4-color printing - a printing method that combines four separate color inks (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) to produce a full-color image

5th plate - a thin metal sheet coated in a spot color, used in addition to four-color printing for special finishes like Foils and Spot UV.

Bleed - an extension of an image or color(s) placed beyond the finished trim size. 

Casebound - also known as a Hardcover, pages are bound together before they're attached to a hard outer case.

CMYK - an abbreviation for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black ink.

Color conversion -the process of changing colors from RGB to CMYK

Color gamut - a range of colors produced with a given set of inks

Color values - a description of a color's lightness or darkness.

Color variance - a slight change in an ink's appearance on a printed surface during a print run

Digital printing - a printing process whereby digital files are reproduced directly onto paper using inkjets

Double-page spread - two facing pages when bound together in a multi-page item

Dust jacket - a detachable outer cover with folded flaps to protect and decorate a book.

Endpapers - a sheet of paper fixed to the inside cover at the beginning and end of a book

Foil - a layer of foil is stamped on top of a printed surface using heat and a strong adhesive.

Fold line - an indication of where we will fold your prints

Ghosting - a printing defect that results in duplicated print work appearing in undesirable places.

Gloss lamination - a finish placed on top of a printed page to create a high shine

Grayscale printing - printed material produced with a range of gray tones from black to white, using only black ink.

Ink Density - the perceived amount of ink absorbed or reflected by light on a surface.

Ink Saturation - a point at which ink dissolves into a surface.

lb - paper weight measurement, an abbreviation for pound

Leaf/leaves - refers to a sheet(s) of paper.

Manufacturing variance - refers to minuscule shifts in the production process affecting the overall printing and binding of a product.

Matte Lamination - a coating on top of a printed page that provides an unshiny and subdued texture

Offset printing - a printing process whereby an inked image passes through a printer on rubber plates.

Out-of-gamut - an alert stating that you cannot accurately reproduce on-screen color(s) in print.

Overprint - refers to one color being printed directly over another, causing them to mix.

Parent sheets - large sheets of paper, pre-cut to produce print material before being cut to size. 

Page - represents one side of a sheet of paper in a publication.

Paper stock - a measurement of the density of paper

Paperback - also known as a softcover, a book with pages bound together with a flexible outer cover attached

Production - refers to the creation, organization, monitoring and delivery of printed materials.

PUR Bound - sturdier than perfect binding, printed pages are assembled and glued together with a strong adhesive called PolyUrethane Reactive adhesive.

Perfect Bound - groups of printed pages are gathered and fastened at the spine with adhesive.

Proof - a replica of how your print files will look when printed.

Quiet Area - a margin that prevents text and images from entering the bleed area

RGB - a color model - consisting of red, green and blue, representing an array of colors on a screen.

Rich Black - a combination of Cyan, Magenta and Yellow ink colors, mixed to produce a darker black in the printing process.

Professional Proof - a representation of your print files, highlighting errors or issues. 

Saddle-stitch binding - a multi-page item bound with staples

Side - refers to a printed page.

Satin Paper - a coated paper with a smooth finish and slight sheen 

Soft-touch lamination - a protective finish with a soft, matt texture

Spot Color - a solid, specific colour that's premixed, unlike a process ink.

Spot UV - a coating applied on top of specific areas of your print that you want to highlight. We expose the varnish to UV light which hardens it, leaving a high-gloss finish. 

Standard Black - a standard black, consisting of black ink (100% K)

Sketch Cover - special edition covers are usually left blank, allowing readers to draw on top of them.

Trim line - a guideline indicating the size of your finished printed item

Variant Cover - a comic or graphic novel printed with more than one cover design or finish

Wire-O Binding - a printed item with holes punched along one side before being fastened with a metal coil binding.

Uncoated paper - an absorbant paper stock without lamination or finish

For more print terms, head to this page.