Resources & Support

Glossary Of Terms

We take great pride in making our clients feel confident about their jobs during the production process. To help you gain a better understanding of what’s happening to your project, we’ve compiled a glossary of terms that we commonly use in our industry.

A B C D E F G I J L M O P R S T V W

• Accordion Fold

  A type of paper folding in which each fold runs in the opposite direction to the previous fold creating a pleated or accordion effect.

• Artwork

  All illustrated material, ornamentation, photos and charts etc., that is prepared for reproduction.

• Author's Alterations (AA's)

  Changes made after composition stage where customer is responsible for additional charges.

• Binding

  Various methods of securing folded sections together and or fastening them to a cover, to form single copies of a book.

• Bleed

  Extra ink area that crosses trim line, in other words, ink that bleeds off the end of the finished sheet.

• Blue-Line

  Photographic proof made from flats for checking accuracy, layout and imposition before plates are made.

• Brochure

  A pamphlet in booklet form.

• Bullet

  A boldface square or dot used before a sentence to emphasize its importance.

• Camera Ready

  A term given to any copy, artwork etc., that is prepared for photographic reproduction.

• Coated Stock

  Any paper that has a mineral coating applied after the paper is made, giving the paper a smoother finish.

• Collate

  To gather sheets or signatures together in their correct order.

• Color Separating

  The processes of separating the primary color components for printing.

• Crop Mark

  Markings at edges of original or on guide sheet to indicate the area desired in reproduction with negative or plate trimmed (cropped) at the markings.

• Cutter

  Machine for accurately cutting stacks of paper to desired dimensions...can also be used to crease.

• Die Cutting

  A method of using sharp steel ruled stamps or rollers to cut various shapes i.e. labels, boxes, image shapes, either post press or in line.

• Digital Proof

  Color separation data is digitally stored and then exposed to color photographic paper creating a picture of the final product before it is actually printed.

• Drill

  The actual drilling of holes into paper for ring or comb binding.

• Drop Shadow

  A shadow image placed strategically behind an image to create the affect of the image lifting off the page.

• Dull Finish

  Any matte finished paper.

• Dummy Model

  Resembling finished piece in every respect except that the pages and cover are blank, used by the designer as a final check on the appearance and +feel+ of the book as a guide for the size and position of elements on the jacket.

• Electronic Proof

  Sometimes referred to as a "soft proof", it is available normally through email in the form of a pdf.

• Embossed

  A method of paper finishing whereby a pattern is pressed into the paper when it is dry.

• Estimate

  The form used by the printer to calculate the project for the print buyer. This form contains the basic parameters of the project including size, paper stock, quantity, colors, bleeds, photos etc.

• Estimator

  One who computes or approximates the cost of work to be done on which quotation may be based.

• Fan Fold

  Paper folding that emulates an accordion or fan, the folds being alternating and parallel.

• Finish (Paper)

  Dull - (low gloss) also matte or matte gloss.

• Folder

  Machine used to fold signatures down into sections.

• Font

  The characters which make up a complete typeface and size.

• Graduated Screen

  An area of image where halftone dots range continuously from one density to another.

• Grain

  Like wood, paper has a grain direction, which is a result of the manufacturing process. The grain influences the paper's strength and folding abilities. Common problems that people encounter when the grain has been run in the wrong direction are a flimsy business card or a brochure where all of the ink is cracking on the folds. Grain is important, but often overlooked in the name of profit.

• Gripper

  A series of metal fingers that hold each sheet of paper as it passes through the various stages of the printing process.

• Imposition

  Arrangement of pages so that they print correctly on a press sheet, and the pages are in proper order when the sheets are folded.

• Indicia

  Markings pre-printed on mailing envelopes to replace the stamp.

• Inserts

  Extra printed pages inserted loosely into printed pieces.

• Job Number

  A number assigned to a printing project used for record keeping and job tracking. Also used to retrieve old jobs for reprints or reworking by customer.

• Jog

  To vibrate a stack of finished pages so that they are tightly aligned for final trimming.

• Jogger

  Vibrating, sloping platform that evens up the edges of stacks of paper.

• Laid Finish

  A parallel lined paper that has a handmade look.

• Linen

  A paper that emulates the look and texture of linen cloth.

• Match Print

  Photographic proof made showing color quality as well as accuracy, layout, and imposition before going to print.

• Offset

  This type of printing is done on a printing press. A plate makes an inked impression on a rubber-blanketed cylinder, which in turn transfers it to the paper.

• Opaque

  A quality of paper that allows relatively little light to pass through.

• Over Run

  Surplus of copies printed. 10% overs is the industry standard.

• Perf Marks

  Markings usually dotted lines at edges showing where perforations should occur.

• Perfect Binding

  Binding process where backs of sections are cut off, roughened and glued together, and rung in a cover.

• Perforating

  Punching small holes or slits in a sheet of paper or cardboard to facilitate tearing along a desired line.

• Plastic Comb

  A method of binding books whereby holes are drilled on the side closest the spine, and a plastic grasping device is inserted to hold the pages together.

• PMS

  Pantone Matching System (PMS) refers to the ink colors in our PMS Formula Guide. The majority are referred to by number.

• Process Printing

  If you get very close to a computer monitor, you will see many red, green and blue (RGB) dots. In this same fashion, if you look very closely at a printed piece in "4-color process", you will see tiny dots of cyan, magenta, yellow & black (CMYK). These 3 base primary colors & black are used to produce many, many more colors. This is why you can print photos of people or a rainbow using process printing.

• Proof

  A proof is a pre-production "sample" of what your job will look like once it is printed. A "hard proof" is a printed sample normally produced on a high-end laser-jet printer and a "soft proof" or "digital proof" is normally a pdf that can be viewed on your computer screen.

• Ream

  500 sheets of paper.

• Right Angle Fold

  A term that denotes folds that are 90 degrees to each other.

• Saddle Stitching

  Stitching where the wire staples pass through the spine from the outside and are clinched in the center.

• Score

  Impressions or cuts in flat material to facilitate folding.

• Self Cover

  A cover made out of the same paper stock as the internal sheets.

• Spine

  Back edge of a book.

• Spiral Bind

  A binding whereby a wire or plastic is spiraled through holes punched along the binding side.

• Spot Color

  Small area printed in a second color.

• Stock

  A term for unprinted paper or other material to be printed.

• Thermography

  A printing process whereby slow drying ink is applied to paper and while the ink is still wet, it is lightly dusted with a resinous powder. The paper then passes through a heat chamber where the powder melts and fuses with the ink to produce a raised surface. aka Raised Printing.

• Variable Data Printing

  Variable Data Printing provides custom printed documents targeted to your individual prospects with unlimited message & graphic capabilities.

• Varnish

  Varnish can be used as a protective coating when added to a printed piece to reflect the ink. It can also be used to highlight parts of a job when it is applied as a "spot varnish". Using a "spot varnish" can help a product or word "pop" off of the page.

• Vellum

  A finish of paper that is rough, bulky and has a degree of tooth.

• Washup

  The procedure of cleaning a particular ink from all of the printing elements (rollers, plate, ink fountain etc.) of a press.

• Wove

  A smooth paper made on finely textured wire that gives the paper a gentle patterned finish.