Printing Services/Sign Shop

4-color process is a printing method that uses a combination of 4 different color inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, often referred to as CMYK. The combination of CMYK produces full-color images in print. 4-color process is the most common print method for achieving color.

Spot colors are pure or mixed inks that are printed individually. Each spot color is printed as a solid color and not a combination of CMYK. Spot colors can achieve a wider range and more accurate colors than CMYK and can be used only in offset printing. Printing Services uses the Pantone Matching System for spot colors.

These numbers that you may see in your quote from Printing Services refer to the number of ink colors on the front/back sides of your print. For example, 4/0 means there will be 4 colors (CMYK) used on the front side and no colors used on the back side.

Flat size refers to the dimensions of a document after it has been printed and received any necessary trimming, but before any operations that further affect its size, such as folding.

Finished size refers to the dimensions of a printed document in its final form. Sizes should always be written as width × height.

Bleeds are the edges of the artwork that will be trimmed after a job is printed. Printers cannot print all the way to the edge of a sheet. So if your design runs off the edge of the page, you will need to set up your file with bleeds. We recommends a bleed area of 1/8" (0.125 inches).

Crop marks are the little tick marks used to indicate where to trim a print down to its finished size. Crop marks are often set up with bleeds.

When printing black ink on a large area, it is best to use a rich black v. 100% K. A rich black is a combination of CMYK that produces a darker, more true black color than just 100% K alone. An example of a rich black formula is C:60 M:40 Y:40 K:100.

Folded sheets are gathered together one inside the other and then stapled through the fold line with wire staples.

Booklets are bound by wire staples going through the side of the sheets from the front to the back, near the spine.

The pages and cover are glued together at the spine with a strong yet flexible thermal glue. The other three sides of the book are then trimmed as needed to give them clean “perfect” edges.

Pages are bound with a wire or plastic spiral threaded through a row of holes along one edge.

Wire loops are inserted through a row of holes along one edge of the book’s cover and pages. The loops are then crimped closer together until they form a perfect circle, securing the cover and pages and allowing them to open freely.

Coated paper is coated with another agent that helps to fill in the tiny spaces between fibers, creating a more uniform surface. Coated paper can range from glossy to matte finishes.

Uncoated paper is not coated with another agent and comes in a wide variety of textures and finishes.