Rabbi
in Judaism, a teacher of the Torah, also an honorary title for a scholar of Jewish writings
Radio
a device for receiving radio transmissions
rag paper
paper produced from old cotton (rags/torn cloth)
random access memory (RAM)
a form of computer data storage from which data can be accessed directly
rapid press
printing machine that mechanised the processes of colouring and printing and thus gradually replaced the hand press
rare books
special and seldom treasures in the collections of libraries and archives, but also in private collections
raster (digital image processing)
a rectangular pattern of parallel scanning lines broken up into individual pixels
raster image processor (RIP)
hardware of software solution that converts digital data into printable raster images
ratings
the percentage of total audience share that watches or listens to a TV or radio program
Ratsschule
a form of municipal school in the Late Middle Ages in Germany run and taught by clergy
raw sheet
the printed paper that comes out of the printing machine in stacks and is then further processed in bookbinding
read-only memory (ROM)
a permanent storage medium, the contents of which can be read again and again but not altered
reader
a compilation of scientific/academic texts designed for lectures, seminars and conferences
reading society
club-like association of like-minded individuals dedicated to the maintenance of a shared library and reading rooms
realism
the unvarnished representation of social issues in in literature and art initiated in the 19th century
Realschule
a type of secondary school that emerged in the 18th century in Germany with a strong orientation towards practical instruction
ream
the customary unit of measurement for packages of identically sized sheets of paper
rebus
a series of pictures and symbols represent words or parts of words in the form of a puzzle
recipient
a person receiving a message in a media communication process
recommended retail price
the fixed price for a book issued by the publisher (including VAT)
Reconquista
a Spanish or Portuguese term for the Christian reconquest of the Iberian Peninsula under Islamic (Moorish) rule
record
English term for the written chronicles, protocols, documents
recording technologies
systems for the recording of analogue or digital data
recto
refers to the “front” side of a sheet of paper and applies for different writing materials like papyrus, parchment or paper
recycled paper
paper made out of the prepared fibres from waste paper
red hot
damage to leather-bound books caused by unsuitable tanning methods
reed pen
a quill cut from a reed straw or bamboo
reference works
works published digitally or in book form providing quick access to knowledge by means of alphabetical or systematic arrangement
reform
the systematic, mostly large-scale transformation of existing conditions and systems
Reformation
a process of renewal within the Church that began in 1517 and led to a denominational split in western Christianity
refreshable braille display
special computer output device for displaying braille characters
Réfugiés
Protestant refugees who fled from France and found shelter in other European countries as Huguenots
regesta
in the humanities, a compilation of the contents of medieval and Early Modern documents
regional history
branch of historical science that deals with the exploration of territories, landscapes and districts
register
public register, parental roll
registry
an alphabetic list of terms and descriptions
Reich Chamber of Culture
an institution created in 1933 to enforce Nazi cultural policy with the aim of surveillance and “Gleichschaltung” (being brought into line with Nazi doctrine)
reject
error-ridden products that do not match up to the prescribed quality standards
relief printing
a mechanical printing process in which inked printing surface faces are positioned higher than non-printing surface faces
remaindered books
books sent back by bookshops to the publishing houses due to defects or because the recommended retail price has been revoked
Renaissance
the general rediscovery of a past epoch; in particular, the art epoch in the 15th and 16th centuries
Renaissance-Antiqua
special form of early Venetian and French Antiqua typefaces and their successors
rendering
the process of generating an image from a model using computer programs
rent-roll
systematic medieval directory of goods and taxes
reprint
new edition of a book in an existing format
reproduction
duplicate or copy of a document or image
reproduction sample
master of a document or image that is used to produce reproductions
reprographics
copying processes which make it possible to reproduce a copy or multiple copies from an original document
residenz
used in German to describe in particular the building or town where a sovereign ruler resides
resolution
the level of detail of a raster image
retail bookseller
owner or employee of a bookstore retail unit
retouching
subsequent manipulation of photos or digital images, either manually or computer-aided, to improve the results
retrieval
computer-supported search for information in a database
retroactive censorship
a form of censorship which involves altering or banning a work that has already been published
reverse
the rear side of a coin or bank note; opposite of obverse
review
a written critique of a medial work or a performance
revised title edition
a work that has already been published, is no longer commercially viable and is then reissued with a new title but using the same set of printed sheets
RFID
radio frequency identification: for automatically identifying and tracking tags attached to objects using electromagnetic waves
RGB colour space
an additive colour space based on the RGB colour model (RGB stands for red, green, blue)
RGB image
an image depicted in the colour space defined by additive primaries red, green and blue on television, computer screens or in beamers
rhapsodist
a wandering singer in Ancient Greece who performed epic poems at social gatherings and celebrations
ritual
a secular or religious act carried out in a predefined form (with predefined phrases and gestures) and symbolic in character
river
in typesetting, when coincidental alignment of gaps in sentences result in what appears to be a “river” running through a paragraph
Rococo
late phase of the Baroque era (approx. 1730-1775) in which playful forms were dominant according to the beauty ideals of court society
Rodel
in medieval Germany, a deed in the form of scroll
roll of arms
a directory of coats of arms compiled by the herald for the purpose of checking and identifying the same
roll paper
an endless strip of paper produced by a paper machine which is cut to a width suitable for use in a printing machine
roll to roll offset printing
printing using an offset printing machine, in which the paper is fed directly from the roll
roller handstamp
a book-binding tool for applying gold ornamentation to book covers
Roman numerals
a numerical system that uses combinations of letters of the alphabet to signify numerical values
Romanesque period
an epoch in art history between 1000 and 1200 AD which brought forth important works of architecture, book illumination, sculpture and mural art
Romanticism
an epoch in art history (circa 1790-1850) during which painting, literature and music were afforded special significance
rotary printing
printing system in which the image carrier and the platen rotate against one another
rotary printing press
collective term for the different printing presses suitable for rotary printing
rotogravure
intaglio printing method using steel cylinders
rotulus
originally the general term for book scrolls
rotunda
a form of script that emerged in the Gothic era; it belongs to the group of blackletter scripts
rtf
Rich Text Format, a file and data exchange format for formatted texts
rubbing
transfer of a surface structure onto paper by means of pencil, crayon, etc.
Rubbing (printing)
printing a woodcut, linocut or metalcut without a printing press using a rubber
rubrication
the work done by a rubricator when creating medieval manuscripts, namely applying text in red ink as an element for structure, emphasis or decoration
rubricator
a specialised medieval scribe who adorned manuscripts with text in red ink as an element for structure, emphasis or decoration
runes
inscriptions of graphic characters, mainly in stone, by the Germanic peoples from the 2nd-14th centuries, containing both alphabetic and ideographic runes
rural depopulation
the economically motivated movement of population groups from the agrarian-rural to the urban-industrial
