Free resource · Reference
Print Glossary
Ordering print comes with its own vocabulary. Here is a plain-English guide to the terms you will run into — from bleed and CMYK to saddle stitch and EDDM — so you can spec your project with confidence. Based in Buffalo, MN, we are always happy to translate.
A
- Aqueous Coating
- A fast-drying, water-based clear coat applied over the whole printed sheet. It adds a subtle gloss or matte finish, resists fingerprints and scuffs, and is usually the most affordable coating option. Great default protection for postcards, flyers, and business cards.
B
- Bleed
- Extra image or background that extends past the final cut line, usually 0.125 inch on each side. It gives the cutter wiggle room so you never get a white sliver at the edge. Set it up right with our bleed & safe-area calculator.
C
- CMYK
- The four ink colors printing presses mix to create full color: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (the K). Files built in CMYK print predictably; files built in RGB get converted and colors can shift, so always design (or ask us to design) in CMYK for print.
- Coated vs. Uncoated
- Coated paper has a smooth, sealed surface that makes colors pop and photos look crisp; think glossy postcards. Uncoated paper is softer and more natural, easy to write on, and common for letterhead, envelopes, and stationery. Neither is better; it depends on the job.
- Coroplast
- Corrugated plastic sheet, the lightweight, weatherproof board used for yard signs, real-estate signs, and event signage. It is inexpensive, rigid, and lasts a season or two outdoors, which makes it the go-to choice for temporary outdoor signs.
- Cover Stock vs. Text Stock
- Two families of paper thickness. Text stock is thinner and flexible, like flyer or brochure paper. Cover stock is thick and stiff, like a business card or the outside of a booklet. Choosing between them changes how your piece feels and what it costs.
- Crop Marks
- Small lines printed in the corners of a press sheet that show exactly where to cut the finished piece. Most design software adds them automatically when you export a print-ready PDF, and they sit outside the artwork so they never appear on your final product.
D
- Die Cut
- Cutting paper into a custom shape (rounded corners, circles, door hangers, product outlines) using a shaped cutting die instead of straight blades. Die cutting adds a setup cost, but it is what turns a plain rectangle into a piece people remember.
- DPI / PPI (Resolution)
- Dots (or pixels) per inch, a measure of how much detail an image holds. Print needs about 300 DPI at the final size; web images are often 72 and look blurry when printed. Not sure if your photo is sharp enough? Run it through our image resolution checker.
E
- EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)
- A USPS program that delivers your postcard to every mailbox on the routes you pick, no mailing list or permit needed, at a discounted postage rate. It is one of the cheapest ways to blanket a local area; see our EDDM postcards to get started.
- Embossing / Debossing
- Pressing paper between metal dies to raise a design up off the surface (embossing) or push it down into it (debossing). No ink is required, so the effect is pure texture. It adds a premium, tactile feel to business cards, invitations, and packaging.
F
- First-Class vs. Marketing Mail
- The two main USPS postage classes for business mail. First-Class costs more but delivers in roughly 1 to 5 days and gets returned if undeliverable. Marketing Mail (formerly Standard) is cheaper but slower and requires a minimum quantity, which makes it ideal for promotions that are not time-sensitive.
- Foil Stamping
- Using heat and pressure to press a thin metallic or colored foil onto paper, creating shiny gold, silver, or holographic accents that ink cannot match. It requires a custom die, so there is a setup cost, but the finished look is unmistakably high-end.
G
- Gang Run
- Printing several customers' jobs together on one large press sheet to share the setup cost. It is why standard sizes and quantities are so affordable. The trade-off is slightly less color control than a dedicated press run, which matters most for exact brand-color matching.
- Grommet
- A metal ring pressed into a hole in a banner so you can hang it with rope, zip ties, or bungees without tearing the material. Grommets are usually placed in the corners and every 2 feet along the edges of our banners.
- GSM / Paper Weight
- How heavy (and roughly how thick) a paper is. GSM means grams per square meter; US papers also use pound ratings like 100 lb cover. Higher numbers feel more substantial and cost a bit more. Compare systems easily with our paper weight converter.
H
- Hem (Banners)
- A folded and welded or stitched edge around a vinyl banner that adds strength where the banner takes the most stress. Combined with grommets, a hem keeps an outdoor banner from fraying or ripping in the wind, so it is standard on banners built to last.
I
- Imposition
- Arranging multiple pages or copies onto a large press sheet in the right order and orientation so that, after printing, folding, and cutting, everything lands in the correct place. It happens behind the scenes, but good imposition is what keeps page 2 backing up to page 1.
- Ink Coverage
- How much total ink lands on the paper, often expressed as a percentage across all four CMYK channels. Very heavy coverage (rich dark backgrounds) can cause slow drying, smearing, or cracking on folds, so printers may cap total ink around 240 to 300 percent.
M
- Mesh Banner
- Banner material woven with tiny holes that let wind pass through. It is the right choice for fences, scaffolding, and other windy spots where a solid banner would act like a sail. The perforations slightly soften the printed image but greatly extend outdoor life.
O
- Overprint
- A file setting that prints one color directly on top of another instead of knocking the bottom color out. Used intentionally (black text over a photo, for example) it is helpful; set by accident it can make elements vanish or change color, which is one reason we proof every file.
P
- Pantone (PMS)
- A universal numbering system for pre-mixed ink colors, so Pantone 186 red looks the same at any printer in the world. Brands use PMS colors to keep logos consistent across everything they print. Our graphic design team can help lock in yours.
- Perfect Binding
- Binding a book by gluing the pages into a wraparound cover, creating a flat, printable spine like a paperback novel. It suits thicker documents, roughly 40 pages and up, and looks more polished than stapling, with a modest bump in cost and turnaround.
- Perforated Window Film
- Adhesive vinyl printed with your graphic and punched with thousands of tiny holes. From outside, people see your full-color ad; from inside, you can still see out through the window. A popular choice for storefronts and vehicle rear windows.
- Proof
- A preview of your job before the full run prints, either a PDF on screen or a physical printed sample. Approving the proof is your last chance to catch typos, layout issues, or color surprises, so review it carefully; changes after approval usually cost time and money.
R
- Registration
- How precisely the different ink colors line up with each other on press. When registration is off, you see blurry edges or colored halos around text and images. Tight registration is a hallmark of a well-run press and a well-prepared file.
- RGB
- The red, green, and blue light that screens use to display color. RGB can show brilliant colors that printing inks physically cannot reproduce, so files supplied in RGB are converted to CMYK before printing and some colors, especially bright blues and greens, may dull slightly.
S
- Saddle Stitch
- Binding a booklet by folding sheets in half and stapling twice through the spine. It is the fastest, most affordable binding for pieces up to about 64 pages, and page counts must be multiples of four. The standard choice for our booklets & catalogs.
- Safe Area / Margin
- The zone inside the trim line, usually 0.125 inch, where all text and logos should stay. Anything outside it risks getting clipped when the piece is cut. Check your layout in seconds with our bleed & safe-area calculator.
- Score / Scoring
- Pressing a crease line into thick paper before folding it. The score compresses the fibers so the fold is clean and straight instead of cracked and ragged. Any folded piece on cover-weight stock, like a greeting card or presentation folder, needs scoring.
- Soft-Touch Laminate
- A matte film bonded to the printed sheet that feels velvety, almost like suede, while deepening colors and hiding fingerprints. It is a small upcharge that makes business cards and covers feel noticeably more premium the moment someone picks them up.
- Spot UV
- A glossy UV coating applied only to selected areas, like a logo or headline, often over a matte background so the shiny parts really stand out. It requires an extra file layer showing where the gloss goes, and it adds contrast and texture without adding color.
- Substrate
- Printer-speak for whatever material gets printed on: paper, vinyl, foam board, aluminum, acrylic, fabric, and more. When we ask what substrate you want, we are really asking where the piece will live and how long it needs to last, which drives both look and price.
T
- Trim
- The final cut size of your printed piece; a standard business card trims to 3.5 x 2 inches. The trim line is where the blade cuts, which is why artwork needs bleed beyond it and important content inside the safe area.
U
- UV Coating
- A liquid coating cured instantly with ultraviolet light, producing a hard, high-gloss finish that is far shinier and more scuff-resistant than aqueous coating. Ideal for postcards and covers you want to shine; skip it on pieces people need to write on.
V
- Variable Data Printing
- Digitally printing pieces where elements change from copy to copy, such as each recipient's name, address, offer code, or even image. It personalizes direct mail at full press speed, and personalized mail consistently pulls better response rates than generic pieces.
- Vector vs. Raster
- Vector art is built from mathematical lines and curves, so logos and text stay razor sharp at any size, from business card to billboard. Raster images are made of pixels, like photos, and get blurry when enlarged. Always supply logos as vector files (AI, EPS, SVG, or vector PDF) when you can.
- Vinyl (Adhesive)
- Flexible, sticker-like material printed and applied to windows, walls, floors, and vehicles. It comes in permanent and removable versions, and cut vinyl lettering is a classic storefront look. See our window graphics for common uses.
Still have a term you want decoded? Just ask us → — or browse our free tools and guides.
Ready to start your project?
Tell us what you need and we'll put together a custom quote — no cost, no commitment.