PRINT TECH - PAPER
PAPER SIZES
The A series is used for general printed matter, including letterhead and publications.
A0 - 841mm x 1189mm
A1 - 594mm x 841mm
A2 - 420mm x 594mm
A3 - 297mm x 420mm
A4 - 210mm x 297mm
A5 - 148mm x 210mm
A6 - 105mm x 148mm
A7 - 74mm x 105mm
A8 - 52mm x 74mm
PAPER GRAMMAGE
Outside America the weight of paper is measured in grams. The paper weight is defined by the amount of grams per square meter (GSM). Basically the higher the GSM or 'Grammage' the thicker the stock).
Examples of the basic grammage used for different generic jobs
Business Cards - 250gsm/300gsm
Letterheads - 80gsm/120gsm
Posters - 170gsm
DLE Brochures - 200gsm/250gsm
Rack Cards - 250gsm/300gsm
PRINT TECH - BINDINGS, BLEEDS & FOLDS
STANDARD BINDING TYPES
There are many ways to bind loose sheets, folded sheets, or signatures together - each with its own set of aesthetic, cost and durability considerations. Here is an overview of some binding options most readily available.
Perfect Binding
Paper is gathered in a stack. Glue is applied along the spine edges of the pages. The cover is applied while the adhesive is hot and wrapped around the book to give a bound book finish.
Saddle Stitch
Pages are placed one inside another with cover scored and placed over the top. The whole document is stapled at the centre of the spine.
Screw Binding
Individual pages and cover are collected together, stacked then drilled and fastened together with posts held in by screws. Screws can be unscrewed to add or remove pages as needed.
Wire & Plastic Spiral Binding
Pages and cover or cover sheet are assembled, collated, and held together by a spiral piece of plastic or wire inserted into drilled holes.
BLEED
If you have images or backgrounds that you want to print (bleed) off the edge of the paper, then you must design your job larger than the final CUT SIZE. We create bleeds by actually cutting through the enlarged image/background.
To create bleeds, make your document larger than the final CUT SIZE. We require that you make your document 3mm larger on all four sides, therefore, the size with bleeds will be larger than the final cut size in both dimensions. For example, if you are printing a A3 Poster with a final cut size of 297mm x 420mm, then the size with bleeds (BLEED SIZE) will be 303mm x 426mm.
FOLD TEMPLATES
Fold styles have standard names that are used when communicating with printers and designers. Following is a list of some of the most common styles and their names.
Four Page Simple Fold
Six Page Accordion Fold
Six Page Barrel or Roll Fold
Eight Page Gatefold
Eight Page French Fold / Sixteen Page Signature
Eight Page Parallel Fold
