Printing Decoded: 7 Essential Terms You Need to Know

Printing, like every other profession, has its terms and jargon that could be confusing to a newbie, due to its dynamic and always evolving nature.

It is pertinent for individuals and corporate bodies alike to have basic knowledge of these terms to avoid printing errors and to ensure consistency, both on-screen and paper.

To help you communicate effectively with your printer, Global Plus has put together seven printing terms you need to know;

1: Saddle Stitching

Saddle stitching is a bookbinding technique designed to insert staples into the spine of folded printed materials such as booklets, catalogs, brochures, and manuals. The page count must be divisible by four, for saddle stitch binding to be employed.

2: Cut Sizes

The smaller sizes of paper, such as A4, derived by cutting down the ‘parent’ sizes used by commercial printing presses. Each parent size is twice the area of its size (A3 is twice as big as A4).

3: Trim Size

Not to be confused with cut size, Trim size is the dimension of a printed page after any excess edges have been cut away(trimmed).

4: Die cut

Die cuts create custom shapes and designs for labels. It is an easy way to add a ‘reveal’ element to your print packaging.

5: Finishing

The texture of any paper. Embossed finish presses a pattern into the surface of the paper; matte papers have a dull surface well-suited to text.

6: Pre-flighting

Pre-flighting is the process of checking a design file for errors and flagging them to ensure all loose ends are tied, before sending it to print or final production.

7: CMKY

These are the colors used for four-color processing: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. The other is RGB: Red, Green, and Blue – the colors used in RGB are not achievable in CMYK. Therefore, it is best to use CMYK while creating print designs. Take note, while sending your job in the agreed format, to avoid discrepancies in colors.

Discover the intricacies of printing with us today and entrust your next project to Global Plus. With our steadfast dedication to excellence, expect nothing but superior quality. Connect with us now to explore our comprehensive printing solutions, tailored to meet your exact requirements. Let our expertise elevate your printing experience to new heights.