Print Finishing Options — What Happens After the Ink Dries

Every printed product gets cut to its final size. Print runs are typically printed on large sheets and then trimmed down using a hydraulic paper cutter or a die. This is why bleed matters — the cut has a small tolerance, and bleed ensures no white edges appear.

Folding turns a flat printed sheet into a multi-panel piece. The most common fold types are half-fold (one fold, two panels per side), tri-fold (two folds, three panels per side), z-fold (accordion-style), and gate fold (two panels fold inward to meet in the center). Each fold type creates a different reading experience and panel layout.

Panel dimensions matter: for a standard tri-fold brochure on 8.5″ × 11″ paper, the panel that folds inside is slightly narrower than the other two so it nests cleanly. See our brochure fold types guide for exact panel dimensions.

Scoring creates a compressed crease line in the paper using a metal die or a scoring wheel. The crease weakens the paper fibers along the fold line so the fold happens cleanly and precisely, without cracking, tearing, or delaminating.

On thin paper (standard text weight), scoring usually isn't necessary — the paper folds cleanly on its own. On thicker stocks (cover weight, cardstock, or laminated pieces), scoring is essential. Without it, the fold cracks through the printed surface, exposing the white paper core underneath.

Perforation creates a line of tiny cuts or holes in the paper so that a section can be cleanly torn off by hand. The perforation is precise enough that the tear is straight and clean, but the piece stays intact until someone intentionally pulls it apart.

Coating is a thin liquid finish applied to the printed surface during or immediately after printing. It protects the ink from smudging, adds a slight sheen (gloss) or a flat finish (matte), and gives the piece a finished feel. Most commercial print jobs include coating as standard — it's what makes a printed flyer or business card feel "done" rather than like raw paper.

Coating is thinner and less durable than lamination. It provides basic protection but doesn't add the rigidity, moisture resistance, or tactile quality that lamination does. For standard print jobs, coating is sufficient. For pieces that need extra durability or a premium feel, lamination is the upgrade.

Lamination bonds a thin plastic film to the printed surface using heat and pressure. It adds significant protection against moisture, fingerprints, scuffing, and general wear. Available in gloss (shiny, vivid), matte (flat, professional), and soft-touch (velvety, luxurious) finishes.

Lamination is an upgrade over coating — it changes the feel of the piece noticeably and adds meaningful durability. See our dedicated lamination guide for a full comparison of gloss vs matte vs soft-touch and when lamination is worth it.

Binding holds multiple printed pages together as a single document. The main binding methods are:

• Saddle stitch — stapled through the spine fold; 8–64 pages; cheapest and most common for thin booklets
• Perfect binding — glued spine like a paperback book; 40–300+ pages; professional, book-like finish
• Spiral (coil) binding — plastic or metal coil through punched holes; lies flat; 360° fold-back
• Comb binding — plastic comb through rectangular holes; pages can be added or removed

See our booklet binding options guide for a detailed comparison with page count ranges, use cases, and side-by-side feature tables.

Rounded corners use a die to cut small radius curves at each corner of the finished piece instead of leaving them as sharp 90-degree angles. The result is a softer, more modern look that also resists dog-earing and peeling — sharp corners on cardstock tend to bend and fray over time in wallets and card holders.

Mounting adheres a printed piece to a rigid substrate — foam board, gator board, PVC (Sintra), or aluminum composite (Dibond). The result is a stiff, free-standing or wall-mountable sign that doesn't bend, curl, or flop.

These finishing options apply specifically to banners and large-format flexible prints:

• Grommets — metal rings punched through the banner material at regular intervals along the edges, used for hanging with hooks, zip ties, or bungee cords
• Hems — the edges of the banner are folded over and heat-welded to create a reinforced border that prevents tearing and fraying
• Pole pockets — a tube of material sewn or welded along the top and/or bottom edge, designed to slide onto a pole or dowel for hanging

These finishing elements occupy space along the banner's edges. Keep important content well inside the edge — at least 1″–2″ from all sides. See our banner materials guide for more on finishing options by banner type.

Die cutting uses a custom-shaped metal die (like a cookie cutter) to cut printed pieces into non-rectangular shapes. This includes custom-shaped business cards, product packaging, stickers, table tents, pocket folders with custom flaps, and any printed piece that isn't a standard rectangle.