Description | Quantity | Number of Pages | Trim Size Folded | Flat/Spread Size | Text Stock | Cover Stock | Text Ink | Cover Ink | Coverage % | Bleeds | Scan Ready Art |  Output Ready Disk | Half Tones | Set Type | Design | Die Score or Cut | Fold Type | Saddle Stitch | Perfect Bind | Perforate | Holes | Foil | Emboss

DESCRIPTION: What type of item do you need the quote for? (book, brochure, catalog)
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QUANTITY: How many of the above items do you need? It is a good idea to bracket your quote up, as the unit pricing is more favorable once you are on the press and running.
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NUMBER OF PAGES: How many pages does your book or brochure have? This is different from how many sheets of paper? For an “apples to apples” and easy to quote, it is best to always deal in page count and not sheet count for a given item.
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TRIM SIZE FOLDED: What is the size of your final piece once folded? (Example: if you fold a letter to fit an envelope, the folded size is the “trim size folded = 3 2/3 x 8 1/2” verses the flat size of the letter you started with of 8 1/2 x 11”).
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FLAT/SPREAD SIZE: This is the flat and trimmed size of your piece before folding. (Example: an 8 1/2 x 11” 4 page brochure spread out as a 2 page “spread” would be 17 x 11 “) NOTE: IN PRINTING, THE WIDTH IS ALWAYS THE FIRST DIMENSION GIVEN.
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TEXT STOCK: This is the paper required for the inside of your periodical. If there is not a separate cover, then it would be the stock for the entire piece (i.e., a “self cover”)
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COVER STOCK: This is the paper required for the outside 4 pages of your periodical, provided that it is different from the text. If it is not, then your piece is a “self cover”.
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TEXT INK: The ink you require for the inside of your piece. This is described by the number of inks required and the two numbers used are separated by a slash sign (/). If the front of your piece has 4 colors and the back has 1, then your piece would be described as 4/1 or “four over one”. There are two main kinds of inks, CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) for process printing, such as color photos and Pantone inks also known as spot color, such as PMS # 187. PMS stands for Pantone Matching System. This is a universal system to pick the same color every time. (Note: always count on a slight variation of color from paper to paper and press to press.)
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COVER INK: Same as above, but for the cover portion, if different from the text.
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COVERAGE %: The amount of ink on the page. Always let your printer know if there are large solid areas of 100% ink on a job and the overall ink coverage. This allows the printer to place your job on the appropriate press.
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BLEEDS: A bleed occurs when your design allows the ink to print to the very edge of the paper. If your bleed on one side goes completely across the side from top to bottom, that would be three bleeds and not one. The reason for this is due to the fact that you would then also be “bleeding to the top and bottom.
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SCAN READY ART: This is art on board or paper output that can be scanned. If there is more than one color, they should be separated to different boards or sheets. A composite of your separations should also be included as a guide for stripping of the film for press. Photographs should not be included within the scan-ready art, but submitted as “half tones” in a separate process.
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OUTPUT READY DISK: A disk that is complete and does not require any further production other than to “rip” (the conversion from digital to analog) to film. This disk should also contain a folder for all of your images and another for your fonts used.
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HALF TONES: A black and white photo shot with a camera with a honeycombed lens or scanned, that recreates your image as a series of dots required in printing.
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SET TYPE: To choose the appropriate font (typeface) and type your copy and laying it out on the page.
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DESIGN: Combining your type, images, colors, logo and other items into a finished eye pleasing piece for output of film.
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DIE SCORE OR CUT: To die score a piece is to make a “steel rule” die, which is composed of thin pieces of steel that will be used to stamp a line or rule where your piece needs to fold. This action compresses the paper and allows for ease of folding and prevents cracking. 100% gloss book and heavier, especially where there is “cross over art” (ink going from one panel to the next), especially on the spine (outer edge). To die cut is to create a steel rule die and to cut like a cookie, your piece. The most common example of this is a “presentation folder with a pocket”. The glue flap that is used on the pocket, as well as the pocket and the slit cut to hold a business card are examples of die cutting.
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FOLD TYPE: The type of fold you require in order to finish your piece. A "letter fold" is a paper folded in thirds with each end folding towards the center. A “z” fold differs in that one third of the sheet folds to the front and the other to the rear and so on.
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SADDLE STITCH: Two staples added to the center of the piece on the fold line, with the head of the staple on the outside of the folded piece.
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PERFECT BIND: A squared off edge, with scored hinges for ease of opening and glued in pages define this type of bindery. An example would be your standard “pocket” or “soft cover” book, as opposed to a “case bind” which is hard cover binding.
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PERFORATE: To perforate or die score in holes that allow one to cleanly remove a coupon or page from the piece with ease and not destroy the piece. If the perforation goes from top to bottom, that is a vertical perforation. If from side to side, it is a horizontal perforation.
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HOLES: Punching or die scoring holes in the piece to allow for binder or other use.
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FOIL: To foil stamp, create a stamping tool known as a die and stamping a material onto the paper. The material usually is seen as metallic gold or silver, but can come as enamel colors as well. If the foil touches nearby ink on the piece or is raised by embossing, it is referred to as “registering”.
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EMBOSS: To create a die and stamp the paper from the rear in order to create a raised effect. De-bossing would stamp the paper from the front in order to create a sunken effect. If the embossing or de-bossing does not touch ink or a foil, then it is referred to as “blind” embossing. Should it touch ink, or have a foil on top of it, this is referred to as “registered” embossing or de-bossing.
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