Tips for Best Results

Following are tips from the Design Center for getting the most out of our services and keeping your job on track.

Submit all copy job files in PDF format
Certain types of files can encounter formatting problems as the files are moved from one computer to another. Microsoft Word is a major offender in this area. We always do our best to see that your documents are reproduced accurately, but it is not possible to ensure that Word documents look exactly the same on our computers as they do on your computer. To ensure that the copies we make look exactly the way you want them please submit your documents in PDF format. You can create a PDF right on your computer from almost any type of file. If you're unsure how to create a PDF, here are instructions.

• Mac: You don't need to install any software. From the File menu, select Print. In the lower-left corner of the Print dialogue, click the PDF button, then select Save as PDF. Assign a name to your PDF and click Save. Send that PDF to us.
  
• Windows: First download and install CutePDF (you will only need to do this once). Select the Print command in the File menu of your application to bring up the Print dialog box.

  Then select CutePDF Writer as the Printer to print to (DO NOT select "Print to file" option). You will get a Save As dialog box prompted for saving created PDF file. Select a folder to Save in and enter a File name, then click on Save. Send that PDF to us.

Top 5 Ways to Speed Up the Job Process

• Submit all necessary items needed to complete your job with the job ticket.
  This includes sending us text and images as well as ensuring any associated web content is posted and approved. We cannot print items with links that are not live yet.
  
  
• Have your text finalized before the job begins.
  For example, don’t use the proofing process as the time to review and change your original text.
  
  
• Let us know if your piece needs to be sent to a mailer.
  This will prevent extra delivery fees and allows us to confirm that the design complies to mail standards before we  send it out.
  
  
• If possible, approve the proof with minor changes.
  This is ideal for things like date/time changes, typos or other quick fixes that don’t have major affects on the design. You can also ask to receive a pdf proof of the changes if they are minor.
  
  
• Give us some background on the job.
  The more we know about the job and its context, the faster we can reach a design that works as you intend. This can save the trouble of going through multiple proof rounds and changes in direction.

Some Important Dates in your Job Timeline
When you submit a job ticket, the Design Center creates a timeline based off your provided due date. If the date you provided is unfeasible for us to meet, we will notify you. Here are the key points in a project's lifespan:

    1st Proof: Approximate date we will have a sample ready to be proofed by you.

    Design Due Date: The latest date to submit finished design to a printer for production.
    You will see this on the proof slip. No changes can be made after this point.

    Delivery Date: When the finished products will be ready for you to pick up.

FAST TRACK | THE QUICK FIX
Fast Track is a new program from the Design Center aimed at helping you save time and money. By creating templates from the most popular designs, Fast Track allows you to bypass many of the time-consuming steps involved in starting a project from scratch.

Get started with a Fast Track job or learn more on our Fast Track page.