Here you can find the most common questions in regards to graphic design and your artwork that needs to be submitted to us in order for your job to print.
Notice: All artwork submitted for a job must be "Print-Ready" unless you purchased the artwork from us. Please be sure to read our requirements as the MAIN reason for job delays is incorrect artwork submission by customers. Printin48 will try and assist with the process, however we can't design or modify your files unless you purchase our design. If you purchase a "Print-Ready" job (all jobs that you select to Submit Your Own Design and is not designed by Printin48), it is the customers responsibility to submit the correct artwork. All of our specs and requirements are outlined throughout the website which any experienced graphic designer should be able to create proper artwork for print.
1. What is Graphic Design Graphic Design is simply the creation of graphics to use on the Web, Print or any medium needing art. There are BIGdifferences in designing for Web or Print. Print Graphic Design is a more complex process than the web. Professional Graphic Design Software Applications are highly recommended when designing art for print such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Quark Express or Corel Draw. These software applications are specialized in creating art for print and web in addition to providing tools to create the highest quality artwork possible.
2. Can I design my own flyers, posters or cd inserts Technically, Yes however if you are are not skilled in graphic design and the software, you would be asking the same question if you can fix your own car. Graphic design professionals know the in and outs of the specifications in print and web, also they understand the software applications and what they are capable of doing.
Unfortunately, 99% of all customer self designed artwork is never to specifications. We understand that customers would like to save the cost of paying a professional designer, however there is a reason why they get paid for what they do. In our experience a customer that does not know how to correctly design a flyer, winds up spending a lot more time trying to figure out how to format the design and getting the look they are searching for. Also quite a few of the customers wind up being disappointed on how the print turns out because they don't understand the colors, design techniques and various methods to make a design the highest quality possible. In addition those are the main reason that orders are being delayed or customers being not satisfied with their order. (Note: Printin48.com does NOT offer refunds due to those types of issues. We are trying to be as transparent as possible before a customer places an order in regards to their artwork. However, if a customer submits their own artwork, they are responsible for submitting the artwork to our specs.)
3. Why does design cost so much? The same reason why you have to pay a lawyer, doctor or any other professionals their fees. A designer spends countless hours honing his or her skills, learning new techniques, investing in software and hardware. Also the design process is a very time-extensive process. Editing, manipulating and integrating pictures, developing background, graphics and typography is a creative process. A lot of it can be very tedious and detail-oriented. A designer is a professional just as an attorney, physician or any other professional in the field. Some techniques can be very time consuming but Printin48.com offers some of the best prices in regards to flyer and cd insert design. 4. How long does it take to design a flyer? A design can take however long a designer may need to create there is no rule of thumb. Some designers are faster than others, then it will depend is the designer enjoys the project or the workload. Printin48 tries to complete majority of projects within 3 - 5 business days unless otherwise noted. Brochures, Calenders, websites and logos tend to take a little bit longer due to the more extensive content and detail. However, our standard turn time is about 5 - 7 business days from the day that we receive all assets.
5. What is DPI and why do you request at 300? DPI stands for Dots Per Inch. The more dots are presents in an area the more detailed the artwork will be. 300 DPI is the minimum standard requirement. The web only uses 72 DPI and it is the standard resolution for monitors. Please be aware that what you see on your monitor will NEVER be the same of what you print. You can NOT compare a design from your monitor to a the actual print. Monitor uses the RGB color process and print uses CMYK to totally different methods. The rule of thumb the higher the resolution the higher quality image you will get. However, you pictures will have to be supplied at 300 DPI. You can't use an image at 72 DPI and place them into at 300 DPI artwork. What will happen is that the picture will be way too small and the bigger you resize it the lower the quality will get resulting in a blurry and grainy image.
6. Can I use pictures from a website or web to use for my flyers or design? Generally, No unless they have been uploaded in high resolution format. Web graphics are all low resolution type images and graphics. One attribute of a high resolution pictures is that the file size is large, also it will show huge on your computer screen (web browerser nowadays can resize overly large images). Those are just some ways to gauge if an image will be usable but not a sure way.
7. What are some good software applications to create designs? The Adobe Creative Suite includes Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Quark Express, Corel Draw and Paintshop Pro are all professional software application specialized solely for design for print, web and movies. The cost of the application varies but each application can cost from $400 and up.
Generally, Printin48.com prints directly off the files that we receive from customers, however as a courtesy, we do review and verify all artwork submitted to us for correctness. We check the following in the customers artwork:
Correct sizing of artwork If you order a 4x6 flyer, we check and make sure that you have properly formatted and designed the artwork including Bleed, Trim Size and Safe Zones.
Proper resolutions We check for the proper design resolution which usually is always 300 DPI.
Design Output We check on how your design would look when printed. If we see some major implications that we believe may pose a problem, we will contact you and inform you of such. You can then make changes or reply with a "Print As-Is" statement. Many customers do not understand that artwork looks totally different on a computer screen than on the actual print materials. Colors may differ, pictures if not used with proper resolutions may look blurry or rasterized (pixelated) and if not correctly formatted there may be issues with text or artwork being cut off.
If you have questions please ask before placing an order because once you place an order All Sales Are Final and you can only get a credit as we do not offer refunds
