Print and PDFs
Print words explained: vector, 100% K, overprint and more
Answer
Print words describe how a barcode becomes ink on paper. On Barcode Rocket three matter most: vector means the barcode is drawn with shapes, so it stays sharp; 100% K means it is printed with the black ink only; overprint means the black lands on top of the color under it, so no white gap appears.
The words
| Word | What it means, simply |
|---|---|
| ISBN | Your book's 13-digit number. It starts with 978 or 979. Each format (paperback, hardcover, large print) has its own. |
| Barcode | The ISBN drawn as black bars, so a shop scanner can read it. You do not buy a barcode; it is made from your ISBN. |
| EAN-13 | The name of the barcode type books use. A book barcode is your ISBN drawn as an EAN-13. |
| EAN-5, price add-on | The small second barcode to the right. It holds the price. 51999 means US$19.99. |
| 90000 | The price add-on that means "no price". It is always correct, even when your price changes. |
| Vector | A drawing made of shapes, not of dots (pixels). It stays sharp at any size. A photo or PNG is made of dots and goes blurry. |
| 100% K | Black printed with only the black ink. Printers use four inks: C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow) and K (black). |
| Rich black | A black mixed from several inks. It looks deep on screen but gives fuzzy bars on paper, because the inks never sit exactly on top of each other. |
| Overprint | The black ink is printed on top of the color under it, instead of cutting a hole in that color. If the paper shifts a hair on the press, no thin white line appears. |
| Separations, plates | The printer splits your cover into one layer per ink. Each layer is a plate. A good barcode is only on the black plate. |
| Bleed | The extra strip around the cover that is cut off after printing. Never put the barcode there. |
| Trim | The line where the cover is cut. Keep the barcode at least 0.25 in (6.35 mm) inside it. |
| Quiet zone | The empty white space on both sides of the bars. A scanner needs it. Never cover it or cut it. |
| 100% size | The size the file comes in. Place it at 100%. Never stretch it, and do not scale it down: it is already the right size. |
| QR code | A square code a phone camera can read. It opens a link. |
Why vector, 100% K and overprint matter
- Vector: a scanner reads the exact width of each bar. Pixels make the edges soft, and a soft edge can scan as the wrong number.
- 100% K: a black mixed from four inks is printed four times. The four layers never land exactly on top of each other, so the bars get color fringes and fat edges. One ink, one layer, sharp bars.
- Overprint: a thin black line that cuts into a colored background can show a white hairline when the press shifts a little. Overprinting puts the black on top, so there is no gap.