Artwork basics

Finished size is the final trimmed dimension. Bleed extends backgrounds beyond the cut edge, while the safe area keeps important text away from trimming. Images should have suitable effective resolution, fonts should be embedded and print files normally use CMYK colour.

Finishing and binding

Creasing helps heavier stock fold cleanly; lamination protects and changes the surface feel; contour cutting follows a custom outline. Saddle stitching binds folded sections with staples, twin-loop wire allows pages to open flat and perfect binding is used for thicker publications.

Printing notation and colour spaces

1+0 means one colour on one side; 1+1 one colour on both sides; 4+0 full colour on one side; and 4+4 full colour on both sides. A fifth colour, as in 5+0, usually indicates a spot colour such as gold or silver. Print artwork normally uses CMYK—cyan, magenta, yellow and black—while RGB is designed for illuminated screens. The two systems cannot reproduce exactly the same gamut, so screen appearance is not a colour proof.

Artwork preparation

Bleed extends background elements beyond the trimmed edge, usually by at least 3–5 mm, preventing unwanted white lines after cutting. Crop marks identify the intended cut position, while finished size is the final physical dimension. A vector graphic uses mathematical paths and can be scaled without pixelation; common formats include SVG and EPS. A source file is the editable native document, such as AI, CDR, INDD or PSD.

Cutting, creasing and finishing

Kiss-cutting cuts the label layer without cutting through its backing. Creasing compresses the fibres along a controlled fold so heavy paper bends without cracking. Die-cutting uses a custom tool to create shapes and openings that a straight guillotine cannot produce. Surface finishing includes film, varnish and spot-colour effects that protect or emphasise selected areas.

Film lamination bonds matt or gloss film directly to the print and permits further folding or cutting; the unsealed edges mean it is not waterproof. Pouch lamination seals the sheet inside a heavier waterproof envelope with a visible border, but the result is not suitable for folding. Spot varnish adds gloss to a selected shape or image.

Folding and binding

A normal fold halves the sheet. A roll or U-fold divides it into three panels folded inward; a Z-fold alternates direction like a concertina. Saddle stitching staples folded sheets along the spine and normally requires a page count divisible by four. Wire binding joins punched pages with metal or plastic wire and allows them to open flat.

Book-production terms

Why these terms prevent production errors

Our prepress department receives and checks customer artwork every day. Many files need a correction or complete reworking before printing. The most frequent problems involve bleed, margins, colour space and image resolution. Understanding the terminology allows a designer to recognise those requirements before the file reaches production.

More detail on colour formation

CMYK is a subtractive method. Cyan, magenta, yellow and black are placed as very small dots whose proportions create the final printed image. RGB is additive: red, green and blue light are emitted by a display and their varying intensities create other colours. The systems can approximate one another but cannot reproduce every colour identically, which is why the monitor is not an exact preview of the printed sheet.

Why bleed and crop marks are separate

When an image or even a uniform background reaches the edge, it must extend beyond the intended finished size. Without this extension, normal cutting tolerance could leave a fine white strip or remove an important detail. Crop marks indicate where the guillotine should cut; bleed supplies the extra image around that position. They solve different parts of the same finishing task.

Die-cutting and creasing in practice

Guillotines cut in straight lines. An individual outline, internal opening or shaped tab therefore requires a die made specifically for the job. The tooling cost is spread across the quantity, so a larger run can reduce the cost per piece. Creasing is different: it presses a straight channel into the stock so the fold occurs in a predetermined place without breaking the paper surface or printed ink.

Book terminology in context

Book printing is one of the most traditional branches of the profession. The extent counts the inner pages and cover according to the production specification. Inner sheets form the text block. A cover has four faces: outside front, inside front, inside back and outside back. In a softcover perfect-bound book, all four may be printed.

The spine covers the binding and its width depends on the thickness of the completed text block. An ISBN contains 9 or 13 characters and identifies books and other monographic works internationally. In Hungary it is issued through the Hungarian ISBN office operating at the National Széchényi Library.

Extent describes the number of text and cover pages. The text block contains all pages inside the cover. A softcover normally uses flexible card rather than rigid board. In perfect binding, the prepared pages are glued into this cover, a common solution for thinner books, catalogues and substantial brochures.

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