Received a printing job recently and had no idea what “Bleed Lines” or “GSM” or “Finish” actually were?
To help shed some light on these and other print industry terminology, here are some common print industry terms that you may encounter.
Bleed Lines: After paper has been printed, the inks may run over the trim marks of the paper. This is known as ‘bleeding.’ Printing that extends to the edge of a sheet or page after trimming.
CMYK: Abbreviation for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black), the four colours used in process colour printing.
Coating: To reduce the risk of ink smudging after printing, a special liquid coating can be applied to the paper. It’s particularly beneficial for literature prints.
DPI: Dots Per Inch, a measure of printing resolution or image quality.
Folds: With fold variations as concertina, gate, closed gate and French, folds can give you different options for presenting your documents.
Imposition: The arrangement of pages in a sequence which reads consecutively when the printed sheet is folded.
Proof: A sample of a print job produced for review before final production.
GSM: Grams per Square Meter, a measure of paper weight or thickness.
Lock Bound: Often used for publications that need to be durable, an adhesive it pushed between the perforations during the binding process. it’s a stronger way to bound a book to ensure longevity.
Offset Printing: A printing technique where ink is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket, then onto the printing surface.
Pantone: A standardized colour matching system used to ensure consistent colour reproduction.
PDF: Portable Document Format, a file format used for electronic documents that preserves formatting across platforms.
PUR Binding: This refers to a softcover book binding method that uses Polyurethane Reactive (PUR) adhesive, which creates clean and perfect edges.
Raster Image: An image composed of pixels, often used for photographs.
Vector Image: An image defined by mathematical shapes and paths, which can be scaled without loss of quality.
Die-Cutting: A process for cutting paper into custom shapes using a die or template.
UV Coating: A glossy or matte finish applied to printed material for protection or aesthetics, cured instantly using ultraviolet light.
Binding: The method used to fasten pages together, such as saddle-stitching, perfect binding, or coil binding.
Spot Colour: A specific ink colour used in addition to or instead of CMYK in printing.
Finish: The surface texture of paper, such as glossy, matte, or satin.
Embossing: A process that creates a raised relief on paper by pressing it between dies.
Foil Stamping: A printing process that uses metallic or coloured foil to create a shiny embellishment on paper.
Resolutions: The clarity or sharpness of an image, usually measured in dots per inch (dpi).
Grayscale: An image or print using shades of grey, without colour.
Registration: The precise alignment of colours and elements in printing.
Understanding these terms can help you communicate effectively with printers and better understand the printing process and its outcomes.
EPM Print Group, as a long term, local Queensland business and market leading print solutions agency, can assist with brand management and growth right across Australia. If your business would like to be supported by a professional, reliable, cost effective business solution, reach out to our team at sales@epmprint.com.au
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