Welcome To Our FAQ`s

Please browse our index of terms and frequently asked questions. If you don’t see the answer you’re looking for please email us at support@ezprintingorders.com or call: 800.726.4139 or visit our in depth help site at Printing And Design 101 Please disable pop-up blockers for best results.

INDEX Bleed Colors Cutting Fonts Gang Run Graphic Guidelines Offset Printing Paper Finishings and Coatings Paper Stocks PDF Resolution How do I convert my file from RGB to CMYK? What if my file type is not acceptable for commercial printing? My images are 72dpi from the web, can I use them? How do I order using my own artwork? What paper stock should I select? What are your shipping and turnaround times? How do I track my order once it’s placed? How do I place a reorder? How do I upload graphics into my project?

Bleed The portion of an image or text that goes beyond the trim size of your project allowing your job to be trimmed and have objects "bleed" off the page. We require an additional 1/8" added to each side for the bleed. Set your project .25" larger in both heighth and width than the finished size of your project if you are uploading your own artwork.

Colors CMYK – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black – 4 colors used in commercial printing. Called full color or four (4) color. RGB – Red, Green, Blue – Primary colors used on monitors and in desktop publishing.                       Sample RGB Color Block        Same colors converted to CMYK 4/0 – Full color one side / no printing on the other side. 4/1 – Full color one side / 1 Color other side. 4/4 – Full color on both sides One Color Jobs – Printed in black or blue ink, file should be set in black. PMS – Pantone Matching System – industry standard for ink colors. Rich Black – percentage mixture of colors usually referring to black ink. Text should be set to 100% K and 0% for each of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow.

Cutting Paper cutting is done in large stacks on automatic machinery. Cuts can vary from top of stack to bottom. To be sure your file cuts correctly add 1/8" "bleed" on each side (.25" total height and width) to prevent improper cutting. Be sure your background images and colors extend to the new edge of the page. Die Cutting Process where paper is cut in a shape or form such as business card slits in pocket folders.

Fonts Fonts are by definition a set of characters in a specific typeface, at a specific point size, and in a specific style. They are also referred to as type and text. When you submit projects for commercial printing your fonts need to be converted to outlines/curves or paths whenever possible. To eliminate problems with fonts we invite you to use our free design studio. If you would like to send a file that has already been designed please convert your fonts by searching under the help menu in your program to learn how to do it for your specific program.

Gang Run Printing A method where multiple print projects are placed on a common printing sheet to reduce printing costs. The advantage is that it makes full color offset printing extremely economical. Instead of paying for all the set-upcosts, prep time, and labor for your job, you split the costs between many orders. All of our printing is done in a gang-run format.

Graphic Guidelines Graphic_guidelines.pdf Files should be set with an additional 1/8" bleed on each side, so the overall file will be .25" larger in height and width than the product size. Graphics, logos and images should be 300 dpi. Graphics lower than 300 dpi (like those taken from the web) will print fuzzy and pixelated.  File should be in CMYK format (RGB files will be converted and may result in color shifts) We recommend .pdf files for printing but we can take a high resolution .tif or .jpg file. For assistance on converting files to .pdf format please review the following documents, or contact us for assistance.     Publisher_Submission_Guidelines.pdf Photoshop_Guidelines.pdf Illustrator_Guidelines.pdf

Offset Printing and Lithography Lithography is a printing technology that dates back to 1798 and encompasses a five step process. The most common lithograhic printing uses the offset method, in which ink is "offset" onto a rubber-coated cylinder that is pressed against the paper. Offset printing offers the highest quality printing available.

Paper Finishes and Coatings Aqueous Coating is a water based coating that is applied to full color print projects to provide a high-gloss surface that is resistant to dirt and fingerprint marks. This provides a shiny appearance. Matte Finish has a satin coating instead of a glossier coating that is applied after the ink has been offset on the paper. This provides a little resistance to dirt and fingerprint marks, but not as much as an aqueous or UV coating. UV Coating is a heavy, very slick glossy coating that is applied to the printed paper after the ink. The slick and very glossy surface makes it very eye catching and the most resistant coating to dirt and fingerprint marks. C1S - C2S - Coating is applied to one or both sides of the paper. C1S means that coating is on one side of the project. C2S means that coating is on two sides (Coat 2 Sides). If you are planning to mail or write on one of the sides  - such as the back of a business card or postcard, we suggest you do not have that side printed in full color as all of our full color projects are automatically coated. Check with your mail house if you are planning to have your project mailed as some mail houses cannot address properly due to their inkjet labeling process smearing from the finish. Ballpoint pens will also not write effectively on gloss products so if you are mailing the project yourself you will need to use a label instead of hand addressing.

Paper Stocks Stock –specifications for paper such as thickness and opacity. Cover Stock – Thicker, heavier paper for “covers” and projects where a thicker paper is desired. Usually termed 12pt, 14pt, 16pt, etc. Text (or Book) Stock – commonly used for pages in brochures, flyers, etc. Usually referred to in terms of 60lb, 80lb, 100lb. 80lb, 100lb, 14pt, 16pt – Paper is measured in lbs and pts. 80lb is a standard paper weight while 100lb is heavier. Cover stocks begin being measured at 100lb cover and go up to 14pt, 16pt, etc. The higher the lb or pt the heavier the paper.

PDF Portable Document Format. A free file program by Adobe. Captures information from publishing applications and makes it possible to send documents to be emailed, printed commercially, or printed on your desktop printer.

Resolution of Graphics and Photos (300 dpi vs. 72 dpi) Resolution is measured by the number of squares of color information that is held in an inch. Referred to as “dots per inch” or dpi. Commercial printing needs a higher resolution of 300 dpi while web images are only 72 dpi. It is not recommended to use images from the web as they will appear fuzzy and pixilated in commercial printing.          72 dpi Sample Image                            300 dpi Sample Image

Converting to CMYK from RGB Commercially printed documents must be submitted in CMYK format. Desktop publishing programs do not have an option to convert from RGB but professional graphics programs do. If you have a file that is RGB it can be converted to CMYK for you - but please be aware that color shifts will occur.                                  Sample RGB Color Block     Same colors converted to CMYK

What if my file type is not acceptable for commercial printing? If your file has not been designed in a professional graphics program, chances are it will need converting or recreated to print commercially. We offer a free online design studio with free professionally designed templates, or a complete custom design service. If you already have a file created and want to see if that file can be used, please review our graphics guidelines to be sure your file is print ready.

My images are 72 dpi, not 300 - what should I do? Images less than 300dpi are not commercial print quality and we recommend that you do not use them – however – we can print lower resolution files but your images may appear fuzzy or pixilated. We assume no responsibility for printing low quality images that you supply.          72 dpi Sample Image                          300 dpi Sample Image

How do I order using my own artwork? To order using your own artwork, select the product you want to order from the home page, scroll to the bottom of the page and select the "order using my artwork" choice and then follow the instructions, or, click here for more detailed instructions here

What paper stock should I select? The higher the number - the thicker the stock. Figure out how durable you would like your printed project to be and then order a stock that corresponds with your intentions of use and budget. All of our stocks are high quality unlike many online printing companies that do not offer cover stocks and high quality papers. See our paper stocks section above.

Shipping EZ Printing Orders offers free ground shipping within the continental US. Shipments to AK, HI, and PR will incur additional shipping charges. Customer will be notified of additional charge at time of order prior to credit card processing. Sorry, at this time we do not ship outside the US. Turnaround Times are based on business days (excluding all national holidays) and do not include ground shipping times. Turnaround times are listed on our product listing page and are dislayed on each product page. Turnaround times vary by product. Shipping time can add 3-5 business days depending on product order. Products ship from our various printing facilities across the US. Please note that Paypal echeck orders will not begin processing until check has cleared your account (usually 3-4 business days).

How do I track my order once it’s placed? Simply log into your account and you will see a screen with the “status” displayed. That status will show you where your order is in production.

How do I place a reorder? Log into your account and you will see a screen with all your previous orders. To reorder simply select the project you would like to reorder and click on the pencil icon to crate a duplicate of the design. Make any changes you would like to the design and continue to checkout. Please note that orders that do not display the pencil icon can not be reordered.

How do I upload graphics into my project? Select the product that you want to order and choose a design. In the design studio select the "Add An Image" button at the top right of your screen. A new screen will come up where you can browse your computer to find the file and upload into the design. Images should be in cmyk format and 300dpi resolution. For assistance with the design studio click here.