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.

Absorbency
How well a material, such as paper, soaks up liquid. In printing, absorbency affects how ink sits on the page, influencing drying time, colour strength, and how crisp the final print looks.

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, including it’s price.

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.

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 block
The book block is the inside of a book - all the printed pages, folded into sections (called signatures), stacked together and bound before the cover is added.

Book sizes
Books can be printed in a variety of sizes, ranging from Novel (127mm x 203mm) to Square (210mm x 210mm).

Brightness
A measure of how much light a paper reflects. Brighter papers tend to make colours appear more vivid and text look sharper.

Bulk printing
Printing a large quantity of the same design in one run. Bulk printing is often more cost-effective when you need high volumes.

C
Casebound
Also known as 'hardcover', casebound 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 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 cast
When a print takes on an unwanted overall tint because one colour dominates. For example, an image may appear too blue, yellow, or green due to incorrect colour balance.

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. 

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.

Cover papers
The four pages added as a cover to a booklet. Available in various paper types, weights and finishes.

Custom quote
A quote for a print job with a bespoke size, black and white pages in coloured publications, centrefold posters and much more.

Custom size
Custom size booklets always start on standard A-size paper and are cut down to your chosen finished size.

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.

Double spreads
A print option where the design stretches across the full width of two pages. Ideal for magazines, brochures and photobooks.

DPI (Dots Per Inch)
DPI measures image resolution by showing how many dots of colour fit into one inch. Higher DPI means sharper, more detailed prints, which is especially important for photos and fine artwork.

Dust jacket
A removable printed paper cover that wraps around a hardback book. Dust jackets protect the book while adding visual impact and extra space for titles, author details, and promotional information.

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 representation 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.

G
Ghosting
A printing issue where faint shadows or blurry marks appear around text or images. This usually happens when ink hasn’t dried properly or too much ink is applied, reducing clarity.

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 heavier the paper.

H
Hinge area
The flexible sections on either side of a hardback book’s spine. These allow the cover to open and close smoothly without stressing or damaging the pages.

I
Image resolution
Refers to the number of pixels in an image. The higher the resolution of the image, the better the quality of the print.

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.

K
Kerning
The spacing between individual letters in a word. Good kerning makes text easier to read and visually balanced, while poor kerning can make words look cramped or uneven.

L
Lamination
Plastic film coating applied to a printed sheet. Helps protect the design from damage. Available in gloss, or matt.

Layflat Binding
A binding method that allows pages to lie completely flat when opened. Perfect for photo books and designs that span across two pages, as it removes the centre crease.

Litho printing
A print technique used for longer print runs. The design is inked and transferred from a metal printing plate to a rubber blanket, and from the rubber to paper, resulting in a sharp, clean print.

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
Opacity
How much light passes through paper. Higher opacity means less show-through from the reverse side, which is especially important for double-sided printing.

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.

Overprint
A printing technique where one colour is printed on top of another. This can be used deliberately for creative effects but may cause colours to mix if not carefully controlled.

P
Page count
The method of accurately counting pages for printing. Pages within a booklet are printed in multiples of 4 sides.

Pagination
The process of arranging pages in the correct order for a book.

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, including silk, gloss, uncoated, natural, and recycled.

Paper weight
The thickness of the paper type.

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.

Perfect 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.

Preflight
A final check of your files before printing. Preflight ensures everything is set up correctly - from image resolution and fonts to colour settings and layout - helping avoid delays, errors, and reprints.

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 representation 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
The preview of your print product.

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.

R
Recycled paper
Consists of 100% recycled used paper. It has a natural look with a high whiteness.

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
A black ink which also contains Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow to produce a deeper and more saturated tone.

S
Saddle stitched
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 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.

Self-cover
A book format where the cover is printed on the same paper stock as the inside pages, rather than using a separate, heavier cover.

Shipping
Refers to the shipping of a print order. Costs and times depend on the size of the order and its destination.

Signatures
Folded groups of printed pages that make up the inside of a book. Multiple signatures are gathered and bound together to form the complete book block.

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® colours which are pre-mixed solid inks. Pantone® is the name of the company that makes the ink.

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.

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.

Standard black
A colour of black used in printing containing only black ink (100% K) and nothing else.

T
Timeline
The length of time it takes to deliver a print job once your order has been submitted.

Trim line
A dotted line that indicates where we'll trim the paper.

Tolerance movement
The small, acceptable amount of variation that can occur in trimming, alignment, or positioning during printing and binding.

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.

Upsampling
The process of increasing an image’s resolution by adding pixels. While it can help in some cases, starting with a high-quality image (ideally 300 DPI) will always give the best print results.

UV varnish
A specialist print finish. Ink is applied to paper stock, giving the page a smooth finish. Offers a good 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. VAT typically applies to a printed product if it's intended to be written on, i.e. letterheads, postcards, greeting cards, etc.

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.