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
B
C
P
A practical reference for printing, materials, binding, finishing, packaging, and production terms.
Use this glossary as a quick reference when preparing specifications, reviewing quotations, or discussing production details.
A
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
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
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
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
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
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. |
| Marquage à chaud | 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
G
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Gatefold | Fold-out page extending beyond the standard trim size. |
| Tranches dorées | Decorative metallic foil or colored finish applied to book or card edges. |
| Pelliculage brillant | 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
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
I
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Imposition | Arrangement of pages for correct printing and folding sequence. |
| ISBN | International Standard Book Number used for book identification. |
J
J
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Jacket | Protective printed cover wrapped around a hardcover book. |
| JPEG | Compressed image format commonly used for digital graphics. |
K
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
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
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
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
P
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pantone (PMS) | Standardized spot color matching system. |
| Preferred print-ready file format for production. | |
| Reliure dos carré collé | 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
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
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. |
| Vernis sélectif UV | Gloss UV coating applied only to selected design areas. |
| La reliure spirale | Binding using a continuous plastic or wire coil. |
| SWOP | Industry specifications for web offset printing standards. |
T
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
U
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Uncoated Paper | Paper without surface coating, offering a natural texture. |
| UV Coating | High-gloss coating cured instantly with ultraviolet light. |
V
V
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Varnish | Liquid coating applied for protection or visual enhancement. |
| Vector Art | Scalable artwork created with mathematical paths instead of pixels. |
W
W
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Wet Proof | Press proof using actual printing materials and inks. |
| La reliure Wire-O | Binding using twin-loop metal wire. |
| Woodfree Paper | Uncoated paper made without mechanical wood pulp. |
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