FAQ design > envelopes > ios > plastic cards > printing

Aqueous Coating: This finish is shinier and smoother than varnish, and is done in line usually flood coated on the press. It provides a high-gloss surface that deters dirt and fingerprints.

Bleeds: Ink that extends beyond the edges of a piece of p aper is said to "bleed" off the sheet. A bleed will usually cost more to produce than a piece that does not bleed. A bleed requires larger than the finished size of the piece to print on. A print job with no bleeds can usually be printed on a sheet the same size as the finished piece.

Case Binding: Is the most common type of binding for hardcover books where pages, arranged in signatures, are sewn together and hard covers (cloth, vinyl, or leather cases) are attached.

Coated: Paper which is glossy on one or both sides. Paper is treated within a day of its production.

Colors: Colors used in printing to reproduce color photographs. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black also known as Process Color 4/4. The most common and cost effective way to print a Publication is using process, one or two colors jobs

CMYK: Colors used in printing to reproduce color photographs. Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black.

CRA: Camera Ready Art. The printed piece will be exactly as the CRA, unless it is reduced or enlarged with the camera. The film is then used to make the printing plate after it is stripped. Die Cut: Irregular shapes cut out of paper using sharp steel rules in the shape of the images.

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 with ink. Normally Adobe Acrobat (pdf)

Double Burn: Exposing a plate twice with two separate images using two separate film negatives. Example: First Burn - screen tint background; Second Burn typeset copy exposed over top.

Electronic or Hard Proof: A process of generating a prepress proof in which paper is electronically exposed to the color separation negatives and passed through electrically charged pigmented toners, which adhere electrostatically, resulting in the finished proof.

Gutter: The blank space or inside margin that runs from the printed area of a page inside to the binding.

Half Fold: A full width of one web of paper that is folded once perpendicular to the cut off the paper roll and folded a second time parallel to the cut off.

Half Tones: The process of converting continuous tone photographs into dots. A screening process done on a camera in the film stage of the pre-printing process.

Final Finish Size: Quite simply what size does the piece have to be once it is trimmed and binded. For example a maps open size could be 17.750" x 34.250" and after it's trimmed and folded the finish size would be 2.875" x 5.875".

Mechanical Bindings: Plastic comb, Wire-O, Plastic coil, Spiral wire and drill 3, are all mechanical binding.

Minitab: Also known as Pony or Magazine format, a common publication format used in web printing in which the full width of the roll is folded three times to produce a 16 page section.

Negative: Being and or is fazed out. Photographic reproduction of camera ready art onto a large sheet of film so that the image of the original is reversed. Example: black areas appear clear and vice versa. In Europe it is the opposite (Film Positive) Negatives are then used to expose these images onto a printing plate.

Overrun: Also referred to as overs. The printing of a greater number of pieces than were specified. Up to 10% over is considered acceptable by most graphic arts standards, unless no overs are specified; then up to 10% under the ordered amount can be delivered. Overrun copies are typically charged at a reduced rate.

PMS Color: A specific ink color based on the Pantone Matching System® A PMS color is typically a numeric sequence used to communicate a specific color for printing purposes. The color can be either mixed from a formula at the printer, or purchased premixed from the ink manufacturer. There are hundreds of PMS colors available.

Packaging Information: Standard cartons size is 18 x 12 x 10 and weigh approx 30lbs. each. Depending on the quantity of the order, the cartons are then skidded 4 x 4 x 6 max weighing approx 1500lbs. and wrapped with plastic.

Photo Mechanical Transfer (PMT): Reproduction of black and white artwork onto photosensitive paper; does not require the use of a film negative in order for the exposure to occur. Used for screen tints and haltones.

Perfect Binding: A binding method used to put a large number of pages together into a book form. Usually a wrap around cover is glued to several folded signatures and then trimmed afterwards.

Perforate: To pierve a series of holes in a printed piece so that it will easily tear apart.

Press Check: Examination and adjustments of the press sheets at the printer before authorizing full print production to begin.

Press Run: The amount of press sheets that complete an entire run through the press.

Press Sheet: The paper stock specified for printing.

Proof: Used to check copy for errors. Could be a laserprint of your text from your disk. A blueline proof is an exact representation of the finished product on a special yellow/blue paper made from the film or negatives. Once we receive your approval we will use this to make the printing plates.

Quarter Fold: A fold, half folded once again perpendicular to the roll of papers cut off point.

Registration: The exact positioning of two or more printed colors. When an image (full color picture in a newspaper) appears fuzzy, it is said to be out of register, (unless, of course it is a picture of a fuzzy object). Look closely and you will see that the blue extends out on one side and yellow extends out on the other side. This is indicative of poor printing quality.

Saddle Stitched: A binding method of putting multiple pages together by stapling the spine or edge.

Scanning: To convert an image to a digitized format that can be stored on a computer. In the four color printing process, to scan is to specifically break down an illustration into the four separate colors - separations which, when combined, will make up the full color picture. There are different types of scanners which printers use today. There are drum scanners, and there are table top scanners. There are even little handheld scanners now used for computer scanning.

Separations: Separating the colors of a full color photo or illustration to enable a printer to print it in the four basic colors. (See Scanning).

Shipping Information: Please specify if the Shipping Information is as indicated above or a different ship to address. Please no PO Boxes. Include person or company name receiving the order and phone number. The more information you provide the better. We ship via, SEA, RAIL, UPS or DHL using standard service, or LTL Less-than-TruckLoad. The phrase refers to the ability to fill a truck with product from several sources as opposed to having a dedicated truck for each customer.

Signature: A printed section made up of 16 pages (or a multiple of 4 pages) that is printed all on one big sheet which is folded down to produce a section of a book.

Smyth Sewn: Smyth Sewn (section sewn) book bindings are the highest quality book binding available on the market today. Books with Smyth Sewn bindings lay completely flat making them perfect for use in log books, journals, and any book that you want to use for recording purposes.

Stock: Can be used interchangably with paper. Eg. 70lb coated stock. Stock is a type of paper used for a particular printing job.

Tabloid: A common publishing format used in web printing which the full width of the roll is cut once and folded once to produce a 8 page section.

Trapping: Overlapping colors which butt together. When in perfect registration you will not see white around the edges of the two joining colors. More trapping is required when printing a newspaper, as opposed to printing a quality full color brochure.

UV Coating: This is a extremely shiny, and all kinds of creative combinations can be done with this process

Varnish: This economical finish provides a mild shine and protection. It can be done inline as either spot varnish or flood coated.