Spot UVs, Proofs, Roll Folds and Other Printing Terminology Explained
The world of printing and all the techniques and terminology associated with it can be complicated. Often it can take a while to understand and learn these through years of graphic design experience.
This article consists of a list of some of the most common printing terms with a brief explanation of each. To make it easier to understand I have divided the list into three areas: General printing, Bindings, and Finishings.
Editor’s note: this article was originally published on Psdtuts in May of 2009.
General printing
CMYK
This is the widely used printing method to achieve full colour printing. It is also known as Process, 4 Colour Process or Full Colour Process. It uses only four ink colours: Cyan (C), Magenta (M), Yellow (Y) and Black (K) layed down on the paper as dots which combine to create the illusion of other colours. If you look at any piece of print under a magnifying glass you will notice a matrix of tiny dots of the four colours.
Spot colours
Spot colours are true colours which are pre-mixed to the colour required rather than achieved through a process method on the paper. They are much punchier than process colours and can either be printed on their own (for single or two colour jobs) or printed in addition to CMYK (resulting in a 5 or 6 colour print). It all comes down to cost at the end of the day though, as the number of colours used can potentially be endless.
Pantone® colours
These are spot colours from the international ink colour matching system from the company called Pantone®. They are designed to allow people in the design and printing industries to specify and match specific colours in the printing process. They are sometimes known as PMS colours (Pantone® Matching System). They can also be created using the CMYK printing process but rarely come out exactly the same colour as in the Pantone® Matching System. Pantone also provide colour specifically for different types of paper and coatings so that a consistent colour can be achieved across a range of products.
Metallic inks
These are spot colours that have a metallic constituent in the ink, giving a shiny quality to a range of colours from Pantone®.
Hexachrome® colours
By using six colors instead of the standard four in CMYK, it is possible to expand the spectrum on a full colour print job. This system has been developed by Pantone® and results in a bigger visual impact. However, there are higher costs involved due to the extra inks and plates.
Coated paper
This is paper printing stock that has an outer layer of coating on either one or both sides. It is available in a variety of finishes including Gloss, Silk and Dull or Matt, which give slightly different results. They can produce sharp and bright printing due to the fact that the ink is not absorbed into the paper very much and the paper also reflects light well.
Uncoated paper
This is paper printing stock that does not have an outer layer of coating. It is sometimes preferred by designers for its natural feel. However, the effect is very different to Coated paper because the ink is absorbed and the dots expand. This results in print that is less sharp or bright than Coated paper, depending on the quality of the paper.
Proof
A representation of what the finished printed item will look like, so that the designer or customer can check for errors or printing problems before committing to the costs of printing the full job. This will generally consist of either a test sheet from the actual printing press, or a digital printout from a smaller machine. The costs vary greatly between the methods. Some online and discount printers will alternatively provide a digital PDF proof that shows folds, trims and so on. These are quick and easy to approve, however they provide no indication as to how colours or other physical attributes may turn out.
Dummy
A blank version of a proposed printed document, produced to demonstrate the feel of the paper stock that has been specified and the size of the document. On larger more expensive jobs this can help the designer or customer decide if they are happy with their choice of paper.
Lithographic printing (Litho)
This is a printing of method which uses a metal plate inside a printing press machine. The plate carries the image to be printed, to which the ink is applied. This is then applied to the paper as it passes through the press.
Offset printing
This very common printing method refers to Litho printing where the paper does not actually come into contact with the plate. Instead it is transferred from the plate to a rubber ‘blanket’ cylinder and then onto the paper.
Digital printing
Digital presses accept the digital data of your design and print straight from it, without the need to produce plates or any other such tools. Generally this method is used for shorter print runs as the set up costs are lower and the quality does not always match Litho standards. The main benefits of using digital printing are the short run costs, the possibility of item by item customization,
Registration
When two or more colours are printed together, Registration refers to the process of exactly aligning them on the paper so that the image is sharp.
Letterpress printing
This is a ‘relief’ method printing where a raised surface is applied with ink and then pressed onto a sheet of paper to create the text or image. This results in the text or image being slightly depressed into the surface. Once a common way of reproducing books, these days it is generally used in craft applications such as high quality invitations or letterheads.
Thermographic printing
To achieve a raised glossy feel in printing (often in business cards) powder is applied to printed ink while it is wet, and is then heated and cured.
Web printing
This is printing using a continuous roll of paper rather than individual sheets. It is used for very high print runs, such as newspapers.
Varnish
Applying a varnish coating to a printed surface can add a glossy, silk or matt finish.
UV varnish
This type of varnish is applied to give a very high glossy finish to printed surfaces. It is often used and referred to as a Spot UV, where it is applied to specific places on the print, such as photographs.
Self cover
Refers to documents where the cover is printed on the same material as the text pages.
Fold formats
There are many different formats and styles for folding smaller documents, but the most common tend to be: 4 or 6 Page Fold, Gate Fold, Concertina Fold and Roll Fold.
ISO standard
Different parts of the world use different standards for paper sheet sizes, but the most widely used system is the ISO standard. This consists of the A series (e.g A4) and the C series for envelopes (e.g C4 envelope for an A4 sheet). There is a B series of intermediate sizes for the A series but it is not so commonly used. RA and SRA (e.g SRA4) sheets are used by printers and are slightly larger than the A series, providing extra grip and trim in the printing process. If you are interested in other size coventions there is a useful guide on the Designers Toolbox website.
Bindings
Saddle Stitch binding (stapling)
The standard form of binding which uses folded pages inserted into a folded cover, all of which are then stapled through the fold. This method is only suitable up to a limited number of pages (depending on the paper weight) as using too many will result in the finished job buckling and not lying flat. Typical uses are brochures, magazines and small booklets.
Case binding
This method is for books of at least about 80 pages and gives a hard, durable cover. Pages are sewn together with thread and then the whole thing is glued into the hard cover. It is generally the most expensive method of binding. Typical uses are hardcover books and documents.
Image 2. thanks to Baddeley Brothers.
Perfect binding
This method is often chosen for the distinct flat spine it gives, which is useful for documents that will be kept for reference on a shelf. As with Case binding, pages are also stitched together and then glued into a separate (but not hard) outer cover. Often used for documents or brochures that have too many pages for Saddle Stitch Binding. Typical uses are company Annual Reports and paperback books.
Spiral Wire and Wire-O binding
This consists of a line of small holes along the edge of the cover next to the spine. Then, either a Spiral or Wire-O (double loop) wire is then inserted into the holes. The main benefit of this method is that it allows the document to lie flat or be folded over. Typical uses are notebooks and calendars.
Finishings
Lamination
This is a very thin plastic coating which is sealed onto the printed sheet in either a Matt or Gloss finish. Matt tends to create a very smooth and professional looking surface, while Gloss creates a very vibrant and shiny effect. Lamination is often used to improve the durability of the printed job, but can add to the costs and be seen as ecologically unfriendly as it cannot be recycled.
Foil Blocking
A technique where a metallic foil is applied to a specific area of a printed sheet (such as a logo) to create an eye catching shiny effect. The method uses heat and pressure too apply the foil and the result is a much shinier finish than normal Metallic inks. However, it is more expensive as it requires special tools to be made.
Image 1. thanks to GF Smith and SEA Design. Images 2. & 3. thanks to Baddeley Brothers.
Embossing and Debossing
This effect is where a a specific area or detail of a printed job (such as a logo) is either raised up (Embossed) or pressed down (Debossed). This makes the area more tactile and prominent than the surrounding area, or it can be used to suggest a slightly 3-dimensional look, such as a bevel.
Die cutting
This technique refers to either punching an irregular hole in a printed page or trimming the whole sheet in an irregular way. It requires a metal punch tool to be made which adds to the cost, depending on its complexity. Often used in packaging, where unusual shapes need to be created.
Encapsulation
This means to completely cover a printed sheet in clear plastic. It gives a much higher level of durability than Lamination and is used on ID badges and surfaces that need to be wiped clean.
Further reading
Hopefully this article has given you an overview of some common printing terms, but there are many places on the web where you can get more information and advice. Here are a few to get you started:
- Full Color Printing
- Catalogue Printing Glossary
- Tom The Printer
- Printernational.org
Enjoyed this Post?
Subscribe to our RSS Feed, Follow us on Twitter or simply recommend us to friends and colleagues!
By Mark Bowley
Photoshop to HTML
Take your Photoshop skills to the next level by learning how to slice up a PSD into a working standards driven HTML website.
Join our newsletter!
U-Design WordPress Theme only $35.00 
Modernize - Flexibility of W ... only $35.00 
When the storm comes - More
Photoshop Basix
Just getting started? Start with our basix tutorials on the fundamentals. View All Basix Tutorials
Create a Tutorial, Get Paid!
Have something to teach the world? Want to earn money doing it? Tutorials, screencasts, and articles published here on Psdtuts+ are largely contributed by readers just like you! We'll pay you great money for good content. Find Out More
wow!
nice!
it’s good .i like CMYK
I <3 GraphicDesign Week.
I was planning to buy a ton of literature on all of this but now I’ll have to spend less
Great information
such useful and rare information!! well done.
Terrific invaluable information for anyone involved in print-design, summed up in one spot.
When I started out I surfed a lot to gather this kind of info.
Big heads up!
Really usefull informations !
Thanks a lot for sharing those
Cheers from Holland
Hey I really like these kinds of articles but there is no print button! Is a “print friendly” button foreseeable in the future?
What a great informative summary!
I am already missing this first graphic design week and longing for the second.
Man, this came at the right time. I have to learn this for my new job. I have no idea whaat im doing when im not working with pixels and the web.
Hi from Venezuela,
Amazing post.
Thank you very much, one of the most useful for me articles,
I have a question to Mark: when metallic foil is used, is it possible to laminate a cover too? Print-factory we work with, explained that these two methods don’t go together, if I want foiled letter I have to refuse laminated finish, if I want laminated finish I can not ask for metallic foil, is it really so?
We often print CD album covers in non-standard packing (not regular jewel-case booklet) and always order either matt or glossy lamination, sometimes would be nice to use metallic foil but thus we have to forget about lamination (which makes a product looking more professional), is there any possibility to combination of lamination and foiling?
And one more question: I am looking the information about printing on CD and actually can not find something sensible. I mean offset print, not digital, not paper label, but regular offset print like on millions CDs, do you have some source of information? I mean, is CMYK important for printing on CD (as it is not paper and printing is much more rough and dotted rather on paper), which resolution is important (300 dpi?, 100 dpi?, 72 dpi?), which file format is more suitable? Is there any difference in formats? On press-plant we work with they say that regular jpg in 72 dpi is ok, is it really correct? May be I can improve a quality by knowing these tips. I know that using Pantone colours makes the CD looking perfect, but not always the image which will be printed as CD label is done in Pantones, often the image supposes design done in Photoshop. It would be great to know more about this topic too. Thank you once again, great, useful article!
It is generally recommended that foil blocking and embossing is carried out prior to laminating or varnishing. Foil blocking and embossing can be processed after laminating but there is a risk of the foil not adhering to the coated surface.
Matt laminating is the exception to this rule as it can be readily foilblocked after laminating.
It is not recommended that double sided laminates or varnishes are foil blocked as the foil from the edges of the image may be transfered to the underside of the sheet.
“which resolution is important (300 dpi?”
>>> 300 dpi
“they say that regular jpg in 72 dpi is ok, is it really correct?”
>>> not really, unless your printing on a desktop printer
“Is there any difference in formats?”
>>> hires 300dpi PDF with vector information where possible
Thank you very much for detailed explanations!
With warmest regards, Tanya
Thanks Andrew for answering Tanya.
Tanya, printing onto CDs is not something I have experience with as it’s a specialist area, but I understand it to be something you can only do by digital or inkjet methods. So the issues of CMYK and what resolution will depend on the method. Best to talk to a printing company that deals in this area for advice.
Thank you very much, Andrew and Mark,
We order for our CD production regular silk-print (for minimum 1000 copies) (I mentioned «offset», it was not correct definition), in Israel it’s the only possible method of printing and I am always not too much satisfied with the quality, so I thought may be there are some tips (something that might depend on me before we bring it to press-plant) to improve the general look of this rough enough print-method (silk-print), but anyway, all the article and your replies are very useful and very valuable, really many thanks!
Tanya I used to work pre-press for a CD/DVD replication and duplication company in Canada. For printing offset on disks the runs have to be quite large to get your moneys worth. In terms of resolution and any other print specs it is best to ask your printer what they require of you as it may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. But generally speaking there is no real difference in technique from paper to the surface of a disk. You can print process or spot, (spot always looks amazing on CDs, especially if you have to print silkscreen) Except that you always have to place a white floodcoat down if you dont want the metallic nature of the disk to show through the print (which can create some neat effects).
I would recommend your print files be at least 300dpi.
I would also recommend working in illustrator for your CD designs as you have more control over spot colours etc.
Thanks all of you for your very positive comments!
Great amount of information.You guys keep it this way
!
this is brilliant.
simple and informative
grreat info!
Thank you for this awesome post. I’m sure I’ll be referencing it for a long time to come.
I will definitely be archiving this in my PDF library. Invaluable information is present on each page.
This is a great resource. I wish I would have had this a couple of months ago. We just released our first vinyl record and wanted to use Metallic Inks and Spot UV. We spent a good two months wading through the terminology to get what we wanted. This guide would have really helped out.
If you curious, you can see some photos of the final vinyl jacket here: http://www.yamama.com/main/releases/sandy-duncan-ep-2
Thanks again
I have no idea which music genre it is but vinyl jacket looks fantastic and professionally done, are you a label owner or designer of the layout and artwork or both:))?
Very useful resource – thanks very much!
Merci Mark ces informations me seront très utiles – thanks very much
Thanks alot! Quite Informative.
really goood.
We want your site in Franch pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase
thank you! such a nice informative article!!!
This is very good knowledge.
it is encyclopedia of printing.
This is going to be a great reference. Thanks
Thanks so much!
Sorry for the question that does not relate to this topic, BUT is it possible to create an image like the thumbnail for this article in Photoshop (not 3D modeling programs) or image somehow similar to this? If it is, could please somebody show me the link. Thanks!
Very short, very basic, but interesting!
Fantastic so simple, great for my Graphic Design students. Thanks
I have a question. I set my Photoshop file mode to CMYK and work upon it. But when I save it as an image file, all the colours are ruined. Any help?
Thanks.
Great informative article for all levels as print terminology can be very confusing.
It would be good to do a follow up article on preparing files for print with information on resolutions/dpi and a breakdown on the pros and cons of common file types ie. EPS, PDF, Tiff, Jpegs together bleeds, trims and crop marks etc
Also on best practices and methods for working with and using CMYK and prepping spot colour files via Photoshop as I know many who struggle to understand how to use the channels for spot colours and how to save them correctly.
Even better would be to how to calibrate your monitor without the expensive gizmos to give an accurate colour representation on screen.
I have worked in the offset printing industry for over 25 years. I have operated both web and sheetfed presses with UV capabilities. The web presses are equiped with inline finishing whick means a completed product is produced and packaged at press. There are many methods of UV applications that are designed to apply the gloss coating in specific areas only using what is called a cyrel plate or flood UV coating with a seperate matte varnish plate used to restrict the gloss to certain areas. All of these UV techniques are cured with UV lamps. Simply to much to list here such as printing plates, line screen values, curves, stacato, reasons for using one over the other. It’s an amazing industry.
Very good post. Lot of designers who had not worked at print studio didn’t know this things. Not every designers, but lot of them. But I’ll also save this post for myself
What a nice effort to explain the art of printing books and paperbacks. Really such a wonderful blog was really needed! I am a book work and really wondered how such wonderful printing and book binding is possible. At last I know a lot about printing techniques thanks to the blog. Thank you so much pal! Really a good work!
Awesome!!
I love this session! fantastic tool!!