Tag: tutorials-body

How to Get to the Greeting Card Designer:

1. Visit our Greeting Card Printing page.

2. In the pricing tool (“Choose Options & See Pricing” section on the right), click the “START YOUR DESIGN” button.

3. In the popup, choose between Landscape and Portrait and click the “MAKE A GREETING CARD” button to get started.

4. Select a Theme or get started with a Blank theme.

5. You will then be sent into the Greeting Card designer.
TIP: Save your design often to ensure no progress is lost.

How to Check Out from the Greeting Card Designer:

1. Once you’re finished with your design (and have the design open in the Greeting Card Designer), click the “Add to Cart” button.

NOTE: You can access your designs by visiting your My Account page and clicking the “My Designs” tab.

2. A ‘Review your project’ popup will come up. This is certifying that you reviewed your design carefully and that it is ready to print. Click “Add to Cart” to continue to checkout or “Return to Project” to review your design or make edits.

3. If you have not saved your design yet, it will ask you to Login (or Create an Account) and Name Your Design. If you have saved your design, it will send you to the checkout page:

Choose the Paper, Quantity, Color, etc. you want for your Greeting Cards and click “Order Now”. You will be sent into checkout where you can complete your order.

How to Get to the Photo Calendar Designer:

1. Visit our Calendar Printing page.

2. In the pricing tool (“Choose Options & See Pricing” section on the right), click the “START YOUR DESIGN” button.

3. In the popup, choose your Size. Then click the “MAKE A PHOTO CALENDAR” button to get started.

4. On the landing page:

a. Select your binding type (tabs across the top)

b. Choose between the Generic Grid and Advertising Grid.

c. Choose the Number of Months (12-month vs. 16-month)

d. Choose your Starting Month. This will be the first month in your calendar.

e. Click “CREATE MY CALENDAR” under the Grid Type you want.

5. You will then be sent into the Photo Calendar designer.
TIP: Save your design often to ensure no progress is lost.

How to Check Out from the Photo Calendar Designer:

1. Once you’re finished with your design (and have the design open in the Photo Calendar Designer), click the “Add to Cart” button.

NOTE: You can access your designs by visiting your My Account page and clicking the “My Designs” tab.

2. A ‘Review your project’ popup will come up. This is certifying that you reviewed your design carefully and that it is ready to print. It will also notify you of any issues (low resolution images, missing image placeholders, etc.) in your design. Click “Add to Cart” to continue to checkout or “Return to Project” to review your design or make edits.

3. If you have not saved your design yet, it will ask you to Login (or Create an Account) and Name Your Design. If you have saved your design, it will send you to the checkout page:

Choose the Paper, Quantity, Color, etc. you want for your Calendars and click “Order Now”. You will be sent into checkout where you can complete your order.

How to Get to the Photo Book Designer:

1. Visit one of our multi-page book pages (Book, Booklet, Catalog, Magazine, Program, etc.).

2. In the pricing tool (“Choose Options & See Pricing” section on the right), click the “START YOUR DESIGN” button.

3. In the popup, choose your Size and the Binding Type. Then click the blue button to get started.

4. You will then be sent into the Photo Book designer.
TIP: Save your design often to ensure no progress is lost.

How to Check Out from the Photo Book Designer:

1. Once you’re finished with your design (and have the design open in the Photo Book Designer), click the “Add to Cart” button.

NOTE: You can access your designs by visiting your My Account page and clicking the “My Designs” tab.

2. A ‘Review your project’ popup will come up. This is certifying that you reviewed your design carefully and that it is ready to print. It will also notify you of any issues (low resolution images, missing image placeholders, etc.) in your design. Click “Add to Cart” to continue to checkout or “Return to Project” to review your design or make edits.

3. If you have not saved your design yet, it will ask you to Login (or Create an Account) and Name Your Design. If you have saved your design, it will send you to the checkout page:

Choose the Paper, Quantity, Color, etc. you want for your Booklets and click “Order Now”. You will be sent into checkout where you can complete your order.

Paper: Inside Paper

Inside (Text) Paper Options: Gloss or Matte

• 100# Text (5pt) is our most popular paper and best value. It offers an upscale, sharp and appealing look with a thicker, higher-end feel than 80# text. This premium paper features a high opacity with minimal show-through for two-sided printing.
• 80# Text (4pt) has the same characteristics as 100# text but is thinner. It is less expensive but is not as upscale and has a lower opacity (can show through for two-sided printing)

Text Paper Options: Uncoated

• 70# Uncoated Text (5pt) is a thicker stock than its 60# counterpart, yet still offers the same premium look. Products printed on this paper will often have a high brightness and a high level of opacity.
• 60# Uncoated Text (4pt) will often have a high brightness and a high level of opacity. 60# uncoated features a super smooth finish that is great for ink holdout and offers a professional look.

Paper: Cover Paper

Cover Cardstock Paper Options: Gloss or Matte

• 80# Cover Cardstock (8pt) is the preferred substrate for booklet covers. It is about twice as thick as 80# text and is comparable to a postcard or baseball card. It provides a sharp and appealing look with a more substantial and sturdy high-end while still being affordably priced. Special characteristics include dimensional stability, good folding qualities and durability. This paper stock is suited for scoring and die-cutting.
• 100# Cover Cardstock (9pt) has the same characteristics and uses as 80# cover cardstock but has roughly 25% more bulk, being thicker and heavier, similar to a nice wedding invitation. This is the highest quality premium paper.
• 100# Text (5pt) is about 25% more bulk being thicker and heavier than 80# Test with a sturdy and high-end.
• 80# Text (4pt) is inexpensive but not as upscale as a 100# Text. It has less opacity, meaning that your two sided projects may show through the page. PrintingCenterUSA only recommend this paper if weight becomes an issue for mailing purposes or when your saddle stitch book has more than 80 pages, your inside pages must be printed on 80# text to accommodate up to 92 pages.

Cover Cardstock Paper Options: Uncoated

• 70# Uncoated Text (5pt) this paper is commonly used when you are expecting to write in the piece itself. Match this up with an uncoated cover to give the entire project an uncoated look and feel.

Paper: Overview

Cover Paper vs. Text Paper

A cover weight paper is thick and similar in feel to cardstock. Text weight papers are thin like catalog and magazine paper. A paper for printing labeled “cover” is always going to be thicker than a “text” paper. For example, 100# Gloss Cover is going to be much thicker than 100# Gloss Text. You can also tell the difference in thickness by checking the “point” or “pt” thickness.

For example, a 100# Gloss Cover is 9pt while a 100# Gloss Text is 5pt. You measure paper thickness with a micrometer.

You are not required to use a cover weight as the cover paper. You can use either a cover weight or a text weight as the cover paper for your booklet project. For example, the 100# gloss text can be a nice cover option for projects like catalogs, programs and magazines.

Coating Options

Gloss

Gloss paper is shiny and is very popular for most print projects.

Matte

Matte paper has a “flat” look to it. It does not shine and reflect light the same way that gloss paper does.

UV Coating

UV is short for Ultra Violet coating. This is a shiny gloss coating applied over printed cover weight paper to make photos and colors pop to catch your customer’s attention and to protect against scratching and frequent handling. UV coating is recommended for extra protection of the cover of your project. UV coating is not recommended when you need to write on the coated area.

Uncoated

This paper is similar to the paper you would put in a home printer. It is easy to write on like notebook paper and should be used in a project such as a journal, planner, or coloring book.

Paper Recommendations by Product

• Brochures – 100# Gloss Text
• Business Cards – 14pt Gloss Cover
• Calendars – 80# Gloss Cover for the cover paper (with a UV high gloss cover finish for extra “Pop!”) and 100# Gloss Text for the inside pages
• Door Hangers – 14pt Gloss Cover
• Flyers – 100# Gloss Text
• Greeting Cards – 12pt C1S (C1S means Coated One Side. The outside of the card is coated so that it has a nice finish but the inside is uncoated so that you can easily write in it)
• Newsletters – 100# Gloss Text
• Posters – 100# Gloss Text
• Presentation Folders – 12pt Gloss Cover
• Rack Cards – 14pt Gloss Cover

Self-Cover vs. Soft Cover

• Self-Cover (soft cover) is when the cover and the inside paper are the same weight. We recommend 100# Text (Gloss or Matte) for both the inside and cover papers. Self-cover is only available for Saddle Stitch Binding.
• Soft Cover is when the cover is thicker than the inside pages. We recommend an 80# Cover (Gloss or Matte) with 100# Gloss Text for the inside paper. Soft Cover is available Saddle Stitch, Perfect Binding, Spiral, and Wire-O.

What does Collate mean?

Collate printing is the action of taking multiple different printed pages and putting them together into a complete set. Collating is most common with color copies, as the copies can be collated without being bound together. On the other hand, collating is also common in the process of making booklets, catalogs, magazines and any other type of multi-page product. An example of an uncollated project is a notepad.

Available Paper Options

Binding: Additional Options

On the bottom of PrintingCenterUSA’s online pricing tool, you can select “Hole Drilling” and/or “Shrink Wrap.” Additional charges apply. Once you select “Hole drilling” on the bottom of the pricing tool, you will be able to select either 5/16” holes or ¼” holes.

Hole Drilling

When we drill three holes into your printed project so it can be placed in a three ring binder.

Shrink Wrapping

The process of enclosing your product in a clinging transparent film that when heated, shrinks tightly onto the pieces inside. In most situations, we bundle your product in convenient bundles to help when shipping. If you want to select custom shrink wrap bundling options, then select “Shrink Wrap” on the bottom of the pricing tool, then you will see a drop down appear where you will select your preferred bundle sizes

Retail Bagging / Retail Bagging with Chip

PrintingCenterUSA also offers Retail Bagging and Retail Bagging with Chip for Calendar orders. Retail Bagging is when each Calendar is individually placed in cellophane bags.

Retail Bagging with Chip is when each individual calendar has a chip board placed within the calendar to minimize bending, and then added into a cellophane bag. Retail Bagging and Retail Bagging with Chip are excellent options if you intend to sell your calendars as a product.

To add Retail Bagging or Retail Bagging with Chip to your order, simply click “Shrink Wrapping” on the Calendar Pricing Tool and then select your option in the dropdown.

Binding: Wire-O

What is Wire-O Bound Printing?

Wire-O binding is similar to Spiral binding. It is a metal coil that passes through a row of punched holes at the edge of the printed piece. The pages will lay flat or wrap back around themselves. The binding can be on the left edge or top edge of the project, depending on how the project is designed. Wire-o bound books are a series of parallel wire loops attached along a wire. Wire-o binding can be 1 1⁄4“ thick. Wire-O binding is great for Calendars, Directories, Annual Reports, and many other types of products.

Page Count

We can print spiral and wire-o orders that have 8 – 800 pages and must be in 2 page increments.

Design Tips

You must leave extra space for the hole driling on the binding-side of your Spiral or Wire-O booklet. Set your binding-side margins to be 7/8”. Refer to our free downloadable templates for a design guide.

Sizes

We can print spiral and wire-o orders that have 8 – 800 (or up to a certain thickness) and must be in 2 page increments.

Binding: Spiral

What is Spiral Bound Printing?

Spiral bound printing is a continuous coil of plastic looping through a row of punched holes at the edge of the printed piece. The binding can be on the left edge or top edge of the project, depending on how the project is designed. Spiral bound coils are available in different colors and sizes. You cannot print on the spine or add/remove pages once a spiral bound book is complete. Spiral bound book printing is great for manuals, directories, annual reports, calendars and many other types of products. Spiral binding can be up to 2 3⁄4“ thick.

Page Count

We can print spiral orders that have 8 – 800 pages and must be in 2 page increments.

Design Tips

You must leave extra space for the hole driling on the binding-side of your Spiral booklet. Set your binding-side margins to be 7/8”. Refer to our free downloadable templates for a design guide.

Sizes

We can print spiral orders that have 8 – 800 (or up to a certain thickness) and must be in 2 page increments.

Binding: Perfect Bound

What is Perfect Bound Printing?

Perfect bound books are inexpensive and provide a durable, high quality, professional book. Perfect bound is the ideal choice for books with higher page counts (28 pages up to 2 inches thick). Perfect binding gives you a soft cover bound to the individual inside pages with strong, yet flexible PUR glue, creating a printable, square spine.

During the perfect binding process, printed sheets are gathered into a book, one on top of the other, the edges are ground off, the book is glued into a wraparound cover, then trimmed to size. Because of this gluing process, creating the square spine, the pages do not lay flat while you are flipping through them.

Perfect bound book printing is great for directories, magazines, manuals, year books or any type of booklet that has many pages. Our soft cover perfect bound books provide a high quality and professional look that can’t be matched.

Page Count

The minimum number of pages is 28 pages to 2” thick maximum. 2 page increments are required when ordering.

When saving your print-ready PDF file, please save one single PDF file which contains your individual pages, including front and back cover, consecutively ordered. For example:

Design Tips

Gutters

Because perfect bound books cannot lay completely flat without breaking, there is a portion of each inside page that will lose visibility into the spine. This inside gutter can take up between ¼” and 3/8” of each page. Be mindful of this while designing and add an extra ½” cushion to the binding-side margins of each page of your perfect bound book. For more about setting up your margin and safety lines, click here.

Note: If you are adding page numbers to your project, then do not put them on the inside of the pages close to the spine. You will risk losing visibility.

Crossovers

Crossovers are images that span two adjacent pages. These are not recommended inside a perfect bound book due to the gutter phenomenon discussed above.

Spine Width

A unique feature of perfect bound books is the ability to design the spine if it is larger than 1/8th inch. You can keep it a solid color, add text or have one continuous image covering the front cover across to the back cover. Determining your spine width depends on your number of pages and the paper stock you have selected.

Download Perfect Bound Spine Calculator

Available Sizes