Alphabet - S/7

29. Specifications : Specification means the series of parameters pertaining to a specific material or product used/procured.  Every material or product has several qualities and in order to ensure that the product in demand meet the requirement for which it is intended, the product profile or characteristic is given in detail which is known as Specs or Specification. Similarly in printing too the material procured is done by clearly expressing the material qualities. For example the Paper has several qualities important to printing some of which are Absorbency level, Porosity level, Tear resistance, Double fold, Strength, Pulp content, Lab value, Thickness, GSM, Elongation etc. The parameters will be given in detail in the tender and tested in the laboratory before acceptance.   Similarly for printing machines the Specification includes the Size of the machine, Floor area,  Max speed, Configuration, Type of Feeder, Voltage required, operating system preferred etc, etc. The tender specifications will indicate  all the requirements  in detail.
30. Spectrophotometer : The Spectrophotometer is an instrument which measures the amount of light of a specified wavelength which passes through a medium. This is only theoretical information to Presses and has more relevance to analysts and researchers.
31. Split Run : Split run means the printing of an image with different themes in different editions (different Geographical region or same area but different locations) of the same publication like Magazine and News Papers.  May be in Minnesota edition it will be image + X and Washington the same image with another text and New York edition it could be the same image with another text. This kind of variation inserted in the advertisements and printed on the same dated and same publication are called Split run. Some times even the entire matter and images may be changed. This is one of the techniques deployed by the advertising agencies to test the impact of the message in the Advertisement to formulate wide acceptance of the advertisement contents to be inserted  in future. Split run is also called a market study or survey as is called.
Also while printing a book, the same matter is printed in different manner meant for Deluxe edition, Library edition and paper book edition under Split Run. Some times even the  same pamphlets or brochures are printed in several colours and such work is also called Split run. For example when the pamphlet or brochure  for family planning gadgets are printed for mass distribution, it may be printed in different colors and different languages say three ups in a row with split fountain. They are also called Split run. 

32. Spoilage : During printing or any manufacturing process there will be additional production other than the actual requirement. The additional production may not be all good production, but are meant for make ready before running the final production. The additional sheets are also meant to stabilize the settings for the main production. This is an universal accepted mode in production field. While printing some job additional sheets are to be printed to make the settings perfect to print the actual quantity required.  For example when 10,000 copies of a booklet containing four colours are  printed, the printer will print additional 100 to 200 copies or so as spoilage. This is done to register the next colour on previously printed sheets, for feeder adjustment, color adjustment and for make ready for  subsequent printing etc. There are many different manufacturing activities within the production process such as two sides printing, trimming, folding, collating, stitching, etc. In the course of each production task, some quantity of printed sheets will get wasted. Therefore to  eventually hand over the ordered quantity, additional copies have to be printed to compensate loss in the above said activities out of which some are recoverable as good copies. However they may be offered  to the Customer if he is willing to pay for it at discounted or negotiated price or destroyed.

33. Slip sheeting: Slip sheeting is another name given for interleaving process. This process is  inserting a sheet between the two printed sheets  to prevent the ink from the surface of the previously printed sheet getting transferred on to the back side of the previously printed sheet . Such slip  sheet is called interleaving. Read more under Interleaves or interleaving in Alphabet –I.