Size:
Select your required size. The size you select will determine the paper stocks which are available for your required size. Once you select your size, the specific paper stocks available for that size will auto populate into the Paper Stock drop down menu. If your required size falls somewhere in between the sizes shown, select the size that is slightly larger than your finished size. You can than request Custom Cutting in the options menu. For example, your finished piece is 8" x 10". Choose the 8.5" x 11" size (which is slightly larger than your needed size) and select Custom Cutting to obtain your finished size. You will be prompted to enter the 8" x 10" size in the Custom Cutting options area. If you require a size that is not available in the product category you've selected (too big or it does not fall just under an available size that can be custom cut) you may possibly find your required size in another print product category. Please call customer service for assistance and if they cannot achieve your size goal online, they will direct you to our custom services department for assistance.
Stock:
Select a paper stock from the drop down menu of paper stocks available based on the product size you've selected. The size of the product you've selected will determine the available paper stock options for that size in the paper stock drop down menu. If you find that your preferred stock choice is not listed on the drop down menu, then we do not offer the size you've pre-selected in that particular paper stock. Only the paper stocks available for your chosen size will be shown on the drop down menu. You can either select a different product size or different paper stock to meet your project needs. You may also contact our customer service department for assistance. If our internet customer service team is unable to meet your "size to paper stock" wishes online, we may be able to provide a custom quote for your project through our custom services department (offline).
Color:
Select your ink color from the drop down menu of color choices available based on the stock you've previously selected. The ink color options for the paper stock you've selected are auto populated in the color drop down menu. Only the ink colors available for your chosen paper stock will be shown on the color drop down menu. If your ink color choice is not listed on the drop down menu, then we do not offer the ink color you require on that particular paper stock. You can re-select a different paper stock that may offer the ink color option you require. You may also contact our customer service department for assistance. If our internet customer service team is unable to match your selected stock with your preferred ink color (online), we may be able to quote your project through our custom services department (offline) to meet your specific needs. An explanation of Four Color Process printing, also known as "Full Color" printing is explained below.
Ink Color Option Descriptions:
- 4/0 (Full Color Front / Blank Back)
- 4/1 (Full Color Front / Black back)
- 4/4 (Full Color Front / Full Color Back)
- 1/0 (Black Front / Blank Back)
- 1/0 (1 PMS Color Front / Blank Back)
- 2/0 (Black+1 PMS Color Front / Blank Back)
- 2/0 (1 PMS + 1 PMS Color Front / Blank Back)
Metallics
- 4/0 (Full Color Front + Metallic / Blank Back)
- 4/1 (Full Color Front + Metallic / Black Back)
- 4/4 (Full Color Front + Metallic / Full Color Back + Metallic)
- Explanation of Ink Color Options:
- Below are the specific ink color options we offer:
- CMYK = Four Color Process or "Full Color"
Explanation of Ink Color Options:
Below are the specific ink color options we offer:
CMYK = Four Color Process or "Full Color"
CMYK stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. This is an acronym for the 4 colors used in 4-color process printing, also known as "Full Color". The combination of these four colors (CMYK) approximates other colors in the full color spectrum.
4/0 = (Full Color Front / Blank Back)
Four Color Process (Full Color) for the front side of your print product with a blank back side of your printed product. Four Color Process is defines as a system where a color image is separated into 4 different color values, by the use of filters and screens. When transferred to the printing press and printed, it reproduces the original full color image.
As an example: A post card has color images (four color process or full color) on one side (front) and is blank on the back side.
4/1 = (Full Color Front / Black Back)
Four Color Process (Full Color) for the front side of your printed product with black only for the back side of your printed product.
4/4: = Four Color Process (Full Color) for the front side of your printed product and Four Color Process (Full Color) on the back side of your printed product.
Quantity:
Select your required print product quantity and applicable turnaround time. If your exact required quantity is not listed, you can choose to order the next higher quantity available or you can choose to place two different quantities that are closer to, or the exact total, that you need (see example below). On higher quantities, over the maximum shown in the drop down, we may be able to quote your print project through our custom services department (offline) to meet your specific quantity needs.
Example: You need 6,000 finished pieces (the finished flat size for this example is 8.5" x 4" printed on 100 lb. Gloss Book). You're ordering in the Flyer Product category. The quantity menu shows 250, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 2,500, 5,000, 10,000 on up. If you place an order for 5,000 and 1,000 to get 6,000 pieces, your total net cost (in this example) will cost more than ordering 10,000 pieces. This is the nature of the gang-run printing concept; one large order of more than you need may cost less than two smaller orders that match your quantity exactly. Please note that shipping & handling costs for the higher piece count may offset any savings. You should compare total costs (two smaller orders equaling exact needed piece count (with S&H) versus one single order of a larger than needed piece count (with S&H) before you finalize your order.
Most of the time, the larger order will net a lower total price than two smaller orders. You will have more than you need and you can possibly upsell the additional pieces (as overs) to your customer.
File Type:
We prefer that you submit (upload) a print ready Adobe Acrobat PDF file for your print project. However, we will convert your native art files to PDF files for a small fee. The native art files we accept are as follows: Corel 12, Adobe Illustrator (AI), InDesign, Quark 7, Microsoft Publisher and Adobe Photoshop (PSD). Cost saving tip! We have free online tutorials showing how to convert native art files (those listed above) to print ready PDF files. To access these tutorials, scroll to the bottom of any screen view and you will see a link to "Graphic Guidelines". Click the link and you will be redirected to a "Need Help? page. Click on the link "PrintingTechSupport.com" and you will be redirected to a page showing links to our preformatted downloadable templates (for all our online products) and a link to help you convert your own native art files to PDF files.
File Submission:
You can select either File Upload (no charge) or Disk Submission ($10.00 fee). If you select File Upload (uploading your art directly from your computer), you will be prompted to do so at the end of the order process. The prompt will say "Upload Art Now or Submit Later". Note: Submit Later (refers to future online upload or mail-in art disk submission – see details below)*. If you select Disk Submission, you will need to mail us your art disk. The disk must be clearly marked with your 12 digit order number (ex;123456-654321). Please mail your art disk to the address below:
P.O. Box # 9404
Detroit, MI 48209-9998 USA
*At the end of the order process you will prompted to "Upload art now or submit art later". If you choose submit art later, you can go back to the In Hands Media website when you are ready to upload your files. Just log in, click on "My Account", select the order number for the project order previously placed and follow the instructions to upload your art files.
Proof:
You have three options with regards to a proof for your online print order. You can select PDF Proof ($5.00), No Proof - Proceed As Is ($0) or a Hard Copy Proof (Fee varies based on the specific print project). At minimum, we always suggest a PDF Proof. Important Note: Hard copy Epson proofs are always printed on a specialty paper with a satin finish called "Oris Select Proof" paper stock. This proof paper is used for all hard copy Epson proofs regardless of the paper selected for your print project. This is a standard and accepted print industry policy and procedure. If you order an Epson hard copy proof, it will not be printed on the actual paper stock you’ve selected for your print project.
Ordering a proof gives you peace of mind (last review before the project goes to press) and the confidence knowing that your art files have been reviewed by our professional prepress team and state-of-the-art preflight software. It also gives you the opportunity to cancel your order as per our terms and conditions. To access our complete terms and conditions, please scroll to the bottom of any In Hands Media screen view and click on the link "Terms & Conditions". The specific section regarding proofs (PDF or Hard Copy) and no proofs (No Proof - Proceed As Is) and our cancellation policy is stated below:
Prior to proof approval, In Hands Media allows customers to cancel orders. Cancellation requests should be submitted through "My Account". We will inform you of any charges depending on the stage of the order.
Orders placed without proofs cannot be cancelled once the order has been processed through Pre-press and the order status of Approved Work in Progress (WIP) has been posted. The order is then "Ready to Schedule for Printing" and our automated order processing system cannot accept any changes.
Cancellation fees will be calculated based on the age of the order and whether a proof was created. Age will be calculated in calendar days from the date the order was placed
Important Note: Hard copy Epson proofs are always printed on a specialty paper with a satin finish called "Oris Select Proof" paper stock. This proof paper is used for all hard copy Epson proofs regardless of the paper selected for your print project. This is a standard and accepted print industry policy and procedure. If you order an Epson hard copy proof, it will not be printed on the actual paper stock you’ve selected for your print project.
Age in Calendar Days | Fee |
0-30 days | 10% |
31-60 days | 25% |
61-90 days | 50% |
91+ days | No Refund |
Coating:
The specific standard coating and coating options for your chosen project will be listed in the Coating Drop Down Option Menu. The standard coating that will be on your print project will show as $0.00 and as the default on the menu. All optional coatings, when chosen, will be listed in your order summary with an option surcharge amount. If a specific coating or no coating is required on your project and not shown as standard or optional in the coating drop down menu, it is not available via online order. We may be able to quote your project through our custom services department (offline) to meet your specific coating or no coating requirements. The specific meanings of our coatings as abbreviated in the coatings drop down menu (standard or optional) are listed below:
- 0 = No Coating
- AG = Aqueous Gloss Coating
- AM = Aqueous Matte Coating
- AS = Aqueous Satin Coating
- UV = Ultraviolet High Gloss Coating
- The coatings are listed in the coating drop down similar to the following example:
- AG/AG - Translates to Aqueous Gloss Coating on front and Aqueous Gloss Coating on back. The first abbreviation is the front coating; the second is the back coating.
- For more specific details on coatings, please scroll to the bottom of any screen view and click on the link "Glossary" for a definition on all coating options.
WHY MATTE AQUEOUS COATING?
While Aqueous Gloss and Satin finishes are fantastic, Matte is one of our favorites! It is pencil and pen receptive, yields a smoother finish and adds a high-class, luxurious quality to every printed piece!
Custom Cutting:
We provide custom cutting on most products. Custom cutting refers to rectangular cuts only. It does not refer to angular, circular or any other special cut that is not rectangular. The custom cutting option requests a standard size to be cut to a custom size. For example: Your finished piece needs to be 8" x 10". You have ordered an 8.5" x 11" standard size. You then select custom cutting in the options section. In this example; you would choose "1 Out Custom Cutting ". You will then be asked to enter the exact finished size your one out custom cut needs to be, in this example, 8" x 10".
The custom cutting option can also be used for multiple Cut - Outs (Outs meaning number up, for example 2 cut-outs of 7" x 5" on an 8.5" x 11" standard size). If you ordered a quantity of 500 - 8.5" x 11" sheets with a 2-Out custom cut of 7" x 5", you would receive 1,000 - 7" x 5" finished pieces.
Custom cuts, from 1 - Out up to 12 - Out, may be available and the added charge for these cut-outs will be shown as an option line item price in the Product Overview.
Useful Tip: Using custom cuts can often help you achieve finished piece quantity totals outside the standard quantities offered. For example, by ordering a 3 - Out custom cut on a larger sheet at an order quantity of 2,500, you would yield 7,500 finished pieces. If the standard quantity break for an exact specific size and quantity is goes from 5,000 to 10,000, you might check to see if ordering a 3 - Out custom cut on a larger sheet size might be a more cost effective way to reach your needed quantity.
Round Cornering:
Many of our card stock products offer round cornering as an option. You can select round cornering for 1 corner, 2 corners, 3 corners or all 4 corners. Some products may only offer a 4 round corner option. The round corner cut is a ¼" round corner cut. The art file you submit must show the location of the corner cuts and it's important not to place text or logo art near the corners being cut..
Quick Tip: Business cards are the most commonly ordered product specified with rounded corners. You can scroll to the bottom of any screen view and you will see a link to "Graphic Guidelines". Click the link and you will be redirected to a "Need Help? page. Click on the link "ihaPrintingTechSupport.com" and you will be redirected to a page showing links to our preformatted downloadable templates (for all our online products). You will find templates there for rounded corner business cards.
Drilling:
Many card stock products and our full size catalogs are offered with a drill hole option. The card stocks offer a one-hole drill option. The size of the drill hole is 1/8". Full size catalog orders offer the option of a three hole binder style or five hole automotive style drill. The size of the binder style three hole drill is 1/4". The size of the automotive five hole drill is the standard auto industry catalog drill formation for a desk top multiple catalog rack.
It's important that file(s) you submit for card stock projects (those that offer the single drill hole option) have the specific drill hole location clearly identified in the art file(s). Art files for catalogs ordered with a three hole or five hole auto drill option should be designed so the drill holes do not cut into essential text copy or graphics. Art files submitted for orders requesting a single drill hole option that do not identify the drill hole location will be rejected and a new re-submitted art file may be requested. There is a fee for re-submitting art files different from the originally submitted order art files.
Quick Tip: A standard business card or custom cut (to a smaller net size) business card ordered with a single drill hole options makes a great clothing or product brand ID or price tag!
Shrink Wrapping:
Shrink wrapping is available as an option on many products. Depending on the product, you can choose from shrink wrapped bundles of 25, 50 or 100 pieces. Shrink wrapping makes it easier for end user distribution of small, medium and large print runs. Shrink wrapping also keeps the printed materials clean and provides moisture protection. Shrink wrapping also adds protection from dog-earring of the literature corners, keeping them in good condition in brief cases, catalog cases, cars, trucks and other storage containers.
Samples:
We offer you a drop ship sample option. It's always a good idea to keep samples of all your printed work. Keeping a few samples in your files is smart too! Ordering samples for your personal portfolio might help you remember a specific print project when it comes time to place a new order. If your order is shipping to a location other than your home or office, you may want to have a small portion sent directly to you for your records. Note: There is a charge for this option and the sample quantity is typically 10 pieces.
Save Files:
For a small fee, we will archive your print ready art files. This is especially convenient when you are placing regular orders, week in, week out or month in, month out, for the same exact printed piece (business cards, brochures, flyers, etc.). We will archive your art files for these types of projects for a period of 6 months. This can save you time and energy as you will not have to locate and upload these repeat order art files each time you place an order. If you travel or work from a remote office or varying locations, this is a great option. Say you are traveling in LA but need to order business cards for your office in New York for meeting when you get home. By saving the art files in our system, you do not have to be at your office or home computer to upload the art files and get your order placed and moving. You can access this web site from any computer, anywhere, 24/7 and have instant access to your repeat order art files. If you're mobile or global, archived art files for repeat orders, archived on our site, can be a great asset. Note: There is a charge for this option.
Folding
Brochures and flyers offer a number of folding options. The specific folding options for the brochure or flyer you've selected are shown here. If you are unsure which specific folding option your project requires, please contact our customer service department for assistance.
If you know your required folding pattern but you do not see it here as available online, your project may need to be ordered through our custom services department. Although our online folding options feature the most common fold patterns, our custom services department has a wider range of options for less common, unusual or custom folding patterns.
Quick Tip: Scroll to the bottom of any screen view and you will see a link to "Graphic Guidelines". Click the link and you will be redirected to a "Need Help? page. Click on the link "PrintingTechSupport.com" and you will be redirected to a page showing links to our preformatted downloadable templates (for all our online products) with specific folding patterns for brochures and flyers. These templates will assist you in designing your folded piece and they are available in PDF or native file formats for easy download.
Tabbing:
Clear, round wafer tabs are often used for holding together folded brochures, flyers and catalogs to retain their integrity for long term storage or mailing purposes. They can also be used to seal in loose inserts placed inside brochures or catalogs. The clear 1" round wafer tabs are perforated for easy separation when needed. Choose from one or two tab options. Smaller folded brochures, mini catalogs or low page count full size catalogs may only require one wafer seal tab, while larger brochures or catalogs may require two wafer tabs. If you are unsure whether your project needs a wafer tab, please contact our customer service department for assistance.
Scoring:
If the horizontal or vertical scoring option (or both) are shown on the option menu for your print order, your project is most likely being produced on a medium to heavy weight card stock which may or may not require the piece to be produced flat with a score for manual folding later. Our greeting cards, for instance, come with a standard score included in the print price. Scoring a card weight paper stock helps to preserve the integrity and straightness of the manual fold and allows the card stock to easily lie flat when closed. As an example, if you were to attempt to fold a piece of card board in half and you tried to fold it without scoring it first (say using your finger nail or a coin) the odds of it folding exactly in half in a clean, straight line would be low. If you are unsure whether your project needs scoring, please contact our customer service department for assistance.
Perforations:
Many of our products offer a vertical or horizontal perforation option. If you've clicked on this "learn more" button, than more than likely the product you're in the middle of ordering offers this option. The vertical or horizontal perforation option is basically a straight line perforation designed for pieces that require an easy manual tear-off of a rectangular portion of the printed product. For example, you've ordered a tri-fold brochure and one of the panels (left or right) of the brochure need to be perforated as it is meant to be separated and used as a Business Reply Card (BRC). A perforation will make it easy to cleanly tear it off and mail it. It could also be a coupon, sample swatch, etc. or anything that was meant to be separated from the larger printed piece with ease.
Promotion Code:
Current, applicable promotional discount codes can be applied here to reflect your net check out cost total after the discount. Promotion code discounts will be subject to specific promotion expiration dates. If a quote is saved and converted to an order (at some later date), after the promotion code expiration date, the promotion code discount may not be honored and will not be reflected in your net cost summary at check out. If you are unsure about a specific promotional code or "Promo Code" as they are also known as, please contact customer service for assistance. Only one promotion code can be used per order and most promotion codes are not valid on Super Savings Specials, "Wait & Save" priced products, and Print & Mail packages. Some promotion codes may void an order from receiving Rewards Points under our Rewards Program. See Rewards Tab for more details.
Job Name
Use this area to identify your job for easier reference.
Job Notes
IMPORTANT MUST READ JOB NOTE GUIDELINES!
The Job Notes area is specifically for your personal use only. The notes you enter here will not be read or implemented by our customer service or production staff. For example: You may enter PO Numbers (for your reference only), job names or references (ex; Tom Smith's rush order), ABC Co. Letterhead for Tanya, version codes, mark-up notes, etc. You may not enter information relating to specific manufacturing requests, finishing options, shipping instructions, or any other prepress, production or shipping issues. For example: "Split ship 500 to Los Angeles and 500 to Milwaukee", "Add right angle perforation", "Package only 200 per box", "Add a spot PMS of 2210", "Shrink art file to match product order size", "Package all jobs in one box", etc. Requests of this nature must be communicated directly to our customer service staff by phone and may require additional charges or fees. We will not be held responsible for completing any type of order manipulation requests entered in the Job Notes area as per this policy guideline.