Design
|
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get an estimate from ACE Printing?
Since you’re on our website already, the simplest way is to click on the "Get an Estimate" link and fill out your information. Our estimating Department will get back to you within 24 hours. Also, feel free to email us at info@acepms.com or call us at 415-460-2800 and ask for an estimate. Why can’t you just give me a price? Why do you have so many questions about my job? ACE is a custom shop. We do not have "cookie-cutter" solutions to your printing communications like some of the online printers. Printing projects often require custom solutions. Our staff will sit down with you and personally go over every aspect of the job to choose the most appropriate way to achieve your goals. Often, significant money can be saved by making core decisions with the services of a competent printing professional at the beginning of the process. Feel free to contact us before you even design your materials! We’re happy to work with you or your graphic designer to make sure that your print job ends up looking exactly as you expect at the cost you budget for. What forms of payment do you accept? We accept cash, check and all major credit cards. We can also set up a business account for you, as well. Contact us for details. How long does it take for you to complete my order? There really isn't a short answer to this question. Some jobs can be produced same day and some jobs may take days. Let us know when you need your job completed, we will go to great lengths to meet your deadline. What's the difference between Pantone and CMYK? The simplest explanation is that Pantone is a popular spot color system and CMYK is a process printing system. Pantone spot colors are solid inks assigned numbers that look the same no matter who prints them, which is why spot color is especially important for corporate identities and branded images. CMYK colors, on the other hand, are created (processed) on the press using a mix between Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and black inks. Since there are variations between presses, press operators and other factors, CMYK colors are not guaranteed to be perfectly reproduced between printers or even print jobs. I am not sure if my job should be printed digitally or put on a printing press. How can I tell? It really depends on your individual project specifiations, your quantity and turnaround needs. Let us take a look at it and we will tell you the most cost-effective way to get the highest-quality result. I don't know what kind of paper I want. Can I look through some samples? We welcome all clients to view our paper samples at their convenience. We can show you numerous samples and educate you about the range of paper choices available. We also have affordable recycled paper options. 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 or need some assistance preparing an image for printing, please let us know. What file formats are accepted? The reality is that we accept MAC and PC files in almost any file type. However, there is a catch, and that is the fact that just because we can print from the file doesn't mean that the quality will be acceptable or the files are best suited to your project. We generally get the best results with native files from the following applications: Acrobat (Press quality PDF), InDesign, Illustrator, or Quark. When placing pictures or graphic images into your layout, we recommend using EPS, PSD, or TIFF files. We are by no means limited to the above mentioned file types. So, if you don't see a familiar file type above, or are new to design for printing, please contact us BEFORE you start your design to get recommendations of what programs and files would be best suited for your project. Why do I need to approve 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 shop or delivered to you in person. 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. Is black considered a printing color? Yes 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. Once I submit my files, how long will it take to finish my job? Simple jobs are often completed in 24 hours. Some jobs, however, may take several days to complete depending on their complexity and size. We always strive to provide an accurate estimate of the turnaround time for each job we do. And we’ll always work with you to find ways to complete your project when you need it. Mailing-FAQs
Why should I use a mailhouse?
Our full-service Mailhouse can save you time and money. ACE knows mailing. Our services are designed to take advantage of postal savings by ensuring a mailing is "automation compatible" for the U.S. Postal Service. This status reduces processing time for the postal service and results in lower mailing rates. With this expertise at your service, we can save you up to 75% off traditional first-class postage rates. We’re also experts on the new regulations the post office has released and guarantee your mailing will be in compliance and therefore incurring no surprise fees or unnecessary processing time at the post office. Just give us your database on disk, or by email, and we will do the rest. Do you sell mailing lists? Yes. Is there any minimum to mail using Standard postage? The minimum to mail using standard postage rates is 200 pieces. The minimum to mail using a first class indicia is 500 pieces. How long does the post office take to deliver Standard mail? It can take as long as 2-4 weeks (depending on where you are mailing) for the post office to deliver standard (bulk) mail. Although you can reap significant savings on your postage sending your mail Standard, we do not recommend it if you have dated material that needs to get into the hands of your mailing list quickly. |
|
|
