'A sizes' - main series of finished printing trimmed sizes in the ISO international paper size range.
A0 841mm x 1189mm
A1 594mm x 841mm
A2 420mm x 594mm
A3 297mm x 420mm
A4 210mm x 297mm
A5 148mm x 210mm
A6 105mm x 148mm
A7 74mm x 105mm
'B sizes' - ISO International sizes intended primarily for posters, wall charts and similar items. Intermediate between the A series of sizes.
'Blister packaging' - method of packaging in which an object is placed in a pre-formed, clear plastic tray and backed by a printed card.
'Case binding' - the binding of printing books, which include leather, cloth and other forms of covering.
'Corner marks' - marks printed on a sheet to indicate the trim or register marks.
'Duplex Printing' - printing both sides of the sheet. Usually associated with laser printers and photocopiers.
'Eight sheet' - a poster measuring 60 x 80in (153 x 203cm) and, traditionally, made up of eight individual sheets.
'Emboss' - Embossing a graphic image adds dimension to it by making the image appear as if it were carved as a projection from a flat background.
'Floated' - the Perspex is held a little way off the image; a good choice for originals and valuable pieces as this protects and preserves the artwork better than if it were allowed to touch the Perspex.
'Giclée' - A computerized reproduction technique in which the image and topology are generated from a digital file and printed by a special ink let printer, using ink, acrylic or oil paints. Giclée printing offers one of the highest degree of accuracy and richness of color available in any reproduction techniques.
'Gilding' - Covering a surface with gold leaf.
'Gouache' - Painting with watercolors made opaque by the addition of white pigment or sizing. Gouache does not allow the whiteness of the paper to show through the paint.
'Hot-foil' - a printing technique using very thin aluminium foil in a variety of metallic colours, such as gold, silver, red and blue. The metallic foil is released from carrier base onto a substrate by the application of heat and pressure from a metal printing plate that bears the image to be hot-foiled.
'Imprint' - the name and place of the publisher and printer required by law if a publication is to be published. Sometimes accompanied by codes indicating the quantity printed, month/year of printing and an internal control number.
'International paper sizes' - the International Standards Organisation (ISO) system of paper sizes is based on a series of three sizes A, B and C. Series A is used for general printing and stationery, Series B for posters and Series C for envelopes.
'Landscape' - The orientation of the page so that the long edge is along the bottom. Sometimes referred to as horizontal. The opposite of portrait.
'Letterpress' - a relief printing process in which a raised image is inked to produce an impression; the impression is then transferred by placing paper against image and applying pressure.
'Lithography' - A printing process based on the principle of the natural aversion of water to grease. The areas to be printed receive and transfer ink to the paper; the non-printing areas are treated with water to repel the ink. By far the most common type of commercial printing.
'Medium' - The material used to creat a artwork.
'Mixed Media' - Artwork that employs more than one medium – e.g., a work that combines paint, natural materials (wood, leaves), and man made items (cloths, plastic bottles).
'Mono' - using just one colour. Normally black, but can be any colour.
'Offset Printing' - A lithographic method of printing where the paper does not come into contact with the printing plate. The ink is transferred from the plate to a blanket cylinder and then to the paper.
'Portrait' - The orientation of the page so that the short edge is along the bottom. Sometimes referred to as vertical. The opposite of landscape.
'Resolution' - the number of dots per inch (dpi) in a computer-processed document. The level of detail retained by a printed document increases with higher resolution. ppi (pixels per inch) for an image. All non-vector artwork is supplied at a minimum of 300 dpi.
'Screen Printing' - This is a process where the ink is transferred to the printing surface by being squeezed through a fine fabric sheet stretched on a frame.
'Standard Mounting' - the image is simply mounted onto backing board, leaving its edges visible.’
'Varnishing' - to apply oil, synthetic, spirit, cellulose or water varnish to printed matter by hand or machine to enhance its appearance or increase its durability.
'Window Mounting' - the image, once Standard Mounted, has another piece of specially cut and measured board with a window removed from its middle applied over the top, exposing the work whilst concealing its edges. We recommend Standard Mounting alone for works on high-quality, handmade paper, in order to leave attractive decal edges visible.