Print Glossary
Listed below in our Print Glossary are the common terms used within the printing industry in everyday speak as well as a few definitions and explanations that will be of great help to you. If you ever wondered what is meant when a job 'bleeds' or when a 'dummy' is needed, then here is your chance to wise up on printers' jargon.
Click on the links below to view glossary terms
Saddle-Stitch |
A binding process in which a pamphlet or booklet is stapled through the middle fold of its sheets using saddle wire; To stitch with wire through the back of folded work |
Score |
To partially cut/crease with a rule into heavy paper or board to break the grain and so enable easier folding; A pressed mark in a sheet of paper, usually a thick paper, to make folding cleaner and easier |
Section |
A folded sheet of paper forming part of a book; sections are sometimes made of insetted folded sheets of four, eight, sixteen or more pages |
Self-Cover |
When the paper used inside a booklet is the same as that used for the cover and is generally printed on the same press run |
Set-off |
When ink from a printed sheet marks the underside of the sheet above it |
Shrink Wrapping |
Method of packing printed products by surrounding them with plastic, then shrinking by heat |
Signature |
A sheet of printed pages which when folded become a part of a book or publication; folded, printed paper forming a section of a book; usually in a multiple of four, and more often a multiple of eight; The consecutive number or letter which is printed at the foot of the first page of a section to enable a binder to check the position and completeness of the sections. Signatures are often indicated by printing a rule in the back of each section so that when the sections are folded and gathered the signatures appear ‘stepped’ on the back fold |
Software |
The programs that enable the computer to perform its tasks |
Spine |
The binding edge of a book or publication |
Spot Colour |
Any area of colour that is not printed using a CMYK process set; coloured areas reproduced using self coloured inks, such as PMS (Pantone) inks; A colour that is printed from a specially pre-mixed ink, usually identified by a Pantone number |
Spot Varnish |
Varnish used to hilight a specific part of the printed sheet |
Stock |
Material (paper and board) to be printed on |