl resins in non-flammable lacquer coatings and inks, and is also a solvent for ethyl cellulose and other resins.

monochromatic
a design or photograph represented by various shades and/or tints of one color; a single color.

monofil
abbreviation for monofilament.

monofilament
a fiber strand composed of a single thread or filament.

monofilament polyester
screen printing mesh woven from single strands of extruded polyester plastic.

monofilament polyester screens
printing screen made with monofilament mesh.

monogramming
embroidered personal initials or a logo.

monolithic circuit
a circuit consisting of a semi-conductor such as silicon, into which all of the parts are fabricated.

monomer
(1) a small molecule of an organic substance that is the most basic structural unit of a polymer, usually a gas or liquid, used in forming polymeric chains in combination with oligomers and prepolymers; (2) chemical unit used in building a polymer; (3) a single unit molecule used in combination with oligomers in formulating UV curable inks and coatings.

monocalent ion
an ion with a single positive or negative charge.

monotone
a print produced in one color.

montage
the process of cutting out parts and mounting prints or parts of prints on one support for the purpose of photographing or reproducing it.

MOR
acroynm for modulus of rupture.

mordant
(1) a reagent for fixing coloring matter in textiles; (2) a corrosive substance such as acid used in etching.

morphing
moving smoothly from one image to another by having the computer animate a sequence transpasing points in the starting image to corresponding points in the final image.

moss stitch
refer to chain stitch.

mottle (ink)
blotchy, spotty, or uneven appearance of printed image, most pronounced in solid areas.

mottling
a texturing seen in the smooth or monotone areas of an image. This can be due to faulty processing and a number of improperly used digital processes e.g. excessive unsharp masking.

mounting
the combining of two or more substrates or media into a single laminated sheet.

mounting machine
a machine which laminates paper to board in one operation.

MP
abbreviation for melting point.

Mrad
acroynm for megarad.

MSDS
acroynm for material safety data sheet.

MTF
acroynm for modulated transfer function.

muffle kiln/furnace
a kiln or lehr constructed so that the ware is not subjected to direct radiant heat from the elements (electric) or to direct flame from burners (oil, gas).

mullen tester
refer to bursting strength tester.

muller
a flat bottom glass pestle for grinding color pigment; power driven mullers have two circular glass grinding surfaces.

multicolor press
a screen printing machine capable of applying more than one color on the substrate at one pass through the printing sequence.

multifil
abbreviation for multifilament.

multifilament
a screen mesh that is woven from twisted multi-strands of thread.

multilayered printed circuit
a unit that consists of a number of thin copper-clad laminates bonded with a suitable insulating adhesive with provision made for interconnection between the layers; a circuit where two or more layers are bonded together, one on top of the other, with heat and pressure.

Munsell Color System
a method to classify surface color in a solid where the vertical dimension is called value, the circumferential dimension hue, and the radial dimension chroma.

Murray-Davis equation
a relationship used to calculate the relative apparent dot area in a halftone tint by comparing the light absorbing power of the tint to that of a solid.

mutagen
a chemical or physical effect that can alter genetic material in an organism and can result in physical or functional changes in all subsequent generations.

mutt
typesetting term for an em space.

mutton
refer to em.

Mylar®
trademark of the DuPont Corporation for polyethylene terephtalate (polyester) film.

mystery turntable
a display turntable that is turned by a motor and has the capability of unpredictable, constantly changing rhythm.

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