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Phone
510-264-0858
Address
23595 Cabot Blvd #112, Hayward, CA 94545
Hours
Mon - Fri: 10am - 5pm

Frequently Asked Questions

Printing can be confusing when it comes to getting the colors, crops and files right.  That’s why we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions below!  As always, if you have specific questions that are not listed here, you are always welcome to contact us directly at sales@print-creations.com.

General

Yes, but by appointment only. We understand that everyone has their own schedule and sometimes it may be difficult to run your errands during normal business hours. Shoot us an email or give us a call so we can discuss what options are available for you.
Absolutely. Visit our products and services page to see what we have to offer. Quotes vary per job, so send us a message detailing what you are trying to produce. If you have examples of what you are looking for, please include them with your message so that we can better understand your needs.
Sure do! Any current promotions will be posted on our Promotions page. Depending on your industry, we even have industry-specific service packages, including real estate bundles (business cards, listings, etc), restaurant bundles (takeout menus, laminated menus, menu books), and more! Contact us for more information on these promotions.
Turnaround time varies per job, but typically once all proofs are finalized with the client, we will start production within 24 hours. Expedited services are also available depending on the job, in the event that same-day or next-day turnaround is needed.

Files & Design

We recommend saving your files as PDF when sending them to us. You may also send the file in the following types: JPG, JPEG, TIFF, and EPS.

We prefer that you send us PDF files with embedded or outlined fonts. PDF files are easier to handle and will likely speed up your turn-around. Remember to flatten your layers before sending us the file.
All full color artwork/images must be saved in the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color mode, while black and white artwork/images must be saved in grayscale.
We recommend files to have a resolution of at least 300 DPI. Submitting files with resolutions lower than 300 DPI may result in the print turning out pixelated or blurry.

Files need to be built to the final trim size plus 1/8" on each side. The bleed must extend past the cut line and will be trimmed from the product during the final cutting phase. When generating the file into the proper format, do not use any crop or printer's marks as these will increase the dimensions of the design file.
Files submitted in RGB or Pantone color modes will be automatically converted to CMYK. Converting these files to CMYK will cause a color shift and you may not be satisfied with your job.
When creating files on vector-based software such a Illustrator, InDesign or Freehand, all text must be converted to outlines before generating the final PDF file. If working out of Photoshop, simply flatten the image.

Do not use fonts smaller than 8 pts. Note that small or very narrow fonts may not be rendered well on print against dark backgrounds.

Keep all lines at least .25 pts thick. While thinner lines may be visible on screen, they may not show on print.
We do not recommend borders. However, if they are necessary in your artwork, keep the minimum border thickness to make it possible for us to cut as evenly as possible. We do not guarantee perfect trimming.

Please note that if the border is too close to the cut line, it may be slightly cut off-center. When trimmed, the border should be 1/4” thick. Therefore, it should be set up to be 3/8” from the bleed line. There is a cutting tolerance of 1/16”, which may cause uneven borders.
Print Creations requires print-ready files with proper rotation. Files submitted are printed head-to-head as-is.
Overprint can cause unexpected results because it is primarily used to intentionally overlap inks for a number of reasons. We suggest that you turn all overprint objects off before submitting your files.
When using a blue in your design, always make sure to leave at least a 30% difference in your Cyan and Magenta values. (100% C 100% M 0% Y 0% K)

Because blue is close to purple on the CMYK spectrum, use a low amount of magenta whenever using high amounts of cyan to avoid purple. (Example: C-100 M-70 Y-0 K-0)
Grayscale images that are converted to CMYK will have a color shift in the final print. That shift may be green or yellow.

Always check the CMYK values of your grayscale in the final CMYK document. If there are other values other than K in your grayscale image, there is a chance that the color will vary.

To eliminate all values other than K, use your Channel Mixer (adjustment layer) in Photoshop, then click “Monochrome” and adjust accordingly.
Rich black is an ink mixture of solid black: 100% K, with additional CMYK ink values. This results in a darker tone than black ink alone. If you print black alone as 100%, the resulting black may not be as dark as you might like.

We recommend using C-60 M-40 Y-40 K-100 to get a deep, dark, rich black.
When a job is coated with UV and then scored and folded, the job may begin to crack. During use, the cracks will become bigger and the ink may start to chip off.

Cracking is normal when coated jobs are scored and folded. Ordering the job without UV will help but may not prevent this. As the job is used and folded more and more, cracking will eventually happen.
We offer 1/4" and 1/8" radius round corners to all of our customers.
Long-edge binding means that the finished book is in a portrait format, whereas short-edge binding means that the finished book is in a landscape format. For our short run quantities of 25 to 200, only long-edge binding is available.