Like all industries, printing comes with its own terminology. This isn’t meant to scare off the uninitiated – here is some help with key terms used on this website:
Terms that mean something
Screening: the way shades of colours are produced using a pattern of dots. Conventional or AM screening uses different sizes of dots to create lighter or darker shades, while stochastic or FM screening uses different numbers of the same size dots. Staccato is an implementation of the latter, using dots of 10-micron diameter (a photograph resolves 8 microns).
Workflow: a more or less generic term used to indicate the computer infrastructure (both hardware and software) used to integrate all functions of modern printing – from front-end workstations to proofing to platesetter to press and even bindery equipment. The aim is for consistency and removal of duplication of function throughout, streamlining production for maximum throughput.
Aqueous coating: the application of a gloss or matte finish to the press sheet after ink is applied. It can be “flood,” indicating the entire sheet, or “spot” for certain portions, such as
pictures. An alternative system using UV coating, while more pronounced, is also more cumbersome, costly and environmentally detrimental.
Perfector: a mechanism in a printing press which “flips” the press sheet over in order to allow printing of the reverse side in the same pass as the front side. This eliminates having to print the second side as an additional run, improving productivity and reducing cost.
A word about colour:
While colour printing is what we are all about, colour accuracy is often still more of a craft than a science. A “soft proof” emailed to you will only be as accurate as your colour display. A digital plotter proof, while generally very accurate, is still only a proof. No proof is produced the same way as a printing press lays down several layers of coloured inks on a particular type of paper. Our operators know this, and work hard to achieve the results you expect.
