General FAQ

Power Graphics Digital Imaging commonly asked questions regarding ordering, company policies, and file/design questions.

This page contains answers to general frequently asked questions. There are product specific FAQ on most of the pages throughout this site, but these are the most common general questions we are asked. As always, if you have a question and don't see the answer here, you can use the Live Support chat link, visit the Contact Us page to send an e-mail or call us for assistance.


Is there a minimum order?

No, because our printing process is digital you can order any quantity from 1 on up. There is a $25 minimum order amount, and if your order subtotal is less than $25, the difference will be added to your order. There are also discounts for larger orders, so the price per print decreases with larger sizes and quantities. 


Why is my price per square foot different than what's shown?

The square foot price shown for each printing material is a starting price and is based on a single print of a typical size for that material. Smaller sizes or odd shapes that waste more material will cause the price per square foot to increase, and larger sizes and quantities will cause the price per square foot to decrease. 


Do you offer quantity discounts?

Yes, quantity discounts are available on most products and will be shown in the shopping cart. Quantity discounts on printing are based on the overall square footage you are ordering of a particular material. A single large print can have a lower price per square foot than a larger quantity of small prints, since the discount is based on the total amount of square footage being printed. The price per print will update on the product page to reflect the correct price based on the dimensions, quantity and options you have selected.

On display hardware, quantity prices are shown at the top of the product detail page for reference, and will also be applied when the item is added to your shopping cart.


What is the turnaround time?

For most print jobs, the normal production time is 4 business days, which is 2-3 days from the proof approval for most orders. Larger orders can take longer, and there are a few products we offer that have longer production times. Rush service is available for most products that reduces the production time to 2 days, and a 1 day rush is also available for many items. During the checkout process in the shipping method section, the estimated delivery date will be shown based on what you're ordering, as well as the shipping method and any rush services you have selected. There is also place to indicate if you have a specific due date, and we always recommend entering the date you need your order if you have any particular deadline. When you specify your due date, our system will figure out the least expensive combination of shipping and rush service options to get your order to you by your deadline and give you the option to accept those or specifiy different options. You will not be able to continue with options selected that will not meet your due date to prevent any errors from occurring that cause your job to be late. Even if you don't need a rush or faster shipping and the estimated delivery date is in plenty of time for your deadline, it's beneficial for us to know your due date in case anything goes wrong with your order that will cause a delay. Because the estimated delivery date shown is not a guarantee, if you have not specified a due date and a delay occurs, we won't know to contact you to make arrangements for different shipping methods, etc. 



Can I place my order via e-mail or over the phone?

We prefer that orders be placed on our website. We have spent a significant amount of time and money to create a system that is easy for the customer, increases our efficiency, speeds the order and printing process and eliminates data entry errors. This saves on our operating costs, which is part of the reason we are able to offer such excellent pricing. However, we do realize that sometimes it's not possible for customers to place an order online for various reasons. While many of our competitors will only accept online orders, we wanted to be more accommodating to our customers, so we do allow phone orders, but we charge a $10 service charge in those cases. Because we must devote extra time to taking the order, verifying the order, and entering the order into our system, the service charge helps to cover the extra costs associated with the process. Unfortunately, phone orders also are slower to process so there is typically a one day delay compared to online orders, so be sure to factor that into your planning in order to meet any deadline you may have. We have also found that errors are much more likely with phone orders, so to help prevent that, we require that confirmation be sent via e-mail for verification before the order will proceed, and that can cause further delays if we don't receive timely approval.

E-mail orders are treated like phone orders. They rarely contain all the information we need, including payment info that is not safe to send via e-mail, so the process for e-mail orders is the same as phone orders, and the same service charge applies.

We are more than happy to help walk anyone through the order process if they are having difficulty so that they can avoid the service charge and enjoy the benefits of having their order placed on the website, such as order and shipping confirmation, order tracking, order history, and the ability to reorder products.


Are there are any hidden fees or additional costs when I order?

We don't have any hidden costs such as RIP fees or set up charges. These are just hidden fees to increase the cost of your job in a way that makes printing prices look less expensive than they really are. As long as you provide print ready files, there are no additional charges related to printing your job. We do charge set up fees for fixing any problems with customer files, or if the files are not set up at the correct size and ready to print. In these cases we always contact the customer to see if they would like to fix the issues themselves, or provide a quote for what it would cost for us to fix the files so they are ready to print. Any other costs associated with your order would be selected as options so you always know what you are paying for and have the choice to avoid any options that would add to the cost of your order. 

There is a minimum order amount of $25 for printing orders, so if you have a small order that is under that amount, an additional charge will be added to bring the order subtotal to the $25 minimum. There is also a $10 service charge for phone orders. See the question above about phone orders for an explanation of that charge.


What kinds of files do you accept?

We can accept most graphics files and also native files from professional layout programs such as QuarkXpress and InDesign. For our complete file specifications, visit the File Specifications page.


What resolution does my file need to be?

This varies according to the type of print you are ordering, but we recommend 200-300 dpi at actual size for giclee prints, and 100-150 dpi at actual size for general large format prints. For our complete file specifications, visit the File Specifications page.


How big should the type be on my print so that it's readable from a distance?

We get asked this all the time, but the answer isn't easy because the legibility of the type depends on the viewing distance. There is an actual math formula to calculate the best size for type legibility from a particular distance, but it's rather technical, so we like to use the simpler method of making the cap height of the type 1/200 of the viewing distance. For example, if you want your type to be legible from 100 feet, you would want 6 inch tall letters. Also, sans serif type faces are more legible from a distance and in short blocks, while serif type faces are easier to read in longer passages of text. That's why road signs are almost always in a sans serif type face such as Helvetica, and books and magazines are almost always in a serif type face such as Times. 


If I know what I want, can you design my graphic for me?

Yes we can, even if you don't know what you want. But, since all our design time is charged by the hour, if you already know what you want your design to look like, it can save quite a bit of time, and therefore cost a lot less than if we have to come up with the concept and the design. So, if you know what information you want in your design, and have any logos or photos that you want to use, send them to us with your order, indicate you need design work when the option appears, and we will contact you to discuss it and give you a cost estimate. Once we create your design, we'll send you an electronic proof for approval prior to printing. 


How much do you charge for design?

We charge $75 per hour for design time, but the amount of time it will take, and therefore the cost, depends on several factors. As we explained in the previous question, if you already know what you want, and can send us any necessary logos, photos, etc., the design cost could be as little as $15-$20. If you have no idea and want us to come up with concepts and designs, it can cost hundreds of dollars. In our experience, most people have an idea of what they want, and if we provide alternatives, they will almost always come back to what they had in mind in the first place, so you should always tell us your ideas. It will save time and money, and that's always a good thing.


What is the color of the printing material, can I choose a different color of material?

All printing materials themselves are generally white, so any color other than white needs to be created as part of the design that is printed. If you want a banner with a red background and white letters, we are basically printing the red background and leaving the letters unprinted so the white of the banner material shows through. Just like printing on paper with a desktop printer. Some materials are clear, so unprinted areas can be left clear or printed with some density of white to create different effects.


How many colors can I use in my design, is there a charge per color?

You may use any number of colors in your designs. Since all our printing is full color digital, there is no limit, and no extra charge, for any number of colors in your design. Anything from black and white to full color photography all costs the same amount, so you are free to create anything you can imagine and the price is the same.


How can I get a sample of a particular material to see how it prints before I order?

We have printed samples of most every material we offer. Go to the Contact Us page and fill out the form with your shipping address, and tell us which samples you would like. The samples will ship via US Mail, but if you need them in a hurry, you can also provide a UPS account and we will ship them to you however quickly you like.


Do you have templates for designing graphics for your displays?

Yes, there are templates available for most of our displays including banner stands, trade show displays, and outdoor displays. Check the page for the individual product and look at the Specs & Templates tab to find templates and instructions where available.


Where can I find installation instructions?

For printed items, such as window graphics, floor decals, and wall murals, installation instructions for the particular printing material you ordered can be found in the Instructions tab on the product page. General instructions are included with the print itself, but it's always a good idea to review the product specific instructions before installing your graphics.

For display hardware, instructions are typically included with the display, but the information can also be found in the Instructions tab on the product page. For some displays, there will also be video instructions available as well.


How long does shipping take and what are the shipping costs?

Most printing orders ship from Utah using the shipping method you choose during the checkout process. We offer a few displays were the graphics are printed by the display manufacturer to ensure a proper fit, and those would ship directly from their facility. If you choose ground shipping during checkout, it will show the number of days that ground shipping will take to reach you. The estimated delivery time is also shown during checkout in the shipping method section so that you can see when your order should be delivered and can choose a different shipping method if necessary.

The shipping cost for most items will be displayed next to each service when you choose the shipping method. For some items, the shipping cost will not be shown, so for those items, shipping will be calculated manually and you will be contacted with the shipping cost before you are charged for the order. Some items that fall into this category are large trade show displays that are too large to ship via UPS. If you aren't given shipping costs for your order, and need to find out the cost before placing your order, you can contact us and we can provide an estimate in advance.


How do you ship and can I use my own shipping account?

We ship using UPS, and any available UPS service to your location can be selected as a shipping method. During the checkout process, you can also choose to use your own UPS account for shipping. We do not ship via USPS or FedEx, so you cannot use your own FedEx account for shipping costs. Some displays drop ship directly from the manufacturer, and we do not have any control over what carrier they use, so some of them may ship your order via FedEx, but we still cannot charge FedEx shipping to your account in those cases.


What is your return policy?

Our complete return policy is listed on our Customer Service page, but in general, all our printing is custom and can't be returned, but we would always replace any defective graphics at no charge. Most display hardware is returnable if unused, as determined by the manufacturer, but most have some kind of restocking fee. A few items are not returnable at all, and that information will appear with the product description and in the product comparisons.