The ABC’s of Signs and Banners

Understand the “ABC’s of Printing” and you’ll be able to carry on an intelligent conversation at the water cooler.

 

 

Aqueous Coating-It’s a clear water-based gloss most commonly used on postcards.

 

Banner-The word banner is derived from a Latin name “bandum”, a cloth used to make flags.

 

Color bars-Printed on the trim border of a press sheet, a color bar is a trouble-shooting reference tool when proofing the color of a project.

 

Decals-A picture, design, or lettering on paper or plastic, with an adhesive backing.

 

Embossing-Using heat and pressure, material is re-shaped to form raised lettering or design.

 

Four Color Processing-Otherwise known as CMYK-Cyan (a bright blue), Magenta (a vivid red-purple), Yellow, and Black.

 

Grand Format Printing-Digital printing process that allows you to print media with extra-large dimensions on a variety of materials such as vinyl, canvas, flag cloth, mylar, window film, paper, carpet, and synthetic fabrics.

 

House Sheet-Standard paper kept in stock at all times by a printer.

 

Internet Banners-An online advertisement typically 460×68 pixels, usually placed at the top a Web page.

 

Jules Cheret-A French Lithographer who was responsible for bringing artistic sentiments to advertising and printing in the late 1800s.

 

Key lines-Lines, which show the exact size, shape and location of photographs or other graphic elements. The materials outside these lines become trimmed.

 

Lithography- Plates are used to of printing using plates whose image areas attract ink and whose nonimage areas repel ink.

 

Monks and Manuscripts-Before the invention of the printing press, Monks would spend hours on end duplicating manuscripts.

 

Neon Sign-Electrified gas, contained in a tube of glass, which is bent into particular shapes.

 

On-Demand Printing-Digital printing that does not require a set quantity. Duplicates can be created, as the demand needs it.

 

Pica-Unit of measure in typesetting. One pica = 1/6 inch

 

Quote-Price of a job offered to a customer by the printer before job begins.

 

Resolution-Measurement of the sharpness and quality of an image. The higher the resolution, the better a document is for printing, however images viewed on a computer monitor do not require nearly as high of a resolution.

 

Screen Printing- Method of printing by using a squeegee to force ink through an assembly of mesh fabric and a stencil.

 

Turn-around Time-The time a printer estimates that a job will be done.

 

UV Coating-Ultra-violet-cured gloss applied over printed-paper, which is dried by exposure to UV radiation.

 

Vinyl-The world’s most versatile plastic used for decals, banners, and signs.

 

Web-A roll of printing paper.

 

Xerography-A dry photographic process in which a negative image formed by a powder on an electrically charged plate is thermally fixed as positive on a paper.

 

Yellow-a crucial pigment in four color processing referred to as CMYK.

 

Zip File-Compressing into a smaller archive, reducing file size.