Understanding Print Terminology

With every technical process comes a specific vocabulary, the familiarity with which is an essential component to your success within the specific technical realm. Knowing at least the basic terminology used in printing will allow you to communicate with print companies with ease and make your use of computerized design programs easier as well.

This primer on print terminology will arm you with a basic knowledge of critical printing terms. While professional designers and printing technicians will have a vastly wider vocabulary they use in their communications with one another, the average individual can get by with an understanding of a simple handful of words and phrases.

You will need to know terms that pertain to graphic design, different paper sizes and types used in commercial printing, and some common technical terms used by professional printers in order to make your projects run as smoothly as possible. Your ability to effectively communicate with your printer as well as to adequately prepare files and provide the printer with all of the necessary data will significantly affect any project you undertake.

Image-Related Terms

Resolution – Sharpness or clarity of an image when it appears on paper, film, disc or a computer screen.

It is important to realize that the resolution of an image on your computer screen while you are designing a document will differ from that of a printed image. Contacting your printer for resolution recommendations is advisable. They will be able to tell you the best measurements and file format in which to achieve good quality resolution in printing.

Pixels – an abbreviation for “picture element,” a pixel is the computerized dot which makes up an image.

DPI – representing “dots per square inch,” this term is used as a measurement of image quality in relation to various computer monitors and printing equipment. The DPI is a measure of the pixels present in an image and will determine the resolution of an image on a computer screen or a finished printed product. Your print company will be able to guide you in the appropriate dpi specifications needed for each print job.

Crop Marks – these are lines which are often placed around the edges of images that indicate to the printer the actual proportions of an image that is to be reproduced. Crop marks are usually found in attached image files or embedded files.

File Types

PDF – this file format, created through the use of Adobe software, is a standard open file format used for transferring or exchanging documents. Various graphics and word processing files can be converted to PDF for easy file transfer. Most printers request that full document files be sent via PDF and may request separate image and font files also be included.

TIFF – one of the printer preferred image file types, this abbreviation stands for “tagged image file format.”

EPS – another common printer preferred or acceptable file type, EPS or “encapsulated post script” files can be used for sending images, font styles, and other document-specific information.

Paper Types and Sizes

There are different styles and sizes of paper which are commonly used in printing different kinds of marketing and general interest publications. Likewise, paper can have a glossy or matte finish. Determining the best paper type and size for a specific project is often easy to do at home, especially if you’re working with a graphic design program on your own computer. However, if you need assistance in making paper type or style decisions, any good printing company’s customer service staff should be able to assist you.

Color Terminology

RGB – stands for “red, green, blue,” and refers to the most basic graphics programs’ usual method of creating shades from the three primary colors. While often appropriate for on-screen image clarity, this is not the color method which results in high-resolution printed images.

CMYK – stands for “cyan, magenta, yellow, black,” and refers to the four-color process used by most printers which achieves more precise shades and better printed image resolution.

Color Conversion – the process by which colors in computerized images are optimized for printing, it usually involves the adjustment of RGB colors to CMYK.

Color Matching – frequently achieved through digital imaging software programs at a professional print shop, this process is used to complete color conversions in the best and most efficient way possible to optimize print quality and color appearance in finished print jobs.

Printing Process Terms

Bleed – used in printing in reference to the area of ink coverage on a finished print, the bleed can be viewed as a margin in terms of your design files. Placing a margin or bleed in your files is encouraged by printers and the absence of it can often result in additional charges as more work needs to be completed by the printer.

Proof – a test print made to predict the appearance of the finished print, a proof is often shown to the customer prior to proceeding with the full print job.

Template – the document submitted by you which contains all the important details of the print job, including layout, dimensions, placement of images and the like.

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