To better assist you, Designing Line Studio has compiled a list of frequently asked questions and answers. If you do not find the answer that you are looking for, please feel free to contact us via email or call 817-937-6450. Click on any question below and it will bring you to the answer.

Can you accept projects outside of the Denton, TX area?

What are your printing turnaround times?

What payment methods do you accept?

Who is your clientele?

In printing, can you match color?

Do you offer hard proofs?

What are your design service charges?

Am I required to use Designing Line Studio for designing my layouts in order to get printing done through you?

What kind of files do you accept?

Can you print in black ink only?

What resolution do you require for print?

What is a bleed?

Why do my files require being CMYK instead of RGB?

What is thermography printing?

Can I cancel my printing order?

When am I billed for my service/order?

How do I create a rich black?

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO GIVE US A CALL IF THESE ANSWERS DO NOT HELP.

Can you accept projects outside of the Denton, TX area? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
Designing Line Studio can accept any projects in the continental U.S. We offer a convenient file upload ability on our Contact page and can email an invoice to you that will allow for convenient credit card payments through a secure PayPal. No PayPal account is needed.

What are your printing turnaround times? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
Our turnaround times vary depending on your needs, what product you are purchasing, and how fast the proofs are approved.

What payment methods do you accept? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
We accept cash, check (if local), or credit card. Checks must be verified in person. Credit cards are accepted through our invoicing from PayPal. A receipt will be mailed to you.

Who is your clientele? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
Our clientele include any size business. We offer our services to individuals to large corporations including other designers and print shops.

In printing, can you match color? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
We are not able to match color. Hard proofs instead of PDF proofs are available when color is critical for an additional fee, and is not incorporated into the turnaround time. We can only guarantee what you approve from our hard proof is concerned.

A digital proof will only show layout, not colors, which is one of the main reasons a proof is supplied. If you supply us low resolution JPEGs, we can check your files prior to printing and if there is a difference or a problem, we will contact you. Please note, we do not spellcheck for you.

Do you offer hard proofs? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
Yes, for an additional fee. Please ask when ordering your product for this pricing.

What are your design service charges? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
As with every project, there are different amounts of time involved depending on what is being designed or service being rendered. We will require the specs for each project to be able to answer this question. Feel free to contact us for more information on our Contact page.

Am I required to use Designing Line Studio for designing my layouts in order to get printing done through you? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
No. If you are a designer, or have a designer that has press ready files, we can offer printing services only. The files must be press ready according to our stipulations that will be discussed at the time of ordering. If you require Designing Line Studio to make adjustments for you, there will be additional fee accordingly. A proof will be sent to you regardless for approval before the files are sent to production.

What kind of files do you accept? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
We accept PDF (we recommend PDF X1a or Acrobat 1.3, which is version 4), TIFF (flattened layers), and JPEG, Please make sure your files are at least 300 dpi, and allow .125" per side for a bleed. For example, on a 4x6" card, you would send us your art sized at 4.25"x6.25".

Can you print in black ink only? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
We can only print one color with our thermography (raised ink) printing services. Through our full color printing including uncoated and UV coated products, we use a mix of CMYK to have the black only appearance.

What resolution do you require for print? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
Printed items require a higher resolution than items viewed on screen. 300 DPI is the required resolution for printed items. Computers are only able to display 72 DPI on screen, so a 72 DPI image may look okay when viewed at 100% on your monitor but will print fuzzy. When zoomed in at 200% or higher, a picture that is displayed with 300 DPI will look sharper than a picture displayed with 72 DPI.

What is a bleed? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
Bleed is the term for printing that goes right to the edge of the paper. If you have images or backgrounds that you want to bleed off the edge of the paper, then you must design your job larger than the final cut size. Bleeds are created by cutting through the enlarged image or background. To create a bleed, make your document .125" larger on all four sides. For example, artwork for a 4" x 6" postcard should extend to 4.25" x 6.25".

On your proof and template, the bleed line is .125" (1/8") outside the blue cut line. Any ink coverage that extends to the edge of the paper should extend to the bleed line. If your art extends to the blue cut line but not the bleed, you may have unwanted white borders after trimming.

Why do my files require being CMYK instead of RGB?(TO TOP OF PAGE)
If you submit an RGB document, it will be automatically converted to CMYK during proof conversion and generation. Our state-of-the-art color managed workflow automatically detects the ICC profile attached to your RGB file (if you have included one) and manages the color through the conversion process. If you send an RGB file, please be sure to view the converted print-ready PDF proof from us to check for color shifts from the conversion. Changing from RGB to CMYK will always produce some color shifting and a reduction in the color gamut because it is impossible to reproduce the entire RGB color palette with an offset press. We recommend creating and submitting your document in CMYK to assure the color looks as close to your original file as possible. If color accuracy is crucial, we recommend that you order a hard copy proof.

What is thermography printing? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
Thermography produces raised printing similiar in appearance to engraving but using a different process. In thermography, a special powder is added to the ink printed on the paper. The printed piece is heated and the powder and ink mixture dries to form a raised effect on the paper.

Can I cancel my printing order? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
Any job that has been approved or “sent to press” cannot be altered or changed due to the automated process that results from the “send to press” action.

If you need to change any of your printing options or shipping method, you may do so by contacting us, as long as the job has not yet been sent to press. Please note that if this has not gone to press, any downgrades, including but not limited to turnaround time, quantity, shipping method, etc., are applicable to a change order fee of $15.00.

For cancellations, no refunds are available on orders unless art files have NOT been uploaded to the site, submitted to customer service or sent to press. On jobs that meet the above criteria, a $15 processing fee will be charged for each job cancellation. Any approved cancellations requested after 30 days from date of order will be issued as an account credit toward future orders. If an order is cancelled after we have sent you a hard copy proof or performed file repair or paid art check services, those charges are non-refundable.

When am I billed for my service/order? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
We charge for your order as soon as you complete the checkout process.

Because we are a custom manufacturer, each job is unique to each customer and as such needs to be paid for before we can begin the manufacturing process by pre-flighting and converting artwork.

How do I create a rich black? (TO TOP OF PAGE)
To create a solid saturated black, you should create a rich black by mixing other colors of ink with black ink to produce a darker, deeper black on press than can be achieved by using black ink alone. To create a rich black, your CMYK calibration values must be 60% Cyan (C), 40% Magenta (M), 40% Yellow (Y), and 100% Black (K).

Designing Line Studio wants to answer any questions that you may have. If this page has not helped you, please send an email, or call us at 817-937-6450.

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