Unigraphics


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Frequently Asked Questions

 

GENERAL

What do I need to know when looking for in a printer?

Quantity capabilities, types of stock, types of digital files accepted, binding methods (See our quote form for more information), how long has the printer been in business, their production methods and knowledge of sales and client support team. Printing is a very competitive business where most companies are survivors (low cost producers). The only way for them to stay in business is to reduce the selling price, resulting in a reduction of overall value (quality and level of service, product quality in terms of material and construction methods). Be cautious of low initial estimates and be wary of undisclosed additional costs. What does the product cost when it arrives on your doorstep? Get more than you paid for with Unigraphics.

Aren’t all printed products the same?

NO! They may look the same to the untrained eye or without comparison to the products you had printed with Unigraphics. We have won awards for our quality prints on our presses and have some of the newest in digital presses to get your jobs done. Most other printers out there just cannot compare.


FILE PREPARATION & PROOFING

How should I send in my files?

Your quote will be based on trouble free PDF files (prepared to industry standards) unless otherwise specified. We do accept native files in Indesign, Quark, Pagemaker and Photoshop in both Mac & PC platforms for a small additional charge. When sending in application files, the customer receives and signs off on a proof.

What are PDFs? Are they better?

PDFs (Portable document file) contain the pages, size, font style, images and color information needed to print your job. They are often small enough to email or send digitally and many customers have now decided they no longer need a paper proof before printing.

What resolution do I need for photos?

We recommend 300 dpi for all image types except bitmaps. They should be 1200 dpi.

What about barcodes?

When supplying barcode they must be 100% black only. If you would like us to create your barcode we will need to know which kind - EAN with price undetermined, EAN with USD price, EAN with CDN price, or ISBN with no price.

What happens if my files aren’t trouble-free?

In order to reduce the cost of spoilage and/or mistakes ending up in the finished product, we can fix these mistakes before you receive your proof. Our standard policy, which is the quickest and least expensive, is to make all repairs that take less than 1 hour at our rate (see pricing menu). Alternatively you can fix and re-submit your files, which will be rescheduled and the whole process will start over again from the beginning with additional charges.

How long will it take for my proof?

Online
Jobs done online with the B2B system or imagineitprintit.ca will have live proofs created as you upload or design your work. Jobs submitted online will usually have proofs within 1 or 2 business days from confirming your order.

Jobs submitted manually
It takes approximately 3 working days to produce proofs from trouble-free files, and 1-2 days shipping via Fed-ex or UPS to most destinations in North America.

Do I need a colour proof from Unigraphics?

We provide digital colour proofs that are calibrated to our presses to simulate what your cover will look like when printed. Since other devices are not calibrated to our presses we would not be able to provide any assurance of similarity to a customer supplied proof.

Will colour pictures look exactly like the proof I received from Unigraphics?

Your finished job will look very similar but will not be an exact match. Although lamination does not change the colour it does change the way light is reflected and will affect reds more than other colours. Thousands of orders per year and hundreds of returning customers say you can trust our quality.


PRODUCTION

What paper is available?

For covers we use a 10pt C1S stock which means it is coated on one side. This is required to produce a quality 4 colour process. For text you can choose from a 50 or 60 lb offset or 55 lb. We also stock a 70 & 80 lb. coated and a 100% post consumer recycled, environmentally friendly paper. For other stock options we can provide you with information on the print quality, pricing and delivery specifics that you are looking for.

Does stock have an effect on colour?

Yes. All stocks are slightly different shades ranging from blue white to warm white which will change how you see the picture. Coated stocks will be the most vibrant as the ink does not get absorbed as much as uncoated keeping the print dot much sharper.

What are PMS colours?

Pantone colours can be created two ways. The most accurate way is to print pantone colours by mixing the ink and printing it as an additional colour. The least accurate and least expensive is to replicate the PMS colour selected using the four process colours.

What Binding methods do you offer?

We offer perfect bound, spiral bound, Wire-o-bound and Saddle stitched.


DELIVERY & SHIPPING

How long does it take to produce my project?

Production takes approximately 15 working days. This is 5 days to get a proof from trouble free files and 10 days once we have received your signed proof back. Alternate arrangements can be made with one of our sales professionals for special situations.

Orders placed on the B2B ordering system and imagineitprintit.ca usually take 5 days or less to be printed.

How long will shipping take?

As a guideline shipping is 4-6 working days anywhere in the continental US or Canada. Quicker shipping times can be arranged at an additional cost. There are less expensive freight companies but we use only nationally recognized carriers that have proven to be reliable.

Is freight included in my price?

Your price will include delivery to one destination with dock level loading. Should you require the driver to lower your product to the ground or unload the books by hand we need to know this prior to delivery to avoid delays and to let you know if there will be additional charges.

What about shipping to the United States?

Shipping to the USA is not a problem just providing us with your tax Identification number. All books being shipped into the USA must have Printed in Canada on the inside or copyright page and must have the reciepients Tax identification number on the shipping manifest.


PRICING

What is my standard price based on?

All pricing is based on you supplying trouble free PDF files.

What if I cannot supply PDF files?

If you supply native files we will convert them to PDF’s for production efficiency and extra charges will apply (see price list). Should problems arise with your native files the least expensive and quickest way is to allow our trained professionals to fix them. If you wish to have one of technical support people help you prepare your files just provide us with your credit card and they will bill you on an hourly basis.

How do I pay?

Our standard terms for online orders are via credit card when placing the order. If other terms are required please contact one of our sales professionals to get more information. All online orders will have a 2% processing fee attached.

Are estimates free?

All estimates you create online are free.

Your first round of estimate options created by one of estimators is also free. To keep our administrative costs down estimate changes may be approximated by sales until a final configuration is known at which time you would receive a final estimate. Should you wish to use our sales and estimating department to plan your project each estimate will be billed at $25 and will be credited to you when you place your order with us.

What are over’s and unders?

Since each product we manufacture is a one of kind project getting the exact amount ordered is not possible. Our standard is to produce within 5-10% of the quantity ordered. Overs are sold and unders are credited at a reduced unit cost. Our objective is to never have unders so please expect to have 5-10% overs added to your final bill.

What can I do to keep my costs down and get my product on time?

Supply trouble free files, with no changes to proof or product specifications with shipping as quoted, we will do the rest.



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