What type of products and services do you provide?
Good question! We are a full service printer and offer a wide range of products and services. To see a full listing and description of what we can offer you, checkout out the Services area of our website.
How do I go about getting an estimate from you?
Well, since you are here, we would suggest you use our online estimate request form. Otherwise, the best way to ensure that we get all the information necessary to do an accurate quote is to give us a call and talk with one of our customer service representatives.
Once I submit the documents, how long will it take to finish my job?
Simple jobs can often be completed in 24–48 hours. Some jobs, however, may take several days to complete depending on their complexity and size. We always strive to provide an accurate estimate of the turnaround time for each job we produce. And we’ll always work with you to find ways to get you what you need when you need it.
How do I prepare my design files so that they are print ready, and what file format should I use when submitting my electronic document for printing?
Buchanan Printing accepts several different file types, but different files require different approaches:
Adobe Acrobat / PDF: Acrobat files are very common, but not all PDF's are created equal. For best results, we recommend using Adobe’s Distiller and ‘printing’ the PDF through the application being used to create the layout. Generate the highest quality CMYK file that your version of Distiller allows. Please account for .125" bleed if needed. If in doubt, please send the native files, including fonts and placed images.
Adobe Creative Suite: All components of Adobe's Creative suite are supported in native format. InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop are some of the most common files we see. Native files, with the corresponding support files, almost guarantee a trouble-free output. Please be sure to include any placed images or fonts used in your layout.
Quark XPress: Same deal, we fully support Quark files, and still see plenty of them. Again be sure to include any placed images or fonts used in your layout.
Microsoft Office: All components of MS Office are supported, again be sure to include any placed images or fonts used in your layout. Word, Publisher, Excel and PowerPoint are not typically thought of as the primary graphic designer's tools, but they can be useful programs for simple documents. Again be sure to include any placed images or fonts used in your layout.
Corel Draw / Freehand / CAD / and other Vector-based software: Please save these files as Adobe Illustrator EPS or PDF. Embed all Images, convert all your text/copy to outlines and export files as Illustrator EPS or PDF.
Support File Guidelines: All font files & placed images must be included along with the composite layout file. All photo/paint files must have an effective resolution (after scaling) of 300ppi or more for color and grayscale images; 600ppi or more for lineart (bitmap) images. Color images should be set to CMYK. Illustrator or Freehand eps files which are placed into Quark or InDesign must also include the fonts used to create them, and the images placed within them.
What is the Pantone Matching System?
The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a color reproduction standard in which colors all across the spectrum are each identified by a unique, independent number. The use of PMS allows us to precisely match colors and maintain color consistency throughout the printing process.
Why do the printed colors look different from the colors on my screen?
In short, printers and monitors produce colors in different ways.
Monitors use light to produce color, printers use ink, which only reflects light, to produce color. Light can produce a much wider spectrum of color than ink pigments. Because of the differences in the light spectrum and ink spectrum, monitors use the RGB (red, green, blue) color model and printers use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color model. Depending on the equipment used, CMYK can simulate up to 85–90% of the colors in the RGB spectrum, as it appears to the human eye.
Depending on the software being used, if a color is selected from the RGB model that is out of the range of the CMYK spectrum, the application will choose something close, that it mathematically calculates to be a reasonable match. Programs like Adobe Photoshop actually allow you to choose a CMYK color, if you don't agree with its translation, during the RGB conversion process.
Is white considered a printing color?
Not typically. Because white is the default color of paper, it is simply recognized as the absence of any ink. However, when using colored paper, white ink may be used as a spot color if any text or graphic requires it.
