Resources & Support

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?
2. How do I go about getting an estimate from you?
3. How long does it take for you to complete my order?
4. Is white considered a printing color?
5. Tips on how to save your design files
6. What credit cards do you accept for Payment?
7. What electronic file formats do you accept?
8. What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?
9. What if our business needs warehousing and fulfillment services
10. What is a "proof"?
11. What is the Pantone Matching System?
12. What type of products and services do you provide?
13. Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?

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. How do I go about getting an estimate from you?

   Glad you asked! You can use our online estimate request form; send an e-mail; FAX; or call us. We may ask a few questions to be sure we understand exactly what you want done, and we'll also ask how you would like to receive your estimate (e-mail, FAX, return phone call).

   We also may ask you a few questions about timing -- when do you need the quotation and whether the project is "live" or still in planning stages. This helps us schedule our followup with you.

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

   It depends on the type of work we're doing for you. Digital print work can be done in 5 to 7 days. Custom designed business forms or custom file folders can take several weeks to produce.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. What credit cards do you accept for Payment?

   We accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express.

7. What electronic file formats do you accept?

   For standard documents, our standard formats are PDF (portable document format), Quark Xpress, Adobe Illustrator Adobe PageMaker, Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Publisher and Corel Draw.

   For mail lists, our standard file formats are dBase, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel and ASCII.

8. 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.

9. What if our business needs warehousing and fulfillment services

   Our network of manufacturer warehouses and distribution centers add a powerful option to your print buying. We can print your materials, store them in our warehouse and feed them to you and your locations at your request or at preset intervals. That way, you achieve the cost savings of printing all your materials at once. Yet, you can roll them out in limited quantities that follow your schedule. And, you won't even have to worry about storing them yourself.

10. 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 via email or printed on paper which can be viewed at our location or delivered to you in person.

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

11. 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.

12. What type of products and services do you provide?

    Good question! We are a full service shop and offer a wide range of products and services. To see a full listing and description of what we can offer you, checkout out the Products & Services area in the Customer Service Section of our website.

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.