Have you ever had a question and either didn't know where to find the answer or preferred not to ask? If so, you've come to the right place.

As the name would suggest, this section is a compilation of answers to the questions our clients commonly ask. Just start by following one of the links below.

If your question is not answered here, Please email or call us. Helping you to have a successful project is our goal.

1. At what resolution should I save my photos and graphics?
2. Do I have to pay sales tax on my job?
3. Do you offer mailing services?
4. Does your company accept credit cards for payment?
5. Does your company have a Quality Assurance Program?
6. How do I go about getting an estimate from you?
7. How long does it take for you to complete my order?
8. I see you are a union shop. Does your union label have to appear on my job?
9. If you supply products or services not produced at your facility, don't I end up paying more than going direct to a service provider?
10. Is white considered a printing color?
11. Tips on how to save your design files
12. What are the comparative advantages of producing my job on your digital devices versus producing them on your presses?
13. What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?
14. What is a "proof"?
15. What is the Pantone Matching System?
16. What kind of work does your facility do?
17. Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?
18. Will the color of my final job match the colors on your proof?

1. At what resolution should I save my photos and graphics?

   Resolution should be set to 300 dpi.

   Pictures and graphics pulled from the internet are often low resolution, typically 72 dpi or 96 dpi. Avoid these graphics, as they will appear pixilated and blocky when printed.

   Also note that you should save all photos in CMYK mode, not RGB mode when possible. Images saved in RGB mode may not print properly. If you are unable to save your image in CYMK mode, please let us know.

2. Do I have to pay sales tax on my job?

   We are obligated to add Pennsylvania sales tax (currently 6%) to the costs of certain products and services we produce when delivered in Pennsylvania.

   We will not charge PA sales tax if you can furnish a properly completed PA Sales Tax Exemption Certificate. This certificate must be in our hands prior to invoicing and shipping your job.

3. Do you offer mailing services?

   We can provide folding, inserting, wafer sealing, match mailing, bulk mailing and other related services.

4. Does your company accept credit cards for payment?

   We accept MasterCard, VISA and American Express. Your information is secure with us.

5. Does your company have a Quality Assurance Program?

   Absolutely. We developed our own Quality Assurance Program long before the industry created this term. We recognized the need for consistent quality of both the process and the manufactured product.

   Our program calls for establishing standard operating policies for each part of our production process. One of the most critical elements is to produce and date a completed master for each of your jobs. We keep each master in your job jacket to ensure consistency from job to job. In this way, each person who handles your project has a benchmark to check against.

   Our quality assurance standards rank with the highest in our industry. We believe that is one of the key reasons why we are still here "Since 1941".

6. How do I go about getting an estimate from you?

   Well, since you are here, we would suggest you use our online Request an Estimate form. Otherwise, the best way to ensure that we get all the information necessary to do an accurate quote is to give us a call and talk with one of our customer service representatives.

7. How long does it take for you to complete my order?

   We consider each project we produce a "custom job" and will discuss your schedule from the very start.

   Typically, we divide the time into two parts:
   1. Number of (work) days from submission of your complete copy to proof stage
   2. Number of (work) days from return of approved proofs to delivery.

8. I see you are a union shop. Does your union label have to appear on my job?

   No. You decide whether you want it printed on your jobs.

9. If you supply products or services not produced at your facility, don't I end up paying more than going direct to a service provider?

   Not necessarily. We began developing partnerships with printing "trade shops" in 1951. Trade Shops only supply services to recognized printers. Because they work on "volume" for resale, their quality is excellent and their prices allow printers to manage your entire project at competitive prices.

   Because of the large number of trade shops we work with, we can almost always supply what you need, when you need it.

10. Is white considered a printing color?

    Not typically. Because white is the default color of paper, it is simply recognized as the absence of any ink. However, when using colored paper, white ink may be used if any text or graphic requires it.

11. Tips on how to save your design files

    Make them print ready and acceptable for us to print.

    COREL DRAW:
    Saving your Corel Draw file as an Adobe Illustrator EPS
    • Embed all Images
    • Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
    • Export as Illustrator EPS

    FREEHAND:
    • Embed all Images
    • Convert all your text/copy to paths
    • Export as Illustrator EPS or PDF

    PAGEMAKER:
    Saving your PageMaker file as an EPS
    • Embed all Images
    • Convert all your text/copy to outline fonts
    • Export your file as an EPS using the below settings:
    Postscript Level 2
    CMYK Mode
    TIFF format and
    Binary

    PUBLISHER:
    You will need to have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF. If you don’t please download and use our Adobe Job Ready Program. If you do have the full version of Adobe Acrobat PDF please follow the steps below.
    Under File, Print, select Adobe PDF writer
    Under Properties select Press Quality and Save your PDF

12. What are the comparative advantages of producing my job on your digital devices versus producing them on your presses?

    The advantages of our digital devices are best realized on runs of 1000 or less requiring black printing and where a fast turnaround is needed.

    If the piece includes photos or halftone screens, the copy quality would be lower than that achieved by the offset printing process. On longer runs or where multiple colors are desired, as well as when screens or halftones require higher quality, offset printing would be the best choice.

    The only disadvantage of the offset printing process is the longer production time requirements and increased cost in short runs.

13. What file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?

    PDF (Portable Document Format) is the most common and preferred file format for submitting digital documents. With the installation of a PDF print driver on your computer, virtually any program can generate a PDF file suitable for printing. Both commercial and free PDF print drivers are available online for download from different sources.

14. What is a "proof"?

    A proof is a way of ensuring that we have set your type accurately and that everything is positioned according to your requirements. Typically, we will produce a proof which will be sent to you online or printed on paper which can be viewed at our facility or delivered to you in person.

    On multiple color jobs, we can produce a color proof on our color output device to show how the different colors will appear.

    It is important to note that color proofs are approximations of the final printed piece. There is always some color variation between the two.

15. What is the Pantone Matching System?

    The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a color reproduction standard in which colors all across the spectrum are each identified by a unique, independent number. The use of PMS allows us to precisely match colors and maintain color consistency throughout the printing process.

16. What kind of work does your facility do?

    Design Services - We utilize the latest design technology available in order to offer a full range of design services. If you need a brochure produced, we can work from your camera ready copy, use the files you provide on disk, or design your brochure from scratch.

    Copy Services - Our high-speed duplicators can produce copies efficiently and economically whether you provide hard copy or bring in digital files on disk. Our production duplicating equipment allows us to deliver work quickly and efficiently.

    Printing Services - From one-color to full-color printing, our facility has the capability to meet your needs. From short run to long run, we can offer a solution that will be just right for you.

    Finishing Services - We can cut, perforate, score, number, fold, collate, saddle stitch, bind, and do just about any other bindery process you could need.

    Mailing Services - We can provide folding, inserting, wafer sealing, match mailing, bulk mailing and other related services.

17. Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?

    In short, printers and monitors produce colors in different ways.

    Monitors use the RGB (red, green, blue) color model, which usually supports a wider spectrum of colors. Printers use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color model, which can reproduce most—but not all—of the colors in the RGB color model. Depending on the equipment used, CMYK generally matches 85–90% of the colors in the RGB model.

    When a color is selected from the RGB model that is out of the range of the CMYK model, the application chooses what it thinks is the closest color that will match. Programs like Adobe Photoshop will allow you to choose which color will be replaced. Others may not.

18. Will the color of my final job match the colors on your proof?

    Color proofs, whether online PDF or imaged onto paper, are approximations of the colors on your final printed job.

    Because of the various technologies used to show proof colors on screen or on paper, there will always be a color and tonal difference no matter who you use to print your job.

    If you require the minimum difference between the color on your proof and final job, let us know in the Special Instructions portion of our Request an Estimate form. We can offer high end color proofs that closely represent what the colors will look like on your final job.

    However, we need to stress that there are always some shifts in color from proof to final print.