Glossary of printing terms
A
A sizes
Industry standard for paper sizes. The most common is A4, and the largest YLP can supply is A0.
B
Barcodes
A barcode is a code made up of black lines and white spaces that can be read by a scanner and contains product information.
Bindings
The techniques used to put together individual pages into a finished book, booklet, magazine or catalogue.
Black and white
A print option using only black ink. Printing in black and white is cheaper than printing in colour. Also called Greyscale
Bleed
The area of print design beyond the trim line, used to hide cutting variances. The bleed size is usually 3mm, with some exceptions.
Book sizes
Books can be printed in a variety of sizes, ranging from Novel (127mm x 203mm) to Square (210mm x 210mm).
C
Casebound
Also known as 'hardcover', case bound is a binding method used for books with a high page count. The cover is non-flexible and durable.
CMYK
An acronym for the four colour values used in offset printing: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black).
CMYK values
Print colours are created by using the CMYK colours, and the density of each colour is represented by a value between 1 and 100.
Colour conversion
The best practice of converting artwork from RGB to CMYK before sending a file to print.
Colour matching
The challenge of matching the colours of an on-screen design to those on the printed page.
Colour printing
A print option using the CMYK colour values. Also can be described as Full Colour Printing.
Colour variance
The problem with colours appearing slightly different between print runs. Paper types, laminations, and digital and litho printing can also result in colour variations.
Cover pages
The pages on the front and back of a printed product. This can be supplied as individual pages or as a single page with an integrated spine, depending on the product binding type and is available in various paper types, weights and finishes.
Custom quote
A quote for a print job with a bespoke specification which cannot be selected oin the website.
Custom size
A format which falls outside industry standard sizes.
D
Delivery
The delivery of a print order - prices and times depend on the size of the order and its destination.
Digital printing
A print technique used for small print runs. Offers a faster turnaround time thsn lithographic printing.
Double spreads
A print option where the design stretches across the full width of two pages. Ideal for magazines, brochures and photobooks.
E
Electronic proofs
A way to preview your artwork as a PDF.
Endpapers
The paper at the beginning and end of a hardback book, used to fix the inner 'book block' pages to the inside of the cover.
F
Finishes
Refers to activities performed on print material after the actual printing is finished, such as lamination.
Foil stamping
A printing method where foil is transferred at a high temperature onto the surface of a print product. Offers a high-end, luxurious look and feel.
Four Colour Printing
The separation of artwork into the four-colour, CMYK channels before printing. The layering of each colour on press producing the final represenation of the artwork onto paper.
FSC® papers
FSC® stands for Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC® label guarantees that the trees used to make the paper have been replaced, or allowed to regrow naturally.
Full Colour
Printing in colour rather than black (greyscale) only.
G
Gloss lamination
A type of print finish. Offers a bright and shiny look, perfect for magazines and brochures.
Gloss paper
A coated paper with a high shine. Printed colours look bright and vivid, making it perfect for striking photographs and daring design.
GSM (grams per square metre)
A measurement of paper weight. The higher the GSM number, the thicker and heavier it will feel
I
Image resolution
Refers to the number of pixels in an image measured in dpi. Usually, the higher the resolution of the image, the better the quality of the print. YLP recommends a mimimum of 300 dpi
Industry standard sizes
Common paper sizes used in the industry for different printed products.
Ink density
Also known as ink saturation. The quantity of ink used to achieve dark or light colours through CMYK values. Too much ink can cause problems.
Inner or Interior pages
The pages inside a book or brochure. Requires careful consideration when setting up print files.
ISBN
Stands for 'International Standard Book Number'. A number unique to your book or magazine. Required for selling online or in stores. If this is required it should be created and placed within artwork prior to submission for printing.
L
Lamination
Plastic film coating applied to a printed sheet. Helps protect the design from damage. Available in gloss, matt and anti-scuff.
Litho printing
A print technique used for longer print runs. The design separted into CMYK colours before being transferred to metal plates onto which ink is applied and before being printed viava rubber blanket onto the paper in an 'offset' process.
M
Manufacturing variance
Refers to the smallest of variations during the printing, trimming and binding of a print product.
Matt lamination
A type of print finish. Offers a muted and classy look, perfect for flyers, posters and business cards.
N
Natural paper
Uncoated and unbleached paper. Appears off-white. Perfect for a rustic/vintage look.
O
Out of gamut
A warning that appears in the Photoshop colour picker tool. It lets you know that the chosen colour may not print accurately with CMYK.
P
Page count
The number of printed pages in a product often described with the pp suffix eg 16pp would mean 16 pages printed on 8 leaves of paper. With the exception of single sided prodcuts such as posters and flyers, the total number of pages must always be an even number. Some finishing types require a page count divisible by 4.
Pagination
The process of arranging pages in the correct order for a book.
Pantone® colour
Pantone® colours (commonly referred to as Spot Colours) are pre-mixed solid inks. Pantone® is the name of the company that has provided and maintains an industry recognised method of describing colours for printing.
Paper
Material manufactured from the pulp of wood.
Paper sizes
Refers to the range of available paper sizes, including the industry standard A sizes, and the most common and popular special sizes.
Paper type
Refers to the range of available paper types. Silk and gloss coated finishes and uncoated finishes whcih are also avaialble with recycled options.
Paper weight
The weight measured in grames per square metre eg 130gsm
Perfect or PUR bound
A binding method widely used for soft cover books and magazines of a certain page count. The pages and cover are glued together at the spine using PUR glue.
Pricing fluctuations
The changes in price due to increased labour costs, material costs, or shipping rates.
Print file
The file containing your artwork, which is uploaded to our print ordering system.
Print ready PDF
A PDF file that is ready for print. This means everything is sized correctly, images are of 300 dpi quality with CMYK colours, and a bleed has been added.
Printing variance
Refers to the smallest of variations during the printing, trimming and binding of a print product.
Process Printing
The separation of artwork into the four-colour, CMYK channels before printing. The layering of each colour on press producing the final represenation of the artwork onto paper.
Production
The steps taken to turnaround your print product. Timeframes can vary due to print techniques, product types, finishes, and binding.
Proof and Proofing
The act of carefully reviewing that everything is correct before a job goes into production.
Q
Quiet area
Helps keep important design elements, such as text and graphics, away from the edge of the paper so that they are not effected by small, within-tollerance variations in the prodcution process.
R
Recycled paper
Consists of up to 100% recycled used paper. It is available in uncoated and coated finishes and different weights.
RGB
A system for representing colours on a computer display. Red, green, and blue are combined in various proportions to create any colour in the visible spectrum.
RGB to CMYK
The conversion of RGB colours to the print-ready CMYK format.
Rich black
The technicque of using cyan, magenta, yellow and black to produce a deeper and more saturated black only tone.
S
Saddle stitched or Stapled
A binding method where the folded sheets of a booklet or magazine are gathered together, one inside the other, and fixed through the fold line with wire stitching or staples.
Safe zone
Another name for the 'quiet area', the safe zone keeps important design elements, such as text and graphics, away from the edge of the paper.
Saturation
When the ink saturation within a design is too high it can often lead to unexpected results on paper and marking as the ink does not dry as well.
Shipping
Refers to the shipping of a print order. Costs and times depend on the size of the order and its destination.
Silk paper
A coated paper with a satin finish and a slight sheen. Suitable for items containing text and pictures. Printed colours appear bright and well-defined.
Sketch covers
Special edition comic book covers which are left blank to allow the artist the option of drawing their own artwork on the cover.
Special options
A range of specialist printing features and finishes designed to elevate the final product. Includes Spot UV, Foil Stamping, and several optional features for casebound books.
Special sizes
A range of special and custom paper sizes.
Spine width
The width of a book's spine. This will depend on the number of pages, paper stock, and cover type and is calculated and displayed on the configuration page and in subsequent order paperwork.
Spot colour
Spot colour is just another name for a Pantone® colour which has been pre-mixed before printing, rather than being created out of process printing.
Spot UV
A specialist print finish. UV coating is added to pre-defined areas of the artwork to add an extra sheen and draw attention to a design element.
Standard black
A colour of black used in printing containing only black ink (100% K) and nothing else.
Staple bound
A binding method where the folded sheets of a booklet or magazine are gathered together, one inside the other, and fixed through the fold line with wire stitching or staples.
T
Timeline
The length of time it takes to deliver a print job once your order has been submitted.
Trim Box
If you have professional desktop publishing software then this should be set as the desired finished size and will be where we'll trim and then supply the product.
Turnaround
The length of time it takes to deliver a print job once your order has been submitted.
U
Uncoated paper
Paper that has not been coated, resulting in a soft finish. Easy to write on, it's a great option for postcards or stationery.
UV varnish
A specialist print finish. Ink is applied to paper stock, giving the page a smooth finish. Offers an alternative to lamination.
V
Variant covers
A comic book cover print option which allows various front cover designs, but the same internal pages. Ideal for special editions, collectables, or crowdfunding rewards.
VAT
Value Added Tax. Products being sold and delivered in the UK will have this added to the final price depending on the final use. A the bottom of every product page you can find whether VAT applies. Goods being invoived and delivered to ad address out sde of UK, VAT will no be applied to any sale.
W
Wiro bound
A binding method which uses coated metal wires to bind the document together. Popular for business reports and academic papers, as the document can lay flat when open.
