There are two factors involved.
The vinyl : we use vinyl that is rated for a least 7 years. This means it will not fail, crack, or shrink for that period.
Fading : Harder to predict because of the varied amount of direct sun exposure. On average we are seeing 2 to 3 years before noticeable fading begins. Vehicles kept in a garage, side of a building, or anywhere that does not get direct sun will last much longer.

We have a minimum per line item that is ordered due to the fact that we print on large rolls of media which require long leaders.  Thus, for these "small" line items ordered, it is not viable financially to do these without a minimum charge.

We have a few different completion time choices that range from four business days to same day. The due date means the order will ship or be available for pickup that day. As you shorten the time frame, an additional cost is displayed, (The additional rush charge is: Same Day 75%, One Day 40%, Two days 20%, Four days 0%). To facilitate same day orders, they should be submitted before 1:00 pm central. If an order is an unusually large quantity or over 8 feet in both dimensions, we will contact you to let you know what additional time is needed.

Most applications can now save out as or export to PDFs. PDFs have become the standard for printing workflows. The advantages are --
1) Fonts are embedded by default.
2) Problems that an application might create will be visible in the PDF, so it is important to closely check the pdf once the application creates it to catch issues.
3) If you have a calibrated workflow, profiles can be embedded.
4) Unlike many, we have an Adobe licensed workflow, so you can be confident the contents of the pdf will print exactly as you see it.
5) Most applications now have a default PDF setting that says something along the lines of 'high quality printing'. This is generally the safe choice.
6) Feel free to vary default settings to preserve spot colors. Spot colors keep color definitions precise, and can alleviate the issue of monitors displaying colors differently.

We accept either. RGB source images start with wider color gamuts and so more saturated colors are possible when printed. The downside is that certain colors can be extremely vivid on screen, but be outside the printed gamut, and so what you see is not within reach of even high-gamut inks. CMYK files are more safe. What you see is more representative of what you will get in print.

We do not ask for bleed on anything. This being said, it does help us to have bleed on orders for flat or rigid substrates. This allows our automated cutter to cut through an edge rather than having to stop and start exactly on a corner.

Resolution?

For pixel based files -- (TIF, JPG, PNG, PSD) ---
Traditional press printing (magazine, brochures, greeting cards) — 300dpi
Larger format for up close viewing - map, high quality photos and posters — 150 dpi
Banners and signs — 100dpi to 25dpi. What !? 25 dpi?? — Yes, large road signs are printed at this
resolution and lower and look perfect. If you were to stand close to these large graphics, the pixels would be terribly noticeable.

Vectors (text, shapes, lines, logos )— are resolution independent, so no need to worry about it. A small vector logo on a business card will print at perfect quality 100 feet long. Vectors are not made up of pixels.

Should I up-res my small file to a big one?
No, Photoshop averages from existing pixels. No new data is created, only averaging from existing data, so the prints go from few big pixels to many small pixels. Said another way — up-resing from pixelated to blurry. We say leave it alone.

PDFs, PSDs, and all native application files can have both vectors and pixel based files, so knowing that the file is a pdf for example does not tell you what is inside it.

Most all files we receive these days are PDFs. Depending on your application choose - high quality printing, and downsampling off. This is now the default in most applications. The quick answer is — wherever it asks ‘ok to make this___ change? answer: no, don’t touch. We want the file that is closest to your original file.

Yes. As the dollar amount of the item being added to the cart rises, higher discounts are calculated and displayed.

We have replaced foam core and Gatorboard with Infinity board. This solves a large problem - warping due to changes in humidity. Gator is much better than foam core, but not perfect. Both have a styrene foam core. Foam core has a paper based outside liner. Gator has a wood pulp based liner. Both absorb moisture and can warp when the humidity rises. Warping happens when the front, back, and foam center absorb moisture at different rates.
Infinity does not warp because it has a styrene foam center and a styrene exterior.    Neither absorb moisture.

Our policy is to make sure every customer is satisfied with our products and services. If we have not produced a printed piece satisfactorily with the files and instructions provided to us, then please return the product. Once we receive it, we will issue a full refund.

If you would like something reprinted that is because of your error, we will reprint at a 25% discount off the original price.

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