What is your phone number and operating hours?
You can call us at 541-393-3339 or 1-877-466-4625
Our operating hours are from 8am to 5pm Monday thru Friday PST.
Can you print jobs that are not one of the standard sizes that you offer online?
Yes we can. Simply click on the Specialty Quotes tab on the upper left hand of the screen and complete the online request form or, if you prefer, call our offices at 1-877-466-4625 and one our customer service representatives can assist you.
http://greensolutionsprinting.com/quotes
What methods of payment do you accept?
We accept money orders, checks (prepayment), Visa and MasterCard
Can I order 1 or 2-color printing?
Yes you can. However, 1 or 2-color print jobs will be priced the same as 4-color. If you are using a PMS color, the PMS color will be converted to it's closest full color (CMYK) equivalent. Some colors have a tendency to noticeably shift in the conversion, so we suggest you consult with PANTONE's Solid to Process Guide which displays over 1,000 solid PANTONE (PMS) Colors, each shown alongside to its closest possible CMYK full-color process match.
What type of paper will my job be printed on?
We offer Endeavour, New Leaf Paper and Living Tree Paper as our main house stocks. Other papers are available upon request but many times these are based on specialty quotes.
Will I always receive exactly the quantity I order?
In compliance with industry standards, over runs or under runs not to exceed 10% on quantities ordered, or the percentage agreed upon, shall constitute acceptable delivery. That said, we almost always send more then less and any over runs will be provided at no additional cost.
Will my printed job look exactly like it does on my computer monitor?
(1) All monitors display colors using RGB colors (red, green, blue). Meanwhile, all printing presses print full-color images using other colors; the CMYK colors (cyan, magenta, yellow and black). The RGB color spectrum is larger than the CMYK color spectrum. As such, it is possible to create colors in RGB that you cannot make in CMYK. These colors are said to be "outside the CMYK color gamut". So if you are working in an photo editing program such as Adobe Photoshop, and are working in RGB mode, you can create colors that look great on your monitor, but are nonetheless impossible to print. This is because before a file can be printed on an offset press it must be converted to CMYK. If your image editing program has a "CMYK Preview" option, you should always work in that mode to allow you to gage the limitations of the CMYK color gamut. Otherwise, you should always work in CMYK mode.
(2) Let's assume that the file you created in Photoshop is in CMYK mode. First, your monitor is still using RGB colors to display the CMYK colors. This is the first limitation. Secondly, your monitor's calibration affects what you see on your screen and as such, colors on the printed card may vary from what you see on your screen. If your monitor is not calibrated, and 90% of the time consumer monitors are not calibrated, your artwork will look different than it would on a calibrated monitor. Because our printing is run in accordance to SWOP standards, printed pieces usually represent truer colors.
Please note that your monitor's calibration affects what you see on your screen. Colors viewed on computer monitors may vary significantly from the appearance of the final printed piece. DO NOT TRUST the colors on your monitor unless you have a monitor that has been accurately calibrated to SWOP standards. Please keep in mind that Green Solutions Printing does not guarantee color matching.
If precise color matching is critical, we strongly recommend purchasing a hard copy color proof from us.
Do I get some type of proof before my job is printed?
You have two options:
(A) PDF Proof
(B) HARD COPY COLOR PROOF
PDF proofs are fre of charge and recommended when“pleasing color” is acceptable. Please note that your monitor's calibration affects what you see on your screen. Colors viewed on computer monitors may vary significantly from the appearance of the final printed piece. Our online proofs are only meant to be a visual tool for proofing, and are only a rough draft of the final printed piece. Do not trust the colors on your monitor unless you have a monitor that has been accurately calibrated to SWOP standards. Green Solutions Printing will make every effort to print your job to industry accepted "pleasing color" standards, however we cannot guarantee exact color matching.
HARD COPY COLOR PROOF ($25)
If color matching is absolutely critical to your job, you can also request a hard copy color proof. The price includes the shipping of the proof to you via ground shipping however overnight proofs are available. The customer is responsible for shipping the proof back. These color proofs are calibrated for our press. These proofs must be returned prior to printing since they are used as a color reference on press. Your job will not be considered approved until the proof is signed and returned.
Because of differences in equipment, proofing substrates, paper, inks, and other conditions between color proofing and production pressroom operations, color variations between color proofs and the completed final product is to be expected, unavoidable and shall constitute an acceptable delivery.
I created my files in a program other than the ones indicated on your site. What do I do?
We only accept native files from PDF, Quark Express, Adobe Photoshop , Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. However, that does not mean you are out of luck if you don’t have these programs.
We are aware that not everyone has those programs at their disposal. Many of you only have Corel Draw, PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, PaintShop, etc. If these are the only tools at your disposal, you can attempt to use them if they allow you to create either an EPS, TIFF, or PDF out of the native file. You will increase the likelihood of sending us printable files by doing so. You can use Acrobat Distiller with a wide range of programs to create PDF files that will increase your chances of producing a print-ready file.
Unlike software programs like QuarkExpress and Photoshop, some of these programs were not developed to create files for production on printing presses. Using the programs we recommend will increase the likelihood of receiving a print-ready file from you.
Do you accept Microsoft Publisher or Microsoft Word files?
Sorry, we DO NOT accept native Publisher or Word files, but that does not necessarily mean that you cannot use them. These programs are widespread and commonly used in businesses of all size. They are however, better suited for use as office graphics for laserjet, inkjet or slideshow presentations, i.e. internal documents, company presentations, etc. Programs such as QuarkExpress and Photoshop were developed to be used as tools for the creation of files intended for production on printing presses. It is advisable that you seek the services of someone knowledgeable in one of the several programs we support. Doing so will increase the likelihood of the quick turnaround of a print-ready job from you. However, if these are the only tools at your disposal, you can attempt to use them if they allow you to create either an EPS, TIFF, or PDF out of the native file. You can increase the likelihood of sending us printable files by doing so. You can use Acrobat Distiller with a wide range of programs to create PDF files that will increase your chances of sending us a print-ready file.
Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft Word in particular, can easily be saved as PDF files, which can then be sent to us for a FREE review.
I designed my files, but I'm not sure if I did it right?
If you're not sure if what you did is printable, send us your files and we'll examine them FREE OF CHARGE.
We'll let you know if there is anything that will prevent us from printing your job. If we find everything to be in order, we will put a proof online for you free of charge. Even if there is something wrong, we will email you what the problem is to help you fix and revise your files.
Can I have a frame or border around my image?
YES. However, it is strongly suggested that you do not use a thin border around your postcard, poster, brochure or whatever else it may be that you are printing. If you are designing your file with a border around the edges, it must be a minimum of 1/4" wide, plus the 1/8" we need for bleed. Due to physical limitations of guillotine cutting, borders thinner than that will most likely appear uneven. Critical type or images, as well, must be at least 1/4" from the edge of the card. Green Solutions Printing is not responsible for type, art or images that are cut off if these guidelines are not followed.
What is a bleed?
A bleed is a term used in the printing industry that simply means that there is printing going right to the edge of the paper. When that occurs, bleeds must be incorporated into your file. For example, if you are ordering a 4"x6" postcard and there is printing all the way up to the edge of all four sides, you must incorporate an 1/8" bleed on all sides. In the above example, your file or page size must be 4.25"x6.25". If you were to draw guides on your 4.25"x6.25" image that were 1/8" from the edge all the way around, the area outside that box formed by your guides is the bleed area, and that area will be cut off. You must make sure that text and image you desire to appear on your card are comfortably within those guides. Another 1/8" within the guides is an acceptable safety zone. We have taken out most of the guesswork for you by creating templates for all our standard postcard sizes that incorporate bleeds. You can download these templates for either Photoshop, Quark Express, or Adobe Illustrator by clicking here.
My image is 72 dpi. IS that OK?
NO. Most web graphics are 72 dpi which is not a problem. But when it comes to printing, the images or files that you submit must be 300 dpi, at final size, to ensure maximum sharpness and quality. Failure to do so may result in pixelation and blurriness.
Beware of Interpolation!
DO NOT interpolate! Here's the scenario. You created your files at a low resolution (ex 72 or 150 dpi) and then you manually go and change the resolution to 300dpi. This results in asking the computer to calculate the pixels that are not there and to add new ones, thereby interpolating the image. Computers cannot add new data to sharpen the image, they can only add "filler" pixels. This usually always results in blurry and muddy images. Hence, if your original file was created at anything less than 300 dpi, it IS NOT acceptable to simply go and manually change the resolution to 300 dpi after the files have been created. Your files or images must be either recreated or rescanned at 300 dpi. Please remember that the image or file needs to be 300 dpi at FINAL SIZE. So if an image is 2"x2" at 300 dpi and then placed in a page layout program, such as Quark Express, and blown up 200% to 4"x4", the resolution now is only 150 dpi.
Please watch out for this pitfall.
What resolution should my files be?
Your images should be scanned at 300 dpi and your files should be created at 300dpi at THE FINAL DIMENSIONS YOU INTEND TO USE THEM. So if an image is 2"x2" at 300 dpi and then placed in a page layout program, such as Quark, and blown up 200% to 4"x4", the resolution now is only 150 dpi. In the above example, the final dimensions of your image is 4"x4". As such, if the picture you are scanning is only 2"x2", you should scan your picture at 600dpi. Hence, when you enlarge your image 200% Quark Express, for example, the resolution of your image is still 300dpi. Please watch out for this pitfall.
Can you print jobs that are not one of the standard sizes that you offer online?
Yes we can. On the ORDER FORM, there are text links that read "Custom Size". Follow the instructions in the pop-up window and choose accordingly. If you have any problems with this step, you can send an email to support@printgreen.com or call us at 1.877.466.4625 from 8am-5pm PST.
What does PDF stand for?
PDF stands for Portable Document Format. It is a format that was developed by Adobe. Adobe PDF is a universal file format that preserves all the fonts, formatting, graphics, and color of any source document, regardless of the application and platform used to create it. PDF files are compact and can be shared, viewed, navigated, and printed exactly as intended by anyone with free Adobe Acrobat® Reader® software. You can convert any document to PDF using Adobe Acrobat software, namely Distiller or Distiller Assistant. (source: Adobe.com).
If you created your files in an "office program" such as PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, Microsoft Publisher, etc, saving your file as a PDF will be your best option in trying to get your files over to us for review.
What's the difference between the JPEG and TIFF formats?
JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group
TIFF: Tagged Image File Format
JPEG is a file format developed by the Joint Photographic Experts Group from which it got its name. JPEG, unlike TIFF, is a lossy compression, as information that is deemed unnecessary is eliminated. The losses can be very slight, or large, depending upon the specific file and image quality settings picked by the user. All JPEG files sent to us should be created at 300dpi and saved with maximum quality. (Please review our digital guidelines for more important information).
JPEG files tend to be MUCH SMALLER in size than TIFF files. The trade-off is that JPEG files contain losses in image quality but can be uploaded or emailed much faster than TIFF files. If you will send your printing order via regular mail, or have a high speed internet connection and will be uploading files, it is recommended that you send TIFF files. However, for those preferring JPEG files, as long as they were created at 300dpi and saved as maximum quality, the losses are generally very slight and unnoticeable in the final printed piece.
How do I send my files?
We recommend that you always upload your files to us. It is the fastest and most cost effective way of getting your files to us.
Does your turnaround time include shipping?
No. Our turnaround time is measured as the time needed for us to complete your job and have it ready for you to either pickup, or send via FedEx Ground. It is the amount of time it will take for your job to be completed and it starts when you give us your approval to print along with payment information. Shipping times are in addition to the turnaround times posted on our website.