The words you need to know

Artwork that extends beyond the intended trim edge of the printed piece. When paper is cut after printing, the cut is never perfectly precise. If your background colour or image stops exactly at the trim line, a thin white strip of unprinted paper can appear at the edge. Bleed solves this: by extending the artwork 3mm beyond the intended edge, any slight variation in the cut is invisible. Printers ask for 3mm bleed as standard. Supplying a file without bleed is one of the most common errors in print design.

Small lines printed outside the artwork area that show the guillotine operator where to cut. They appear at the corners of the intended trim size. Most design software adds crop marks automatically when you export for print. They sit outside the bleed area and are not part of the finished piece. A print-ready file typically includes both bleed and crop marks.

The area inside the trim line within which important content (text, logos, key images) should be kept. Typically 3 to 5mm inside the trim edge. Because cutting is not perfectly precise, content too close to the edge risks being trimmed off. The three zones in a properly set-up print file are: bleed (outside), trim (the intended edge), and safe zone (inside). Keep everything critical inside the safe zone.

The number of dots (or pixels) per inch in a printed or digital image. Print requires higher resolution than screen: the standard for commercial print is 300 DPI (dots per inch). An image that looks sharp on screen at 72 PPI will appear soft or pixelated when printed. Enlarging a low-resolution image does not add detail; it just makes the existing pixels bigger. The most common source of poor-quality print is artwork prepared at screen resolution and sent to a printer unchanged.

Raster images are made of pixels: photographs, screen captures, anything from a camera. They have a fixed resolution and degrade when enlarged. Vector graphics are mathematical descriptions of shapes: lines, curves, fills. They have no fixed resolution and can be scaled to any size without quality loss. Logos and type should always be supplied as vectors for print. Photographs are always raster. Mixing them up, or supplying a logo as a low-resolution PNG when a vector EPS or SVG exists, is a routine source of problems.

A family of PDF standards designed specifically for print exchange: PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, PDF/X-4. They enforce rules that make print files reliable: fonts embedded, colours in the right colour space, no transparencies that could cause rendering problems. PDF/X-1a is the most conservative and widely accepted standard. When a printer asks for a "print-ready PDF," they generally mean a PDF that conforms to one of these standards. Exporting from InDesign or Illustrator with the right preset does this automatically.

An instruction that tells the printer to print one ink on top of another rather than knocking out the layer beneath. Normally, coloured objects knock each other out: the area under a blue shape is not printed in the colour below it. With overprint on, both inks print, mixing to produce a combined colour. Black text on coloured backgrounds is typically set to overprint to avoid white halo effects from slight misregistration. Setting overprint incorrectly can make objects disappear or produce unexpected colour mixes.

A technique that compensates for slight misregistration between printing plates by spreading or choking adjacent colour areas so they slightly overlap. Without trapping, a tiny gap between two adjacent colours reveals the white paper beneath. Trapping is applied automatically by most professional print workflows and RIP software. Designers rarely need to handle it manually unless working with custom spot colours on very fine details.

Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black): the four inks used in full-colour process printing. All printed colour is created by combining these four. Unlike RGB (the additive colour model of screens), CMYK is subtractive: inks absorb certain wavelengths of light. Convert RGB files to CMYK before sending to a printer, or the printer's software will do it for you, often with results you wouldn't choose. Bright screen colours, particularly vivid blues and greens, are often impossible to reproduce accurately in CMYK.

A pre-mixed ink printed as a single additional colour, rather than simulated through CMYK combinations. Used when an exact, consistent colour is required: a brand's specific shade of blue that cannot be reliably reproduced in process printing. Also used for metallic colours (gold, silver) and fluorescents, which CMYK cannot produce at all. Spot colours add cost because they require a separate plate and ink. One or two spot colours on an otherwise CMYK job is common for brand-critical elements.

The Pantone Matching System: a standardised set of numbered spot colours used across the print industry worldwide. Pantone 485 is a specific red. Pantone 286 is a specific blue. Because every printer using Pantone inks is mixing the same formulation, the colour produced in Tokyo should match the colour produced in Birmingham. Essential for brand colours that must be consistent across print suppliers, countries, and time. Pantone colours have CMYK equivalents listed, but the equivalents are approximations, not matches.

A set of data that describes how colours should be interpreted by a device or process. The same CMYK values produce different results on different presses, papers, and inks. Colour profiles (ICC profiles) define the relationship between colour numbers and actual colour appearance. Embedding the correct profile in a print file ensures the printer's software can interpret the colours as intended. The most common print profile is ISO Coated v2 for European coated paper printing.

A sample output used to check colour and content before the full print run. A soft proof is a calibrated on-screen preview. A hard proof (contract proof) is a physical print made on a proofing device that simulates the final press output. Signing off a proof means accepting responsibility for the colour and content it represents. If the finished job matches the approved proof, the printer has done their job. If you didn't approve a proof and the colour is wrong, the options are limited.

The spread of ink dots when they hit and are absorbed by paper, making printed dots larger than the dots on the printing plate. The result: colours appear darker and heavier than expected. Different papers absorb ink differently: uncoated stock has much higher dot gain than coated. Designers working for print compensate by using a colour profile that accounts for dot gain. Ignoring it produces images that appear muddier and darker on press than they did on screen.

The accurate alignment of multiple colour plates during printing. In CMYK printing, four plates print in sequence. If they are not precisely aligned, colours appear blurry or fringe effects appear around edges. "Out of register" means the plates are misaligned. Tight registration is essential for sharp detail. The registration mark (a circle with crosshairs) appears on every printed sheet outside the trim area and allows press operators to align the plates precisely.

The standard measure of paper weight. A standard office printer paper is 80gsm. A business card is typically 350-400gsm. A flyer might be 130-170gsm. A brochure cover might be 250-350gsm. Higher GSM means heavier, thicker paper. It does not always mean better: the right weight depends on the application. A poster printed on 350gsm board is impractical. A business card on 80gsm paper feels flimsy in a way that communicates something about the brand.

Coated paper has a surface treatment (clay coating) that reduces ink absorption, producing sharper dots, more vibrant colour, and a smoother finish. Uncoated paper is untreated: it absorbs more ink, produces softer colour, and has a more tactile, natural feel. Gloss, silk (satin), and matt are all coated. Most uncoated stocks are also available in a range of weights. Luxury brands often use uncoated or soft-touch laminated stocks precisely because they feel less commercial.

The paper or material being printed on. "What stock is that?" means what paper has been used. Stock can refer to standard paper, board, synthetic materials, or specialist substrates like textured or recycled papers. Choosing the right stock is a significant part of print design: the same artwork on a cheap gloss flyer and a heavy uncoated business card communicates entirely differently.

Any material that is being printed on. Paper, card, vinyl, fabric, metal, glass, plastic, corrugated board: all are substrates. The word is used in wider print contexts beyond paper: wide-format, textile printing, and industrial print all work with substrates that are not paper. "What substrate are you printing on?" is the more technically precise form of "what stock are you using?"

The dominant commercial printing process for high-volume work. Ink is applied to a printing plate, transferred (offset) to a rubber blanket, then transferred again to the paper. The process produces consistent, high-quality results at high speed and is economical at scale. Setup costs (making plates) mean it is expensive for short runs. For runs of a thousand copies or more, offset is usually the most cost-effective option. Nearly all books, magazines, and packaging are printed offset.

Printing directly from a digital file without printing plates, using toner (laser) or ink (inkjet) processes. No setup cost per job, making it economical for short runs. Variable data printing (where content changes from copy to copy) is only possible digitally. Quality has improved dramatically and is now indistinguishable from offset for most applications. The limitation is cost at high volumes: digital cost per page stays roughly constant, while offset cost per page falls sharply as quantity rises.

A process in which ink is pushed through a mesh screen onto the substrate, with a stencil blocking areas that should not receive ink. A separate screen is required for each colour. Used for T-shirts, tote bags, posters, and any application where thick, vibrant, durable ink is required. Screen printing inks sit on top of the substrate rather than being absorbed into it, producing an opacity and tactile quality that other processes cannot match. Limited in colour count but exceptional in ink density.

The oldest form of printing: relief printing from raised type or images, pressing ink directly into the paper to leave a physical impression. The indentation in the paper (debossing the surface) is part of the aesthetic. Letterpress produced all printed material from Gutenberg to the early 20th century. Now primarily a craft and luxury process, used for wedding stationery, business cards, and print that wants to communicate the qualities of tradition, craft, and materiality.

A stencil duplicator that produces prints using soy-based inks in a limited range of spot colours. Originally a cheap office copying machine, adopted by artists and small publishers for its distinctive aesthetic: slightly misregistered colours, a slight texture, and a quality that is impossible to replicate digitally. Risograph printing has a handmade quality even when the originals are digital. Limitations (no white, limited colour range, visible grain) are its appeal.

Bonding a thin film to the printed surface to protect and enhance it. Gloss lamination produces a shiny, reflective surface. Matt lamination produces a flat, non-reflective finish. Soft-touch (velvet) lamination produces a tactile, velvety surface that is particularly associated with premium packaging and high-end print. Lamination protects against scuffing and moisture, and significantly changes the look and feel of the finished piece. Most business cards and brochure covers are laminated.

A UV-cured gloss varnish applied to specific areas of a printed piece rather than the whole surface. The surrounding area is typically matt laminated, and the spot UV areas appear shiny and raised by contrast. Used to highlight logos, images, or text. The contrast between matt and gloss creates a visual and tactile effect that is effective on business cards, covers, and packaging. The UV in spot UV refers to the ultraviolet light used to cure (harden) the varnish instantly.

Applying a metallic or pigmented foil to the surface using heat and pressure. Gold, silver, holographic, and coloured foils are all available. The result is a shiny, metallic area that cannot be replicated by ink. Used for premium packaging, book covers, certificates, and stationery where metallic colour is required. Cold foil is a related process that does not use heat and can be applied inline during printing. Both are significantly more expensive than standard printing or lamination.

Embossing creates a raised area on the surface of the paper by pressing from behind. Debossing creates a recessed area by pressing from the front. Both use a die (a metal stamp) and create a three-dimensional effect. Embossing and debossing can be combined with foiling (foil emboss) or applied blind (no ink or foil: just the texture). The tactile quality of a blind deboss on heavy uncoated stock is one of print's more satisfying effects.

Cutting paper or board into shapes other than simple rectangles, using a custom-made steel blade die pressed through the sheet. Business card with a rounded corner, a brochure with a custom shape, a box with a window: all require die cutting. The die is expensive to make (typically £100 to £500 depending on complexity) but can be reused. Die cutting adds significant cost and lead time. The result is shapes impossible to achieve with standard guillotining.

Creating a compressed line in paper or board along which it will fold cleanly. On thicker stocks, an uncreased fold will crack the surface and look unprofessional. Scoring (making a groove) or creasing (compressing the fibres) allows the fold to happen cleanly. Essential on any folded item printed on card: brochures, boxes, greeting cards, folders. Laminated stock should always be scored before folding because the laminate cracks without it.

How a multi-page document is held together. Saddle stitching: stapled through the spine, used for magazines and brochures up to about 64 pages. Perfect binding: pages glued into a square spine, used for paperback books and thicker brochures. Case binding (hardback): sewn signatures glued into a rigid cover, used for hardback books. Spiral or wire-o binding: coiled wire through punched holes, used for notebooks and documents that need to lie flat. The right binding depends on page count, budget, and how the piece will be used.

The arrangement of pages on a printed sheet so that when the sheet is folded and cut, the pages fall in the correct order. A sixteen-page A5 brochure might be printed as two A3 sheets, each containing eight pages arranged so that folding and trimming produces the right sequence. Imposition is handled automatically by most professional print workflows. Understanding it matters for designers working on multi-page documents: page sequences, paper grain direction, and fold directions all interact.

A section of a book or booklet made from a single folded and trimmed sheet. A standard signature is 16 pages (a large sheet folded twice). Books are assembled from multiple signatures that are then bound together. The page count of a perfect-bound or case-bound book should be a multiple of the signature size to avoid blank or wasted pages at the back. Printers talk about "fitting to a signature" when they ask whether your page count works with their standard sheet sizes.

Printing multiple different jobs on the same sheet to share setup and paper costs. Online print services gang multiple customers' business card orders onto a single large sheet, then cut them apart. This keeps costs low but limits flexibility: the press settings (ink density, colour profile) are optimised for the sheet as a whole, not for individual jobs. Jobs that require precise colour matching should not be ganged with others. Jobs where close enough is fine benefit from the savings.

The final, complete digital file supplied to a printer for production. "Artwork" implies the design is finished and ready to print: all fonts embedded, images at the correct resolution, bleed set up, colours in CMYK (or with spot colours correctly specified). Sending "artwork" that does not meet these criteria is sending a design file, not artwork. The distinction matters because the printer's job is to print your file, not to fix it. Checking artwork before sending is the designer's responsibility.

The preparation work done before a print run starts: mounting plates, setting ink levels, adjusting registration, running test sheets, and calibrating the press to the specific job. Make-ready takes time and produces waste sheets. It is part of the fixed cost of an offset print job, which is why short runs are expensive relative to their quantity and long runs amortise the setup cost across more copies. Digital printing has minimal make-ready, which is why it is more economical for short runs.