Common Terms
Screen Printing: an image is transferred to the printed surface by ink, which is pressed through a stenciled screen and treated with a light-sensitive emulsion. Film positives are put in contact with the screens and exposed to light, hardening the emulsion not covered by film and leaving a soft area on the screen for the squeegee to press ink through. (Also called silk screening).
Pad Printing: a recessed surface is covered with ink. The plate is wiped clean, leaving ink in the recessed areas. A silicone pad is then pressed against the plate, pulling the ink out of the recesses and pressing it directly onto the product.
4-color Process: a system where a color image is separated into 4 different color values by the use of filters and screens (usually done digitally). The result is a color separation of 4 images that when transferred to printing plates and printed on a printing press with the colored inks – cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black – reproduces the original color image. These four colors can be combined to create thousands of colors.
Pantone Matching System (PMS): a book of standardized color in a fan format used to identify, match and communicate colors in order to produce accurate color matches in printing. Each color has a coded number indicating instructions for mixing inks to achieve that color.
Camera-ready: (also known as "Press Ready") is used to describe artwork that is ready for press and doesn't require any adjustments.
Bleeds: printers cannot print right to the edge of a paper sheet. To create that effect, the printer must use a sheet that is larger than the document size. Then, the printer prints beyond the edge of the document size (usually 1/8") and cuts the paper down to the document size.
Imprint Area: the area on a product – with specific dimensions – in which the imprint is placed.
Paper proof: impression of type or artwork on paper so the correctness and quality of the material to be printed can be checked.
Pre-production Proof: an actual physical sample of the product itself produced and sent for approval before an order goes into production.
Drop Shipment: an order shipped to more than one location. You may be charged a fee for each additional destination.
Less than Minimum: the fee charged for ordering fewer items than the quantity listed in the minimum or first column. This option is not always available on all products.
Etching: using a process in which an image is first covered with a protective coating that resists acid, then exposed, leaving bare metal and protected metal. The acid attacks only the exposed metal, leaving the image etched onto the surface.
Engraving: cutting an image into metal, wood or glass by one of three methods – computerized engraving, hand tracing or hand engraving.
Colorfill: screen printing an image and then debossing it onto the vinyl's surface.
Embroidery: stitching a design into fabric through the use of high-speed, computer-controlled sewing machines. Artwork must first be "digitized," which is the specialized process of converting two-dimensional artwork into stitches or thread. A particular format of art such as a jpeg, tif, eps, or bmp, cannot be converted into an embroidery tape. The digitizer must actually recreate the artwork using stitches. Then it programs the sewing machine to sew a specific design, in a specific color, with a specific type of stitch. This is the process known as digitizing.
Debossing: depressing an image into a material's surface so that the image sits below the product surface.
Embossing: impressing an image in relief to achieve a raised surface.
Hot Stamp: setting a design on a relief die that is then heated and pressed onto the printing surface.
Laser or Foil Stamp: applying metallic or colored foil imprints to vinyl, leather or paper surfaces.
Personalization: imprinting an item with a person's name, using one of several methods – mechanical engraving, laser engraving, hot stamping, debossing, sublimation, screen printing and more.
Die-casting: injecting molten metal into the cavity of a carved die (a mold).
Die-striking: producing emblems and other flat promotional products by striking a blank metal sheet with a hammer that holds the die.
