Resources - Glossary
To help ensure everyone is talking the same language, please find below a list of useful terms and definitions.
Absorbency – The ability of paper to absorb or take in liquids.
Acid-free paper – Paper manufactured on a paper machine with the wet-end chemistry controlled to a neutral or slightly alkaline pH. Acid-free paper enhances the longevity of documents and is more environmentally friendly than traditional woodpulp paper.
Addressing – The delivery details that are printed on a document/letter/label, visible on the outside of the mail piece.
Address Carrier – An item that bears address details on it i.e. flysheet or envelope.
Align – Lining up characters and/or images on a document using a vertical or horizontal line as a reference point.
Author’s corrections – Any changes made to the copy after it has been set.
Backing up – The process of printing the second side of a printed sheet, in registration with the first side.
Barcode – A barcode is a block of variable width lines printed by a laser printer. The barcode can be read using special sensors or a light pen and the pattern can be translated into letters and numbers.
Barcode Read Area – The clear zone at the bottom of an envelope that must be kept clear of any print or symbols. Except for the barcode, nothing should be in this area.
Binding – This is the process used to keep your books and booklets together. There are many different methods of binding. For example: saddle stitch, perfect and burst bound.
Bleed – An area beyond the artwork which is cut off after printing. If any image is right to the edge of artwork, a 3mm ‘bleed’ ensures that no white of paper is showing if the guillotine is slightly off.
Borders – A margin around the edge of artwork. We recommend that all borders are more than 3mm wide on the trim edges as this allows for any shift.
BRE – Short form description of a Business Reply service Envelope.
Brochure – A high quality pamphlet with a planned layout, typography and illustrations. The term is also loosely used for promotional pamphlets or booklets
BSP – Stands for Barcode Sort Plan.
Burst binding – Burst binding is similar to perfect binding, however it is more durable. The spine of each section is perforated during the folding process. Glue is then pushed up between the perforations during binding and the cover drawn on. Burst binding is used for books and booklets that are greater than 35 pages.
BWF – An abbreviation of Barcoded Window Face which is a type of envelope face.
C4 – An envelope size that measures 329 x 229mm, it is commonly used to insert A4 sized inserts
Catalogue – Bound printed matter containing advertising.
Cellosheen – A plastic film heat bonded to printed products such as booklet covers or business cards. It can be either gloss or matt and can be applied to either both or just one side of an item.
Charge Account – An bulk billing service that is set up with Australia post that enables companies like Melbourne Mail Management to bill clients on their own account.
Charity Mail – An Australia Post scheme that provides cheaper postage rates organizations that have been sanctioned by the Australia Taxation office as an income tax exempt charity.
Coated – Printing papers that have had a surface coating to give a smoother, more even finish with greater opacity.
Coated 1 Sided – Paper with coating on one side only.
Coated 2 Sided – Paper with coating on both sides.
Cold lamination (gloss or matt) – Uses pressure sensitive adhesives to bind the film to the material being laminated. This is your best option when you are laminating heat-sensitive work.
Collating – The process of arranging your printed and/or other materials into a desired sequence and packing them for despatch.
Colour mode – Refers to the way in which the colour is created in the document, an example could be CMYK or RGB.
Colour separation – The process of separating a continuous tone colour (SPOT / Pantone) into the four process colours for print production.
Concertina fold – A method of folding where each fold opens in the opposite direction to its neighbour, giving a concertina or pleated effect.
Consignee – The name given to the person to whom the shipment is addressed, the recipient of the mailing piece.
Consignment – The name given to an article once it has been picked up by a distribution company.
Consignor – the consignor is the person or company sending/shipping the goods. The details of the person/company will be on the Bill Of Lading as the party contracting with the carrier company responsible for the delivery.
Crash fold – Folding a document in more than 1 direction. For example, an A3 sheet folded to A4 and then crash folded to DL for mailing.
Crease – An indent made in paper to make folding easier. It minimises cracking of the ink and paper at the edge of the fold.
Clean Mail – An Australia Post service providing cheaper rates to those who present a minimum of 300 correctly machine addressed items.
Creep – When the middle pages of a folded booklet extend slightly beyond the outside pages.
CMYK – The abbreviation for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The colours used in our full-colour printing process.
CSV – A database file with Comma Separated Values. CSV is a standard export format for many applications, most notably, Microsoft Excel.
CTP – Computer-to-plate, a process of printing directly from a computer onto the plates used by a printing press, it eliminates the need for a separate film-to-plate exposure system.
Cyan – The blue colour used in four-colour process printing.
Database Cleaning – The process of updating a list in order to remove undeliverable addresses.
Database – A file that contains records, information such as customer names and addressing details, typically stored in a systematic way on computer.
Data Entry – Entering records, names and addressing details onto computer one at a time from handwritten or printed material
Dead Mail – Mail sent to an incorrect address , which cannot be returned to the sender usually because there is no return address.
Deadline – The agreed time/date by which a project must be completed.
Debossing – An inverted form of embossing. An image or decoration is recessed into the paper, so it’s lower than the paper surface.
Deduplication – The process of removing duplicate addresses and names from a database.
Digital proofing – The final hard copy view of your artwork before it hits the press and your final chance to make changes. Digital proofing incurs an extra charge and is not compulsory.
Direct Marketing – Mail or advertising such as brochures or flyers promoting an organization addressed to it’s recipient, i.e. membership groups.
Distiller job options – When creating a PDF only use Adobe Acrobat Distiller. Melbourne Mail Management’s distiller settings (job options) can be obtained by downloading them from this website. Download the setting compatible to your operating system.
DL – A paper size measuring 99 x 210mm
DLX – An envelope size measuring 120 x 235mm
Doc – A Microsoft Word file.
Domestic Mail – An item which is being mailed within the same country of origin.
DPI (dots per inch) – The measurement of resolution for page printers, phototypesetting machines and graphics screens.
DPID – Abbreviation of Delivery Point Identifier - an 8 digit code allocated to each delivery point.
Drilling – The process of drilling holes in printed material.
Duplex – Printing on both sides of a sheet of paper.
