PRINTING GLOSSARY

Listed below are some common printing terms and definitions that may help our customers understand what is involved with their printing.

If, after reading this, you still have questions, don't hesitate to contact us.

#-UP: How many of the item are placed on one sheet of paper for printing. Example: a 4.25 x 5.5 post card can be printed 4-up on a 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.

BLEEDS: Bleed is a process where the image is printed beyond the final trim area. Anywhere that you have ink coverage running off the edge of the sheet is a bleed. To produce this type of printing, your image must run at least 1/8 of an inch past the desired final trimmed edge of the paper. This will usually mean an increased cost because it requires the document to be printed on a larger piece of paper and then trimmed to the finished size. For example, to print an 8.5 x 11 form with a four sided bleed, the form would normally be printed on a 9.5 x 12 sheet. So when designing your piece always run any bleed at least 1/8 of an inch off the edge of the page.

COLOR SEPARATIONS: Any print job that involves multiple colors needs to be color separated in order to print it. When printing spot colors, each color must be printed on a separate plate in solid black. The necessary color is then used with each plate when printing. When printing a full color document, all elements are converted into Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. These four plates are then printed using different screen values to create all necessary colors.

COMB BINDING: Multiple sheets of paper are punched with rectangular holes along the side. Then the teeth of a cylindrical plastic "comb" are inserted into the holes to bind the pages together.

COVERAGE: The amount of ink required by a printed image.

DIE-CUTTING: A sheet of metal bent into different shapes is used to cut paper into that shape. Used for door hangers, business card slits, etc.

FOUR COLOR PROCESS (FULL COLOR): All elements of an image are converted into 4 colors: cyan, magenta, yellow, black. Those four plates are used to create full color images.

GRIPPER: A key issue to always keep in mind while designing your form is GRIPPER. Gripper is the amount of clear or image free area at the lead end of the sheet necessary for the printing press to grip the paper while it is being pulled into the press. A minimum of 5/16" (.313") is necessary for forms to be printed. So when setting up the margins of your form use at least 5/16" and also keep this in mind when setting gutters on folded pieces in order to keep margins equal on all panels after folding.

IMPRINT: When one image is printed on to a paper stock that already has an image printed on it. Example: printing the text of a letter onto already printed letterhead.

KNOCKOUT: When two colors are printed on top of each other, in order to get accurate color, the bottom color must be knocked out so that the top color prints on the paper. Example: To print a red word over a yellow box, the yellow plate would be a solid box with the shape of the word in white so that the word on the red plate fits perfectly into the white space.

OVERPRINT: When one ink color is printed over another without a knockout. Usually printing black or a dark color over a lighter color. This eliminates the need for perfect/dot-to-dot registration.

PADDING: Gluing multiple sheets of paper together to create a "pad" of paper. Also used to connect carbonless paper together.

PRE-PRINT: Printed paper stock that will later be imprinted with more information. Example: printing the standard information of a business card on a large quantity of sheets. Later information for each employee (name, title, phone, etc.) will be printed on the pre-print. Saves money on setup.

RAISED PRINT/INK: A Thermographic process where powdered ink is melted onto the paper. The melted powder creates a glossy image that is raised up from the paper.

SADDLE-STITCH: Several pages are folded in half and then stapled on the fold to create a booklet.

SPOT COLOR: Printing a document with multiple colors using specific inks. The different colors do not overlap.

TRAP: When two colors are printed touching each other it is often necessary for the colors to overlap so that no paper shows through between the colors. The amount that these two colors overlap is called a trap.

TURNAROUND TIME: The time it takes from when all artwork is approved until your job is printed, finished and ready to pick up.

WORK & TURN: The process of placing both the front and back images of a document on the same plate. The paper is printed on the front, flipped over and printed on the back using the same plate/image resulting in multiple copies of a finished two-sided form. This is very useful when printing two-sided business cards or post cards.