Alignment - What does alignment mean?

Definition of ALIGNMENT:

This term refers both to the spatial property of an arrangement of items, which are positioned along an actual or imaginary line (or lines), in parallel lines, in specific positions relative to one another, or that have the same positioning on a shared space or on two separate spaces (e.g. on two separate pages, on the front and back of a single sheet, or that have the same position in a template and on a sheet of labels), and the act of arranging and adjusting the positioning of those items in relation to one another so that they are aligned.

In labelling, alignment is most important when it comes to designing and printing label templates. When designing a template, the design being added may be required to have a specific alignment; for example, the text or images within the design may sit in the centre of each label – in which case they are centrally aligned – or they may sit closer to the top, bottom, left, or right edge of each label. The template itself must then also align with the labels being printed, so that each copy of the design is printed in the correct position on each of the labels. The alignment of the template relies on both the accuracy of the software being used to create the template and on the accuracy of the printer (which can vary by a couple of millimetres between different models).

Alignment is also a part of the manufacturing process; when labels are produced using a die, that die features one or more label shapes that are to be created in the face material and adhesive layers. The die may be positioned so that the shapes are aligned centrally or so that they are “off-set” – in other words the die is positioned closer to the top, bottom, left, or right edge of the sheets or rolls. Any template that is set up to print a design onto a set of labels must account for the alignment of those labels on the sheets or rolls being printed.

Here is the Harvard-style citation to use if you would like to reference this definition of the word alignment:
Label Planet (2020) What does alignment mean? | Alignment Definition. Available at: https://www.labelplanet.co.uk/glossary/alignment/ (Accessed: January 1, 2024).