Order & Processing
I need business cards, but I can't design them
myself. Can you help?
Yes, our personalized design
service is what makes us unique! When you order
from us, we first identify what makes your
business unique. We'll then gather all of the
text and images required for the design process.
Although we can use commercial images, we’ve
found images of your product, your location’s
interior or exterior, your team, or yourself are
the most effective. TOP
What kind of paper
will my business cards be printed on?
We use a very high quality stock
which is 120 lb. cover and gloss coated on both
sides. You can also select a matte paper when
your business card design requires an easy to
write on surface.
TOP
Will I have the
opportunity to review the design before it is
printed?
Yes, if you are ordering online from
an established account your business card will
be displayed after updating the text
information. For off-line orders, your business
card will be posted to our proofing site for
your approval. This is your final chance to make
any text or image adjustments before printing.
TOP
How well will my job
match what I see on my monitor?
Most people are surprised at how
well their job matches what they see on their
computer monitor. However, because of wide
differences in monitor calibration, personal
preferences, various technologies used, some
printed colors may not exactly match the colors
on your monitor.
TOP
What are my "approval"
responsibilities?
Off-line orders only
- We make every effort to provide a perfect
design with each and every order; however, we
are human and may make mistakes occasionally.
For this reason, we see the design process as a
partnership between you and us. When you receive
your proof, you are responsible for the final
review and corrections to the text and/or
images, including information accuracy, correct
spelling and any image problems you are
dissatisfied with. When you have completed your
review, return the approval to print
authorization and we will begin the printing
process.
TOP
What if I want to
change something on my order after I've placed
it or approved the proof?
Requesting image/text changes to
approved orders is strongly discouraged and can
be accommodated only if the related process has
not started. Once the printing process for your
order has started, you cannot change any text,
images, or paper type. Similarly, you cannot
make shipping information changes after the
order has shipped. Still, if you must change
something, contact us and we’ll make every
effort to meet your request. We require an
electronic "paper trail" for all changes.
TOP
What is your
turnaround time on business cards?
Normally, we will ship your order in
about 3-5 business days from date we receive
your formal approval.
TOP
How are my new
business cards shipped?
Your order will be shipped directly
to you via UPS.
TOP
File Requirements
Can I send you documents
created in MS Word or PowerPoint?
It depends……if you have created
documents in Word or PowerPoint that merge
photos, clip-art or other color images, do not
send them in. These programs are designed for
the home office user with an inkjet or laser
printer and are not designed for high-end design
and printing processes we utilize. If you have
specific text you want to submit, we accept MS
Word documents for text only.
TOP
What file formats will
you accept?
We will accept Mac or PC versions of
Quark, Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe PDF,
MS Word (for text only) and JPEG images.
TOP
Printing Terminology
What is meant by "bleed"?
Bleed is the area outside the trim
area of a document in which graphical elements
are printed. This area is then trimmed off,
resulting in color going all the way to edge of
the piece. If you didn't bleed elements and
instead placed them up to the boundaries of the
trim area, irregularities encountered during
cutting might produce a piece where a thin line
of unprinted stock shows along one or more
edges. And that could ruin the overall
effectiveness of the card's design. Standard
bleed is 1/8 inch. TOP
Is there an extra
charge for bleeds?
Unlike many other companies, all our
prices include full bleeds free of charge.
TOP
What is meant by CMYK?
Full color printing is generally
done with only four colors; cyan, magenta,
yellow, and black. CMYK is just another way to
say process, or full color, printing. All
elements to be printed must be separated into
the four color channels. Scanned color images
are RGB. At some point, they must be separated;
either automatically on the scanner or manually
in an image editing program.
TOP
What is the difference
bewteen the RGB and CMYK color space and why
does it matter?
RGB refers to the primary colors of light which
are Red, Green, and Blue. These are the colors
used on video monitors, television screens,
digital cameras, and scanners. CMYK refers to
the primary colors of pigment: Cyan, Magenta,
Yellow, and Black. These are the inks used on
the press in "4-color process printing",
commonly referred to as "full color printing".
The combination of RGB light creates white while
the combination of CMYK inks creates black.
Therefore, it is physically impossible for the
printing press to exactly reproduce colors as we
see them on our monitors. TOP
Many programs have the capability to convert the
layout/images from the RGB color space to the
CMYK color space. We request that you convert
your colors from RGB to CMYK if your tools allow
you to. By doing it yourself, you have maximum
control over the results. You may notice a shift
in color when converting from RGB to CMYK. If
you do not like the appearance in CMYK, we
recommend that you make adjustments while
working in CMYK (usually lightening). Generally,
you should specify CMYK color builds that look a
little lighter than you want since the dots of
ink "fatten up" on press, giving you more
pigment on paper than you see on your monitor.
Be especially careful to keep backgrounds light
if there is black or dark colored text over it
so that the text remains readable.
TOP
What is meant by line
screen?
Simply put, line screen is how
tightly the individual printing dots that make
up a printed piece are placed on the paper. A
fine line screen, like we use, minimizes the
appearance of the dots resulting in a smoother
image.
TOP
Color Matching
Can you match exactly
colors I'm already using on my cards or other
literature?
If color matching is a critical, we
can provide you a CMYK color selection chart for
selecting the closest color match. For an
additional fee, we can also send you a hard copy
press-proof for review prior to printing your
entire order. Exact color matching is very
difficult because we all see colors
differently. For this reason, we cannot
guarantee a color match. TOP
Can I order PMS color
printing from you?
Our 4-color process is your best
value. Since we are so efficient at producing
high-quality 4-color work, 2-color pieces will
be priced the same as 4-color. 2-color postcards
and business cards will be converted to 4-color
process equivalents before printing. We suggest
that if the card is currently set up using PMS
colors that the client make the correction
themselves because colors tend to shift when
converted from PMS to Process (CMYK). We
generally would like the client to decide what
color works for them. TOP
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