Each job is different. Some jobs can be produced in minutes while some may take days or weeks to complete. Let us know when you need your job completed and we'll let you know if it can be done. We go to great lengths to meet even your most demanding timelines.

We prefer a PDF format with bleeds included. We also accept Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop files. If files are submitted in any other format, they are subject to review prior to printing the job.

Please Note: Fonts need to be outlined and any pictures need to be embedded into the file. Please make sure to use a CMYK color mode on your project.

The Portable Document Format (PDF) is generally the preferred file format for submitting a document for printing as it works with virtually all professional printing and digital output devices. By design, a PDF file incorporates the information needed to maintain document consistency from system to system. Most other file formats such as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Microsoft Word are easily converted to PDF format.

It is important to make sure that your images and other graphics are at least 300 dpi when creating files intended for commercial printing. If your images are not 300 dpi, they may appear blurry when printed.

Please Note: Simply changing from a smaller resolution to a larger resolution will not solve the blurriness problem. The only way to ensure high quality printing is to start with a high-resolution image.

Bleed is when the print area goes beyond the final trim line of the page thus allowing final print to “bleed” off the edge of the page.

Recommended bleed is 1/8 inch (.125) on all sides of the page or sheet.

The technology of design, layout and printing has come a long way to the point where much of the work is done in a WSYWIG (What You See Is What You Get) digital environment. However, there are sometimes noticeable differences in color calibration and spatial conformity from monitor to monitor and consequently from screen to print.

The process for minimizing any variance begins with adjusting your monitor for optimal color and clarity according to the manufacturer's recommendations as outlined within its product manual or website. Doing this will alleviate a number of potential issues.

Beyond that, for the greatest conformity in color from screen to print, there are tools available that will ensure exact color calibration. Perhaps you have already invested in such a tool. If so, let us know what you use and we'll work with you to achieve the best results. If you are considering investing in a color calibration tool, talk to us first and we'll be happy to offer our advice.

A proof is a one-off copy of your document used for visual inspection to ensure that the layout and colors of your document are exactly how they are intended to be. A proof is made prior to sending the document to the press for final printing. Typically, we will produce a proof that will be sent to you online in PDF format.

Your approval on the final proof is the best assurance you have that every aspect of our work and your own is correct, and that everything reads and appears the way you intended. Mistakes can and sometimes do happen. It benefits everyone if errors are caught in the proofing process rather than after the job is completed and delivered.

The basis weight of a given grade of paper is defined as the weight (in pounds) of 500 standard-sized sheets of that paper. With that in mind, here are different examples of paper grades and their respective basis weights:

Bond: Most commonly used for letterhead, business forms and copying. Typical basis weights are 20# for copying and forms and 24# for stationery.

Text: A high-quality grade paper with a lot of surface texture. Basis weights range from 60# to 100# with the most common being 80# or 100#.

Uncoated Book: The most common grade for offset printing. Typically 80# to 100#.

Coated Book: Has a glossy finish that yields vivid colors and overall excellent reproduction. Basis weights range from 80# to 100# for web and sheet presses.

Cover: Used in creating business cards, postcards and book covers. Can be either coated or uncoated. Basis weights for this grade are 80# or 100#.

Uncoated stock paper is comparatively porous and inexpensive and is typically used for such applications as newspaper print and basic black-and-white copying. Coated stock, by contrast, is made of higher quality paper having a smooth glossy finish that works well for reproducing sharp text and vivid colors. It tends to be more expensive, however.

Offset printing is a technique where the inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket, and then to the printing surface. When used in combination with the lithographic process (which is based on the repulsion of oil and water), the offset technique employs a flat (planographic) image carrier on which the image to be printed obtains ink from ink rollers, while the non-printing area attracts a film of water, keeping the non-printing area ink-free.

Digital printing is a method of printing in which the data and images are printed directly from the computer onto paper.

The two main factors to consider are 1. Quantity. and 2. Deadlines

Digital

• Cheaper low volume printing. While the unit cost of each piece may be higher than with offset printing, when setup costs are included digital printing provides lower per unit costs for small print runs.
• Faster turnaround time.
• Variable data printing.
• More accurate proofing.

Offset

• Consistent high-quality images. Offset printing produces sharper and cleaner images and type than digital printing.
• The print quality is generally better then in digital printing.
• Cheaper for high volume printing. The overall price per printed piece drops.
• Wide color gamut. Offset printing can accurately reproduce colors from the Pantone Matching System, while digital methods only simulate Pantone color using four-color printing.

The quality difference can vary from almost negligible to significant. Most photographs and text will reproduce well on a high-end digital press. However, if a job has large solid areas of color, offset printing will achieve much better print quality. Although our vendors use the best digital presses available on the market, we cannot guarantee offset-quality printing on all digital printing jobs.

RGB stands for Red, Green, and Blue. This scale is most commonly used in monitors, televisions, scanners, and digital cameras. CMYK is cyan, magenta, yellow, and black – “full-color printing”.
When you combine all RGB light it creates white, whereas CMYK creates black. Subsequently, it is impossible for a printer to exactly reproduce a color that we see on our monitors. If possible, we recommend converting images or graphics in RGB to CMYK yourself, so you can adjust any changes before files are given to the printing company.

Because the ink and toner mediums are different, the printed piece may have a slightly different result. Even though both types of printing use CMYK, the rasterization processes are different, which cause variations in color. In addition, if the file contains RGB elements, the different methods will produce varying results.

Color separation is the process of separating a colored graphic or photograph into its primary color components in preparation for printed reproduction. For example, to print a full color photo with an offset printing press, four separate printing plates are created, each accounting for one of the four basic printing inks (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) needed to reproduce the image.
As the paper is fed through the press, each single-color plate puts onto the paper the exact amount of ink needed at exactly the right spot. As the different colored wet inks are applied, they blend together to create the rich and infinite pallet of complex colors needed to reproduce the original image.

Halftone printing converts a continuous tone (solid areas of black or color) photograph or image into a pattern of different size dots that simulate continuous tone. When examining the page closely, you will see a series of dots spaced slightly apart. At a normal viewing distance, however, the spacing between dots becomes essentially invisible to the eye and what you see is a continuous tone.

Pantone colors refer to the Pantone Matching System (PMS), a color matching system used by the printing industry whereby printing colors are identified by a unique name or number (as opposed to just a visual reference). This helps make sure that colors turn out the same from system to system, and print run to print run.

A digital press uses CMYK toners, so when a Pantone color is chosen, the press finds the closest possible match using the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. Often times, the closest match is fine but if it’s a metallic ink or fluorescent color, the end result is noticeably different.

No. White is not generally considered a printing color as typically the paper itself will be white. If a colored paper (something other than white) is chosen, then white becomes a printing color if any text or graphics require it.

The primary coating choices are varnishes, aqueous coatings, and UV coatings. Each coating has its advantages and disadvantages and choosing which one is right for you largely depends on what you are printing as well as what type of paper you are printing on.
Contact one of our experienced staff to help you choose the best coating for your project.

Standard sizes for catalogs and booklets are 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", 8 1/2" x 11", 8 1/2" x 11 and 11" x 17".

Common brochure sizes are 8 1/2" x 11", 8 1/2" x14" and 11" x17".

Business envelope sizes are referenced by a number such as #9 or #10. This chart indicates the most common sizes in use today.

The address window on a typical business envelope measures 4 1/2" x 1 1/8".

These are the U.S. Post Office requirements to keep in mind when designing an envelope:

All mail pieces 1/4" thick or less must be rectangular in shape, at least 3 1/4" high and at least 5" long.

Any mail piece less than 4 1/4" in height must be at least .007" (7 pt.) thick.

Any mail piece greater than 4 1/4" in height or 6" in length must be at least .009" (9 pt.) thick.

Postcards are found in three common sizes: 4" x 6", 5" x 7" and 5 1/2" x 8 1/2".

The most common card stocks used for postcards are:

100# stock coated on both sides: The most popular postcard stock.

100# stock coated on one side: Well suited to mailing.

12 pt stock coated on both sides: a premium paper with a high luster finish.

The three most popular sizes for personalized notepads are 4" x 6", 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and 8 1/2" x 11".

There are four popular sizes for sticky notes: 3" x 3", 3" x 4", 3" x 5" and 4" x 6".

Materials for labels and their application include:

Paper, Uncoated: Use where you need the label to be easily written on by hand or printed on by machine.

Paper, High Gloss: Use when you need good printability. Keep in mind that it cannot be written on easily by hand.

Vinyl: Use vinyl for outdoor environments, or if applying a label to a vinyl surface.

Acetate: Use when the label needs to be transparent.

Mylar/Polyester: Best for applications where the label needs to be applied to an object with sharp, angular corners.

Some of the common methods of binding books and other multi-page documents include:

Perfect binding: Gluing the outside edges of the pages together to create a flat edge.

Saddle-stitch binding: Using staples along the folds of the pages to bind them together.

Spiral binding: Wires in a spiral form threaded through punched holes along the binding edge of the papers. Allows the document to lay open flatly.

Plastic comb binding: Similar to spiral binding but using a tubular plastic piece with teeth that fit through rectangular holes punched into the binding edge.

Three-ring binding: Holes are punched into the pages and fitted into a binder.

Case binding: Sewing the pages together and then attaching them to a hard cover.