MetroInk

Learn: Direct Mailing: Tips from D&B

Christian — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:09:11 +0000

With an accurate, up-to-date list of individual names, your message has a better chance of getting past the mail room and directly into your prospects’ hands.How do you determine your best direct mail candidates? Dun & Bradstreet recommends the following approach to target the right markets.
When to Use Direct Mail:
Direct mail is one of the most targeted, measurable and cost-effective ways to sell your products and services. Use direct mail if you want to:

Be precise and eliminate wasted effort and expense.
You can deliver your message directly into the hands of the specific individual or company you are targeting, which eliminates wasted effort and sales expense.
Pre-test your prospect list.
You can mail to a representative portion of your prospect list and be confident that the remaining list will respond similarly.
Measure results and profitability.
Your cost per respondent or lead, cost per order and overall profitability are easy to evaluate.
Collect and analyze vital prospecting information.
By recording each contact, response and order, you can develop a relationship with your prospects and customers, predict buying potential and fine-tune the information for future marketing campaigns.
Control your sales efforts.

Define Your Objectives:
For a greater return on your direct mail dollars, first define your program’s specific objectives. For example, you may want your program to:

Generate sales more cost effectively
Contact more prospects at a lower cost per sale
Produce qualified leads for your salespeople
Penetrate territories not covered by your sales force
Assist dealers with co-op mailings
Build awareness of your products and services
Conduct market research

Once your objectives are firmly in place, determine and direct your sales efforts to the types of businesses you want to reach.

Identify Your Markets:
To select your markets, first identify the industries that are buying your products and services now. A close examination of your existing customer base can reveal very useful information, such as lines of business and company size. Other companies with similar attributes may be good prospects. If you don’t have customer information, examine the markets that are most likely to need your products or services. Consider key characteristics such as line of business, company size and geography.

With your objectives and markets identified, you can now choose the mailing lists that will reach the best prospects and assure the largest return on your marketing dollars.

Select Your Best Prospects:
Consider the relative importance of these direct mail components to a campaign’s success:

List – 60%
Offer – 20%
Copy – 15%
Format (layout, type of envelope, etc.) – 5%

Nothing is more important than who you mail to! It pays to invest time and thought to obtain the best possible list of prospects.

Customize Your Mailing List:
Using powerful selectors, you can customize your list to increase the effectiveness of your mailing. Dun & Bradstreet suggests the following eight easy steps:

Select the appropriate classification codes
The government’s 4-digit SIC Codes let you target specific lines of business. Then by using D&B’s finer 6- and 8-digit industry designations, you can isolate and analyze business activity and fine-tune your prospect base with even more precision.
Define your geographic coverage
Identify the geographic area that will help you reach markets in a given territory by using these selectors: zip codes, entire U.S., selected states, Metropolitan Statistical Areas, counties, cities, telephone area codes.
Determine the sales potential at each location
Assess the buying potential of companies with multiple locations by defining the activity at each site. To reach top decision makers, focus on headquarters or subsidiary locations. Single location companies and manufacturing sites may have a separate need for your products or services. If only new companies and/or subsidiaries are your marketing target, you can select on the business start date. Use selectors to identify headquarters, branches, manufacturing locations, non-manufacturing locations, subsidiaries, single location companies and the year a business started.
Reach the right executive
Specify decision makers by title or functional responsibility, age range or gender.
Pinpoint executives most likely to respond
Look for selectors that allow you to select names and titles of proven mail responders. Target prospects by special interest or access subscribers, book buyers and seminar attendees.
Cut the number of wasted telephone calls
Telemarketing can play an important role in your direct mail program. To test the effectiveness, you can call a representative sampling.
Identify new possibilities for higher profit
Target the freshest prospects by choosing newly established companies just entering a market, new legal entities or recent changes in legal structures, changes in ownership, changes in CEO, company name changes, address and telephone number changes.
Reduce mailing costs
To further improve cost-efficiency, take advantage of postal discount options including Carrier Route Code, presort and bar coding. By sorting your mail and making it machine-readable before it gets to the post office you can save more on postage.

Download Glints psd

Christian — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:55:03 +0000

Right click the image to download:

T-shirts: In Full Color

Christian — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:48:09 +0000

We offer 2 types of full color T-Shirts, White and Black and are made from 100% cotton. Sizes range from S to XXL.

Our full color T-Shirts are printed by a CMYK+W digital print process and can be printed on the front and back of the T-Shirt.

To order printing only on the back, please say 0/4 , front only is 4/0.

Current acceptable file types are .pdf, .jpg, and .eps files.

There are two available print areas, 11″x8.5″ and 8.5″x11″. Both are centered 2″ down from the bottom of the collar for the front, and 5.5″ down from the top of the collar for the back.

As you can see, the print area (GREEN) will be printed on the shirt. Anything outside that area (RED) will not be printed.

Above is an example of offset position for T-Shirts. As you can see you can achieve a left or right side chest print by positioning the logo or artwork accordingly on the 11″x8.5″ document size.

File setup for white t-shirts vs black t-shirts:

Your artwork MUST be setup according to what color T-Shirt your order will be printed on. For White T-Shirts, the background color must be C-0 M-0 Y-0 K-0 for the white to knockout.

In other words if you want a logo printed on a white shirt and your art file contains the logo with a black background, or any background color other than C-0 M-0 Y-0 K-0 the background will print.

For Black T-Shirts, the background color must be C-100 M-100 Y-100 K-100 for black to knockout.

In other words if you want a logo printed on a black shirt and your art file contains the logo with a white background, or any background color other than C-100 M-100 Y-100 K-100 the background will print.

T-Shirt art files do not need bleed or crop marks. Please submit your files at exactly 11″x8.5

Templates Full Color T-shirts JPEG.zip

Templates Full Color T-shirts EPS.zip

Learn: Illustrator Tricks

Christian — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:07:25 +0000

10 Tricks for Adobe Illustrator

by Cory Thoman, Shutterstock Submitter

Adobe Illustrator is a powerful program with a ton of features, and learning them all can be a daunting task. Luckily, you don‘t need to know every little feature to make great designs and illustrations. Here are a few tips to help make your designing a little easier.

Tip 1: Learn the Keyboard Shortcuts

This is a fairly obvious tip, but that doesn‘t make it any less important. Keyboard shortcuts can save you a lot of time. You don‘t have to learn all of them; however, think about which commands you use often and learn those. Learning the one-letter shortcuts for changing tools on the Tool Bar will also save you time. Some examples to start you off with are V for the Selection tool, A for the Direct Selection tool, R for the Rotate tool and Shift + E for the Eraser tool.

Tip 2: Copy in Place

Copy and Paste is probably one of the most used features in Illustrator. The only problem is sometimes you want to copy things in place. You can use the Paste in Front and Paste in Back for that (located in the Edit menu). These will paste the object in the same place. The keyboard shortcuts for these are: Command (Mac OS)/Control (Windows) F for Paste in Front and Command/Control B for Paste in Back. Another option is to use the Rotate tool. Select your object and double click on the rotate tool in the tool bar. A dialogue box will appear. Select 0 degrees and click Copy. This will make a duplicate in the same location.

Tip 3: Option/Alt and Shift Drag

Some of the more commonly used keys on the keyboard are the option/alt and the shift keys. Select a shape and start moving it to a new location. Now, hold down the Option/Alt key. Your tool tip will change. This indicates you‘re making a copy. Do the same thing again. This time, hold down the Shift key and you‘ll notice that the shape is constrained to moving only on a horizontal or vertical plane. If you hold down both, it will make a copy that is lined up horizontally or vertically.

Tip 4: Learn the Smart Guides

The Align tools are useful, but they only do so much. The Smart Guides do the rest. To turn on your Smart Guides, go to View > Smart Guides or Command/Control U. With your Smart Guides on, you‘ll notice that when you roll over objects, the lines highlight and the words: path, anchor and center appear. Try moving one object on top of another. The Smart Guides will tell you where the two objects intersect. Try aligning two circles by their “center” points by dragging the first object by its “center” point onto the “center” point of the second object.

Tip 5: Flatten Transparency

The Flattened Transparency command enables you to see what your artwork will look like when flattened. The outline stroke command flattens stroked lines, but not dashed lines. To outline a dashed line, you‘ll have to use the Flatten Transparency. Go to Object > Flatten Transparency to use it. A dialogue box will pop up. Make sure Raster/Vector Balance is set to 100. You can also use the Flatten Transparency on Brush Effects, Blend Effects and Warp Effects.

Tip 6: Group Items to Move Them

The Group command is mainly used to group objects together. It also is a powerful tool for moving objects around. If you have several overlapping objects on your artboard and you want to add a new shape in between them, try using the Group command. First, send the new object to the back (Object > Arrange > Send to Back). With the object still highlighted, shift click on the object that you want it to be directly underneath. Finally, group the two objects. Go to Object > Group or Command/Control G. This will move the new object directly beneath the old one. You can also group objects between layers to move an object onto a different layer.

Tip 7: Transform Again

The Transform Again command (Object > Transform > Transform Again) is used to repeat your last action. It is great for creating uniform spacing. Make a copy of a shape. You can use the Option/Alt Drag from the tip above. Next, perform a Transform Again (Command/Control D) on your copied shape. This gives you multiple shapes that are spaced evenly. You can also use the Transform Again for repeating Scaling and Rotating effects.

Tip 8: Blend Shapes

Most people use the Blend command (Object > Blend > Make) for gradient blends. You can also use the Blend on shapes to get “in between” or “tween” shapes. First, draw a circle and a square several inches apart. Next, you‘ll need to set the number of steps in your Blend. Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options. A dialogue box appears. Choose Specified Steps and the number of steps. Four is a good number. Select the two shapes and go to Object > Blend > Make. The Blend makes several shapes in between the circle and the square. You can use the Flatten Transparency to make them into editable shapes.

Tip 9: Work with Text Boxes

When I first started working with Illustrator, I simply selected the text tool and started typing. I would end up with one long, jumbled line that was frustrating to work with. While that method is still the default, there is another way. You can make text boxes by drawing a box with the text tool. Then, you can type inside the box. These boxes are much easier to work with and will save you a lot of sanity.

Tip 10: Changing a Star to a Triangle

The Star tool makes more shapes than just a traditional star. Draw a star, but don‘t release the mouse button. Instead, use the up and down arrow keys to add and remove points. For instance, if you keep pressing the down arrow, you‘ll end up with a triangle. Before you release the mouse, try pressing the Shift key. This will make your triangle parallel with the page.

Now that you have read up on some of the tricks of the trade, try them out and don’t forget to experiment!

A Better Printing Process: FM Screening

Christian — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:19:49 +0000

Historically printers have adopted and used AM or Amplitude Modulated screening which is a halftone screen arranged on a grid. Larger dots render dark tone values while smaller dots are used for lighter values. Viewed from a distance these dots create the illusion of continuous tone reproduction. Common screen rulings range up to 200 lpi. Even though AM screening is a common method for many printers nationwide, there is a better and higher quality method for screening and producing better work.

We do our best to maintain the fidelity of your creative intent through the complex process of reproduction in print. While printing 200 lpi may be satisfactory, we have gone one huge step further with the adoption of Staccato (or FM) screening method that brings near photographic quality. Staccato eliminates halftone screen angles, rosettes, and screening moirÉ while preserving the desirable details in your artwork. Our Staccato screening process employs 20 micron dot size which is equivalent to 500 lpi.

FM screening is a unique and accurate process that uses a special arrangement of dots in a random pattern with no set frequency or angle. Dark tones are rendered with higher frequency dots and light tones with fewer dots. Therefore industry experts refer to it as Frequency (quantity) Modulated screen or simply FM screen. Random distribution of the dots eliminates screening moirÉ, subject moirÉ and AM rosettes. The microdot structure leads to photographic quality, greater tonal stability on press, a larger color gamut, and reduced ink usage compared to AM or XM screens.

Staccato is our standard. It gives us the ability to produce high quality images that exhibit fine detail without visible dots, rosettes, screening moirÉ, gray level limitations or abrupt jumps in color tone. Typical printers use a screen frequency of 175-200 lines per inch. Our Staccato implementations resolve texts and images to 20 microns, equivalent to 500 lines per inch. Staccato improves color and halftone stability on press, making it a perfect complement to consistent high quality sheet-fed printing. When imaging, Staccato screening delivers unmatched quality, a practical tool for our customers.

Increased stability means more vibrant, more predictable color.
Staccato screening brings tonal and color stability to the pressroom by reducing variations in dot gain caused by changes in solid ink density, wet trap, and color contamination from paper. Unique halftone patterns are used in each separation to minimize dot-on-dot printing. The on press stability of Staccato makes it particularly effective for replacing custom colors with process screen builds.

Learn: 4D Prints (Lenticular Printing)

Christian — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:01:02 +0000

4D Prints is a Lenticular product that allows you to have two or three different pictures in one. We take your images and create a swapping effect, each image vanishing and then reappearing from one to another as you move it up and down. There is a backing that can also be printed in normal 4 color process. Total thickness with both plastic 4D viewer and backing is 21pt. Only the front side will have the 4D effect.

Below is an example of the front of a 4D print. Click the Transition / Flip button to see it in action.

As you can see above, your images will transition from one to another as you move the card up and down. At the moment, only a vertical transition or flip is available for order.

The bleed must be made bigger for the 4D prints. The total bleed should be .25″ added to the cut size. For example, if you are ordering a business card the final size you should upload is 3.75×2.25. The files should still be CMYK and 300dpi as normal. There are some other rules you should follow as well when setting up the front of a 4D card

- Bleed is double our standard. 0.25″. A business card should have a bleed size of 3.75″x2.25″
- Dark solid colored and/or textured backgrounds work well.
- White and light colored areas are transparent, other views / flips will show through white areas causing a ghosting effect. White and light colored areas only work well if each view has white/light colors in the exact same area.
- Use bold san sarif fonts.
- Avoid small, fine and thin type. Fonts get distorted through the lens / plastic surface, so the bolder the better.
- Text that varies from view to view / file to file should NOT overlap, it should be in different positions on each view.
- 4D effect works best when the variation from image to image is subtle and simple.

Another thing to keep in mind is how many files will be uploaded. It depends if you pick a two or three image transition.

Two Image Flip:

4/0 = Two images for the front only
4/4 = Two images for the front, one image for the back

Three Image Flip:

4/0 = Three images for the front only
4/4 = Three images for the front, one image for the back

After ordering, you will be emailed a notification to approve your order. With the use of the con4mation tool, it will be easy to confirm your 4D print. It will show you a preview of how the Transition / Flip will look before printing.

Learn: Full Glossary of Printing & Related Terms

Christian — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:48:02 +0000

Glossary

Useful definitions and explainations of company and industry terms

Barcode

A series of vertical bars and spaces that represent any numerical series, most often a correct ZIP Code for the delivery address on a mailpiece. The barcode facilitates automated processing by barcode readers and scanners. A barcode also can be used to convey information for Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation services. Barcodes that may be used for postal processing are POSTNET and UCC/EAN Code 128.

Batch:

We have two different batch sizes 28″ x 20″ or 40″ x 28″. Jobs with the same type and quantity are collected on the same batch. For example, all business cards and postcards 4/1 1k are collected and printed on the same batch.

BEPO – General Tab Notes:

Your Domain Name is the url / link to the website that you own, where you will host bepo (ie.. johndoesprinting.com).

Next you can upload an image that will be displayed as a header within Bepo, please upload an image type of jpg, png, gif, or swf with a size of 70px by 1024px.

In the “Sales Tax” field please enter the percentage of state tax (without the % symbol).

Ticking the “Allow Order Pickup” checkbox indicates that you will allow the end user to pick up their order at your location and bypass the shipping charge.

BEPO – Install Tab Notes:

“FTP/SSH Host” is the hostname or IP address of your FTP or SSH server.

“FTP/SSH Login” is the username you use to login to your FTP or SSH account.

Next to “Password” enter the password you use to login to your FTP or SSH account.

Next to “Domain” enter the URL of your website where Bepo will reside. (ie.. http://www.johndoesprinting.com/bepo3)

You may also include additional information you would like in this help request.

BEPO – Pricing Tab Notes:

Choose the product from the dropdown menu that you wish to alter the pricing of, please note after you make changes to the pricing of one product you must click the Update button below to save your changes.

Next to “Matte Finish” and “Round Corners” you can indicate the amount you wish to charge the end-user for these options (only available on some products).

Bindery:

The finishing department, which performs operations on the printed product after it has been printed. The bindery operations are as follows: Folding, Binding, Stitching, Scoring, Perforation, Die Cutting, & Envelope Converting (currently done in house).

Binding:

Different methods used to secure loose pages in a book is called binding. Saddle stitch is an example of binding.

Bleed:

Printed colors that extend past the edge of a page. To cut the job to its actual size the processor has to make sure the job gets printed with 1/8 of an inch bleed some jobs may require more than that. For example if the job is a business card (3.5″ x 2″) the file size with bleed would be (3.625″ x 2.125″).

Borders:

An outline around graphics, text or edge of a sheet.

Brightness:

Refers to the percent of light reflected back from a sheet of paper as measured by a light meter reading. Contrast is reduced and highlights are not as strong when paper with a lower brightness is used for a printed piece. Depending on paper brand the papers have different brightness grades, for example Tango has 91 brightness, Balboa ha 90 brightness.

Bulk Mail:

Standard Mail or Third Class Mail.

C1S paper:

Paper coated on one side. We DO NOT print on C1S paper.

C2S paper:

Paper coated on both sides. Our 14pt and 16pt paper are examples of C2S. (AQ Coating or UV Coating are seperate options and are not effected by this)

Card Stock:

Also called cover stock. Mostly heavyweight papers are called cards stock. The thickness of card stock is indicated with point sizes such as 14pt, 16pt. Some people will also refer to 100lb gloss cover as a card stock.

Carrier Route:

The address to which a carrier delivers mail. In common usage, carrier route includes city routes, rural routes, highway contact routes, post office box sections, and general delivery units.

CMYK:

The primary colors used in 4-color printing. CMYK are used to reproduce full color on the printed sheet. CMYK also called PROCESS COLOR

C: Cyan (Blue)
M: Magenta (Red)
Y: Yellow
K: Key (Black)

Coating:

The mixture of clay materials that are applied to paper to improve the smoothness of the paper’s surface and improve ink holdout during the printing process. Examples are Aqueous coating (AQ) and UV coating. UV coating adds a gloss finish to the product and also improves the vibrancy of the printed colors. Spot-UV can be applied to selected portions of the piece, while keeping the rest a matte finish.

Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS):

A service offered to mailers, service bureaus, and software vendors that improves the accuracy of matching to delivery point codes, ZIP+4 codes, 5-digit Zip Codes, and carrier route codes on mail piece. CASS provides a common platform to measure the quality of address matching software and to diagnose and correct software problems.

Collecting:

Prepress Department that imposes multiple jobs of the same type in a press layout, called a batch. Collecting is responsible for creating schedules that meet production deadlines and satisfy job turnarounds.

Collect on Delivery (COD):

A service for mailers who need to mail an article for which they have not received payment. The amount due the sender is collected from the addressee and the USPS returns the amount due to the sender.

Color Types

4:4 (4 over 4) – 2 sided
full color on front and on back
4:1 (4 over 1) – 2 sided
full color on front, black on back
4:0 (4 over 0) – 1 sided
full color on front
5:0 (5 over 0) – 1 sided
full color + either Silver, Metallic, Foil Worx or Akuafoil on front
5:1 (5 over 1) – 2 sided
full color + either Silver, Metallic, Foil Worx or Akuafoil on front, black on back
4:5 (4 over 5) – 2 sided
full color on front and full color + either Silver, Metallic, Foil Worx or Akuafoil on back
5:4 (5 over 4) – 2 sided
full color + either Silver, Metallic, Foil Worx or Akuafoil on front and full color on back
5:5 (5 over 5) – 2 sided
full color + either Silver, Metallic, Foil Worx or Akuafoil on front and on back

Color Proof / Epson Proof / Match Print:

An image, created by using color inks. Showing what the final printed product will look like. Color proofs within MetroInk are called Epson proofs tand are a 80%-85% match with the final product.

Consecutive Numbering:

Numbering a form, or a series of printed material where the number changes sequentially from one to another. Example, if the first one has number 201, the second will get 202, the third would be 203 and so on.

Crop Marks (Guide Marks):

Lines printed in the margin of sheet that indicates to the cutter and bindery where the finished product should be trimmed. They are also used to show what part of a photo should be used and what part should be cropped off.

Die Cutting:

A specific shape like circle, star, etc (any designs that cannot be done by a straight cut) which is cut by a metal blade. Door hangers are a popular product which requires die cutting. We can accomodate shape sizes 13″ x 10″ and smaller, larger sizes must be sent out to other binderies.

Direct Mail:

Another name for advertising mail sent to targeted markets. It can be any mail class, but it is usually Standard Mail.

Dots Per Inch (dpi):

A measurement of resolution of input, output and display devices. 300 dpi means that when printed, each square inch of your image will contain 90,000 pixels (dots), the higher the dpi (the more pixels per inch) the more crisp the printed image will be. Our electronic (digital files) have to have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Anything less than that is considered as low resolution and may appear blurry when printed.

Embossing:

A process of imprinting an image by applying pressure to the back side of a material to change the surface, giving it a three dimensional or raised effect. Embossing can be referred to as raised lettering.

Finished Size / Trim Size:

The size of a printed product after all production operations have been completed.

Finishing:

Operations to a document after it has been printed. The finishing operations could include bindery work such as, folding, trimming, binding, die cutting, inserting or any post press process that must be completed.

Flat Size:

The size of a printed product after printing and trimming but before any finishing operations that affect its size, such as folding.

Foil:

The application of metallic gold or silver foil on paper using a heated die. The foil is adhered to the surface leaving the design of the die on the paper. Our Foil Stamp Printing adds a custom touch to your printed product by applying a thin film of metal to paper that creates a high grade, eye-catching result.

Folding:

The process of bending printed sheets in a specific area. Folding is one of our popular bindery jobs.

4-Panel Roll Fold:

A type of fold where the piece is folded inward at one end and then folded inward again one or more times. It is as if you are rolling the piece up.

Accordion Fold:

A sheet which has been printed on only one side then folded twice in right angles to form a W-shaped four page uncut section. We are able to fold up to 4 panel(8 page max). 5 panel(10 page)+ will be send out to get folded. Accordion folds are usually 100lb book papers. Such as, brochures and catalogue.

Double Gate Fold:

Single gate fold, with an additional fold on the center.

Double Parallel Fold :

A type of fold where the piece is folded in half and then folded in half again. The folds are parallel to each other. Also known as a quarter fold.

French Fold (quarter fold):

A sheet which has been printed on one side only and then folded twice at right angles to form a four page uncut section.

Gate Fold:

When both sides of an oversize page fold into the gutter in overlapping layers.

Half Fold:

Is fold in half.

Half-Tri Fold:

A sheet is folded in half and then tri-folded.

Tri Fold:

A fold where a three panel piece has both side sections folded inward, one on top of the other each section is approximately 1/3 the length of the piece. Also known as a C-fold or letter-fold.

Z Fold:

A paper fold represented by back and forth folds into three panels.

Full Bleed:

Printing that goes to the edge of all four sides of the page.

Gloss Finish:

A coating on paper that provides a higher reflection of light, which results in a shiny appearance. Gloss coatings reduce ink absorption, which allows excellent contrast and color definition.

Gloss Paper:

Paper with a gloss finish, usually used for higher quality printing. Examples are 100lb gloss book, and 100lb gloss cover.

A strip of paper containing gray tones ranging from white to black. So gray scale refers to black and white printed material.

Grippers:

Metal finger like clamps that grab the paper to pull it through the press as the sheet is being printed.

Group Shipping:

We now offer Group Shipping on business cards of the same specifications. When ordering multiple sets of the same style cards you can now ship them together to save on your shipping costs. Simply fill out the specs for the first set of cards and then hit the ‘Add Set’ button to the bottom left. In the new window name this set and choose the ‘group ship’ button. You can continue by clicking ‘Add Set’ until your order for this style of business card is complete. It’s easy, saves you money on shipping and you only need to track one shipment!

Certain limitations apply, please refer to the Shipping Policy for more information.

If you choose group shipping, your turnaround time may be extended by at least one day. If one or more jobs in the group of orders designated for group shipping is delayed, for any reason, all jobs within the same group will be held and delayed until all jobs are complete.

Hairline:

The thinnest possible line or space that is visible.

Head to Head:

Printing on the front and back of a sheet is setup so that the top of both sides is printed at the same end of the sheet. You would turn the sheet like the page of a book to read the reverse side.

Head-to-Toe:

Printing on the front and back of a sheet so that the tops of each side are printed at opposite ends from each other. The top of one side is opposite the bottom of the other. You would turn the sheet over from top to bottom to read the reverse side. Also referred to as head-to-tail or tumble.

Hickey:

A spot on a printed sheet that appears as a small white circle with ink in the center, caused by particles such as dirt, dust, or bits of paper.

Imprinting:

The printing of new copy on a piece that is already printed. Examples of imprinting are ink-jetting addresses on postcards after the actual card has been printed. Please note that we DO NOT imprint or inkjet on any paper with AQ or UV Coating. The only job that can be imprinted after printing is spot UV jobs and any jobs in this category, which are as follows: Spot UV on both sides, UV one side no UV on the other side, Spot UV on one side no UV on the other side. These jobs do not get UV or AQ coating after imprinting.

In House:

When a production process for a printed product is done within a facility and is not sent to an outsider, also referred to as in plant.

Ink Jet:

A printing technology in which liquid ink is sprayed through tiny nozzles onto the paper in a pattern of dots, forming the image on the paper. Jobs with AQ or UV coating cannot be ink jet printed.

Insert:

A letter, card, or similar item placed inside another mail piece (host piece).

Job Number:

A unique number assigned to a job by a buyer or manufacturer.

Landscape:

Printing a page so that when positioned for reading the width is greater than the height.

Line-of-Travel (LOT) Sequence:

A sequence required for some Enhanced Carrier Route and carrier route rates in which mail pieces are arranged by ZIP+4 codes in the order in which the carrier serves the route. The mail pieces are sequenced in delivery order.

Line Screen:

A transparent screen which has been etched with fine lines. It is used to convert a picture or photograph into a halftone dot pattern so that can be printed.

Make-Ready:

1.The process of setting up and adjusting a printing press for a particular ink, paper and specifications prior to printing. This includes adjusting the infeed, grippers and guides, adjusting ink for proper coverage, registering copy, and matching the printed piece with the proof to be sure everything is correct. Also referred to as set up.

2. The paper used while making all the necessary adjustments before printing the actual run. Also referred to as set up.

Margin:

The non-printed areas around the image area of a page.

CMYK:

The primary colors used in 4-color printing. CMYK are used to reproduce full color on the printed sheet. CMYK also called PROCESS COLOR

C: Cyan (Blue)
M: Magenta (Red)
Y: Yellow
K: Key (Black)

Offset Printing:

The transfer of an inked image from a plate to a blanket cylinder, which in turn transfers the image to the printing material as it passes between the blanket and the impression cylinder and pressure is applied. Also referred to as offset lithography. Here at MetroInk we use offset printing.

Open End Envelope:

An envelope with an opening along its short dimension.

Open Side Envelope:

An envelope with an opening along its longest dimension.

Out of Register / Off Register:

When an image is not printing in the exact location that it is suppose to. When printing more than one color, if the colors do not line up properly, they are out of register.

Output:

Sending information from a computer to a printing device to produce a printed page is called output.

Overprinting:

Printing an image over an area that has already been printed. In printing process colors, one process color is printed over another creating a secondary color, which is a combination of two primary colors. Sometimes in the files that customers send us there will be overprinting issues. Such as type or logos not printing. Customers should be aware that we do not check for this and their overprinting situation must be evaluated before sending the files to us.

Please read our FAQs which provide info on how to avoid these and other issues.

Overruns / Overs:

The quantity of items produced over the quantity that was originally ordered. Also referred to as any paper spoiled in the process of printing. For example if our batch is 1000 quantity batch we always overrun 150-200 sheets.

Pantone Matching System (PMS):

A registered name for an ink color matching system used to compare, match and identify specific colors. To do so we use a pantone book. It contains pantone colors with their closest CMYK values.

Paper Grain:

The direction in which the fibers line up during the manufacturing process. It is easier to fold, bend, or tear the paper along the same direction of the fibers. Cut sheet laser printers generally use long grain paper in which the grain runs parallel to the long side of the paper, resulting in better performance through the laser printer.

Perfector:

A printing press that can print on the front and the back of the paper in one pass through the press.

Perfecting:

The process of printing both sides of a sheet of paper in the same pass through the press.

Perforation:

Creating a series of holes so that the paper can be torn more easily along the line that is formed. Postage stamps and tear-off cards are common products that require perforation.

Pixel:

The smallest unit of a digitized image created by a digital device, such as a computer, camera, or scanner. Pixel is short for “picture element.” The more pixels per inch the better the resolution. On computer monitors, the display is divided into rows and columns containing thousands or millions of pixels. Each pixel is composed of three dots representing the three color channels of red, green, and blue light that are necessary for creating a color image on computer monitors and television screens. Because of their small size, the pixels appear to merge, simulating a continuous tone image, but when magnified they appear to be tiny square blocks of light, as shown in the illustration.

Plate:

A metal or paper light-sensitive sheet that holds an image that has been photographically produced. During the printing process, the image area picks up ink, which is then transferred to a blanket and then to paper.

Postage:

Payment for delivery service that is affixed or imprinted to a mail piece, usually in the form of a postage stamp, permit imprint, or meter stamp.

Permit:

Authorization required to mail without affixing postage. A postage imprint, also referred to as an indicia (The imprinted area in the upper right corner of the mail piece that indicates postage payment), is used instead. An advance payment is made to the post office and postage payment is deducted from that deposit.

Presentation Folder:

We offer different kinds of presentation folders, Inner pocket with round cut corner: (1 or 2, left & right pockets are optional) Inner pocket with straight cut corner: (1 or 2, left & right pockets are optional) Business card slit, left or right is also optional.

Presort:

The process by which a mailer groups mail by ZIP Code so that it is sorted to the finest extent required by the standards for the rate claimed. Generally, presort is performed sequentially, from the lowest (finest) level to the highest level, to those destinations specified by standard and is completed at each level before the next level is prepared. Not all presort levels are applicable to all mailings.

Press:

Press Check:

Printed sheets from the press that are pulled once all the makeready has been completed. The sheets are checked for quality and accuracy before authorization is given to go ahead with the full production run. Sheets may be pulled throughout the run to do press checks to assure that quality is being maintained. We DO NOT do press checks for customers.

Press Proof:

A proof that is produced on the press using the inks and paper specified for that order. We do not produce press proof unless we want to check color for a rejected job.

Press Run:

The total quantity of pieces printed during one printing.

Price Break:

The order quantity level at which the price of the paper or printed material goes down.

Prinergy:

One of two software systems that we use to send batches to the plating machine. When using Prinergy, batches will be sent to the Creo CTP (computer to plate).

Processing:

The department in charge of making customers’ files “print ready”.

Proofs:

A copy of the artwork representing the finished product. It is used for review and approval. Here at MetroInk we offer two types of proof.

1. PDF proof. PDF proof is an electronic proof.

2. Epson Proof. Is a printed proof, which also called hard copy proof it is a 80%-85% match with the final printed product and it is sent through mail for the customer to approve before the job is printed. The person in charge of sending the proofs to the customer is the person who is processing the orders.

Proofread:

Checking a proof for errors or discrepancies from the original copy.

Punching:

Drilling of holes through a stack of paper. We use hole punching if a customer wants to have that on any printed piece. Applicable & popular sizes are 1/8″ & 5/16″. We can provide a different size, other than above mentioned, upon request.

Quotation:

A price, given by the printer or distributor, based on the specifications supplied for that product. We have an estimating department here at MetroInk that can give a price quote or any custom job.

Register Marks:

The printed marks used to align color separations for printing so that each color registers with each other.

Resolution:

The measurement of output quality expressed in pixels (dots) per inch on a computer monitor or dots per inch on printed media. For example, a monitor displaying a resolution of 800 by 600 refers to a screen capable of displaying 800 pixels in each of 600 lines, which translates into a total of 480,000 pixels displayed on the screen. When referring to printed media, a 300 dpi (dots per inch) printer for example, is capable of outputting 300 dots in a one-inch line, which means that it has the ability of printing 90,000 distinct dots per square inch (300 x 300).

RGB:

The additive primary colors, red, green and blue, used to display color in video monitors. Printing with a file in RGB color mode will produce a washed out appearance. MetroInk does not check files for RGB. That responsibility falls to the customer before submission of the files.

Rotation:

The turning or positioning of text or an image at different degrees of orientation on a page.

Round Cornering:

Using a machine to die cut the corners of forms, cards and books to create a rounded corner.

Saddle Stitching:

The method of binding the pages of a section where the folded pages are stitched through the fold from the outside, using a wire staple (stapling).

Samples:

Samples of a completed job (a small quantity of the actual job) can be requested to be shipped to your billing address when drop shipping to your customer.

Scoring:

A crease applied, in a straight line, to a sheet of paper to allow it to fold easier and more accurately.

Based on our equipment we score any sizes between:

3″ x 4″ (min) to 11″ x 17″ (max)
on 100lb book, 14pt & 16pt papers.

Score in half, is the most popular.

Set Up:

2. The paper used while making all the necessary adjustments before printing the actual run. Also referred to as set up.

Shrink Wrapping:

A method of wrapping packages or products with a plastic film and then applying heat so that the wrap fits tight to the product. Shrink-wrapping is used to package a product in specific quantities and is also used for protection purposes. It also adds some stability to the product when storing. Also referred to as plastic wrapping. We do not offer shrink-wrapping.

Silver:

Fifth color, pantone metallic coated 877c. Must be designed in a vector based graphics program. Acceptable file types are EPS, CDR, and PDF.

Skid / Pallet:

A wooden platform used to hold stacks of paper or cartons. Used to store or ship materials or finished products.

Sleeve:

A paperboard jacket that fits over the four sides (top, bottom, and two parallel sides) of a letter tray in order to keep the mail inside the tray from falling out.

Slitting:

Cutting paper by the use of a cutting wheel. Paper may be slit into smaller sheets or a web of paper may be slit into narrower rolls.

A slit can also refer to cuts made that do not divide a sheet. For example, on a presentation folder smaller diagonal slits can be made on the pockets where business cards can then be displayed.

Spiral Binding:

Book binding that consists of a spiral wire or plastic that is wound through holes. Also referred to as coil binding.

Spot Coating / Spot UV:

Coating paper only in specific areas as opposed to all over coating. In a Spot UV job the job gets a UV coating in only specific areas and does not get any AQ coating in any other places. Spot UV can be referred to as spot varnish.

Spot Color:

Printing with one or more solid colors, generally black ink is used with the addition of other colors. It is used to add highlight and add color to a printed product without having to print with four-color process.

Stochastic Screening:

Images are converted digitally into screens made up of very small dots which are equal in size, but of variable spacing. The variable dot pattern eliminates many of the moiré patterns and allows for more than four colors to be used to represent an image. This is the primary aspect of high-fidelity printing.

At MetroInk we do our best to maintain the fidelity of your creative intent through the complex process of reproduction in print. While printing 200 lpi may be satisfactory, we have gone one huge step further with the adoption of Staccato (or FM) screening method that brings near photographic quality. Staccato eliminates halftone screen angles, rosettes, and screening moirÉ while preserving the desirable details in your artwork. Our Staccato screening process employs 20 micron dot size which is equivalent to 500 lpi.

Stripping:

1.To assemble and combine film or negatives to produce the final film for plate making. This process is now done electronically by many companies, bypassing the manual process altogether.

2. In reference to labels it is the removal of the matrix or waste material from around a pressure sensitive label after it has been die cut.

Swatch Book:

A booklet containing samples of paper or ink colors.

Template:

A preset model that acts as a structure for setting up a similar product. Here at MetroInk we have lot of templates, for each product. The customers can download the templates online.

Tray:

A container used in postal facilities to hold letters and First-Class Mail flats. It is used as a basic unit of mail quantity for purposes of preparing mail to a qualify for discounted postage rates. Also see full flat tray, full letter tray, less-than-full tray, and overflow tray.

Trim:

1. The process of cutting the product to its finished size. The excess that is cut off is also referred to as the trim.

2. Combining various roll sizes to be slit from a full width roll from the paper machine so that an acceptable percentage of the salable width will be used.

Turnaround Time:

The accumulated time between receipt of an order and completion of the finished product. Here at MetroInk we offer different types of turnaround depending on the product.

Typesetting:

The process of converting text into type used for printing.

Ultra Violet. The part of the spectrum where the wavelength of light is shorter than the wavelength of visible light.

UV Coating:

A liquid coating applied to the printed piece, which is then bonded and cured with ultraviolet light. This coating is used to provide a protective coating to the printed image. Please note that you CAN NOT write or imprint on a uv coated jobs.

Varnish:

A thin, liquid protective coating, either matte or glossy, that is applied to the product. It adds protection and enhances the appearance of the product. It can be applied as an all over coating or it can be applied as a spot coating.

Vendor:

The provider of a product or service. Also referred to as supplier.

Window Envelopes:

An envelope with a die cut opening that is intended to have information show through from the piece inside the envelope.

Work and Tumble:

A printing method where different pages are assembled so that they are on one plate. One side is printed and the sheet is turned from front to rear so that you are using the opposite edge as the gripper edge and then the second side is printed. The product is then cut apart to make two finished items.

Work and Turn:

A printing method where different pages are assembled so that they are on one plate. One side is printed and then the sheet is turned over so that you are using the same gripper edge and then the second side is printed. The product is then cut apart to make two finished items.

Zip:

Zipping is a way to compress electronic files A compressed file is considered “zipped.”

ZIP Code:

A system of 5-digit codes that identifies the individual post office or metropolitan area delivery station associated with an address. ZIP+4 is an enhanced code consisting of the 5-digit ZIP Code and four additional digits that identify a specific range of delivery addresses.

ZIP+4 Code:

A nine digit numeric code composed of two parts: (a) the initial code: the first five digits that identify the sectional center facility and delivery area associated with the address, followed by a hyphen; and (b) the four-digit expanded code: the first two additional digits designate the sector (a geographic area) and the last two digits designate the segment (a building, floor, etc.)

ZIP+4 barcode:

A nine-digit POSTNET barcode consisting of 52 vertical bars. Also see Postal Numeric Encoding Technique.

Learn: Bindery Terminology

Christian — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:45:56 +0000

Bindery:

Binding:

Different methods used to secure loose pages in a book is called binding. Saddle stitch is an example of binding.

Consecutive Numbering:

Crop Marks (Guide Marks):

Die Cutting:

Embossing:

Finished Size / Trim Size:

The size of a printed product after all production operations have been completed.

Finishing:

Flat Size:

The size of a printed product after printing and trimming but before any finishing operations that affect its size, such as folding.

Foil:

Folding:

The process of bending printed sheets in a specific area. Folding is one of our popular bindery jobs.

4-Panel Roll Fold:

A type of fold where the piece is folded inward at one end and then folded inward again one or more times. It is as if you are rolling the piece up.

Accordion Fold:

Double Gate Fold:

Single gate fold, with an additional fold on the center.

Double Parallel Fold :

A type of fold where the piece is folded in half and then folded in half again. The folds are parallel to each other. Also known as a quarter fold.

French Fold (quarter fold):

A sheet which has been printed on one side only and then folded twice at right angles to form a four page uncut section.

Gate Fold:

When both sides of an oversize page fold into the gutter in overlapping layers.

Half Fold:

Is fold in half.

Half-Tri Fold:

A sheet is folded in half and then tri-folded.

Tri Fold:

A fold where a three panel piece has both side sections folded inward, one on top of the other each section is approximately 1/3 the length of the piece. Also known as a C-fold or letter-fold.

Z Fold:

A paper fold represented by back and forth folds into three panels.

Head to Head:

Printing on the front and back of a sheet is setup so that the top of both sides is printed at the same end of the sheet. You would turn the sheet like the page of a book to read the reverse side.

Head-to-Toe:

Insert:

A letter, card, or similar item placed inside another mail piece (host piece).

Landscape:

Printing a page so that when positioned for reading the width is greater than the height.

Make-Ready:

2. The paper used while making all the necessary adjustments before printing the actual run. Also referred to as set up.

Margin:

The non-printed areas around the image area of a page.

Paper Grain:

Perforation:

Creating a series of holes so that the paper can be torn more easily along the line that is formed. Postage stamps and tear-off cards are common products that require perforation.

Punching:

Register Marks:

The printed marks used to align color separations for printing so that each color registers with each other.

Rotation:

The turning or positioning of text or an image at different degrees of orientation on a page.

Round Cornering:

Using a machine to die cut the corners of forms, cards and books to create a rounded corner.

Saddle Stitching:

The method of binding the pages of a section where the folded pages are stitched through the fold from the outside, using a wire staple (stapling).

Scoring:

A crease applied, in a straight line, to a sheet of paper to allow it to fold easier and more accurately.

Based on our equipment we score any sizes between:

3″ x 4″ (min) to 11″ x 17″ (max)
on 100lb book, 14pt & 16pt papers.

Score in half, is the most popular.

Silver:

Fifth color, pantone metallic coated 877c. Must be designed in a vector based graphics program. Acceptable file types are EPS, CDR, and PDF.

Skid / Pallet:

A wooden platform used to hold stacks of paper or cartons. Used to store or ship materials or finished products.

Slitting:

Cutting paper by the use of a cutting wheel. Paper may be slit into smaller sheets or a web of paper may be slit into narrower rolls.

A slit can also refer to cuts made that do not divide a sheet. For example, on a presentation folder smaller diagonal slits can be made on the pockets where business cards can then be displayed.

Spiral Binding:

Book binding that consists of a spiral wire or plastic that is wound through holes. Also referred to as coil binding. Here at 4over we do not offer that service.

Varnish:

Learn: Paper Terminology

Christian — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:38:18 +0000

Brightness:

Refers to the percent of light reflected back from a sheet of paper as measured by a light meter reading. Contrast is reduced and highlights are not as strong when paper with a lower brightness is used for a printed piece. Here at 4over, depending on paper brand the papers have different brightness grades, for example Tango has 91 brightness, Balboa ha 90 brightness.\

C1S paper:

Paper coated on one side. We DO NOT print on C1S paper.

C2S paper:

Paper coated on both sides. Our 14pt and 16pt paper are examples of C2S. (AQ Coating or UV Coating are seperate options and are not effected by this)

Card Stock:

Coating:

Gloss Finish:

A coating on paper that provides a higher reflection of light, which results in a shiny appearance. Gloss coatings reduce ink absorption, which allows excellent contrast and color definition.

Gloss Paper:

Paper with a gloss finish, usually used for higher quality printing. Examples are 100lb gloss book, and 100lb gloss cover.

A strip of paper containing gray tones ranging from white to black. So gray scale refers to black and white printed material.

Paper Grain:

Skid / Pallet:

A wooden platform used to hold stacks of paper or cartons. Used to store or ship materials or finished products.

Learn: What is Bindery and Binding?

Christian — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:33:23 +0000

Bindery:

Binding:

Different methods used to secure loose pages in a book is called binding. Saddle stitch is an example of binding.