Training: Product Knowledge

Printing Products, &

Printing Terminologies…

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List of Products:StickersFolders

CD JacketsCarbonless FormsFlyers / Leaflets

BrochuresBooklets

Retail PackagingBusiness Cards

EnvelopesLetter Heads

PostersVinyl Banners

Stickers:Stocks or materials:1. Paper StickersPaper material, easily tear able, adhesive on back, low cost, short life, indoor use, non-water resistant…

2. Vinyl StickersMade of vinyl/PVC type material, available in solid or transparent (clear) vinyl, water and weather resistant, suitable for glass windows, walls and outdoor use, usually used on car body, screens, bumpers, long lasting, easy to remove, not easily tear able,

3. Static ClingUses static charge instead of adhesive. Only for highly smooth surfaces such as glass windows or metal surfaces. Suitable for indoor use only. Can be reused for a few times (till static charge remains effective),

Folders:Types of folders according to usage:1. Presentation FoldersTo present something formally in office or business.

2. Marketing FoldersTo introduce products or services to potential customers or clients (with catalogue or leaflets

3. Pocket Folders The term “Pocket Folder” may refer either to a folder with pockets inside or a small folder that may fit into pocket (pocket-size folder). Please clarify.

Types of folders according to shape & size:A4/A5/Letter/Legal Size FoldersIt can hold A4, A5 or letter size pages. 2 Pannel,3Pannel/Bi-fold, Tri-fold Presentation FoldersAccording to number of folds of a folder.

CD Jackets:Types of CD Jackets according to shape/size:1. CD Jacket (regular/single)It can hold 1 or 2 CDs. Usually its in envelop like or book like designs.

2. 3/4/6 Panel CD JacketsThese are designed to hold a set of CDs.

Named after its inventor company NCR Corporation and also called “No Carbon Required”:

Types of Carbonless/NCR Forms:1. 2Part/3Part/4Part or Duplicate/Triplicate NCR FormsAccording to number of copies for each serial #.

2. A4,A5, Letter size formsAccording to page size of forms.

Carbonless Forms / NCR Forms:

Most common uses of Carbonless forms:Invoices, Purchase orders, Receipts, Cargo delivery forms, Statements, Inspection reports, Contracts, Application forms, Cash deposit slips, Work-order forms, Traffic Challan Forms, Goods Issuance Notes (GIN), Goods Receiving Notes (GRN), etc.

Flyers, Handbills, Inserts, Leaflets, Pamphlets, Brochures:

Most common uses of Flyers, Handbills, Inserts, Leaflets, and Brochures:Business marketing, product promotion, announcements, etc.

Types of flyers & leaflets:Usually these are used as synonyms. But usually flyers and handbills are single page, where as leaflets pamphlets and brochures may have multiple folds or pages. Usually, flyers and handbills are low quality low cost and short life products, and pamphlets, leaflets and brochures are better quality higher cost products.Flyers and handbills are used as marketing tool in public places such as markets or car parking areas. Leaf inserts or simply inserts are usually single leaf and it is distributed by inserting in newspapers or magazines.Pamphlets are distributed in public to share information or expressing opinion about a topic or issue.Brochures usually have multiple pages and are used for marketing of products or services.

Printing Terminologies

Frequently Used Terminologies:Off-Set Printing

RGB & CMYK ColorsDie cut / kiss cut

Emboss & DebossFoil Stamping

UV Coating/Spot UV/Raised InkHeat Lamination

Paper stock / Card Stock / Craft CardCorrugated boxesBleed / Full Bleed

Proof & Print Ready

Off-set Printing:Offset printing is a commonly used printing technique in which the inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface. When used in combination with the lithographic process, which is based on the repulsion of oil and water, the offset technique employs a flat (planographic) image carrier on which the image to be printed obtains ink from ink rollers, while the non-printing area attracts a water-based film (called "fountain solution"), keeping the non-printing areas ink-free.

Development of the offset press came in two versions: in 1875 by Robert Barclay of England for printing on tin, and in 1903 by Ira Washington Rubel of the United States for printing on paper.

The Off-set Printing Process:Side view of the offset printing process. Multiple ink rollers are used to distribute and homogenize the ink.The most common kind of offset printing is derived from the photo offset process, which involves using light-sensitive chemicals and photographic techniques to transfer images and type from original materials to printing plates.In current use, original materials may be an actual photographic print and typeset text. However, it is more common — with the prevalence of computers and digital images — that the source material exists only as data in a digital publishing system.Offset lithographic printing on to a web (reel) of paper is commonly used for printing of newspapers and magazines for high speed production.Ink is transferred from the ink duct to the paper in several steps:The ink duct roller delivers ink from the ink duct to the ink pyramid, also called the Ink Train.The ductor roller, sometimes called a vibrator roller due to its rapid back and forth motion, transfers ink from the duct roller to the first distribution roller. It is never in contact with both rollers at the same time.The distribution rollers evenly distribute the ink. The first distribution roller picks up the ink from driving rollers, and the last distribution rollers transfer the ink to the form rollers.The transfer rollers transfer ink between the ink-absorbing and ink-delivering driving rollers.Driving rollers roll against the distribution rollers and either absorb or deliver ink, depending on their placement.Ink form rollers transfer ink from the last distribution rollers on to the printing plate.The printing plate transfers the ink to the offset cylinder (typically called the blanket cylinder) usually covered with a rubber “blanket.”The paper is then pressed against the blanket cylinder by the impression cylinder, transferring the ink onto the paper to form the printed image.

RGB & CMYK Colors:

RGB Colors:The RGB color model is an additive color model in which red, green, and blue light is added together in various ways to reproduce a broad array of colors. The name of the model comes from the initials of the three additive primary colors, red, green, and blue.

The main purpose of the RGB color model is for the sensing, representation, and display of images in electronic systems, such as televisions and computers, though it has also been used in conventional photography. Before the electronic age, the RGB color model already had a solid theory behind it, based in human perception of colors.

RGB is a device-dependent color model: different devices detect or reproduce a given RGB value differently, since the color elements (such as phosphors or dyes) and their response to the individual R, G, and B levels vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, or even in the same device over time. Thus an RGB value does not define the same color across devices without some kind of color management.

Typical RGB input devices are color TV and video cameras, image scanners, and digital cameras. Typical RGB output devices are TV sets of various technologies (CRT, LCD, plasma, etc.), computer and mobile phone displays, video projectors, multicolor LED displays, and large screens such as JumboTron, etc. Color printers, on the other hand, are not RGB devices, but subtractive color devices (typically CMYK color model).

RGB & CMYK Colors:

CMYK Colors:

The CMYK color model (process color, four color) is a subtractive color model, used in color printing, and is also used to describe the printing process itself. CMYK refers to the four inks used in some color printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black). Though it varies by print house, press operator, press manufacturer and press run, ink is typically applied in the order of the abbreviation.

The "K" in CMYK stands for key since in four-color printing cyan, magenta, and yellow printing plates are carefully keyed or aligned with the key of the black key plate. Some sources suggest that the "K" in CMYK comes from the last letter in "black" and was chosen because B already means blue.

The CMYK model works by partially or entirely masking colors on a lighter, usually white, background. The ink reduces the light that would otherwise be reflected. Such a model is called subtractive because inks "subtract" brightness from white.

In additive color models such as RGB, white is the "additive" combination of all primary colored lights, while black is the absence of light. In the CMYK model, it is the opposite: white is the natural color of the paper or other background, while black results from a full combination of colored inks. To save money on ink, and to produce deeper black tones, unsaturated and dark colors are produced by using black ink instead of the combination of cyan, magenta and yellow.

K

Die-cut / Kiss-cut / Pro-cut:Die-cut: Die cutting is a process where you cut the printed object in various shapes such as round, oval, or according to the shape of print. Steel blade is molded to create a die for standard cutting pattern. For example, die cut stickers are delivered in single unit form, not on sheets.

Kiss-cut: Kiss cutting is a process where you cut through the top substrates and stop at the backing substrate to create a tab for easy removal of the part, or in cases where the part is so thin in areas it may need something to hold it together before final application. This is commonly used for labels and stickers. For example, multiple stickers printed on a single sheet, that can be easily removed due to cutting marks.

Pro-cut: Pro-cut decals have more complex cutting and a different method for applying on surface.

Emboss / Deboss:Embossing:

Embossing simply means to press paper into relief using heat and force. It requires an etched metal (female) die and a matching (male) counter die. When a paper stock is pressed between the heated die and counter die, the desired image is pressed into the stock. Embossing creates a raised image on the paper.

Debossing:When the same above mentioned process creates an indented image it is called debossing.

Foil Stamping:Foil stamping is a great way to add a custom touch to your printed product by applying a thin film of metal to paper that creates elegant, eye-catching results. The basic concept behind foil stamping is simple. The process is achieved when a die is mounted on a platen and heated. Foil is then placed between the die and the material to be imprinted. When the die presses against the foil, the heat releases the coloring layer from the foil roll and binds it to the end product.

Foil Stamping, which is also known as flat stamping, hot stamping, gold stamping, blocking, and leafing, does not produce a raised image. But when it combined with embossing, as discussed on the embossing page, it is called foil embossing or in the industry, combination work. Foil Stamping is the only printing process capable of applying bright, non-tarnish able metallic effects to paper, plastic, paper board and other surfaces. But foils are not limited to gold and silver. In fact, stamping foil is available in a wide range of colors, finishes and effects from marble, snake skin, imitation leather, pearls, wood grains, and geometric patterns to holograms, pigments, metallic’s, and subtle tints, in matte and gloss finishes.

UV Coating, Spot UV & Raised Ink:UV coating gives a shiny and glossy look to the area. It is done through spreading a chemical and then passing UV light. If this process is limited to a certain area of design or text, it is called spot UV.An other process that gives somewhat similar results is called “Raised Ink”. This ink raises the surface when passed through heat. It feels like embossing and looks glossy like UV.

Heat Lamination:Lamination is a process of applying thin polythene sheet on a surface such as paper or card. This sheet gives extra protection to the surface, makes it water proof, and keeps it dust free. Heat lamination is applied by pressing lamination sheet and paper/card stock together with heated rollers. It makes the surface more attractive and increases its life and durability.

Lamination sheet comes in two qualities. One is gloss lamination and the other is Stain Matt or simply matt lamination. Gloss lamination is more shiny as compared to matt lamination which is dull and has less shine and light reflections.

Paper & Card Stock:Stock means the stuff on which we print. It can be a paper, art-card, cardboard or even plastic sheet. These stocks are available in various thickness or weights (gm/lbs), qualities and colors. Some are wax coated, some are raw, and some of them are made of recycled material or have a certain percentage of recycle material.

Quality of stocks are very important as they define the look, feel and durability and cost of finished product; also we have to consider the utilization of the product before deciding upon which stock to use for a particular job. For example; we have to use cardboard or at least art-card stock for printing packaging boxes instead of paper stock.Commonly used stocks are: 70gm/80gms/100gms/120gms/150gms

Corrugated Boxes:Boxes made of cardboard with corrugation lair inside and plain sheets outside, are called corrugated boxes. Corrugated boxes are everywhere, carrying goods from all over the world and just down the street. These boxes are used for durable packing and extra safety of goods.A wavy sheet is used as corrugation medium and plain sheet is glued out side. If there is plain sheet on one side, it is called single faced corrugated sheet, and if its on both sides, it’s a double faced corrugated sheet.Depending on the requirement more than one layer can be combined together to make one thick corrugated sheet for extra safety and strength.

Full Bleed Printing:Full bleed printing means a print cutting with out leaving any margin or unprinted border area.