PRINTING FAQs
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS ARE SAYING
Alphagraphics was really quick and helpful to me in a bit of a bind. I traveled to Delaware for a wedding shower, and needed a last minute printing job for decorations. I came to the store with an image I'd created in word, worried that the quality would not be sufficient for printing, and that I hadn't given enough time for turnaround. The Alphagraphics employee who attended me was incredibly kind and understanding, assured me that the image would print well, and that they could get it out within 24 hours. It took them 12 hours, and the images were excellent quality and SUPER affordable! I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
Cristina C.
I'm most impressed with the mail scrubbing. We did not get any return mail from about 1,300 post cards!
Sandra R. New Castle DE
The ladies were so professional and friendly that everything felt like so awesome to work with them and I loved the quick respond on everything So profesional
Emmanuel C.
Amanda has helped me with my daughter’s wedding printing as well as invitations for two MAOCC galas. . She has always been professional and offers creative solutions. Highly recommend!
Jamie K.
Kelly was very patient with all the changes we made to make the calendar great. thank you so much
Helen Chesapeake City MD
Staff communicated very well and gave a good advise, a proof was shown and the sign was made in just two days. Great Job!
Jolly S.
I've been working with Alpha Graphics staff for 29 years. For my needs I have no desire to seek another print service.
Mark G. Chadds Ford PA
My business cards were done EXACTLY to my liking! I love them and get compliments all the time. Communication was easy, friendly and timely.
Jennifer E. Glen Mills PA
Your team is truly awesome to work with! From rack cards to our cooler wrap, you have gone above and beyond for us and we appreciate it. We look forward to our continued business relationship with you.
Holly S. Wilmington DE
The staff is always so friendly and accommodating. Orders are turned around in a very timely manner.
Marianne K. Chadds Ford, PA
Awesome customer service, high quality printing, fair prices.
Jeannie S.
We are very satisfied with our order and the level of service provided. Everyone was very helpful and knowledgeable. The quality of work was great!
Niesha P.
The business card orders we have ordered were of really good quality and impeccable turnaround time.
Mike E. Wilmington, DE
Working with Alphagraphics takes the worry out of organising printing material for our courses especially as I'm out of the country. I have confidence that they will deliver what I've ordered on time and in good quality.
Paula D. Newark DE
Everyone at Alpha was great! They were very patient, courteous and helpful. We will definitely use them again!!
Mike B.
Lindsey handled my project at Alpha Graphics in Wilmington, Delaware. She understood the specifications and provided a quote in a very efficient manor. Print production from start to finish was handled well with appropriate and timely communication. The final product was produced on time and to my expectations.
Louise S. Kennett Square, PA
My first time--I took over printing responsibility from another teacher. . .Alphagraphics was wonderful! Amanda was terrific!
Lloyd W. Bear DE
Service and quality of product exceeded expectations; staff was knowledgeable regarding the print/pub business; Pre and post product the staff was informative, educational, persuasive and confident. The final product was affordable and high quality.
Everett S.
The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. They go above and beyond when placing an order. I love the delivery option. Atul and Mike are wonderful to work with.
Sherry S. Wilmington DE
Seamless. I am happy with every aspect of the process. Thank you so much.
Jeanne H. West Grove PA
The team at Alphagraphics is very helpful!
Maria S.
I have used your services in the past and can only say on each occasion I was very satisfied with the professionalism and courtesy extend by your staff.
Saundra K.
The staff at Alphagraphics are awesome! They respond to questions and requests immediately, are knowledgeable about every aspect of the business and have helped me numerous times. Thank you!
Paula Port Deposit MD
Megan was amazing to work with and so helpful. Loved working with her. Every promised deadline was met.
Nancy W.
So professional, great follow-up, really fine printing.
Meghan H.
Very flexible with opening early when we need to pick up our order. Always pleasant and easy to deal withT They treat every job with enthusiasm, care, professionalism
Marianne K. Chadds Ford, PA
Rapid response time. Knows what we need and aware of our deadlines. Extremely accurate and if any slight changes needed, very quick to turn them around. Friendly customer service always.
Jennifer O. Wilmington DE
Everyone that I encountered was friendly and patient. The turn around time was excellent. The prices are great.
Norma L.
I have used Alpha Graphics the last 6 years to Publish our Eastern Airlines Reunion Booklet and each time the booklet was great. We receive many compliments on the quality of the booklet. Lindsy was very helpful and as usual made the transaction an easy task. We appreciate that your price was very comparable to our previous years. Thank you.
Lou T.
Always the best in competence, professionalism and client service
Dr R. Wilmington, DE
Amanda and Megan are both responsive, friendly, and just all around WONDERFUL. Best customer service I've had from a printer yet!
Jeannie S.
Alphagraphics is always on point with their products. The staff is amazing! Also their turn around time is awesome. I've never had an issue what so ever from this company.
Paula L. Wilmington, DE
Great service, final product was exactly as expected.
Brian A. Wilmington, DE
We are very pleased with your services and the professional service Megan provides us. She is always right on top of things and very prompt with her response.
Jessica N. Wilmington, DE
The team was very responsive and helpful. Very friendly and easy to work with.
Katie F.
My experience with AlphaGraphics has been extremely satisfying. SUE and the other folk at the Newark facility are tremendous folk, easy to communicate with and most knowledgeable, and helpful in meeting my needs.
Fay W. N/A
Great service from start to finish!
Nicole Wilmington, DE
Very easy to work with. Very responsive and accurate.
Melanie H. Boothwyn PA
Lindsey was great to work with. She understood our goals and timing and made it happen!
Kerry W. Wilmington, DE
Sue Adams is the BEST. Very responsive and nice to work with.
Terri H. Edgewood MD
Lindsey and the crew always come through for me with a quality job, regardless of how tight the deadline. I simply cannot ask for more than that!
Tracey F. Wilmington DE
Very professional and punctual with the work ethic and response to inquiries.
Tawana P.
My project was a bit unusual. Every person I worked with at every level of the process gave me great feedback and worked with me to get the results I needed. The jobs were done promptly, with a great attitude and a willingness to please.
Paula Port Deposit MD
It was as if you guys took the idea from my head and made it look exactly like I imagined it. But even better!
Stephen M.
business cards were spot on for color and on good quality card stock. Helpful staff. Salesman came to our office and you offer delivery which makes ordering print materials easy. Thanks!
Andrea H. New Castle DE
Atul and Megan (and the rest of the alpha graphics staff) were wonderful to work with, making every effort to get our order in our hands by our deadline (which was the NEXT day. They realized the importance of getting the details just right. We look forward to working with them in the future!
Cara D. Philadelphia, PA
The print engineer took my simple design to a new level which enhanced the end product significantly.
Mark T.
This is the third time I have used Alphagraphics and I have never been disappointed. Megan was my designer for a custom piece. She was phenomenal. She had great ideas, communicated promptly and gave me several choices on the design. She listened to my overall vision and delivered exactly what I wanted. I have nothing but praise for her and your company. The price was reasonable, actually I expected to pay much more. Hands down I will recommend you to everyone I know. Thank you for a job well done.
Kim S.
Very quick turn around time and friendly staff makes AlphaGraphics my go-to printer!
Andrew C. Claymont DE
I have enjoyed working with all the staff at AlphaGraphics while we are in the process of rebranding. It was a big task and your employees didn't just sell us a product or service, they truly partnered with us to achieve the best results. We will definitely do business again. So easy to work with!
Carol C. New Castle DE
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.