Questions? Call us. 734.427.2887

Questions? Call us. 734.427.2887

Support

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQs

Here you'll find answers to common questions our clients ask. Start by selecting one of the links below. If you don’t see what you need – call or contact us online.

  1. At what resolution should I save my photos and graphics?

    Resolution should be set to 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.

    Also note that you should save all photos in CMYK mode, not RGB mode when possible. Images saved in RGB mode may not print properly. If you are unable to save your image in CYMK mode, please let us know.

  2. Electronic Guidelines

    Adobe InDesign (Mac or PC) - Select File>Export your file as an EPS File. Convert all text into a graphic using the Creat Outlines command under the Type pulldown Menu.

    Adobe Illustrator (Mac or PC) - Save your files as an EPS file and include all placed images with your file. Convert all text into a graphic using the Convert To Paths command under the Type pull-down Menu.

    Freehand (Mac or PC) - Select File > Export your file as a EPS and include all placed images with your file. Convert all text into a graphic using the Convert to Paths command under the Type pull-down Menu.

    Corel Draw (Mac or PC) - Select File >Publish to PDF. Convert all text into a graphic using the Convert To Curves command under the Arrange pull-down Menu.

    Quark Xpress (Mac or PC) - Go to Resources and download our Quark plugin. Install in the Quark folder>Plugins. Select Utilities> Save for prepress>. All fonts must be included (both screen and printer fonts). All graphic files must be included.

    Pagemaker (Mac or PC) - Select File>Export>Adobe PDF. All fonts must be included (both screen and printer fonts). All graphic files must also be included.

  3. Well, since you are here, we would suggest you use our online estimate request form. Otherwise, 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.

  4. How long does it take for you to complete my order?

    Your order will be completed on an average of 2 days not counting the day the order comes in. If an order requires typesetting that department will need 1 to 2 more days. Proofing and changes will also add more time.

  5. Is white considered a printing color?

    Not typically. Because white is the default color of paper, it is simply recognized as the absence of any ink. However, when using colored paper, white ink may be used if any text or graphic requires it.

  6. Tips on how to save your design files

    Make them print ready and acceptable for us to print.

    COREL DRAW:
    Saving your Corel Draw file as an Adobe Illustrator EPS
    • Embed all Images
    • Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
    • Export as Illustrator EPS

    FREEHAND:
    • Embed all Images
    • Convert all your text/copy to paths
    • Export as Illustrator EPS or PDF

    PAGEMAKER:
    Saving your PageMaker file as an EPS
    • Embed all Images
    • Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
    • Export your file as an EPS using the below settings:
    Postscript Level 2
    CMYK Mode
    TIFF format and
    Binary

    PUBLISHER:
    You will need to have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF. If you don’t please download and use our Adobe Job Ready Program. If you do have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF please follow the steps below.
    Under File, Print, select Adobe PDF writer
    Under Properties select Press Quality and Save your PDF

  7. What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?

    PDF (Portable Document Format) is the most common and preferred file format for submitting digital documents. With the installation of a PDF print driver on your computer, virtually any program can generate a PDF file suitable for printing. Both commercial and free PDF print drivers are available online for download from different sources.

  8. What file formats do you accept?

    We can accept almost any files. However, we do have some recommendations to help everything run smoothly...

    We prefer to receive files in .ps, .eps (vector), pdf, .prn.

    If those formats are unavailable, then InDesign. This is our program of choice internally and have found that receiving InDesign files has eliminated extra converting steps that slow down a project's completion.

    When supplying the InDesign documents, we remind you to please make sure and include all links and fonts (both screen and printer)

    Another suitable file type that requires minimal converting is Adobe Pagemaker and Quark Xpress.

    If the artwork simply cannot be supplied in either of the above formats, we do accept the following:

    Adobe Illustrator
    Macromedia Freehand
    Photoshop (CMYK and with layered files if possible)

    If the artwork still cannot be supplied in any of the above formats, we will accept just about anything, however the setup and conversion of these formats may add to the time and cost of the project. See below for other formats we've accepted in the past:

    Microsoft Word
    Microsoft Publisher
    Corel Draw

    Our Pre-Press department thanks you.

  9. What is a "proof"?

    A proof is a way of ensuring that we have set your type accurately and that everything is positioned according to your requirements. Typically, we will produce a proof which will be sent to you online or printed on paper which can be viewed in our store. A proof is required on all jobs that have been typeset.

    On multiple color jobs, we can produce a color proof on our color output device to show how the different colors will appear.

  10. What is the Pantone Matching System?

    The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a color reproduction standard in which colors all across the spectrum are each identified by a unique, independent number. The use of PMS allows us to precisely match colors and maintain color consistency throughout the printing process.

  11. When to use PDFWriter:
    PDFWriter is a printer driver that converts files to PDF quickly. It is most suitable for documents that contain mainly text. Here are a few guidelines that can help you decide when to use PDFWriter:

    • You're converting simple business documents, such as those created with Microsoft Word or Excel.
    • Your documents do not contain Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) graphics.
    • Your system has a limited amount of RAM. You want to produce PDF files more quickly than you can with Distiller.

    When to use Acrobat Distiller:
    Distiller creates a PDF file from a PostScript version of a document. A PDF file created by Distiller maintains all the formatting, graphics, and photographic images from the original document, and it provides more precise control over the conversion process than PDFWriter. Here are a few guidelines that can help you decide when to use Distiller:

    You're converting documents created with desktop publishing applications such as Adobe PageMaker, Adobe Framemaker, Adobe Illustrator, QuarkXPress, or Macromedia Freehand.

    • Your documents contain EPS graphics
    • You need to choose specific resampling and compression methods for bitmap images in the documents
    • The documents have color management information or use device-independent color
    • You need to preserve PostScript features, such as document structuring convention (DSC) comments, in the PDF files
    • You need to send PDF files to a prepress shop or a service provider for high-end publishing
    • You want to convert PostScript files to PDF in a batch process
    • You're using the Create PDF File command in Word 97 and want to include bookmarks and links
    • You want to embed Asian fonts in PDF files

  12. What kind of work does our store do?

    Copy Services - Our high-speed duplicators can produce copies efficiently and economically whether you provide hard copy or bring in digital files on disk. Our state of the art production duplicating equipment allow us to deliver work quickly and efficiently.

    Printing Services - From one-color to full-color printing, our store has the capability to meet your needs. From short run to long run, we can offer a solution that will be just right for you.

    Finishing Services - We can cut, perforate, score, number, fold, collate, saddle stitch, bind, and just about any other bindery process you could ever need.

    Design Services - We utilize the latest design technology available in order to offer a full range of design services. If you need a brochure produced, we can work from your camera ready copy, use the files you provide on disk, or design your brochure from scratch.

  13. Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?

    In short, printers and monitors produce colors in different ways.

    Monitors use the RGB (red, green, blue) color model, which usually supports a wider spectrum of colors. Printers use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color model, which can reproduce most—but not all—of the colors in the RGB color model. Depending on the equipment used, CMYK generally matches 85–90% of the colors in the RGB model.

    When a color is selected from the RGB model that is out of the range of the CMYK model, the application chooses what it thinks is the closest color that will match. Programs like Adobe Photoshop will allow you to choose which color will be replaced. Others may not.