We’re a brainy bunch here at PMG – that’s clever print management for you! We’re such print management boffins, however, that it’s sometimes easy to forget that not everyone is as up to speed with the industry jargon and convoluted meta-language as we are. We appreciate that print management can be a little confusing at times, so we’ve compiled this short glossary of terms to make our industry more easily comprehensible in future:
Branding – Branding is an important marketing process for many companies, involving such processes as logo design, typography and even the ordering of corporate stationery. A well-branded company will boast a strong colour scheme, recognisable logo and other powerful visual cues.
Brightness – Brightness is a term that refers to the look of paper used for printing. Brighter papers are more ‘white’ than duller papers, providing a greater contrast between the image and the compound it’s printed on.
Direct mail – Direct mail is a form of print marketing through which companies will send promotional materials via the post to potential customers and clients. Direct mail marketing may involve the sending of leaflets, catalogues, newsletters or other printed materials.
Environmentalism – Environmentalism is a philosophy embraced by many companies committed to reducing humankind’s negative impact on the environment. Here at PMG Print Management our environmental policies involve sourcing renewable paper from Europe.
Finishes – Printed materials can boast different finishes, and each finish gives the completed product a different look. Finishes include: varnishing, UV varnishing, laminating, foil stamping, embossing and letter pressing.
Print – Print is a term distinct from print management, referring either to the process of creating print products or to the products themselves.
Printing presses – Printing presses are machines designed to transfer ink to a print medium – in most instances, paper. Modern printing presses can help to create thousands of identical print products in a matter of minutes.
Print management – Print management is our bread and butter here at PMG. Print management is the process of controlling print itself – whether by reducing resource depletion and paper wastage or increasing efficiency in order to save our clients money.
Print marketing – Print marketing is the process of using print to attract new customers and retain old ones. It’s a broad church – point-of-sale advertisements, billboard posters and business cards all fall under the remit of print marketing!
Typography – Typography is a catchall phrase referring to printed text – either digital or physical. When discussing typography one must consider font styles, sizes, colour and the aforementioned finishes, to name but a few important considerations.
The above are just ten of the most common phrases employed in the print management industry – there are many more where that came from! If you’re still confused regarding any aspects of print management or your future print projects, keep an eye on the PMG blog for our latest guides and advice or contact us for more information.
