Scoring is the procedure used to produce a crease in a substrate so it can be easily bent or folded. In professional / commercial printing, scoring is applied to items printed on thick paper, card stock or cardboard that will ultimately be folded.
A paper score is a straight indentation made with a blunt-edged metal wheel or rule. The scorer compresses the paper fibers, creating a ditch in the surface that then acts as a hinge for folding. The heavier the substrate, the wider the ditch must be.
Greeting cards are scored to ensure perfect folds at the halfway point. Packaging is typically scored to ensure the assembled container comes together properly. Pieces that may require multiple folds are scored to ensure the finished item can be successfully assembled.
Scoring the substrate ensures a clean, straight, consistent fold – think about how tricky it can be to make perfect, even folds in paper, by hand; it’s very easy to end up with uneven sides where the edges don’t line up perfectly. Scores ensure even folds.
In addition to making folding accurate and consistent, scores can protect the integrity of coatings to the paper which might otherwise crack during folding.
Mechanized Inline and Offline Scoring
Some printing presses have scoring capabilities, enabling the piece to be scored during the printing process itself; this is inline scoring. Or scoring can be done post-printing with separate machinery or devices; this is offline scoring. The appropriate approach will depend on the specifics of the piece.
If you have any questions about paper scoring or other printing issues, give us a call at 330-597-8560. We’re happy to help you get the most out of your printing project.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema.
