Sometimes in the world of design and print, words and terminology can be swapped interchangeably, whilst at other times be used to differentiate. This can get quite confusing if you are just starting out as a designer/printer or even if you are trying to get your artwork print-ready.
So what are the differences?
Here are some explanations to clear some things up:
Font vs Typeface
The term Typeface is an almost umbrella term for a font family which includes all of the different formats that come within; e.g., Regular/Italic/Medium/Bold etc. A font, on the other hand, is more precise, designating to a specific chosen format; e.g., Helvetica-Light.
Bleed vs Slug
Where Bleed is the extension of the page and artwork beyond the trim marks, the Slug is the area around and outside the printing and bleed area.
Bitmap vs Pixels
A Pixel represents one of the many tiny dots used to makeup an image.
Bitmap represents a series of ‘bits’ making up a rasterized graphic image.
Greyscale vs Black & White
To print in Black & White is to only use black ink and toner. This is usually used for printing black text on white background. Greyscale is usually used in reproducing images. The image is made up of a variety of shades of grey scaling between black and white.
CMYK vs RGB
CMYK and RGB both represent the colour of an image, though for different formats.
CMYK is usually the best colour mode used when printing an image, whereas RGB is the colour mode best used to display an image digitally.
DPI vs PPI
Like CMYK and RGB both defining colour for different formats, DPI and PPI are somewhat similar for defining the resolution of an image. DPI (Dots Per Inch) refers to the number ink dots needed per inch when printing the image. PPI (Pixels Per Inch) refer to the resolution of an image in pixels for digital display.