Frequently Asked Questions
Services and Ordering
- What kind of paper will my job be printed on?
- How well will my job match what I see on my monitor?
- Will you match a sample I print out on my own printer, or a previously printed sample?
- How long does it take for me to get the proof of my job?
- How can I get my order even faster?
- What if I want to change something on my order after I've placed it or approved the proof?
- How do I view my proof?
Document Preparation
- Can I send you documents created in MS Word or PowerPoint?
- What other file formats can you take?
- What types of storage media do you accept?
- What is the difference between the RGB and CMYK color space and why does it matter?
- How can I know what a particular CMYK color combination will look like?
- How much bleed should I have for an envelope?
- How should I take pictures with my digital camera?
- How can I tell what resolution the image from my digital camera is?
Uploading Your Files
Services and Ordering
What kind of paper will my job be printed on?
We have several paper types available, depending on what you are ordering. The individual pricing pages show available options.
How well will my job match what I see on my monitor?
Most people are surprised at how well their job matches what they see. But because of wide differences in monitor calibration and the different technologies used, some printed colors may not exactly match the colors on your specific monitor. Please see our RGB - CMYK Information page for important instructions on getting the results you want. Our Design Hints page has additional information and illustrations.
Will you match a sample I print out on my own printer, or a previously printed sample?
At Savquick Printing, part of the way we offer fast turnaround and low pricing is 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 different than true 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, please contact us to arrange for a digital color proof. We will produce and send you a hard proof. When you approve and return the proof, we will strive to match the color of the proof when printing your final piece.
There are substantial additional charges for precise color match service. Also, if you request color correction or other changes after you see your proof, there will be additional charges for color correction time and a new proof. Bottom line: the final product we produce for you is unlikely to match the output from your inkjet -- it will look more professional!
How long does it take for me to get the proof of my job?
Once you have placed your order, you should get it within 2 - 3 business days after we receive your electronic files.
How can I get my order even faster?
Our standard service is quite fast. We ship your order within 5 days after you approve your proof online, via UPS-ground. In most parts of the country, that means you will have your order in about 7-10 days. If you want to receive your order faster, select one of our faster handling options or upgraded shipping options when you place your order.
What if I want to change something on my order after I've placed it or approved the proof?
You may make changes to such things as quantity, shipping method, or shipping address by loging into your account, select the order, make the changes, then update the order information. 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?
If requested, you will received a proof by email.
Document Preparation
Can I send you documents created in MS Word or PowerPoint?
Absolutely! If you have created documents in Word or PowerPoint that contain photos, clip-art, or other color images, send them in. Same great service, same great pricing
What other file formats can you take?
We can take any Mac or PC version of Quark, Pagemaker, InDesign, CorelDRAW!, Illustrator, Photoshop, Freehand, Publisher, Word, PowerPoint, any file output as a PDF or listed on our File Formats page
What types of storage media do you accept?
We can take your files on a CD, DVD or Zip disk. Send it to our printshop!
What is the difference between the RGB and CMYK color space and why does it matter?
RGB refers to the primary colors of light, Red, Green and Blue, that are used in monitors, television screens, digital cameras and scanners. CMYK refers to the primary colors of pigment: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. These are the inks used on the press in "4-color process printing", commonly referred to as "full color printing".
See our RGB and CMYK Information page for more details.
How can I know what a particular CMYK color combination will look like?
You can purchase a color guide with over 3,000 process colors with their CMYK screen percentages from CDW at: http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.asp?EDC=212012
How much bleed should I have for an envelope?
1/16 inch is the correct amount since it will wrap a little to the back of the envelope.
Sizing#10 Envelopes are 9.5 x 4.125 inches. If you are designing your envelope to have printing all the way to the edge (called a "bleed"), please lay out the envelope with 1/16" of bleed on all 4 sides. The extra printing area will wrap around the edge of the envelope and show up a little on the back. So, layouts for envelopes without bleeds should be sized at 9.5 x 4.125.
Layouts for envelopes with bleeds should be sized at 9.625 x 4.25, knowing that the outside 1/16, or .0625, will wrap around the edge. For best results, place all type at least 1/8" away from the edge of the envelope.
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. 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. See our RGB and CMYK Information page for more details.
If you do not have this capability with your software, do not worry about it, we will change it for you for free! 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.
Uploading Your Files
Upload speeds will vary depending upon your file size, the speed of your Internet connection and the volume of Internet traffic at the time you send it. Click here to check upload time estimates.
Should I do anything special if I'm on AOL?
If you use America Online (AOL) for your internet connection, you should be aware that AOL can limit your inactivity on the web and disconnect you from the internet if you are not a current, active user. Uploading files appears to be inactivity to AOL. It is recommended that you keep your AOL email account open at the same time you are uploading your files. This can trick AOL programming into thinking you are still active on the internet, thereby preventing the possibility of getting disconnected during your file upload.