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Glite Dictionary
printing unit

printing unit

6.3
A unit people use in printing to show size or space
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : unidad de impresión
  • Many designers use points as a standard printing unit when laying out text.

Examples

  • The brochure's margins were set to one printing unit on each side.

  • Precision is essential, so every printing unit must be calculated accurately.

  • The printing unit measures the dimensions of the page.

  • How much does one printing unit cost?

  • Many designers use points as a standard printing unit when laying out text.

  • Precision is essential, so every printing unit must be calculated accurately.

  • The brochure's margins were set to one printing unit on each side.

Synonyms

unit
vsprinting unit
589 2.1

A fixed amount used to measure or count things

is narrower applying only to sizes spacing in industries that make books posters
unit of measurement
vsprinting unit
  • Specialized
3 3.2

A fixed amount used as a standard to measure length, weight, or volume

is specific to industries that produce books posters and similar materials
measuring unit
vsprinting unit
2.7

A standard amount used to measure things like length or weight

is used specifically for sizes spacing in production of books posters and similar materials

Surface Forms

printing unit singular
printing units plural

Morphology

printing + unit

The meaning is directly compositional: 'printing' specifies the domain and 'unit' denotes a measure, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a measurement used in printing. This follows a common noun+noun compounding pattern found cross-linguistically, making the expression readily understandable without prior exposure.

Etymology

The term printing unit may come from old print shops where the word unit meant a small, fixed block of metal or wood used in printing to set letters and spaces. That's why a printing unit now means a standard 'measure' for size or spacing in a printed layout.