Frequently Asked Questions
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What does 10% Over/Under mean?
Why did I get 10% More/Less than the Quantity that I ordered?
During the manufacturing process some labels may become damaged – This is referred to as “spoilage” and is standard in the printing industry. We print extra labels to accommodate for spoilage so we can reach the quantity requested by the customer. This is one example of how you can get an overage or underage.
We want to keep our customer label costs down and we want our customers to get what they pay for. For example, if a customer orders 500 labels and our label production actually produces 510 labels, do you think most customers would rather we recycle the “extra” 10 labels as spoilage and build the cost into the price of the order? Probably not, thus this is why we have the 10% rule. Simple!
A printing company who doesn’t offer 10% more or less of your order is just building that extra cost into your order, and you are paying a higher amount regardless if you get extra labels or not.
We do accept orders from customers who tell us “Absolutely No Overs” – When this request is made the customer must be accepting of a potential under-run of up to 10%, which is still within industry standards. The billing will be adjusted to accommodate the less amount of labels.
What is the difference between Digital Printing and Flexographic Printing?
Digital Printing uses 4-Color-Process of CMYK in which the ink flows directly from the ink print-heads onto the material. This method of printing is best for smaller quantities, complicated graphics, and items that may change often.
If a color match is required we do recommend getting Digital Press Print – Ask your Customer Service Rep. for Press Print costs if this applies to your situation.
Flexographic Printing is best for high-quantity orders with few colors. We create a plate for each color that will be used, which is where “plate charges” come in. The plate picks up the ink and stamps the design onto the material. Each color is mixed using the Pantone Matching System (PMS) and the PMS number will need to be specified when placing your order. Please refer to the Pantone Solid-Coated Color Book for a list of available PMS colors.
What are Tooling Charges?
When quoting your order, we will provide you with the closest size die-cut available for the shape and size of your label. However, sometimes a special shape is required. When this is the case we must have them custom-made, which results in a one-time charge to the customer.
