Printing products knowledge

Training: Product Knowledge
Printing Products,
&
Printing Terminologies…
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List of Products:
Stickers
Folders
CD Jackets
Carbonless Forms
Flyers / Leaflets
Brochures
Booklets
Retail Packaging
Business Cards
Envelopes
Letter Heads
Posters
Vinyl Banners

Stickers:
Stocks or materials:
1. Paper Stickers
Paper material, easily tear able, adhesive on back, low
cost, short life, indoor use, non-water resistant…
2. Vinyl Stickers
Made 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 Cling
Uses 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 Folders
To present something formally in office or
business.
2. Marketing Folders
To 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 Folders
It can hold A4, A5 or letter size pages.
 2 Pannel,3Pannel/Bi-fold, Tri-fold
Presentation Folders
According 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 Jackets
These 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 Forms
According to number of copies for each serial #.
2. A4,A5, Letter size forms
According 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.

Frequently Used Terminologies:
Off-Set Printing
RGB & CMYK Colors
Die cut / kiss cut
Emboss & Deboss
Foil Stamping
UV Coating/Spot UV/Raised Ink
Heat Lamination
Paper stock / Card Stock / Craft Card
Corrugated boxes
Bleed / 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.

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.

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