Aqueous Coating - A coating applied to protect and enhance the printed item.

Bleed - Refers to printing that extends to the edge of a sheet after trim.

C1S / C2S - Coated 1 side or Coated 2 sides. The coating refers to a gloss finish.

Carbonless - paper coated to allow image transfer or “carbon copies” from 2-4 parts.

CMYK - The four process colors - cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black).

Collate - To organize in a specific order. Conversely, uncollated is to leave in stacks of like copies.

Cover - Thick “cardstock” like paper used for covers or sturdier prints such as cards and postcards.

Die-cut - To cut specific “non-square” shapes using a die tool.

Drill - To cut a hole in a specific location for tags, rings, or another binding.

Dull - A paper finish that has some coating but not a high gloss.

Emboss - “Raised print” pressed to allow an image to be felt from above the surface.

Felt - A paper finish that is soft to the touch.

Finish Size - The size of the product after trimming and folding.

Finishing - The term used for all operations taking place after printing such as cutting, folding, and binding.

Flood - To cover from edge to edge with ink or gloss.

Gloss - A paper finish that reflects light and has a smooth finish.

Imposition - The method in which prints are laid out on a single sheet to allow for efficient and orderly printing.

Kiss-cut - A cutting method used for labels and decals which cuts the image but leaves the backing paper.

Laminate - A transparent cover added to one or both sides to add further rigidity and protection against heavy use and liquids.

Linen - An embossed paper finish that simulates a linen texture.

Natural - A light brown paper color.

PMS - The Pantone Matching System - a standardized color database.

Perforating - Creating dotted cuts to allow for easy tearing off.

Preflight - Graphic design make-ready process for print production.

Proof - A test example of the finished product used for approval.

• Press Proof - A printed proof on the selected substrate.

• Soft Proof - A digital proof shared via the web.

Saddle Stitch - A binding method in which a folded book is bund with 2 staples in the spine.

Score - To crease a paper to allow for easier folding.

Slip Sheet - To separate with a sheet of paper, usually a bright color, for easy organization.

Spiral Bind - To bind using a continuous coil of plastic.

Substrate - Any material in which printing is done.

Text - The opposite of cover paper, this weight would be used for the inside of a book.

Uncoated - A paper finish, or lack thereof, in which the paper has not been coated with a finish.

Wire-Bind - To bind using a wire crimp on the left or top edge.