Printing Terminology
Short and simple explanations of our printing terms. A great place to start if you’re new to printing with us.
Short and simple explanations of our printing terms. A great place to start if you’re new to printing with us.
We can generally do any type of inside pocket style. Just send us a picture of the style you like and we can print it.
Ribbon can be satin, grosgrain or novelty. Ribbon comes in an array of colours to match your brand palette. You can even print on Grosgrain ribbon!
MCRL uses YAMA Ribbon which is safety certified and tested for hazardous materials. We also offer recycled ribbon made from rPET materials (minimum order quantity of 3000 books or planners).
Elastic closures are a popular embellishment AND easy way to keep loose notes safe and secure. Elastic closures can be produced in different widths and colors.
Metal corners add an elegance and additional durability to your Journal or Planner.
MCRL offers various styles & colors in both shiny and matte finishes.
Tabs are a great way to organize your content. Tabs can be cut in different shapes and protected with gloss lamination (applied only to the tabs).
Tabs can only be included with Spiral and Wire-o bound books.
It’s easy and inexpensive to include tabs!
Foil stamping is the application of metallic foil using a heated die. A custom-made die is heated and, under pressure, is used to fuse foil onto paper, linen or leatherette bonding the design to the surface of your book cover. Foil stamping can add shimmer and texture to highlight specific text or images on your cover.
Debossed pattern is sunken into the surface of the material. It produces an image that’s pressed into the material and indented.
Embossing refers to a method of pressing an image into paper or cardstock to create a three-dimensional design. Text, logos and other images can all be formed by the embossing method. Embossing results in a raised surface, with the design higher than the surrounding paper area.
UV coating, or ultraviolet coating, is a very glossy, shiny liquid coating applied to a printed paper surface and cured on a printing press or special machine using ultraviolet light. The spot gloss UV is normally applied on a matte laminated cover to create a spectacular contrast on the cover.
A style of bookbinding in which the spine is bound with leatherette or linen, and the rest of the cover is full color printed paper.
Give your book a gold or silver finish!
Gilt edges on a book. Foil edge gilding on a book speaks of prestige, trust and quality. It’s no longer a finish reserved for leather hardcover books. Now designers are combining the unique finishing process with printed covers to add life to their publications.
The French flaps style is also called a gatefold. They are the extension of the front cover and/or the back cover of a soft cover book. There can be one or two French flaps. Flaps are functional as well as decorative. Additional information can be printed on them, such as the plot synopsis, blurbs and the author’s picture and/or biography.
Lamination is the process of applying a thin layer of plastic to paper or card sheets to enhance and protect the printed matter. Common types of laminate are gloss, matte and silk. We offer lamination for packaging, book covers, brochures, business cards and other printed items.
An oversized page in a book or magazine folded to the same size as the other pages but intended to be opened out for reading. Its particular use is to bend over or double up so that one part lies on another part.
AQ is short for Aqueous Coating. This is a semi-gloss or matte finished, environmentally friendly, water-based coating applied to the printed piece. It provides additional gloss/matte finish and protection; it is not recommended for products you need to write on after being printed.
Die-Cutting can provide die cutting for your books and paper products, creating beautiful or functional cuts in the pages or covers. Die-cutting windows or decorative designs are a simple way for your book binding to make a distinctive book product beyond other more standard finishing methods. Die cutting can make your book or paper product unique and different from anyone else’s.
Soft-touch coating adds a velvety-soft feel to print materials. It also allows a printed piece to gain distinction by stimulating the sense of touch. It is sometimes called a “soft-feel” or “velvet” finish. We offer this feature particularly for book covers, presentation folders, and many other types of promotional printing where distinctive qualities are important.
