PRINTING FAQs
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING
AG is quick to respond and did our special order on a very short deadline. They were right on top of the issue from the moment we contacted them. They are great!
Carolyn C. Intel Corporation
You were fast, professional, flexible, and on-time, and the final product was beautiful! Thank you!!
Whitney C. Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies
We originally called AlphaGraphics for a last minute event held at our offices. We needed one of those classic giant checks. I was able to send the designs over to Bill and he was able to get it printed and mounted for us in the same day and since your offices are so close I was able to run over and pick it up and take it back just in time for the event.
Kelly B. Niantic Inc
This was a rush order and AlphaGraphics delivered!
Cecy L. LiveRamp
Bill Crawford is your "super star" customer service and he's always willing and able to go the extra mile to get the job done. Quality of printing is excellent
Karen K. FRED T. KOREMATSU INSTITUTE - CCM
Your poster print prices are perfectly priced. We've done a few poster print projects with you and were satisfied with the level of service and production quality. We had one sticker project executed and it wasn't until after the fact that we were told that we were under billed for the project and we were outrageously out/overpriced for a similar project by a few thousand dollars for a small quantity sticker set.
Kyle P. Third Door Media
We used Copy Central before it merged with Alphagraphics. I was very pleased to receive the same professional and fast service I am accustomed too. Montana took excellent care of us.
Robin W. BNA WINE GROUP LLC - CCM 2
Worked with Bill for years, he takes exceptional care of us
Robert D. THE DAILY HABIT - CCM
Pricing was competitive; document was prepared with accuracy and quality color copy. It was done ahead of anticipated delivery time. Friendly, professional staff from start to finish.
Carol M. VESPER SOCIETY - CCM
I have been working with Andre Deshay for many years. He is a delight to work with and turns over our projects quickly, efficiently and of the highest caliber. Thank you for all of the hard work and looking forward to another year of partnership!
Shawna F. Omni Hotel San Francisco
Alphagraphics have yet again impressed me with their quality of work. They have gone out of the way and made sure my project was completed in time and made sure it was up to my standards.
Jacob H. Ultimate Software (formerly Kanjoya)
Great service, fast turn around, excellent quality. A job well done.
Karen W. THE TRIUM GROUP - CCM
Rush order fulfilled in a very timely manner. Quality product. Excellent customer service.
Niko T. Wells Fargo Capital Finance
Called with a last minute problem and got an immediate solution that was above and beyond the level of service I expected.
Tom F. San Francisco Firefighters Local 798
The service provided in processing this order in a single day was amazing. I had a mix-up on my end with the e-mail address and the team at alphagraphics provided a extremely rapid turn around on my printing job. I would highly recommend their service... Thank you all
Jeffrey A. REVA Medical Inc.
I absolutely love working with Montana. He is timely and professional and overall fantastic.
Sara S. Bing Consulting Services Inc.
Super friendly and product looked great.
Kelsie H. EVENT STRATEGY GROUP
NEEDED A RUSH JOB DONE ORIGINATING HERE IN CHICAGO. EXCELLENT SERVICE AND DELIVERY-ALL IN THE MATTER OF HOURS. AWESOME.
Joel A. MidAmerican Printing Systems Inc.
Jeff at your SF office was highly responsive, very professional, yet also quite personable in our interactions. Jeff understands the time sensitive pressure demands often active in getting oversized print boards out to clients in litigation projects. Rather than pose limitations and barriers, Jeff made sure we could get from point A to B without headache (or as little as possible). He was also pro-active in making helpful suggestions. Much appreciated.
Dave N. CaseArt Legal Graphics
Montana is the BEST! He is always ontop of it and delivers in a timely manner.
Latanya F. GRYPHON INVESTORS - CCM
Quick turnaround for a last minute important print job was greatly appreciated.
Selena B. George P. Johnson Experience Marketing
Great Leader followed with a great staff to support your needs
Joe A. EPIQ SYSTEMS INC. - CCM
Nothing but good results.
Roy C. THE BEST IMPRESSION - CCM
My experience was great. I had a super rush order that Alex helped me accommodate. I was very happy with his customer service and the outcome of the project!
Laura H. Overture Promotions
Barbara was able to accommodate this super last minute and I am very appreciative of her! Also, got this delivered right to my office which saved me a trip to go pick it up. Thank you so much!
Katie B. Allied PRA US685
Montana is excellent! He is always so quick to respond and deliver. Truly satisfied with my overall experience with Alphagraphics.
Monica B. GRYPHON INVESTORS - CCM
Incredible service and reliability.
Linda L. Linda leBlanc Realtor
Superior customer service. Montana Le is my go to guy. He understands my line of business working with graphic designers. Quality is #1.
Jeffrey C. NOVITEX ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS INC. - CCM
Jeff was amazing! I needed this sign produced quickly and he ensured that it was produced and delivered on time.
Christine S. Wells Fargo MAC A0101-114
The gentleman I worked with did a fabulous job. He went above and beyond, not only getting my appellate brief printed correctly, he arranged for an inexpensive courier to get the many copies to the 9th Circuit on time. Terrific job!
Kira S. Schlesinger Conrad Law Firm
Montana was incredible responsive and helpful.
Emily B. Emily Beckman
Always a pleasure to work with Jeff and I'm always happy with the quality of alphagraphics products.
Persis N. Hines Interests LP
Service has always been quick with a proof available in few hours.
Kristoffer P. Avison Young
Our work with AlphaGraphics is always highly satisfactory. Jeff provides unparalleled service, making sure our work is finished on time, within the specifications we require. We appreciate the personalized care and attention we receive!
Grant B. Bar Association of San Francisco
The team is responsive and friendly... They seem to update each other on each customer so the experience feels seemless from the customer point of view.
Sue K. Comcast Ventures
You guys are definitely on the upper end price wise, but the quality difference is pretty obvious.
Robert H. Robert Hendricks
I worked with Alex. He was very helpful. Great product
Libby S. Zyper Inc
Great experience - labels always printed quickly, even in tight deadlines.
Pierce O. Hint Water
Great staff, fantastic service & products!
Heather H. ScreenMeet
Andre provide the excellent service have always had with Alphagraphics and Ray in the past. Andre stayed in close touch while we made up our minds while remaining patient and flexible.
Cecilia L. Herman Miller
very helpful and quick on shipping.
Wendy F. Grand River Health
Went in asking a lot. I needed to have a portfolio printed on 11 x 17 for the next day. Jeff was super helpful telling me exactly what type of files and information were needed to ensure I would get exactly what I wanted. Communication back and forth was excellent and the final product was even better looking than I could have imagined!
Samantha M. Samantha Mason
Thank you for accommodating my rush order and last minute add ons, plus courier service! Coordinating conference materials abroad is never easy, but you guys made it seamless.
Melissa S. Soltara Healing Center
I have previously worked with this AlphaGraphics center and have had great success each time. I have to produce manuals for classes across the country and I reach out to AlphaGraphics locations, like this one, because they are reliable and provide quality product and the best customer service.
Kyle H. AlphaGraphics-US-004
Excellent service! Jeff is great, nice and knowledgeable, so every time we place an order... it is a breeze! Thank you!
Victoria Y. Law Offices of Ricci & Sprouls
Professional finishing with book, and pleasant experience
Zhou F. Zhou Fan
Big shout out to the two Alex's in the team - huge help. The only thing smoother than my bosses business cards was doing business with you guys.
Amelia M. Amelia Mathewson
I appreciate the prompt attention and timely deliveries.
Richard L. LAW OFFICE OF RICHARD LAPPING - CCM
Very professionally done! Our surgeon was very impressed!
James M. James McNally
I've been working with Montana for 5 + years. He understands the nature of my business. He is a superb business partner.
Jeffrey C. NOVITEX ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS INC. - CCM
ALL ABOUT PRINTING
ARE THERE PRINT SIZE LIMITATIONS?
Yes, and no. Our digital copiers will take sheet sizes as small as 4.25” x 5.5” up to 13” x 19”. Traditional offset can accept sheet sizes up to 12” x 18”. Our in-house large format printers can produce graphics up to 41.5” wide. If you have specific questions about our sizing options, please do not hesitate to give us a call.
WHAT IS A PROOF AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
In printing terms, a proof is a one-off copy of your document after all modifications and printing setup processes have been completed. It is your last, and best, opportunity to make sure that your print job comes out the way you envisioned. By carefully inspecting the proof, you can help ensure an accurate, flawless delivery of your print job the first time.
DO YOU REQUIRE MINIMUM QUANTITIES ON ANY OF YOUR PRODUCTS?
Nope! Some printing methods may be more cost-effective than others, but our professional staff are happy to work with you to determine which printing method is best for your project.
DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT COLOR SEPARATIONS OR HALF-TONE PRINTING TO GET MY JOB COMPLETED?
Absolutely not! We handle all the "back-end" production for you.
The terms are pretty easy to understand, though. Color separation refers to our offset printing process, where we use cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in four separate plates that go directly to the press. These four colors can create almost any color you can imagine!
Half-tone printing refers to converting a solid tone of black ink or one color into tiny dots that are invisible to the eye to create your image. You see a solid image, but it’s really created from the spacing of these tiny dots.
IS WHITE CONSIDERED A PRINTING COLOR?
Not typically. Because white is the default color of paper, it is simply recognized as the absence of ink.
WHAT PAPER TYPES DO YOU OFFER?
We have a large collection of “house” stocks in our production area. If you have a specific style in mind, we can check our in-house inventory to see if our selection is able to match your tastes. Or, we’ll check with our paper vendors to see what they have on hand. Keep in mind that special stocks or materials may require bulk purchasing from suppliers.
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 THAN THE COLORS ON MY SCREEN?
In short, printers and monitors produce color in different ways. Monitors use the RGB (red, green, blue) color model, which usually supports a wider spectrum of colors. Printers use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color model, which can reproduce most—but not all—of the colors in the RGB color model.
Depending on the equipment used, CMYK generally matches 85–90% of the colors in the RGB model. When a color is selected from the RGB model that is out of the range of the CMYK model, the application chooses the closest matching color. Programs like Adobe Photoshop will allow you to choose which color will be replaced; others may not. We’ll provide you with a sample print right before we print your job to ensure a "what-you-see-is-what-you-get" final product.
COMMON PRINTING TERMS
BIND: To fasten sheets with wire, thread, glue, or by any other means.
BINDING: A name given for any of many procedures used to put pages together.
BLEED: Printing that goes to the edge of the sheet. Trimming is required to make the printing run to the edge of a sheet.
CAST-COATED: Coated paper with a high- gloss reflective finish.
COATED PAPER: Paper with a clay or other coating applied to one, or both, sides. The coating can be dull, gloss, matte, or a number of other finishes. Coated paper generally produces sharper, brighter images and has a more refelctive quality than uncoated paper.
COLLATE: To put pages in a certain order for binding.
COLOR CORRECTION: Methods of improving color separations and definition.
COVER PAPER: A heavy printing paper primarily used to cover books or make presentation folders.
SIDE-STITCHING: Stapling through the spine from front to back. The publication will not lay flat when opened.
CROP: To trim a picture, image, or printed sheet.
CROP MARKS: Printed lines showing where to trim a printed sheet.
GLOSS: A shiny paper coating that reflects light.
LAMINATE: To cover with protective film. Also used to bond or glue one surface to another.
MATTE FINISH: Dull paper or ink finish.
OFFSET PRINTING: Printing which involves a plate that makes an inked impression on a rubber-blanketed cylinder, which, in turn, transfers it to the paper.
PERFECT BINDING: An unsewn, flat-spined book binding made with glue.
RESOLUTION: The degree of sharpness of a computer-generated image as measured by the number of dots per linear inch in a hard-copy printout or, the number of pixels across and down on a display screen.
SADDLE-STITCHING: A type of binding that uses wire stapling at the center of a magazine or pamphlet.
SCORE: Creasing paper to help it fold more neatly.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
WHAT TYPES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES DO YOU PROVIDE?
AlphaGraphics is a full service marketing communications provider, and offer a wide range of products and services. To see a full listing of our services, check out the Products & Services area of our website.
WHAT TYPES OF MARKETING TECHNIQUES CAN YOU ADD TO MY PRINTED MATERIALS?
OUR MULTI-CHANNEL MARKETING OPTIONS INCLUDE:
- QR Codes
- PURLs
- SMS and MMS marketing
- Video production and editing
- Variable mapping
- Social media marketing
- Mobile optimized websites, and so much more!
Call our team today to learn more about the tools we can use in concert with your printed communications to improve your ROI.
CONTACT ALPHAGRAPHICS IN SAN FRANCISCO
For more information on printing and designing in Downtown San Francisco, the Financial District, or Civic Center, contact us today! Fill out a Request a Quote form online or call us at (415) 781-4910.