Printing glossary: print terms explained from A to Z

Bleed, paper weight, roll fold or sign-off: ordering printed products means meeting plenty of trade terms. This printing glossary explains the most important ones from A to Z in a few sentences and shows what to look out for when you order. The measurements of all formats are on our print sizes page, and papers and materials are compared in paper types and materials.

A

A sizes (DIN and ISO paper sizes)

The A sizes of ISO 216, also called DIN formats, start from an A0 sheet of one square metre (84.1 × 118.9 cm). Each smaller size halves the long side of the previous one at a constant ratio of 1 to 1.414: A4 is 21 × 29.7 cm, A5 14.8 × 21 cm and A6 10.5 × 14.8 cm. The C series is used for envelopes. Overview: print sizes.

Aluminium composite panel

An aluminium composite panel consists of two thin aluminium sheets bonded to a plastic core; it is often called by the best-known brand name, Dibond®. Light, rigid, weatherproof and corrosion-resistant, it is the sturdy choice for company signs, practice plates and facade panels meant to last for years. Our aluminium composite panel also comes in custom sizes and free-form shapes.

Aqueous coating (dispersion varnish)

An aqueous coating, also called dispersion varnish, is a water-based varnish applied over the whole printed surface. It protects against rubbing and scratches, dries quickly and changes the look only subtly, in matt, silk or gloss. For some products it is available as an antimicrobial dispersion varnish, which is practical for cards that pass through many hands, at a reception desk or in a restaurant.

B

Beach flag

A beach flag is a tall, narrow advertising flag on a flexible pole, usually made of fibreglass, which generally turns with the wind. It stands at entrances, beside sports pitches and at trade fair stands. The base depends on the ground: a ground spike for grass and sand, a cross base with a water weight for tarmac or paving. Shapes and sizes: beach flags.

Bleed

Bleed is the extra margin by which backgrounds, solid colours and images that reach the edge are extended beyond the trim size. Items are printed on larger sheets and then cut; without bleed, thin white edges can appear after trimming. The usual value is 1 to 3 mm per side, sometimes more for large formats; the exact figure is on the product's print template. See how to prepare print files.

C

CMYK

CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow and key, meaning black: the four process inks of four-colour printing. By printing fine halftone dots next to and on top of each other, they reproduce every printed shade. Set up your files in CMYK: an RGB file will be converted, and some vivid screen colours then look duller. If a brand colour must be exact, consider a spot colour.

Coated paper (matt or gloss)

Coated paper has a thin layer of pigments that seals its surface, so the ink stays on top and photos look sharp and vivid. Gloss coated paper makes colours shine, while matt coated paper reflects less light and makes text easier to read. The configurator offers both, from 70 to 500 gsm depending on the product. For writing with a pen, uncoated offset paper is the better choice.

Colour profile (ICC)

A colour profile following the International Color Consortium (ICC) standard describes how colour values are reproduced on a given paper or device. Coated and uncoated papers absorb ink differently and therefore need different profiles. Using the right profile when converting to CMYK makes colours more predictable. The right profile depends on the paper you choose; if in doubt, ask us before exporting.

Creasing (scoring)

Creasing presses a line into paper or board with a tool, so that the sheet folds cleanly without the surface or the ink cracking along the fold. For very thick board, V-grooving is used instead, removing a little material along the fold line. This is why folded cards on heavy stock are creased, such as folded business cards.

Crop marks

Crop marks, also called trim marks, are thin lines placed outside the trim size to show where the sheet will be cut. They must sit beyond the bleed so that they do not appear on the finished product. Online printers usually position the artwork on the press sheet themselves and need no marks in the file, only bleed. The product's print template is the reference.

Cross fold

A cross fold means folding the sheet, turning it and folding it a second time at right angles to the first fold. An A3 sheet thus becomes a handy A5, and an A4 sheet an A6. It is used for city maps, folded posters and inserts that offer plenty of space but travel in a small format. Example: leaflets with a double cross fold.

D

Die cutting and contour cutting

Die cutting and contour cutting give a printed item a shape other than a rectangle: round, a crest or the outline of a logo. Traditionally a steel cutting die punches out the shape; in digital contour cutting, a guided blade or a laser follows the line. The cut line is prepared in the file as a separate vector path. Example: free-form stickers.

Digital printing

Digital printing transfers the design straight from the file to the material, without printing plates, using toner or inkjet. With almost no make-ready, it suits short runs, one-offs and series in which every copy can differ. Our posters in digital and offset printing can be ordered from a single copy. On textiles, the term means printing directly onto the fabric with ink.

DL size (DIN long)

DL, short for DIN long, is one third of an A4 sheet, about 10 × 21 cm; our flyers in this size measure 9.8 × 21 cm, and the DIN long plus variant 10.5 × 21 cm. An A4 sheet folded twice gives the same size, which fits a DL envelope without further folding. It is popular for flyers, invitations, vouchers and menus. Matching envelopes are available too.

Dye sublimation

In dye sublimation, the design is printed with special inks, usually onto transfer paper, and then transferred with heat and pressure. The ink turns into a gas and bonds with polyester fibres or coated surfaces. The result is vivid, wash-resistant and cannot be felt. It only works on light-coloured polyester or coated items, not on cotton; it is typical of flags and sportswear.

E

Embossing and debossing

Embossing shapes paper between a die and a counter-die. A raised emboss lifts a logo or lettering above the surface, while a deboss presses it into the paper. Without ink it is called blind embossing; combined with foil it creates a shiny relief. The effect works best on thick board or natural paper, for example on business cards and wedding invitations.

Embroidery

Embroidery stitches the logo into the textile with thread. The design is first converted into an embroidery file that sets the stitches and thread colours. The result looks premium, is very hard-wearing and survives many washes. It suits logos and short lettering on polo shirts, jackets, caps and beanies. See the guide printing or embroidering textiles.

F

Fluted board

Fluted board consists of two thin plastic walls joined by ribs; seen from the edge, it shows a row of small channels. Light, rain-resistant and economical, it suits election posters, building site boards, direction signs and event signage, but is less suited to long-term mounting on a facade. Details on the fluted board product page.

Four over four (4/4) and four over zero (4/0)

The figures 4/0 and 4/4 state how many colours are printed on the front and back. 4/0, four over zero, means a front in CMYK four-colour and a blank back; 4/4 means full colour on both sides, and 4/1 a colour front with a single-colour back, usually black. Flyers, postcards and business cards printed on both sides are ordered in 4/4; for a poster, 4/0 is normally enough.

G

Grain direction

During manufacture, paper fibres line up mostly in one direction, the grain direction. Along the grain, paper bends more easily and folds more cleanly; across it, the fold can crack or ripple. In books and brochures, the grain should run parallel to the spine. Printers take this into account; for you, it matters mainly if you fold printed items yourself.

H

Hot foil stamping

Hot foil stamping uses a heated die and pressure to transfer a metallic or coloured foil onto paper. It creates shiny areas in gold, silver or copper that no ink can reproduce. It is popular for logos on business cards, wedding invitations and letterheads, and the foil area is supplied as a separate vector element, for example for business cards with finishing.

L

Lamination (matt or gloss)

Lamination bonds a very thin plastic film onto the printed sheet. It protects against scratches, moisture and fingerprints and makes cards stiffer. Matt lamination looks elegant and glare-free, while gloss lamination intensifies colours. It is common on business cards, brochure covers and menus; our Classic business cards offer it in matt.

Letterpress

Letterpress is a relief printing process: a raised printing plate presses the ink into thick, soft paper, so that text and motifs are slightly debossed and can be felt. The look is crafted and refined and works best on natural paper. It is popular for business cards, wedding stationery and postcards, for example our letterpress business cards.

Loop stitching

Loop stitching works like saddle stitching, except that the wire staples form small loops that stand out from the spine. The brochure can then go straight into a ring binder without punching. It is practical for price lists, training materials, manuals and documentation that is updated regularly. Sizes and papers: eyelet-bound magazines.

M

Mesh banner

Mesh is a perforated, net-like fabric used for banners. Wind passes through it, which greatly reduces the load on fences, scaffolding and fixings. Close up, the print looks slightly lighter; from a few metres away, the design reads in full. When to choose mesh or PVC is explained in the guide banners, flags and outdoor signs.

N

Natural paper (uncoated)

Natural paper is uncoated: its fibres remain perceptible, it has a pleasant feel and is easy to write on. Because it absorbs more ink, colours look softer than on coated paper. Textured fine papers, such as linen or laid finishes, belong to the same family. It is a classic for letterheads, invitations and business cards.

O

Offset paper

Offset paper is an uncoated, woodfree paper with a matt, slightly rough surface. It is easy to write on with a ballpoint pen or pencil, which makes it the usual choice for letterheads, notepads, forms and notebooks. In the configurator it comes in white, from 60 to 500 gsm depending on the product. Examples: notepads and notebooks.

Offset printing

Offset printing is an indirect process: the ink passes from the printing plate to a rubber blanket and only then to the paper. It delivers fine, very consistent quality and becomes economical from medium runs upwards, because a plate is made for each colour. Spot colours are possible too. One example is the brochure in offset printing.

P

Pantone and spot colours

A spot colour is a premixed ink printed on its own instead of being built from CMYK. A brand colour is then exact, and shades outside four-colour printing, such as neon or metallic, become possible. Pantone and HKS are colour matching systems that identify each shade by a number. Name the colour exactly that way in your file, for example for business cards with a spot colour.

Paper weight (gsm)

Paper weight states the mass of a paper in grams per square metre (gsm or g/m²). It says a lot about stiffness but not everything about thickness: at the same weight, a bulky natural paper is thicker than a coated one. As a guide, office paper weighs about 80 gsm, flyers usually 135 to 170 gsm and business cards from around 300 gsm. Everything about materials: paper types and materials.

PDF/X

PDF/X is an ISO-standardised form of PDF for printing. It requires embedded fonts, clearly defined colours and a declared trim size, so that the file outputs the same way everywhere. The versions PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3 and PDF/X-4 differ mainly in how they handle colour spaces and transparency. Whenever possible, export your print files as PDF/X.

PEFC and FSC®

FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) are certification systems for wood and paper. They attest that the fibres come from responsibly managed forests or from recycling, with the supply chain checked. Depending on the product, many papers are available in an FSC® or PEFC version, for example our Environment and Nature posters.

Perfect binding

In perfect binding, the pages are gathered into a block, milled at the spine and glued into a cover. The result is a flat, printable spine, as on a paperback. It is used for catalogues, thick brochures and softcover books. For notepads, the term is glue binding: the sheets are glued along one edge and tear off one by one, as on our pads with glue binding.

Print run

The print run is the number of identical copies printed in one order, for example 500 flyers with the same design. The higher the run, the lower the unit price, because the machine set-up is spread over more copies. Our printing prices page shows how this appears in the configurator. For very large quantities, see large-volume orders.

Print template

A print template is a ready-made file in the right size in which trim size, bleed and safety margin are already marked: you simply place your design and export a PDF. Our templates, in German and French, can be downloaded from the product page of 17 products, including flyers, posters, stickers, labels on a roll, mugs and polo shirts. Overview: print templates.

Proof and sign-off

Sign-off is your final approval of the print file; once it is given, production starts. A proof simulates the finished result, either on paper as a colour-accurate contract proof or on screen as a soft proof. Every file is checked before production, but it is best to check the wording and spelling yourself. For saddle-stitched magazines, a proof print can be ordered.

PVC banner

A PVC banner, known in German-speaking Switzerland as a Blache, is a printed, weatherproof tarpaulin, usually polyester coated with PVC. It resists tearing and is fixed with eyelets or hems to building site fences, scaffolding, crowd barriers, railings and facades. For large surfaces in windy spots, there is air-permeable mesh. Sizes and versions: tarpaulins.

R

Raised varnish (3D varnish)

Raised varnish is a UV varnish applied in a very thick layer to selected areas. The varnished areas shine and stand out to the touch, hence the name 3D varnish. It highlights a logo, a pattern or lettering that people discover with their fingertips. The effect is especially striking on business cards and covers with matt lamination.

Recycled paper

Recycled paper is made entirely or mainly from recovered paper fibres. Today it comes in bright white as well as in a natural, slightly grey shade, uncoated or coated: the configurator offers, for example, a recycled matt coated paper. It is a consistent choice for business cards, letterheads and flyers, such as our Environment and Nature business cards.

Resolution (dpi)

Resolution states how many dots fit into one inch (2.54 cm), measured in dpi, or strictly speaking ppi for images. For photos in print, the benchmark is 300 dpi at final size. Enlarging an image in the layout reduces its effective resolution accordingly. For posters and banners viewed from a distance, less is often enough; the product information is the reference.

RGB

RGB stands for red, green and blue, the colours of light used by screens, smartphones and cameras. RGB can display some very bright shades, such as vivid greens, oranges or blues, that four-colour printing cannot reach. Convert your images to CMYK before exporting and check the result, rather than leaving it to an automatic conversion.

Roll fold

A roll fold folds the sheet twice in the same direction, with the panels rolling into each other. An A4 sheet thus becomes the classic six-page leaflet in DL size. So that it closes neatly, the inner panel must be a few millimetres narrower than the others. Example: leaflets with a roll fold.

Roll-up banner

A roll-up banner is a portable display: the printed graphic rolls into a cassette base on the floor, is pulled upwards and held by a pole. It is quick to set up and easy to carry. Common widths range from 60 to 150 cm at a height of 200 cm. Our roll-ups come as a complete system with print or as a replacement print only.

S

Saddle stitching

In saddle stitching, folded sheets are nested inside one another and stapled through the fold with wire staples. It is the standard binding for magazines, programmes and brochures with fewer pages. As each sheet yields four pages, the page count must be a multiple of four. A print template is available for our saddle-stitched magazines.

Safety margin (safe area)

The safety margin is the zone inside the trim size where no important elements should be placed. Because cutting has slight tolerances, text, logos, QR codes and page numbers stay a few millimetres from the edge, usually 3 to 5 mm. On bound products, the area near the spine must also be kept clear. Where a print template exists, it shows this zone.

SBS board (chromo sulphate board)

SBS board, short for solid bleached sulphate board, is a rigid, very white board made from bleached chemical pulp with a coated surface. It is stable and reproduces colours and fine details cleanly, which makes it a good fit for cards, swing tags and packaging that need to hold up. The configurator offers it in a matt version in 350 and 450 gsm.

Screen printing

Screen printing pushes ink with a squeegee through a fine mesh that lets it pass only where the design is. Each colour needs its own screen. The ink layer is thick, opaque even on dark textiles and very durable. It is ideal for logos with few colours in larger quantities, on T-shirts, bags and promotional items.

Single fold

A single fold, also called a half fold, folds the sheet once down the middle. It creates two panels and four pages, for example an A5 leaflet from an A4 sheet. It is the simplest fold, typical of invitations, menus, programmes and short price lists. On heavy stock, creasing first keeps the fold clean. Example: leaflets with a single fold.

Soft-touch finish

A soft-touch finish gives a velvety, slightly rubbery surface. Applied as a special film or as a varnish, it hardly reflects light and invites people to pick up the printed item. Dark colours look especially rich on it. It is popular for business cards, covers and invitations, for example our folded business cards with finishing.

T

Transfer printing

Transfer printing first prints the design onto a carrier film or transfer paper and then applies it to the textile or item with a heat press. It suits small quantities, multicoloured logos, photos, and names or numbers on sports shirts. Many garments, such as hoodies and polo shirts, can be decorated this way.

Trim size

The trim size is the size of the finished product after cutting, for example 8.5 × 5.5 cm for a business card in the usual Swiss format. The print file is larger by the amount of bleed. For folded products, the open size before folding differs from the closed size: a leaflet that measures A4 when open closes to roughly DL size with a roll fold.

U

UV varnish and spot UV

UV varnish is applied over the print and cured instantly by ultraviolet light. Over the whole surface it protects and adds a high gloss; as spot UV, it highlights only selected elements such as a logo or an image. On a matt background, the contrast between matt and gloss is striking. For spot UV, prepare the areas to be varnished on a separate vector layer.

W

White ink printing

White ink printing adds white as an extra colour. Four-colour printing contains no white: on white paper, white is simply the unprinted sheet. On coloured board, kraft paper or clear film, a white ink is therefore needed. It allows light text on a dark background or serves as an opaque base under colours, as on our business cards with white print.

Wire-O binding

Wire-O binding, also known as double-loop wire binding, punches the sheets along one edge and binds them with a wire comb. The pages turn through 360 degrees and lie flat, which is ideal for calendars, notebooks, manuals and menus. It gives a neat, professional finish. Example: wall calendar with Wire-O binding.

Z

Zigzag fold (concertina fold)

In a zigzag fold, also called a concertina fold, the folds alternate forwards and backwards, and all panels have the same width. The leaflet opens out in one movement and suits step-by-step instructions, programmes, maps and timelines. With two folds, an A4 sheet becomes a six-page leaflet in DL size. Example: leaflets with a zigzag fold.

Further guides

• Print sizes: all A sizes and special formats with measurements in centimetres.
• Paper types and materials: coated, offset, recycled, board and other materials compared.
• Printing prices: how format, paper and print run shape the price.
• Print templates: downloadable templates with bleed and safety margin.
• How to prepare print files: bleed, CMYK, 300 dpi and fonts, step by step.

No print-ready file? Our design service lays out your printed item from CHF 29. Every file is checked before production, the price in CHF appears instantly in the configurator, and we deliver throughout Switzerland.