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FAQ |
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Glossary of Terms |
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| Glossary of Terms |
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| Advertising Specialty:
A useful or interesting item of merchandise usually
carrying an imprinted advertising or promotional message
and given with no obligation. Another, though older, term
for promotional products. |
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Blind Embossing: A
design which is stamped in a promotional product without
metallic leaf or ink giving a bas-relief effect.
Business Gift: Merchandise given by a business
in goodwill, without obligation to its customers, employees,
friends and the like. Unlike promotional products, the
business gift often is not imprinted with the advertiser's
identification. |
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Cloisonne:
Metal emblems that are stamped from a die. A colored paste
made from ground glass is applied into the recessed areas
of the emblem. The emblem is then fired at 1400 degrees
and polished by stone and pumice to achieve brilliant
color. Gullies and ridges separate each individual color,
so fine lines between colors are difficult to achieve.
This is considered a very high-quality product, and is
slightly more costly than other alternatives. Used in
emblematic jewelry and pins.
Cost Per Thousand (CPM): The cost of reaching
one thousand units of a media vehicle's circulation or
audience with a particular advertising unit. Thus, the
cost of an advertising unit divided by the circulation
or audience (however it is defined) of the media vehicle
in which it appears. Since promotional products are advertising
media, one can calculate their CPM just as one would in
traditional advertising. |
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Dealer Incentive: Premium or other
reward given by manufacturer to retailers or distributors
in return for a specified bulk purchase.
Debossing: The image is depressed into a material
such as paper, leather or suede, so the image sits below
the product surface. Ink may or may not accompany the
stamp (color stamping).
Decal Transfer: A water-soluble decal, printed
on an offset or letterset press, is submerged in water
and slid onto the product to be imprinted. The decal is
rubbed with a cloth or squeegee to remove any excess water
and air from between the product and the decal. The product
is then kiln-fired. Once fired, the decal becomes fused
with the glaze. Hairline registration and superior reproduction
of detail make it an excellent choice. This imprint withstands
washing very well. This method is labor intensive, since
each decal must be aligned and applied by hand. Used in
when many colors and tight registration are desired on
less than perfect porcelain, ceramic and glass products.
Die: A mold into which molten metal, plastic
or other material is forced to make a special shape, such
as pen barrels or rings. Also a tool made of very hard
material used to press a special shape into or onto a
softer material such as coins and emblems.
Die-casting: Molten metal is injected into the
cavity of a carved die (a mold).Die Cutting: The use of
sharp steel blades to cut special shapes from printed
sheets.
Die-Stamp: Steel plate engraved with desired
image used to “stamp” (apply) gold or silver
leaf.
Die-striking: A method
of producing emblems and other flat promotional products.
A blank, cut from a metal sheet, is struck with a hammer
that holds the die.
Die-Struck (Die-Stamp): A die is used to press
an image into a softer metal such as brass or gold. The
die is put into a press, and the press is released and
actually squeezes the metal into the recess of the die
making the imprint on the metal. The height of detail
is not as deep as casting; the letters and /images are
shorter. Fine detail and deep /images cannot be achieved
because the lines and gullies in the die may break during
the striking process. Used in metals such as medals, coins
and belt buckles.
Direct Premium: An
item given free with a purchase at the time of the purchase.
Includes on-packs, in-packs and container premiums as
well as those given separately.
Direct Response Advertising: Advertising that
seeks an immediate response from consumers by mail or
telephone usually outside established channels of distribution.
Direct response advertising may be carried by mail, by
the broadcast media or by the printed media. |
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Embedments: Materials such as a product
replica, for example, are suspended in a clear substrate,
usually poured acrylic or Lucite(r).
Embossing: Stamping an image on a material, such
as paper, leather or suede, so the image rises above the
surface of the object. As in debossing, ink may or may
not accompany the stamp.
Embroidery: A design stitched onto a material
through the use of high speed, computer controlled sewing
machines. The design is reproduced with tightly-stitched
thread. Embroidery is most commonly used on logo patches
and directly on some wearables. Fine detail is difficult
to achieve.
Engraving: The cutting or etching of designs
or letters on metal, wood, glass or other materials. There
are three engraving techniques. hand-engraving, hand-tracing,
and computerized laser engraving. Engraving is performed
with a diamond point or rotary blade that cuts into the
surface of the product. Engraving offers a permanent imprint
that will not wear off because it is cut into the metal
base. Used in metals such as trophies, pens and nameplates.
Etching: The product to be imaged is coated with
a resist (a protective coating that resists the acid).
An image is exposed on the resist, usually photographically,
leaving bare metal and protected metal. The acid attacks
the exposed metal thus leaving the image etched into the
surface of the metal. Very fine lines can be reproduced
by this process and the only tooling is a piece of film,
so spec samples are easily-made. |
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Flexography: A flexible rubber plate
is wrapped around a cylinder for speed and control. As
the paper moves under the printing plate, it is pressed
against the printing plate by another roller, and the
ink is transferred onto the paper. A separate plate is
needed for each individual color. Typically done on less
expensive materials than screen printing. The inks are
very thin and not as durable as those used in screen printing.
Font: The collection of a typeface
including the lower case, caps, numbers and special characters
having unified design. This can be an important consideration
when copy includes foreign terms or names with special
characters. The different kinds and quantity of characters
in a font will vary according to the manufacturer of the
typesetting system.
Four-Color Process:
The reproduction of full-color artwork through
the combination of four process ink colors - magenta (red),
cyan (blue), yellow and black - in specified intensities.
Colors are separated into individual color plates so that
when printed in register, they produce a full-color illustration.
Four-color separations refer specifically to the process
colors: magenta, cyan, yellow and black.
Fulfillment: The process of packaging and shipping
an order for a distributor. Fulfillment may be performed
by a supplier, a distributor or an independent fulfillment
house. |
| Glass Etching: A process in which a
piece of glass is covered with a template that has a design
cut out of it. The glass is then sandblasted while the
portion of the item not covered by the template is protected.
The template image is thus etched into the glass. |
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Halftone: The reproduction of a continuous
tone artwork (such as a photograph) done by filtering
light through a screen that converts the image into a
pattern of dots of varying size.
Heat Transfer Printing (Direct Transfer Process): Image
is screened on a transfer substrate which is then laid
directly on the material to be imprinted. The image is
then “transferred” from the substrate to the
material through the use of heat and pressure.
Works best on cotton and cotton blends.
Heat Transfer Printing (Sublimation): A process
in which a design is transferred to a synthetic fabric
by heat and pressure. The heat causes the inks to turn
into a gas so that they penetrate the fabric and combine
with it to form a permanent imprint.
Hot Stamping: Method is which type or designs
in the form of a relief die are impressed with heat and
pressure through metallic or pigmented foil onto the printed
surface. It is used to decorate fabric, leather, paper,
wood, hard rubber, coated metal and all types of plastic.
Hot stamping is a “dry” imprinting process
meaning the object can be handled immediately after the
stamping without fear of smearing the imprint. |
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Image Advertising: Advertising designed
to make its recipients feel more favorable toward the
advertiser by portraying the advertiser in a favorable
light.
Incentive: Reward for a purchase or performance;
as it applies to promotional products, it could be, depending
on the response required, an ad specialty, premium or
prize.
Ink Jet: A printer that reproduces by projecting
ink onto paper without the mechanical impact of plates. |
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Laminated: Coated with a clear plastic
or two separate sheets of paper joined together as a single
sheet to provide a special thickness or varying colors
from side to side.
Laser Engraving: A
process in which an optically-read or stenciled art/copy
is engraved (burned) into a material by a laser beam.
Wood is the most common lasered material, but acrylic,
some plastics, marble, leather and paper are also used.
Metal requires specialized lasers.
Lenticular Printing: A process of creating multi-dimensional,
animated or bi-view effects by photographing with an extremely
fine screen and placing plastic made up of tiny lenses
over the top. Sometimes called xography.
Letterpress Printing: The original method of
mechanical printing, still used though to a lesser extent,
based on relief printing. In other words, the ink is transferred
from raised metal or rubber to the receiving surface.
Also called rubber-plate printing.
Litho
(Lithography): A generic term for printed material.
Most typically used to refer to offset printed paper that
is intended to be mounted to a display.
Logos/Trademarks: A firm's registered symbol,
outline, drawing, picture, brand, abbreviation or unusual
type style of letter, word or brand name. Used in identifying
and advertising and becomes recognized as synonymous with
that particular company, brand or service. |
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Offset Lithography (OFFset Printing): A
printing method in which an inked image on a flat plate
is transferred to a rubber surface before being pressed
on the printing surface. The plate surface is treated
to accept greasy ink in image areas that resist water
and to accept water in non-image areas while resisting
ink. In this method of printing, the ink is less likely
to rub off after an object is handled as often happens
with letterpress printing.
Overrun: An additional number of products in
excess of what was originally ordered. Five to ten percent
is generally considered customary and acceptable. |
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Pad Printing: A recessed surface is
covered with ink. The plate is wiped clean, yet the ink
remains in the recessed area of the plate. A silicone
pad presses against the plate and pulls the ink out of
the recesses. The pad then moves and presses directly
against the product. Pad printing is excellent for imprinting
small, unusually-shaped objects for which screen printing
is not practical. Small watch dials and cylinder shapes
are some examples. This is not the most highly-recommended
process for imprinting large areas; screen printing is
better for large areas of ink coverage. Used in plastics,
paper, ceramics, glassware, wearables, leather and vinyl.
Photo Etching (Metal): Process in which an illustration
and/or copy is imprinted into metal, usually aluminum,
by acid and then sealed by an anodizing process. This
is popular for awards and plaques.
Plate: An image carrier, rubber or metal
which transfers the ink to the printing surface.
Point-of-Purchase Advertising (POP): Advertising
materials - displays, cards, etc. - which are placed within
retail stores at the place where purchases are actually
made.
Pre-Production Proof: A product imprinted
with the specified design and copy of an issued purchase
order. Its purpose is to clarify the appearance of the
product and the imprint prior to manufacturing.
Premium: A product or service offered
free or at a reduced price if the recipient performs some
task, such as purchasing an item, meeting a sales quota,
etc. Usually consumer-related.
Promotional Products: Useful items that can be
imprinted with the name of a company or individual and
given free to the end user without obligation.
Puff Prints: A screening process, using
“puff inks.” After screening, the product
is exposed to heat. A chemical additive in the ink will
cause the ink to rise as it is heated to dry. This process
must be used on a cotton weave material where the ink
has something to latch on to. Therefore, it cannot be
used on nylon. Used on wearables, such as caps and hats,
T-shirts. |
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| Register / Registration: Positioning
of elements in printing so their /images will be located
precisely as desired on the printed sheet especially with
reference to applying additional colors. |
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Screen Process Printing: A method in
which image is transferred to the surface to be printed
by means of ink squeezed by a squeegee through a stenciled
screen stretched over a frame. Screens are treated with
a light-sensitive emulsion, and then the film positives
are put in contact with the screens and exposed to a strong
light. The light hardens the emulsion not covered by the
film leaving a soft area on the screen for the squeegee
to force ink through. Screen printing is capable of printing
on irregular shaped objects. Glass, plastic, fabric and
wood are popular materials on which to screenprint. Also
called “silk screening.”
Set Up and Running Charges: Special charges added
to certain products that are priced in the catalog without
printing included in the price. The set-up charge covers
the cost of preparing type for the copy on the press;
the running charge covers the actual printing.
Specialty Advertising: Another, older name for
promotional products.
Step and Repeat: The same image is printed continuously
in a pattern on the same sheet of paper. |
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| Thermography: A process for imitating
copperplate engraving, such as on calling cards, by dusting
the freshly printed ink surface with resin powder which,
when heated, fuses with the ink to form a slightly raised
surface. The finished product is very similar to embossed
printing in feel and appearance but is much less expensive.
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| Underrun: A number of products less
than what was originally ordered |
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