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If you do not find an answer to your question below, please contact us at Howard Printing, Inc. We would be happy to assist you!
Customer Service FAQs
Design FAQs
Paper FAQs
Printing FAQs
Website FAQs
Q: Does Howard Printing have a credit reference form we can complete to be billed for our projects?
A: Yes, you can download a PDF of our credit reference form by clicking here. Or feel free to contact our office for us to mail or fax you a form.
Q: We are a tax-exempt organization—do you have the appropriate form for me to complete?
A: Yes, if your organization is tax exempt, you can download a PDF of the Vermont Sales Tax Exemption Certificate form by clicking here. Once we have that form on file for you, we would not need to apply a sales tax to your project. (We also have hard copies of the form, if you would rather pick it up at our office or need us to mail it to you.
Q: What is your proofing process?
A: For our proofing process, we ask clients to review and sign-off on either a B&W laser proof which we can show you in our office or mail to you, and/or a color PDF which we can email to you or show you on our own monitor. We also have an Epson wide format color proofer for a final look at a color job.
A: PDF is the acronym for Portable Document Format, a cross-platform file format created by Adobe Systems. The PDF file will look the same to the viewer, no matter what computer or software program was used to create the original artwork. See our submission guidelines for more information on PDF files.
Q: What can I do if I cannot open/view the PDF proof?
A: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF. If you don’t have the software program already, it can be safely and easily downloaded for free at the Adobe website. For assistance in downloading and installing the software, see the Adobe Acrobat Reader Troubleshooting Guide.
Q: What kind of folding can Howard Printing provide?
A: Our in-house folding capabilities include half, letter, z, double parallel, and barrel. We also have close and long standing relationships with subcontractors who can provide additional options, depending on your project. Read more about our bindery capabilites here.
A: A bleed refers to ink that “runs” off the edge of the paper. We achieve this effect by “over-printing” on the press sheet and then trimming the paper to the finish size. (For those who might inquire, our maximum press sheet size is usually 14.5 x 20.47, but for any jobs with a bleed, our maximum press sheet size would be 14.17 x 19.75.)
Q: What kind of software programs do you accept for artwork?
A: We are a Mac-based office, but can accept Mac and PC files. We operate in InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator most frequently, but can accept files using Quark, Pagemaker, Publisher, Word . . . you name it, and we’ll give it a try.
Q: What is the difference between a booklet envelope and a catalog envelope?
A: A booklet envelope has a flap that opens on the long side and a catalog envelope has a flap that opens on the short side.
Q: What is the difference between coated and uncoated paper?
A: Paper is available as uncoated, coated both sides, and coated one side only. Coated means that the paper has a smooth finish to it. The coating can have a range of gloss, from a dull finish to a high-gloss finish. Coated paper is often used for 4-color printing because the colors “pop” more because they are “resting” on the coated finish rather than “soaking” into uncoated paper. However, many uncoated stock work very well nowadays with 4-color jobs. Coated one side paper is often used for a card that has a 4-color image on the outside, but need to have handwriting on the inside.
A: CTP is the acronym for computer-to-plate, a system that allows us to bypass the traditional film stripping stage of printing. Once your artwork is finalized and approved by you, we “send” the digital file from our computer straight to the plate-making machine. It eliminates the blueline step in the proofing process, and is much more cost-efficient with regard to time and supplies.
A: PMS is the acronym for the Pantone Matching System, which is a registered name that is known worldwide as the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer. There are thousands of color choices for your project, and we can show them to you in our office via our PMS books. The books help you and us, by showing selections that we then use to match and control on press. The books show the ink color on coated and uncoated paper so that you can see the difference. To read more about PMS, click here.
Q: What is the largest press sheet size Howard Printing can accommodate?
A: Our standard maximum offset press sheet size is 14.5 x 20.47 inches. Our maximum press sheet size for a job with a bleed is 14.17 x 19.75 inches. And our maximum press sheet size for a job with perfecting is 13.78 x 19.75. For digital printing, the maximum sheet size is 13 x 19 inches, 12 x 18 for bleeds.
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