Q-AND-A FORMAT One presentation format for an article based on an interview. In this format, the interviewer's questions are listed with the interviewee's answers following. See also DIALOGUE FEATURE

QUAD An old fashioned term to denote a piece of type metal used for spacing in hot metal composition. It is a square of the type size, but of lower height than the lettered types, thereby producing a blank space in printed material. A quad is also termed quadrat. Quad-left means placed at far left or flush-left. Quad-right means placed at far right or flush-right. See also FLUSH LEFT FLUSH RIGHT HOT METAL TYPESETTING LEADING

QUADDING The adding of space to complete a line of type by using en or em blocks. See also EM EN QUAD

QUADRAT The original and correct term for quad before it became abbreviated in general usage as quad. See QUAD

QUALITY CONTROL (QC) The corporate function or department that is responsible for determining if the company's products meet the stated product specifications and quality standards. The quality control function includes the selection of random samples during the printing process to check the consistency of quality. See also BURSTING STRENGTH CALIPER CHECKER COLOR BAR DENSITOMETER DRY STRENGTH F&G INKOMETER MULLEN TESTER PICKING PRESS CHECK PULL TEST TACKOSCOPE WET STRENGTH

QUALITY PAPERBACK A term to denote a trade paper book, usually a softcover version of a hardcover book. In contrast to a quality paperback, a mass market paperback book is printed on cheaper paper. It may also have a smaller trim size than the hardcover edition. See MASS MARKET PAPERBACK PAPERBACK TRADE PAPERBACK

QUARK XPRESS A competitor to PageMaker that is manufactured by Quark and used by many newspapers and prepress shops. A page layout software program much used on the Apple Mac, Quark Xpress enables a designer to manipulate words and images to produce an integrated layout. See also LAYOUT PAGE LAYOUT PROGRAM PAGEMAKER PREPRESS

QUARTER BINDING A term that denotes a bookbinding method, which uses a leather spine and sides of paper or cloth for cases. See also CASE COVER STOCK SPINE BOOKBINDING THREE-PIECE CASE

QUARTO A book of approximately twelve inches in height. The traditional terms for book sizes (folio, quarto, etc.) were based on the page size. In turn, this depended on the number of times a standard-sized printed sheet was folded. When four leaves were printed on the same size sheet and later folded twice, the resulting book was termed a "quarto" (four leaves). Those early terms do not relate to the sheet size used today for printing. Instead, some booksellers provide book heights in centimeters or inches. See also BOOK FORMAT IMPOSITION LEAF

QUERY A shortened form of query letter. See QUERY LETTER

QUERY LETTER A letter, usually of one page or less, that a writer or potential author sends to a book or magazine editor to propose an idea for a book or article. The letter often outlines the author's qualifications CLIPS .OUTLINE SLUSH

QUESTION MARK A mark (?) indicating a question. A question mark is used with a direct question. It behaves like a period when accompanied by quotation marks. The question mark has its origin in quaestico, Latin for I ask. This was shortened by space-saving scribes to become QO and, later, the letter Q above the letter O. Subsequently, the Q was degraded into a squiggle and the O into a little round spot. The question mark is also called an interrogation point or interrogation mark. See also PUNCTUATION QUOTATION MARK

QUICK PRINTER A printer who specializes in small print jobs, usually requiring only one or two colors and quantities of 10,000 or fewer pieces. The quick printer's natural customers are consumers and small businesses. See also SHORT RUN PRINTER SMALL, LOCAL PRINTERS

QUICK PRINTING Printing using a small sheet-fed press and precut sizes of bond and offset paper. Paper, plastic or rubber plates are made directly from camera-ready copy, instead of the metal plates used for commercial printing that require the use of films. See also BOND CAMERA READY COPY OFFSET PAPER SHEET-FED SHORT RUN SHORT RUN PRINTER

QUIRE An old standard quantity of paper consisting of twenty-four identical sheets. A quire was 1/20th of a ream. It was the quantity sold as a single unit by stationery suppliers. In bookbinding, the term describes a section of printed leaves that have been gathered, placed in correct sequence and folded. See also BASIS SIZE CODEX LEAF REAM

QUOTATION (QUOTE) This term is frequently used in reference to a price quotation. In printing, a price quotation forms a legally binding agreement between the printer and his customer, when accepted. It specifies the final price of the printing job based on the customer's specifications. This price offer is firm. That is, it remains (until accepted) as an offer at a stipulated and fixed price for a specified period. In contrast to a price quotation, a price estimate is a preliminary estimate - a statement of how much a printing job is expected to cost. However, a price estimate is not legally binding. The term, quotation, is also used in reference to a passage or phrase from a book or speech, etc., and in particular to one that may be used as an endorsement of a book. See also ATTRIBUTION ESTIMATE INTRODUCTION PULL QUOTES REVIEW SPECIFICATIONS

QUOTATION MARKS Stimulate interest by their location as well as shape. In the United States, it is normal to begin with "66" and end with "99." However, "99" is often flipped over left-to-right and used in place of "66." Single quotation marks are used for quotations within quotations. See also DUMB QUOTES PUNCTUATION

QWERTY KEYBOARD A standard typewriter keyboard layout, which is used also as a computer keyboard. The Qwerty name is spelled out by the six keys on the left hand side of the uppermost row of letter keys. An alternative keyboard layout, the Dvorak keyboard, is considered to increase typing speed because it has located the most commonly used letters on the home row. However, the Dvorak keyboard has found limited acceptance as it necessitates the retraining of keyboard users. See also INPUT DEVICE KEYBOARD NUMERIC KEYBOARD