Glossary
Short, plain explanations of the terms you'll meet when printing.
#
A
B
C
Caliper
A precision instrument used to measure the physical thickness of paper sheets in microns or millimeters.
CMYK
A subtractive color model using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black inks for physical print production.
Coated
Paper with a surface layer of clay or calcium carbonate to improve ink absorption and image sharpness.
Colour bar
A strip of standard color patches used to calibrate and verify print output.
Creep
The lateral shift of inner pages in a bound booklet caused by the thickness of the spine.
Crop marks
Fine registration lines printed outside the trim area to guide the cutting of final page size.
D
Deboss
A finishing technique that recesses a design into the card surface using heat and pressure.
Die line
The physical outline of a cutting die that defines the final shape and dimensions of a printed item.
Die-cutting
A manufacturing process using a shaped metal die to cut paper into custom shapes beyond standard rectangular trims.
Digital printing
A printing method that uses electronic files to create images directly on a substrate without physical plates.
Digital proof
A high-resolution electronic preview used to verify design accuracy before final printing.
Duplex card
A business card constructed from two distinct paper stocks laminated back-to-back.
E
F
G
Ganging up
The pre-press process of arranging multiple job files onto a single large printing sheet to optimize production efficiency.
Gloss lamination
A protective plastic film applied to card stock that adds a shiny surface and enhances ink vibrancy.
Grammage
The mass per unit area of paper, measured in grams per square metre (gsm) per ISO 536.
GSM
Grams per square metre — the standard metric measure of paper weight.
I
L
M
N
O
P
Pantone Matching System (PMS)
A standardized spot ink system used to match specific colors that standard CMYK printing cannot reproduce.
Pre-press
The technical stage where digital files are prepared, proofed, and optimized for commercial printing.
Preflight
The process of checking digital files for errors before they are sent to a print production environment.
Press check
A final on-press inspection to verify colour, registration, and print quality before the full run is completed.
Proof
A pre-production sample used to verify layout, colour, and content before final printing.
R
S
Sheetwise
A printing method where each page of a document occupies a full sheet, rather than being imposed.
Signature (print)
A folded gathering of printed sheets that forms a structural unit in bound books.
Soft-touch lamination
A matte film finish that provides a velvety, low-sheen surface with a distinct tactile feel.
Spot colour
A pre-mixed ink applied separately from process inks to achieve specific, consistent hues.
Spot UV
A glossy clear coating applied to selected areas of a card, usually over matt lamination, for contrast.
Substrate
The physical material, such as paper or cardstock, onto which ink or coatings are applied during the printing process.