Custom Orders - New
THE PROCESS: HOW WE DO CUSTOM
Thank you for working with us! We're excited to help you create something beautiful and meaningful. Our goal is to provide excellent service and to make your experience with Letterpress PLAY enjoyable, clear, and efficient. Below is some helpful information and a statement of our policies. If you have any additional questions or want to discuss anything in more depth, please do not hesitate to contact us.
GETTING STARTED:
Each project starts with an idea. You may already have everything designed, or you might be starting with a blank slate. If you already have a design, you can provide us with the print-ready files. If you're still trying to figure it out, we have a trusted group of designers who can help you create a design that imparts a little piece of you or your business.
VISITING OUR STUDIO:
We recommend you visit our studio in Austin if that's convenient. You can also check out the different paper options, look at different typefaces, and watch our vintage printing presses in action. We would appreciate it if you would let us know when you might be coming in, so we don't schedule another client visit simultaneously. But if you can't come in, we can also provide you with just about everything related to your project via email or phone.
ESTIMATES:
The best way to give you a reliable estimate is to provide us with the artwork or a visual representation of what you want to do. If you don't yet have a design, we will do our best to provide you with a reasonable estimate based on our understanding of the project. The more information and details you can provide (e.g., quantity, number of colors, type of paper, etc.), the more accurate estimate we can give you.
TURNAROUND TIME/RUSH FEE:
The time needed to complete your job depends on the project's scope and how busy we are. Although every project differs, we can typically turn around a job within 2 - 6 weeks. If you need your job sooner than that, we will make every effort to accommodate you (a rush fee may be assessed below for more information on rush fees).
PAYMENT:
We require a 50% deposit to start working on a project and the balance upon completion of the job. If the project is canceled a week or more after the deposit has been paid, the deposit is non-refundable.
DESIGN:
Whether you already have a design or starting from scratch, we can help you put things together. However, if any custom artwork or illustration is needed, we recommend that you engage the services of a design professional. We have a roster of designers we've worked with and understand the letterpress process.
FORMAT FOR ARTWORK:
When providing artwork for plates, we prefer vector files - .eps, .pdf, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Indesign files - as these will print sharper and clearer. Please be sure that all text is packaged or converted to outlines. Non-vector images must be provided as a BITMAP TIF at 100% size with a minimum of 800 dpi (1200 dpi is recommended). Any bitmap TIF images should be embedded in the files. If you need more detailed information, please contact us.
PROOFING YOUR JOB:
We typically will provide a digital proof of your job before we begin. We will send digital proof at your request if you provide us with the final artwork. With this "proof," we do our best to call out all the more important specifications for your job (type of paper, quantity, ink color, etc.). We strongly recommend that you print out the proof at 100% and review the printed version (it's much harder to grasp the scale of the design on a computer screen or smartphone). Please review the proof carefully and let us know if any revisions need to be made. Once you provide us with your approval, we will move forward with the job and make any necessary engraving or polymer plates.
ENGRAVING AND POLYMER PLATES:
We will make polymer plates to print your job. The cost of the plates will be added to your project, and you will retain ownership of the plates. The price of the plates (with a few exceptions) is based on the overall size of the plate(s). For jobs that may be recurring (e.g., business cards, jobs that require the re-use of a logo, etc.), we will store the plates at no charge for future orders. For jobs that generally would not be repeated (invitations, announcements, menus, etc.), we will hold the plates for two weeks after the job is completed (in case additional units are required or the job needs to be reprinted) and then dispose of them. If you would like to keep your plates as a memento or for any reason, please let us know, and we will return them to you.
PRESS CHECK:
We recommend you come into our studio when we go to press if you can. You can oversee the job at the press as it is being printed. If any adjustments or changes need to be made (e.g., adjust positioning, pressure, color), we can make most of these during the press check. Since most of our inks are hand-mixed, being present is the most efficient way to tweak the ink color. If attending a press check is not possible or convenient, we can also do a photo press check where we send a photo of a printed piece before doing the entire run. There is no additional charge for the press check.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Unless you specifically let us know that you do not want photos or any mention of your job posted on our social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Google), we assume that we have your permission. We respect your privacy and are very sensitive to sharing personal information (e.g., addresses, venue locations, etc.), so if you ask us not to post anything - or to wait for a specific date before we do - we will honor your request.
DELIVERY:
When your job is completed, we will contact you to let you know. Shipping or sending your job via messenger is not included in the cost of your project, but we are happy to arrange for these services at your request. Any applicable shipping or messenger charges would be added to the price of your job.
Please fill out the form to get started and we'll be in touch within 48 hours to kick off your project. We can't wait to hear from you!