Glossary – Printing

 

Binding

Binding refers to all the processes that are needed after a job was printed to fasten the individual sheets together. This includes cutting, folding, trimming, gathering, stitching etc. See also ‘Saddle stitching’.

CMYK Printing

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black – The four process colours used in colour printing that are used to ‘make up’ all of the other colours. See ‘Spot colour’. 

Coated stock

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

Crop marks

Markings (usually thin lines) that show where a page or image has to be trimmed.

Embossing & Debossing

Embossing and debossing are two techniques used to imprint impressed or depressed images onto paper.

Embossing is a raised design – a logo or other graphic image, for example — that is pressed into paper or card stock from underneath. Embossing requires two dies, a male and female die, thus creating more production steps and die charges. The raised area can have ink applied to it, foil applied, or it can be left unprinted/unfoiled. When an embossed area is not printed or foil stamped it is known as a blind emboss.

Debossing is the opposite of embossing. With debossing, the imprinted design causes depressions in the material leaving a depressed (debossed) imprint of the image on the paper or cardstock.

Die cutting

The process of cutting paper in a shape or design by the use of a wooden die or block in which are positioned steel rules in the shape of the desired pattern.

Double page spread

Two facing pages with the material on the left hand side continuing across to the right hand side. 

Foil stamping

The process of applying a thin film of coloured foil to paper for decorative purposes. 

gsm

Abbreviation for Grams per Square Meter – a unit of measurement for paper weight.

Laser engraving

A paper cutting technique whereby laser technology is utilised to cut away certain unmasked areas of the paper. The cutting is a result of the exposure of the paper to the laser ray, which actually evaporates the paper.

Letterpress

Printing that utilises heavy machinery to press type into high cotton paper stock, leaving a debossed tactile impression.

Saddle stitching

A binding method in which folded sheets are gathered together one inside the other and then stapled through the fold line with wire staples.  The staples pass through the folded crease from the outside and are clinched between the centremost pages.  

Score

A crease put on paper to help it fold better. 

Spot Colour

In offset printing, a spot colour is any colour generated by an ink (pure or mixed) that is printed using a single run.

Trim size

The final size of a printed image or page after the last trim is made.

UV coating

A glossy coating that is applied to a printed sheet or part of a page, then bonded and cured with ultraviolet light. 

Varnish

A transparent liquid coating that is applied to a printed product to either protect it or make it visually more pleasing. Varnish can be either matte or glossy and is sometimes only applied to certain elements of a page to make them stand out. 

A test print made at the time of production printing to provide the last chance for making adjustments before the volume printing of the job begins.

Stock

The type of paper, differences are possible in the paper density, makeup and thickness.

Paper Sizes

  • A0 = 1189mm x 841mm
  • A1 = 841mm x 594mm
  • A2 = 594mm x 420mm
  • A3 = 420mm x 279mm
  • A4 = 297mm x 210mm
  • A5 = 210mm x 148.5mm
  • A6 = 148.5mm x 105mm
  • A7 = 105mm x 74.25mm

Business Card or Credit Card = 85mm x 55mm

  • A6 Long = 210mm x 74.25mm
  • DL = 210mm x 99mm
  • A4 Square = 210mm x 210mm
  • A5 Square = 148.5mm x 148.5mm
  • A6 Square = 105mm x 105mm

paper-size

 

paper-folds

Find out more.

red meets blue home