After reading this page, you'll be ready to fill out our Estimate Form and get a custom quote for your project.

Size
There are standard sizes for most every print job; business cards are 2" x3.5", letterhead is 8.5" x 11", and business envelopes are 4.125:x9.5". We're happy to customize to whichever specs you like, but in some cases, a custom size can waste a lot of resources, increasing price and environmental impact. Ask us for tips and tricks on smart printing or check out our Additional Resources page for standard envelope sizes and their enclosures, and templates for other common specs.

Quantity
With offset printing, most cost is in the initial setup of machines and mixing ink. On higher estimate quantities, you'll see that per piece price can drop dramatically. Once our press is up and running, you just pay for the paper running through it! For information on price breaks and press-efficient quantities, call today.

Ink Colors
Spot Colors
Spot colors are single, solid colors and tints of those colors that are used to make up graphics and text. A complete job can be created using only a single color (such as black, or blue), or two or three. The limit depends only on your budget and design. We recommend 1 spot color for a basic job, 2 spot colors for added visual effect, and 3 or 4 for complex projects and identities.

4 color process
Four color process printing uses combinations of cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow, and black to create a huge array of colors. This process allows printing in "full color" for photos and projects requiring a large amount of color variation.

Paper
Paper Finish
There are 2 main finishes for paper; coated and uncoated.

Coated paper is used for most magazines, baseball cards, and most book covers. It is easily identified by the glossy or dull coating covering the surface. Glossy paper tends to permit more crisp and detailed printing.

Uncoated paper is used for most envelopes, forms, and writing pads. It is usually textured and soft to the touch. Due to its absorbency, images and text printed on uncoated stock tend to print softer than the same do on coated paper. The softness and texture tend to give uncoated stock a more warm and accessible feel than most "slick" coated stocks.

Paper Weight
There are three main weights for paper; cover, text and writing.

Cover weight is great for business cards, presentation folders, and note cards. It is thick and sturdy.

Text weight is used for brochures, letterhead, envelopes, flyers, posters, etc. It is slightly heavier than writing weights, and is more opaque (which is great for business envelopes).

Writing weight is measured differently than text weight paper and is used mainly for stationery. Writing weight stocks are usually manufactured using some amount of cotton fiber or "rag" (25%-100%) and also a watermark, which make them very distinguished for personal and corporate stationery.

If your chosen stock does not come in a writing weight, most stocks have a similar weight in text that can be used instead. See our comparison chart in the Additional Resources section.