Glossary of Printing Terms
We know our business is filled with a lot of unique terms, so we have included this glossary to help you interpret what you read or hear. Use this alphabetical list as a reference, but don't hesitate to ask us when you need clarification!
0 - 9
1 to N - The sorting order from the first page to the last, opposite of N to 1. Also known as normal order.
2 in 1 - An imposition where the first and second images are on a single sheet of paper.
2 Repeat - An imposition that duplicates the image on a single sheet of paper. Also known as step repeat.
2-Up - An imposition where two images are on a single page.
4-up - An imposition where four images are on a single page.
A
Accordion Fold - A fold where each parallel fold is opposite of the last fold, creating an accordion-like effect.
Account String - A series of numbers that make up a person or departments individual account number for billing, commonly associated with the University of Cincinnati.
A-Frame - A sign holder that, when open, forms the appearance of a capital “A”, often used outdoors. Also known as a sandwich board sign.
Against the Grain - Folding or feeding sheets of paper at a right angle to the grain of the paper. Also known as crossgrain.
Alignment - The act of aligning two or more pages together, often for two-sided printing. Also known as justify.
Artwork - Digital materials composing of an image, artwork, text, or other elements.
B
B/W - An acronym for Black and White, this is a type of printing that uses only black toner/ink in grayscale. Also known as black.
Backing Sheet - A protective sheet on the back of self-adhesive or cling substrates that is peeled off before mounting.
Backlit Paper - A substrate used for light or LED casings to illuminate the print from behind.
Bi-fold - A fold where a sheet is folded in half vertically or horizontally. Also known as half-fold.
Binding - The way a book is held together such as staples, coil, comb, glue, tape, and more.
Binding Edge - The side or edge of a book where binding is located.
Black - A type of printing that uses only black toner/ink in grayscale. Also known as black and white.
Black and White - A type of printing that uses only black toner/ink in grayscale. Acronym: B/W. Also known as black.
Bleed - Any element such as color, images, or artwork that extends past crop marks or the edge of the page, often requires cutting.
Bleed Marks -Similar to crop marks, a small or thin line in each corner of an image indicating the edge of the bleed.
Bond - A paper that is usually high in cotton fiber, used most often with stationery and basic prints. Also known as writing paper.
Book - A set of printed sheets with some form of binding such as coil, comb, staples, etc.
Booklet - A book binding that folds all pages in half and staples inside the fold, most magazines use this binding. Also known as a saddle stitch book.
Booklet Envelope - An envelope that opens on the long edge.
Branding - An often strict set of guidelines established by an organization or group to ensure the consistent appearance of digital or physical materials. This can include specific fonts, artwork, marketing materials, and more.
BRE - An acronym for Business Reply Envelope, a pre-addressed envelope included in mail to allow the receiver to reply to the sender free of charge.
Brightness -
In paper, it is how reflective the light is on the sheet of paper.
Digitally, it is how white or washed-out the overall image can be.
Bristol - A thick paper with a smooth finish.
Brochure - A print that is folded and often used for informational or marketing material. Also known as a pamphlet or leaflet.
Bulk Mail - Mail that is prepared in large volumes or quantities as a specific class at a reduced postage cost.
Business Reply Envelope - A preaddressed envelope included in mail to allow the receiver to reply to the sender free of charge. Acronym: BRE.
C
C1S - An acronym for Coated 1 Side, the gloss or coating on only one side of paper.
C2S - An acronym for Coated 2 Sided, the gloss or coating on both sides of paper.
Caliper - Similar to gsm and lb, the standard unit of measurement for paper thickness expressed in microns, often seen as 10pt, 12pt, etc.
Canvas Paper - A substrate that is heavyweight with a textured coated surface that closely replicates a painting canvas.
Carbonless Paper - A thin, chemically treated paper that allows the transfer of writing, scratches, or impressions from one sheet to another, often printed in sets and as 2-part, 3-part, or 4-part. Also known as NCR.
Cardstock - A paper that is thicker than average copy or text weight paper. Also known as cover stock and cover weight.
Carriage -
A device within a printer that feeds the paper or material.
A device in some printers that houses the print head.
Case - A large box of paper containing multiple reams of paper, often 5 or 10 reams per case.
Catalog Envelope - An envelope that opens on the short edge.
Click - The count for each cycle of printing; a single-sided print would be one click. Also known as an impression.
Cloth - A substrate used for printing that can be easily folded without making indents. Also known as textile or fabric.
CMYK - The four basic colors used by most color printers consisting of: Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y), and Black (K).
Coated 1 Side - The gloss or coating on only one side of paper. Also known as C1S.
Coated 2 Side - The gloss or coating on both sides of paper. Also known as C2S.
Coated Paper - A paper that has a coating on the surface of the sheet which produces a smooth finish, often glossy.
Coil Binding - A binding that uses a metal or plastic spiral through multiple holes. This allows the pages to lay flatter than other binding methods as well as spin 360 degrees around the spine. Also known as spiral bind.
D
Database - A software that houses the digital grouping of all information pertaining to a specific person, organization, job, etc. to keep it organized and consistent.
Deboss - To press an image into paper with a die to create an indent, the opposite of emboss.
Density - The amount of darkness within a digital or physical image.
Die - A devise used to cut, score, stamp, emboss or deboss sheets of paper.
Digital Printing - Printing without plate systems that produces the images onto the sheet. All data is electronically transfered to the machine drivers and onto the sheet of paper.
Dirty Copy - An error that can occur where excess toner or ink is on the paper.
Door Wrap - A removable self-adhesive substrate used to stick to the entire surface of a door.
Dots Per Inch
Digitally, the measure of the resolution of an image.
Physically, the measure of dots of ink per inch on a printed sheet of paper.
Acronym: DPI
Double-Sided - Printing on both sides of a single sheet of paper. Also known as duplex.
DPI - An acronym for Dots Per Inch.
Digitally, the measure of the resolution of an image.
Physically, the measure of dots of ink per inch on a printed sheet of paper.
Drilling - Creating one or multiple holes through a single sheet or a stack of paper for binding. Also known as hole punching.
Driver - The software that allows you to print directly to the printer. Also known as controller.
Drum - An electronically charged unit within a printer that adheres the toner to the sheet of paper.
Duplex - Printing on both sides of a single sheet of paper. Also known as double-sided.
E
Emboss - The creation of a raised, three-dimensional design on paper by using ink, foil, or a die, the opposite of deboss.
Engineering Bond - A thin substrate bond used for drafts and engineering designs.
EPS - An acronym for Encapsulated PostScript, a file format that transfers digital images or graphics with compatible programs and applications.
Estimate - A rough pricing calculation for the completion of a print project. Also known as a quote or quotation.
Extent - The number of pages in a book, magazine, or other printed job. Also known as page count.
F
Fabric - A substrate used for printing that can be easily folded without making indents. Also known as textile or cloth.
Face Down - The orientation of paper that has the front side of a finished piece facing down.
Face Up - The orientation of paper that has the front side of a finished piece facing up.
Fastback - A binding that uses a thin strip of synthetic cloth to bind the edge of the book with glue when heated. Also known as tape binding.
Fax - The scanning of a sheet of paper and sending it to a receiver via a phone line.
Fiery Command Workstation - A software controller that allows the setup and printing of color prints.
File - Digital data that composes an entire image, artwork, text, or other elements.
Finish - The surface quality or appearance of a sheet of paper, often referenced as matte or gloss.
Finished Size - The final size of a printed piece after cutting and/or folding.
Finishing - Options such as binding, folding, cutting, etc. performed after printing is completed.
Fit to Print - The act of digitally increasing or decreasing an image’s size to proportionately fit on a sheet of paper.
Flat Size - The size of an image after printing and trimming, but before folding.
Fleet - The grouping of multiple printing machines.
Floor Cling - A textured self-adhesive substrate capable of withstanding foot traffic. Also known as a floor sticker
Floor Sticker - A textured self-adhesive substrate capable of withstanding foot traffic. Also known as a floor cling.
Flyer - A printed sheet used for advertisement or information. Also known as a handbill or hotcard.
Foam Board - A sturdy or rigid board with a foam core, often used for easel signs.
Foil - A thin metal sheet applied to paper to give text or images a metallic finish, often gold or silver.
Foil Stamping - The process that applies foil to a printed image.
Font - The digital assortment of letters, numbers, punctuation, etc. of a given size or design.
Format - The style, size, margins, printing requirements, etc. of a digital or physical image.
G
Gang-Up - An imposition where two images or pages are placed together on a single sheet.
Gap - The blank space or margin between the printed images and/or the binding. Also known as a gutter.
Gate Fold - A fold where the outer panels fold inward toward the center of the middle panel, creating the appearance of a gate.
Gator Board - A sturdier version of foam board that requires lamination for mounted images.
Ghosting - A fault where a printed image appears lighter than the previous page and may continue through the set.
Gloss - The shiny coating on a sheet of paper, ink, or laminate, opposite of matte.
Grain - The line or direction of fibers within a sheet of paper.
Graphic - A visual element that supplements the text, making the layout clearer and more interesting. Also known as an image.
Grayscale - Tones of gray ranging from white to black.
Grommets - A thin ring of various sizes used to reinforce holes and prevent wear and tear, often metal in material and used to hang posters or banners.
Grouping - Combining sheets in a set based on the page number rather than in sequential order. Also known as uncollated.
GSM - An acronym for Grams per Square Meter, similar to lb. This is a standard unit of measurement for paper weight, or thickness, often seen as 75gsm, 216gsm, etc.
Guillotine - A cutter that has a sharp blade that drops down to cut paper.
Gutter - The blank space or margin between the printed images and/or the binding. Also known as a gap.
H
Half-Fold - A fold where a sheet is folded in half either vertically or horizontally. Also known as bi-fold.
Handbill - A printed sheet used for advertisement or information. Also known as a flyer or hotcard.
Hard Copy - A physical printed image used for duplicating
Hobby Knife - A blade mounted onto a pen-like aluminum body used for precision trimming by hand. Also known as a utility knife, precision knife, and x-acto knife.
Hole Punching - Creating one or multiple holes through a single sheet or a stack of paper for binding. Also known as drilling.
Horizontal - A document layout where the width is greater than the height, opposite of portrait. Also known as landscape.
Hotcard - A printed sheet used for advertisement or information. Also known as a flyer or handbill.
House Sheet - The stock of paper regularly kept in the print shop.
I
ID Badge - A small printed card with a person’s name, information, or picture designated by an organization or business. Also known as a pocket card.
Image - A visual element that supplements the text, making the layout clearer and more interesting. Also known as a graphic.
Image Area - The section of a digital or physical sheet that houses the image or artwork.
Image Shift - The shifting of an image on a sheet of paper, can occur during digital printing.
Imposition - The positioning of pages before or after printing, folding, and cutting so all pages appear in proper sequential order.
Impression - The count for each cycle of printing; a single-sided print would be one impression. Also known as a click.
Index Paper - A lightweight cardboard paper that can be easily written on.
Indicia - The image or text pre-printed on mailing pieces in place of the stamp.
In-House - Any activity or service that is completed within the organization rather than by an outside provider.
Ink Cartridge - A device within a printer that houses the ink used for printing.
Insert - A printed or blank sheet placed inside another printed piece such as a packet, magazine, or book.
Interrupt - To stop or pause a print job in process.
Invoice - An itemized bill for a completed print request.
J
Jam - An issue that occurs when paper or other materials get stuck, lodged, or break and cannot be passed through the machine.
Job List - The data log showing what has been printed.
Job Number - A unique code dedicated to a specific print request. Used to keep track or retrieve data during the printing process.
Job Ticket - A digital or physical page that outlines information needed for a print request.
Jog - To vibrate or shake a stack of sheets so they are tightly aligned in a neat stack.
JPEG - An acronym for Joint Photographic Experts Group, a file format often used for photos, images, and artwork that compresses into a smaller file size, often degrading the quality. This format is used most for image files.
Justify - The act of aligning two or more pages together, often for two-sided printing. Also known as alignment.
K
Kerning - The narrowing or lengthening of space between letters and characters of a font.
Kraft Paper - A sturdy brown paper used for packaging prints.
L
Label - A self-adhesive material covered by a backing sheet. Also known as pressure-sensitive and crack-n-peel.
Laminate - A thin plastic sheet applied to paper to make it more rigid, durable, and waterproof. Laminate can come in both gloss and matte finishes as well as various thicknesses. Also known as lamination.
Landscape - A document layout where the width is greater than the height, opposite of portrait. Also known as horizontal.
Large Format - The printing of any material that is larger than a digital or offset printer, typically larger than 12”x18”. Also known as wide format.
Layout - A rendition that shows the placement of images, text, and artwork.
Lb - Similar to GSM, a unit of measurement for the weight of 500 sheets of paper, indicating the weight or thickness of a sheet of paper, often seen as 20#, 80#, etc. or as 20lb, 80lb, etc. Also known as pound.
Leaflet - A print that is folded and often used for informational or marketing material. Also known as a brochure or pamphlet.
Ledger Paper - A strong durable paper with good erasing quality, used often with record keeping.
LEF - An acronym for Long Edge First, when paper is placed in a print tray, the longest edge of the sheet is first and pulled into the printer by that edge.
Left Bind - The most common layout position that uses the left edge of a page as the spine, opposite of right bind.
Legal Paper - A size of paper that measures 8.5”x14”.
Letter Paper - A size of paper that measures 8.5”x11”.
Linen - A paper used to emulate the look and texture of cloth but not the functionality.
Loading Accessory - An item used to assist in the loading process for thinner substrates such as cloth.
Long Edge First - When paper is placed in a print tray, the longest edge of the sheet is first and pulled into the printer by that edge. Acronym: LEF.
M
M Weight - The actual weight of 1,000 sheets of any given size of paper or stock.
Magnetic - A paper or substrate that has a special back for clinging to metal.
Matte - A finish on paper or images that is dull in appearance, opposite of gloss.
Mixed Media - An option within a print driver that allows pages to be produced differently than the others without the need for stopping, options include color, B/W, stock, etc. Also known as page setting.
Mounted - The adhering of a substrate to a surface such as foam board, corrugated, gator board, glass, and more.
Mounting Adhesive - A sticky sheet that adheres to the back of a substrate to allow for a laminated, glossy board.
N
N to 1 - The sorting order from the last page to the first, opposite of 1 to N. Also known as reverse order.
NCR - A thin chemically treated paper, that allows the transfer of writing, scratches, or impressions from one sheet to another, often printed in sets and as 2-part, 3-part, or 4-part. Also known as carbonless.
Newsletter - A short informational periodical presenting specialized information to a specific audience.
Normal Order - The sorting order from the first page to the last, opposite of N to 1. Also known as 1 to n.
Notecard - A small printed card with text, images, artwork, etc.
O
Offset - The process during printing that shifts one set of a completed print from the previous in order to keep them separated without the need for a slip sheet.
Offset Printing - The printing process that uses ink from a printing plate to transfer the image onto a rubber blanket and then onto the paper. This method is more common with larger quantities and can be more cost effective. Also known as offset lithography.
Opacity - The property of paper that defines the transparency of the sheet. The higher the opacity, or opaqueness, the less you can see what’s printed on the second side.
Orientation - The position of a page, sheet, or artwork, commonly referred to as portrait or landscape.
Outsourced - Any activity or service that is completed by an outside organization rather than done within the organization. Often due to the rarity of the request or outside the capabilities of the organization.
Overprinting - Printing over an area that has already been printed.
P
Packet - Similar to a book, a set of printed sheets that is stapled in the corner.
Padding - The process of binding pages together on one side with glue, often used for tear pads.
Page Count - The number of pages in a book, magazine, or other printed job. Also known as extent.
Page Information - Information printed in the margin indicating the file name, date, time, and other information at the time of saving or printing.
Page Setting- An option within a print driver that allows pages to be produced differently than the others without the need for stopping, options include color, B/W, stock, etc. Also known as mixed media.
Pages Per Minute - The speed measurement of how many test pages a printer can produce in one minute. Acronym: PPM.
Pagination -
The number of individual pages in a multi-page document.
The act of printing numbers on the page or sheet on a separate machine.
Pamphlet - A print that is folded and often used for informational or marketing material. Also known as a brochure or leaflet.
Pantone® - A color system based on over a thousand ink colors, unlike CMYK this uses inks that have been mixed prior to printing. Also known as Pantone® matching system.
Pantone® 186 - A specific color on the pantone scale composing of: 0% cyan, 100% magenta, 81% yellow, and 4% black. This color is the specific red used by the University of Cincinnati. Also known as PMS 186.
Pantone® Matching System - A color system based on over a thousand ink colors, unlike CMYK this uses inks that have been mixed prior to printing. Acronym: PMS. Also known as Pantone®.
Paper Posters - A paper substrate with a soft gloss coating.
Paper Weight - The thickness of paper, material, or substrate. Also known as stock weight and weight.
Parchment - A paper that emulates animal skin, often used for awards that require hand writing.
Parent Sheet - A sheet of paper that is larger than the finished cut stock of the same material.
PDF - An acronym for Portable Document File, a universal and preferred file format that maintains the format, font, artwork, size, etc. regardless of what computer it is viewed on.
Perf Marks - The dotted line on a document that indicates where to perforate.
Perfect Bind - A binding that applies glue to the spine of a book and wraps the cover around the front, back, and spine of the book to create a paperback book once trimmed.
Perforate - The process of making micro holes in a straight line to make it easier to tear.
Perforated Window Vinyl - A substrate that has tiny holes and can be mounted onto windows; the printed image is solid and opaque when viewed from the outside but transparent from the inside.
Pixel - Short for picture element, a resolvable point of an image, the basic unit of digital imaging.
Plate - A flat or cylindrical surface that bears the preproduction image or copy for printing. Used in offset printing.
Plus-Cover - A cover of a finished print that has different material or stock than the interior pages.
PMS - An acronym for Pantone® Matching System, a color system based on over a thousand ink colors, unlike CMYK this uses inks that have been mixed prior to printing. Also known as Pantone®.
PMS 186 - A specific color on the pantone scale composing of: 0% cyan, 100% magenta, 81% yellow, and 4% black. This color is the specific red used by the University of Cincinnati. Also known as Pantone® 186.
PNG - An acronym for Portable Network Graphics, a file format often used for photos and artwork that does not compresses an image. This format is used more for image files.
Pocket Card - A small printed card with a person’s name, information, or picture designated by an organization or business. Also known as an ID badge.
Polyester Display Film - A polyester substrate with a low-glare satin finish and water resistant coating, used for roll-up banners. Also known as roll-up film.
Portrait - A document layout where the height is greater than the width, opposite of landscape. Also known as vertical.
Postcard - A small printed card with a picture on one side and a place to write on the other, can also be a single-sided image, and designed to be mailed without the need for an envelope.
Pound - Similar to GSM, a unit of measurement for the weight of 500 sheets of paper, indicating the weight or thickness of a sheet of paper, often seen as 20#, 80#, etc. or as 20lb, 80lb, etc. Also known as lb.
PPI -
An acronym for Pages Per Inch, the amount of pages in a book per inch.
An acronym for Pixels Per Inch, similar to DPI, this measures the amount of pixels in a digital image per inch.
PPM - An acronym for Pages Per Minute, the speed measurement of how many test pages a printer can produce in one minute.
Precision Knife - A blade mounted onto a pen-like aluminum body used for precision trimming by hand. Also known as a utility knife, x-acto knife, and hobby knife.
Presort - The process in which mail is prepared and sorted to the finest extent required by the standards for the price claimed.
Press - A production machine used for digital and offset printing. Also known as a copier, printer, production unit, digital press, and offset press.
Pressure-Sensitive - A self-adhesive material covered by a backing sheet. Also known as a label and crack-n-peel.
Print Quality - The physical appearance of a printed piece.
Print Shop Pro - An online site used for ordering, tracking, and quoting print requests.
Printer Spreads - A formatting where two pages are placed side by side in an alternating order. The last page is next to the first page on a single sheet of paper and alternating for the other side. Used most for booklets, when a page is wrapped around the middle of a sheet.
Printhead - The component of a printer that applies the image to the paper or substrate.
Process Color - The mixing of inks during the printing process to create the desired color, with the four standard colors CMYK.
Proof - A digital or physical representation of a completed product.
Digitally, it displays the artwork and appearance of a file.
Physically, it shows how the image will look when printed on the specific paper. Physical proofs can differ from the digital versions in appearance.
Pull-Up Banner - A free-standing, retractable banner that can be rolled into a compartment for easy storage and transportation. Also known as a retractable banner, roll-up banner, and stand-up banner.
Q
Quality Check - The act of checking a printed piece to ensure it meets all requirements and standards.
Quote - A rough pricing calculation for the completion of a print project. Also known as an estimate or quotation.
R
Rack Card - A printed card used for advertising or informational purposes, often long and thin in size such as 4.25”x11”.
Raster Image - Images compiled using pixels containing unique colors or tonal information, they are dependent on resolution.
Reader Spreads - A formatting where two pages are placed side by side in sequential order but, leaving the first and last page separated on a single sheet. This formatting is designed for reading rather than printing.
Ream - A packaged set of blank sheets of paper, often in sets of 500 or 250.
Registration - The act of aligning two or more pages together exactly, often for two-sided printing. Also known as alignment.
Registration Marks - The lines or crosses on a sheet of paper used to ensure two or more pages are aligned.
Relay Unit - A section of a printer that decurls the printed sheet.
Resolution - Measured in DPI or Dots Per Inch, the greater the DPI the better the image quality, standard is 300dpi.
Retractable Banner - A free standing, retractable banner that can be rolled up into a compartment for easy storage and transportation. Also known as a pull-up banner, roll-up banner, and stand-up banner.
Reverse Order - The sorting order from the last page to the first, opposite of 1 to N. Also known as n to 1.
RGB - The three primary colors used in digital and some printing devices: Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B).
Right Bind - A layout position that uses the right edge of a page as the spine, opposite of left bind.
Ring Binding - A binding that uses a circular metal ring to attach pages through a punched hole or holes, often 3 ring binders or flip cards.
RIP - An acronym for Raster Image Processor, a combination of hardware and software that sends the image to the printing device.
RIP Queue - The software used to organize and setup wide format print files.
Roll-Up Banner - A free-standing, retractable banner that can be rolled into a compartment for easy storage and transportation. Also known as a retractable banner, pull-up banner, and stand-up banner.
Roll-Up Film - A polyester substrate with a low-glare satin finish and water resistant coating, used for roll-up banners. Also known as polyester display film.
Rotation - The pivoting of an image around a central point changing the orientation.
Rush - An order request that is less than a standard three business day turnaround, often resulting in a surcharge.
S
Saddle Stitch - A book binding that folds all pages in half and staples inside the fold, most magazines use this binding. Also known as a booklet.
Safety Paper - A paper that shows signs of watermarks, fibers, or erased content, used to prevent tampering and fraud and often seen in legal documents. Also known as security paper.
Sandwich Board - A sign holder that, when open, forms the appearance of a capital “A”, often used outdoors. Also known as an A-Frame.
Scale - To digitally increase or decrease the size of an image.
Scan - The use of a machine to make a digital image from the physical one.
Scoring - Indenting paper in a straight line to make folding easier and reduce cracking. Also known as creasing.
Security Paper - A paper that shows signs of watermarks, fibers, or erased content, used to prevent tampering and fraud and often seen in legal documents. Also known as safety paper.
SEF - An acronym for Short Edge First, when paper is placed in a print tray, the shortest edge of the sheet is first and pulled into the printer by that edge.
Self-Adhesive - A substrate that has a sticky back when the backing sheet is removed. This is used to adhere graphics to boards, walls, floors, glass and other surfaces and can be removable or permanent and comes in white or clear.
Self-Cover - A cover of a finished print that is the same material or stock as the interior pages.
Short Edge First - When paper is placed in a print tray, the shortest edge of the sheet is first and pulled into the printer by that edge. Acronym: SEF.
Show-Through - When opacity is low, text on the second side or sheet shows through to the front, often occurs with thin paper.
Shrink Wrap - A type of packaging that uses a clear plastic to wrap a product and shrink with heat to tightly fit on the product.
Single-Sided - Printing on only one side of a sheet of paper.
Slip Sheet - A blank piece of paper used to separate one set of work from another, often used in larger runs with multiple pages.
Slug - The amount of area or gutter outside the print area such as the artwork or crop mark.
Sort - The gathering or sorting of materials, blank sheets, or printed pages in a specific order. Also known as collate.
Spine -
The edge of a printed set where pages are turned or flipped.
The element of a book that connects the book together such as a coil or comb.
Spiral Bind - A binding that uses a metal or plastic spiral through multiple holes. This allows the pages to lay flatter than other binding methods as well as spin 360 degrees around the spine. Also known as coil bind.
Spot Color - Used in offset printing, any color generated by an ink either pure or mixed and is printed using a single run.
Square Folding - A fold that squares off the spine of a saddle-stitch allowing it to lay flatter.
Stand-Up Banner - A free-standing, retractable banner that can be rolled into a compartment for easy storage and transportation. Also known as a retractable banner, roll-up banner, and pull-up banner.
Staple - A thin metal pin that attaches multiple pages together either in a corner, or side of a printed set.
Static Cling - A removable substrate that adheres to a glass surface with static. This can be easily removed and comes in white or clear. Also known as a window cling.
Step Repeat - An imposition that duplicates the image on a single sheet of paper. Also known as 2 repeat.
Stock - The paper, material, or substrate used for printing.
Stock Weight - The thickness of paper, material, or substrate. Also known as paper weight and weight.
Straight Edge - A long piece of metal engineered to allow cutting in a straight line.
Stroke - A line created on an image of various thickness.
Substrate - Any material that can be printed on such as paper, self-adhesive, vinyl, and more.
Synthetic Paper - Any non-wood or non-cloth based paper, often plastic based.
T
Tabloid Paper - A size of paper that measures 11”x17”.
Tabs - A thicker paper stock with extended labels for writing or printing, used with books for section separation.
Take-Up Reel - A mechanism found on large printers designed to spool a substrate as it prints.
Tape Binding - A binding that uses a thin strip of synthetic cloth to bind the edge of the book with glue, when heated. Also known as fastback.
Template - A pre-designed layout used to digitally design or set up artwork to ensure consistency and appearance.
Tent Card - A printed product that displays information on one side and folds in the middle to allow it to stand on its own, often used for seating charts.
Text Weight - A paper that is thinner and more lightweight than cover paper.
Textile - A substrate used for printing that can be easily folded without making indents. Also known as cloth or fabric.
TIFF - An acronym for Tagged Image File Format, a file format that is neutral and compatible with all applications. This format is used more for image files.
Toner - A powder that is adhered to a sheet of paper with a drum to produce a digital image on a sheet of paper, similar to ink.
Top Bind - A layout position that uses the top edge of a page as the spine, commonly used with landscaped books when flipping pages from top to bottom.
Trademark - An exclusive right granted by law for a word, name, symbol or design, similar to a copyright. Also seen as the symbol ™.
Transparent - Low to zero opacity, see-through
Tri-Fold - A fold that has three panels and two folds. The right panel folds inward to the left, covering the middle panel. The left panel folds inward to the right, covering the back of the right panel, often used for informational or marketing material such as a brochure.
Trim Marks - Similar to bleed marks, a small or thin line in each corner of an image indicating where to cut. Also known as a cut mark, cut line, or crop mark.
Trim Path - Cutting in a specific outlined shape or design path rather than a straight line. Also known as a cut contour and cut path.
Trim Size - The final size of a printed sheet after it has been cut.
Trimming - Slicing a sheet of paper or a stack of pages with a sharp blade to achieve a desired size or appearance. Also known as cutting.
Typo - Short for typographical error, a spelling mistake on a digital or physical piece.
U
Uncoated Paper - Paper that does not have a coating on the surface of the sheet which would have produced a smooth or glossy finish.
Uncollated - Combining sheets in a set based on the page number rather than in sequential order. Also known as grouping.
Utility Knife - A blade mounted onto a pen-like aluminum body used for precision trimming by hand. Also known as a x-acto knife, precision knife, and hobby knife.
UV Coating - A shiny and durable high gloss coating that is applied to print material, produced as liquid and cured or dried with ultraviolet light.
V
Variable Data - A form of printing where elements such as text, graphics, artwork, etc. are pulled from a database and changed from one sheet to another without stopping the print process, often used for personalized letters, mailers, envelopes, and more. Acronym: VD.
Vector File - An image that is made up of lines and/or shapes rather than pixels, can be made infinitely larger or smaller without reduction in quality.
Vellum - A paper that has a rough finish.
Velo Bind - A binding that punches holes in a book and attaches a thin flat piece of plastic along the front and back of a book.
Vertical - A document layout where the height is greater than the width, opposite of landscape. Also known as portrait.
Vinyl - A property of certain substrates that is heavier, durable, water resistant, and scratch resistant when compared to paper or bond substrates.
Vinyl Banner - A substrate that is heavy and durable while still flexible, used with or without grommets for indoor or outdoor banners and posters.
W
Wall Cling - Removable self-adhesive that does not damage walls upon removal.
Watermark - A transparent text or image that is embossed or printed on an image which is visible when held to the light.
Weight - The thickness of paper, material, or substrate. Also known as paper weight and stock weight.
Wide Format - The printing of any material that is larger than a digital or offset printer, typically larger than 12”x18”. Also known as large format.
Window Cling - A removable substrate that adheres to a glass surface with static. This can be easily removed and comes in white or clear. Also known as a static cling.
With the Grain - Folding or feeding sheets of paper parallel to the grain of the paper.
Wove - A smooth paper with a gentle patterned finish.
Writing Paper - A paper that is usually high in cotton fiber, used more often with stationery and basic prints. Also known as bond.
X
X-Acto Knife - A blade mounted onto a pen-like aluminum body used for precision trimming by hand. Also known as a utility knife, precision knife, and hobby knife.
Y
Yard Sign - An image printed on self-adhesive and mounted on a corrugated board, attached to the ground with a metal “H” stake.
Z
Z-Fold - A fold that has three panels and two folds opposite of one another creating a “Z” shape.
Zip - One or more compressed files in a smaller archive to take up less space for storage or file transfers.