Frequently Asked Questions
What is Standard Turnaround Time?
Our standard turnaround time is 2-4 business days.
Please keep in mind this does not include shipping time.
Please note that UV coating, rounded corners, die cutting etc. may add to the production time.
Everything ships from our Fenton, MI 48430 location.
Some restrictions may apply.
What forms of payment does Allied accept?
We accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.
Do We Suggest a Border?
Due to possible shifting during printing and trimming, we do not suggest a border on any project.
The final piece may not be centered and the borders could look uneven.
You may continue to place your order with a border, but please be aware that we will not reprint or refund any order due to it not being centered.
What is Bleed?
Bleed is a term used in the print industry to define a document which has color and/or graphics that extend off the edge of the page. The excess color will be trimmed off so that there is no white margin around the document edges. When a product has bleed, it must be printed on a larger sheet than the finished trimmed size. The most commonly suggested amount of bleed is an excess of .125” per side.
COMMON DOCUMENT SIZES & THEIR BLEED MEASUREMENTS:
BUSINESS CARD 3.5” X 2” > 3.75” X 2.25”
POSTCARD 4” X 6” > 4.25” X “6.25”
INVITATION 5” X 7” > 5.25” X 7.25”
FLYER 8.5” X 11” > 8.75” X 11.25”
What is the Cut Line?
The Cut Line represents where your document will be trimmed to finish size. Any color or graphics beyond this line will be cut off.
What is the safety zone?
The Safety Zone is a highly recommended margin in which we suggest all text remain within. This margin ensures that text will not be cut off when the piece is trimmed to finish size. To prevent any unwanted trimming, we suggest all text remain .25” from all side edges.
What is the difference between uncoated, silk/dull, gloss, 14pt coated 1 side, 14pt coated 2 sides and smooth text stock?
Uncoated stock has no coating or sheen to it whatsoever.
Silk/Dull has a subtle coating that offers a minimal luster to the piece.
Gloss has a coating on both sides that offers more light reflection and sheen to the piece.
14PT Coated 1 Side stock has a gloss coating on one side and is uncoated on the other. It is thicker than traditional Matte or Gloss stocks.
Please note that if you choose 14PT Coated 1 Side Stock, the gloss coating will be the front of the card unless you specify otherwise in the notes during checkout.
14PT Coated 2 Sides stock has a gloss coating on both sides. It is thicker than traditional Matte or Gloss stocks.
Smooth Text stock is a variable lightweight, uncoated traditional paper that is a little heavier than what one would use at home with a personal printer.
Some helpful hints that may help you determine which stock is right for your needs:
- Uncoated stocks are easy to write on with any utensil.
- Coated stocks are harder to write on unless you are using a permenant marker.
What is UV Coating?
UV Coating is a high gloss ultraviolet coating that offers substantial sheen and protection to printed paper surfaces. It is an additional production process and will incur additional charges.
Adding UV Coating to an uncoated stock will not make the piece high gloss - the nature of the uncoated stock will simply absorb the UV Coating. Adding UV Coating to any other coated stocks will enhance the gloss and sheen of the piece.
UV Coating can only be added to cover weight stocks as text weight stocks are too thin to absorb the coating.
**Please note that if you choose UV coating on one side, it will be applied to the front of the card unless you specify otherwise in the notes during checkout.
What is a Union Bug and How Can I Have it Printed on My Material?
A Union Bug or Union Label is an emblem which signifies that the employees who make a product are represented by the labor union or group of unions whose label appears. Allied is represented by Teamsters District Council 3 Local 2/289M.
To request our union bug to be printed on your materials, simply select it from the drop down menu on the product page.
Any use of the Allied Union Services union bug without our permission is strictly prohibited and illegal.
Does Allied Offer Mailing Services?
Yes we do! Allied has a full service, state of the art mailing facility that works closely with the United States Postal Service to ensure your mailing gets to the right audience at a discounted rate. Learn more.
By submitting your approval to Allied, you agree to the following terms:
- You have verified that spelling and content are correct and assume all responsibility for typographical errors.
- You are satisfied with the document layout.
- You understand that your document will print EXACTLY* as it appears on the proof and that you cannot make any changes once the order is approved.
- You certify that you are legally authorized to utilize any design / art / photograph(s) being supplied to Allied for the purposes of fulfilling this order. Further, you indemnify, hold harmless and agree to defend Allied, its vendors and affiliates from any suit, claim or demand arising from your reproduction or use of this material.
*Please note the color on your monitor may not be representative of the printed piece. The monitor uses a resolution of 72 dpi and is RGB based, while printing uses 300 dpi and is CMYK based. The colors on the monitor are brighter than they will appear when they print.