Frequently Asked Questions
Creating Designs, Placing Orders, Product Details, expresscopy.com
If you have got questions about how expresscopy.com works, need more details
about our products and services, or are troubleshooting a problem with your
designs or orders, chances are we have got the answer here in our archive of common
questions.
General Questions
Products
Bindery Services for Flyers/Brochures
Postcard Addressing & Mailing Services
Creating a Document for Print
Ordering
Do I have to pay a fee or sign a contract to use expresscopy.com?
There are no membership fees or contractual obligations to place an order.
How do I place an order with expresscopy.com?
All orders are placed through this website. We do not accept telephone orders.
- Choose to either use one of our customizable online designs, or upload your own design.
- Read our design specifications.
- Choose additional services such as Addressing & Mailing, or bindery.
- Schedule your order for a later date or place into production right away
Designing postcards is new for me. Can someone walk me through it?
Yes. We offer free, one-on-one phone sessions with our Customer Support experts to help you create your design, select your mailing list, and make sure your order gets submitted without a hitch.
Click here to pick a time that fits your schedule.
What are your refund policy and terms and conditions?
Click here to view complete
Terms & Conditions.
Do you have examples of your printed products?
Yes, please
click here to order an information packet with examples to be mailed to you. You can also request an information packet while creating your account.
What types of products do you offer?
Postcards, Flyers/Brochures, and Business Cards. For more information regarding expresscopy.com products and services, please
click here.
Will you print something that is not on your product list?
Yes, we will. We can print designs that fit on one of our standard page sizes (letter 8.5" x 11", legal 8.5" x 14" and tabloid 11" x 17"). Please contact our
Customer Support Team for requirements.
How much do your products cost?
Pricing is based on quantity, additional services and our required minimums. Please visit our
Products & Services pages for easy-to-use price quote calculators, or consult our master
Price Guide.
What types of paper stock do you offer and which paper stock should I order?
Stock Description:
Premium Bond Paper
This is a 28# white uncoated laser sheet. It is very bright and smooth, excellent for flyers and brochures.
Cover Stock
This is a 90# white uncoated cover sheet, excellent for heavier flyers, regular sized postcards and covers.
Laminated Cover Stock
This is a 90# cover stock with the addition of a glossy lamination added to both sides. It is great for business cards, covers and postcards. With a highly durable plastic coating it provides optimal protection from USPS processing but is non-recyclable. Please note: label stock may not adhere to the lamination if ordering postcards to address and mail yourself. Also, orders run on this stock will require one extra day of production. This laminated stock cannot be perforated or folded. It also cannot be run through a desktop printer.
UV Coated Cover Stock
This is our standard 90# cover stock with the addition of a glossy UV coating added to both sides (we cannot apply coating to one side only). Excellent for regular and jumbo size postcards. Please note: UV coated stock is only available on postcard orders printed and mailed by expresscopy.com. It is not available on print-only orders. Also, orders run on this stock will require one extra day of production. Provides minimal protection against postal processing wear. Fully Recyclable. Cannot be scored or folded.
Heavy Cover Stock
Our sturdiest stock, this is a smooth, white uncoated 10pt heavy cover stock, excellent for business cards and postcards. This stock cannot be scored or folded.
Recommended stock by product:
Postcards:
Regular Size (4.25 x 5.6") - Cover Stock, Laminated Cover Stock, UV Coated Cover Stock, or Heavy Cover Stock
Jumbo Size (5.5 x 8.5") - Laminated Cover Stock, UV Coated Cover Stock, or Heavy Cover Stock
Panoramic Size (5.75 x 11.25") - Laminated Cover Stock
Giant Size (8.5 x 11) - Laminated Cover Stock or Heavy Cover Stock
Flyers/Brochures:
Premium Bond Paper, Cover Stock, Laminated Cover Stock, or Heavy Cover Stock.
Business cards:
Laminated Cover Stock or Heavy Cover Stock.
What types of Bindery Services do you offer?
Scoring/Perforating, Glue Dot/Tab Sealing, and Folding.
What are the prices for Bindery Services?
Scoring/Perforating
1 score - $30 set up fee + $.75 per 100 sheets
2 scores - $35 set up fee + $.75 per 100 sheets
Glue Dot/Tab Sealing
1 tab - $15 set up fee + $2.00 per 100 pieces
2 dots/tabs - $30 set up fee + $3.50 per 100 pieces
Folding
Half - $15 set up fee + $.75 per 100 sheets
Thirds - $20 set up fee + $.75 per 100 sheets
What is Scoring/Perforating?
Scoring creates a crease in the paper to provide a better fold on heavier stocks. Perforation creates a serrated line at which a portion of the paper can be easily torn off.
What is Glue Dot/Tab Sealing?
Glue Dot sealing places two dots of glue inside your folded flyers/brochures which keeps them closed during mailing. Tab sealing places a circular sticker on your folded flyers/brochures which keeps them closed during mailing. The type of sealing you receive will vary from Glue Dot to Tab Sealing depending on what product and stock you are ordering.
What types of paper stock can be Folded?
Premium Bond and Cover Stocks can be folded. If you are having cover stock folded, you must also order Scoring. Folding services are not available for Laminated, UV Coated, or Heavy Cover Stocks.
What is the difference between Print + Address and Print + Address + Mail?
Print + Address service will print addresses from your address list directly onto the postcard and then we will send you all the postcards via UPS Overnight™ shipping. It is then your responsibility to affix postage and mail them. This option does not include the postage for each postcard.
Print + Address + Mail will print addresses from your list onto each postcard and then we send them via US Postal Service directly to your address list (United States addresses only). This option down include the postage for each postcard.
Both services are available for postcards only.
What is the turnaround time for Print + Address + Mail orders?
Orders placed before noon Pacific Time will be processed and delivered to the Post Office the next business day. For First-Class™ mailing, the US Postal Service quotes 3-5 business days for delivery; for Standard (bulk) mail, they quote 2-3 weeks for delivery.
Turnaround times are an estimation of processing time required to fulfill your order and are not guaranteed.
What is the difference between First-Class™ mailing and Standard (Bulk) mailing?
First Class mailing typically takes 3-5 business days to arrive from the time it is received by the Post Office, depending on your proximity to Portland, Oregon. All time sensitive material should be sent via First-Class™ mailing.
Standard (bulk) mailing service is available for Jumbo, Panoramic and Giant cards only. A minimum order quantity of 100 is required for Jumbo postcards and 200 for Panoramic and Giant. It may take up to 2-3 weeks for delivery and is not recommended for time sensitive material. Standard Mail does not provide return service.
Which file types do you accept for address lists?
We accept the following file types: Tab Delimited Text (.txt), Comma Delimited (.csv), Microsoft Excel (.xls), Standard Database (.sdf), Database (.dbf), and ACT!
Click here to read more about address file specifications.
Do you accept address files in a label format?
No, we do not. Addresses must be listed in a spreadsheet/database format.
Click here to read more about Address File Specifications.
Where are Print + Address + Mail orders actually mailed from?
Portland, Oregon.
Why does my postcard need to be Laminated or UV coated for Print + Address + Mail service?
The Lamination or UV coating is required to ensure the quality of your postcards while traveling through the mail. Lamination is our most durable coating, but is not recyclable. UV coating is recyclable, but may be susceptible to marks from postal equipment. Both Lamination and UV coating are free when you order Print + Address + Mail service.
When ordering Print + Address + Mail service, how can I have some extra postcards sent to myself?
There are two ways to do this:
- Add your name and address to your address list as many times as you like. Our certification process automatically deletes duplicates, so you must write a note in your order stating that the duplicate addresses in your file are intentional. Each of these cards will have the duplicate address on them.
- Add another item to your order for Print-Only postcards or Print + Address postcards (with the postcards coming directly to you). Note: Since this item is a separate shipment, this item must meet the $45 minimum. If you do not want your cards to have addresses on them, please choose Print-Only.
For print-only orders, can I address my postcards or flyers using my desktop printer?
We do not recommend running any of our printed products through any heat-producing printer (this includes laser printers) or other equipment, as it may damage both the printed product and your printer.
I am creating a design using my own software. What are your print file specifications?
Our design specifications vary depending on which product you are ordering. Click the link below to view design specifications by product:
Postcards
Regular 4.25" x 5.6" / Jumbo 5.5" x 8.5" / Panoramic 5.75" x 11.25" / Giant 8.5" x 11"
Flyers & Brochures
Letter 8.5" x 11" / Legal 8.5" x 14" / Tabloid 11" x 17"
Business Cards
Standard Business Card 2" x 3.5"
Please also review our
Preparing Your Files for other important guidelines.
Can I see what my design will look like printed?
Yes, you can order a shipped proof to be sent to you via overnight UPS or you may order a black and white proof to be sent to you via fax. Proofs are $10.00. Your order will not be printed until you approve the proof. Proofs will not be laminated or UV coated.
What file types does expresscopy.com accept for printing?
Expresscopy.com converts all print files to a PDF (Portable Document Format) for printing. When you upload your print file to your order or your file manager, it will be automatically converted to a PDF. Our automatic PDF converter accepts most
file types. If your design program is not on the list of acceptable types, contact customer support for help.
What does the term "bleed" mean?
The term "bleed" is used in the printing industry to describe a design where a background color or image extends to the very edge and no white border is desired. Please consult our
Preparing Your Files page for specific print dimensions.
Is there a minimum order required?
Your order minimum is $45. You may combine items in one order to reach the $45 minimum, but you cannot group originals to get a higher quantity unit price. View our master
Pricing Guide for a breakdown of all prices and minimums.
When will my order ship?
The following table details expresscopy.com's fast turnaround times:
| Product/Service |
If received
before:* |
Will ship by: |
| Postcards |
| If delivered to the Post Office by us: |
12:00 Noon
Pacific Time |
Next Business Day |
| If shipped back to you: |
6:00pm
Pacific Time |
Next Business Day |
| Flyers, Brochures, Newsletters |
| Premium Bond paper stock: |
12:00 Noon
Pacific Time |
Same Business Day |
Cover or
Heavy Cover paper stock: |
6:00pm
Pacific Time |
Next Business Day |
| Business Cards |
6:00pm
Pacific Time |
Next Business Day |
*Turnaround times are based on a standard Monday - Friday operating schedule. All orders must be received on or before a business day for turnaround times to apply.
Special Exceptions:
- Any type of bindery (scoring, perforation, tab sealing or folding) will require one additional business day.
- On non-mailing orders, lamination will require one additional business day.
- Large orders of 1,000 or more pieces may require one additional business day.
- Shipped or faxed proofs will also require at least one additional business day.
- Any problems with your order may delay turnaround times.
How will I receive my order?
We use UPS Overnight™ for all orders shipped directly to you (note: not available to ship to PO Boxes). We use USPS First-Class™ or Standard (bulk) mail for all Print + Address + Mail orders, depending on which service you choose.
How much does shipping cost?
Expresscopy.com will pay the shipping cost anywhere in the contiguous US. For shipping to Alaska or Hawaii there is an additional charge of $15 and may require additional shipping time. We do not currently ship orders internationally.
UPS delivers Monday-Friday. If your order is set to ship on Friday and you would like it to ship for Saturday delivery, you must
call customer support and a $15 delivery charge will apply. Note: Saturday delivery is not available in all areas.
