Printing Basics Multi-document Printing Process 21st Century Business Solutions offers multi-document printing as an option to our customers. Used for the correct projects, this process can save a substantial amount of money. This is a printing process in which multiple print jobs are produced on a common print sheet. Understanding the positive aspects as well as production limitations of multi-document printing will help in your printing process decision. Positive aspects of the multi-document printing process: It saves a considerable amount of money because many cost factors are shared on the sheet to reduce the overall cost per job, also it is environmentally more friendly because ganging jobs together uses paper more efficiently by filling up the sheet and thus reducing paper waste. Limitations of the multi-document process: Color. This is by far the biggest limitation. It is difficult to maintain control of color because there are many jobs on one sheet. Therefore it is impossible for any printer using a multi-document process to be able to guarantee exact color output. This cannot be emphasized enough. Solid colors have the potential to show streaks or ink coverage may be oversaturated. Most of these issues can be avoided with a good understanding on file setup for Multi-document jobs. Finally, there is typically a smaller selection of paper and coating options. The positive aspects of multi-document printing definitely outweigh the limitations and this is illustrated by the large growth of the Multidocument process in the printing industry!

CMYK Printing Basics To understand how colors relate to printing, you should understand the difference between projected and reflective color. Projected Color Scanners and digital cameras create images using combinations of three colors: Red, Green and Blue (called “RGB”). These are the colors that computers and TVs use to display images on your screen. This is color produced by light shining out or projected color. The problem is there is no way to do “real ink on paper” printing from a file that has colors created in RGB. They must be converted to CMYK. You can convert your RGB images using an image-editing application such as Photoshop, Corel Photo Paint or another pixelbased editing application. Reflective Color When an image is printed on paper a color is produced by light hitting the paper and reflecting that color (spectrum).

In the printing industry four colors are used to produce all the colors in the rainbow: Cyan (blue), Magenta (red), Yellow and Black (K) (called “CMYK”). You must start with a CMYK image or convert your RGB image to CMYK in order to produce a printed product. You can convert your RGB images to CMYK using an image-editing application such as Photoshop, Corel Photo Paint or another pixelbased editing application.

RGB Color Model Additive color model for computer displays uses light to display color. Colors result from transmitted light: Red+Green+Blue=White

CMYK Color Model Subtractive color model for printed material uses ink to display color. Colors result from reflected light: Cyan+Magenta+Yellow=Black

RGB to CMYK Color Conversion Files that have been created in RGB will need to be converted to CMYK because it is not possible to produce ink on paper printing from an RGB image. Files that were created in RGB and converted to CMYK will have a color shift. On some designs it is not very noticeable. On others the shift will stand out. During a color conversion all colors change from being built from 3 colors to being built from 4 colors. The colors are also changed from projected light to reflective light. Notice on the RGB color chart above that when all 3 colors come together the color white is produced. When all colors come together on the CMYK color chart the color black is produced. We prefer that our customers convert their RGB images to CMYK, therefore they have control over the final outcome.

Pantone vs. Process Printing There are two basic methods of putting ink on paper. Using a specific ink color (pantone) and using the 4 CMYK colors to create the colors desired. The advantage of using Pantone colors is twofold. First the cost of the project can be less, although with Multidocument printing, this advantage has been greatly overcome, and the need to have specific colors that cannot be produced accurately by CMYK process printing. A combination of both is also used to create printed pieces that are both full color AND have specific colors that CMYK cannot accurately produce.

Pantone colors in full color printing Creating a CMYK piece using Pantone colors in the design process can cause problems when the product is produced There are three different ways Pantone colors can affect the way your job prints in a CMYK printing process The first is by object effects, such as shadows or glows, on top of your Pantone colors. Here is what the effects will look like on screen:

Here is what the effect looks like after printing:

As you can see, when a Pantone color is under these object effects, transparency issues show up during printing. To avoid this, convert all your Pantone colors into CMYK before submitting your order.

The second way Pantone colors can affect your file is when you use transparent images. Here is what a transparent image looks like on screen:

Here is what a transparent image looks like after printing:

You can see the image is no longer transparent on top of the Pantone color. These white areas will show up during printing. To fix this issue, convert all your Pantone colors into CMYK when printing full color process.

The last way Pantone colors can effect your order is the color conversion between a Pantone color and CMYK. When producing using the Multi-document process, all printing is done CMYK. Here are some examples of what the Pantone color looks like in the Pantone color book and what the CMYK print will look like:

If you send in a job with Pantone colors, the CMYK conversion will change the Pantone color. Before sending your order, make sure all Pantone colors have been converted to CMYK. Black Builds Use caution when you have a solid area that is Black. Four-color process (CMYK) should be used to create a deep, dark, black, however if the total percentage of all four colors is greater than 340% your document will not print properly. Ink will saturate the stock and you will not be pleased with the final product. The only exception to this rule is text, please see the Black Text / Font section. Please use these settings when designing your document. The optimum settings for Black are: 100% Black 60% Cyan 40% Magenta 40% Yellow Black Text / Fonts: When creating black type please give it the following CMYK break down: 100% Black 0% Cyan 0% Magenta 0% Yellow

Blue Builds The color blue consists of a color combination of Cyan and Magenta values. The higher the Magenta value, the higher the risk of your blues turning purple. To avoid your blues from turning purple we recommend the Magenta value be at least 35% lower that the Cyan value. For example: 100% Cyan and 100% Magenta equals Purple. Although this combination looks blue on your computer screen, it will print purple. When choosing the printing method, called "Multi-document Printing," 21st Century Business Solutions DOES NOT GUARANTEE the accuracy of its printing reproductions, particularly with respect to color variations.

Resolution All images used for printing should be a minimum of 300 DPI at the size used for layout. All artwork must have a minimum of 300 DPI resolution. Raster graphics, such as TIF and JPG files must have a minimum resolution of 300 DPI (dots per inch). Images with less than 300 DPI will reproduce poorly on the press, causing the image appear fuzzy and pixilated. . 21st Century Business Solutions will not be responsible for any imperfections due to submission of a low resolution image, as we require all artwork to have a minimum of 300 DPI resolution. You should not use any images from an Internet website, because the Internet displays images at 72 DPI, which is low resolution and may result in loss of quality. You should also not try to increase the resolution from a low resolution image to a higher one by increasing the DPI, because this too will create a loss of quality.

PPI vs. DPI

The first important point to understand about resolution is the difference between PPI (pixels per inch) and DPI (dots per inch). Many software programs and scanner interfaces use these two terms interchangeably but that's not exactly accurate. As a general rule, the term PPI should be used when referring to image resolution, and the term DPI should be used when referring to printing resolution. How can you remember this? Monitors display pixels, and printers produce dots. Printed images are composed of dots. Image resolution is simply the number of dots in a 1-inch grid. There are two aspects to every image - its dimension (width and height in inches) and its resolution (the number of dots per inch). These two factors alone determine the total number of dots in an image. For example, a 2-inch by 3-inch image with a resolution of 300 dots per inch contains (2 x 300) x (3 x 300) or 540,000 dots. The DPI of an image is determined when the image is captured. Let’s say you scan an image at 200 DPI into PhotoShop. Once in PhotoShop you increase it to 300 DPI. The image will print as if it were a 200 DPI image. All you have done is used 300 dots per inch to produce a 200 dots per inch image. You will need to recapture your image at 300 DPI or scale it accordingly. Format Scanned images should be saved in a TIFF (.tiff) or EPS (.eps) format to ensure the best color and sharpness possible. File formats such as GIF or JPG compress the picture and can cause it to look blurry and off-color when printed. Scanning When scanning images to be printed you should follow a few simple rules. Scan your image at the final size you will need for your page layout. Scan your image at a minimum of 300 DPI, 400 DPI if your image has text. Digital Cameras Images from digital cameras are acceptable, as long as the pixel resolution is adequate. For example, if your camera has a typical image of 1280 x 960 pixels at 72 DPI, you get about 17” x 13” of photograph at 72 DPI. This is comparable to a 4” x 3” –300 DPI image. 4” x 3” would be the maximum size that the image could appear in your printing layout. Calculating Resolution Calculate the resolution of your digital image and the maximum size you can go to retain a 300 DPI resolution as follows: Determine the pixel dimensions from your digital camera Divide those numbers by 300 (divide by 400 if the image contains text). For example, an image without any text has a pixel dimension of 900 x 1200. When divided by 300, the maximum size of the image in your layout comes out to 3” x 4.” If you make the image any larger, it will not look sharp. Web Images You may be tempted to use a photo that you have lifted off of a favorite web site in your printing layout. Website images have a low resolution (72 DPI) and look terrible when printed on an offset press. Also, web images are in GIF or JPG format, so these images are sure to look disappointing in your final product. Check to make sure all images are at least 300 DPI and are legally available for use. Proofing / Color Viewing What you see is NOT what you get! Computer monitors display in RGB (Red, Green, Blue), while printed materials use process colors CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black). This means that your final printed product will look sharp and crisp, but the colors will look slightly DIFFERENT from those you see on your monitor. If matching colors is absolutely critical, be sure to order a hard copy proof. It is important to convert all your images to CMYK prior to submission. Document Submission Requirements st 21 Century Business Solutions requires that multiple page documents be created as single pages - not printer's spreads. st 21 Century Business Solutions requires a 1/8" bleed st 21 Century Business Solutions requires a 1/8" safe area st 21 Century Business Solutions requires a 1/8" gutter on all folds All files submitted for full color printing need to be CMYK All files submitted for printing and all design elements need to be 300 DPI at the final print size.

How do I use 21st Century Business Solutions templates? Our Certified Templates are a great tool to create artwork that can be printed faster, easier, and more accurately. If you are using Illustrator, you can use our specialized EPS templates. If you are using something other then Illustrator, request the JPG version. Here is what each of the lines mean inside the template:

Here is what an 8.5x11 brochure template looks like:

These templates will help you identify where the cut line, bleed line, and safety line, are located along with other information so you can design your art correctly.

Some of our templates are labeled as OUT and IN. This means that there is some folding involved with the template. OUT means the FRONT of the job and IN means the BACK. During the upload part of your order, remember that OUT is the FRONT and IN is the BACK. Here is an example of the fold-over business card template:

As you can see, OUT is the FRONT of the job and after folding, will be facing outward. You can also see the rotation of the job. The front must be positioned upside down so it can fold correctly. Remember, do not move or change any part of the template when using them. Please call us for the certified template you need. Fonts Drawing Applications - convert all of your fonts to paths or curves. Image Editing Applications - flatten or rasterize your fonts. Native Files - from any other application be sure to include all fonts with your document. PostScript and Tiff - files are all inclusive so no fonts are needed. EPS - files maintain some of the characteristics of the application they were created in therefore fonts may be needed. PDFs - most of the time no fonts are required, however on occasion a font will be needed. To avoid having your type “reflow” during processing, it is very important that you do not add any style (bold, italic) to the fonts from the “type styles” option in either Mac or Windows. Use fonts from the original font family (i.e. Helvetica Bold or Helvetica Italic). Screen Font Substitution Screen font substitution occurs when a font such as "Venice" is available on the printer, but is not installed on your computer. Windows will allow you to choose this font, but will display another font, such as "Times", on the computer screen. The printer device will still print the correct font. The result is a discrepancy between what you see on the screen and what is printed. You can often tell which fonts are installed on your computer by opening the Fonts control panel and viewing the list of fonts. Most Windows programs will also display a "TT" icon next to installed fonts, and a printer icon next to fonts installed on the printer device but not installed on your computer.

To avoid screen font substitution issues use only fonts available on your computer.

Printer Font Substitution Printer font substitution occurs when you specify a font that is not installed on your computer, or on your printer device. This can happen if you switch printer drivers after composing a document for the first printer. For instance, if the "Venice" font is installed on the first printer, but not on your computer, the first printer could still print out the correct font. If you then switch printer drivers to one that does not have "Venice" installed, the second printer will substitute another font in place of the missing font. In this case, Windows will substitute a font on your screen and when printing. If you are lucky, the same font will be substituted in both cases, but there is no guarantee that this will be the case. Word Wrapping Word wrapping occurs when the flow of text changes when you switch printer drivers. This change could be as small as a single word at the end of one line wrapping to the beginning of the next line, or as large as reflowing your entire document. When you switch printer drivers, the document is automatically reformatted to meet the requirements of the new printer. Several factors can cause word wrapping changes, including different margin requirements, font substitution, and printer resolution. Bleeds

If your document contains images or colors that extend to the edge of the page, it is considered a document with bleeds. To understand bleeds you need to know a little about the printing process. When paper moves through a press it shifts a little from side to side. The movement is very slight and in most cases not noticeable. It does start to become apparent when you are printing a document that has a design element that prints all the way up to the edge of the document. Let’s use a 2” x 3.5” business card with a blue background for an example. If you are printing your card at 2” x 3.5” and the paper shifts 1/64” of an inch to the right during printing, then you will have 1/64” of white on the left. If you card moves 1/64” to the bottom you will have 1/64” of white on the top. Over the years the printing industry has a trick to compensate for the movement of the paper. The trick is to extend your background color past the cut edge of your document. When this is done you have enough color so the white is cut off. This extra color that extends past the cut edge of your document is what is known as a bleed in the printing industry. Example - Let’s say you are printing the same 2” x 3.5” business cards with a blue background, however this time your card is set up at the size of 2.25” x 3.75”. You have extended your blue color .125” past each edge of your business card. Now when your card shifts

1/64” to the left there is enough bleed on the right to cover the shift. If your card shifts 1/64” to the bottom then there is enough color to cover the top. Once the printing is done, we cut your 2.25” x 3.75” business cards down to 2” x 3.5”. The end result is you have a stack of 2” x 3.5” business cards and no white spaces around the outside. 21st Century Business Solutions asks that customers provide a 1/8” or .125” bleed on documents that bleed. This .125” bleed will make your file size .25” larger than the final size of your document. Let’s say you are printing an 8.5” x 11” Product Sheet that bleeds. If you add .125” bleed to the left and .125” bleed to the right and then do the same top and bottom, the end result is document that is 8.75” x 11.25”. Safe Area Please read the above section about bleeds first. To understand a Safe Area you need to know a little about the printing process. When paper moves through a press it shifts a little from side to side. The movement is very slight and in most cases not noticeable. It does start to become apparent when you have a design element that is too close to the cut edge of your document. You also run the risk of part of your design element being cut if it is to close to the edge. To help hide the fact that the paper has shifted and to keep your design elements from getting cut we ask that you keep all of your elements, that do not bleed, a pre-determined distance away from the cut edge. The pre-determined distance is what we call a safe area.

21st Century Business Solutions asks that customers provide a safe area of .125” on all products. Example – If you are printing a 2” x 3.5” business card that does not bleed, you should contain your design elements to 1.75” x 3.25”. This will leave a blank space of .125” on all sides of your business card. This will help hide the fact that the paper shifted and will keep parts of your design from being cut off.

Critical Folds To understand Critical Folds you need to know a little about the printing process. When paper moves through a press it shifts a little from side to side. The movement is very slight and in most cases not noticeable. It does start to become apparent when you have a design element that is too close to a fold. To help hide the fact that the paper has shifted we ask that you keep all of your elements a pre-determined distance away from the fold. The pre-determined distance is what we call a gutter. 21st Century Business Solutions asks that customers provide a gutter of .125”. The .125” gutter needs to be on both sides of the fold. It is OK to extend a background image or color across a fold as long as the background image does not start or stop within .125” of the fold. If you have a document to print that has design elements that start and stop on a fold OR are closer than .125” to a fold then it is considered a document with Critical Folds. We will make every effort to maintain your folds as you have requested, however we do not guarantee critical folds in the Multi-document print process. Gate and Double Gate Folds - Please be aware that there needs to be a minimum of .125" space where the two inside folds meet. We will do our best to line up all folds, but do not guarantee them. Not having this buffer will cause the paper to buckle and dog-ear in the fold.

Overprinting In the past, certain objects were set to overprint to avoid the need for trapping and avoid gaps between touching colors. However, our automated system accounts for these issues and makes it unnecessary to set objects to overprint. We recommend that all overprinting objects be turned off before you submit your files. We will not be held responsible for errors occurring due to overprinting objects. Most often, you won't even notice when proofing your pdf proof. If using standard Acrobat settings, your proof will look accurate and the printed product will not. When reviewing your proof, be sure that your Acrobat Overprint Preview setting is enabled and that you're using the most current version of Acrobat. Enabling Overprint Preview: Mac Instructions - With the PDF open, choose Advanced > Print Production > Overprint Preview. PC Instructions - With the PDF open, choose Edit > Preferences > Page Display > Use Overprint Preview: "Always". See the samples below: Pdf Proof WITHOUT Overprint Preview

Pdf Proof WITH Overprint Preview

Printed Product

How to create print ready files. Illustrator CS (v 11) - PC

Illustrator Layout Rules Create your document with measurements that match the final trim size of your piece unless you have a bleed. If your document has a bleed then add .25" to your document size. This extra area will be trimmed off during the finishing process. Examples: If you are creating an 8.5''x11'' tri-fold brochure NO BLEEDS, your document size should be 8.5''x11''. If you are creating an 8.5"x11" tri-fold brochure WITH BLEEDS your document size should be 8.75 "x11.25". Please do not use transparencies or drop shadows. These effects are still under development and they will cause problems with your job. We recommend that you take your image into Photoshop and create the effect you desire then place that image into Illustrator. Bleeds: If your document contains images or colors that extend to the edge of the page, it is considered a document with bleeds. To ensure that these images appear correctly, without any white space between the image and the edge of your document, it is important to extend any bleeds .125” beyond the finish size of the document. You do this by creating a document that is .25" larger than the finished size of your printed piece. Please refer the information above in the Document Size section. This extra area will be trimmed off during the finishing process. Live, or “safe” Area: Make sure that all your images and text are inside of a “safe” margin of .25” around the inside edge of your document. Note, if your document has a bleed then your safe margin will be .325" around the inside edge of your document. Colors: With our Multi-document printing process, we print with a standard four-color process. This means that all colors should be created in CMYK. To check a color, double click the color in the swatches pallet, when the swatch option menu pops up make sure the color type says process and color mode says CMYK. Black Builds: Use caution when you have a solid area that is Black. Four-color process (CMYK) should be used to create a deep, dark, black, however if the total percentage of all four colors is greater than 340% your document will not print properly. Ink will saturate the stock and you will not be pleased with the final product. The only exception to this rule is text, please see the Black Text / Font section. We have developed stetting that we know work well on our presses. Please use these setting when designing your document. The optimum settings for Black are: 60% Cyan 40% Magenta 40% Yellow 100% Black. Linked Images; If you are Importing Images OR creating Images in Illustrator to link to other applications your files must meet our criteria to ensure quick and accurate turnaround of your job. Make sure your linked images are: In CMYK mode – regardless of their original software application, Saved in TIFF or EPS format – Do not send files in JPG, BMP, PICT or GIF. All images must be a minimum of 300 DPI for photo images and 600 DPI for bitmap (black and white scanned) line art. Vector art files from programs such as Illustrator or Freehand should be saved as EPS files for placement into your layout. Confirm that all your links are present before sending your files. Do not use OPI Fonts / Text: Please convert all text to paths. BLACK TEXT / FONTS: When creating black type please give it the following CMYK break down: 100% Black 0% Cyan 0% Magenta 0% Yellow WHITE TEXT / FONTS: When creating white type please do not select the text to overprint. If you do the white text will show up on your PDF proof but will not print on your printed piece. Scaling Images Be very careful when scaling images that you have imported to your layout. Do not enlarge any image greater than 125% of its original size. If you do, you will decrease the image’s effective resolution and the result will be a poor quality printed image. You may generally reduce an image to any size. Vector art, created in a program like Illustrator or Freehand, may be reduced or enlarged to any size without compromising quality. Gradient Mesh Tool: Don’t use the Gradient Mesh tool found in later versions of Illustrator. It doesn’t print properly. Layers: Eliminate any extraneous layers or items in the layout. Output Instructions You can save your file as one of the following file formats: PDF .ai

Adobe Acrobat/Distiller Settings - PC

These instructions are ONLY for users who have a full version of Adobe Acrobat Distiller 4.0 or higher. We prefer only PDF files that have been distilled through a full version of Adobe Acrobat Distiller with the output settings set to the specifications listed below. We do not prefer PDF files that are produced as an output option from other Applications because they can be low quality. Warning; once we receive your PDF file we cannot check or increase the quality level. Your printed piece will be produced from your PDF as is. Open Adobe Acrobat Distiller Go to the Settings pull down menu and select Edit Adobe PDF Settings...

Under the General tag match the setting shown below

Under the Images tag match the setting shown below

Under the Fonts tag match the setting shown below

Under the Color tag match the setting shown below

Under the Advanced tag match the setting shown below

Click Save As and name your settings 21st Century Print Settings Click OK st

Make sure that 21 Century Settings are selected in the Default Settings field in the Distiller Box

Print to Distiller and Create a PDF Go to the File menu, then choose Print and select Adobe PDF as your printer.

Then select Print.

Indesign CS (v 3) - PC

InDesign Layout Rules Document Layout & Size: Create your document with measurements that match the final trim size of your piece unless you have a bleed. If your document has a bleed then add .25" to your document size. This extra area will be trimmed off during the finishing process. If your document contains multiple pages, please create the document using single pages and not printer's spreads. Examples: If you are creating an 8.5''x11'' tri-fold brochure NO BLEEDS, your document size should be 8.5''x11''. If you are creating an 8.5"x11" tri-fold brochure WITH BLEEDS your document size should be 8.75 "x11.25". Please do not use transparencies or drop shadows. These effects are still under development and they will cause problems with your job. We recommend that you take your image into Photoshop and create the effect you desire then place that image into Illustrator. Bleeds: If your document contains images or colors that extend to the edge of the page, it is considered a document with bleeds. To ensure that these images appear correctly, without any white space between the image and the edge of your document, it is important to extend any bleeds .125” beyond the finish size of the document. You do this by creating a document that is .25" larger than the finished size of your printed piece. Please refer the information above in the Document Size section. This extra area will be trimmed off during the finishing process. Live, or “safe” Area: Make sure that all your images and text are inside of a “safe” margin of .25” around the inside edge of your document. Note, if your document has a bleed then your safe margin will be .325" around the inside edge of your document. Colors: With our Multi-document printing process, we print with a standard four-color process. This means that all colors should be created in CMYK. To check a color, double click the color in the swatches pallet, when the swatch option menu pops up make sure the color type says process and color mode says CMYK. Black Builds: Use caution when you have a solid area that is Black. Four-color process (CMYK) should be used to create a deep, dark, black, however if the total percentage of all four colors is greater than 340% your document will not print properly. Ink will saturate the stock and you will not be pleased with the final product. The only exception to this rule is text, please see the Black Text / Font section. We have developed stetting that we know work well on our presses. Please use these setting when designing your document. The optimum settings for Black are: 60% Cyan 40% Magenta 40% Yellow 100% Black Linked Images; If you are Importing Images OR creating Images in Illustrator to link to other applications your files must meet our criteria to ensure quick and accurate turnaround of your job. Make sure your linked images are; In CMYK mode – regardless of their original software application, Saved in TIFF or EPS format – Do not send files in JPG, BMP, PICT or GIF. All images must be a minimum of 300 DPI for photo images and 600 DPI for bitmap (black and white scanned) line art. Vector art files from programs such as Illustrator or Freehand should be saved as EPS files for placement into your layout. Confirm that all your links are present before sending your files. Do not use OPI Fonts / Text: Use actual fonts such as Helvetia Bold or Times Italic to modify your type. Do not use the style bar to make these distinctions, as the styles may not translate. BLACK TEXT / FONTS: When creating black type please give it the following CMYK break down: 100% Black 0% Cyan 0% Magenta 0% Yellow WHITE TEXT / FONTS: When creating white type please do not select the text to overprint. If you do the white text will show up on your PDF proof but will not print on your printed piece. Scaling Images Be very careful when scaling images that you have imported to your layout. Do not enlarge any image greater than 125% of its original size. If you do, you will decrease the image’s effective resolution and the result will be a poor quality printed image. You may generally reduce an image to any size. Vector art, created in a program like Illustrator or Freehand, may be reduced or enlarged to any size without compromising quality. Output Instructions You can save your file as one of the following file formats: PDF - it must be created via our settings .indd

Pagemaker 7 - PC

PageMaker Layout Rules Document Layout & Size: Create your document with measurements that match the final trim size of your piece unless you have a bleed. If your document has a bleed then add .25" to your document size. This extra area will be trimmed off during the finishing process. If your document contains multiple pages, please create the document using single pages and not printer's spreads. Examples: If you are creating an 8.5''x11'' tri-fold brochure NO BLEEDS, your document size should be 8.5''x11''. If you are creating an 8.5"x11" tri-fold brochure WITH BLEEDS your document size should be 8.75 "x11.25". Bleeds: If your document contains images or colors that extend to the edge of the page, it is considered a document with bleeds. To ensure that these images appear correctly, without any white space between the image and the edge of your document, it is important to extend any bleeds .125” beyond the finish size of the document. You do this by creating a document that is .25" larger than the finished size of your printed piece. Please refer the information above in the Document Size section. This extra area will be trimmed off during the finishing process. Live, or “safe” Area: Make sure that all your images and text are inside of a “safe” margin of .25” around the inside edge of your document. Note, if your document has a bleed then your safe margin will be .325" around the inside edge of your document. Colors: With our Multi-document printing process, we print with a standard four-color process. This means that all colors should be created in CMYK. To check a color, double click the color in the swatches pallet, when the swatch option menu pops up make sure the color type says process and color mode says CMYK. Black Builds: Use caution when you have a solid area that is Black. Four-color process (CMYK) should be used to create a deep, dark, black, however if the total percentage of all four colors is greater than 340% your document will not print properly. Ink will saturate the stock and you will not be pleased with the final product. The only exception to this rule is text, please see the Black Text / Font section. We have developed stetting that we know work well on our presses. Please use these setting when designing your document. The optimum settings for Black are: 60% Cyan 40% Magenta 40% Yellow 100% Black Linked Images; If you are Importing Images OR creating Images in Illustrator to link to other applications your files must meet our criteria to ensure quick and accurate turnaround of your job. Make sure your linked images are: In CMYK mode – regardless of their original software application, Saved in TIFF or EPS format – Do not send files in JPG, BMP, PICT or GIF. All images must be a minimum of 300 DPI for photo images and 600 DPI for bitmap (black and white scanned) line art. Vector art files from programs such as Illustrator or Freehand should be saved as EPS files for placement into your layout. Confirm that all your links are present before sending your files. Do not use OPI Fonts / Text: Use actual fonts such as Helvetia Bold or Times Italic to modify your type. Do not use the style bar to make these distinctions, as the styles may not translate. BLACK TEXT / FONTS: When creating black type please give it the following CMYK break down: 100% Black 0% Cyan 0% Magenta 0% Yellow WHITE TEXT / FONTS: When creating white type please do not select the text to overprint. If you do the white text will show up on your PDF proof but will not print on your printed piece. Scaling Images Be very careful when scaling images that you have imported to your layout. Do not enlarge any image greater than 125% of its original size. If you do, you will decrease the image’s effective resolution and the result will be a poor quality printed image. You may generally reduce an image to any size. Vector art, created in a program like Illustrator or Freehand, may be reduced or enlarged to any size without compromising quality. Output Instructions You can save your file as one of the following file formats: PDF - it must be created via our settings .pm(x)

Photoshop CS (v 8) - PC

Photoshop Layout Rules Document Size: Create your document with measurements that match the final trim size of your piece unless you have a bleed. If your document has a bleed then add .25" to your document size. This extra area will be trimmed off during the finishing process. Examples: If you are creating an 8.5''x11'' tri-fold brochure NO BLEEDS, your document size should be 8.5''x11''. If you are creating an 8.5"x11" tri-fold brochure WITH BLEEDS your document size should be 8.75 "x11.25". If Your Photoshop Image will be a background used in a page layout application then your image size should be 1/8" (.125") bigger than your final trim size. When you use it in page layout software, it should extend outside the page size if used as bleed. If you have a previously configured document and you did not allow .25" for the bleeds, then go to the Image pull down menu and select Canvas Size. Add .25" to your width and .25" to your height. Make sure that you have the center block selected on the Anchor Bleeds: If your document contains images or colors that extend to the edge of the page, it is considered a document with bleeds. To ensure that these images appear correctly, without any white space between the image and the edge of your document, it is important to extend any bleeds .125” beyond the finish size of the document. You do this by creating a document that is .25" larger than the finished size of your printed piece. Please refer the information above in the Document Size section. This extra area will be trimmed off during the finishing process. Live, or “safe” Area: Make sure that all your images and text are inside of a “safe” margin of .25” around the inside edge of your document. Note, if your document has a bleed then your safe margin will be .325" around the inside edge of your document. Colors: With our Multi-document printing process, we print with a standard four-color process. This means that all colors should be created in CMYK. To check a color, double click the color in the swatches pallet, when the swatch option menu pops up make sure the color type says process and color mode says CMYK. Black Builds: Use caution when you have a solid area that is Black. Four-color process (CMYK) should be used to create a deep, dark, black, however if the total percentage of all four colors is greater than 340% your document will not print properly. Ink will saturate the stock and you will not be pleased with the final product. The only exception to this rule is text, please see the Black Text / Font section. We have developed stetting that we know work well on our presses. Please use these setting when designing your document. The optimum settings for Black are: 60% Cyan 40% Magenta 40% Yellow 100% Black Fonts / Text: Please convert all text to paths. BLACK TEXT / FONTS: Do not use small size type, it will reproduce poorly. Do not rasterize text. When creating black type please give it the following CMYK break down: 100% Black 0% Cyan 0% Magenta 0% Yellow DPI: All images used for printing should be a minimum of 300 DPI at the size used for layout. Images should be 300 dpi resolution; 400 DPI if your image has text, 1,200 dpi for bitmap (black and white) line art. Scanning: Scanned images that you plan on importing into layout software should be saved in a TIFF (.tiff) or EPS (.eps) format to insure the best color and sharpness possible. File formats such as GIF or JPG compress the picture and can cause it to look blurry and off-color when printed. Scan your images a little larger than final size they will appear in your layout to avoid DPI problems. Scaling Images Be very careful when scaling images that you have imported to your layout. Do not enlarge any image greater than 125% of its original size. If you do, you will decrease the image’s effective resolution and the result will be a poor quality printed image. You may generally reduce an image to any size. Vector art, created in a program like Illustrator or Freehand, may be reduced or enlarged to any size without compromising quality. Keep a layered file: When submitting a Photoshop file it's always a good idea to keep a layered copy of your file on your computer. Just in case you catch a mistake on the proof, it will be easier to change. Output Instructions You can save your file as one of the following file formats: PDF - it must be created via our settings .psd .tiff

Adobe Acrobat / Distiller Settings - Mac

These instructions are ONLY for users who have a full version of Adobe Acrobat 4.0 or higher. If you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat (not just the free reader) then you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat Distiller. With the Adobe Acrobat Distiller you can produce your own High Resolution PDF and view the file before you send it to us. This will allow you to see your file as it will print and catch any potential problems that may slow down the production of your order. We only want PDF files that have been distilled through a full version of Adobe Acrobat Distiller with the output settings set to the specifications listed below. We do not want PDF files that are produced as an output option from other Applications because they are low quality and will not produce a quality level printed piece. Warning - once we receive your PDF file we cannot check or increase the quality level. Your printed piece will be produced from your PDF as is. If you submit a PDF file to us for print then you accept responsibility for the level of quality of the PDF. Open Adobe Acrobat Distiller Go to the Settings pull down menu and select Job Options Under the General tab match the setting shown below

Under the Images tab match the setting shown below

Under the Fonts tab match the setting shown below

Under the Color tab match the setting shown below

Under the Advanced tab match the setting shown below

Under the Standards tab match the setting shown below

st

Click Save As and name your settings 21 Century Print Setting Click OK st Make sure that 21 Century Print Settings is selected in the Job Options field in the Distiller Box

Quark 6 - Mac

Quark Xpress Layout Rules Document Layout & Size: Create your document with measurements that match the final trim size of your piece even if you have a bleed. You will compensate for bleeds during the output of the document. If your document contains multiple pages, please create the document using single pages and not printer's spreads. Examples: If you are creating an 8.5''x11'' tri-fold brochure WITH OR WITHOUT BLEEDS, your document size should be 8.5''x11''. Bleeds: If your document contains images or colors that extend to the edge of the page, it is considered a document with bleeds. To ensure that these images appear correctly, without any white space between the image and the edge of your document, it is important to extend any bleeds .125” beyond the finish size of the document. You do this by creating a document that is .25" larger than the finished size of your printed piece. Please refer the information above in the Document Size section. This extra area will be trimmed off during the finishing process. Live, or “safe” Area: Make sure that all your images and text are inside of a “safe” margin of .25” around the inside edge of your document. Note, if your document has a bleed then your safe margin will be .325" around the inside edge of your document. Colors: With our Multi-document printing process, we print with a standard four-color process. This means that all colors should be created in CMYK. To check a color, double click the color in the swatches pallet, when the swatch option menu pops up make sure the color type says process and color mode says CMYK. Black Builds: Use caution when you have a solid area that is Black. Four-color process (CMYK) should be used to create a deep, dark, black, however if the total percentage of all four colors is greater than 340% your document will not print properly. Ink will saturate the stock and you will not be pleased with the final product. The only exception to this rule is text, please see the Black Text / Font section. We have developed stetting that we know work well on our presses. Please use these setting when designing your document. The optimum settings for Black are: 60% Cyan 40% Magenta 40% Yellow 100% Black Linked Images; If you are Importing Images OR creating Images in Illustrator to link to other applications your files must meet our criteria to ensure quick and accurate turnaround of your job. Make sure your linked images are; In CMYK mode – regardless of their original software application, Saved in TIFF or EPS format – Do not send files in JPG, BMP, PICT or GIF. All images must be a minimum of 300 DPI for photo images and 600 DPI for bitmap (black and white scanned) line art. Vector art files from programs such as Illustrator or Freehand should be saved as EPS files for placement into your layout. Confirm that all your links are present before sending your files. Do not use OPI Fonts / Text: Please convert all text to paths. BLACK TEXT / FONTS: When creating black type please give it the following CMYK break down: 100% Black 0% Cyan 0% Magenta 0% Yellow WHITE TEXT / FONTS: When creating white type please do not select the text to overprint. If you do the white text will show up on your PDF proof but will not print on your printed piece. Scaling Images Be very careful when scaling images that you have imported to your layout. Do not enlarge any image greater than 125% of its original size. If you do, you will decrease the image’s effective resolution and the result will be a poor quality printed image. You may generally reduce an image to any size. Vector art, created in a program like Illustrator or Freehand, may be reduced or enlarged to any size without compromising quality. Output Instructions You can save your file as one of the following file formats: PDF - it must be created via our settings .qx

G LO S S AR Y Useful definitions and explanations of company and industry terms Aqueous Coating: It is used to protect and enhance the printed piece.

Barcode: A series of vertical bars and spaces that represent any numerical series, most often a correct ZIP Code for the delivery address on a mail piece. The barcode facilitates automated processing by barcode readers and scanners. A barcode also can be used to convey information for Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation services. Barcodes that may be used for postal processing are POSTNET and UCC/EAN Code 128. Bindery: The finishing department, which performs operations on the printed product after it has been printed. The bindery operations are as follows: Folding, Binding, Stitching, Scoring, Perforation, Die Cutting, & Envelope Converting (currently done in house). Binding: Different methods used to secure loose pages in a book is called binding. Saddle stitch is an example of binding.

Bleed: Printed colors that extend past the edge of a page. To cut the job to its actual size the processor has to make sure the job gets printed with 1/8 of an inch bleed some jobs may require more than that. For example if the job is a business card (3.5" x 2") the file size with bleed would be (3.625" x 2.125").

Borders: An outline around graphics, text or edge of a sheet.

Brightness: Refers to the percent of light reflected back from a sheet of paper as measured by a light meter reading. Contrast is reduced and highlights are not as strong when paper with a lower brightness is used for a printed piece. Bulk Mail: Standard Mail or Third Class Mail. C1S paper: Paper coated on one side. C2S paper: Paper coated on both sides. AQ Coating or UV Coating are separate options and are not effected by this. Card Stock: Also called cover stock. Mostly heavyweight papers are called card stock. The thickness of card stock is indicated with point sizes such as 14pt, 16pt. Some people will also refer to 100lb gloss cover as a card stock. Carrier Route: The address to which a carrier delivers mail. In common usage, carrier route includes city routes, rural routes, highway contact routes, post office box sections, and general delivery units. CMYK: The primary colors used in 4-color printing. CMYK are used to reproduce full color on the printed sheet. CMYK also called PROCESS COLOR C: Cyan (Blue) M: Magenta (Red) Y: Yellow K: Key (Black)

Coating: The mixture of clay materials that are applied to paper to improve the smoothness of the paper's surface and improve ink holdout during the printing process. Examples are Aqueous coating (AQ) and UV coating. UV coating adds a gloss finish to the product and also improves the vibrancy of the printed colors. Spot-UV can be applied to selected portions of the piece, while keeping the rest a matte finish. Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS): A service offered to mailers, service bureaus, and software vendors that improves the accuracy of matching to delivery point codes, ZIP+4 codes, 5-digit Zip Codes, and carrier route codes on mail piece. CASS provides a common platform to measure the quality of address matching software and to diagnose and correct software problems.

Color Types in Multi-document printing 4/4 - 2 sided, full color on front and on back 4/1 - 2 sided, full color on front, black on back 4/0 - 1 sided, full color on front Color Proof / Epson Proof / Match Print: An image created by using color inks. Showing what the final printed product will look like. Color proofs in our Multi-document printing are called Epson proofs and are an 80%-85% match with the final product.

Crop Marks (Guide Marks): Lines printed in the margin of sheet that indicates to the cutter and bindery where the finished product should be trimmed. They are also used to show what part of a photo should be used and what part should be cropped off.

Die Cutting: A specific shape like circle, star, etc (any designs that cannot be done by a straight cut) which is cut by a metal blade. Door hangers are a popular product which requires die cutting. Direct Mail: Another name for advertising mail sent to targeted markets. It can be any mail class, but it is usually Standard Mail. Dots Per Inch (dpi): A measurement of resolution of input, output and display devices. 300 dpi means that when printed, each square inch of your image will contain 90,000 pixels (dots), the higher the dpi (the more pixels per inch) the more crisp the printed image will be. Our electronic (digital files) have to have a resolution of at least 300 dpi. Anything less than that is considered as low resolution and may appear blurry when printed.

Embossing: A process of imprinting an image by applying pressure to the back side of a material to change the surface, giving it a three dimensional or raised effect.

Finished Size / Trim Size: The sizes of a printed product after all production operations have been completed. Finishing: Operations to a document after it has been printed. The finishing operations could include bindery work such as, folding, trimming, binding, die cutting, inserting or any post press process that must be completed.

Flat Size: The size of a printed product after printing and trimming but before any finishing operations that affect its size, such as folding.

Folding: The process of bending printed sheets in a specific area.

4-Panel Roll Fold: A type of fold where the piece is folded inward at one end and then folded inward again one or more times. It is as if you are rolling the piece up.

Accordion Fold: A sheet which has been printed on only one side then folded twice in right angles to form a W-shaped four page uncut section.

Double Gate Fold: Single gate fold, with an additional fold on the center.

Double Parallel Fold : A type of fold where the piece is folded in half and then folded in half again. The folds are parallel to each other. Also known as a quarter fold.

French Fold (quarter fold): A sheet which has been printed on one side only and then folded twice at right angles to form a four page uncut section.

Gate Fold: When both sides of an oversize page fold into the gutter in overlapping layers.

Half Fold: Is fold in half.

Half-Tri Fold: A sheet is folded in half and then tri-folded.

Tri Fold: A fold where a three panel piece has both side sections folded inward, one on top of the other each section is approximately 1/3 the length of the piece. Also known as a C-fold or letter-fold.

Z Fold: A paper fold represented by back and forth folds into three panels.

Full Bleed: Printing that goes to the edge of all four sides of the page. Gloss Finish: A coating on paper that provides a higher reflection of light, which results in a shiny appearance. Gloss coatings reduce ink absorption, which allows excellent contrast and color definition.

Gloss Paper: Paper with a gloss finish, usually used for higher quality printing. Examples are 100lb gloss book, and 100lb gloss cover. Gray Scale: A strip of paper containing gray tones ranging from white to black. So gray scale refers to black and white printed material. Grippers: Metal finger like clamps that grab the paper to pull it through the press as the sheet is being printed. Hairline: The thinnest possible line or space that is visible.

Head to Head: Printing on the front and back of a sheet is setup so that the top of both sides is printed at the same end of the sheet. You would turn the sheet like the page of a book to read the reverse side.

Head-to-Toe: Printing on the front and back of a sheet so that the tops of each side are printed at opposite ends from each other. The top of one side is opposite the bottom of the other. You would turn the sheet over from top to bottom to read the reverse side. Also referred to as headto-tail or tumble. Hickey: A spot on a printed sheet that appears as a small white circle with ink in the center, caused by particles such as dirt, dust, or bits of paper. Imprinting: The printing of new copy on a piece that is already printed. Examples of imprinting are ink-jetting addresses on postcards after the actual card has been printed. Please note that we DO NOT imprint or inkjet on any paper with AQ or UV Coating. The only job that can be imprinted after printing is spot UV jobs and any jobs in this category, which are as follows: Spot UV on both sides, UV one side no UV on the other side, Spot UV on one side no UV on the other side. These jobs do not get UV or AQ coating after imprinting Ink Jet: A printing technology in which liquid ink is sprayed through tiny nozzles onto the paper in a pattern of dots, forming the image on the paper. Jobs with AQ or UV coating cannot be ink jet printed.

Insert: A letter, card, or similar item placed inside another mail piece (host piece).

Landscape: Printing a page so that when positioned for reading the width is greater than the height. Line-of-Travel (LOT) Sequence: A sequence required for some Enhanced Carrier Route and carrier route rates in which mail pieces are arranged by ZIP+4 codes in the order in which the carrier serves the route. The mail pieces are sequenced in delivery order. Line Screen: A transparent screen which has been etched with fine lines. It is used to convert a picture or photograph into a halftone dot pattern so that can be printed. At 21st Century we do our best to maintain the fidelity of your creative intent through the complex process of reproduction in print. While printing 200 lpi may be satisfactory, we have gone one huge step further with the adoption of Staccato (or FM) screening method that brings near photographic quality. Staccato eliminates halftone screen angles, rosettes, and screening moiré while preserving the desirable details in your artwork. Our Staccato screening process employs 20 micron dot size which is equivalent to 500 lpi. Make-Ready: 1.The process of setting up and adjusting a printing press for a particular ink, paper and specifications prior to printing. This includes adjusting the infeed, grippers and guides, adjusting ink for proper coverage, registering copy, and matching the printed piece with the proof to be sure everything is correct. Also referred to as set up. 2. The paper used while making all the necessary adjustments before printing the actual run. Also referred to as set up.

Margin: The non-printed areas around the image area of a page. Matte Finish: A coated paper finish that is flat, not shiny like a gloss, but still keeps much of the ink from being absorbed by the paper and produces an excellent image. In our Multi-document printing process, Matte/ Dull finish is applied to all 14pt jobs and 16pt jobs unless it is Spot UV.

Offset Printing: The transfer of an inked image from a plate to a blanket cylinder, which in turn transfers the image to the printing material as it passes between the blanket and the impression cylinder and pressure is applied. Also referred to as offset lithography.

Out of Register / Off Register: When an image is not printing in the exact location that it is suppose to. When printing more than one color, if the colors do not line up properly, they are out of register. Output: Sending information from a computer to a printing device to produce a printed page is called output. Overprinting: Printing an image over an area that has already been printed. In printing process colors, one process color is printed over another creating a secondary color, which is a combination of two primary colors. Sometimes in the files that customers send us there will be overprinting issues. Such as type or logos not printing. Customers should be aware that we do not check for this and their overprinting situation must be evaluated before sending the files to us. Overruns / Overs: The quantity of items produced over the quantity that was originally ordered. Also referred to as any paper spoiled in the process of printing. For example if our batch is 1000 quantity batch we always overrun 150-200 sheets.

Pantone Matching System (PMS): A registered name for an ink color matching system used to compare, match and identify specific colors. To do so we use a pantone book. It contains pantone colors with their closest CMYK values. Paper Grain: The direction in which the fibers line up during the manufacturing process. It is easier to fold, bend, or tear the paper along the same direction of the fibers. Cut sheet laser printers generally use long grain paper in which the grain runs parallel to the long side of the paper, resulting in better performance through the laser printer. Perfector: A printing press that can print on the front and the back of the paper in one pass through the press. Perfecting: The process of printing both sides of a sheet of paper in the same pass through the press.

Perforation: Creating a series of holes so that the paper can be torn more easily along the line that is formed. Postage stamps and tear-off cards are common products that require perforation.

Pixel: The smallest unit of a digitized image created by a digital device, such as a computer, camera, or scanner. Pixel is short for Òpicture elementÓ. The more pixels per inch the better the resolution. On computer monitors, the display is divided into rows and columns containing thousands or millions of pixels. Each pixel is composed of three dots representing the three color channels of red, green, and blue light that are necessary for creating a color image on computer monitors and television screens. Because of their small size, the pixels appear to merge, simulating a continuous tone image, but when magnified they appear to be tiny square blocks of light, as shown in the illustration.

Plate: A metal or paper light-sensitive sheet that holds an image that has been photographically produced. During the printing process, the image area picks up ink, which is then transferred to a blanket and then to paper.

Postage: Payment for delivery service that is affixed or imprinted to a mail piece, usually in the form of a postage stamp, permit imprint, or meter stamp. Permit: Authorization required to mail without affixing postage. A postage imprint, also referred to as an indicia (The imprinted area in the upper right corner of the mail piece that indicates postage payment), is used instead. An advance payment is made to the post office and postage payment is deducted from that deposit. Presort: The process by which a mailer groups mail by ZIP Code so that it is sorted to the finest extent required by the standards for the rate claimed. Generally, presort is performed sequentially, from the lowest (finest) level to the highest level, to those destinations specified by standard and is completed at each level before the next level is prepared. Not all presort levels are applicable to all mailings. Press Run: The total quantity of pieces printed during one printing. Price Break: The order quantity level at which the price of the paper or printed material goes down. Proofs: A copy of the artwork representing the finished product. It is used for review and approval. Here at 21st Century we offer two types of proof. 1. PDF proof. PDF proof is an electronic proof. 2. Epson Proof. Is a printed proof, which also called hard copy proof. In our Multi-document printing process it is an 80%-85% match with the final printed. Proofread: Checking a proof for errors or discrepancies from the original copy. Punching: Drilling of holes through a stack of paper. We use hole punching if a customer wants to have that on any printed piece. Applicable & popular sizes are 1/8" & 5/16". We can provide a different size, other than above mentioned, upon request. Register Marks: The printed marks used to align color separations for printing so that each color registers with each other.

Resolution: The measurement of output quality expressed in pixels (dots) per inch on a computer monitor or dots per inch on printed media. For example, a monitor displaying a resolution of 800 by 600 refers to a screen capable of displaying 800 pixels in each of 600 lines, which translates into a total of 480,000 pixels displayed on the screen. When referring to printed media, a 300 dpi (dots per inch) printer for example, is capable of outputting 300 dots in a one-inch line, which means that it has the ability of printing 90,000 distinct dots per square inch (300 x 300).

RGB: The additive primary colors, red, green and blue, used to display color in video monitors. Printing with a file in RGB color mode will produce a washed out appearance. 21st Century does not check files for RGB. That responsibility falls to the customer before submission of the files. Rotation: The turning or positioning of text or an image at different degrees of orientation on a page.

Round Cornering: Using a machine to die cut the corners of forms, cards and books to create a rounded corner.

Saddle Stitching: The method of binding the pages of a section where the folded pages are stitched through the fold from the outside, using a wire staple (stapling).

Scoring: A crease applied, in a straight line, to a sheet of paper to allow it to fold easier and more accurately. Set Up: 1. The process of setting up and adjusting a printing press for a particular ink, paper and specifications prior to printing. This includes adjusting the infeed, grippers and guides, adjusting ink for proper coverage, registering copy, and matching the printed piece with the proof to be sure everything is correct. Also referred to as set up. 2. The paper used while making all the necessary adjustments before printing the actual run. Also referred to as set up. Shrink Wrapping: A method of wrapping packages or products with a plastic film and then applying heat so that the wrap fits tight to the product. Shrinkwrapping is used to package a product in specific quantities and is also used for protection purposes. It also adds some stability to the product when storing. Also referred to as plastic wrapping. Skid / Pallet: A wooden platform used to hold stacks of paper or cartons. Used to store or ship materials or finished products. Sleeve: A paperboard jacket that fits over the four sides (top, bottom, and two parallel sides) of a letter tray in order to keep the mail inside the tray from falling out. Slitting: Cutting paper by the use of a cutting wheel. Paper may be slit into smaller sheets or a web of paper may be slit into narrower rolls. A slit can also refer to cuts made that do not divide a sheet. For example, on a presentation folder smaller diagonal slits can be made on the pockets where business cards can then be displayed.

Spiral Binding: Book binding that consists of a spiral wire or plastic that is wound through holes. Also referred to as coil binding. Spot Coating / Spot UV: Coating paper only in specific areas as opposed to all over coating. In a Spot UV job the job gets a UV coating in only specific areas and does not get any AQ coating in any other places. Spot UV can be referred to as spot varnish.

Spot Color: Printing with one or more solid colors, generally black ink is used with the addition of other colors. It is used to add highlight and add color to a printed product without having to print with four-color process. Stochastic Screening: Images are converted digitally into screens made up of very small dots which are equal in size, but of variable spacing. The variable dot pattern eliminates many of the moiré patterns and allows for more than four colors to be used to represent an image. This is the primary aspect of high-fidelity printing. At 21st Century we do our best to maintain the fidelity of your creative intent through the complex process of reproduction in print. While printing 200 lpi may be satisfactory, we have gone one huge step further with the adoption of Staccato (or FM) screening method that brings near photographic quality. Staccato eliminates halftone screen angles, rosettes, and screening moiré while preserving the desirable details in your artwork. Our Staccato screening process employs 20 micron dot size which is equivalent to 500 lpi. Stripping: 1.To assemble and combine film or negatives to produce the final film for plate making. This process is now done electronically by many companies, bypassing the manual process altogether. 2. In reference to labels it is the removal of the matrix or waste material from around a pressure sensitive label after it has been die cut.

Swatch Book: A booklet containing samples of paper or ink colors.

Template: A preset model that acts as a structure for setting up a similar product. Here at 21st Century we have lot of templates, for each product. Please contact us for the templates you need.

Tray: A container used in postal facilities to hold letters and First-Class Mail flats. It is used as a basic unit of mail quantity for purposes of preparing mail to a qualify for discounted postage rates. Also see full flat tray, full letter tray, less-than-full tray, and overflow tray. Trim: 1. The process of cutting the product to its finished size. The excess that is cut off is also referred to as the trim. 2. Combining various roll sizes to be slit from a full width roll from the paper machine so that an acceptable percentage of the salable width will be used. Typesetting: The process of converting text into type used for printing. UV: Ultra Violet. The part of the spectrum where the wavelength of light is shorter than the wavelength of visible light.

UV Coating: A liquid coating applied to the printed piece, which is then bonded and cured with ultraviolet light. This coating is used to provide a protective coating to the printed image. Please note that you CAN NOT write or imprint on a uv coated jobs. Varnish: A thin, liquid protective coating, either matte or glossy, that is applied to the product. It adds protection and enhances the appearance of the product. It can be applied as an all over coating or it can be applied as a spot coating. Window Envelopes: An envelope with a die cut opening that is intended to have information show through from the piece inside the envelope.

Work and Tumble: A printing method where different pages are assembled so that they are on one plate. One side is printed and the sheet is turned from front to rear so that you are using the opposite edge as the gripper edge and then the second side is printed. The product is then cut apart to make two finished items.

Work and Turn: A printing method where different pages are assembled so that they are on one plate. One side is printed and then the sheet is turned over so that you are using the same gripper edge and then the second side is printed. The product is then cut apart to make two finished items.

Zip: Zipping is a way to compress electronic files A compressed file is considered "zipped." ZIP Code: A system of 5-digit codes that identifies the individual post office or metropolitan area delivery station associated with an address. ZIP+4 is an enhanced code consisting of the 5-digit ZIP Code and four additional digits that identify a specific range of delivery addresses.

ZIP+4 Code: A nine digit numeric code composed of two parts: (a) the initial code: the first five digits that identify the sectional center facility and delivery area associated with the address, followed by a hyphen; and (b) the four-digit expanded code: the first two additional digits designate the sector (a geographic area) and the last two digits designate the segment (a building, floor, etc.)

ZIP+4 barcode: A nine-digit POSTNET barcode consisting of 52 vertical bars. Also see Postal Numeric Encoding Technique.