Can You Speak Print?
We know print can sometimes be confusing, so here is your guide to many terms we commonly use as your local carbon-balanced printer.
 | Bleed – Ink that extends beyond the intended trim area to ensure no blank paper is showing, usually 3mm. |
 | Crop Marks – Lines on corners of the PDF file to define the print area, indicating where the finished item is to be trimmed. |
 | CMYK – Colour model using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (another word for black) inks for full colour printing. |
 | RGB – Red, Green Blue – the colour you see on your screen when designing for print. CMYK is used to print it. |
 | Artwork – Simply another word for the design or images to be printed. |
 | Proofing – The Process of reviewing and confirming a version of the print or design before final production. |
 | Font – A set of characters with a specific typeface, size and style for text representation. |
 | GSM – Grams per Square Metre – Measures paper weight. The higher the GSM, the heavier the paper. |
 | Micron – Micron is a measure of paper thickness (1micron = 1/1000th of a millimeter). The higher the Micron, the thicker the paper. |
 | Finishing – Post print production processes including: cutting, binding, laminating, or folding to complete the final product. |
 | Finished Size – The final size of a printed piece of work after trimming or binding is complete. |
 | Gutter – The space between printed pages in a book or leaflet that allows for bleed, trimming and binding. |
 | Crease – A fold ridge formed by applying pressure to the paper on the fold line, to create a neat fold. |
 | Laminating – The process of sealing paper by applying thin film to paper for protection and durability. Available in matt, gloss or soft-touch finishes. |
 | Perfect Binding – A binding method where individual pages are glued to the cover to create a square spine, as per a standard paperback book cover. |
 | Saddle Stitched – A binding method where wire staples are stitched through the fold line of the spine to hold a booklet together. |
 | Spot UV – A clear varnish is applied and cured using Ultra Violet light to produce a raised, glossy effect to a specific area or ‘spot’ on the design. A great way to make the product stand out. |
 | Foiling – A specialist finishing process that uses a metal die to apply metal foil onto the surface of printed paper using heat and high pressure. |
 | Die Cut – A finishing process uses a die or blade to cut through the paper stock to create custom shapes. This process can also create scores and creases to the sheet. |
 | Emboss/Deboss – A specialist finishing process using a die to stamp a raised (emboss) or sunken (deboss) design onto the surface of the paper stock. |
Now you can speak print, do get in touch if we can help at all with your next project.