4-colour printing - a printing method that combines four separate colour inks (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) to produce a full-colour image
5th plate - a thin metal sheet coated in a spot colour, used in addition to four-colour printing for special finishes like Foils and Spot UV.
Bleed - an extension of an image or colour (s) placed beyond the finished trim size.
Casebound - also known as a Hardcover, pages are bound together before they're attached to a hard outer case.
CMYK - an abbreviation for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black ink.
Colour conversion -the process of changing colours from RGB to CMYK
Colour gamut - a range of colours produced with a given set of inks
Colour values - a description of a colour's lightness or darkness.
Colour variance - a slight change in an ink's appearance on a printed surface during a print run
Digital printing - a printing process whereby digital files are reproduced directly onto paper using inkjets
Double-page spread - two facing pages when bound together in a multi-page item
Endpapers - a sheet of paper fixed to the inside cover at the beginning and end of a book
Foil - a layer of foil is stamped on top of a printed surface using heat and a strong adhesive.
Fold line - an indication of where we will fold your prints
Ghosting - a printing defect that results in duplicated print work appearing in undesirable places.
Gloss lamination - a finish placed on top of a printed page to create a high shine
Greyscale printing - printed material produced with a range of grey tones from black to white, using only black ink.
Ink Density - the perceived amount of ink absorbed or reflected by light on a surface.
Ink Saturation - a point at which ink dissolves into a surface.
lb - paper weight measurement, an abbreviation for pound
Leaf/leaves - refers to a sheet(s) of paper.
Manufacturing variance - refers to minuscule shifts in the production process affecting the overall printing and binding of a product.
Matte Lamination - a coating on top of a printed page that provides an unshiny and subdued texture
Offset printing - a printing process whereby an inked image passes through a printer on rubber plates.
Out-of-gamut - an alert stating that you cannot accurately reproduce on-screen colour (s) in print.
Overprint - refers to one colour being printed directly over another, causing them to mix.
Parent sheets - large sheets of paper, pre-cut to produce print material before being cut to size.
Page - represents one side of a sheet of paper in a publication.
Paper stock - a measurement of the density of paper
Paperback - also known as a softcover, a book with pages bound together with a flexible outer cover attached
Production - refers to the creation, organization, monitoring and delivery of printed materials.
PUR Bound - sturdier than perfect binding, printed pages are assembled and glued together with a strong adhesive called PolyUrethane Reactive adhesive.
Perfect Bound - groups of printed pages are gathered and fastened at the spine with adhesive.
Proof - a replica of how your print files will look when printed.
Quiet Area - a margin that prevents text and images from entering the bleed area
RGB - a colour model - consisting of red, green and blue, representing an array of colours on a screen.
Rich Black - a combination of Cyan, Magenta and Yellow ink colours, mixed to produce a darker black in the printing process.
Professional Proof - a representation of your print files, highlighting errors or issues.
Saddle-stitch binding - a multi-page item bound with staples
Side - refers to a printed page.
Satin Paper - a coated paper with a smooth finish and slight sheen
Soft-touch lamination - a protective finish with a soft, matt texture
Spot Colour - a solid, specific colour that's premixed, unlike a process ink.
Spot UV - a coating applied on top of specific areas of your print that you want to highlight. We expose the varnish to UV light which hardens it, leaving a high-gloss finish.
Standard Black - a standard black, consisting of black ink (100% K)
Sketch Cover - special edition covers are usually left blank, allowing readers to draw on top of them.
Trim line - a guideline indicating the size of your finished printed item
Variant Cover - a comic or graphic novel printed with more than one cover design or finish
Wire-O Binding - a printed item with holes punched along one side before being fastened with a metal coil binding.
Uncoated paper - an absorbent paper stock without lamination or finish
For more print terms, head to this page.
