Industry- specific jargon!

How often do you feel frustrated by “industry-specific” jargon? If you’re like me then that feeling can be quite frequent. So I’m here to talk straight, bust the jargon and help build some language bridges to build your confidence when it comes to the industry I’m involved in. The industry of branded stuff!!

My biggest bug bear is anything abbreviated to initials! other people, however, get bamboozled by technical terms especially when they are embarking on getting things produced! As is the case when clients commission print, promotional items or branded clothing, which is my area of speciality.I forget sometimes to talk in a language that our clients can easily understand  because specific projects involve particular branding techniques which do have technical terms. That’s why I am putting together a series of jargon busting blogs. As a business, we must communicate clearly and support our customers with the processes involved to produce their jobs -explaining the processes and clarifying terms where we can. I hope this first in a series of blogs, will shine a light on jargon!

So here’s a whistlestop jargon busting tour for technical term phobics like me…..Let’s start with some I come across every day when I’m handling client orders.

Jargon List 1

• BLEED – this is the “extra” area around a print design that a printer needs (usually 3mm) so they can print onto a sheet slightly larger than the finished document size, and then trim the bleed off when they cut the printed sheet down to the document size.
• DIE CUT – the cutting of special shapes from printed or unprinted material
• DIGITISING- this is the process of converting artwork/your logo/design into a stitched file for embroidery purposes.It translates the design so it can be read by an embroidery machine and interprets the design into different stitch types.
• EMBOSSING AND DEBOSSING- embossing impresses an image into the surface in relief – creating a raised finish and debossing is the opposite – creating a sunken in finish.
• EMBROIDERY – A design stitched onto a material using a high speed computer controlled embroidery machine.
• FULL COLOUR/ 4 COLOUR PROCESS – A printing system where a full coloured image/design is separated into 4 main colour inks – cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black to reproduce the original colour image on a printing press. The 4 colours can be combined to create millions of colours.
• CROP – To trim or remove unwanted portions from an image
• FONT – Term used to describe a complete set of text style, otherwise know as a typeface, eg Arial or Calibri. Theses can be OT (Open Type) or TT(True Type) files.
• HIGH RES – The “res” or resolution of an image is the no. of dots that combine to make the image. The higher the no. of dots (per inch) the higher the resolution and the better it will reproduce as a printed image. Measured in dpi = dots per inch, high res is anywhere between 300 dpi and 2500 dpi.
• LEAD TIME – The amount of time needed to produce and deliver an order, and is usually taken from the time an artwork or print proof is approved. otherwise referred to as production time.
• PROOF – This is a document (electronic or physical printed image) representing how a design will be produced. A supplier will supply a proof to a client for approval before pressing the production button! It is an opportunity to check everything is correct.
• SET UP CHARGE – A one off fee (usually) charged for creating screens, foil blocks, embroidery files, die stamps, laser tools etc to use in producing your design/logo onto many products

 

ENOUGH!

Let’s stop there! Jargon overload can be harmful to your health!

Watch out for future jargon busting blogs and I’m sure I’ll get better and better at busting it, as time goes on!

Think it, Brand it, Own it, Love it!