FAQ - Instant Print

Frequently asked questions

As the name would suggest, this section is a compilation of answers to the questions our clients commonly ask. Here you’ll find answers to common questions our clients ask. Just start by following one of the links below.

If you have any other questions Please Call us at 310.671.6118

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.

What kind of files should I send?

Send PDF’s with embedded or outlined fonts. PDF’s are easier to handle and will speed up your turn-around. When you send a Word document or native files, it’s likely that your fonts will be missing and your design or text will shift.

You can make PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Pro. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Pro, try these free alternatives:

LibreOffice (Also a free alternative to all Microsoft Suite programs): LibreOffice.org
PDF Forge: pdfforge.org
PDF Lite: pdflite.com

Tips on how to save your design files to make them print ready and acceptable for us to print.We can accept all native adobe & quark files.

Adobe Photoshop:

You can make PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Pro. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Pro, try these free alternatives:

Embed all Images
Embed or Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
Export as Adobe PDF (Press Quality + Bleeds)

Adobe Illustrator:

You can make PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Pro. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Pro, try these free alternatives:

Embed all Images
Embed or Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
Export as Adobe PDF (Press Quality + Bleeds)

Adobe Indesign:

You can make PDFs with Adobe Acrobat Pro. If you don’t have Adobe Acrobat Pro, try these free alternatives:

Embed all Images
Embed or Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
Export as Adobe PDF (Press Quality + Bleeds)

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.

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, check out the Products & Services area in the Customer Service Section of our website.

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.

How do I go about getting a quote from you?

Well, since you are here, we would suggest you use our online quote 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.

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

Average Turn around for jobs that go on press is 4-6 business days. Digital Jobs are usually completed within 24 to 72 hours.

What is a “proof”?

A proof is a way of ensuring that we have setup your job accurately and that everything is positioned according to your requirements. Typically, we will produce a proof which will be sent to you as a PDF file via email. For color critical Jobs we can also create a physical press ready proof to ensure your finished product meets all of your specifications.

Sending large files

For files larger than 10MB, we recommended to compress your file using software programs like WinZip (for Windows) Another option is to sign up for a free account on wetransfer.com and use their services to transfer large files.

How do you count pages in a book or booklet for pricing?

When you submit your book for printing, count every page, back and front; starting with the front cover. That’s the simple answer on how to count pages in a book for printing.

The front cover is counted as “page 1”
Next, flip open the first page of your book—the left side is counted as “page 2” and “page 3”
Continue the last step for every page of your book
When you’ve finished flipping through all the pages, you’ve closed the book, and you’re looking at the back cover—count the back cover as a page

View this link for more info

Setting up Full Color Jobs for Printing

Bleed

Bleed is the section of the artwork that will be cut off when the final printed product is trimmed to final size. The purpose of which is to continue a background color, image or design all the way to the edge of the card.

On our templates, the red lines indicate the bleed section. Please make sure all backgrounds are extended all the way to this line.

Bleed size is typically 1/8 of an inch (or 0.125) outside of the final trim size.

Trim

The trim indicates where the printed piece will be cut to the final size once the bleed area is removed. However, please remember that due to cutting tolerances of printing, the cut may shift up to 1/16 of an inch in any direction. On our templates, the color blue indicates the trim line. Broken blue lines typically indicate folding areas, if any.

Safety Zone

The safety zone is an area within the trim line, which prevents any text or type from being cut off. It is of utmost importance that no text or essential parts of your artwork be too close to this trim line.

This will ensure that everything is well within the finished printed material when it is trimmed. Due to mechanical tolerance during the cutting process, any content within 1/8″ of the trim line may be cut off.

On our templates, the green line indicates the safety zone, which is typically 1/8th of an inch (or 0.125) inside the final trim size.

Crop Marks

Crop marks are guides indicating where the paper should be cut to produce the correct size. These marks are usually located on the corners of a template. Aside from the blue lines that indicate the trim size, crop marks are also typically included as an added measure.

Color Mode

The full color printing process requires artwork to be saved in four-color CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) mode.

That’s because offset printing presses use 4 plates (one plate for each color) to achieve the final combination of that compose the artwork image.

However, the total black and white artwork or images must be in GRAYSCALE color mode in order to get that full, rich black in the final output. Files in RGB (Red, Green, Blue) as well as Pantone colors will automatically be converted into CMYK unless otherwise specified.

Font

As much as possible, please outline your fonts (in illustrator and InDesign) or rasterize them (in Photoshop). This is to avoid any font issues when your job is printed.

If you are submitting QuarkXPress or InDesign files, please include a font folder containing all the typefaces used in your layout.

We recommend NOT using font size smaller than 8 points. Typically, very small or very thin fonts may not be legible when printed against dark or busy backgrounds.