Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. In full-color process printing, CMYK is the standard method for offset printing. CMYK colors are measured by their subtractive/reflective values; when the colored ink is applied to paper, the surface of the paper reflects some color and the non-reflective (that is, absorbent) color is seen.
RGB:
Red, Green and Blue. These three colors are projections of light that can be overlapped in millions of color-strengths and combinations to create on-screen colors and images. RGB colors are associated with television screens and computer monitors, but is not used in offset printing.
RGB & CMYK:
The RGB color process and the CMYK color process work in opposite ways. An RGB color scheme forms color through an additive process; to obtain white, all 3 colors are added together,
and to obtain black, all 3 colors are removed. In contrast, the CMYK printing process obtains white by omitting all color, and obtains black by using all four colors.
Full Bleed:
A small amount of size added to all four sides of a file to ensure the background is printed and cut to fill up the entire card as opposed to seeing a white thin line going around the edge of the card.
Usually the added file size is either 1/16 or 1/8 inch.
Color Match
A color will never print out to exactly match its on-screen source. Colors vary from monitor to monitor, and different printers produce different color results. All these variables affect the printed outcome.
Pleasing Color:
Color that when printed is close enough to the original color requested without becoming an entirely new color.
Cutting Tolerance:
The margin of error that a cutting machine has to cut paper. It can be 1/16" or 1/8". This means the trim line that it is suppose to cut down can vary up to either 1/16" or 1/8" depending on the cutting tolerance for the order.
Color Drift:
This occurs when a color shifts away from its original value and becomes a new color. It becomes a gradient in a way, it starts with the original color then blends into a new color at the end.
Incorrect Color Selection:
This is when you select a color that does not exist in the color gamut (the available colors in a certain color mode) you are using. In CMYK there are colors that do not exist within the CMYK color gamut but exist in another color gamut such as RGB. They are referred to as "out of gamut" colors. Out of gamut colors can be seen when they are either viewed in CMYK mode or in the final output when they are printed. Often a new or altered color is seen.
Crop Marks:
A pair of thin lines that are at each corner of a file that show where the file ends.
Card Orientation.
There are two types of orientation, vertical (up and down) and horizontal (left to right).
U/V Coating:
A clear liquid that is applied to a paper to give it a glossy look. It also protects the ink that is printed on the paper.
Offset Printing:
Standard printing process used. The process consist of a plate that makes an inked impression on a rubber-blanketed cylinder which in turn transfers it to the paper. This is the printing process used by all major printing companies as well as newspaper and magazine printers.
Offset vs. Digital Printing:
A new option of printing called Digital Printing is available and uses a toner based printing method that burns images on paper at resolutions of 600-800 dpi. We print offset at 2400 dpi using your converted file using the ICC profile for sheet feed offset.
Resolution to Submit:
The correct resolution for submitting files is 300 dpi. Which stands for dots per inch. Some programs have it as ppi (pixels per inch), which is the same value.
Satin Matte:
A coated paper characterized by a glare-free finish.
ICC Profile Format: (International Color Consortium)
"The intent of this format is to provide a cross-platform device profile format. Such device profiles can be used to translate color data created on one device into another device's native color space. The acceptance of this format by operating system vendors allows end users to transparently move profiles and images with embedded profiles between different operating systems. For example, this allows a printer manufacturer to create a single profile for multiple operating systems." ICC. 1:2003-09
