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Print terms, in plain English

Printers use a lot of shorthand. Here's what the words in our articles and on our product pages mean.

Bleed
Extra background that runs past the edge of the finished page. It is cut off when the sheet is trimmed, so colour and images reach right to the edge with no white sliver. What is bleed and how much do I need?
CMYK
Cyan, magenta, yellow and black: the four inks that are mixed on paper to make full-colour print. Should my artwork be CMYK or RGB?
Crop marks
Short lines printed at the corners of a sheet to show the printer where to cut. Also called trim marks.
DL
A standard size of 99 x 210mm: one third of an A4 sheet. It fits a standard business envelope.
DPI (resolution)
Dots per inch: how much detail an image holds at its printed size. Too few and the image prints soft or blocky. What resolution does my artwork need to be?
Embedded fonts
Fonts stored inside the PDF itself, so the text prints as designed. Do I need to embed or outline my fonts?
Finishing
Everything done after printing: trimming, folding, laminating, stitching and so on.
Gloss
A coated paper with a shiny surface that makes photographs and strong colours stand out. What is the difference between silk, gloss and uncoated paper?
GSM
Grams per square metre: the weight of a paper or card. A higher number is thicker and stiffer. What does gsm mean, and which paper weight should I choose?
Lamination
A thin protective film applied over the print after printing. It adds durability and changes the feel: matt, gloss or soft-touch. What is lamination, and do I need it?
Outlined fonts
Text converted into shapes so it prints the same on any computer, whether or not the font is installed. Also called converting to curves. Do I need to embed or outline my fonts?
Pantone (spot colour)
A pre-mixed ink matched to a numbered colour reference. Printing in CMYK gets close to a Pantone colour but may not match it exactly.
pp (printed pages)
The number of printed sides in a booklet. One sheet folded in half makes 4pp, which is why booklet page counts go up in fours. What order should my booklet pages be in?
Proof
A copy of your artwork sent for you to check before printing. It is for checking content and layout, not exact colour. What does signing off my artwork mean?
RGB
Red, green and blue: the colours of light a screen uses. RGB can show brighter colours than ink can print, which is why print can look less vivid than a screen. Should my artwork be CMYK or RGB?
Safe zone
The area set in from the trim line where text and logos are safe from being cut. Keep anything important inside it. Our standard is 5mm; some products differ. What is the safe zone and how close to the edge can text go?
Sign-off
Your confirmation that the artwork is correct and can be printed. Once you sign off, the artwork is printed as approved. What does signing off my artwork mean?
Silk
A coated paper with a smooth, low-sheen surface. Colours print cleanly and text stays easy to read. What is the difference between silk, gloss and uncoated paper?
Soft-touch
A matt lamination with a velvety feel. Should I choose matt, gloss or soft-touch lamination?
Trim line
The line where the printed sheet is cut. Everything inside it is your finished item; everything outside it is thrown away.
Turnaround
The time taken to print and finish an order, before the courier collects it. Delivery time is counted separately. What turnaround options are there?
Uncoated
Paper with no coating: a natural, slightly textured surface that takes pen and stamps well. Colours print a little softer. What is the difference between silk, gloss and uncoated paper?
Zero-rated
Charged VAT at 0%. Some printed items are zero-rated and others are charged at the standard rate. What rate of VAT is charged on print?

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