Every industry has its own lexicon of specific terms, and the field of print and mailing is no different. It’s not just because we want to keep our industry secrets to ourselves and make sure “outsiders” don’t know what we’re talking about. Because printing involves very precise measurements and actions, and because mail has a system constructed on the correct matching of numbers, addresses, names, suites, apartments, and many other pieces of data, it’s very helpful to use specially designated terms when working in those areas.

But that doesn’t mean you need to be in the dark when your print and distribution services provider talks with you about how your project is progressing. In this blogpost, we’ll explain a few of the terms that you may hear your print and mail team use so that you can be better informed about what’s going on.

Sleeking/Laminating/Coating

These are three different techniques to add a glossy, attractive finish to a piece of print collateral. They might sound identical, but they involve very different processes, each of which gives a slightly different effect.

Laminating is the technique most people are most familiar with, mainly because it’s a popular DIY method for preserving printed materials. The laminating process we use in our professional print facility is quite a bit more advanced than the one you use at home, but the principle is the same: applying a sheet of clear material to a print item to make it more durable and higher quality.

Coating uses a liquid or polymer substance rather than a solid sheet of clear film to cover a piece of printed material. Why choose coating over laminating? A huge factor is cost. Coating is much less expensive than laminating printed materials, as the process is faster and can be more easily incorporated into the print workflow. In addition, coating does not add noticeable weight or stiffness to the paper, so the result is a glossy look without making the piece heavier.

Sleeking happens even earlier in the print process. It involves a special combination of toner, foil, and heat to create brilliant accents on the finished product. One of the biggest differences from coating is that sleeking can be used to highlight certain parts of the print surface, leaving others uncoated. This allows special text, images, or logo designs to pop off the page in a beautiful way.

PMS Spot Color

If you’ve ever tried to match a paint color, you know just how frustrating it can be to get it exactly right! This is a problem solved in the digital print world by using the Pantone matching system (PMS) and spot colors. Whereas analog print systems work by combining tiny dots of several ink colors in different ratios to achieve the desired color on the page, spot colors are mixed before the ink is applied to the page. This creates more color consistency and accuracy, and it also helps the printer make absolutely sure that the final printed product matches the branding of the client. This method is used by the HP Indigo 7K digital press at the center of Spectra’s print facility.

Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS)

Moving beyond the print process to the mailing process, most of the acronyms you’ll hear are related to checking addresses. The most important factor in getting a document or a postcard to its intended recipient is the accuracy of the address. A mail provider like Spectra is in constant communication with the US Postal Service, the authority on the subject, to make sure that the address lists we are using for our clients are as reliable and detailed as possible in order to avoid any costly mistakes.

CASS is a tool offered by the USPS to check the quality of the software that mailing service providers use to create databases of addresses. It verifies the accuracy of five-digit ZIP codes, suites within a single street address, and many other granular details that can make the difference between a piece of mail reaching its recipient on time or failing to do so.

Enhanced Line of Travel (eLOT)

While a standard address has all the information needed to get it to its destination, the Post Office still needs to sort mail according to addresses before the carrier takes the load out on the route every day. The Post Office’s eLOT tool gives Spectra the ability to sort a batch of mail, such as a marketing campaign, in the order that the carrier will need it before it leaves our facility. This saves a great deal of work for the USPS, and in return, there are postage discounts offered. We pass these discounts on to our clients to make their campaigns even more affordable.

SOC 2 Certified

This is one of the most important terms associated with Spectra’s print and mailing facility, because it demonstrates that clients can trust the Spectra team to keep the data of their clients, customers, and members secure. SOC stands for Service Organization Control, and SOC 2 is a set of standards related to data security (SOC 1 is related to financial accountability). If an organization is certified, that means they meet the criteria listed. SOC 2 Type I is based on a single audit, while SOC 2 Type II is based on regular audits. Spectra is proud to maintain SOC 2 Type II certification, giving our clients assurance that they can trust us with their sensitive data.

Learn From Spectra’s Experts

Curious about other terms in the print and mailing industry? At Spectra, we never want our clients to feel like they are out of the loop. Our clients always feel that they can ask us any question and get helpful answers, and we love explaining how our detailed understanding of both print processes and mailing systems can help trim costs and create a better overall result at the same time. Consult with us to learn more and to get started with a pilot program with the Spectra team.