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• Understand Printing Terms

  Printing Terms
  It’s not your job to understand every aspect of the print process.

  We have kept the use of printing terms on our website to a minimum, but some were unavoidable…

  If we’ve missed anything, please don’t try to decipher what the jargon means - just email us at info@theonlineprintcompany.co.uk or call us on 0845 600 0974 .

  Artwork
  Text, graphic and illustrations arranged individually or in any combination for subsequent printing.

  Bleed
  Printed matter which runs off the edge of the substrate.

  Board
  Paper over 200gsm that is commonly used for products such as file folders, displays and post cards. Also called paperboard.

  CMYK
  Initial letters indicating the printing primary colours – cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

  Coated Paper
  Paper which has received a coating on one or both sides.

  Crease
  To mechanically press a rule into heavy paper to enable folding without cracking. See score.

  Digital
  Technique which prints directly from a computer/electronic file without going through an intermediate medium or an intermediate machine.

  Embossing
  The process of raising, by an unlinked block, letters or designs on card or strong paper.

  EPS
  A file format, Encapsulated PostScript, used to transfer PostScript image information from one program to another.

  Finish
  Anything which is done to the material after printing, for example laminating.

  Four Colour process
  Inks used in four-colour process printing (yellow, magenta, cyan and black.

  Gloss
  A shiny finish

  GSM
  Technical Description:

  Abbreviation of grams per square metre.

  A method of indicating the substance of paper or board (whatever the size of paper/board or number of sheets in the package) on the basis of weight in grams per square metre.

  The GSM tells you how heavy/thick the paper will be.

  As a basic guide, a standard gsm for letters is 100gsm, whereas a business card standard is 350gsm.

  Lamination
  The application of transparent film, usually with a high-gloss finish, to the surface of the printer matter to enhance its appearance and to increase its durability.

  Landscape
  Oblong loose or folded printed sheet, or book, having its long sides at head and foot.

  Lithographic Printing
  A process in which the printing and non-printing surfaces are on the same plane and the substrate makes contact with the whole surface. The printing part of the surface is treated to receive a transmit ink to the paper, usually via a blanket the non-printing surface is treated to attract water and thus rejects ink from the ink roller, which touches the whole surface.

  Matt
  A dull finish

  Mono
  A single colour print process, usually using black ink.

  Pantone
  Pantone, Pantone Matching System and PMS + are Pantone Inc’s check-standard trademarks for colour standards, colour data, colour reproduction and colour reproduction materials, and other colour related products and services, meeting its specifications, control and requirements.

  pp
  Number of pages.

  Process colours
  The printers traditional subtractive primary colours; cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

  Proof
  A version of a document or colour illustration produced specifically for the purpose of review prior to reproduction.

  RGB
  The abbreviation of red, green, blue (the additive primary colours) as opposed to Y, M, C and (K), (the subtractive primary colours).

  Screen Printing
  Often called silk screen printing from the material formerly used to the screen. A stencil process with the printing and non – printing areas on one surface. The printing (image) area is open and produced by various forms of stencil. The substrate is placed under the screen and ink is passed across the top of the screen and forced through the open (printing) areas on to the substrate below.

  Silk
  A shiny paper stock

  Spot Colour
  Any area of colour that is not printed using CMYK process set; coloured areas reproduced using self-coloured inks, such as PMS (Pantone) inks.

  Substrate
  The material onto which artwork will be printed

• Understand Paper Sizes

  The most common system of paper sizes in Europe is the ISO standard. Most people are familiar with the A series which includes A4 (highlighted on the chart) the usual letterhead size.

  The C series is for envelopes - a C4 envelope being ideal for holding an A4 sheet.

  There is also a B series which provides intermediate sizes for the A series but this is rarely used.

  DL is a special size for envelopes designed to accept A4 paper folded in three.

  A Series
  A0 - 841 x 1189mm
  A1 - 594 x 841mm
  A2 - 594 x 420mm
  A3 - 420 x 297mm
  A4 - 297 x 210mm
  A5 - 210 x 148mm
  A6 - 148 x 105mm
  A7 - 105 x 74mm
  A8 - 52 x 74mm

  B Series
  B0 - 1000 x 141mm
  B1 - 707 x 1000mm
  B2 - 700 x 500mm
  B3 - 500 x 353mm
  B4 - 353 x 250mm
  B5 - 250 x 176mm
  B6 - 176 x 125mm
  B7 - 127 x 88mm
  B8 - 62 x 88mm

  C Series
  C0 - 917 x 1296mm
  C1 - 648 x 917mm
  C2 - 458 x 648mm
  C3 - 324 x 548mm
  C4 - 229 x 324mm
  C5 - 162 x 229mm
  C6 - 114 x 162mm
  C7 - 88 x 114mm
  C8 - 57 x 81mm

  RA Series
  RA0 - 860 x 1220mm
  RA1 - 610 x 860mm
  RA2 - 430 x 610mm
  RA3 - 305 x 430mm
  RA4 - 215 x 305mm
  RA5 - 152 x 215mm
  RA6 - 107 x 152mm
  RA7 - 76 x 107mm
  RA8 - 53 x 76mm

  SRA Series
  SRA0 - 900 x 1280mm
  SRA1 - 640 x 900mm
  SRA2 - 450 x 640mm
  SRA3 - 320 x 450mm
  SRA4 - 225 x 320mm
  SRA5 - 160 x 225mm
  SRA6 - 112 x 160mm
  SRA7 - 80 x 112mm
  SRA8 - 56 x 80mm

  The aspect ratio of ISO paper sheets is 1 to 1.414 (The square root of 2). This gives them a unique property: If you cut a sheet into two the resulting halves are the same proportion as the original.

  In other words a sheet of A4 when halved gives you two sheets of A5. All A size papers have the same proportions. The largest sheet in this series is A0 which is 841mm x 1189mm and just happens to be one square metre in area (ISO paper sizes are rounded to the nearest millimetre).Two other series which you may come across are RA and SRA which are used by printers. They are slightly larger than the A series to provide for grip, trim and bleed. Of course you can use any size of paper you choose. However, most paper merchants supply ISO sized stock so it is most cost effective to stay with A sizes