| Elevate Printing is here to help simplify digital printing of all kinds. Please see the below FAQs for commonly asked questions about our processes, materials, and other company policies. If you don't see your question, please Contact Us. |  | |||
What is your Copyright Policy?
Elevate Printing, LLC, cannot reproduce any material that is copyrighted without the copyright holder's consent. This applies to any copyrighted material, regardless of whether or not it displays the copyright symbol. Elevate Printing, LLC, reserves the right to verify any and all copyright information in addition to rejecting any order, proof or sample in which it believes to be in violation of any copyright, statutory or federal statue.
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Order FAQ
How do I upload an image? How do I get you my image?
After you place an order in our store, information on uploading your image to our FTP server will be emailed to you immediately with your order confirmation.
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How long does it take to complete my order?
98% of all orders ship out within 48 business hours. We ship via UPS or use a courier service.
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I need my order immediately. Can you rush orders?
We have the ability to print 24 / 7 to meet your needs. We can turn around jobs in as little as two hours and deliver to your location any day of the year. To discuss your options, please email us at
and leave us a message at 888.993.5382.
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Company FAQ
What is the best way to contact Elevate Printing or get a hold of individual there?
Email is by far the faster and preferred method of contacting us because both of us have a record and history of the conversation. We also have our Toll Free number available if you would like to call during business hours. Also feel free to email us your name and phone number or call us at 888-99-ELEVATE. We give our clients their point person's direct email, phone and cell phone numbers . Once you have an existing relationship with us we can be easily reached virtually anytime, day or night, to aid in creating the personal relationships Elevate Printing values.
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Can you help out a starving artist?
YES. Elevate Printing was founded with the intention of helping to bring art back to a more affordable realm for all individuals, regardless of the purpose of your creation. We are more than willing to work with artists on tight budgets to produce work needed for exhibits, galleries, or art shows. (Contact) us for help.
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Do you have references?
Elevate Printing has an extensive list of clients, both past and present, and would be more than happy to give you references. If you are interested, please contact us directly and we'll give you references relevant to the nature of your business.
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Can you donate your products or services?
Yes, definitely. How much we can donate depends on the scope of your organization and its needs. We currently donate to a variety of nonprofit and other well intentioned organizations. Please (CONTACT) us to learn more.
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Products FAQ
What is Giclee? What is Giclee Printing?
Giclee printing is the technical term for fine art printing using archival, pigment inks. Its similar to lithograph prints, but with higher resolution, without the high quantity requirement, and it offers a higher quality and more diverse choices of media. Giclee printing is the term used to describe this process of creating or reproducing art.
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What does GSM, MIL, or OZ mean?
GSM = Grams per Square Meter, and is a measurement of density of a media.
MIL = abbreviation for Thou, or .001", and is a measure of media thickness.
OZ = Ounce per square yard, and is a measure of the density of the paper.
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Can you print on ______ ? Do you offer _____ printing ?
We have the capacity to handle many different types of printing, above and beyond what is listed on our website. If we can't do it, chances are we know someone who can do it and do it at the best price. Call or
us and we'd be glad to help.
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What is Hahnemuhle?
Hahnemuhle (Hahnemühle) is a high end brand of fine art material. Since "1584, Hahnemühle is the oldest German paper mill still producing papers for traditional and digital art."
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Banners
What is a Vinyl Banner?
A vinyl banner is an affordable solution for indoor and outdoor signage. By combining unbeatable quality and low costs, vinyl banners are one of the most common forms of printed advertising or promotion. They are durable, scratch resistant, water resistant, and last for years.
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How long do vinyl banners last?
Vinyl banners can last over a decade without noticable fading when used indoors or under occational outdoor use. Our banners last at least two years outdoors exposed to all the elements, all the time. Our solvent printing method offers some of the best UV light, sunlight, wind, rain, and weatherproofing for printed images today. Elevate Printing's vinyl banners are also highly scratch and scuff resistant, making them perfect for high traffic areas, trade shows, or anywhere else were banners come into contact with other objects.
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What are the advantages of Solvent Inks?
Solvent inks are a must have for outdoor signage, outdoor banners, and anything that needs to be extremely durable. The solvent inks actually burn into the material to create a output that is scratch resistant, water resistant, and does not require lamination or coating.
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Why should I grommet my banner?
Grommets should be used to allow the banners to be hung with string or ties.
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Why don't you sew the perimeter of the banners?
Banners used to be sewn mainly to reinforce the edges against ripping. Our reinforced material is designed to resist ripping. If you would like it reinforced, we do offer a commercial adhesive to reinforce the edges.
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What are "Pole Pockets"?
Pole Pockets are when the top and bottom of banners are folded over and sewn to allow poles to be placed inside the top and bottom sections of the banner. This is commonly seen on the sides of streetlights, for example.
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Photos & Posters
What is the difference between a Poster vs. a Photo?
The main difference is the material they are printed on. Photos are printed on thick, durable media like any regular photograph from a film developer. Enlarged photos are printed on big rolls of the identical material. Our posters are printed at very high photographic resolutions, they are just printed on a thin poster material. Typically photos well have better color and overall appearance than posters due to the thicker material being able to absorb more ink. But the reason enlarged photos more expensive than posters of the same height and width is due to the additional cost of the thicker photo paper. For any image that is going to be matted and framed, we highly recommend using photo material. Dorm rooms can safely order posters and not worry about being disappointed in the quality or price.
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Can I make a poster from a picture taken with my digital camera?
Yes! We have state of the art systems to enlarge digital camera images using the latest mathmatical algorithims. We reccommend at least 1 Megapixel camera for the best results. A picture taken with a 4 Megapixel will have no noticable quality loss when enlarged to standard poster size (24" x 36").
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How can I enlarge a photo or picture I have?
The easiest way is to send us a digital file of the picture and we will enlarge it using the latest software available. Simply pick the size you want the final product to be in our (STORE), and after you order we will email you the information to send us the file. If you need the photo scanned, contact us for more information and prices.
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I have a physical photograph. What if my picture is not on my computer or digital?
The faster way to get prints made is to already have a high resolution, digital version of your image available to upload to us. If you have a scanner, scan your image at the highest resolution your scanner will let you. If you don't have a scanner or would like us to scan your picture, please (CONTACT US) to discuss you options.
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How can I choose the right thickness for my print?
10 mil is the standard thickness of photographs. 12 mil is recommended for competition prints, or prints that will be handled often before mounting or framing. 8 mil is for proofs and is not typically suitable for final output.
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How can I chose the correct finish (Matte, Luster, or Gloss) for my print?
The main choices for photographic print are matte, luster/satin, or gloss.
--Matte finish or surface is not reflective or shiny. Fine art papers are matte finishes.
--Gloss finish is shiny and reflective and has a smooth surface. Most photographic prints are glossy.
--Luster or Satin finish is reflective and shiny with a textured surface. It is not as shiny or reflective as a gloss finish. Most professional photographs, such as wedding photos and professional portrait photos, are on luster paper.
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Fine Art
What is Fine Art?
Fine Art is different for every person. Traditionally Fine Art is defined as a visual art created for aesthetic purposes. We consider fine art anything to be displayed as such, and treat all our prints accordingly.
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What are the advantages of Pigment Inks?
Pigment inks have replaced dye inks in archival printing. Pigment inks last decades longer than dye based inks.
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What resolution do I need?
For canvas and fine art printing, at least 150 DPI is recommended and 300 DPI and over is preferred. DPI Explanation HERE and Calculation HERE.
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What finish of canvas should I use?
Canvas is usually either a matte or glossy finish. Matte canvas is the most popular choice, it is great for most applications. Most glossy canvas is created by printing on a matte canvas and then coating it with some type of glossy protectant, and this is the route we recommend. True gloss finish canvas is also an option, when used it resembles traditional oil paintings with an almost "wet" appearance. We highly recommend that any printed canvas be coated on both sides with a protectant or properly framed to avoid moisture wicking into or being absorbed the cotton (not to mention other air contaminants).
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Mosaics
Can you make custom sized mosaics or use different tile sizes?
Yes, we do our best to accommodate any type of mosaic you might need, from a letter size mosaic to a custom wall size project. Please (CONTACT) us for more info (Email) (Phone).
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Will I have enough pictures for a mosaic?
It depends. Each different mosaic product lists how many images are recommended to be used for each individual product and preference you choose. Mosaics can be made from as little as 50 pictures. The size, shape, and color in the pictures also determine how many pictures you need to have.
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Color & Color Management
Will the final print look like the image does on my screen?
We can send you "Soft Proofs" of how the image is going to look when it is produced by our printers upon request. How close it matches when displayed on your screen depends on a few key factors.
1) Your monitor. Older monitors and screens and laptops tend to not display color accurately. LCD's can do a good job if they are properly set. The best monitors for viewing color dependent files are CRT monitors (the big "Box" monitors).
2) Your screen settings. You need a hardware device, called a colorimeter or spectrophotometer, to make sure your monitor is displaying colors correctly. Gretagmacbeth, X-rite, and Colorvision make such devices, often called "spiders". These devices read what colors and how much light your monitor is producing and adjusts them accordingly. Purchase these from stores such as www.itsupplies.com or www.colorhq.com if you are serious about your colors being perfect.
Also keep in mind that printed material reflects light, while screens emit light. This accounts for slight variations and is simply unavoidable. This is why "hard proofs" must be made.
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What is color management?
Color management is the process of maintaining color accuracy and consistency for a given workflow. A sample of a workflow would be: a picture taken by a digital camera, downloaded to a computer, edited with Photoshop, sent to our FTP, and then printed by one of our printers. Proper color management assures that the image we print resembles the original picture as close as possible. To achieve proper color management, don't convert your images to RGB if your camera shoots them in sRGB, or vice versa. If you don't know what your camera's settings are, or what RGB or sRGB is, they are usually embedded inside your images and we will take care of the rest for you. Correct color management means quantitatively measuring your devices to detect any changes in environment or mechanical change. We create custom ICC profiles to make sure we get the best and most accurate results out of our printers and scanners. If you have any questions on color or our methods, please feel free to ask us.
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What is ICC or an ICC Profile?
ICC is an acronym for the International Color Consortium in the printing and art world. The ICC sets the standards for color management systems, devices, and profiles. An ICC profile is a collection of measurements of how much color, or how wide of a color gamut, a device can capture or produce, and other such data. An ICC profile is used to properly match and convert colors of an image between different devices, such as a digital camera and a printer. More information is available at http://www.color.org/.
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What is a Soft Proof?
A soft proof is a picture file that has been adjusted to simulate how a certain image will look when it is printed on a specific printer using a specific paper. This is accomplished by mathematically adjusting the color values of an image to match how certain ink and paper can reproduce them. A soft proof is an electronic file that you view using your computer.
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What is a Hard Proof?
A hard proof is a printed image used to demonstrate how a specific image will look when it is printed in its final form. A hard proof is a physical representation of what you can expect to see when your printing job is output. A hard proof is a printed piece of paper (or other media), usually on the same paper that your final output will be on.
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Services FAQ
Do you offer consulting services?
Yes. We can provide your company with a range of consulting services in the fine art or commercial printing industry. We have a diverse range of experiences and connections in addition to fresh ideas to help your company prosper. We have experience in sitations from printer installation and training to color management and workflow optimization. Contact us for more information and references.
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What are the consulting rates?
Elevate Printing will gladly offer a free consultation to determine if we will be able to meet your needs. After our discussion, you will receive a custom proposal. On site consulting rates start at just $60 per hour. Phone support and research hours are billed starting at just $30. Rates vary depending on the nature and length of the job.
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What is Giclee Certification?
Giclee Certification is the process of registering and verifying editions of giclee prints. The process is best streamlined with the printing process, where immediately after each individual print is complete a commercial, security grade hologram with a unique number is affixed to the back. This unique number corresponds to a complementary hologram embedded in the certificate of authenticity, which also contains information about the artist, the edition, and the year created. This unique number is also registered in an online database of art, further protecting against fraud. It is traditional to still have the artist sign the piece as the final approval of perfection and authenticity. Elevate Printing serves as the Print Bureau and provides additional information such as media type and ink set used.
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What is a Certificate of Authenticity?
A certificate of Authenticity for giclee prints is a document embedded with a hologram that contains a unique identifying number. This is the number that is registered in an art database to help insure the piece is authentic and which particular number a print is in an edition. The holograms contain numerous security features, including a ultraviolet signature and rainbow-pressure watermarks. They are manufactured by Hahnemuhle.
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Where are the Certificates of Authenticity registered?
Elevate Printing uses Hahnemuhle's certificates of authenticity as well as their online art registry. Hahnemuhle has been serving artists needs for over 400 years, giving their company the authority and experience to maintain the art database. The website is http://www.myartregistry.com. This online database can be used to track sales as well as to keep current contact information for the artist.
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