5 terms you must know before you print

When ordering a custom printing job, there are certain terms you must first know to get exactly what you want.

1. Stock. Paper or other material to be printed. It can be divided into body (the stock where the main text is to be printed) and cover stock (a generally thicker material used for posters, menus, folders and covers of paperback books).
2. Paper brand. Get to know the brand of paper that fits your needs but bear in mind that we recommend you to seek paper quality first and brand name second http://printinmexico.com/blog/5-tips-to-save-money-with-business-printing-companies/. Your print provider may offer you a bulk price if you ask for a specific brand.
3. Weight. The weight difference between a single sheet of two types of paper may be imperceptible. But is it the same with an 2000 page book? In the US and Canada, basis weight (also called substance weight) refers to the actual weight in pounds of 1000 sheets of any given size of paper. In other countries with ISO paper sizes, basis weight (also called grammage) means the weight in grams of a square meter of paper. Ream weight is used to express the weight in pounds of 500 sheets of paper cut to the basic size. *NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH FONT WEIGHT. Font or type weight is the comparative amount of blackness of a type style. Light, semi, bold or ultra bold typefaces have different weight between them.
4. Opacity. The property of both paper andk ink to prevent printing on one side of the sheet from showing through to the other. Do you want almost see-through paper or a high-opacity paper for your print material?
5. Caliper. The thickness of paper in thousandths of an inch (also called mils or points), pages per inch (ppi) thousandths of a millimeter (microns), or pages per centimeter (ppc).

These are just the basics but they sure will come in handy the next time your company needs you to send something to the printer.

Approved Index http://www.approvedindex.co.uk/a/printingcompanies/printingterms/
How http://www.howdesign.com/graphic-design-basics/printing-terms/
Printing Industry Exchange http://www.printindustry.com/Glossary.aspx