Technical Resources : Jargon buster

Bleed
When the print is designed to finish right on the page edge, it is necessary to print beyond this edge (usually by 3mm) to allow for leeway when trimming. This extra print is called bleed.

Pre-press Proof
This is where the final artwork files are printed on a machine that simulates how the final job will print. It is useful where colours are important. Jobs are usually printed on larger sheets than the intended finished size. Crop marks are printed along with the design to act as a guide for trimming.

dpi
An abbreviation of dots per inch. The more dots per inch there are (ie the higher the dpi) the better quality the print will produce. dpi can range from 72dpi (low quality or screen resolution) to 1200dpi and above (very high quality).

Dummy
A mock-up produced by the printer using the intended stock (not printed) to demonstrate how the finished product will feel.

Folio
Technical term for a page number printed on a document.

Halftone
The method of producing a range of tones, such as a photograph or tinted area, by dividing the image into a series of dots. Dark areas have relatively big dots, close together. Light areas have small dots surrounded by white space. The number of dots used determines the quality of the image produced.

Imposition
Most print is not printed one page at at time, for example business cards are often printed four at a time. The imposition is the layout of the artwork set up for printing.

Insert
Technical term for leaflets that are found loose inside magazines

Landscape
Stock orientation - when the long edge of thesheet is at the bottom.

Portrait
Stock orientation - when the short edge of the sheet is at the bottom.

Line artwork
Artwork which contains no halftones such as logos or simple diagrams.

Overs
Printed material that is in excess of the quantity ordered. Many printers will ‘give’ you the overs rather than throwing them away. It is usually the case however, that printers will have in their small print that they will supply plus or minus 10% of the quantity ordered.

Plates
A material used to transfer an image to paper or other substrates. They can be made from various materials; including paper, plastic or metal. The printing plate is prepared using a photographic technique, resulting in a type image that attracts greasy printing ink.

Registration marks
When more than one colour is printed, each colour plate needs to be printed in the same place on the sheet to ensure the images are aligned. Registration marks are small target shapes that act as a guide to the printer. You can often see them left on the edges of newspaperswhere they haven’t been trimmed off.

Set-Off
When the ink transfers from one sheet to another. It can occur when the sheets are handled too soon after printing, when there are large areas of ink or on quick turnaround jobs (when the ink isn’t given enough time to dry before trimming). It can be prevented by interleaving plain sheets.

Variable data printing
A digital print method of personalising the print (changing salutation, address, message etc) by combining database information with the design. Commonly used for direct mail sales and marketing campaigns.