Printing Terminology

Print Terms

Best Proof: Also known as a “Hard Proof.” This is a physical sample printed and delivered to a Customer as a proof in order to approve colors. This is common if a Customer has specific brand standards that must be met on printed pieces. Once approved, the Best Proof will be delivered to the production department so that the color on the approved Best Proof can be matched on the final printed order.
Bitmap (or raster) images: Images stored as a series of tiny dots called pixels. Each pixel is actually a very small square that is assigned a color, and then arranged in a pattern to form the image. When you zoom in on a bitmap image, you can see the individual pixels that make up that image. Bitmap graphics can be edited by erasing or changing the color of individual pixels using a program such as Adobe Photoshop.
Bleed: Refers to any color or object on a printed job that will appear to run off the edges of the paper. If a document shows that the color or image goes to the edge of the computer screen, extra bleed space must be added to the edges of the document before printing. Otherwise, the print margins will create a white border on the document. The document must be printed on a larger sheet of paper and then cut down to the final size in order for the color to truly go to the edge of the page.
Carbonless Paper: Non-carbon reproduction paper, commonly referred to as two-part or three-part forms, are business forms uniquely coated to reproduce information on subsequent sheets with normal writing pressure. An image is created when two separate chemical compounds coated on the sheets come into contact.
CMYK: An abbreviation that stands for the colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. Every color in the “full color” printed world is achieved through a combination of these colors. A large variety of colors can be achieved with this method of printing. This method uses a dot pattern made of these four colors to simulate the look of consistent coloration. The dots are so small that the human eye perceives a solid color.
Color Handling: The controlled conversion between color on a screen and color once it is printed. The colors you see on your computer should match the piece that is printed.
Color Management/Matching: The practice of ensuring color accuracy. If you have a Pantone color that cannot be exactly matched to a CMYK or RGB level, the software we use to convert colors will warn us and select a close match for approval. If this is the case, we will send the Customer a series of close CMYK colors to pick from before printing. In addition, Quik Print calibrates all offset presses, digital machines, and large format printers to ensure color accuracy across all platforms.
Creep: The innermost pages that stick out further than the cover or first page when the pages of a booklet are folded to be saddle stitched (stapled along the spine). The type on those innermost pages will need to be shifted towards the book center so that no information gets cut off when the booklet is bound and trimmed.
Cropmarks: An essential component for setting up documents that require a bleed and/or need to be set multiple up on a page. Also called “cut guides,” they show printers how a document on a page needs to be cut and what the finished size of the jobs will be.
Die Cutting: A bindery process that cuts jobs into special or custom shapes. At Quik Print, your jobs are not bound by rectangles or squares. We can cut virtually any shape with our Die cutting capabilities.
Duplex: Double-sided. A document that has printing on both sides of the page is duplexed.
EDDM: An abbreviation that stands for “every door direct mail.” EDDM goes to neighborhoods, ZIP codes, or mail routes instead of to an individual target audience. EDDM does not require a mailing list and is ideal for small businesses, businesses opening a new location, businesses that are trying to save money by not purchasing a mailing list, or those that want to target a small audience.
Fifth Color Printing: Our unique printing capability that lets you print White, Clear, Neon Pink, or Invisible Red on any digitally printed job. This is ideal for printing on dark stocks, adding emphasis to invitations or stationery, making your business cards stand out, adding a security feature to tickets, or making POS signs stand out.
Fulfillment: We understand that a lot of local businesses have multiple locations around the city—Quik Print is one of them! Not only does Quik Print offer free delivery in the OKC Metro area, but we’ll also package and deliver your job to all of your locations around the city. We’ll coordinate drop offs to multiple locations, so you don’t have to.
Full Reverse/Knock out color: When a white image or text appears on a full-color background. Only the background is printed, and the color of the paper is seen through the “knocked out” lettering or image.
Gloss Paper: A stock that is coated with a finishing that causes a shine on the paper. Ideal for photos or art prints with vibrant colors. It is not ideal to write on this stock and should not be used for documents or forms.
Image Proportions: The aspect ratio of an image that describes the proportional relationship between its width and its height. For example, a 2:1 aspect ratio of 10” x 5” cannot be proportionately revised to fit an oversized piece with a ratio of 4:3 or 32” x 24” without leaving a white border on the top and bottom or cutting off the sides on the left and right.
Installation Services: Our Installation services for our CAD Cut Vinyl Signs, 50/50 perforated signs, and window clings — as well as selected rigid substrates. Quik Print saves you the hassle of installing your business or storefront signage. Our print professionals are trained at handling signage and can install your decals for you.
Mailing List Address Correction: All mailing lists that come through Quik Print’s mailing department are run through USPS-provided software, which checks records against a postal database and updates the address if Change of Address Information is found. A list of updated records is returned to the Customer so that they can update their own records. If an address cannot be validated, delivery cannot be guaranteed. Customers can choose to send to only corrected addresses, or all addresses.
Matte Paper: Also known as silk paper. This is a stock that is coated with a finishing that is semi-reflective, but not overly shiny. Ideal for prints with text such as postcards, brochures, or rack cards. Because this stock is not shiny, it is also ideal for photo prints that will be put into frames. It is not ideal to write on this stock and it should not be used for documents or forms.
Outlined text: When submitting files to your vendors, it is advised to outline your text so that the fonts do not change when traveling from computer to computer. Sometimes specialized fonts are not on all computers, so when a document is emailed, the fonts might not stay the same when opened on a different computer. By outlining text, the fonts will not change throughout the process.
Padding: A bindery process that binds sheets of paper together on one edge to create a notepad. The sheets of paper can be torn off with ease as they are used.
PMS: An abbreviation for the Pantone Matching System, a universal color-matching system in which spot colors are assigned a number. The colors are created by specific formulas from 15 base colors. Using PMS colors ensures that colors will be consistent no matter what press runs them.
Print Management: The process of managing print files. Quik Print makes things easy with our Print Management System. We will save your flyers or businesses cards on file so that when you need more, we are just a quick phone call away. You don’t need to keep track of your files; we’ll handle that for you.
Print Ready File: A file set up properly for printing. A true print-ready file has a high enough resolution that it doesn’t print pixelated; it is sized correctly; its colors are correct and will print accurately; all of the fonts and links are included; and it has proper bleeds and crop marks.
Resolution: The detail an image holds. Higher resolution means more image detail. When you resize an image, you are stretching the existing pixels to fit a new dimension. If you enlarge an image too much, it will become “pixelated” and the design will appear to have jagged edges. You can observe pixilation by viewing your document at 100%.
RGB: An abbreviation for “Red, Green, Blue.” Electronic displays, such as computers and phones, create color by using an electronic mix of red, green, and blue.
Sans Serif: Typefaces that do not have serifs, or small projections, that come from the edges of the letters. These types are usually simpler and uniform. Common examples include Arial and Futura.
Scoring: A bindery process that consists of adding a bend to a thick cardstock so that the paper will not crack or tear when it is folded. This is a common process used for cards or brochures.
Serif: Serif Typefaces have small projections (“serifs”) from the ends of each letter’s strokes. Common examples include Times New Roman and Garamond.
Site Surveys: Onsite assessments. Looking to update your storefront but not sure where to start? Our print experts can come and view your space, discuss options, and take measurements to make sure you get exactly what you want in a way that is lasting and affordable.
Soft Proof: A preview of the final print product via a computer screen. Often, Quik Print will send our Customers a proof via email in order to check layout, sizing, and content before print.
Soft Touch Coating: A unique form of coating, valued for its “velvet-like” texture. Finished paper is resistant to fingerprints and reduces scuffs and erroneous marks. Color appears darker or muted. Soft touch dries fast, doesn’t yellow over time, and adds a premiere aesthetic to any printed piece.
Standard Paper Sizes: 8.5” x 11” (letter), 8.5” x 14” (legal), 11” x 17” (tabloid), 12.5” x 19” (QP house paper), 8.5” x 5.5” (half sheet), 4.25” x 5.5” (quarter sheet), 3.5” x 2” (standard business card).
Targeted Mailing List: Uses Customer-identified demographics to better identify the recipients of a mailer. Examples of demographics include median income, median age, median home value, % of households with children, % of households of particular ethnicities, and % of households of particular length of residence. By ensuring that a mailer only goes to the target audience, businesses will increase their Return on Investment and see a greater response rate.
Thermography: A technique in which a powder is applied after offset printing to create a raised effect. The powder only sticks to the wet ink, and it melts when passed through a heater. Thermography or “raised printing” can be added to invitations, envelopes, letterheads, tags, or business cards.
Uncoated Paper: A stock that does not have a coating and therefore does not have a shine or reflective properties. Most standard papers are uncoated. Copy paper, letterheads, and envelopes are uncoated. Ideal for documents, forms, and resumes.
Variable Data Printing: Also known as VDP. Contains elements such as text or graphics that change from one piece to the next such as a salutation that might change from letter to letter, or a customized coupon based on a Customer’s purchasing history.
Vector images: Use mathematical formulas to draw lines and curves that can be combined to create an image from geometric objects such as circles and polygons. Unlike bitmaps, vector images are not based on pixel patterns. Vector images are edited by manipulating the lines and curves that make up the image using a program such as Adobe Illustrator.

File Formats

.AI – a proprietary, vector file type created by Adobe that can only be created or edited with Adobe Illustrator. Most commonly used for creating logos, illustrations, and print layouts.
Best use = creating logos, graphics, illustrations.

.BMP – a format stores color data for each pixel in the image without any compression. For example, a 10x10 pixel BMP image will include color data for 100 pixels. This method of storing image information allows for crisp, high-quality graphics, but also produces large files.
Best use = images and photographs for high quality print (no real advantage over .tif)

.EPS – a vector file of a graphic, text or illustration. Because it is a vector it can easily be resized to any size it needs to be. An EPS file can be reopened and edited.
Best use = master logo files and graphics and print designs.

.GIF – another raster image type. A GIF is formed from up to 256 colors from the RGB color-space. The fewer colors and shades contained in an image, the smaller the file size. Therefore a GIF is ideal for images that use just a few solid colors and don’t have gradients or natural shades. You wouldn’t want to use a GIF for a photograph.
Best use = simple web graphics such as web buttons, charts, and icons

.JPG (or JPEG) – a raster image that is often used for photographs on the web. JPGs can be optimized, when saving them out of Adobe Photoshop, to find the perfect balance of small file size and high quality. On the web, you want your image files to be as small as they can be, so your site loads quickly, but large enough to still appear crisp and not pixelated. A JPG can’t have a transparent background, so they are always in the shape of a rectangle or square with a solid background.

.PNG – another raster image type. For the general marketer, the main difference to understand between a PNG and JPG is that a PNG can have a transparent background and is generally larger and higher quality. Therefore a PNG is ideal for saving logo files for websites because they can be placed over a colored background.
Best use = logos, icons and other images where a transparent background is preferred.

.TIF (or TIFF) – a large raster file. It has no loss in quality and therefore is mostly used for images for print. On the web, because of load time, you generally want to use smaller JPG or PNG.
Best use = images and photographs for high quality print.