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A fine circle crossed by a full-length cross, used to align printing plates.
Also known as: Reg mark, Registration target, Crosshair mark
A registration mark is a fine circle crossed by a cross whose arms run past the circle, printed outside the trimmed area of a job. Every colour plate carries the same mark in the same place, so when the plates are correctly aligned the marks print exactly on top of one another and appear as one. When they do not, the mark shows coloured fringes and the press operator can see both how far out the register is and in which direction.
Aligns the separate plates of a colour job: every plate carries the same mark in the same position, so correct register prints them exactly on top of one another and any error shows as coloured fringes around the mark.
Contexts: News, Technical drawing
Is printed in registration black — a mixture of all the inks rather than the black ink alone — so that a mark missing on one plate is immediately visible as a missing colour.
Contexts: News, Technical drawing
Sits outside the trimmed area and is cut away in finishing, which is why it survives only on proofs, uncut sheets and jobs that were trimmed carelessly.
Contexts: News, Technical drawing
A thin circle with a cross drawn through its centre, the four arms of the cross extending beyond the circumference and ending in fine points.
Both are printed outside the trimmed area and cut away.