Glossary of Common Printing Terms

A-sizes – Common paper sizes used in creating printed materials. This includes:

• A0 - 841 x 1189 mm
• A1 - 594 x 841 mm
• A2 - 420 x 594 mm
• A3 - 297 x 420 mm
• A4 - 210 x 297 mm
• A5 - 148.5 x 210 mm
• A6 - 105 x 148.5 mm
• A7 - 74 x 105 mm
• A8 - 52 x 74 mm
• A9 - 37 x 52 mm
• A10 - 26 x 37 mm

 Acetate – a transparent sheet of paper used to make overlays. 

Additive color – color produced through a light released directly from a source.

Artwork – images or texts that need to be printed

Bind – fastens sheets together with glue, wire, or thread

Bleed – printing extends over the crop marks   

Blind emboss – to emboss without ink

Board paper – paper that is over 110# index, 80# cover or 200 gsm and usually used to create file folders, displays and post cards

Border – the decorative design on a page

CMKY – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. These are the 4 colors used in full color printing

Coated paper – paper coated with clay and other substrate. The coating can be on one or both sides either in gloss or matt finish

Crop mark – lines at the edge of the image which are to be eliminated

Debossing – the process of creating a depression on a piece of paper

Die cut – creating an irregular shape on a piece of paper instead of creating them with square edges

Digital printing – low cost printing method applicable for short run print jobs. The process is quick but the quality is not the same as lithography   

Embossing – designs pressed on paper create a raised impression

Folding – there are different types of fold such as z fold, gate fold, and roll fold

4-color – printing process that makes use of four process colors of inks

Laminating – a thin plastic film is placed on one or both sides of paper

Lithography – a printing process that where a metal plate is treated so the image area attracts the oil-based inks and the non-image area repels ink

PDF (Portable Device Format) – a file format that combines images and text

Proof – a sample of the material that needs to be printed

Screen printing – printing method where ink is forced to pass through a mesh stencil

Saddle-stitch – the document is wired or stapled on the spine

Uncoated paper - paper that is not coated with clay

Xerography – also called as photocopying