Screen Printing

An image is transferred to the printed surface by ink, which is pressed through a stenciled screen and treated with a light-sensitive emulsion. Film positives are put in contact with the screens and exposed to light, hardening the emulsion not covered by film and leaving a soft area on the screen for the squeegee to press ink through. (Also called silk screening)

Pad Printing

A recessed surface is covered with ink. The plate is wiped clean, leaving ink in the recessed areas. A silicone pad is then pressed against the plate, pulling the ink out of the recesses, and pressing it directly onto the product.

4-color Process

A system where a color image is separated into 4 different color values by the use of filters and screens (usually done digitally). The result is a color separation of 4 images, that when transferred to printing plates and printed on a printing press with the colored inks cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black, reproduces the original color image. These four colors can be combined to create thousands of colors.

Camera-ready

Artwork that is black and white and has very clean, crisp lines that make it easy to scan and suitable for photographic reproduction.

Bleeds

Printers cannot print right to the edge of a paper sheet. To create that effect, the printer must use a sheet, which is larger than the document size. Then the printer prints beyond the edge of the document size (usually 1/8”), then cuts the paper down to the document size.

Imprint Area

The area on a product, with specific dimensions, in which the imprint is placed.

Embroidery:

Deboss:

Emboss:

Hot Stamping:

A dry printing method of lithography in which predried ink or foils are transferred to a surface at high temperatures. The non-polluting method has diversified since its rise to prominence in the 19th century to include a variety of colors and processes. Widely used on plastic and paper (where it is a common technique in security printing), it is applicable to other sources as well.

Etching:

Foil Stamp Pring:

The application of metallic or pigmented foil on to a solid surface by application of a heated die onto foil, making it permanently adhere to the surface below leaving the design of the die.

Die-casting:

Die-striking:

A custom die is created with a design then stamped into metal.

Colorfill:

Colored epoxy enamel is used to fill the cavities of the die struck medal emblem. The color fill is used to recreate the art or logo image desired.

Laser (Engraving):

The practice of using lasers to engrave an object.

Sublimation:

A printing process that uses heat to transfer dye onto materials such as a plastic, card, paper, or fabric. The sublimation name was first applied because the dye was considered to make the transition between the solid and gas states without going through a liquid stage.

Heat-transfer:

Heat printing, also known as heat transfer printing, is the process of applying heat-applied materials to various items (i.e., substrates) with a heat press. Heat-applied materials contain a heat-sensitive adhesive on one side; when heat is applied by a heat press to the material, the material adheres to the substrate to which it is being applied. The end result is a decorated garment. 

Offset Printing:

A commonly used technique in which the inked image is transferred (or “offset”) from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface.