When looking on any printer's website, you're going to come across a lot of strange technical words. But the truth is that a lot of them are very simple, so don't be put off by the sea of abbreviations and terms! Here's our list of the ones that are most commonly used, that you're likely to come across.
Crop Marks (Trim Marks)
These are lines at the corners of the print that cut through the bleed to give the finished size of a document.
Bleed
In order to produce a product that has full print all the way to the edge, we require just a little extra bit of the design. This is because a large quantity may shift just a little when being cut to size using the Crop Marks. So bleed refers to that extra little box outside of the finished size. For most documents, 3mm - 5mm is sufficient.
DPI
Dots Per Inch (DPI) refers to the resolution of an image or document. The lower the resolution, the more pixelated or blurry your print will be. We ask that all files are supplied to us at 300DPI in order to ensure we can provide you with the highest quality print possible.
GSM
Grams per Square Metre is how the weight of the material we print on is measured. The larger the number, the thicker the material.
PP
Printed Pages simply means how many pages a document will be. Want a booklet printed that will be 16 pages including the cover? That's 16pp.
Proof
Once the artwork has been completed, we always send our customer's a digital 'Proof' copy of their print. This is the final artwork that will go to print if the proof is accepted. If any changes are required, this is the last chance to let us know. Be sure to check your Proof copy carefully for any mistakes!
CMYK
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (K) are the colours used by printers. This is can also be referred to as Subtractive Colour, as the print can only be as vibrant as the pigments in these colours.
RGB
Red, Green, Blue is different from CMYK because this is what's used for digital screens. Because on a screen they have light behind them, they can be referred to as Additive Colour, and therefore produce a wider range of colours.
Coated / Uncoated
Once completed, your print can be covered with a specific premium finish, to give it that extra high-quality feel. Our most popular finishes include Matt, Gloss, or Silk. If you wish for your print to be provided to you as it is, please ask for 'uncoated'.
PVC
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a plastic material that we use primarily for Outdoor Eyeleted Banners. Due to being more weather-resistant and waterproof, they can survive all kinds of harsh weather conditions. These are also ideal for indoor use with thanks to the eyelets, and can easily be installed in any number of spaces.
Matt Lamination
This is an extremely effective design technique, that adds to the premium feel of your product. This is achieved by adding a layer of UV to only specific parts of your print, as opposed to the entire document. This creates an extra added depth in both contrast and texture.
Silk Lamination
A thin plastic coating that can be applied to print to provide a soft and smooth finish. It's neither 100% glossy, nor 100% matt, which provides a durable and subtle texture.
Gloss Lamination
Our most popular choice. Gloss gives print that extremely premium feel, and can aid in making text and images appear more crisp and sharper in detail. It's also one of the most durable options, as dust and fingerprints are easily repelled, and can be wiped clean if marks are left.
Soft-Touch Lamination
This is hands-down the top choice for a luxury print. Soft-Touch Laminates use a protective matt effect with a soft velvet-like feel. Due to its premium finish, Soft-Touch is the number one choice for high-end products and packaging such as brochures, and business cards.
Spot-UV
This is an extremely effective design technique, that adds to the premium feel of your product. This is achieved by adding a layer of UV to only specific parts of your print, as opposed to the entire document. This creates an extra added depth in both contrast, and texture.
Lithoprint
Lithoprint is the way to go for high-quality, long-run products. Our machines can print at incredibly high speeds, making this the most cost-effective method to print products in large quantities.
Digital Print
Digital Printing is the perfect solution for branding, advertising, and reaching a large audience quickly and efficiently. There are countless benefits of Digital Print for businesses and organisations of all types, such as being more cost-effective and increasing your brand awareness, whilst also being more environmentally friendly.