Fine Print

Fine Print Knowledge Center

The online guide to print and design.

Introduction
A Brief History of Printing
PrePress
Planning and Strategy
Design Tips
Color Management
File Submission
Proofing
Materials and Stocks
Inks
Platemaking
Types of Printing
Offset Lithography
Digital Printing
Screen Printing
Gravure
Thermography
Flexography
Letterpress
Large Format
Specialty Printing
3D Printing
Promotional
Security Printing
Green Printing
Types of Finishes
Coatings
Binding
Folding
Scoring
Die Cutting
Embossing
Foil Stamping
Perforations

Ruby

A transparent reddish material applied to a clear acetate sheet.

It photographs as opaque so it can be used to block out areas on a flat that should not appear on a particular negative or plate.

It is also used to add cut out areas to a flat that can have an image or halftone negative placed in the cut out to be exposed to the plate.

The cut out area is manually cut into the red transparent material and then the material is peeled off from the acetate sheet, leaving a clear opening in the rubylith.

The cut out area can also be used to expose the shape of the cut out, as a solid or with a screen placed behind it, directly to the plate to manually add an image to the plate.

Used for such purposes as adding screens to the image or a color to a logo.