This section details some of the A to Z of print jargon.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
A sizes
Most
common paper size used for general printing, stationery and publications.
B sizes
Less common paper sizes which are used mainly for bigger jobs. eg Posters, wall charts etc
bitmap
A grid of pixels or printed dots generated by computer to represent type and images. ‘Bitmapping’ is a term often used to describe the effect where edges of a picture take on a blocky/jagged shape due to errors in image processing
bleed
Printing where the colour continues right up to the edge of the paper.
blind emboss
Process of raising letters or designs on card or tough paper onto which no printed image has been added.
blocking
To impress or stamp a design upon a cover. The design can be blocked in colour inks, gold leaf or metal foil.
bulk
Thickness of paper
C sizes
Paper sizes used for envelopes, designed to take A size paper.
case bound
A hardback book made with a stiff outer covers. Case bound books are usually covered with cloth, vinyl or leather.
CMYK
Letters which stand for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (K).
K is used for black to eliminate confusion with blue. Full colour printed images are made up of these component colours.
coating
A special water based coating which is applied to printed matter to protect literature from ink smudging or finger marking or to enhance appearance. The main types are sealer, gloss, matt and silk. Coatings are commonly used on matt or silk coated paper as these types are more prone to smudging than gloss coated paper. The main difference between a varnish and a coating is that coatings are faster drying and therefore jobs can be turned around quicker. They tend to be more scuff resistant than varnishes and there is also less risk of yellowing paper. However, oil based varnishes are better if specific areas of a document need to be coated. (spot varnish)
collating
Arranging of printed sheets into the desired sequence.
creep
When the middle pages of a folded section extend slightly beyond the outside pages.
crop marks
Printed lines on the edge of paper indicating where the paper should be cut to produce the correct page size.
deboss
Image pressed into paper so it lies below the surface.
DPI
Dots per inch which indicate the resolution of images. The more dots per inch, the higher the resolution and the better quality the image.
duplex
Printing on both sides of a sheet of paper. Term applies to digital printing presses.
dummy
A sample of a proposed job made up with the actual materials and cut to size to show bulk etc
encapsulation
Where the printed matter is sealed in a plastic coating providing a rigid, watertight covering.
embossing
The process of raising letters or designs on card or tough paper already printed.
EPS
Encapsulated Postscript File. This is a file format which can be read across different programs on MAC or PC computers.
finishing
All operations after printing.
folio
Page numbers.
four colour process
Full colour printing using four constituent colours:
Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and Black.
gsm
Grammes per square metre. Standard measure of paper weight.
grain of the paper
Machine made paper is made up of many fibres, which in general, tend to line up in one direction due to the nature of the process. This produces a preferred direction or grain along which it is easier to fold, bend or tear paper.
gutter
The inside margins or blank space between 2 facing pages is the gutter. The gutter space is that extra space allowance use to accommodate the binding in books and magazines.
hickey
Spots or imperfections in printed items due to dirt on press, dried ink, paper particles etc
house sheet
Paper bought in bulk by a printer for general use. Please click here to find out about MWL's preferred paper range (ie house stocks).
image
The inked areas on a printing plate.
imposition
Plans for the arrangement of the pages of a job so that they will follow in the correct sequence when folded.
JDF
Job Definition Format. This is a type of computer language which automates workflows from desk top to final print production. It is the latest buzz word in printing.
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group. A type of file format for image files.
kiss - cut
A shaped cut out from two layered stock - mostly used for peel off stickers.
laminating
A thin plastic film used on the covers of printed literature to give protection. This can be gloss or matt.
origination
All the items needed to put together and print the job.eg Artwork, photography, typesetting etc
on demand
Printing literature when it is needed instead of having it stored on the shelf. Digital printing facilitates the ‘on demand’ concept.
pantone reference
International system of designating colours for printing reference
PDF
Portable Document Format. A PDF is a special file type that combines, images, drawings, layouts and text into one file for easy delivery to or from the printer. This file is created in software called Adobe Distiller and opened in Acrobat Reader. PDF’s provide a very useful tool for proofing purposes as what you see is what you get.
perfect binding
Pages of a book which are glued together to give a square spine.
personalisation
Where data elements are unique to an individual print piece. Concept facilitated by digital printing.
printing plate
A metal plate which has the inked images involved in the offset plate lithography printing process. It is important to realise that each colour in a printing job requires a separate plate. In order to keep costs down, it is advisable not to have too many special colours.
process colours
The colours which make up full colour printing. Cyan, magenta, yellow and black.
ream
500 sheets of paper
resolution
Refers to the degree of detail of an image. It is usually measured in dots per inch (dpi) or lines per inch (lpi). A high resolution gives a high quality image and vice versa.
RGB
3 colour split (Red, Green, Blue)
RIP
Raster Image Processor. A processor which converts files into a format ready for printing.
sealer coating
A coating applied to printed matter which is quick drying and protects literature from ink smudging and finger marking and gives a neutral finish. Please refer to coating to see the difference between varnishes and coatings.
self- cover
The paper used inside a booklet is the same as that used for the cover.
sheet fed press
Printing presses which are fed by separate sheets of paper. As opposed to paper on a roll. They are suitable for all types of commercial printing, particularly high quality work.
show through
The degree to which printing is visible through paper.
simplex
Printing on one side of a sheet of paper. Term usually applied to digital printing presses.
special colour
A colour which cannot be made up of the four component colours – CMYK. They are listed in a pantone colour swatch book. For example, if a corporate logo contains a special blue & is included in a brochure with photographs and text; this is termed a five colour job. (CMYK (pictures+text) + special blue = 5 colours)
spot colour
Same as special colour.
tint
Percentage shade of a colour
TIFF
Tagged Image File Format. A type of file which stores an image.
Small arguments couples have!
typo
Short for ‘typographical error’ – a mistake in the copy.
UV
A special varnish which has undergone an accelerated varnish drying process using ultra violet is applied to printed matter to enhance its appearance. A gloss UV Varnish is commonly used and this gives a very shiny effect.
varnishes
Special varnishes applied to printed matter to protect literature from ink smudging or finger marking or to enhance appearance. There are five main types – machine, gloss, matt and silk and UV. Varnishes are commonly used on matt or silk coated paper as these types are more prone to smudging than gloss coated paper. Varnish applied to a specific area of a document is known as Spot varnish and when it is applied to the whole document it is termed as an Overall varnish (or less commonly as a Flood varnish).
versioning
This is the technique used in digital printing systems to create a number of different versions of a basic document, such as different language versions or tailored information for different readers.
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