Documentation

Glossary

Not sure what jargon means? Fear not. This glossary is here to explain terms used in Print Trail.

👉 Tip: use the search at the top to quickly find what you are looking for.

API

Mainly for developers only, an API allows software systems to communicate. APIs in Print Trail are configured per channel. See our API documentation.

‘Approved’ Print-on-demand settings

When you submit the settings you configure for a print-on-demand product, and these settings have been approved by Print Trail for production. Edit these settings on a product’s ‘Print-on-demand’ tab. Learn more.

Artwork

Typically print-ready PDF files, used in the production of your print-on-demand products.

Backorder

Each product’s inventory setting has an optional ‘Allow backorders’ setting. When enabled, this enables orders to be placed even when the location has insufficient stock. Use this setting to avoid rejecting orders when out of stock but you know you have additional stock arriving at an inventory location.

By default, backorder is disabled per product’s inventory location. See: Backorders.

Channel

Channels are used to segment your orders, and can be used to represent integrations with third-party applications where your sales are made. For instance, your e-commerce website. The exception is the ‘Standard’ channel which is used as a default when no channel is selected for an order. See Channels.

Channel code

When a channel is created, Print Trail automatically assigns the channel a short code. Channel code is not editable.

Cost

The cost to you to purchase the product wholesale. Sometimes needed for customs forms (international shipments). As Print Trail ships from various locations worldwide, you should save your costs in each currency. Editable on each product’s ‘Customs’ tab. Optional, but recommended.

Customs

Information saved against each product, to help with international shipments. Editable on each product’s ‘Customs’ tab.

Dispatched

A fulfilment status to indicate when a fulfilment has been shipped.

EAN

A product identifier, commonly used globally for barcodes. Optional on Print Trail.

Fulfilment

Effectively a sub-order at a fulfilment location, though many orders will only have one fulfilment. Learn more on the fulfilment help page.

Fulfilment location

A physical site where your orders are shipped from. Learn more.

GTIN

A generic term for standard product identifiers (including EAN, UPC, ISBN-13), commonly used globally for barcodes. Optional on Print Trail.

Imprint

An optional field on book products only, ‘imprint’ is a brand name used by a book publisher.

Inventory

‘Inventory’ is your stock, physically stored (distinguishing from ‘Print-on-demand’). Learn more at: Inventory.

Inventory location

A Print Trail fulfilment location which offers storage and fulfilment services (not print-on-demand).

Invite

An invitation for a user to join a team. Invites are sent via email, and can be accepted or rejected. A user can also see their current invites via their profile page. See our guide to Inviting New Users.

ISBN

A product identifier for books only, used globally for barcodes. Optional on Print Trail.

Manager

A user role within a team. Managers can invite new users, change other user roles for users within the team, and reject users from a team. Learn more.

Member

A user role within a team. A regular user can manage a team’s orders but cannot manage team users. Learn more.

Order

A Print Trail order is a request to ship goods. Comprising a collection of one or more order lines, with a shipping address. Learn more.

Order line

An order line represents a product within an order, including its quantity.

Price

The price you charge customer for a product. Needed for customs forms (international shipments). As Print Trail ships from various locations worldwide, you should save your prices in each currency. Editable on each product’s ‘Details’ tab.

Print-on-demand is virtual stock where products are printed to order (distinguishing from ‘Inventory’). Learn more.

The settings you configure for a print-on-demand product, including any PDF artwork you upload. Editable on a product’s ‘Print-on-demand’ tab. Learn more.

What kind of print-on-demand product. Editable on each product’s ‘Print-on-demand’ tab. Not to be confused with ‘Product type’.

Product type

When adding or editing a product, product type tells Print Trail what kind of product it is, eg ‘Book’. Editable on each product’s ‘Details’ tab. Not to be confused with ‘Print-on-demand product type’.

Production method / Production type

How products and fulfilments are produced; ‘print on demand’ or ‘inventory’. Each product can be enabled for one or both production methods. Learn more

PTSKU

A product identifier generated by Print Trail for internal use. Created based on the supplied SKU. Unlike the SKU, the PTSKU is not editable.

SKU

A product identifier supplied by users to identify products. If used, SKUs should be consistent across systems, e.g. on your e-commerce sites. Optional, but recommended.

Status (orders and fulfilments)

The stage in the process that an order or fulfilment is currently in.

Shipping address

The address details supplied with an order, i.e. where the order should be shipped to.

Shipping zone

A geographic region used to determine which fulfilment location handles orders shipped to that area.

Team

‘Teams’ are Print Trail client accounts. A team can have one user, or many users. All products, orders, and activity occur within your team.

Team code

Each team is assigned a ‘Team code’ a short, automatically-generated code. Print Trail uses this to differentiate activity between teams. The team code is not editable.

Tracking

When a fulfilment has been dispatched using a tracked shipping method, tracking details will be added to the fulfilment. Including tracking number, courier, and a tracking URL link.

UPC

A product identifier, commonly used in North America for barcodes. Optional on Print Trail.

User

A user represents an individual person. Users can be invited to join teams, and each user can be in multiple teams. What a user can do in a team is set by their ‘user role’.

User role

Each user in a team has a user role for that team. User roles determine what a user can do in a team.

There are two user roles:

  • Member: a regular user
  • Manager: can do everything a member can do, plus invite new users, change user roles, and reject users from a team

A single user can have different roles in each team they belong to.

Managers can edit their team users’ user roles at Settings > Users.

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