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What is the best way to send photos to you for printing?
For small orders and specialty items you can use the link Online Photos Prints. For professional photographers follow our link for Pro Photographers. You may also find a link to send images by our FTP site (call ahead for password).
Why can’t I just send my order as an e-mail attachment?
You can if your order is small (usually 6-8 mb). However photos sent this way are sometimes overlooked in a busy inbox or simply too large for our system. If you do send an order in this way follow it up with a separate e-mail letting us know an order has been sent and remember to be specific as to which size(s) and qty(s) you need for each file sent.
How soon will my order be printed?
Most orders are printed the same day they are received. After printing they are sent to our packaging room where they are billed and boxed for shipping. Orders in by 12 noon are usually mailed that day however in peak season we sometimes take up to 48 hours to process orders. Orders sent after 12 noon on Friday are usually printed first thing Monday morning.
What is a rush charge?
A rush charge is an urgent call from a panic stricken photographer to the lab pleading for his order as fast as possible! When we can accommodate a rush charge we literally stop all work in progress and place the rush order as our highest priority. There are rush fees associated with this service and we cannot guarantee it being available for any specific order. Also be aware overnighting (any) package by (any) courier is enough in rush charges itself to get most photographers to re-think their rush needs.
Can I stop by and pick-up my order?
We are an online eLab not a retail store. Many fine and long standing retail print labs have gone out of business in our area and nationally the past few years. If foot traffic alone could have kept their doors open they would still be around today. Nationwide however photo consumers are choosing to purchase their photo products online. While we've had requests from local photographers to pick up their printing 90% of our business is taken from out of state. We've dedicated our business model to passing costs savings to you in the form of lower print prices in lieu of having the retail space for a select few customers. We don’t think of ourselves as closing our doors to any one customer rather we think are opening doors to many online via the web.
What file size should my prints be sized to?
If they are sized to print, a good rule of thumb is size x 300 dpi for prints up to 12x18 inches. Prints done on the large format printer can be @ 150 dpi. Therefore a 12x18 will print equally as well at both a 12x18 and a 24x36. We recommend sending most orders to the lab in jpeg form. Large poster prints should be at least 6-8 mb for good printing quality when saved as jpegs.
Where can I order templates or graphics for my photos?
Please visit www.templatesunlimited.com. and www.artisticaction.com for your photoshop and Express Digital templates. Chris can be reached at Chris@artisticaction.com
Can you tell me if my order has been delivered yet?
We provide online tracking via the USPS for most orders. You are notified via e-mail when an order leaves and is delivered. Please keep track of your links when expecting a delivery as you will have access to the same information we do via the USPS. Remember once it leaves our hands we must rely on the service and professionalism of the USPS to see that orders have arrived in a safe and timely manner.
Why don't you publish your street address?
Aside from getting mail there is no real reason to. We make regular trips to the PO Box which is nearby. We have developed our online services to include customer service and help (telephone and e-mail) as well as our online software (website and Labtricity )We're accustomed to working late in peak seasons to meet our customer demand and keeping regular retail walk-in traffic hours don't fit with our business model. (Please see "Can I pick up our order?" above)
Why do you need my credit card info—I already gave it to you!
You (may) have given your credit card online to the team @ Express Digital. They need it to process orders sent to the lab via the open network. If you are dealing with our lab directly we will ask for a valid credit card to be placed in our files. You may update or change cards at anytime but please be available by phone or e-mail if you haven't placed an order with us in a while in case your card will not process. Your order may be delayed until we get proper authorization. We process thousands of transactions each year by credit cards and are fully aware of sensitivity issues relating to safeguarding customer's credit card information.
Where are my photos? I know I placed an order for them?
The best way to confirm if your order has arrived is to send a friendly e-mail. Users of the Express Digital software can track their online orders by monitoring their progress in the software's Orders tab. New Orders are NOT seen by us and they rest in (your) NEW ORDERS tab- until you click the PRINT order button. After arriving at the lab orders reside in the PENDING ORDERS tab. Printed orders will transfer to COMPLETED tab. Most of our customers wait until the 24 to 48 hour processing period has passed before checking on an order's status. Usually you will get a confirmation notification via USPS tracking that your order is on the way even before you remember to ask about it. (Please see "Can you tell me if my order has been delivered yet?" above)
How do I send Trader Cards? Buttons? Magnets?
(Please see what is the best way to send photos for printing? above)
My order came back to me…it was supposed to go to my customer!
With sales online by (your) customers the Express Digital software captures your customer's address at the time of sale so we know then the order is drop shipped. Photographers sometimes need training to designate a drop ship address within the software when they themselves place an order on behalf of a client. By default orders are sent back to the photographer who places the order. Confusion sometimes happens when orders arrive outside of the software. Sometimes we don't get proper notification that jobs submitted to the lab are to be forwarded. And sometimes we just plain make a mistake. First depending on how your order arrived we will work to resolve all drop ship issues in the future. If you are worried about a particular order a friendly e-mail reminder sent is the best way to remind the lab that order is to be drop shipped.
Do your greeting cards come with envelopes?
We frequently run promotions that will include envelopes and gift boxes for greeting cards. Please e-mail ahead so that we can confirm you will be getting what you are expecting with your greeting card order.
Do you charge more for a magazine cover than for a regular 8x10 photo?
No. The print charge is based on size rather than what if anything is printed on them. Graphics can enhance you work and take an ordinary 8x10 and turn it into something special. Our Express Digital software allows you to apply graphic borders (some included free), text and special effects to any photo for free. Additionally you can purchase Magazine Covers or other graphics to apply to photos from graphic designers. Please see ("Where can I order templates or graphics for my photos?") above
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