AA’s (Author's Alterations): Changes made by the client to a prepared file. These changes are usually chargeable to the customer.
Aqueous Coating: A technique used to enhance appearance, and protect against wear and tear.
Bleed: The term used when the image or copy extends off the edges of the sheet.
Blind Embossing: A method which presses type or images into a sheet without ink or foil.
Coated Paper: A type of paper with a clay coating, which gives it a smooth finish.
Collating: Term for gathering sheets in a desired order.
Crop: To cut off portions of an image or photo.
Crop Marks: Lines printed which show where to make the final cuts.
Crossover: When an image crosses over to the facing sheet in a booklet.
Cyan: Refers to the blue used in the standard four color process.
Die: A metal rule or block used to create a final shape.
Digital Printing: The latest technology used to produce printed materials without traditional ink and plates. This method is more eco friendly than the offset process.
Dummy: A rough mock-up of a printed piece to show final position and size.
Duotone: An image made up of two printed colors.
Emboss: Method which creates a raised relief.
Flood: Term for covering an entire printed sheet with ink.
Foil: Used with embossing or foil stamping.
Four color process: Applies to the process of using four colors ( cyan, magenta, yellow and black) to create all other colors.
Hairline: A thin gap or line about the width of a hair 1/100th of an inch.
Hard Copy: A printout of a file intended for reproduction.
Indicia: The area which contains the postal information.
Kiss Cut: The method for cutting only the top layer of a thin sheet of label stock without cutting all the way through.
Magenta: Refers to the red used in the standard four color process.
Makeready: Everything involved in the preparation on press for printing.
Offsetting: Used to describe when the image from a bottom sheet transfers to the sheet above.
Offset Paper: Any stock that is not coated.
Overrun: The quantity printed in excess of the ordered amount.
Perfect Binding: The method which uses glue to bind a cover and book to create a spine.
PMS: Meaning Pantone Matching System, the standard for color choice when printing.
Register Marks: Commonly cross hairs added to a sheet to aid the pressman when setting up a printed piece.
Saddle Stitching: The term used when sheets are bound together with staples on the folded seam to create a booklet.
Score: An intentional crease added to a sheet of paper to facilitate easier folding.
Self-Cover: When the stock used for the cover of a book is the same as the inside pages.
Substrate: Any surface on which printing is done.
Trapping: The ability to print color on color with no gap between them.
UV Coating: A method which applies either a matte or gloss coating over a printed piece for appearance and durability. The fluid is bonded to the sheet with UV light.
Varnish: An alternative method to UV coating.
