For those who are not part of the Austin printing industry, and are unfamiliar with computer graphics, it is likely that terms such as emboss, lamination, watermarks, DPI, DTP, RGB and CMYK might not make sense. These are terms highly utilized in the advertising industry, and hence are widely used by those who involve themselves in graphic designing, digital printing, offset printing and so on. Here, users will find some basic explanation of the common terms used by printing companies.
Embossing is the method of pressing an image into a paper so that it bulges out of the surface of the paper, giving the image a 3D facade. It is opposite to engraving, where the image is engraved on a surface, creating an indentation on the surface.
Lamination is the process of sealing the paper with a fine transparent sheet of plastic, which gives the paper a waterproof covering, preventing it from getting damaged by liquids, wearing out from heavy use and enhancing its colors with the glossy look.
Initially, a watermark was a pattern created in the paper during production; this watermark pattern would only be visible when the paper is held against light. Recently in the Austin printing industry, an image that has been positioned in the centre of the paper is also known as watermarks. This watermark is normally modified with high brightness and low contrast so that it does not interfere with the text.
DPI, or Dots Per Inch, indicates the resolution of input gadgets (scanners or digital cameras), display gadgets (computer screens) and output gadgets (printers). When an image has greater number of dots per inch, the quality of the image is superior and sharper. This is an extremely important term in digital printing.
DPI is not to be confused with DTP, which stands for DeskTop Publishing. These are the designing and editing programs such as Photoshop, Quark, InDesign and FreeHand. Professionals who deal with DTP are designers who handle presentation mainly for advertising and magazines. DTP is also an absolute necessity for any printing company in Austin.
RGB and CMYK are two color techniques of digital printing and offset printing. RGB stands for Red, Green and Black, while CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (black). Austin printing also includes a method called Pantone colors, which are colors premixed for sophisticated printers. When clients choose the mode RGB in Photoshop for example, the image will go according to that color scheme; the printer will print combinations of RGB colors only.
Other frequently used terms include portrait and landscape. Portrait is when the paper is viewed vertically, with the sides longer than the bottom; landscape is viewing it horizontally, with the bottom longer than the sides.
Employees at the Austin printing company are happy to explain these terms and methods in detail to those unsure about them. Today, it is possible to obtain that perfect design clients are looking for. Every printing company in Austin comprises of hi-tech devices, materials and techniques that can take on any type of printing and advertising projects, guaranteeing perfect results.
Are there any terms I’ve missed? What do you think? Let me know on the comments section below.
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