[QUIZ] Can You Finish the Print Lingo? 🧠

[PK Project Manager]

Think you know your print talk inside and out? From the pressroom to the design desk, printers have their own special language — and if you’ve been in the industry long enough, you’ve probably heard some pretty strange terms!

Let’s test your knowledge (and memory) with this “Finish the Print Lingo” quiz. Keep track of your answers as you go, then check your score at the end. No peeking early — that’s cheating!

Finish the phrase: "Bleed" refers to...​

A) When ink leaks inside the printer
B) Printing that extends beyond the edge of the page
C) Overuse of magenta ink
D) The first layer of toner

Fill in the blank: A printer’s DPI stands for “dots per ___.”​

A) Image
B) Inch
C) Input
D) Impression

Complete the term: “CMYK” stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and ___​

A) Black
B) Key
C) Contrast
D) Kerosene

What does the term “registration” mean in printing?​

A) Lining up colors so they print in perfect alignment
B) A printer’s warranty sign-up
C) A watermark feature
D) A digital alignment test

Finish this phrase: A “print head” is…​

A) The person in charge of printing
B) The mechanical part that sprays ink onto paper
C) The main control panel
D) The cartridge housing

Fill in the blank: A “raster image” is made up of ___, while a vector image is made of paths.​

A) Pixels
B) Layers
C) Blocks
D) Segments

What does “collate” mean in printing?​

A) To print both sides of the page
B) To arrange pages in sequential order
C) To merge colors
D) To staple documents

Finish this one: A “substrate” in printing refers to…​

A) The paper or material you’re printing on
B) The type of ink used
C) The printer’s power source
D) A digital driver setting

Fill in the blank: “Pantone” is a system used for standardizing ___ colors.​

A) RGB
B) Spot
C) Neutral
D) Base

And finally: In 3D printing, “FDM” stands for Fused Deposition ___​

A) Modeling
B) Mechanism
C) Mold
D) Matrix

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Answers — No More Hiding!​

B) Printing that extends beyond the edge of the page
B) Inch
B) Key (Black)
A) Lining up colors so they print in perfect alignment
B) The mechanical part that sprays ink onto paper
A) Pixels
B) To arrange pages in sequential order
A) The paper or material you’re printing on
B) Spot colors
A) Modeling

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Wrap-Up:​

How’d you do?

• 0–3 correct: Fresh ink! You’re just getting started in the print world.
• 4–6 correct: Solid impression — you’re clearly no stranger to the pressroom.
• 7–9 correct: Sharp and crisp — your print lingo knowledge is top-tier.
• 10/10 correct: You’re a certified Print Master! Time to brag a little in the replies.

Post your score below — and maybe toss in your favorite bit of printing jargon for the next quiz round!

 

[PeterBJ]

I am sorry but I think question 1 is wrong. Bleeding is ink mixing between adjacent colour fields. Druckerchannel.de has made some printer test documents. Scroll down to "Bleeding- und registrierungstest" or if you use a translation to English "Bleeding and registration test".

Printing that extends beyond the edge of the page for instance when printing borderless photos is called overspray.

Here is an example of bleeding in a stamp test of an HP tricolour cartridge. The cartridge has three nozzle rows for magenta, yellow and cyan. Notice that both magenta and cyan has bled into the yellow in the centre, creating almost a rainbow. Click to enlarge:

​

 

[Epatcola]

I am sorry but I think question 1 is wrong. Bleeding is ink mixing between adjacent colour fields.

You can find hundreds of web references telling you:

In printing, “bleed” refers to the area of a document that extends beyond the trim edge. This extra space ensures that no unprinted edges appear in the final cut, accommodating any slight movement of the paper during trimming.

Or something similar. It isn't specific to inkjet printers.

The color mixing bleed seems to usually be called 'ink bleed'.

As for the OP I assume you are trying to drum up a bit more activity on the forum. An admirable idea which doesn't seem to have worked much in this case. I am not sure how many people would want to post how many answers they did or didn't know.

 

[PK Project Manager]

I am sorry but I think question 1 is wrong. Bleeding is ink mixing between adjacent colour fields. Druckerchannel.de has made some printer test documents. Scroll down to "Bleeding- und registrierungstest" or if you use a translation to English "Bleeding and registration test".

Printing that extends beyond the edge of the page for instance when printing borderless photos is called overspray.

Here is an example of bleeding in a stamp test of an HP tricolour cartridge. The cartridge has three nozzle rows for magenta, yellow and cyan. Notice that both magenta and cyan has bled into the yellow in the centre, creating almost a rainbow. Click to enlarge:

View attachment 17822

​

You’re absolutely right that in inkjet printing, bleeding often refers to ink from one color mixing or spreading into another, like in the Druckerchannel.de “Bleeding and Registration Test.” That’s a perfect example of how yellow can get contaminated by magenta or cyan.

In the quiz, the question used bleed in the graphic design and layout sense, meaning printing that extends past the trim edge of the page, so there are no white borders after cutting.

So both meanings are valid but just used in different parts of the printing world! Thanks for pointing that out and adding a great real-world example.

 

[PeterBJ]

Thank you for clarifying. I didn't know the word had two meanings. I only thought of inkjet printing.

 

[The Hat]

n the quiz, the question used bleed in the graphic design and layout sense, meaning printing that extends past the trim edge of the page, so there are no white borders after cutting.

That's more like it..