For all those weird words you know you need to know!

4 COLOUR BLACK - RICH BLACK

A rich, deep black made by combining 60% cyan, 50% magenta, 50% yellow, and 100% black ink. This mix creates a stronger, bolder black than using black ink alone. Not all blacks print the same.

ADHESIVE

The sticky backing on labels and stickers that makes them stick to surfaces. Different adhesives vary in strength, ranging from removable to permanent, depending on the specific application.

ARTBOARD

A sturdy, coated board with either a matte or glossy finish, great for printed packaging, cards, or displays.

ASPECT RATIO

The width-to-height relationship of an image or design. Keeping the same aspect ratio ensures your design doesn’t look squashed or stretched when resized.

BANNER

A large printed sign, usually made from vinyl or fabric, designed to grab attention. Banners are popular for both indoor promotions and outdoor advertising.

BINDING

The way pages are held together in a booklet or book. Options include staples (saddle stitching), glue (perfect binding), or wire/spiral binding.

BLEED

Extra space added around the edges of a design. It gets trimmed off after printing, so colours and images go right to the edge—no awkward white lines.

BRANDING

Everything that makes your business instantly recognisable—logos, colours, fonts, and the overall look and feel. Branding helps you stand out and stay consistent.

CMYK

Short for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. Printers mix these four inks in different amounts to produce a full spectrum of colours.

COATED PAPER

Paper with a special finish (matte, satin, or gloss) that stops ink from soaking in too much. The result? Sharper text, brighter colours, and more vibrant images.

COLLATE

Arranging printed pages in the correct order—so page one comes before page two, and so on.

COLOUR MANAGEMENT

The behind-the-scenes process that makes sure your colours stay consistent from screen to print. It involves calibrating machines and using profiles so reds look like reds and blues like blues.

COLOUR SEPARATION

Splitting a design into four colour channels (CMYK) for printing. This ensures accurate colour reproduction during the printing process.

CROP MARKS

Small guidelines at the corners of a file that show where the cutter should trim the finished piece.

DIGITAL PRINTING

Printing directly from a digital file, without using traditional plates. Great for short runs, quick turnarounds, or projects needing personalisation.

DPI (DOTS PER INCH)

A measure of resolution. The higher the DPI, the sharper and more detailed the print.

EMBEDDED FONTS

Fonts built into a PDF file, so your text always displays and prints correctly—even if the printer doesn’t have that font installed.

FILE PREPARATION

Getting artwork ready for print: checking resolution, colours, fonts, and layout to avoid last-minute surprises.

FINISH

The final look or texture of a print job—glossy, matte, satin, or even varnished for extra shine.

FINISHING

All the steps that happen after printing, like trimming, folding, laminating, or binding.

FLATBED PRINTER

A wide-format printer that prints directly onto rigid surfaces like wood, glass, or corflute instead of flexible rolls.

GAMUT

The range of colours a printer or device can produce. Some colours fall outside a printer’s gamut, which is why screen colours don’t always match print.

GHOSTING

A faint, unwanted image that shows up on a printed piece—like a shadow from leftover ink or toner.

GLOSS

Paper or card with a shiny surface that makes colours pop.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

The creative process of using images, colours, and type to communicate a message. A graphic designer makes sure your content looks good and works well.

GRAYSCALE

An image made up of black, white, and shades of grey instead of full colour.

GSM (GRAMS PER SQUARE METRE)

A measure of paper thickness and weight. The higher the GSM, the thicker and sturdier the paper feels.

GUTTER

The space between facing pages in a booklet or magazine allows room for binding, so text doesn’t disappear into the spine.

HARD PROOF

A physical sample of your print job, used to double-check colours, layout, and quality before full production.

IMPOSITION

Laying out pages in a specific order that makes printing and folding more efficient and ensures everything ends up in the right order.

INK DENSITY

The thickness of ink applied to paper. Higher density means richer, more saturated colours.

LAMINATION

A protective thin plastic film applied to a print job. Available in gloss or matte, lamination adds durability and a premium feel.

LARGE FORMAT PRINTER

A printer made for extra-wide jobs—perfect for banners, posters, signage, and wall graphics.

LATEX PRINTER

A printer that uses eco-friendly, water-based latex inks to create durable, versatile prints on everything from vinyl to textiles. Latex printers provide great colour reproduction. 

LAYOUT

The way text, images, and graphics are arranged on a page or design. A good layout balances space and flow to keep things visually appealing.

MARGINS

The blank space around the edges of a design that gives content breathing room and keeps text away from the trim.

MATT

Paper or card with a smooth, non-shiny finish for a softer, more understated look.

MOCKUP

A preview of how a design will look once produced—great for showing clients or testing ideas before printing.

OUTDOOR DURABILITY

How well a print holds up against weather like rain, sun, and wind. An essential factor for outdoor signage.

OUTLINED FONTS

Text that has been converted to outlines (shapes) so the font doesn’t change when opened on another computer.

OVERPRINTING

Printing one colour over another to create new effects or ensure solid coverage. Generally printing over white. 

PAGINATION

The process of numbering and ordering pages in a document. Essential for books, magazines, and catalogues.

PDF (PORTABLE DOCUMENT FORMAT)

A universal file format that locks in fonts, images, and layout so designs display consistently across all devices.

PDF/X

A specialised version of PDF created for printing. It ensures all colours, fonts, and settings are correct for press.

PERFECT BINDING

Pages glued to the spine of a book or magazine, creating a clean, flat edge (like most paperback books).

PREFLIGHT

A file check that flags potential issues—like missing fonts, low-resolution images, or incorrect colours—before printing begins.

PREPRESS

All the preparation steps before printing, including file setup, proofing, and colour adjustments.

PRESS CHECK

A quality check done at the press to make sure colours, alignment, and print quality match expectations.

PRESS SHEET

A large printed sheet from the press that may contain multiple pages or items. It’s inspected before being trimmed down.

PRINT ON DEMAND (POD)

A service where items are only printed when ordered, saving on storage and reducing waste.

PRINT RUN

The total number of copies produced in a single job.

PRINT SERVER

A computer or device that manages and organises print jobs in a busy production environment.

PROOFING

Creating a sample print (digital or physical) so clients can check and approve before full production.

PROPORTIONAL SCALING

Resizing an object without distorting it—keeping the original proportions intact.

QR CODE

A scannable barcode that links to a website, video, or other digital content. Widely used for interactive marketing.

QUALITY CONTROL

Checks and processes that ensure every print job meets high standards for colour, clarity, and finish.

REGISTRATION MARKS

Small crosshair marks that help align different colour plates during printing.

RESOLUTION

The level of detail in an image, measured in DPI (dots per inch). Higher resolution = crisper results.

RGB (RED, GREEN, BLUE)

The colour model used for screens and digital displays. Files in RGB usually need to be converted to CMYK for printing.

RIP (RASTER IMAGE PROCESSOR)

Software that converts files into data a printer can understand, applying colour management and layout instructions.

ROLL-TO-ROLL PRINTING

A method where media is printed from one roll and collected on another—ideal for banners, wraps, and continuous prints.

SATURATION

How intense or vivid a colour appears. High saturation = bright and bold; low saturation = muted and soft.

SCORE / SCORING

Making a crease in thick paper or card so it folds neatly without cracking.

SPOT COLOUR

A single pre-mixed ink (like Pantone) used for exact colour matching, often in logos or branded materials.

STOCK

The paper or material used for printing. Stocks come in many weights, textures, and finishes.

SUBSTRATE

Any material that printing is applied to—paper, vinyl, fabric, wood, etc.

TRIM SIZE

The final cut size of your printed piece.

TRUETYPE FONT

A digital font format that can be scaled up or down without losing sharpness.

TYPOGRAPHY

The art of arranging and styling text so it’s both attractive and easy to read.

UV PRINTING

A digital process where ultraviolet light instantly cures and dries ink. 

VISUAL IDENTITY

The overall “look” of a brand—logos, fonts, colours, and design elements that make it recognisable.

WALL GRAPHICS

Large-scale prints applied directly to walls for decoration, branding, or information.

WATERMARK

A faint image or text embedded in paper (or digitally added) for security or branding, often visible when held to light.

WIDE FORMAT PRINTING

Printing on media wider than standard sizes—perfect for posters, signage, banners, and trade show displays.

WINDOW GRAPHICS

Printed graphics or films applied to glass, used for advertising, branding, or privacy. Some allow one-way vision so you can see out but not in.