Cardboard Signs

Design 

You will receive a proof within 72 hours after ordering to approve or ask for edits. Technically, we guarantee one round of editing though we’ll work with you. At the same time, we reserve the right to stop the insanity if things get out of hand.

Union bug

Our printers and production employees belong to Teamsters Local 543M-1347m.

Imprint areas

The following chart explains the imprint areas of our signs. In general we require a ½” margin all the way around the edge on smaller signs, and 1” all the way around on larger signs. This is a necessary inkless area required by all printers. To achieve full bleed, this area is cut off after the print (additional charges will apply).

Standard colors

We stock 16 standard screen printing colors. All pricing for screen printed products includes use of one or more of these colors. Please note that the colors on this page will vary from the actual printer colors. While color accuracy cannot be guaranteed, satisfactory matches can typically be obtained.

Custom colors and halftones

If you must have custom colors or use halftone, please email us for a custom quote. These require additional charges. We don’t recommend either! For halftones, it’s often better to add an additional color. Custom colors can be pretty expensive especially for smaller orders.

Digital printing specs

printing digitally gives us the ability to print quickly if the electronic files are set up properly.

Acceptable formats

All files should be saved in one of these formats. We fully support:

• Adobe Illustrator CS4 (or earlier versions) file types – eps, ai, pdf, jpeg, tiff
• Adobe Photoshop CS$ (or earlier versions) file types – psd, eps, pdf, jpeg, tiff
• Signlab 9 – file types – cdl, eps, pdf, jpeg, tiff

Fonts

All fonts must be included in the file. To prevent conflicts, it is recommended to outline all fonts.

Images

All images (jpg, tiff, pdf, eps, psd) must be high resolution. We suggest 300dpi.

Colors

Files will be converted to CMYK. Please provide pantone colors if possible.

Important

• Vector art is acceptable for screen, cut vinyl, and digital jobs.
• Raster artwork (jpeg, tiff, bmp) can’t be used in screen or cut vinyl jobs.
• Turnaround time is based on the approval of the final proof.

What is a vector graphic?
A vector graphic is made up of lines and curves, allowing it to be scaled up or down without loss of quality. An EPS file is an example of a vector file format. (NOTE: Not all eps files are vector graphics.)

What is a raster graphic/bitmap?
A raster graphic or bitmap is made up of patterns of picture elements, called pixels. When scaled up or rotated, they produce a poor quality image. Raster images are usually reproductions of original art, photographs, or internet pictures.

What is high resolution/low resolution?
In electronic imaging the measurement of printout quality for raster images is expressed as the number of dots per inch (dpi). Image resolution typically ranges from 72 dpi (low resolution) to 600 dpi (high resolution). Generally the higher the resolution, the higher the quality of the output, and the file size is larger. If you have a low resolution image the image will print with jagged edges and appear pixelated.