Key plate
In color printing, the plate used as a guide for the register of other colors. It normally contains the most detail.

Kiss impression
Printing performed with only slight pressure. The normal procedure for quality printing.

Kiss pressure
The minimum pressure at which proper ink transfer is possible.

Kiss-cut
Partial cut through.

Kraft paper
Paper grade made from unbleached, bleached or colored wood pulp by the sulfate process. Kraft papers have a coarser finish than woves and are noted for their strength. In unbleached grades it is primarily used as a wrapper or packaging material. It can be watermarked, striped or calendered, and it has an acceptable surface for printing. Its natural unbleached color is brown, but by the use of semibleached or fully bleached sulfate pulps, it can be produced in lighter shades. In addition to its use a wrapping paper, it is converted into such products as grocery bags, envelopes, gummed sealing tape, asphalted papers and waxed papers, as well as specialty bags and sacks.

Kraft process
A chemical pulping process that cooks down the tree to remove lignin, retaining the fibers for papermaking. Free-sheet papers are made in the kraft process.