The world of printing and all the techniques and terminology associated with it can be complicated. Often it can take a while to understand and learn these through years of experience.
Following is a list of some of the most common general printing terms with a brief explanation of each.
This is the widely used printing method to achieve full colour printing. It is also known as Process, 4 Colour Process or Full Colour Process. It uses only four ink colours: Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) and Black (K) layed down on the paper as dots which combine to create the illusion of other colours. If you look at any piece of print under a magnifying glass you will notice a matrix of tiny dots of the four colours.
Spot colours are true colours which are pre-mixed to the colour required rather than achieved through a process method on the paper. They are much punchier than process colours and can either be printed on their own (for single or two colour jobs) or printed in addition to CMYK (resulting in a 5 or 6 colour print). It all comes down to cost at the end of the day though, as the number of colours used can potentially be endless.
These are spot colours from the international ink colour matching system from the company called Pantone®. They are designed to allow people in the design and printing industries to specify and match specific colours in the printing process. They are sometimes known as PMS colours (Pantone® Matching System). They can also be created using the CMYK printing process but rarely come out exactly the same colour as in the Pantone® Matching System. Pantone also provide colour specifically for different types of paper and coatings so that a consistent colour can be achieved across a range of products.
These are spot colours that have a metallic constituent in the ink, giving a shiny quality to a range of colours from Pantone.
By using six colours instead of the standard four in CMYK, it is possible to expand the spectrum on a full colour print job. This system has been developed by Pantone® and results in a bigger visual impact. However, there are higher costs involved due to the extra inks and plates.
This is paper printing stock that has an outer layer of coating on either one or both sides. It is available in a variety of finishes including Gloss, Silk and Dull or Matt, which give slightly different results. They can produce sharp and bright printing due to the fact that the ink is not absorbed into the paper very much and the paper also reflects light well.
This is paper printing stock that does not have an outer layer of coating. It is sometimes preferred by designers for its natural feel. However, the effect is very different to Coated paper because the ink is absorbed and the dots expand. This results in print that is less sharp or bright than Coated paper, depending on the quality of the paper.
A representation of what the finished printed item will look like, so that the designer or client can check for errors or printing problems before committing to the costs of printing the full job. This will generally consist of either a test sheet from the actual printing press, or a digital printout from a smaller machine. The costs vary greatly between the methods. Some online and discount printers will alternatively provide a digital PDF proof that shows folds, trims and so on. These are quick and easy to approve, however they provide no indication as to how colours or other physical attributes may turn out.
This is a printing of method which uses a metal plate inside a printing press machine. The plate carries the image to be printed, to which the ink is applied. This is then applied to the paper as it passes through the press.
This very common printing method refers to Litho printing where the paper does not actually come into contact with the plate. Instead it is transferred from the plate to a rubber ‘blanket’ cylinder and then onto the paper.
Digital presses accept the digital data of your design and print straight from it, without the need to produce plates or any other such tools. Generally this method is used for shorter print runs as the set up costs are lower and the quality does not always match Litho standards. The main benefits of using digital printing are the short run costs and the possibility of item by item customisation.
When two or more colours are printed together. Registration refers to the process of exactly aligning them on the paper so that the image is sharp.
This is a ‘relief’ method printing where a raised surface is applied with ink and then pressed onto a sheet of paper to create the text or image. This results in the text or image being slightly depressed into the surface. Once a common way of reproducing books, these days it is generally used in craft applications such as high quality invitations or letterheads.
To achieve a raised glossy feel in printing (often in business cards) powder is applied to printed ink while it is wet and is then heated and cured.
This is printing using a continuous roll of paper rather than individual sheets. It is used for very high print runs, such as newspapers.
Applying a varnish coating to a printed surface can add a glossy, silk or matt finish.
This type of varnish is applied to give a very high glossy finish to printed surfaces. It is often used and referred to as a Spot UV, where it is applied to specific places on the print, such as photographs.
Refers to documents where the cover is printed on the same material as the text pages.
There are many different formats and styles for folding smaller documents, but the most common tend to be: 4 or 6 Page Fold, Gate Fold, Concertina Fold and Roll Fold.