Glossary of Terms
1 PMS Colour Printing
For a 1 PMS colour print job artwork must be supplied containing only on e PMS colour. The PMS colours must be selected from the Pantone Solid Uncoated range.
2 PMS Colour Printing
For a 2 PMS colour print job artwork must be supplied containing exactly two PMS colours. The PMS colours must be selected from the Pantone Solid Uncoated range.
Bleed
There are two types of bleed, External Bleed and Internal Bleed
EXTERNAL BLEED
Is when an illustration, background or image is extended beyond the trim edge of the page. This allows for a small amount of movement that may occur when your order is being cut to size. 3mm of external bleed is common on all files (5mm on all magazines/booklets and presentation folders)
INTERNAL BLEED
Is when all text/important graphics are kept a certain distance in from the trim edge. This is also referred to as a ‘print safe’ area. This also allows for a small amount of movement that may occur when your order is being cut to size. 3mm of internal bleed is common on all files (5mm on all magazines/booklets and presentation folders)
Bleed Size
This is the size of your artwork including external bleed. Eg. The size of a DL flyer including 3mm external bleed is 105x216mm
Border
A margin /strip around the outer edge of the artwork. We recommend that all borders are a minimum of 5mm wide on all trim edges.
Celloglaze
This is a plastic film heat bonded to printed products such as booklet covers, business cards and postcards. This provides protection, as well as a matt or gloss finish. It can be applied to one side or both sides of a printed item. Also sometimes referred to as laminate.
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black)
These are the colours used for full-colour printing. Cyan, Magenta and Yellow are subtractive colours. If you combine cyan, magenta and yellow on paper, you will get what is perceived to be black. In order to get strong rich dark colours, black (K) ink is added in increasing proportions, as the colour gets darker and darker thus commercial printing is done in CMYK.
Coated Paper
Printing papers that have had a surface clay coating to give a smoother, more even finish with greater opacity. This paper is not recommended for overprinting.
Colour Mode
This is the colour setting used to create your artwork. Depending on the software you are using the default colour mode may be either RGB or CMYK.
Digital Printing
This is a method of printing from a digital-based image directly to a variety of media. It usually refers to professional printing where small-run jobs from desktop publishing and other digital sources are printed using large-format and/or high-volume laser or inkjet printers.
Finish Size
This is the final size that your artwork will be trimmed. Eg. The finish size of a DL flyer is 99x210mm
Finishing
Any process that occurs after printing. This includes but is not limited to trimming, folding, stitching, binding and laminating.
Folding
To bend the paper over itself so that one part of the sheet lies on over another part.
Greyscale
A range of grey shades from white to black, as used in a monochrome or single colour printing.
Half Fold
A method of folding where the paper is folded in half down the centre of the page
Imposed/ Imposition
The arrangement or layout of pages on a printed sheet.
Laminate
This is a plastic film heat bonded to printed products such as presentation folders, business cards and postcards. This provides protection , as well as a matt or gloss finish. It can be applied to one side or both sides of a printed item. Also referred to as celloglaze.
Low-resolution images
This means that the image in your artwork are less than 250ppi. We recommend that all images be supplied at 300ppi at 100% for optimum print quality.
Offset Printing
Is a method of mass-production printing in which the images on metal plates are transferred (offset) to rubber blankets or rollers and then to the print media. The print media, usually paper, does not come into direct contact with the metal plates.
Perfect Binding
A form of booklet making in which all pages are glued along the spine using special adhesive.
Pixel
The coloured dots that make up the images on a computer or television screen.
PMS (Pantone Matching System)
PMS colours are standardized colours listed in the Pantone Colour Matching System. Each Pantone colour has a specific code which different printers and manufacturers can refer to in order to ensure colour consistency.
PPI – (pixels per inch)
For printing we recommend all artwork is supplied at 300ppi at 100% (300 pixels in every square inch)
Print Safe Area
Is when all text/important graphics are kept a certain distance in from the trim edge. This is also referred to as ‘internal bleed’ area. This also allows for a small amount of movement that may occur when your order is being cut to size. 3mm of internal bleed is common on all files (5mm on all magazines/booklets and presentation folders)
Proof
HARD PROOF
A printed copy of document, brochure, business card produced in order to check colour.
SOFT PROOF
A digital PDF file created from the customers supplied artwork. A soft PDF proof is supplied for every order. The soft PDF proof allows the customer to confirm we are printing the correct file and that the trim marks are in the correct location.
Rasterized Fonts
Means the text in your artwork is made up of pixels rather than vectors. When creating text in desktop publishing software (eg Microsoft Publisher / Adobe InDesign) or vector software (eg. Adobe Illustrator / Corel Draw) the text is made up of shapes which can be scaled indefinitely without losing quality. However, if a design is saved to an image file format (eg. JPEG / Tiff) the text automatically becomes rasterised (it is no longer made up of vector shapes, it is made up of pixels). This means that if you enlarge text it will lose quality and sharpness.
Trim Edge
The edge along which the job will be cut to size
Trimming Variance
Due to automated systems there may be a small amount of movement during the trimming of your job. This can result in your job being trimmed 1-2 mm either side of the trim edge. This is why a 3mm bleed is standard on all print jobs (5mm of bleed for magazines/booklets, and presentation folders)
Uncoated paper
Printing papers that have had a surface without clay coating, also called bond or laser bond. An example of an uncoated paper would be letterhead.
Vector Graphic
Vector graphics is the use of geometrical points, lines, curves -all of which are based on mathematical expressions- to allow an image to be stretched and manipulated without losing clarity when blown up in size. Vector software such as Adobe Illustrator / Corel Draw can be used to create this type of graphic file.
