Can I order PMS color printing from you?

We suggest you get the best value for your dollar and go for full color. Since we are so efficient at producing high-quality 4-color work, 2-color pieces will be priced the same as 4-color. 2-color postcards and business cards will be converted to 4-color process equivalents before printing. We suggest that if the design is currently set up using PMS colors that the client make the correction themselves because colors tend to shift when converted from PMS to Process (CMYK). We generally would like the client to decide what color works for them.

Is there an extra charge for bleeds?

No. Unlike many other companies, all our prices include full bleeds free of charge.

What kind of paper will my job be printed on?

We use a very high quality stock.
Business cards – 14pt coated 2 sides
Postcards, door hangers, rack cards – 12pt. coated 2 sides
We use high quality, bright weight papers coated 2 sides.

How well will my job match what I see on my monitor?

Please refer to the Color Matching document on our Design/File Specification page. Most people are surprised at how well their job matches what they see. But because of wide differences in monitor calibration, personal preferences and the different technologies used, some printed colors may not exactly match the colors on a specific monitor.

Will you match a sample I print out on my own printer or a previously printed sample?

We offer fast turnaround and low pricing by printing to a "pleasing color" standard, using standard ink densities. Therefore, there is no guarantee that your finished piece will approximate your printed sample. This is due in part to the widely varying results from different output devices including inkjet and laser printers, continuous tone proofing devices, high-resolution film-based proofs and offset lithography. Even from one commercial printing firm to another, there can be significant differences in results. In particular, inkjet and laser prints are known to look substantially different than true offset lithography.

If you require precise color match. We currently are very acurate with the majority of orders that we develop and print. However, there are limitations when we offer such a low price on our services.
If you require exact color matches please contact us and request a custom quote.

What if I want to change something on my order after I've placed it or approved the proof?

Because of our quick turnaround it is very difficult to make changes. Please give us a call as soon as possible and we will do anything we can to help you.

We require an electronic "paper trail" for all changes made after your initial order is placed. You may make changes to such things as quantity, shipping method or shipping address. Please note that some changes cannot be made after certain stages in the production process -- for instance, the quantity cannot be changed once your job has been printed.
How do I view my proof?

Essentially, we email a PDF proof to the customer and they can view the proof to be sure they are designed to the customers request. We also assume they will proof all information and type are all correct. They then approve or request any changes throughout the process. Like we mentioned earlier we cannot guarantee that the color is going show correctly on your monitor. Therefore, if that is an issue we do offer to mail out a color sample that matches very closely to the final output.

Can I send you documents created in MS Word or PowerPoint?

NO! If you have created documents in Word or PowerPoint that contain photos, clip-art or other color images, do not send them in. These programs are not designed for high-end printing. They were intended for office use on a inkjet or laserprinter.

What other file formats can you take?

Please refer to the Preparing Press Ready Files on our Design/Files Specification page.

How do I check for proper imposition or backup?

"Imposition" and "backup" refer to how the front of a printed piece is oriented to the back. In the case of a brochure, you normally turn it over right-to-left (like you turn the page of a book) in order to have the back side read correctly -- not upside down. Seems simple until you get to a postcard where one side is layed out in landscape (horizontal) orientation and the other side in portrait (vertical) orientation. We use our best judgement when imposing a job so that it backs up in the most natural or normal manner. Some designs, however, contain both portrait and landscape elements on both sides making it difficult to make a clear call. When reviewing your proof online, we will always post the front and the back in the orientation that they will print in relation to each other. So, if page 2 appears upside down, that is how it will be printed on the back of page 1. (Some people want it that way so that the recipient of the piece must turn it over top-to-bottom in order to read it correctly.) Be sure to print out a copy of your online proof and attach the two sides to each other to create a "mockup" or "dummy". This is especially important when a job will be folded.

Do I need to impose my business cards 8-up or 10-up if they will be printed more than 1 to a sheet?

No, send us a single layout for each card of your job unimposed. We will handle any imposition needed on our end.

How should I take pictures with my digital camera?

Digital cameras are wonderful tools that allow us to capture our images in many different ways. The camera is designed to actually take three pictures; one in red, one in green and the other in blue (similar to the way a projection TV works). It then combines the colors together and saves the image onto the picture card. It is very important to make sure that the camera is set to the highest quality setting possible. This means that if you can only save one image on the picture card instead of 12, 64 or 128 images, then this is good! You want to create the best quality picture that the camera can make. This will mean large file sizes and slow downloads from the camera itself, but it will get you the best possible results from your camera. Remember, images should be at 300dpi in their final size in the layout!

More often than not, we notice that images that come from digital cameras print darker than expected on the printing press. Check to see if you have a brightness option in your image editing program to lighten the entire piece. If you have the opportunity to change the color space from RGB (red, green, blue) to the printing press colors of CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black), then do so! It is always better to have you change the color space if you can than for us to do it. Remember, not all colors that you can see that are created by elements of light (RGB) can be created by the elements of ink (CMYK) on press. If you do not have this capability with your software, do not worry about it. We can change it for you. Finally, we recommend that you apply a little sharpening to the image. This will make the image a little crisper and will print better on press.

How can I tell what resolution the image from my digital camera is?

Some digital cameras will let you know what the image resolution is while others will tell you what the pixel dimensions of your image are. If you know what the pixel dimensions of your images are, either from the camera itself or through the image editing software, you can do a little math to determine the resolution and the size you can print the image at for clear and crisp printing.

Simply write down the pixel dimensions of your image and divide those numbers by 300, if the image does not include text, and 400 if the image does include text. For example: An image without any text has a pixel dimension of 600 x 900 pixels. Once each dimension is divided by 300 the result is 2 x 3 inches. This means that you can use this image at 2 x 3 inches or smaller in your layout for quality printing results.

If your image editing software does not tell you what the pixel dimensions are but it does tell you what the resolution is, then you know the maximum size you can use that image in your layout. We recommend that images be at 300dpi in their final size in the layout and 400dpi if the images include text. Please keep in mind that resolution and physical dimensions are in direct proportion to each other. If you have an image that is 2x2 at 300dpi and increase its size in the layout to 4x4 the new resolution is now 150dpi. So remember, when you bring an image in to your layout you can shrink it down in size (because the resolution will increase) but you will be limited as to how far you can increase it in size.

What is your turnaround time?

Business cards, rack cards, door hangers, brochures &presentation folders will typically arrive approximately 7 working days after proof approval. Sell sheets about 7-10 business days. When requsting custom printing we will give you a ship date.

Shipping Services

We ship via UPS of FedEx directly to the customer's address unless requested otherwise by the customer.

What is meant by bleed?

Bleed is the area outside the trim area of a document in which graphical elements are printed. This area is then trimmed off, resulting in color going all the way to edge of the piece. If you didn't bleed elements and instead placed them up to the boundaries of the trim area, irregularities encountered during cutting might produce a piece where a thin line of unprinted stock shows along one or more edges. And that could ruin the overall effectiveness of the design. Standard bleed is 1/16 inch on all sides for business cards and 1/8” on all sides for all other printing.

I need business cards but I can't design them myself. Can you help?

Yes, we specialize in custom design cards. We offer design services for an additional fee. Text changes on business cards in the future are included with the initial design setup charge.

Will you design any printing project I have?

Yes, our designers are professionals in design and marketing. We can help you create a great piece.

How long will my upload take?

Your internet connection speed is the most important variable determining your file upload times. Most browsers have a status bar at the bottom to give you upload progress.

I’m having trouble uploading files using AOL. What should I do?

If you are using America Online (AOL), please be aware that AOL can limit your inactivity on the web and disconnect you if you are not a current user. AOL considers file uploading as inactivity. You can avoid this disconnection in uploading of files by keeping your AOL e-mail account open at the same time you are uploading your files to us. This should allow you to upload your files without interruption or disconnection.

Does Full Color Resources keep samples of my job?

Yes, we will keep samples for at least six months. If you place a reorder and are concerned with matching the original order, please let us know and provide us with the order number of the original order.

Can I split shipments?

Yes, there will be a charge of $10 per ADDITIONAL ADDRESS along with the UPS shipping charges on orders that are shipping to more than one address. The $10 charge will not be charged on the first shipping address but will be charged on all additional shipping addresses. Business cards can be shipped to multiple address at no charge but must be entered as separate orders.

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