A-Sizes

The international ISO range of metric paper sizes, the largest being A0 (841x1189mm). The sizes reduce proportionally from A0 by folding in half each time.

Adjustable Die

Dies that have movable blades which can be adjusted to produce the size and shape required.

Antique

A high-quality, bulky paper with a rough finish.

Art Paper

Coated paper with a gloss finish.

Artwork

Reproduction-quality origination, for making films.

Attachments

Additions to an envelope like clasps, button, string and Velcro.

B-Sizes

The international ISO range of metric paper sizes designed for work requiring a larger format than standard A sizes.

Back Gum

The adhesive used as a permanent seal between the bottom and side envelope flaps.

Banker

An envelope with a diamond flap on the long edge.

Basis Weight

Weight in pounds of a ream (500 sheets) of paper cut to one of the industry’s basic sizes.

Blank

Paper stock die-cut into shape and size. Blank becomes the desired envelope.

Bleed

The printed area which runs over the trimmed edge of a page. Usually 3 to 5 mm.

Blind

An embossing / debossing without foil or ink, i.e. an impression only.

Bond Paper

A grade of writing or printing paper used for letterheads and forms. Bond paper is characterized by strength, rigidity, permanence and erasability.

B.R.E.

Business Reply Envelope, first or second class permit, indicia and return address pre-printed on the envelope. Original sender pays the postage.

Bromide

Also known as PMT. Photographic light-sensitive paper used to produce positive camera-ready artwork.

Bubble Envelopes

Padded for protection with captured air bubbles inside envelopes.

C

Abbreviation for Cyan in the four-colour printing process.

C-Sizes

The international ISO range of metric sizes for envelopes, designed to accommodate equivalent A sizes.

Coated Paper

Also known as Art paper. Gloss paper coated with china clay that can have a Gloss, Matt or Satin finish.

Coating

Describes a substance of mixed clays, adhesives that is applied to the surface of paper or paperboard.

Collate

To gather sections of printed work in the correct sequence for binding.

Copy

Text content.

Corner Card

Return address of the sender set in any type and printed in upper left corner.

Cotton Fiber Content

Papers containing cotton fiber usually between 25 and 100% rag or cotton linters. Primarily used when a high quality paper product is required.

Crop Marks

Printed lines beyond the page area which indicate where the page should be trimmed. See also Trim and Tick marks.

Cross Grain

The paper grain runs diagonally across the envelope.

Cyan

One of the four process colours (blue) in litho printing.

Debossing

An impression which is sunk into a surface (opposite of embossing).

Deckle edge

Paper with an untrimmed feathery uneven edge.

De-Inking

The process which removes inks, clays, coatings, binders and other containment from printed and converted waste paper. Primary and secondary sludge waste is generated, but can be used on farmlands or marketed as compost.

Diagonal Seams

Running from the bottom corners to near the centre of the throat.

Die

Metal object crafted from artwork and used to create embossings, cut shapes or apply foil.

Die Cutting

Process by which a steel die is used to cut paper into variety of shapes and sizes.

Dot

A single element from which half-tone reproduction is produced.

Duotone

A two-colour half-tone image.

Embossing

A term used to describe a raised or depressed design, which is created by passing the paper between two engraved steel rolls or plates.

Emulsion

Photosensitive coating on repro films.

Expansion Envelope

A special envelope produced with gussets enabling it to expand and accommodate bulky items.

Film Separations

Camera-ready artwork produced on reprographic film and separated for colour (one colour per film).

Finish

A finish is one of the most important physical properties of paper. It describes surface contour and other characteristics (i.e. Antique, Cockle, Felt, Laid, Vellum, Wove etc.)

Flaps Extended

Envelopes with the seal flap extended, not folded down.

Flat Colour

Solid areas of colour (as opposed to halftone), usually matched to Pantone colours.

Flush Cut

To cut flush means to cut the top flap off the envelope.

Foil Blocking

The process by which foil is applied to a surface using a metal die.

Fold Lines

Tick marks which indicate where a sheet is to be folded. Often dotted, to distinguish between folding and trimming.

Foot

The bottom of a page.

Four-Colour Process

Colour printing using the three primary colours (cyan, magenta and yellow) plus black.

Full Gum

Continuous layer of adhesive applied on the seal flap.

Grain

The predominant alignment of fibers in the direction of flow of stock during paper-making. The direction of paper parallel to its forward movement on the paper machine.

gsm

Grams per square metre, used to define stock weights.

Guillotine

A machine for cutting paper.

Gutter

The margin on a sheet which will be bound into a book or the gap between multiple images on a sheet.

Hairline

A very fine line.

Halftone

Re-production of continuous tone artwork with the image formed by dots of various sizes.

Head

The top of a page.

Hickey

A spot on a printed sheet caused by dust or ink imperfections.

Imposition

The arrangement of pages on a flat sheet so that the section will read in the correct order when folded.

Indicia

A postal permit pre-printed on the upper right hand corner of the envelope showing that a fee has been paid to obtain special mailing privileges.

ISO Sizes

International range of sizes for paper and envelopes. See A, B and C sizes.

Ivory Board

Smooth board commonly used for business cards due to its fine finish.

Jacket

The removable cover of a book / brochure.

Justification

The spacing of words to fit a specific width grid, with straight margins on both sides. Opposite of ragged.

K

Abbreviation for Black in the four-colour printing process.

Kiss-Cut

Usually referring to self-adhesive labels, the cutting of a shape without cutting through the backing paper, enabling the self-adhesive item to be peeled away leaving the sheet intact.

Knock Up

To line up the edges of a stack of paper.

Kraft Pulp

Pulp created by cooking the wood chips in a liquor made up chiefly of sodium sulphate. The resultant pulp maybe bleached or unbleached and is noted for its strength of fiber.

Laid Paper

Paper with distinctive lines running parallel through the entire sheet.

Lamination

A film applied to printed sheets (commonly matt, satin or gloss) for protection or to achieve a particular finish.

Laser Cutting

Very fine cutting by laser, where traditional die-cutting cannot achieve the required level of detail.

Latex

Requires two layers of latex adhesive, one on the extended flap and the other on the body. When the flap is folded over the adhesives stick together.

Letterpress

Also known as the relief method. Printing is achieved from plastic or metal type, where the image is raised above the non-printing area, which is recessed. Ink is applied to the raised areas and then transferred directly to the paper.

Litho

Print process by which specific areas of a printing plate are chemically treated for the image areas to take ink and the non-image areas to take water. Capable of very fine detail and photographic-quality reproduction.

Live Stamp Gum

There is no top flap gum directly under the position where the postal stamp is placed to avoid blocking.

M

Abbreviation for Magenta in the four-colour printing process.

Machine Proof

Proof produced on the same press, and by the same process, as the final job. The most accurate type of proof.

Magenta

One of the four process colours (red) in litho printing.

Make-Ready

Setting up a press to run a job. A number of sheets will be run through for each colour / process before the make-ready is considered complete and the job ready to run.

Mark-Up

Instructions written on artwork / proofs for the printer to follow.

Monochrome

One colour.

Neutral Papers

Paper neutrality is regarded as occurring at a paper PH of 7 which is the PH of pure distilled water.

Numbering

Usually done offline, the process by which collated sheets are consecutively numbered, e.g. for order books.

Offset Litho

See Litho.

Offset Paper

Coated or Uncoated papers available in several finishes. Generally refers to paper that is manufactured specically for use on offset presses. It is characterized by strength, cleanliness, pick-resistance and relative freedom from curl.

Offset Printing

Image and non-image areas are essentially on the same plane of the printing plate with the separation maintained chemically. Tile image area is rendered ink receptive and non-image area rendered water receptive. When the plate cylinder comes in contact with the ink rollers the image area attracts ink and non-image area repels ink. As the plate cylinder continues to roll, it comes in contact with a rubber blanket where the image is offset to the blanket cylinder. the blanket cylinder then comes in contact with the paper and the image is transferred from the blanket to the paper.

Opacity

The level of opaqueness in a sheet of paper, important when trying to avoid show-through.

Open-Faced Window

Has no covering on open window at all.

Overprinting

Printing over a previously printed sheet; also specified where colours must not reverse out of each other.

Overrun

Due to machine speeds and/or set-up losses, overruns are unavoidable. Percentage varies with size of production runs.

Overs

Additional copies run to the amount specified.

Pagination

Page numbering.

Pantone Matching System

Widely-used system of colour matching on Coated and Uncoated stock, also known as PMS.

Parchment Paper

Parchment paper was originally made from animal skins. Today it is commercially manufactured from cellulose fibers.

Patched Window

A window opening with a specific covering material. Poly is slightly opaque in appearance and most commonly used. Cello is completely transparent. Glassine is the most opaque patching material.

Perforating

Piercing a series of holes in to a sheet of paper, usually to enable tearing.

Pocket (Envelope)

An envelope with its opening flap on the short edge

Post-Consumer Waste

Recovered paper materials of those products generated by a business or consumer, which have served their intended end uses, and which have been separated or diverted from solid waste by collection and recycling.

Pre-Consumer Waste

Dry paper generated after completion of the paper making process, but never Reaching the consumer.

Pressure Sensitive

An adhesive that is applied to the flap only and covered by a release paper. When the paper is removed the adhesive is activated.

Process Colours

The three primary colours used in process printing (cyan, magenta and yellow) plus black.

Proof

A copy made before the full job is run, in order to check quality and accuracy of origination and specification.

Pulp

Cellulose fiber material produced by chemical or mechanical means, from which paper and paperboard are manufactured.

Quantity

The number of finished copies.

Ragged

Text with irregular line lengths set to a maximum width, usually with an even left margin.

Rag Paper

Today it is usually referred to as cotton fiber paper.

Ream

Commonly understood as five hundred sheets of fine paper.

Recyclable Paper

Any paper separated at its point of discard or from the solid waste stream for utilization as a new material in the manufacturer of a new product, and which can be de-inked. It is often called waste paper.

Recycled Paper

Paper made from pulp with varying percentages of waste paper and virgin wood fiber.

Register

The positioning of plates correctly to form a composite image.

Re-Moistening

A gum that requires moisture to activate the adhesive.

Rubbing

The unintentional transfer of ink from one sheet to another, usually associated with uncoated or matt coated paper.

Run-On

To continue printing on the same run.

Score

An impression made into a sheet to enable folding without cracking.

Seal Gum

Remoistenable adhesive applied to top flap of envelope.

Seams

Where the envelope is glued together i.e. Centre, Diagonal, Side Seams with the Bottom flap.

Security Tint

Patterns or solids printed on the inside of the envelope to increase opacity.

Set-Off

The unintentional transfer of wet ink from one sheet to another, usually due to the sheets being stacked too high or moved before properly dry.

Sheet Fed

Printing in sheets as opposed to rolls of paper.

Show-Through

Lack of opacity in a sheet causing the image on one side to be visible on the other.

Side Seams

Runs almost parallel to the side fold.
Side Seam inside – the side seam folds under the back flap.
Side Seam outside – the side seam folds over the back flap.

Solid Waste

Materials disposed of in their original form by landfill and incineration. Over 40% of solid waste is paper and it is estimated that 25% of this could be recycled into fine paper.

Split Gum

A layer of adhesive that is non-continuous and normally broken at the two points where the flap comes in contact with the side and back seams to avoid blocking.

Spot Varnish

Varnish applied to a specific area of the printed sheet.

Straight Grain

Envelopes manufactured with the grain direction parallel to or perpendicular to the length or width of the envelope.

Thumb Cut

A notched opening to allow easy access to contents.

Tint

A less opaque colour achieved by applying a screen, specified as a percentage of the solid colour.

Trim Marks / Tick Marks

Printed lines which fall outside the image area, and indicate where the sheet should be cut. Can also be used as register marks if no others appear. Sometimes called Tick marks.

Uncoated

Paper with no china clay coating.

Varnish

Transparent coating applied for protection or effect.

Vellum Envelopes

Clear translucent stock. Regular gum many sizes and styles.

Wallet

An envelope with a square flap on the long edge.

Wallet Flap

A rectangular seal flap.

Waste Paper

Includes post-consumer and manufacturing (pre-consumer) wastes. Paper waste generated after completion of the papermaking process includes post consumer materials (visually de-inked), envelope cuttings, text books, bindery trimmings and printing waste.

Watermark

A term referring to the impression of a design, pattern or symbol in a sheet while it is being formed on the paper machine wire. It appears in the finished sheet as either a lighter or darker area than the rest of the paper.

Window

An opening cut into the envelope which allows the inside material to be viewed.

Work and Turn

Printing the front and reverse sides of a sheet using a single plate. Each sheet yields two copies of the same item.

Wove

Paper without inherent lines (as distinct from laid).

Xerox

Electrostatic copy produced with toner powder.

Y

Abbreviation for Yellow in the four-colour printing process.

Yellow

One of the four process colours in litho printing.