Frequently Asked Questions

Good question! We are offer a wide range of products and services, but we are best known for the printing services we provide to the business community. Whether it is providing copies of manuals and reports, printing marketing material to help you sell more, creating a corporate identity or handling your personalization mailing needs, we make are clients look good in print.

The best way to ensure that we get all the information necessary to do an accurate quote is to give us a call and talk with one of our customer service representatives. Or since you are here, you can use our online estimate request form. Our customer services representative will call to assure we have all the necessary information.

Many of our clients create their own documents and submit them print ready. This saves time and can get your job completed faster. You will need to make sure the files are created to print properly on commercial printing equipment.
The best way to submit a file is to create a PDF file. A PDF file usually contains all of the images and fonts you used to create your file and makes file sharing easier. To make it easy, you can download our special application called PDF Preflight application. It can turn any program that can be printed into a printable PDF file and delivers the file directly to us. It eliminates many of the common problems when give a file to a commercial printer and corrects many common mistakes. Go to the PDF Preflight tab on our website and download the program.
If you are a profession graphic designer, you probably use an application such as Adobe InDesign or QuarkXpress. Both of these programs can export their finished document as a PDF file. Microsoft Publisher, a popular desktop publishing program for the amateur user, can also export the finished file as a PDF file. Our PDF Preflight application can also be used to output InDesign, QuarkXpress and Publisher files as PDF files.
We also recommend that any Microsoft Word files or other word processing files you submit for printing be submitted as a PDF file.
When submitting a file, please use our Send A File tab on our website. This allows you to send larger files than you could normally send as an email attachment and gets them to us faster.

Submitting a PDF file does not guarantee is will print properly if professional commercial printing standards are not used when constructing the file. Our PDF Preflight application can automatically correct many common file problems, but basic commercial printing standards should be followed to assure the file prints properly:

a. Resolution should be set for 300 dpi. Pictures and graphics pulled from the internet are often low resolution, typically 72 dpi or 96 dpi. Avoid these graphics, as they will appear pixilated and blocky when printed. Files with higher resolutions are accepted, but higher resolution will not improve the printed quality.
b. Colors should be set as Pantone colors or in the CMYK mode. Images and text saved in the RGB model may not print properly.
c. Bleeds must be set correctly in the original document. If your printed piece calls for a border along its edge, you will need to extend that border 1/8" beyond the outside cut line, in order to ensure that it prints properly.
d. Special effects should be flattened. If your file contains vector-based graphics with transparency or other special effects, it is recommended you provide a file with flattened images and all fonts converted to outlines. Transparent, unflattened artwork and non-outlined fonts may not print properly, resulting in additional charges.

While we prefer to work with PDF files, we will accept files created in Adobe InDesign, QuarkXpress and Microsoft Publisher. Each of the programs have special procedures that collect everything into one folder that a printer needs to print the file properly.

InDesign
To submit a native file from InDesign, use the Package function. InDesign files must meet the following requirements if they are accepted in native format:

1) They must be packaged using the Package function found under File.
2) The Package function will:
a. Include the fonts. Customer must check to make sure all screen and type fonts are included.
b. Include the links and graphics.
3) Customer must check to make sure all screen and type fonts are included in a Fonts folder.
4) The graphics used must be at the proper resolution for commercial printing.
5) The RGB colors used must be either Spot (Pantones) or CMYK.
6) Proofs printed by the customer must accompany the file including separations if the file is to be printed on an offset press.

Microsoft Publisher
To submit a native file from Microsoft Publisher, use the Take to a Commercial Printing Service function. Microsoft Publisher files must meet the following requirements if they are accepted in native format:

1) The file must be prepared using the Pack and Go function found under File and then to the Take to a Commercial Printing Service function.
2) The Take to a Commercial Printing Service function will:
a. Run the Design Checker to detect any problems and helps you correct them.
b. Update the links to linked graphics.
c. Include the linked graphics files in the packed publication.
d. Embed TrueType fonts in your publication.
e. Create a list of any fonts that the wizard can't embed.
f. Create a report of any problems with linked graphics.
g. Give the user the option to print a composite proof.
3) Customer must check to make sure all screen and type fonts are included in a Fonts folder.
4) The graphics included must be at the proper resolution for commercial printing.
5) The RGB colors used must be either Spot (Pantones) or CMYK.
6) Proofs printed by the customer must accompany the file including separations if the file is to be printed on an offset press.

Graphic application programs are programs such as Illustrator, Photoshop, CorelDraw, Paint or any other program where the customer can create an image. These programs will not be accepted as a native application and only be accepted as:
1) An EPS or TIF file with fonts outlined that will be placed into a page layout program such as InDesign. Colors must be set as Pantone spot colors or as CMYK.
2) A PDF file

These files are best accepted as PDF files created by our PDF Preflight application. But if you must submit a Microsoft Word or other word processing file, it can only be printed directly to a digital printers. We cannot guarantee the resulting file.
a. Font substitution may occur and cannot be corrected.
b. Line and page ends could change resulting in additional pages and additional printing costs.
c. Tab setting could change resulting in bad line breaks.
d. Color will print as is and cannot be corrected.

Even when dealing with electronic files, proofs are important. It is highly recommended that when you submit a file to us, you include a hard copy proof. If you are unable to do so, we will print a digital proof for you to assure we have the right file and it will print as you envision. Reviewing the proof is your last and best opportunity to make sure that the print job comes out the way you want. By carefully inspecting the proof, you can help us assure an accurate, flawless delivery of your print job on the first run

We also recommend:
a. If your file is to be printed on an offset press and has multiple color, you print a proof of the separations to assure the colors are applied correctly.
b. If you create your own PDF file or use our PDF Preflight application, you review the proof AFTER the native file has been converted to the PDF format to assure it was created correctly.
We will provide you a digital composite proof of your file for you to review before we print. Any delays in your approving the proof could result in delivery delays.

If for any case the file you submit prints incorrectly during the proofing process, we will notify you immediately. At that time you will have the opportunity to correct the file and resubmit a new digital file. For a fee, we can correct most problems and will be able to give you an estimate.

Creating your own file for print can save you money, but we do want to remind you that we have professional graphic designers on staff who can provide the creative input you need to get your printed project noticed. They also construct the file so it will print properly. Our designers may be able to get your project done faster and more economically that it would have been doing it yourself. Let’s discuss whether it would be to your advantage for us to be involved in the design of your project from the beginning.
Creating your own document does eliminate typesetting and design charges, but there may still be prepress charges required to get your file ready to be printed on commercial printing equipment.

Printers and monitors produce colors in different ways. Monitors use the RGB (red, green, blue) color model for a wider spectrum of colors. Printers use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color model and can only produce about 85 to 90 percent of the colors on the screen. This means that you could notice a difference in color from the monitor and what appears printed on paper.

Every job is unique and the complexity of the job will determine the time we need. Give us a call and we would be glad to give you a time frame for your specific job. In a hurry? Ask about guaranteed delivery.