Printing basics: everything a first-time buyer should know
New to printing? Learn the 12 words every printer uses, how a print job is made, how prices work and how to order the right print the first time.
You do not need to be a designer or a printer to order printing well. If you understand a handful of ideas, you can choose the right paper, avoid costly mistakes and compare prices with confidence. This guide covers all of them in one place.
The five decisions in every print job
- What and how many: the product (card, pamphlet, calendar) and the quantity.
- Size: in inches or A-sizes (A4 is 8.5 × 11 in for our pamphlets and letterheads).
- Paper: its type (art paper, art card, Super Sunshine) and its thickness in GSM.
- Printing: one side or both sides, in full colour.
- Finish: anything done after printing, like lamination, round corners, punching or binding.
Every price you see on our product pages is simply these five choices added up. Change any one and the price per piece changes too.
12 words every printer uses
| Word | What it means in simple terms |
|---|---|
| GSM | Grams per square metre: how heavy, and roughly how thick, the paper is. 90 GSM is a light pamphlet; 300 GSM is a visiting card. |
| Art paper / art card | Smooth coated paper that makes colours look bright and sharp. Thin sheets are "paper", thick ones (above about 250 GSM) are "card". |
| Super Sunshine (maplitho) | Uncoated paper that is easy to write on. Used for letterheads and bill books. |
| CMYK | The four printing inks: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Every colour on paper is a mix of these four. |
| Bleed | An extra 3 mm of background beyond the cut line, so no white edge shows after cutting. |
| Safe area | Keep text and logos about 5 mm inside the edge so nothing important is cut off. |
| 300 DPI | The sharpness a photo or logo needs to print clearly. Images taken from WhatsApp or websites are usually too small. |
| Proof | A preview of your final design that you check and approve before anything is printed. |
| MOQ | Minimum order quantity: the smallest number we print of that item. |
| Offset printing | Printing from plates, best for large quantities. Very low cost per piece once it runs. |
| Digital printing | Printing without plates, used for jobs like visiting cards and thank-you cards. |
| Lamination | A thin clear film on the print, gloss (shiny) or matt (soft), that protects it and makes it feel premium. |
How a print job is made, step by step
- Design: your file is prepared at the right size with bleed and safe area.
- Proof: you check the spelling, numbers and colours and approve it.
- Prepress: the file is checked and arranged on large printing sheets.
- Printing: the sheets are printed in CMYK.
- Finishing: cutting, lamination, round corners, punching or binding.
- Quality check and packing: the job is inspected, counted and packed.
- Delivery: shipped with tracking or collected by you.
Why bigger quantities cost less per piece
Every print run has a fixed setup cost: preparing the file, making plates and setting up the job. That cost is the same for 1,000 pieces or 4,000 pieces, so when you print more it is shared across more pieces and the price of each one falls. This is why printers have a minimum quantity and why bulk printing is so economical. Read more in why the price per piece drops.
What to have ready before you order
- Your logo in the best quality you have (PDF, AI, CDR or a large PNG).
- All text typed out and checked: names, phone numbers, address, email.
- The quantity you need and the date you need it by.
- Your GSTIN if you want to claim GST input credit.
Do not have a design? Choose a ready-made design and add your details, or ask our designers to make one for you.
Questions and answers
What is the most important thing to check before printing?
The proof. Check every name, phone number and spelling. Once it is printed, a mistake cannot be corrected.
Can I print from a photo taken on my phone?
Often yes, if it is clear and large. Photos forwarded on WhatsApp lose quality, so send the original file.
Why does the colour look different from my screen?
Screens make colour with light (RGB) and printers with ink (CMYK), so bright screen colours look a little softer on paper. See CMYK vs RGB.