Aqueous Coating (AQ):
An aqueous coating is a fast-drying, water-based, protective coating which is applied in-line on press. This clear coating provides a sealed surface which protects the surface from dirt, smudges, fingerprints and scratch. Aqueous coating improves durability. We currently use gloss, matte or dull, and soft-touch aqueous coatings.
Barcode:
A series of vertical bars and spaces that represent any numerical series. The barcode facilitates automated processing by barcode readers and scanners.
Bindery:
The finishing department, which performs operations to the label after it has been printed.
Bleed:
Bleed is image area that must extend past the cut-line and will be trimmed from the product during the final cutting phase. When the image is required to extend all the way to the edge, bleed is needed to preserve the finished look and the quality of the final product.
Please keep all text at least 0.125″ inside the cut-line.
– The standard bleed is 0.125″
Please see our templates for further information regarding bleed.
CAS Registry Number
Unique numerical identifiers assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service to every chemical described in the open scientific literature (currently including those described from at least 1957 through the present.
C1S paper:
Paper with a coating on one side. All labels are printed on 60# C1S stock at paintcanlabels.com. Other basis weights (70#, 80#, 100#) are available by request. Special pricing will be necessary.
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: 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.
Color Proof / Epson Proof / Match Print:
Color Proofs, other than PDFs, made via a digital ink-jet printer. Paintcanlabels.com makes all color proofs using an Epson ink-jet color printer through our Heidelberg Prinergy RIP. Our proofing is G7 certified.
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 label should be used and what part should be cropped off.
CTP:
Computer to plate (CTP) is an imaging technology used in modern printing processes. In this technology, an image created in a Desktop Publishing (DTP) application is output directly to a printing plate.
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.
Ear Holes:
A 1 3/8” hole drilled into a gallon wrap label to accommodate the ears on a gallon can that the bale wire is attached to. We drill (punch) these holes 10 ¼” apart, on center.
Finished Size / Trim Size:
The sizes of a printed product after all production operations have been completed.
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 would be Bindakote Cast Coated paper.
Glue Flap:
An area of the finished label where glue is applied as a method to secure the label to itself as it wraps around the can. There can be no printing in this area. Not all sizes of labels require a glue flap. Our templates incorporate a glue flap that is ½” wide on the left side of the label.
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. At paintcanlabels.com we do our best to maintain the fidelity of your creative intent through the complex process of reproduction in print by using 200 lpi
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. Paintcanlabels.com uses offset printing.
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 an item produced over the quantity that was originally ordered.
Paper Grain:
The direction in which the fibers line up during the manufacturing process. Here at paintcanlabels.com we print all labels GRAIN SHORT. If your labeling equipment requires grain long, please advise when placing your order by using the order comments field when checking out.
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 sheet that holds an image. During the printing process, the image area picks up ink, which is then transferred to a blanket and then to paper.
Proofs:
A copy of the artwork representing the finished product. It is used for review and approval. Paintcanlabels.com offers two types of proofs:
1. PDF proof is an electronic proof that we send via email. The cost is included in the label price.
2. Epson Proof is a printed proof, which also called hard copy proof. It is avery close match with the final printed product and it is sent through mail for the customer to approve before the job is printed. Our proofs are G7 certified.
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 to create the ear holes necessary on gallon paint can labels. We use 1 3/8” as a standard size for ear holes.
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. Please check your files for RGB images before uploading them to paintcanlabels.com
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 wrap all label orders in quantities of 500 per package.
Template:
A preset model that acts as a structure for setting up a similar product. Paintcanlabels.com offers several templates for download on our resources page.
Trim:
The process of cutting the product to its finished size. The excess that is cut off is also referred to as the trim.
Turnaround Time:
The accumulated time between receipt of an order and completion of the finished product.
Typesetting:
The process of converting text into type used for printing.
Volatile organic compounds
VOCs are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary, room-temperature conditions
Zip:
Zipping is a way to compress electronic files A compressed file is considered “zipped.”