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We get it, our extensive line of papers and finishes can get kind of complicated. That's why we've laid out this breakdown of each option we offer. However, the best way to get a sense of these is to…
Updated 3 years ago by Marisa Sharma
Gutters are the inside margins closest to the spine or middle of the book. This also includes any extra space given to accommodate the binding of books and booklets.
Updated 3 years ago by Emma Davis
A term referring to a two-page spread in which an image crosses over onto both pages of a booklet or catalog. It is when the text or images crosses over the middle spine from the left hand page to th…
Raster images are those comprised of pixels and are either created in programs such as Photoshop or are images taken by a camera or scanner.
Graphic images that are great for frequent resizing. Typically this includes logos, typography, and computer illustrations. They are created as vector images in programs such as Adobe Illustrator. Th…
A term for unprinted paper.
Spot UV printing is a technique in which UV coating is applied to a designated part of your business card so that it pops off the paper with a glossy finish in direct contrast with the rest of the ca…
A graphic design technique aimed at minimizing the effect of misregistration. Misregistration, or the misalignment of colors, can happen in full-color process printing. To avoid it, trapping can be d…
CMYK is a color mode used in printing which uses the colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. Each of these colors is abbreviated in the acronym CMYK, with "K" representing black.
The color space of Red, Green and Blue. These are the primary colors of light, which computers use to display images on your screen. An RGB computer file must be translated into the CMYK (the primary…
A shiny, high-gloss coating applied to printed material. It is cured with an ultraviolet light, hence "UV".
"Bleed" is a printing term used to indicate the area that will be trimmed off after the job is printed and cut down to the finished size. The bleed extends 1/8" all around the card. Because of this,…
Typically refers to a letterhead (8.5 inches by 11 inches size paper) comprised of 500 sheets.
Please see illustration below for a visual representation
A three or four panel fold where the two outside panels fold inward to meet in the center. In a closed gatefold, there are four panels of roughly equal size where the outer panels are folded inward t…
A three or four panel fold where the two outside panels fold inward to meet in the center. In a gate fold, aka as an open gate fold, there are three panels, the bottom of which is twice the size of t…
Please see the illustration below for a visual representation
A Z-fold is a document folding method that uses two parallel folds to create six panels of equal size – three panels on each side of the paper. Please see illustration below for a visual representati…
Thicker substrates can be created by mounting 2, 3 or more sheets together. In such an application with 3 sheets, a color seam is a center layer of paper or a layer that's wedged between two sheets t…
Folding paper by bending each fold in the opposite direction of the previous fold creating a pleated or accordion effect. Please see illustration below for a visual representation
Any additional printing done on an area that has already been printed.
Special-mixed paints applied to cover the entire "edge" or side of a card. Usually applied to thicker stocks (32pt or higher) in order to make the colors and edges more pronounced. NOTE: Please read…
Updated 1 year ago by Emma Davis
Embossing : The process of creating a raised image by stamping the paper with a die. Debossing: The process of creating a recessed image by stamping the paper with a die In the below image, you see E…
For full-color printing, this term means the alignment of all four colors. When the item is printed, the press operators review registration marks placed on press sheets to ensure the proper alignmen…
The binding of a booklet (or other printed materials) in which the machine collates, folds in half, and staples the sheets in the middle.
Scoring is the process of putting a crease in the paper to make folding easier. This is done on cardstock as it is too thick to fold without cracking
The size of a printed product after it is cut from the sheet of paper it was printed on. For more explanation on how to set up your file with appropriate trim lines see this link.
Also known as variable information printing, this type of printing involves lines of text or graphics that change from piece to piece. It can be used for applying unique codes, such as barcodes or QR…
Updated 3 years ago by Alexis Underwood
Raster based artwork such as photos, or flattened artwork (from Adobe Photoshop) are made up of tiny squares (pixels) and depending on your resolution and/or final output size desired, the file could…
Updated 3 years ago by Jessica Lowry