A-Sizes
The main printed and trimmed sizes in the ISO international paper size range. These range from A0 to A6. For more information, please see the guide on our Artwork page.
Glossary
Acetate
A clear plastic overlay used in binding as a cover.
Bleed
Where an image or colour runs (or ‘bleeds’) off the edge of the page. For more information see our Artwork page.
Booklet Making
A group of pages collated, folded, stapled and trimmed to give a booklet. Pages must be in multiples of 4 (i.e. 8, 12, 16 etc.). Some pages can be left blank if required.
CMYK
Stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black). K is used for black to eliminate confusion with blue. Full colour printed images are made up of these component colours. If you look closely at a magazine image, you will see them. It is often referred to as four colour process.
Concertina Folding
A fold where the sheet is folded into 3, in a ‘z’ shape.
Crease
A crease made in paper or card so that folding will not damage it, reducing cracking. Often added to card covers prior to booklet making. Sometimes called a score.
Crop Marks
Crop marks (or trim marks) are thin lines place in the corner of a printed document. They are used to indicate where to cut or guillotine to get the final correct size.
Die Cutting
The process of using sharp metal rules on a wooden block to cut out specialised shapes such as pocket folders or unusual shaped print. Think of it like a metal cookie cutter for crafting, product packaging, or custom stickers, allowing you to make exact, identical shapes.
Digital Print
Digital printing is generally more cost effective on short print runs than litho print. It can print on many different materials and is excellent for variable data where each item has different print on it. For example, names on invitations.
DPI
DPI stands for Dots Per Inch and it measures how many tiny dots of ink a printer can put into a one-inch line. A higher DPI means more dots, which makes printed pictures look sharp and clear.
All supplied images should ideally be 300dpi.
Drilling
This is the process of drilling holes in a product which will allow insertion over rings or posts in a binder of some sort. This is effectively the same result as hole punching.
Embedded (Font)
Embedded fonts are font files saved directly into an electronic document, ensuring that the text looks correct on any device even if it does not have the original font installed.
Encapsulation
A fully sealed plastic pouch attached to both surfaces of a sheet to enhance its durability, making it waterproof and wipeable.
Not to be confused with Lamination (see below)
Font
A set of letters, numbers and symbols that share a unified design.
The design is called a typeface and often comes in a family with regular, italic, bold, bold italic and sometimes other variations of the typeface.
Gate Fold
A gate fold is a type of folding style or cover that opens up from the middle like a double gate or pair of doors. It is most commonly used in books, magazines, and special brochures.
GSM
GSM stands for Grams per Square Metre. This Unit of measurement is used to measure paper/card weight (thickness is measured in microns).
Higher numbers mean a heavier, thicker, and denser material.
JPEG
JPEG is an abbreviation of Joint Photographic Experts Group and is the most common digital image file format used for storing and sharing photographs.
Lamination
A plastic film pouch bonded by heat and pressure to a printed sheet for protection. There is no plastic edge with lamination and helps protect the sheet making it harder wearing, wipeable and water resistant but not waterproof. This comes in several finishes such as Matt or Gloss.
This method is different to 'Encapsulation' (see above)
Letter Folding
Divides a sheet into three equal sections with two parallel folds, so the flaps fold inward.
Litho Printing
A lithographic printing press is one that transfers ink from a flat metal plate to a rubber blanket and then onto paper, yielding sharp, high-volume results.
This is generally used for longer print runs as this is more cost effective.
Monotone
A page or job that only comprises black & white with no colour.
NCR
NCR or 'No Carbon Required' stationery is ideal for hand written invoices, delivery notes or forms when a duplicate is needed (two or three part forms).
Outlined (Font)
This is when editable text is converted into vector shapes. This ensures that your choice of font is protected even if your chosen printer does not have the same one.
Pantone Matching System
Is a universal, standardised reproductive colour system that is used by designers and printers worldwide. Each colour hue is assigned a unique number and name to achieve colour consistency throughout the industry.
PDF
This is an abbreviation of Portable Document Format, a universal file type that shares documents securely on any device whilst keeping layout, fonts and images the same.
Perfect or PUR Binding
This method of binding is used when booklets or brochures are too thick to be saddle stitched (see below) Glue is used to bind the inners to the cover. PUR is a stronger adhesive.
Proofing
A representation of the finished print produced for customer inspection of errors or any last minute changes to be identified prior to printing.
Ream
500 sheets of paper of the same size, quality and gsm (see above).
Saddle Stitching
Is a staple that can be seen on the spine and and centre pages of a brochure or booklet and is the most common form of binding for these products.
Safe Zone
This is the area around the edge of a print job that should remain free of important elements such as text, images or logos to avoid them being removed by the guillotine in the trimming process. Ideally this should be a minimum of 3mm.
Single Fold
An individual fold in the middle of the sheet, which gives 4 printable sides.
Trim
This is the exact line where the guillotine/blade cuts a printed sheet to reach its final and exact size.
Wiro or Wire Binding
A book bound with wires in spiral form inserted through holes punched along the binding edge.