Prepress Terminology Glossary
Terms and definitions used in professional print and prepress workflows.
Agree the ink limit and measurement scope with your printer; the chosen profile states what was checked.
Terms and definitions used in professional print and prepress workflows.
A
ArtBox
A declared PDF rectangle describing the intended artwork area. It is not an automatic measurement of every visible object.
B
Bleed
Artwork extending beyond the trim line for cutting tolerance. The job and printer specify the required margin; 3 mm is an example, not a universal pass rule.
BleedBox
The declared rectangle including the intended bleed extent. The bleed margin is evaluated relative to TrimBox, not simply as the difference between MediaBox and TrimBox. The box does not prove missing artwork exists.
Booklet
A publication format folded and bound by saddle-stitching. The page count must be a multiple of 4.
C
CMYK
Cyan, magenta, yellow and black process inks. Printing may also use named spot colours, white, varnish or other technical separations.
Creep
The phenomenon in booklets where inner pages shift outward. It increases with paper thickness and requires compensation.
Crop Marks (Trim Marks)
Marks indicating the intended cuts. Canonical crop and cut lines use process black; Registration/All is used for registration targets. See print marks.
Cut-Stack
An imposition mode that ensures pages are stacked in the correct order after cutting.
D
DPI (Dots Per Inch)
Output device dots per inch. Image sampling is measured in PPI at the placed size. The suitable value depends on the job and viewing conditions; 300 is not a universal minimum.
G
Gutter
The spacing between pages in an imposition. Adjusted according to the binding method.
GCR (Gray Component Replacement)
A technique that replaces CMY combinations used to produce grey tones with black (K). Reduces ink consumption.
I
ICC Profile
A description of a colour space or printing condition used in colour management. A profile alone does not prove calibrated output or PDF conformance.
Imposition
The process of placing multiple pages onto a single print sheet. Modes include N-Up, Booklet, and Step-and-Repeat.
Ink Coverage
Ink amount for the stated measurement scope. A CMYK point sum can range from 0 to 400%; page average, maximum and object-level estimates are different quantities. Unmeasured areas are not zero ink.
M
MediaBox
The PDF page’s declared physical extent. Other page rectangles must be interpreted and validated; they do not prove the artwork or printed sheet geometry by themselves.
Mirror Bleed
A generated edge extension reflecting existing content. It does not recover the designer’s missing artwork; inspect it before accepting it for the job.
N
N-Up
Placing multiple pages on a single sheet. "2-up" = 2 pages, "4-up" = 4 pages.
O
Overprint
Printing one colour on top of another. Used for registration marks.
P
PDF/X
A family of PDF standards optimised for the print industry. Variants include PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-4.
PPI (Pixels Per Inch)
Image pixels per inch at the placed physical size. Enlarging the image lowers effective PPI. It is distinct from a printer’s DPI.
Preflight
The quality control process performed before printing. Checks critical factors such as font embedding, resolution, and colour mode.
R
Registration Colour
An all-plate registration colour, represented by Separation/All in the canonical mark output. It is not simply a CMYK recipe and may affect more than four separations.
Rich Black
A deep black created by adding CMY channels to K=100%, rather than using K alone. Example: C=40 M=30 Y=30 K=100.
RIP (Raster Image Processor)
Software that converts a PDF into raster data for the print machine.
S
Safe Zone
The area inside trim in which critical text and graphics should remain. The job’s cutting and binding tolerances determine the inset; 5 mm is an example rather than a fixed product rule.
Saddle-Stitch
Binding nested folded sheets through the spine with wire staples. Allowable thickness and page count depend on paper, binding equipment and the selected layout; do not use a universal page maximum.
Spine
The bound edge of a book. Spine width must be calculated for thick books.
Step-and-Repeat
Placing the same design (business card, label) multiple times on a single sheet.
T
TIC (Total Ink Coverage)
Also called TAC: total area coverage. Read the limit and measurement scope shown by the selected profile, and agree the required limit with the printer. See ink coverage.
TrimBox
The final dimensions remaining after cutting. Defines the size of the finished product.
Trapping
Slight overlapping of colours to prevent white gaps caused by misregistration at colour transitions.
U
UCR (Under Color Removal)
A technique for replacing CMY combinations with black. Similar to GCR.
W
Work-and-Turn
Printing both sides with the same plate set by turning the sheet side to side. Confirm gripper and back-side orientation with the printer.
Work-and-Tumble
Printing both sides with the same plate set by turning the sheet head to foot. It differs from a side-to-side turn; confirm feeding and gripper positions.
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