FAQs

Online Printing System is a prepress process that bridges the gap between online digital content and commercial print production. The process allows a print house, a client or a graphic designer to create, edit, and approve computer-based online templates during the prepress phase. This process increasingly calls for a Portable Document Format (PDF) workflow environment with output provided by digital printing.

This solution will make your company run more efficiently and profitably by streamlining your business processes, maximizing your resources and eliminating redundant operations.

Ordering from Futura Color, Inc. is easy!
1. First, make sure you are logged into your account!
2. Find the product you want to order. A full listing can be seen on the left-hand side of the screen.
3. Select your product options (size, paper, color, quantity, etc) and finishing options (coating, bindery, covers, etc). You can also add any additional instructions or get a shipping estimate on the same page.
4. Upload your print-ready file(s). Make sure they are in the acceptable formats (.pdf, .tif, .eps).
5. Click “Add To Cart".
6. When you are done shopping, click “Shopping Cart" on the top right of your screen. Select your shipping method and make any changes you need to make, then click “Proceed to Checkout".
7. Apply any promo codes you may have and add any comments or other info as needed.
8. Click “Pay With Card". You will then be redirected to PayPal. Log into your PayPal account or fill in your billing and credit card information. YOU DO NOT NEED A PAYPAL ACCOUNT TO CHECK OUT.
9. Submit your order.

Click Request a Quote from Menu and fill in the form on the page, then submit it. We will get back to you within 1 to 2 business days.

Changes can be made to your order so long as its status is not in the print phase. To make a change request for your order email us at orders@futuracolor.com or call (858) 486-1105 during business hours Monday thru Friday, 9am to 5pm. Please do not resubmit your order to us online as this may result in duplicate charges and orders. Changes may include: design change and swap of print files, removal or addition of print options, changing colors, et cetera. Should the changes incur additional charges we will issue you an invoice for the remaining amount which must be paid before proceeding further. Delayed payment of this invoice may result in delayed turnaround time. Changes that reduce the amount of your order will be refunded to you at the sole discretion of Futura Color, Inc.

In the event that you are unable to give us your artwork for your order after checkout go to the following address: https://spaces.hightail.com/uplink/FuturaColor In the subject line please put in the invoice number associated with your order. We will not accept artwork without an invoice number unless it is associated with a custom print quote, in which case it must be associated with an estimate number.

Turnaround is the estimated production time for a print product to be printed during business hours starting after the approval of your proof (if applicable). The times vary from product to product. Faster turnaround times are available for some products for an additional fee, typically a percentage of the overall cost. Turnaround does not include shipping time or print options such as drilling and bindery; these and other options may delay your turnaround.

An order may be canceled so long as no work has been done for that order. Work can include, but is not limited to: proofing, the order being sent to production, file repair, printing, packaging, and shipment. The full amount of your order will be refunded. To file a cancellation request e-mailed us at orders@futuracolor.com or call (858) 486-1105.

At any point and time, Futura Color, Inc. has the ability to cancel or terminate your order without your consent. A notification will be sent explaining the reason for terminating the order. You may or may not get a refund depending on the status of your order. In some cases this occurs when poor quality, low resolution, and/or improperly sized artwork is below Futura Color, Inc.'s standards and goes against its quality control initiative. Orders may also be terminated if they contain offensive, indecent, and/or improper material. We do not print any “adult" collateral. Any material which in our opinion may be illegal will not be printed. For all orders the customer assumes the full legal liability for the content being printed.

Tracking Information will be emailed to you as your order has been shipped. If you are unable to track online you can email us at orders@futuracolor.com.

Our site currently supports many popular print products and we do our best to introduce more products as our customer request them. If you don't see what you are looking for, that does not mean we cannot do it. Please feel free to fill out our request an quote form or contact us regarding your project. We would love the oppurtunity to help!

The type of paper used for difference purposes is expressed in weight. In the countries following the European system, it is grammes per square metre (gsm or g/m² or simply g) and in the US system it is Pound (lb).

Writing or Text Stock

The paper used for writing/printing (letterheads and such stationery) is generally between 60 to 120 gsm (20 to 70 lb) and is called writing or text stock.

Book Stock

Generally used for flyers, brochures and inserts because they are relative light weight, but are less see thru (opaque) as bond, writing, text and offset stocks.

Cover Stock

Anything heavier than the above listed stocks are considered cover or card stock, i.e. the paper used for business cards, postcards, greeting cards, etc.

Coated papers are available in two finishes – glossy (shiny and smooth) and matte (flat and lusterless). Coated glossy papers reflect the light evenly so they are suitable for almost all types of printing jobs. Glossy papers have a good ink holdout, which is important for creating sharp, bright images.

We use an accurately mapped color pallet, US Web Coated (SWOP) v2 using the CMYK color pallette (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) to ensure proper 4-color printing. This setting is found in your Adobe graphics programs and is usually the default setting.

We prefer artwork created in vector programs like Illustrator or InDesign because they are scalable and not resolution based. If you must use a raster program, like Photoshop, please submit files at no less than 300 dpi (dots per inch) at 100% of the originaliy intended file size. This includes links placed in Illustrator or InDesign. Keep in mind that enlarging your original artwork reduces it's resolution.

We use 4 main types of printing processes (offset, digital, wide format and screen). All which provide the highest quality of print material and lowest price based on the type of product and/or quantity chosen when ordering.

No, the price list indicates the basic prices of products against the speculative quantities. The prices are calculated with regard to the most basic paper/card types, sizes and single side printing. As you know, the final printing cost depends on many parameters: paper/card weights or thickness (GSM/Pt), glossy or matte finish, how many colors, square or rounded corners, single or double side printing, quantity, destination shipping charges and the mode of transport etc.... Please use the indicative prices for calculating the basic cost. Once you place the order using the above parameters, our Price Calculator (including Estimated Shipping Cost) will quickly provide you the final, exact cost excluding tax.