Everyone has a set of terms or jargon unique to their business, and the same is true for printing. Printing terms or printing jargon are so common to us here at Alexander’s, that sometimes we throw around words, forgetting that not everyone is familiar with their meaning. You may notice us using unique jargon such as…
Pantone Colors
Pantone colors are standardized colors based off of the Pantone Matching System (PMS). In this system, the colors are described by numbers. For instance, a PMS color of 718 is the orange we use in Alexander’s logo. Pantone colors help designers and printers ensure that your printed projects stay consistent with your company’s branding and looks the way you intended.
CMYK
CMYK are the primary colors used in 4-color printing: Cyan (a shade of blue), Magenta (a shade of red), Yellow, and Black. When layered on top of each other, these four colors create every shade you find on printed material. To learn a brief history, and fun facts about CMYK and Pantone colors, click here.
Spot Colors
Usually, colors found in print are created by visually mixing the standard CMYK colors. Spot colors, however, are uniquely colored inks mixed beforehand. This unique color can appear much brighter and cleaner than visually mixed colors. So, if you need a vivid, specific color in your next project, spot colors could be right for you.
Bleed
Ever noticed how small printers (like the ones at home or in the average office) can’t print all the way to the edge of the paper? Even with larger presses and printers, printing to the edge of a sheet can be difficult. Consequently, we often ask designers to include bleed in their design. For most printing jobs, standard bleed is 1/8 inch, meaning that projects should be designed 1/8th inch larger than they need to be on each side. This bleed allows us to print your project, and then trim the edges down to the correct size, ensuring that the ink and colors reach the edge to create a quality final product.
Substrate
A substrate is the material you choose to print on. Therefore, a substrate can be a variety of materials, including, but not limited to: paper, plastic, wood, glass, rubber, and cloth. There are endless possibilities. To learn more about the sort of substrates available at Alexander’s, click here.
Coating
Coating refers to adding a mixture of polymers to paper to improve its surface and ability to hold ink. Aqueous coating and UV coating are two common types. Aqueous coating such as matte, dull, or gloss, effects the mood and texture of printed material. UV coating adds a gloss finish to the product and can improve the vibrancy of your printed piece.
Keep in mind that coating can, and usually does, impact the way colors appear in finished printed pieces. It’s a good idea to request a finished proof before your whole project is printed so you can see how the coating impacts your visual and tactile impression.
Proof
A proof is a printed sample of the finished product so you can check the quality of the product and ensure that it meets expectations. Once a proof is approved, your entire order is printed. Be sure to thoroughly check proofs for image quality, color consistency, and spelling errors!
And Many More…
We’ve reviewed the most common printing terms and printing jargon, but there are many others. If you’re still wondering what some of our terms mean, you can review our Print Glossary here. Or, if you have questions, contact us!
