Print Terminology

Colour Management

- Accuracy of how colour is reproduced through different processes and equipment in print production. 
- Gamut, RGB, CMYK, hexachrome. Represent the reproducibility with colours in a certain spectrum. 
- If a colour is used outside the printing gamut then the closest equivalent will be used which may change the overall design. 
- What we are capable of reproducing with the technology we have. 
- Colour profiles. predefined and preset profiles which are maintained to create a consistency through the designing and production and printing. As close as possible to what will be printed at the end of the day. Using the correct package for the correct means. 
- Coated/uncoated, certain surface quality and can affect how ink is absorbed and how sharp the image will appear. Changes how the ink interacts with the substrate. 
- Process Colour, CMYK, most printing methods use this. In offset lithography cmyk is used and applied using halftone dots. 
- Spot Colours, more expensive, identify on a different layer, can be defined using the pantone colour system, as a reference. Applied as one block, more vibrant, full and solid.

Printing Processes

- Lithography, uses exposing plates, can become quite expensive however in long runs it becomes cheaper. Ink from plates are offset onto a rubber printing surface before being applied to paper. (Hence offset lithography). Better for high end publications. 
- Web, High volume printing, onto huge rolls of paper. Often uses Flexography (relief) or rotogravure (Intaglio). Harder to maintain accuracy. 
- Black or registration black, gets printed on all four plates at the same time. When applying crop marks they will be in registration black. 
- Bleed, full bleed images must be printed beyond the margin, limits to ensure white edges don't appear. 
- Crop marks, communicate the trim regions. 

Finishes

- Tipped-in Page, different stock which is then bound along with the other pages. 
- Tip-on, an extra element that's added content glued to a page or cover. 
- Duplexing, glueing two different stocks together.
- Foiling, coloured foil pressed into the stock. 
- Embossing/Debossing, raised and indented surfaces. 
- In commercial printing, they use metal dies which are made specifically for each job. 
- Die cutting. design is cut out of the surface.
- Laminate, a plastic coating heat sealed onto a stock to provide a crisp finish and is liquid resistant.
- Varnish, identified to the printer on a separate file using black to identify the varnish. Varnish and laminates come in a varying level of glossiness. 

Standard Book Formats

- Certain paper sizes used for paper manufacturers to use.