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Printing Glossary

Understanding printing terminology is essential when planning a book, packaging, or card game project. This revised glossary explains commonly used terms in printing, materials, finishing, binding, and production using concise and practical industry language.

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A practical reference for printing, materials, binding, finishing, packaging, and production terms.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M O P R S T U V W

Use this glossary as a quick reference when preparing specifications, reviewing quotations, or discussing production details.

A

Term	Meaning
Acid-free Paper	Paper with a neutral pH designed for long-term durability and reduced yellowing.
Against the Grain	Printing or folding perpendicular to the paper grain direction.
Aqueous Coating	Water-based coating applied for surface protection and improved appearance.
AQL	Acceptable Quality Limit used for print and packaging quality inspection standards.

B

Term	Meaning
Bitmap	Image made from pixels rather than vector paths.
Black and White	Single-color image reproduction, usually grayscale.
Bleed	Artwork extending beyond the trim line, typically 3 mm or 1/8 inch.
Blind Stamp	Embossing or debossing without foil or ink.
Book Block	The bound interior pages before the cover is attached.
Bulk	Thickness of paper relative to its weight.

C

Term	Meaning
C1S / C2S	Coated one side or coated two sides paper or board.
Case Binding	Hardcover binding method using a rigid outer case.
CMYK	The four process colors: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.
Coated Paper	Paper with a coated surface for sharper printing results.
Color Bar	Color control strip used to monitor print consistency.
Computer to Plate (CTP)	Direct transfer of digital files to printing plates without film.
Crop Marks	Marks showing where printed sheets will be trimmed.
Custom Insert	Paperboard or foam structure used to secure products inside packaging.

D

Term	Meaning
DAP	Delivered at Place shipping term including transport to destination.
Deboss	Pressed-in recessed impression on paper or cover material.
Deckled Edge	Decorative uneven paper edge designed to create a handmade appearance.
Die Cut	Custom-shaped cutting using a metal die.
Digital Proof	Inkjet or laser proof used for layout and color checking.
Dot Gain	Expansion of halftone dots during printing that affects image detail.
DPI	Dots per inch used to measure image resolution.
Duotone	Image printed using two colors for enhanced tonal range.

E

Term	Meaning
Emboss	Raised impression created on paper or cover surfaces.
End Papers	Sheets connecting the book block to a hardcover case.
EPS	Vector-based file format commonly used for logos and illustrations.
Extent	Total page count or components included in a project.

F

Term	Meaning
Film Lamination	Protective plastic film applied in gloss, matte, or soft touch finishes.
Flood Varnish	Varnish applied across the entire printed surface.
Foil Stamping	Application of metallic or pigment foil using heat and pressure.
Folio	Printed page number.
FSC	Forest Stewardship Council certification for responsibly sourced paper.
French Fold	Folded page or jacket construction creating closed outer edges.

G

Term	Meaning
Gatefold	Fold-out page extending beyond the standard trim size.
Gilded Edge	Decorative metallic foil or colored finish applied to book or card edges.
Gloss Lamination	Shiny protective film enhancing color vibrancy.
GSM	Grams per square meter, the standard measurement for paper weight.
Grayscale	Image composed only of black and gray tones.
Gutter	Inner margin area near the spine between facing pages.

H

Term	Meaning
Halftone	Image reproduced using dots to simulate continuous tones.
Hardcover	Book format using rigid board covers.
Head and Tail Bands	Decorative cloth strips attached to the spine ends of hardcover books.

I

Term	Meaning
Imposition	Arrangement of pages for correct printing and folding sequence.
ISBN	International Standard Book Number used for book identification.

J

Term	Meaning
Jacket	Protective printed cover wrapped around a hardcover book.
JPEG	Compressed image format commonly used for digital graphics.

K

Term	Meaning
K	Abbreviation for black ink in CMYK printing.
Kiss Cut	Cutting only the top layer of sticker material without cutting the backing sheet.

L

Term	Meaning
Landscape	Horizontal page orientation.
Leaf	Single sheet in a book consisting of two pages.
Linen Texture	Embossed paper texture resembling woven fabric.
LPI	Lines per inch used to measure halftone screen resolution.

M

Term	Meaning
Makeready	Press setup process before production printing begins.
Mock Up	Physical sample showing structure, size, and design placement.
Moiré	Unwanted pattern caused by overlapping screen angles.

O

Term	Meaning
Offset Printing	Commercial printing process transferring ink from plate to blanket to paper.
Opacity	Ability of paper to prevent show-through from the reverse side.
Overprint	Printing one ink color directly over another.

P

Term	Meaning
Pantone (PMS)	Standardized spot color matching system.
PDF	Preferred print-ready file format for production.
Perfect Binding	Binding method using glue along the spine edge.
Pixel	Smallest unit in a digital image.
PLC	Printed laminated case used for hardcover covers.
Preflight	Technical check of print files before production.
PUR Binding	High-strength adhesive binding using polyurethane reactive glue.

R

Term	Meaning
Registration	Alignment accuracy between printed colors.
Resolution	Level of image detail measured in DPI or PPI.
RGB	Red, green, and blue color mode used for digital displays.
RIP	Raster Image Processor converting files for printing output.

S

Term	Meaning
Saddle Stitch	Binding with staples through the folded spine.
Scuff-free Lamination	Protective matte laminate resistant to scratches and fingerprints.
Sheet-fed Press	Press using individual sheets instead of paper rolls.
Signature	Large printed sheet folded into multiple pages.
Silkscreen Printing	Printing method pushing ink through mesh screens.
Soft Touch Lamination	Velvety laminate providing a premium tactile feel.
Soy-based Ink	Environmentally friendly ink made with vegetable oils.
Spot UV	Gloss UV coating applied only to selected design areas.
Spiral Binding	Binding using a continuous plastic or wire coil.
SWOP	Industry specifications for web offset printing standards.

T

Term	Meaning
Template	Production guide showing dimensions, bleed, and safe areas.
TIFF	High-quality image format commonly used for printing.
Tip-in	Separately inserted page glued into a book.
Trap	Slight overlap between colors to avoid white gaps during printing.
Trim Size	Final finished size after cutting.

U

Term	Meaning
Uncoated Paper	Paper without surface coating, offering a natural texture.
UV Coating	High-gloss coating cured instantly with ultraviolet light.

V

Term	Meaning
Varnish	Liquid coating applied for protection or visual enhancement.
Vector Art	Scalable artwork created with mathematical paths instead of pixels.

W

Term	Meaning
Wet Proof	Press proof using actual printing materials and inks.
Wire-O Binding	Binding using twin-loop metal wire.
Woodfree Paper	Uncoated paper made without mechanical wood pulp.