Designers have a language all their own, and it’s not always obvious what the most commonly used design terms mean. The list below should help you communicate with and better understand your designer. Download a copy of this list here. And, if we’ve missed any terms, feel free to post them in the comments section.

Bleed: any image or element on a page touches the edge of the page, leaving no margin it is said to bleed.
Crop marks: lines that indicate the edge of the printed piece.
DPI (dots per inch): the unit of measurement used to describe the resolution of printed output.
Facing pages: in a double-sided document, the two pages that appear as a spread when the publication is opened.
Gutter: In double-sided documents, the combination of the inside margins of facing pages; the gutter should be wide enough to accommodate binding.
Landscape (orientation): a page or layout that is wider than it is tall.
Leading: (pronounced “led-ding”) the space between lines of type.
Orphan: the first line of a paragraph ending on a new column or page.
PMS (Pantone Matching System): a standard color-matching system used for inks, papers, and other materials.
Point: a measurement used in typography for type size, leading, and other space specifications in a page layout.
Resolution: the number of pixels per square inch; the greater the resolution, the better the picture.
Rivers: spaces between words that create irregular lines of white space in body type.
Rule: a line used as a graphic enhancement.
Sans serif typeface: a typeface that has no serifs, such as Helvetica or Arial.
Serif: a counterstroke on letterforms, projecting from the ends of the main strokes. For example, Times or Garamond is a serifed typeface.
Spread: in a double-sided document, the combination of two facing pages, which are designed as a unit. Also, the adjacent inside panels of a brochure when opened.
Tabloid-sized page: a page that measures 11″ x 17″
Tracking: the space between characters in a line.
Trim size: the final or finished size of the publication.
White space: areas where there is no text or graphics — essentially, the negative space of the page design.
Widow: a short line (one or two words) ending a paragraph at the top of a page.

Dowload a copy.

The design is perfect. Beyond every expectation. It folds. Things slide. There’s foil and embossing and silver and gold and if you leave it alone long enough, it would probably mop the floor. Ah yes, the dream project. But in reality, your budget doesn’t support folding, sliding, floor mopping brochures. In fact, you are grateful that your brochure isn’t being printed on the office laser jets and folded by an intern (and it’s ok if it is!).

It doesn’t hurt to dream though, does it?

For Print Only, a blog published by Under Consideration, describes itself as: “a blog dedicated to both the visual stimulus and the detailing of the development and production of printed matter: Annual reports, books, business cards, stationery suites, collateral materials, posters, packaging and anything else where ink meets substrate.”

The projects vary from the budget-busting (2 books for $1500 or $750 each) to the budget-saving (150 oversized posters for $325 — a mere .46c each) but all are gorgeous examples of design and printing.

When you consider the each American uses one 100-foot Douglas Fir tree in paper per year, Earth Day is the perfect time to consider ways to reduce our footprint and conserve resources. Here are a few things to consider with your designer and printer for your next print project:

Paper
Consider using a sheet made from post-consumer waste. This paper has been used and recycled; and the fibers of the recycled sheet have been reused to create a new sheet of paper. Greater demand for recycled paper has resulted in substantial advances in the quality of recycled sheets. Nearly every paper company offers recycled sheets, so ask your printer or designer for recommendations and swatch books.

Design
While odd-sized brochures may be more attractive and eye-catching, they often lead to wasted space on large printer sheets. If you do have an odd-sized brochure, work with your printer or designer to find out how much waste is on your sheet. There may be enough room to “gang” a postcard or rack card on the same sheet as your brochure. Gang printing saves money, as the only extra cost is the finishing (trimming or scoring) of the additional piece.

Planning
Consider the shelf-life of your brochure or marketing piece. Will the brochures need to be reprinted each time a client or employee leaves or is the content in the brochure timeless? By moving time-sensitive information to inserts or to your Web site, you can extent the life of your brochure, saving costs and environmental resources.

Another planning consideration is shipping both of paper to your printer, and the final product to your office or tradeshow. Rushed air shipping uses far greater resources than standard freight shipping. Plan ahead to allow time for slower ground shipping when possible.

Ink
Digital printing is far more environmentally friendly than traditional off-set printing. Digital printing is most appropriate for projects with a quantity of under 1,000 pieces, and with a sheet size smaller than 12×18″. Postcards, flyers, and trifold brochures are ideal projects for digital printing.