Printers and designers are known to use highly specific and technical jargon when talking about their trade, which can be confusing for those outside the industry. If you're dealing with offset printing, understanding the terminology is essential to ensuring that you get the best results possible. In this guide, we'll give you an overview of some of the most common terms you'll meet when working with offset printing.
Offset Printing
Offset printing is a popular printing technique that uses a flat image carrier, such as a rubber blanket, to transfer ink onto a sheet of paper. It is the go-to printing method for long-run commercial printing and usually requires a large-scale printing press.
Terminology and Vernacular Terms
1. Blanket: A rubber or synthetic material that is wrapped around a cylinder in an offset printing press. The blanket is responsible for transferring ink from the image carrier to the paper.
2. Day Web Offset Printing: A type of offset printing that uses a continuous roll of paper to produce high-volume runs of printed materials, such as newspapers and magazines.
3. Registration: The alignment of colors or elements on a printed piece. In offset printing, registration is critical to producing accurate, high-quality prints.
4. Plate: A thin, flat piece of metal or plastic that is imaged with the digital or photographic artwork and then mounted on the printing press. The ink is transferred from the plate to the rubber blanket, which, in turn, transfers the image onto the paper.
5. Spot Color: A specific color that is mixed separately from the process color inks and printed as a solid block. Spot colors are commonly used for branding.
6. DPI: Stands for dots per inch, which refers to the resolution or quality of an image. The higher the DPI, the better the image quality.
7. Bleed: An area of a printed piece that extends beyond the trim edge, usually by 1/8". The purpose of the bleed is to allow for the ink to extend all the way to the edge of the paper, ensuring that there are no white borders.
8. Process Color: A set of four colors used in printing: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK). Process color printing uses tiny dots of these four colors to create a wide range of colors and shades.
9. Embossing: A process in which a design is raised above the surface of the paper, creating a three-dimensional effect.
10. Pantone: A proprietary color system used in printing and graphic design. Pantone provides standardized color codes for printing that ensure consistent and accurate color reproduction.
Conclusion
While there are many more terms used in offset printing, understanding these ten terms will go a long way in helping you communicate with your printer or designer effectively. Day Web Offset Printing, Blanket, Plate, Registration, and Spot Color are just a few of the most essential concepts to master when it comes to offset printing. Knowing these terms will help you get the results you want and ensure that your printing project runs smoothly. So, if you're planning on getting into the offset printing industry, start by familiarizing yourself with these key terms today.