Scoring, basically, is putting that perfect crease onto the paper. You see, when you apply the fold, it puts great pressure on your print catalog that causes a crack in the fold itself. So rather than getting a perfect catalog printing job, you end up with an unsightly and noticeable imperfection. This is true when the ink spreads everywhere. To prevent this error, you’ve to “score” the paper before folding.

There are numerous ways that you can score. Although each method differs from the way they’re applied, they all have the basic concept of weakening the paper fibers by putting a hinge in the paper.

LITHO SCORING is an on-press method where a scoring rule is mounted to an impression cylinder. Several printers though find this method difficult for top-quality jobs.

LETTERPRESS SCORING, on the other hand, can be utilised to totally eliminate cracking. In letterpress scoring, a platen or a flatbed-cylinder letterpress is utilized to create a ridge in the paper. Applied with either a male die and matrix set, or a scoring/creasing rule and channel-creasing matrix, the end result is an exact and high quality score.

ROTARY SCORING is a technique that involves a scoring wheel. The downside- the scoring wheel is less effective when it comes to preventing a crack and creating that proper score. Nevertheless, rotary scoring is best used if you wish to locate the right fold to your print catalog.

Still on some catalog printing jobs, WET SCORING is applied to create a more pliable paper. Water and isopropyl alcohol is mixed and then injected to the area of the fold. The mixture helps soften the paper fibers for comfortable folding.

No matter what technique you utilise, there are two things that you should do to even out the score. One, make sure that the score is always wider and deeper than the thickness of your paper. And two, make sure that when you apply the score, the hinge is on the inside of the fold.