Glossary of Terms
For your convenience, we have created this glossary of terms commonly
used in the Promotional Gift industry. The terms are organized according
to the following sections:
Promotion & Fulfillment Terms
Acquisition Cost
The cost of signing up a new customer. Lifetime Value is often used to
compute the maximum allowable acquisition cost.
Auto Responder
A program which will respond to your email immediately with a pre-designed
response.
Brand Manager
Most packaged goods companies organize themselves by brand. The brand
manager is responsible for advertising, marketing and sales of the product.
The brand manager is typically the main obstacle to database marketing
which is customer focused rather than product focused.
Campaign
The advertising and promotion done during a given period of time.
Continuity
Products or services bought as a series of small purchases, rather than
all at one time. Book of the Month Club, or other products shipped on
a regular schedule.
Custom Report
A report designed by the marketing staff which exactly meets the marketing
needs of the company.
Database Marketing
Collecting data on customers and using it to provide recognition and services
to customers, resulting in increased customer loyalty and repeat sales.
De-Dupe
Identifying and consolidating duplicate names usually done in a merge/purge
operation.
Demographics
Demographic data usually refers to the data which the Census Bureau or
Canada Stats collects on a neighborhood such as income, education level,
etc. This data can be appended to a household record. It isn't necessarily
accurate for any particular household since it is the average for households
in that block. But it is usually the only data available.
Direct Cost Percent
The percentage of revenue that is applied to the cost of the product plus
overhead, fixed costs, etc.
Direct Marketing
Interactive marketing that produces a measurable response or purchase.
The data is stored on a database.
Direct Response
Advertising or promotion that seeks not just to provide information, but
to generate an inquiry, order or visit.
E-Commerce
The ability to sell goods and services over the internet. To enable your
web site to sell goods and services, you need a merchant account (to process
credit cards), a secure server for your form, and (if you have more than
one product) a shopping cart program to "remember" what your customers
want to purchase. If you anticipate a large volume of purchases, you may
need a separate company to provide real-time processing of your credit
card transactions.
Event-Driven Programs
Database programs which are triggered to produce output (usually communications)
based on events: a birthday letter, anniversary letter, thank you letter,
etc.
Frequency
A term for how many times a person buys from you.
Fulfillment
The process of responding to a customer request with literature or product.
Fulfillment is usually outsourced to a fulfillment house.
Influentials
In business-to-business, executives who have the authority to make or
influence a purchase.
Lead
A prospective customer who has responded is called a Lead.
Loss Leader
A product sold at a loss to get customers to begin buying.
Loyalty
Customer loyalty is measured as retention. A loyal customer is one who
keeps buying from you.
Loyalty Programs
Rewards that encourage customers to keep being customers longer, or to
purchase more.
Mailing List
A list of customers or prospects used to mail catalogs or sale announcements.
It is not a marketing database because it does not provide for a two-way
communication with customers.
Niche Market
A way of finding a special product that appealed to only one group, and
selling that product very profitably only to that group, ignored by others.
Opt-in
The people subscribed to a mailing list have asked to receive the information
or advertising. (Double op-in means the person requesting information
must confirm their desire to receive it by responding to an email message
after subscribing.)
Opt-out
The people subscribed to a mailing list have not asked to receive the
email (it's SPAM), but they have the option of removing their name from
the list if they wish.
Outsourcing
The process of having various database functions handled by external service
bureaus. Typically, functions are outsourced to direct response agencies,
computer service bureaus, data entry houses, mailshops, fulfillment houses,
telemarketing companies.
Permission Marketing
Using opt-In lists to send advertising material.
Personalization
The process of including personal references in an outgoing mail piece
such as "thank you for your order of Feb. 23 for six boxes of hard candy,
Mrs. Williams." With laser letters, personalization does not cost more
than non-personalized letters.
Postal Pre Sort
Sorting outgoing letters in a special way to take advantage of postal
discounts.
Predictive Model
A model which predicts the response to a promotion.
Prospect
A potential customer who you have targeted.
Prospecting
Mailing or telemarketing to prospects who are not yet your customers.
Pull
The percent response to your offer by mail or phone.
Reach
The amount of different types of people who see an ad or message, including
a web site. Popularity.
Relationship Marketing
The process of building a relationship with customers which results in
the customers becoming more loyal, buying more, and staying as customers.
Another word for database marketing.
Response Rate
The percentage of people who responded to your offer. A typical direct
mail response rate to prospects is 2%.
Retention
The tendency to keep customers buying. Success is measured by retention
of customers.
Retention Budget
A budget for a program to keep customers from leaving.
Retention Rate
The percentage of customers who continue to make purchases from you in
a second period, such as a year. If you had 4,000 customers who bought
from you last year and this year 3,000 of those same people also make
purchases, your retention rate would be 75%.
ROI - Return on Investment
A key measure of the success of any direct marketing activity. It is the
total net profit from a direct marketing initiative, divided by the total
cost of the entire operation. ROI from an initial offer is often negative.
But when customer lifetime value is taken into account, it often becomes
positive.
Rollout
After a direct mail test of a few thousand letters, a rollout is the mailing
to the rest of the names on the successful lists. It may be preceded by
a second test or "continuation."
Satisfaction Survey
A survey of customers designed as much to learn something about customers
for relationship-building purposes as it is to learn about good and bad
features of your servicing of the customers.
SKU - Stock Keeping Unit
A warehouse term for the products that a company produces. Each different
product has its own SKU number.
Target Audience
The people most likely to buy your product or service, or most interested
in the information you provide. The more you know about them, and have
designed your product or service with them in mind, the easier it will
be to sell it to them.
Target Marketing
A marketing strategy aimed at a particular individual or group rather
than to mass media.
Up Selling
Prompting customers to buy upgraded products when they had intended to
buy something of lower value.
Product Decoration Terms | ↑ Top
Blind embossing
Design stamped without metallic leaf or ink, giving a bas-relief effect.
Blind Stamping
Hot-stamping without fail. The approach, used often with leather, gives
a more subtle imprint than hot-stamping and a shallower imprint than debossing.
Debossing
Depressing an image into a material's surface so that the image sits below
the product surface.
Die
Mold into which molten metal, plastic or other material is forced to make
a specific shape. Also, a tool of very hard material used to press a particular
shape into or onto a softer material.
Die charge
Charge by the supplier for creating a die from artwork supplied by the
supplier.
Die-casting
Process where molten metal is injected into the cavity of a carved die.
Die-cutting
Using sharp steel blades to cut shapes from printed sheets.
Die-stamp
Steel plate engraved with the desired image, generally used to apply a
gold or silver imprint.
Die-striking
Method of producing emblems and other flat specialties. A blank, cut from
a metal sheet, is struck with a hammer that holds the die.
Embedment
Medallion, logo or everyday object is buried deep in what appears to be
solid glass but instead is acrylic.
Emblem
Embroidered design with a finished edge, commonly an insignia of identification,
usually worn on outer clothing. Also known as a crest or patch.
Emboss and color-fill
Combining hot-stamping with embossing (opposite of debossing). A raised
image is stamped with foil. True embossing cannot be performed on vinyl.
Embossing
Raising of an image on a product, accomplished by pressing the material
between concave and convex dies.
Embroidery
Design stitched onto fabric through the use of high-speed, computer-controlled
sewing machines.
Engraving
Cutting an image into metal, wood or glass by one of three methods; computerized
engraving, hand tracing or hand engraving.
Etched
Imprinting method in which the product to be imaged is coated with a protective
coating that resists acid. The image is then exposed, leaving bare metal
and protected metal. The acid attacks only the exposed metal, leaving
the image etched onto the surface.
Foil stamping
Process in which a metal plate or die is heated and then pressed against
foil into a surface, causing the pigments of the foil to transfer to the
surface. Also called hot-stamping.
Heat-transfer printing (direct-transfer process)
Imprinting method in which an image is screened onto a transfer substrate,
which is then laid directly on the material to be imprinted. The image
is transferred from the substrate to the material through heat and pressure.
Heat-transfer printing (sublimation)
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.
Also called a plastocal transfer.
Hot stamping
Dry imprinting process in which a design or type is set on a relief die
that is subsequently impressed by heat and pressure onto the printing
surface.
Hot type
Type composed by machine and made from molten metal. Houndstooth - Popular
wool pattern made with a variation of the twill weave to form jagged broken
checks. It is not widely used to make many types of fabrics, especially
suitings.
Imprinted product
Merchandise featuring a company's logo, slogan, or other corporate identification.
Intaglio
Design that is impressed into its base material.
Lettering
Embroidery using letters or words. Lettering, commonly called "keyboard
lettering," may be created from circiut boards that allow variance of
letter style, size, height, density, and other characteristics.
Monogram
Embroidered design composed of one or more letters, usually the initials
in a name.
Pantograph (Engraving)
Master letters or designs are traced with a stylus that is connected to
and followed by a cutting tool that pushes the lettering or image into
metal. Used in many jewelry shops an to engrave silver-plated bowls and
cups.
Personalization
imprinting an item with a person's name using one of several methods such
as mechanical engraving, laser engraving, hot stamping, debossing, sublimation,
or screen printing, to name a few.
Photoetching
Printing process using an acid solution to etch a photograph onto a metal
surface.
Proof
Impression of type or artwork on paper to allow the correctness and quality
of the material to be checked.
Puff prints
Screening process using puff inks. After screening, the product is exposed
to heat. A chemical additive in the ink causes it to rise, creating a
raised surface.
Resolution
Density of dots for any given output device. The unit of measurement is
dots per inch (dpi).
Screenprinting
Imprinting method in which the image is transferred to the printed surface
by ink squeegeed through a stenciled screen stretched over a frame. Screens
are treated with a light-sensitive emulsion, then film positives are put
in contact with the screens and exposed to 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. Also called silkscreening.
Sublimation
Dye transfer process where the image consists of a colored dye permanently
embedded into the material surface of pores. Used to imprint messages,
graphics and photographs on a variety of items, primarily mousepads, mugs,
T-shirts, caps and trophy medals.
Thermal (Engraving)
Melts an image into the metal, based on a die. Often used for small items
such as name badges and small signs.
Thermal dye sublimation
Like thermal printers, except pigments are vaporized and float to desired
proofing stock. Similar to Thermal Dye Diffusion Transfer, or D2T2.
Thermography
Means of imprinting in which powder is added to the image to be printed.
When heated, the powder fuses with the ink, and the image appears in relief.
Product Artwork Terms | ↑ Top
CMYK
Cyan, magenta, yellow, black subtractive colors for process color reproduction.
Color proof
First or early printing of a finished color ad, combining impressions
from each of the separate progressive color plates.
Color separation
Separation of multicolored original art by camera or laser-scan techniques
to produce individual separated colors. There are four common separations:
yellow, magenta, cyan and black.
Continuous tone art
Photography, painting or other piece of art in which black-and-white tones
gradually merge into one another.
Contrasting
Using an embroidery thread color different from the color of the garment.
For example, yellow and white thread used to embroider a navy blue shirt.
Digital artwork
Artwork created using computer-assisted design software.
Digital color proof
Off-press color proof produced from digital data without the need for
separation films.
Digitized typsetting
Creation of typographic characters and symbols by the arrangement of black-and-white
spots called pixels or pels.
Four-color process
Printing process that creates color productions by overprinting screens
that individually print reds, yellows, blues and blacks of variable specified
intensities.
Halftone
Engraving made by photographing through a glass screen that breaks the
subject into small dots of varying intensities of gray, ranging from white
to black.
Intaglio
Design that is impressed into its base material.
Lettering
Embroidery using letters or words. Lettering, commonly called "keyboard
lettering," may be created from circiut boards that allow variance of
letter style, size, height, density, and other characteristics.
Letterpress printing
Printing method in which ink is carried on a raised surface to the page
or object being printed.
Line art
Black-and-white illustration of reproduction quality.
Logo or Logotype
Style of lettering or design of a company used as a trademark to identify
itself.
Matte finish
Dull paper finish without gloss or luster. mechanical - Final make-up
of printed advertisement before transformation onto a printing plate.
Mechanical artwork
The traditional standard for acceptable mechanical artwork that is "camera-ready
black and white" material.
Offset lithography
Printing process in which the image is transferred to a rubber blanket,
which in turn applies it to the surface to be printed.
Offset printing
Printing process in which a positive image is transferred to a rubber
blanket in reverse, which in turn applies it to the surface to be printed,
right reading.
Overlay proof
Off-press color proof produced with four dyed or pigmented overlay films.
Pad printing
Method of imprinting in which a recessed surface is covered with ink.
When the plate is wiped clean, ink remains in the recessed area. A silicone
pad then presses against the plate, pulls the ink out of the recesses
and is pressed directly against the product.
Pantone Matching System (PMS)
Color scale used to precisely match colors for printing. Each hue has
a coded number indicating instructions for mixing inks to achieve that
hue.
Paper proof
Impression of type or artwork on paper so the correctness and quality
of the material to be printed can be checked. The least expensive is a
regular black and white faxed paper proof. The most expensive is an actual
physical preproduction sample of the product itself.
Paste-up
Act of producing mechanical art.
Proof
Impression of type or artwork on paper to allow the correctness and quality
of the material to be checked.
Screenprinting
Imprinting method in which the image is transferred to the printed surface
by ink squeegeed through a stenciled screen stretched over a frame. Screens
are treated with a light-sensitive emulsion, then film positives are put
in contact with the screens and exposed to 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. Also called silkscreening.
Sublimation
Dye transfer process where the image consists of a colored dye permanently
embedded into the material surface of pores. Used to imprint messages,
graphics and photographs on a variety of items, primarily mousepads, mugs,
T-shirts, caps and trophy medals.
Thermal dye sublimation
Like thermal printers, except pigments are vaporized and float to desired
proofing stock. Similar to Thermal Dye Diffusion Transfer, or D2T2.
Tone on tone
Different shades of the same color as the garment are used for embroidery
thread. For example, a navy blue shirt with a light blue and royal blue
embroidery.
Typeface
General term used to describe the styles of lettering available in typesetting.
Typeset
To create type of a quality usable for reproduction, whether electronically
or mechanically.
Vector files
Sometimes called a geometric file, most images created with tools such
as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw are in the form of vector image files.
Vector image files are easier to modify than raster image files (which
can, however, sometimes be reconverted to vector files for further refinement).
Packaging Terms | ↑ Top
Blister Packaging
A type of packaging where the item is secured between a preformed (usually
transparent plastic) dome or "bubble" and a paperboard surface or "carrier."
Attachment may be by stapling, heat-sealing, gluing, etc.
Board
A heavy weight thick sheet of paper or other fiber substance (from .012
inches to 0.30 inches and up). Variations: cardboard (nonspecific term),
chipboard, fibreboard, paperboard, containerboard, boxboard, tagboard.
Butyrate
A thermoplastic material which can be converted into shapes or film similar
to cellulose acetate. Has property of toughness with relatively high impact
strength and shock resistance. Used as blister making film.
Card
Flat, stiff piece of paper or paperboard used as a stiffener or backing
sheet in packaging, as in blister card.
Color Separation
A photographic negative exposed through one of the tri-color filters and
recording only one of the primary colors; in platemaking, manual separation
of colors by handwork performed directly on the printing surface. The
preseparation of colors by the artist using separate overlays for each
color executed in black are gray tones ready for the camera.
Color Swatch
A small, usually square solid print used with the sketch, negative, positive
or printing plate to identify it and furnish a sample of the actual ink
color used. A guide in color separation and correction operations.
Contract Packager
A firm that packages goods for others. May also process the goods in whole
or part.
Corrugated Board
Usually a nine-point board after it has passed through a corrugating machine.
When this corrugated board is pasted to another flat sheet of board, it
becomes a single-faced corrugated board or corrugated (shipping) container
board.
Die Cutting
The cutting of metal, paperboard, plastic, or other material by dies.
(adj.) Die-cut; having been shaped, cut, blanked, punched (for holes),
etc., on a die cutting operation.
Die Sheet
An accurate imprint made from the package manufacturer's dies for use
by the packaging designer to enable him/her to secure accuracy of color
registration and design register in his/her art work. Die sheets vary
between manufacturers, due to their differing operating procedures and
their accuracy of making dies. In general, the die sheet shows the exact
location of cutting and scoring rules, and is made by inking the dies
and proofing them on a sheet of parchment or other semi-nonshrinking surface.
In effect, the die sheet is the functional design of the package, within
the confines of which the packaging designer must fit his/her art work.
Also called strike sheet.
Emboss
To create a design on a surface by causing the letters, figures, patterns,
etc.,. to be raised, by pressure to dies, rollers, printing press etc.
Film, Cast
Film made by (1) poring a plastic fluid onto a moving, highly polished
drum or endless belt, from which, in the viscous state, it passes under
a doctor bar which is pre-set to produce the desired gauge of film, or
(2) by casting on a polish drum or endless belt from a hopper without
the use of a doctor bar, or (3) by casting into a solution of some kind
to form a film, following which it is solidified, stripped off, and wound
in rolls or cut into sheets.
Film, Oriented
A film in which the molecular structure is aligned mechanically in one
or more directions, in order to gain strength or to introduce shrinkage
characteristics.
Graphics
The design and decoration of the exterior surfaces of a package, and the
use of the photographic and printing techniques which are employed in
labeling and decorating packages.
Heat Seal
A method of uniting two or more surfaces by fusion, either of the coating
or of the base materials, under controlled conditions of temperature,
pressure, and time (dwell).
Imprint
A secondary marking, containing additional information, imposed on a primary
printing. Example: marking of size, color, etc., on a printed blister
card identifying different hacksaw blade teeth.
Layout
Preliminary sketch or arrangement showing the size, position and colors
of illustrations and text matter in advertisements and other printed matter,
and also including special instructions to platemakers and printers. The
lithographic stripper's layout drawn in pencil on goldenrod paper flat
for positioning photographic negatives (or positives) of units or pages.
Made from original layout or dummy. The printed form used for writing
in the instructions for positioning the negative (positive) on a photocomposing
machine for exposing each "step" of multiple images.
Line Copy
Any copy suitable for reproduction without using a screen; copy composed
of line or dots as distinguished from copy composed of continuous tones.
Lines or dots may be small and close together so as to simulate tones,
but are still regarded as line copy if they can be faithfully reproduced
without a screen.
Offset Lithography
Lithography produced on an offset lithographic press, the modern commercial
printing method. A right-reading plate is used, and an intermediate rubber-covered
offset cylinder transfers the image from the plate cylinder to the paper
or metal.
Paste-Up
The preparation of copy, putting each component element in proper position
before photographing. The usual method of assembling copy elements including
test for reproduction by offset lithography.
Press, Offset
A printing machine which transfers impressions from flat plate to rubber
cylinder, thence to paper.
Press, Platen
That style of printing which gives the impression from a flat surface,
in distinction from the type which produces the impression by means of
a curved or cylindrical surface. In the packaging field, presses of this
type are often used for the diecutting of inserts, pads, and folding carton
or set-up paper box blanks.
Press Proofs
Actual press sheets to show image, tone values and colors as well as imposition
of form or press plate.
Printability
The ability of a paper or board to accept printing and return a suitable
reproduction of the design intended.
Printing, Flexographic
Formerly called aniline printing. A method of rotary letterpress printing
that employs flexible rubber plates and rapid drying transparent inks.
Extensively used In the printing of packaging materials as well as other
printing applications.
Printing, Gravure
An intaglio printing process employing minute engraved "wells." In general
principle, deeply etched wells carry more ink than a raised surface, hence
print darker values. A doctor blade wipes excess ink from the cylindrical
printing surface. Rotogravure employs etched cylinders and web-fed stock.
Sheet-fed gravure, as its name implies, involved individual sheet feeding.
Printing, Letterpress
Printing process in which ink is applied to paper or board from raised
portions of printing plates or type.
Printing, Other
A process of indirect printing in which an impression of type or a design
on a flat plate is printed on a rubber-blanketed cylinder from which it
is impressed; i.e., offset upon the surface to be decorated.
Printing, Silk Screen
A method of printing in which the ink is forced through a design on a
taut silk screen, made of bolting cloth, onto the container to be printed.
Usually used for printing on glass containers or to apply the design on
glass for ceramic labeling, for printing on fiber drums and polyethylene
containers. Method is either done manually, or by automatic machines.
Employs stencils rather than metal plates. Process can be applied to any
container regardless of shape or size.
Process Color
Yellow (lemon), magenta (cold red), cyan (blue-green) are the three process
colors. They are so selected because when combined, they produce black,
and when used in various strengths and combinations, they make it possible
to reproduce thousands of different colors with a minimum of photography,
platemaking, and presswork.
Proof
A test photographic print or trail impression in a printing process taken
for correction or examination. (Verb) to "pull a proof" or to take a proof,
or to prove.
Proofing
Frequently used instead of "proving," denoting the operation of pulling
proofs of plates for proofreading, revising, trail, approval of illustrations,
and other purposes preliminary to production printing. In lithography,
print proofs (photoprints) are used to check layout and imposition when
plates are made from flats and colors.
Score
To make an impression or partial cut in a flat material for the purpose
of facilitating bending, creasing, folding or tearing; in a folding carton,
two types of scores are used: (a) folding score, in which the fibers are
compressed but not cut, to insure that a fold or bend takes place on the
score line; (b) tearing score, in which the fibers are cut approximately
halfway through the board to permit tearing along the score lines. In
set-up paper boxes, scores are cut half through the board, but corners
formed at the score are usually reinforced by gummed paper stays.
Separation, Color
Photographing of artwork with the use of pre-filters to separate individual
colors. Filter consists of red, yellow, blue, and black.
Shrink Film
A film which has been oriented to varying degrees in one or two directions
during manufacture, and can be shrunk by heating after being applied to
the object to be packaged.
Shrink Packaging
Producing a package by shrinking plastic film over the object or objects
to be packaged.
Shrink Tunnels
Devices for subjecting packages which have been wrapped in shrink films
to hot air currents for shrinking.
Shrink Wrapping
A technique of packaging in which the strains in a plastic film are released
by raising the temperature of the film, thus causing it to shrink over
the package.
Substrate
A material upon the surface of which an adhesive-containing substance
is spread for any purpose, such as bonding or coating.
Under-run
Production or delivery of paper which is less than the quantity specified
in an order. Certain allowances for over-runs and under-runs are recognized
through trade practices.
Vinyl
Informal generic term for any of the vinyl resins or for film or other
product made from them.
|
