Printing, in plain language.

Background artwork extending beyond the finished trim edge. Its required amount comes from the product specification.

The intended finished edge of the printed piece after cutting.

The interior area where critical text and artwork should remain to allow for trimming or other finishing tolerances.

Cyan, magenta, yellow and black process-ink channels. The output profile and printing surface affect their appearance.

Red, green and blue light-based colour channels used by screens. Some displayed colours cannot be reproduced by a chosen print process.

Dots per inch: a measure of an output device’s dot resolution. It is different from the pixel density of your image.

Pixels per inch at a specified output size. Divide the image’s pixel dimension by its corresponding size in inches.

Artwork described by paths and shapes. It can scale without the pixel grid of a raster image, although embedded effects may still be raster.

An image built from pixels, such as a photograph. Its detail at print size depends on the available pixel dimensions.

A low-reflection surface description. It does not by itself specify thickness, waterproofing or whether every pen will write on it.

A reflective surface finish. Coating may apply to one or both faces depending on the selected product.

A tactile finish with a soft, velvety feel. Select the actual soft-touch product or stock to obtain that effect.

UV describes a curing process; spot UV applies a coating selectively. It is not the same as drawing a shiny colour into the artwork.

A film layer bonded to a printed surface. Film type and construction determine its appearance and performance.

Paper thickness. In this context, 1pt equals 0.001 inches; it is not the same unit as a typographic point.

Grams per square metre: paper mass per area. It does not provide a universal conversion to thickness.

A brand name for corrugated plastic sheet, commonly used conversationally for fluted polypropylene sign board. Confirm the actual material supplied.

A reinforced hole used for attachment. Position, size and spacing must match the intended mounting arrangement.

A lightweight panel with a foam core and outer faces. Confirm the specific construction and intended environment; do not assume it is weatherproof.

A production drawing showing cut, fold or other manufacturing boundaries. It must match the exact product and is usually kept separate from printable artwork.

A representation used for review. A screen proof shows layout but is not a guarantee of exact physical colour or material appearance.