1. A Word In Edgewise, Inc.
    FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
     Click Here for an Acrobat Reader® Printer-friendly FAQs
     
  2. At A Word In Edgewise, (AWIE)we do what our name implies. We give YOU A WORD IN EDGEWISE! So, when you have a question while browsing our Web site, you can come here to our FAQ page and probably find the answer. But if you don’t find what you are looking for, or just want to chat, then simply call us. We ALWAYS have time to listen to you! Call 503.282.8787 ~ or ~ 888.EDGEWISE (888.334.3947)

  3. We constantly update this section, so check back often. When a customer asks us a question that we think should be listed here we will add it to the list. See something you think is missing? Let us know. We’ll post it immediately. Thanks!
     
  4. Section A: Satisfaction Guarantee
     
  5. A Word In Edgewise prides itself in the customer service we provide. We set ourselves apart by spending time with you, answering questions, helping you determine what is best for your particular needs, and keeping within your budget. A major part of our service is the final delivery of your finished product. We guarantee you will receive High Quality printed materials. We do our best to check orders before you get them. Obviously, we cannot stand and watch every sheet that is printed. With that in mind, we encourage you to bring to our attention anything that does not meet your expectations so we can fix it.
     
  6. Whether it’s a crooked cut, a smudge, unexpected line, pads that come apart, whatever the problem, our intention is your satisfaction. If we have to reprint something (at no charge) that’s what we will do. We want to keep you as a satisfied customer and hope that you will refer us to others. Our business grows more from referrals than any other way. Our client base consists of customers we have done business with for over 15 years. Every customer gets the same level of service regardless of the size of the order, or money spent. We treat everyone equally, with respect, honesty, and appreciation.
  8. In keeping with our commitment to the community we live in, we go out of our way to bring a selection of recycled papers and paper made by “Green” Manufacturers. Many of our paper stocks are Post Consumer or Recycled. Post consumer waste (PCW) paper is from the contents of recycle bins, while regular “recycled” is mill waste that’s never been used as a product and has been reused or “recycled” to make more paper. In addition, one of our favorite suppliers, Mohawk papers, headquartered in Cohoes, New York (don’t hold that against them) produces 38% of their manufacturing electricity from Emission-free Windpower! They market the Mohawk, Beckett, and Strathmore brand names.

    9. Finally, we are also committed to a strong local and national economy. The commercial printers we partner with for offset printing are exclusively U.S.-based. We do not – and will not – do business outside the United States. Beware of many Web printers who advertise prices that seem impossibly low. These companies do not print your materials in the United States, although they may have a physical address here. Your materials may come from the Bahamas, Canada, Mexico, or even China! We encourage you to buy locally whenever possible, whether it’s through us or a competitor. Keep your dollars in our country!

    Section B: Printing Terminology

    Q: What is a “Bleed”?
    A: When the printed part of a project runs all the way to the edge of the paper or comes to within less than 1/8” of the edge, it is called a “bleed.” B    leeds generally require a larger sheet of stock (nonstandard size) than the finished size in order to allow for trimming the edge to result in the desired look, and that is why there is usually an additional charge.
     

  9. Q: What is Exact or Close Registration?
  10. A: Exact or Close registration is when two or more colors either touch each other, overlap, or come to within less that 1/16” to 1/8” of each other. When printing with ink on an offset press, it is critical to be able to match plates exactly. Therefore, there is a “registration” charge. With digital printing this is not a concern.
     
  11. Q: What does “Print Ready” or “Camera Ready” artwork or files mean?
  12. A: These are electronically composed files that are ready to print. Our prices are based on receiving files that require no reworking. If not sent correctly, we will advise you. You may fix them, or we can fix them for our design rate of $45 per hour ($15.00 minimum charge). We receive almost all artwork electronically. The term “Camera Ready” is still used but rarely is anything done using that method. Traditionally, a “photo” of artwork was taken and transferred to the printing plate. Most print companies today make plates directly from a computer.
     
  13. Q: Why do you need permission for use, or ownership statements for photographs?
  14. A: Copyright laws require that when photos are reproduced, ownership must be verified. This protects the photographer and/or the owner of the photo from theft.
     
  15. Q: What is the Pantone Matching System®?
  16. A: Also known as PMS colors, this is a solid color communication system based on the visual matching of individual, pre-mixed colors. It is used by artists and commercial printers to select, specify and match colors precisely. Many logos are created with specific Pantone® Colors and can be very closely reproduced. However, it is rare to get an exact match. Usually, it will be within one or two shades.
     
  17. Section C: Printing Processes
     
  18. Q: What is the difference between offset printing and digital?
  19. A: Simply put, offset printing applies ink on paper and digital printing uses toner. With offset, paper goes in and comes out the same. With digital, paper gets heated in order for the toner to transfer onto the page. Traditional offset presses are made to run large volumes of paper quickly. Setup for these presses can be time consuming. Also, when there are colors touching (see Exact Registration in Section B), not only must multiple plates be used but the colors must be “trapped” correctly so they touch or overlap properly. Therefore, to do short runs (usually 500 to 1000 or less depending on the item), offset press runs can be costly. Enter digital. Setup is basically telling the machine what kind of paper, color or black ink (toner, if you will) which tray to pull the paper from and exit to, and finally, how many copies. In other words, it takes a few minutes to setup for digital. It takes longer, or even much longer (for example if special ink colors must be mixed) for a press run and that’s where a lot of the initial cost lies. So, this is one reason why digital is more cost effective on shorter runs. Also, digital machines cost less to buy and maintain. They have fewer moving parts, require less maintenance, no real cleanup to speak of (compared to washing up from different inks) and also offer a smaller footprint than traditional presses.
     
  20. Q: Why is digital better suited for short runs?
  21. A: Well, the differences outlined above show why. Lower setup costs, lower operating costs, and quicker print to finished product. Digital machines are generally networked to a computer so that the files are electronically transferred to the machine and printed in a shorter time span compared to ink presses. However, while that’s true for small runs, in volume printing, once the press is rolling, it cranks out paper quicker and more efficiently. Another advantage with digital is the ability to see a “proof” easily. Since there is no setup involved the way there is on offset presses, just print one copy, look at it and determine whether it’s right. If it is OK, let it rip. If not, adjustments can be made electronically and another proof printed. On an offset press there simply is no easy, quick, or inexpensive way to do that. Other advantages of digital – and major ones – are no need for “trapping,” or “registration” issues, color matching is easier, and the ability to do truly short runs that would be prohibitively expensive if run on presses. Try to buy 50 color flyers from an offset print company. Finally, a major advantage of digital is turnaround time. Ink needs time to dry. If a job is two sided, there needs to be drying time between the front and backside printing. If it needs to be cut or folded, again, drying time is needed. That’s not an issue with digital printing so you can expect most jobs to be ready in a few days, depending on paper availability. Some jobs may even be done in a day or two.
  23. Q: How does A Word In Edgewise determine whether to print digitally or on an offset press?
  24. A: There are several determining factors. Quality is our number one concern, followed closely by cost. Then we assess the quantity ordered, the size of the finished product, and finally, how quickly the customer needs the finished product. Some jobs may suffer a loss in quality if run digitally, so these automatically go to an offset press. But, even in that case, another advantage of digital is that we can do a short run to “tide you over” while the press run is in production.
  26. Q: Can’t I just print my materials on my own color laser or inkjet printer and save money?
  27. A: Well, maybe. If you do very short runs and use very little color, the answer is probably yes if you do not spend a lot of time, and final output is not a big issue. However, especially with inkjet printers, the likelihood of good quality is questionable except on photo printers which use a lot of ink. So then there is the cost of the ink, paper, time involved and usually, you lose. With many inkjet and even laser printers, by the first, or at best, the second time you buy replacement cartridges, you’ll have likely spent more than the original purchase price of the printer – especially
  28. true of inkjets.

  29. Section D: Getting Materials Ready for Printing
     
  30. Q: Does A Word In Edgewise do page layout and design in house?
  31. A: Certainly. In fact, we started out doing data entry and evolved into graphic design to fulfill our customers’ needs at the time. Today, there are many people who are capable of designing their own materials but for those who cannot, or do not have time, we offer those services for a nominal rate of $35 per hour. Our minimum charge is $19.95, after which we incrementally charge in quarter hours (unlike many of our competitors who charge in half hour increments.)
     
  32. Q: Will A Word In Edgewise work hand in hand with customers?
  33. A: Absolutely! We encourage you to join us and collaborate in the creation of your material. Again, unlike many of our competitors, we are eager to have you sit down with us and work together as a team. We don’t restrict you to the “other side of the counter.”
     
  34. Q: Any suggestions for submitting files created by either me or my graphic artist?
    A: Why of course. Our recommendation is that all files be at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) or ppi (pixels per inch) CMYK mode. For high end graphics and photos we recommend 600 dpi. This is extremely important for offset press runs. Many times we are able to accommodate 72 dpi files (created solely with the Web in mind) on our digital machine. Nevertheless, we always encourage designers to start out at a minimum resolution of 300 dpi/lpi. Ideally, 600 dpi/lpi.
  36. Q: How should my files be created?
  37. A: Files may be created in any number of programs. However, for printing we require conversion to a printable format. For example, while we can accept “native” PhotoShop® files, InDesign®, and other program files, created on a PC platform. Due to the many potential pitfalls that may occur from one platform to another, and especially from Macs to PCs, we recommend exporting to a generic format such as .eps, .tif, or Adobe Acrobat Reader®, (check export settings), where all fonts and graphics, photos, etc. are embedded. Embedding of fonts is highly recommended. Call us to discuss the best way to send your file. Regarding software, programs such as Word for Windows, Microsoft Publisher while easy to learn and use, they are not a good choice to create quality graphics files. It is suggested that professional software be used, or hire a reliable graphic designer who has such programs at his/her disposal.
     
  38. Q: If I have a 72 dpi file, can I put it into a program like PhotoShop® and enlarge it to 300 dpi?
  39. A: In a word, “No.” You cannot take a smaller resolution to a larger resolution without losing quality. A rule of thumb is that you can come down in resolution but you cannot go up. Again, start with 300 dpi or higher and go from there. Reduce it for the Web with no problem. But remember that most of your designs will eventually be printed. So be sure to create them correctly from the start. It is especially important to make this clear to your designer. Please do not assume that your graphic designer is familiar with printing. Ask him or her. Your designer is welcome and encouraged to call us.
     
  40. Q: Is there anything I should know about file formats?
  41. A: Yes. And this is extremely important. When you or your designer begin a project, we highly recommend you save you file in an uncompressed format such as native PhotoShop®, Illustrator®, .tif, .eps, or others. Be advised that .jpg (aka .jpeg), .gif and others that are compressed formats will continue to compress the file every time you save it. That means with every save you LOSE quality. Always start in an UNCOMPRESSED format. This is especially true if you want to use photos from your digital camera. If you plan to print them, use the .tif option of your camera has that or use the highest .jpg setting and when you open the file on your computer, immediately save it in a different format such as .tif, .eps, or a native application file that will not continue to compress it if you decide to do work on it further. As mentioned earlier, keep that resolution at least 300 dpi or ppi.
     
  42. Q: What about mistakes? Who is responsible for proofing?
  44. A: Our policy is that when we say “print ready” that says it all. The customer is responsible for proofing the job and we strongly recommend having someone else proof for you. The best way is to have someone who is in no way connected with your business. You may (as we all tend to do) easily miss a mistake because you will read what you expect to be there and miss errors. We do offer proofing at our rate of $35 per hour. Once your job is printed based on your files submitted to us, if there is a misspelling or an accidental graphic overlay from your design, we cannot assume responsibility unless we did the proofing and missed something. We can proof for misspellings, grammatical accuracy, and context but not for technical mistakes related to your industry. We also will proof for proper graphical placement.
     
  45. Section E: Pricing and Payment
     
  46. Q: Are your price quotes firm? What if you misquote?
  47. A: Once you get a quote in writing from us it does not change. If we make a mistake in your favor, it’s “Oh well” for us. We NEVER charge more than our quote to you, even if it means we lose money. (Obviously we try hard to NOT make a mistake.) Oh, and by the way, if we find we have made a mistake and quoted too high, guess what? We tell you and adjust the cost DOWN. That’s called Responsibility. Honesty. Respect. It’s how we’ve done business for over 16 years and we find it works.
  49. Q: OK, speaking of money, how and when do we pay you?
  50. A: Hmm, good question! Here’s the deal. For existing accounts, (those we have done business with for 90 days or more) we usually do not require upfront money for orders under $500. For large orders, we may require payment in full up front. We usually request a 50% deposit for new customers until we get to know each other. Final payment is due upon receipt of goods. After our relationship grows, we may extend credit for up to 15 days depending on the volume of business. However, that is based on your good and timely payment. We are a small operation and prompt payment is necessary. You may choose to pay by check, cash (yes, we’ll take greenbacks) or you may use Pay Pal to pay by credit or debit card. However, discounts such as those for PABA members, nonprofits and others are not available when payment is made by credit card. Fees we incur from the credit card processing void the discount option.

    The foregoing general information is true and correct to the best of our knowledge. We have done extensive research and tried to be accurate. However, that does not mean we guarantee we have not made a mistake. Therefore, please understand that we cannot assume any responsibility for errors. If you find a mistake or something you take issue with, please email or call us and let us know. If we agree with your assessment, or find it to be otherwise true, we will certainly make the necessary corrections.
  52. Our goal with these FAQ pages is to be helpful and assist our customers in making their printing experience a easy as we possibly can. Also, if we have missed something (and I bet we did) please let us know and we’ll add it! Thanks!
  54. Monkey-Face-B&W                                 
  56. Our CEO reminds you:
  57. “We don’t monkey around!”

  59. Christopher H. Reed, CEO

    A Word In Edgewise, Inc. MultiMedia

     Chris@AWordInEdgewise.com

    60.