Technical Help for Online Printing
Common Printing Terms
Aqueous Coating
Coating in a water base and applied like ink by a printing press to protect and enhance the printing underneath.
Bindery
Usually a department within a printing company responsible for collating, folding, and trimming various printing projects.
Bleed
Printing that extends to the edge of a sheet or page after trimming.
CMYK
Abbreviation for cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black), the four process colors.
Coverage
Extent to which ink covers the surface of a substrate. Ink coverage is usually expressed as light, medium, or heavy.
Creep
Phenomenon of middle pages of a folded signature extending slightly beyond outside pages. Also called feathering, outpush, push out, and thrust.
Crossover
Type or art that continues from one page of a book or magazine across the gutter to the opposite page. Also called a bridge, gutter bleed, and gutter jump.
Die Cut
To cut irregular shapes on paper or paperboard using a die.
DPI
Considered as "dots per square inch," a measure of output resolution in relationship to printers, imagesetters, and monitors.
Finish
(1) Surface characteristics of paper. (2) A general term for trimming, folding, binding, and all other post-press operations.
GSM
The unit of measurement for paper weight (grams per square meter).
Imposition
Arrangement of pages on mechanicals or flats so they will appear in proper sequence after press sheets are folded and bound.
Point
(1) Regarding paper, a unit of thickness equating 1/1000 inch. (2) Regarding the type, a unit of measure equaling 1/12 pica and .013875 inch (.351mm).
Proof
Test sheet made to reveal errors or flaws, predict results on press and record how a printing job is intended to appear when finished.
Spot Color or Varnish
One ink or varnish applied to portions of a sheet, as compared to a flood or painted sheet.
UV Coating
Liquid applied to a printed sheet, then bonded and cured with ultraviolet light.