S - Printing Terminology and Facts

SADDLE STITCHING

A method of binding where the folded sections of a brochure are held together using metal wire to form staples punched through the fold of the spine.

SCANNER

The equipment which converts flat images, ie. transparencies, photographic prints, line drawings etc, into a digital image for use on a computer.

SCANS

The name given to digitised images, produced on a scanner from originals such as transparencies, photographic prints, line drawings etc. that are subsequently used to reproduce the originals by way of computerised origination.

SEAL COATING

A coating applied to printed matter that is quick drying and protects literature from ink smuding and finger marking. A sealer generally has a neutral finish, and will not affect the appearance of a printed job.

SET OFF

This is the unintentional transfer of wet ink from one printed sheet to another during the printing proces.

SHEET FED PRESS

Printing presses on which the paper to be printed is fed in as individual sheets, albeit in a continuous stream. They are suitable for all types of commercial printing , particularly high quality work.

SHRINK WRAPPING

Method of packing printed products by surrounding them with a thin plastic film which is then shrunk by heat to form a taut protective covering.

SIDE-WIRE STITCHING

A method of binding where collated single leaves are held together with wire stitches punched through from the front or back close to the spine. The stitches can be hidden by either glueing a separate cover around the spine, or affixing binding tape, as with cheque books.

SPECIAL COLOUR

This is a colour that is specially mixed rather than printed from CMYK and is listed in a Pantone colour swatch book. For example, if a corporate logo contains a special blue and is included in a brochure with photographs and text, this is termed a five-colour job. (CMYK for pictures and text + special blue = five colours).

SPINE OR BINDING EDGE

The side of a printed document on which any binding is applied – or the folded edge on an unbound item – opposite the foredge.

SPINE GLUEING

A method of binding used on booklets that have relatively few pages, in which inset sections are held together by a thin strip of adhesive applied down the folded spines.

SPIRAL BINDING

Method of binding loose leaves (most commonly used for notepads) where a single strand of wire is passed through holes punched on the binding edge of the leaves in a spiral. Should not be confused with wire-o binding.

SRA AND RA SIZES

Two of the series of standard paper sizes, used by printers to define the finished size of printing sheets on which finished A size jobs can be produced. They are oversized sheets, to allow for colour bars, binding margins, glue flaps etc., and considerable savings can be made if such constraints are taken into account when jobs are being designed.

STAB STITCHING

A method of binding where collated single leaves are held together with wire stitches punched through from the front and back close to the spine. The stitches can be hidden by either glueing a separate cover around the spine, or affixing binding tape, as with cheque books.