Orders

Before you can save your order to the cart, you will be asked to enter your email address and password.

Only when you are ready to check out will you be asked for your billing and shipping information.

Yes, the order process generates a pdf proof for you to view prior to placing your order.

You may check the status of your order by clicking "My Account", entering your email address and password and then clicking on "My Order History."

From there, you may check the status of your account as well as view and reorder past purchases quickly and easily.

To expedite your order shipment, select an expedited shipping option such as: "3 Day Service" , "2 Day Service" and "Next Day Service".when you are ready to check out

Standard shipping is via ground transportation with UPS, USPS, or other selected carriers.

Allow 1 to 3 days for our in house Production Time PLUS Shipping Time

Larger orders may require more production time. Please contact customer service for estimated production times.

Ground Shipping to the Western US is 1 to 3 days, to the Central US 3 to 5 days, to the Eastern US allow 5 to 7 days. These estimated times are variable so try to allow plenty of time if you request ground rate shipping.

Also, if you live in an area impacted by major storm systems, deliveries can be seriously affected.

Exact Reorders

To reorder a product with no design changes, it is really simple:

    1. Click on  "My Account," enter your email address and password.

    2. Click on "Orders" or "Portfolio", and browse to find the item you intend to reorder.

      3.  Select "Order"  and save the new job to the cart and check out. It's that easy!

Reorders with Changes

To reorder a product with design changes, it is still really easy:

    1. Click on  "My Account," enter your email address and password.

    2. Click on "Orders" or "Portfolio", and browse to find the item you intend to reorder.

      3.  Select"Edit" to make changes in the editor.

      4.  Save the new job to the cart and check out. It's still that easy!

Because of our fast order processing times, most orders cannot be cancelled without incuring cancellation charge.

If there is a problem call us immediately and we will try to accommodate your request.

Custom printed orders have no re-sale value. Therefore, ALL SALES ARE FINAL. If a job is verifiably defective due to an error by HallPrintMail.com, we will re-print and ship the order at no charge.

HallPrintMail.com is not responsible for client’s files containing typographical errors, errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, graphics, fonts or content, even if customer used online spell check routines or incorrectly specified finished product sizes, wrong cuts, or missing or incorrect folds. We make every effort to match color densities of each color, however, we do not guarantee exact color matching or ink densities based on screen proofs approved by customers. Whether or not a product is defective will be determined by our quality control team.

Any product defect or error must be reported to HallPrintMail.com within 10 days of your order's receipt.

If HallPrintMail.com cannot or does not reprint a defective order, a credit will be issued for the full cost of the order including shipping costs.

We only sell and ship within the United States at this time.

General Information

We are committed to making your web buying experience simple, easy and fun

You may contact us, from 8:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m. PST Monday thru Friday
By Email: printctr@hallprintmail.com
By Phone: 661-327-3228
By Fax: 661-327-5140

Our Mailing address is:
5200 Rosedale Hwy.
Bakersfield, CA 93308

You can retrieve your password by going to Login and clicking the "Forgot your password?" link.

Submit your email and click "Retrieve Password." A reply email will be generated to this address within minutes to reset your password.

If this proves unsuccessful, please contact us at 661-327-3228, Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00 pm PST.

Our Website print ordering is available 24 hrs a day. You may access your files and submit orders anytime that is convenient to you

Customer Service and Production hours are Monday-Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm PST, excluding observed holidays.
Will Call Orders may be picked up 8:00am - 5:00pm PST Monday - Friday

The following holidays are observed as business holidays.
All production operations as well as Customer Service are closed on these days.
   New Year's Day
   Memorial Day
   Independence Day (4th of July)
   Labor Day
   Thanksgiving Day, and Friday following Thanksgiving
   Christmas Day


Holidays AND Weekends are excluded from Turnaround Time.

Terms of Service

 1.   ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

    HallPrintMail.com provides its service to you, subject to the following Terms of Service ("TOS"), which may be updated by us from time to time without notice to you. By accessing any page on this site, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. In addition, when using particular HallPrintMail.com services, you may be subject to additional posted guidelines or rules applicable to our partners or affiliates, or specific to such services which may be posted on our site or on the sites of our partners or affiliates, from time to time. All such guidelines or rules are hereby incorporated by reference into these TOS.


2.    USE OF SERVICE

    HallPrintMail.com currently provides users with access to on-line design services, design libraries and printing resources (collectively, the "Service"). Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any new features that augment or enhance the current Service, including the release of new HallPrintMail.com features, shall be subject to these TOS. You understand and agree that the Service is provided "AS-IS" and that HallPrintMail.com assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, deletion, misdelivery or failure to store any user communication, design, graphic, or photo that you or any other person customizes or supplies.

    (a) DESIGN TEMPLATES AND GRAPHICS from the HallPrintMail.com’s Design Library may only be used on printed products produced by HallPrintMail.com. Products created with HallPrintMail.com’s designs or templates may not resold or reproduced by any other person or company without express written permission. HallPrintMail.com’s designs or templates may not be downloaded for duplications or resale in whole or in part. If you have any questions regarding the use of DESIGN TEMPLATES AND GRAPHICS , please contact us directly via email printctr@HallPrintMail.com or by telephone at 661-327-3228 from M-F 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST, excluding holidays.

    (b) FONTS The typefaces on final printed products are graphic representations of the original fonts that appear on your screen. As these technically exist only on our servers, it is not allowed to download these typefaces. For more information on licensing or how you can acquire these fonts for personal use, please contact us at printctr@HallPrintMail.com.

    (c) PERSONAL DATA - In consideration of your use of the Service, you agree to provide true accurate, current and complete information about yourself as prompted by the Service's registration form or similar query ("Personal Data"). Personal Data and certain other information about you is subject to our “Privacy Policy”. For more information, please see our full “Privacy Policy”, which can be accessed through a link on our home page at www.HallPrintMail.com.


3.    CUSTOMER ACCOUNT, PASSWORD AND SECURITY

    You will create your own password and account name when completing the Service's registration process. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the password and account, and you are fully responsible for all activities that occur under your password or account. You agree to (a) immediately notify HallPrintMail.com of any unauthorized use of your password or account or any other breach of security, and (b) ensure that you exit from your account at the end of each session. Under no circumstances will HallPrintMail.com be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this Section 3.


4.    CUSTOMER CONTENT

    You understand that all information, data, text, photographs, graphics, messages or other materials ("Content") are the sole responsibility of the person from which such Content originated. This means that you, and not HallPrintMail.com, are entirely responsible for all Content that you send, upload, post or otherwise transmit via the Service. Recognizing the global nature of the Internet, you agree to comply with all local rules regarding online conduct and acceptable Content. You agree to not use the Service to send, upload, post or otherwise transmit any Content that contains (i) child pornography or anything indecent, obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or vile; (ii) a threat to kidnap or injure a person, a threat to injure the personal property or reputation of another person, a threat to accuse any person of a crime, a threat to inform another that a person has violated any law of the United States, or a threat of blackmail; (iii) any matter advocating or urging treason, insurrection, or forcible resistance to any law of the United States; (iv) any defamatory remarks directed at any other person or company; or (v) any content that infringes the intellectual property rights or other proprietary rights of HallPrintMail.com or any third party. Under no circumstances will HallPrintMail.com be liable to you in any way for any Content you may be exposed to that you may find offensive, indecent or objectionable. HallPrintMail.com does not control the Content posted by Customers and does not guarantee the accuracy, integrity or quality of the Content. This includes Content that was scanned by Service software to correct Content typographical or grammatical errors, i.e. “spell check”. You are the final arbiter of file correctness.

    You understand that you control the privacy of any Content you elect to post by granting access under your personal password. When you, or someone to whom you have given access, orders a print item using your password, you grant HallPrintMail.com the world-wide, royalty free and non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, sublicense, modify, adapt, publish, display and create derivative works from the Content on the Service and on the printed product for the purposes of storing designs or processing print orders. This license exists only for the length of time necessary for HallPrintMail.com to complete your order or until you delete the Content from the Service.

    You acknowledge that HallPrintMail.com does not pre-screen Content, but that HallPrintMail.com and its designees shall have the right (but not the obligation) in their sole discretion to remove any Content that violates the TOS or may otherwise be objectionable. You further acknowledge and agree that HallPrintMail.com may preserve Content and may also disclose Content if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such preservation or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal process; (b) enforce the TOS; (c) respond to claims that the Content violates the rights of thirdparties; or (d) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of HallPrintMail.com, its users and the public.


5.    INDEMNITY

    You agree to indemnify and hold HallPrintMail.com, and its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, agents, cobranders, print vendors, business partners, employees, successors or assigns harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys' fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of Content you submit, post to or transmit through the Service, your use of the Service, your connection to the Service, your violation of the TOS, or your violation of the rights of a third party.


6.    NO RESALE OF SERVICE

    You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit for any commercial purposes, any portion of the Service, use of the Service, or access to the Service

.
7.    GENERAL PRACTICES REGARDING USE AND STORAGE

    You acknowledge that HallPrintMail.com may establish general practices and limits concerning your use of the Service, including without limitation the maximum number of days that designs or other uploaded Content will be retained by the Service, the maximum size of any Content that may be uploaded on the Service, and the maximum disk space that will be allotted on HallPrintMail.com's servers for Customer use. You agree that HallPrintMail.com has no responsibility or liability for the deletion or failure to store any Content maintained or transmitted to the Service. You acknowledge that HallPrintMail.com reserves the right to delete Content stored on the Service which is inactive for an extended period of time. You further acknowledge that HallPrintMail.com reserves the right to change its general practices and limits at any time, in its sole discretion, with or without notice to you.


8.    MODIFICATION OR TERMINATION TO SERVICE

    HallPrintMail.com reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the Service (or any part thereof) with or without notice to you. You agree that HallPrintMail.com, in its sole discretion, may terminate your password, account (or any part thereof) or your use of the Service, and remove and discard any Content for any reason, including, without limitation, for lack of use or if HallPrintMail.com believes that you have violated or acted inconsistently with the letter or spirit of the TOS. HallPrintMail.com may also in its sole discretion, and at any time, discontinue providing the Service, or any part thereof, with or without notice to you. You agree that HallPrintMail.com shall not be liable to you for any loss or damage you may suffer due to any modification, suspension, termination or discontinuance of the Service.


9.    DEALINGS WITH THIRD PARTIES

    Your correspondence or business dealings with, or participation in promotions of, any third parties found on or through the Service, including payment and delivery of related goods or services, and any other terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated with such dealings, are solely between you and such third party. You agree that HallPrintMail.com shall not be responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any sort incurred by you as the result of any such dealings or as the result of the presence of such third parties on the Service.


10.    LINKS

    From time to time, you may find, links to third party websites from the Service. You acknowledge your understanding that your access to and use of any third party website will be governed by the terms and conditions belonging to such third party. HallPrintMail.com does not endorse and is not responsible for your use of or exposure to any content, advertising, products, or other materials found at or available from these websites. You further acknowledge and agree that HallPrintMail.com shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss you may suffer or allege to suffer in connection with your use of or reliance upon any content, goods or services available on or through any third party website.


11.    DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES

    YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT:

    (a) YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. HallPrintMail.com EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.
    (b) HallPrintMail.com MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT (i) THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, (ii) THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERRORFREE, (iii) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICE WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, AND (iv) THE QUALITY OF ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, INFORMATION, OR OTHER MATERIAL PURCHASED OR OBTAINED BY YOU THROUGH THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS.
    (c) NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM HallPrintMail.com OR THROUGH THE USE OF THE SERVICE SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THE TOS.


12.    LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

    YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT HallPrintMail.com AND ITS AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, VENDORS OR OTHER BUSINESS PARTNERS, SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES (EVEN IF HallPrintMail.com HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), RESULTING FROM: (i) YOUR USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE; (ii) YOUR COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES RESULTING FROM ANY GOODS, DATA, INFORMATION OR SERVICES PURCHASED OR OBTAINED OR MESSAGES RECEIVED OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED INTO THROUGH OR FROM THE SERVICE; (iii) THE UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (iv) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SERVICE; OR (v) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO THE SERVICE.


13.    TRADEMARK and COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

    HallPrintMail.com and all of its content are protected by copyright laws of the United States and international treaty provisions. ©2008 Hall Letter Shop, Inc. All rights reserved. This website, its trademark and associated logos, may not, in part or in whole, be copied, imitated, reproduced, modified, transmitted, translated, distributed, adapted or disassembled in any fashion without expressed written permission of Hall Letter Shop, Inc.

    You may not place or reproduce any trademarks, service marks, or logos that are not owned by you or licensed to you onto materials and merchandise to be printed via HallPrintMail.com. Words, names, and designs used to identify services or products are considered trademarks, service marks, and/or logos.

    The same policy applies for copyrights. You may not use copyrighted materials from artists, photographers, publishers, writers, composers, and other authors of original works unless they are specifically licensed to you by the copyright holder. Hall Letter Shop, Inc will not assume the responsibility of checking the content of its client's submitted materials for copyright violations. Therefore, Hall Letter Shop, Inc will not be held accountable for any illegal use of copyrighted material by its clients.


14.    GENERAL INFORMATION

    The TOS constitute the entire agreement between you and HallPrintMail.com and govern your use of the Service, superceding any prior agreements between you and HallPrintMail.com. You also may be subject to additional terms and conditions that may apply when you use affiliate services, or third-party content. These TOS and the relationship between you and HallPrintMail.com shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. You and HallPrintMail.com agree to submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located within the county of KERN, California. The failure of HallPrintMail.com to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these TOS shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any provision of these TOS is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties' intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of these TOS remain in full force and effect. You agree that regardless of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to use of the Service or these TOS must be filed within one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arose or be forever barred. The section titles in the TOS are for convenience only and have no legal or contractual effect.

What if my order is delayed?
 

HallPrintMail.com will always strive to avoid any delays in production or shipping, however, we will not be held responsible for any consequences or damages due to delayed production or delivery.

Our shipment and delivery dates are based upon estimates provided by our shipment suppliers. HallPrintMail.com is not responsible for shipping company delays, weather conditions, natural or man made disasters or any other circumstances beyond our control that may impact the final delivery date.

Hall Letter Shop, Inc will refund shipping costs over and above normal ground shipping rates for expedited shipments that are delayed due to failure of the shipping company to meet their published delivery times, unless the delays are due to circumstances beyond their control, such as the above mentioned reasons.

Products

Our line of web-to-print products allows our customers to dynamically create their own Business Cards, Brochures, Flyers, Envelopes, Postcards, Posters, Signs & Banners, Invitations and Tickets while online.

This saves you a great deal of time and money.

We are also a Commercial Printer and Mail House which gives us the flexibility to print and mail virtually any kind of project that you envision. So even if you don’t see a product described on our site, just give us a call, we’ll be glad to submit a quotation for any project.

There are three options for designing and customizing a product.

1.Browse Designs: Select Template Design from hundreds of a pre-designed themes.  Customize the templateusing our design studio.

1. Custom Design: Start with a blank template, open the design studio and use editor tools to create your own design.

2. Upload  My Design: Upload a complete design in one of the following file formats: JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG,  or  PDF image file.

Paper Stock usually refers to Writing and Book papers and Card Stock refers to Cover, Tag and Bristol papers.  To keep it simple, paper stocks are thinner and used for writing papers, brochures, book pages, flyers, etc. Card Stock are much thicker and stiffer and are used for business cards, postcards, book covers, greeting cards, etc.

In the US, paper weight is expressed in Pounds (lbs) and paper thickness is expressed in thousands of an inch.

The paper used for writing and books papers typically range in weight from 20# to 70# and thicknesses of .004" to .006". Anything heavier than this is considered the Card stock, Typical Card stocks range from .008" thick to .024" and from 80# to 140# and more

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.

Matte or dull finish papers are also coated but simply do not have the polished shiny look. Print quality is just as good as gloss with the only signifcant difference being the esthetics or the look and feel of the paper. Matte stocks can provide contrast with the glossiness of the ink and a softer more elegant appearance.

Graphic Design

There are three ways to submit your design for printing.

Most people start with one of our Professionally Designed Templates to create a custom printed job.  Simply choose  a theme that matches your concept, change the text, add a logo - it's quick and done. Choosing a "Predesigned template" saves a lot of "design time"

If you want to start designing from scratch with our online editor, start with a  Blank Template.  Simply upload all your art, add your wording and graphics. Use our editor tools  to finish your design.

If you have a  "Completed Design" that matches one of our product sizes, then simply click on the "Upload My Design" button for your selected product and options and proceed to checkout.

The recommended file format is either .pdf or .tiff. All full color files must be prepared in CMYK format, except for 1 and 2 color products such as letterhead, envelopes, invitations, stamps and signs. Any files not in CMYK may color shift when processed. A minimum resolution of 150 dpi is required for all raster art and images.  Banner, signs and poster require much higher resolution for quallity printing.  Artwork of a lesser resolution may not print as sharp and clean as desired.

Except for background images, we strongly suggest that all critical text and images be at least 1/8" from the trim line. Text and images less than 1/8” from the trim line may be cut off. Please check our layout templates for guidelines.

FLAT OR RAISED INK - We recommend that you select LaserSafe Flat or LaserSafe Raised Ink when purchasing products to be used with a laser printer or copier (or other output device that generates a significant amount of heat). These products are specifically designed to protect your output device against the harsh effects of melting ink. HallPrintMail.com will not be responsible for any damages resulting from your selection or use of products containing untreated flat or raised ink with a heat generating output device.

HallPrintMail.com is not responsible for client’s files containing typographical errors, errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, graphics, fonts or content, even if customer used online spell check routines or incorrectly specified finished product sizes, wrong cuts, or missing or incorrect folds If supplied artwork requires technical or design re-work, charges will apply at the rate of $100 per hour with 1/2 hour minimum.

It is your responsibility as the designer to address these issues when creating and submitting your art file.

A Portable Document Format (PDF) File bundles art and fonts into a single, easily viewed file that decreases the chance of a defective upload.

How to Create PDFs

What is a PDF?

The Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) has revolutionized the printing industry and become the universal file format for preserving source document fonts, images, graphics and layout, regardless what application or operating system was used to create the file. PDFs are widely available, compatible, and easy to distribute. PDFs are intended to make sure that your job looks and prints the same no matter who opens the file. However, there are some pitfalls to avoid when making the best PDF possible for use in printing.

Not All PDFs Are Created Equal

word processing and design applications have the capability to generate PDF files. Like the applications themselves, each of these files can have inherent flaws and limitations.
How you generate a PDF is as important as what program you generate it with. Because PDFs are designed for both print and web use, they can be generated to different standards. If you are not careful, you can damage a layout created perfectly in its native format when generating a PDF. Requirements for PDF publishing are very specific.

Three Common Ways to Generate PDFs:

    "Save As" (for Photoshop CS & Illustrator CS); This approach offers the least amount of user customization and has the potential for the most pitfalls. Office applications, the Windows and OSX operating systems themselves and low-end graphics software will give you little to no control over several crucial settings and will not generate viable PDF's. High-end graphics applications, such as Photoshop CS and Illustrator CS, can correctly create PDFs using this method.
    "Print Postscript and Distill to PDF" : This is the best way to create PDFs using graphics applications prior to the Adobe CS applications and QuarkXPress 6, but it can also be complicated, time consuming, and difficult to configure (printer drivers, PPDs, Distiller settings etc.). Files are first output into PostScript (usually by "printing" to a file). Then the PostScript is Distilled into a PDF using Acrobat Distiller.
    "Export PDF" (QuarkXPress 6 & InDesign CS). Some current design applications have an export feature built right into them. This method bypasses Distiller in favor of a built-in PDF export engine that generates press-ready PDFs, provided you know the correct settings. QuarkXPress 6 and InDesign CS offer this capability. (Older applications such as PageMaker require Acrobat Distiller.)

Best Ways to Get Good PDFs

Before generating a PDF:

  •     Convert Spot (Pantone) and RGB colors to Process (CMYK)

When generating a PDF:

  •     Always embed and subset fonts.
  •     Set Transparency Flattening settings to the highest settings (when appropriate).
  •     Turn off color management (except for Photoshop). All color settings should be set to "As Is" or "CMYK."
  •     If prompted, set Vector Output Resolution to 2400 or 2540.
  •     Use Binary data format instead of ASCII.
  •     If using Photoshop, flatten your file first.
  •     If using a vector-based program such as Illustrator, convert all text to outlines.
  •     Leave the trapping to us.

After generating a PDF:

  •     Check the size of your PDF. Is it at the bleed size?
  •     Check the Document Properties in Acrobat (under the File menu) to confirm that fonts are embedded and       subsetted.
  •     Make a hardcopy proof of your job on your desktop printer to double check accuracy.

Common Errors with PDFs:

  •     Produced by PDF Writer
  •     Saved using the OSX Quartz Engine
  •     Saved from Microsoft applications such as Word or Publisher (text and colors are very unpredictable out of these programs)
  •     Generic settings such as eBook, Screen, or Web
  •     Downsampled images (High resolution images distilled to low resolution)
  •     Built at the wrong size
  •     High Resolution images not embedded (using OPI)

Using an application that is not listed as an accepted file format?

Your application may have the capability to generate a PDF, but it may not be capable of generating a PDF that meets 4-color-printing-specific requirements. Consult your owner's manual to determine if this is the case.
Many manuals contain chapters on such topics as publishing PDF files or preparing files for commercial printing. Read those instructions carefully. We will accept any PDF file that meets our requirements and passes our preflight process, but we can only provide technical support for the applications listed on our website.

PDF/X - What is it and should I use it?

The PDF/X standard was created by the Committee for Graphic Arts Technologies Standards (CGATS) to eliminate many of the variables that lead to common printing problems such as missing fonts, incorrect color space, missing images and overprint/trapping issues.

During PDF conversion, the file that is being processed is checked against the specified standard. If the PDF will not meet the selected ISO standard, a message appears, asking you to choose between canceling the conversion or going ahead with the creation of a non-compliant file.

Many applications offer a default setting for exporting PDF files to variations of the PDF/X standard. The most widely used standards for a print publishing are: PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, and (in 2007) PDF/X-4.

PDFMaker, the conversion method used to convert Microsoft Word and other application files to PDF.

Screen proofs can be used to help show layout, text accuracy, and image placement and proportion, but not exact color or density. The appearance of printed colors is also affected by various papers finishes and brightness or UV coating.

We make every effort to match the gradient density of each color, however, HallPrintMail.com does not guarantee exact color matching or ink densities based on screen proofs approved by customers. It is the client's responsibility to review the final proof and layout of all orders prior to actual printing. Once the final proof has been confirmed by the client, no further changes can be made to that order. This includes changes to bindery and shipping. Please review the final proof carefully prior to completing your order.

We support both CMYK and RGB (red, green, blue) for producing printed products. 

Although we have mapped the RGB  (red, green, blue) color gamut to match  CMYK color gamut (cyan, magenta, yellow, key), as closely as possible,  an exact match of all colors is not possible. 

Because most printing (except for spot color inks) is done with cmyk colors, files that are already converted to cmyk will reproduce with the least variation in color.

Printing

Full bleed is printing from one edge of the paper to the other without the standard borders by which most personal printers are limited. This is useful for printing brochures, posters, and other marketing materials.

Bleed is a printing term that refers to printing that goes beyond the trim line edge of the sheet. Bleed allowance is  typically an 1/8"  margin around the finish size where the cut is to be made.

Bleed area refers to perimeter outside the finished piece. This area is required to allow for paper size fluctuation, press register and cutter variance. Failing to allow a bleed area and crop marks can result in finished pieces showing a thin area of white on the edge.

Because the paper is oversized to begin to allow for trimming,  the printed image runs fully to the edge and does not stop short of it.
 

Most of our webstore products are printed in full color.

Some products such as envelopes, rubber stamps and forms are usually printed in 1 or 2 colors of ink.

Because we are a Commercial print shop, we can custom print just about any other product you want and in any combination of colors.

UV Coating is a clear polymer layer that is typlically flood coated over the entire surface of a printed piece to protect and enhance its appearance. UV coatings can be clear or matte and sometimes a texture may be added for a special look.

Spot UV is the printed placement of the coating over selected areas to enhance only portions of an image or type. The contrast of the shiny gloss coating against a matte paper finish can be artistically pleasing.

We employ several different printing methods depending on the quantity and material that is being printed.

Offset printing is most often used with longer print runs on paper. The biggest advantages of offset printing is very high quality and a lower cost of production on a per piece basis. The short run cost of offset can be prohibitively expensive.

Digital printing is used mainly for short runs on papers and some plastics. Its biggest advantage is lower costs and shorter turnaround times  for short runs while yielding high quality printing.

Inkjet printing is traditionally used for wide format prints such as banners, posters,  car wraps, and  signage of all types.  The quality level can be extremely high though usually done only for small quantities.

Flexo printing is a very cost effective method for spot color printing on labels, envelopes and packaging  with long print runs. The quality level is much lower than the previous methods, but is still acceptable for relatively simple and non critical work.

Screen printing is also a spot color print process that is used mainly for imprinting on cloth, metals, plastics and paper boards. In most applications, screen printing is used for very short runs where a heavy durable ink coverage on a difficult substrate is required.

Glossary of Printing & Graphics Terms

4 Color - Process Printing using Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black to produce a full
color image.
4/0 - Full Color on one side, Blank Back
4/1 - Full Color on one side, Black Ink on Back
4/4 - Full Color on both Sides

A
Aliasing - Aliasing is a "staircase" or jagged effect that occurs when display
resolution is too coarse to minimize the broken appearance of certain electronic
design elements. Aliasing is more visually pronounced in diagonal lines, curves, and
circles. To avoid aliasing, you should save your files with "Anti-Alias" to keep the text
smooth when printed.

Anti-Aliasing - In computer graphics, anti-aliasing or over-sampling is a software
technique for addressing aliasing issue. Anti-aliasing reduces the prominence of
jaggies by surrounding the stairsteps with intermediate shades of gray (for grayscaling
devise) or color (for color devices). Please note that although anti-aliasing
may reduce the jagged appearance of the lines, it also may make the lines appear
fuzzier.

AQ - Abbreviation for Aqueous Coating: A clear water based coating used to seal
and protect the printed sheet. This is available in both a gloss and a matte finish.

Aqueous Coating - A clear water based coating used to seal and protect the printed
sheet. This is available in both a gloss and a matte finish.

Artwork - All computer files including layout, images and fonts needed to produce
the final printed product.

ASCII Text File - (.TXT) ASCII text file or .TXT is a file format is commonly used by
clients to store mail list data.

Author's Alterations (AA's) - Changes made after composition stage where customer is responsible for additional
charges

B
Bindery - Mechanical modifications to the sheet after printing, such as, cutting, folding, drilling, perforating, saddle
stitching, collating, etc.

Bitmap Images - Bitmap images, technically called raster images, use a grid of colors known as pixels to represent
images. Each pixel is assigned a specific location and color value.

Bleed - A bleed is when an image extends beyond the trim edge of the printed sheet. It is important to include bleeds
in your artwork files if you want the image to extend to the edge of the paper for your final printed piece. We
encourage you to create a design with a full-bleed - i.e., extend the image off all four sides of your design - to ensure
the best quality for your printed piece.

Blind embossing - An image pressed into a sheet without ink or foil.

Border - Border refers to the area between the edge of the image and the edge of the paper.

C

Cyan - One of four colors used in Full Color Printing.

Caliper - The thickness of paper measured in 1/1000".

Camera-Ready - Camera-ready is a layout created by a designer that is created and submitted as
100% Black on white paper. It usually contains text and logos in finished form. This layout will be
photographed or scanned before printing.

CMYK - Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black: The four colors used in full color printing.

Coil Bind - Book binding method that uses a plastic or metal coil to hold pages together.

Color Balance - Color balance is the process of maintaining the proper ratio of cyan, magenta, and
yellow ink to produce a picture with the desired color and without an unwanted color cast or color bias.

Color Calibration - Color calibration is a means or method of setting a computer monitor, scanner, or
color printer to a standard set of color values so as to ensure that all colors remain consistent throughout
each step of the imaging process.

Color Correct - To adjust the values of process colors to achieve the desired overall color.

Comp - Comp or mockup is a piece that is handmade by a graphic artist to show others how the
finished printed piece will look. It generally will be folded and bound the exact way the final piece will be
done in production.

Continuous Tones - Continuous tones represent an illustrative image that is not composed of halftone
printing dots. In essence, this is a bitmapped image that has an unlimited range of colors and shades of
gray.

Contrast - Contrast is the degree of tones in an image ranging from highlight (light tones) to shadow
(dark tones).

Copy - Copy refers to the words that are used along with images to create a design that conveys a
message.

Coverage - Coverage is the total amount of ink per sheet side, usually given in percentages.

Crop - Crop or cropping refers to the process of positioning an image to ensure that unwanted portions
of the image are removed during the printing process. Cropping is also a way to properly proportion your
final artwork before approving your print job.

Crop Marks - Crop marks are small symbols placed in the margin outside of the image area that
indicate to the area to be printed and/or trimmed from the image.

Crossover - Printing across the gutter or from one page to the facing page in booklets or other multipage
documents.

CSV - Comma separated values or tab-delimited is a text file format that contains information separated
by commas or tabs. This format is commonly used to store mail list data.

Cure - To dry inks and coatings after printing to ensure good adhesion.

D
Deboss - Deboss means to press an image into paper so it lies below the surface.

Density - The degree of color in an image or photograph.

Die - Device made out of sharp steel that is used to cut irregular shapes,or to score, foil stamp, or
emboss.

Die Cut - To cut irregular shapes using a die.

Direct to Plate - The transfer of information from a file directly to the plate, producing high-quality
printed pieces.

DPI - Dots Per Inch: Term used in describing Resolution. Suggested image resolution for best print
quality is 300 dpi.

Drill - To punch holes in the printed sheet.

E
Emboss - Pressing an image into paper to create a raised image.

Encapsulated Postscript File (.EPS) - Encapsulated postscript file or .EPS for short is an Adobe
Systems-developed file format. It is a device-independent PostScript representation of a graphic or other
object. It stores files as vectors and includes a low-resolution bitmap representation for quick on-screen
viewing.

EPS - EPS is abbreviation for encapsulated postscript file.

Estimate - Cost of producing a custom printing order.

Excel Spreadsheet (.XLS) - Excel spreadsheet or .XLS is a file format commonly used by clients to
store mail list data.

F
File Extensions - File extensions are three-digit designations at end of a file name that indicate what
format the file has been saved in. Common artwork file formats include: .eps, .jpeg, .pdf, .ps, .psd, .tiff.
Common mail list file formats include: .csv, .txt, .xls.

File Format - File format, which is unique for different file types, specifies how information is organized.
Common artwork file formats include: .eps, .jpeg, .pdf, .ps, .psd, .tiff. Common mail list file formats
include: .csv, .txt, .xls.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) - File transfer protocol or FTP for short is a method used for logging into
remote computer networks, browsing and searching directories, and downloading or uploading files
without data loss.Finished Size - Size of product after completion of all bindery options.

Flat Size - Size of product after printing and trimming, but before all other bindery options.

Foil emboss - The combination of foil stamping and embossing.

Foil stamping - Using a die to print an opaque metallic image on paper.

Four Color Printing - The process of combining four basic colors to create a printed color picture or
colors composed from the basic four colors.

G
Gang Printing - The process of combining multiple print orders with the same quantity, paper and finishing requirements on one press run to minimize setup costs.

Graphic Arts - Graphic arts is the crafts, industries and professions related to designing and printing on

paper and other substrates.

Graphic Design - Graphic design is an arrangement of type and visual elements along with
specifications for paper, ink colors and printing processes that, when combined, convey a visual
message.

Grayscale - Grayscale is a strip of 256 gray values ranging from white to black.

H
Halftone - Halftone is an image composed of tiny dots whose variations in size create the illusion of
variations in tone. In the past, a halftone screen was used to convert a continuous tone image into a
halftone; today, such screening is done electronically.

Headline - Headline is a sentence or a phrase created to communicate the key message to someone
receiving a postcard, brochure, or other direct marketing piece.

Hickey - Spots that appear in the printed image from dust or lint on blanket or plate.

High Res / High Resolution - High resolution or high res for short refers to images that have resolution of 300 dots
per inch (dpi) to 2,500 dpi.

I
Image - An Image is a computerized representation of a picture or graphic.

J
Joint Photographic Experts Group (.JPEG) - Joint photographic experts group or .JPEG or .JPG for
short is a file format used for color images. This format retains a high degree of color while requiring less
storage space than needed for other file formats. Uncompressed JPEG files can be used for high-quality
printing.

JPEG - File format used for images requiring less storage space than needed for other file formats.
Please supply uncompressed for printing.

K
K Black - One of four colors used in Full Color Printing

Keyline - Keyline is an outline or set on artwork showing the size and position of an illustration or
halftone.

L
Line Art - Line art is artwork consisting of solid blacks and whites with no shades of gray.

Low Res - Low res is short for low resolution. Low resolution images are usually anywhere from 72 to
250 dots per inch (dpi). Although Low Res images are suitable for website use, they do not yield
sufficient quality for printing applications. Hall Letter Shop, Inc recommends replacing low resolution
images with a high res versions to ensure quality printing.

M
M Magenta - One of four colors used in Full Color Printing.

Micrometer - Instrument used to measure the thickness of paper.

Mockup - Mockup or comp is a piece that is handmade by a graphic artist to show others how the
finished printed piece will look. It generally will be folded and bound the exact way the final piece will be
done in production.

O
Offset paper
- Basic uncoated book grade of paper.

Offset printing - A common printing technique in which the inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface.

Offsetting - The undesireable effect of inked images of one sheet transferring to the sheet below it.

Opacity - The amount of show-through on a printed sheet.

Overprint - To print one image over another image, such as printing type over a screen background
image.

Oversampling - In computer graphics, oversampling or anti-aliasing is a software technique for
addressing aliasing issue. Anti-aliasing reduces the prominence of jaggies by surrounding the stairsteps
with intermediate shades of gray (for gray-scaling devise) or color (for color devices). Please note that
although anti-aliasing may reduce the jagged appearance of the lines, it also may make the lines appear
fuzzier.

P
Page - One side of a sheet. Page count Total number of pages in a book.

PDF - Portable Document Format is a file format developed by Adobe Systems to preserve all fonts,
formatting, graphics, and colors of the native file into a universal document.

Perfect Bind - Soft cover bookbinding method, that glues the cover and all pages together to form a
book

Perfecting press - A sheet fed printing press that prints both sides of a sheet in one pass.

Perforation - A line of small dotted holes for the purpose of tearing-off a part of a printed matter.

Pixel - Pixel is short for picture element. Pixel is the smallest unit (point) of an image displayed on a computer screen. The quality of an image, usually expressed as "image resolution", depends on the
number of pixels per inch that make up the image.

Pixels Per Inch (PPI) - Pixels per inch or PPI for short is a measurement of how many pixels can fit into
one inch. The higher the number of pixels, the sharper the image will be.

PhotoShop Document (.PSD) - PhotoShop document or .PSD for short is a file format for documents
created and saved in Adobe Photoshop as layered images, which makes editing different parts of an
image at a later date far easier. It is the only file format supporting all available image modes (Bitmap,
Grayscale, Duotone, Indexed Color, RGB, CMYK, Lab, and Multichannel), guides, alpha channels, spot
channels, and layers.

Point - In paper, a unit of thickness equating 1/1000 inch In typeography, a unit of measure equal to approximately 1/72"

Portable Document Format (.PDF) - Portable document format or .PDF for short is a universal file
format developed by Adobe Systems to preserve all fonts, formatting, graphics, and colors of any source
document. PDF allows any file to be read by the Acrobat reader regardless of the hardware or software
platform on which the file was created.

PostScript (.PS) - PostScript or .PS for short is a software language for printing that describes fonts,
images and graphics as mathematical expressions that do not require fonts or other dependent files.

PMS - Pantone Matching Systems or PMS is custom mixed inks that will provide a specific color. PMS
Numbers are used to specify spot colors. Process equivalents of spot colors do not always match true
to to individual PMS colors.

PPI - PPI is abbreviation for Pixels Per Inch.

Preflight - Preflight is the procedure used by PsPrint to make sure that client's digital files are correctly
prepared for production.

Print-Ready Files - Print-Ready files are digital artwork files that are 100% ready to print, requiring no
additional adjustments by Hall Letter Shop, Inc. other than preflighting and standard prepress work.

Primary Colors - Primary colors are the colorants of a system used to reproduce the colors for the
entire reproduction. Cyan, magenta, and yellow are subtractive primary colors while red, green, and blue
are additive primary colors. The substractive colors along with black are used in four-color printing
process used by PsPrint.

Process Color - Process color is using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in various combinations to
create all other colors.

Proof - Proof, also known as hardcopy proof, is a close representation of the final printed piece
provided by PsPrint. A proof is provided to predict results on press and record how the final printed
piece will appear in terms of color, layout and accuracy. Production does not begin printing the final
piece until the proof has been approved by the client.

PS - PS is abbreviation for PostScript.

PSD - PSD is abbreviation for PhotoShop Document

Q
Quotation - Estimated cost of producing a custom printing order.

R
Recycled Pape
r - Paper made entirely or in part from old paper.

Register Marks - Position marks on artwork to help keep printing in register.

Raster Images - Raster Images, commonly referred to as bitmap images, are digital images stored as
arrays of pixels for display and modification. The graphic's resolution is limited by the capabilities of the
display device. Adobe Photoshop is a popular image editor that rasterizes images that it opens.

Resolution - Resolution is the number of pixels displayed per unit of length in an image, usually
measured in pixels per inch (ppi) or dots per inch (dpi). Computer monitors are normally 72 to 96 dpi
while most printed pieces are 300 dpi or more.

RGB - RGB refers to the additive primary colors - red, green and blue - that are used in computer
monitors to create all colors. RGB is similar to CMYK used in process printing in that all colors are
created by various combinations of a few base colors. However, the colors seen on an RGB screen will
only accurately represent the colors printed in CMYK when calibrated computer systems and translators
are used.

Rich Black - Rich black is made by mixing other colors of ink with black ink to produce a much darker,
deeper black on press than can be achieved by using black ink alone. To create rich black on pieces
printed by PsPrint, your CMYK calibration values must be 50% Cyan, 40% Magenta, 40% Yellow, and
100% Black.

S
Saddle Stitch
- Binding a booklet or magazine with staples in the seam where it folds.

Score - To pre-crease paper along a straight line so it folds more easily and accurately.

Self Cover - A booklet where all pages are made of the same stock.

Sheetfed Press - Press that prints sheets of paper, as compared to a web press.

Soft Proof - A preview, of an image or page to be printed, as seen on a computer monitor.

T
Tab Delimited
- Comma separated values or tab-delimited is a text file format that contains information
separated by commas or tabs. This format is commonly used to store mail list data.

Tagged Image File Format - Tagged image file format or .TIFF for short is one of the most widely
supported file formats for storing images on a computer. TIFF can handle up to 24 bits of photographic
image, but TIFF is an older format that requires more storage space than needed for files in .JPEG
or .PSD formats.

TIFF - TIFF is abbreviation for "Tagged Image File Format."

Trim marks - Printed lines showing the edges for trimming.

Trim size - Size of product after printing and trimming, but before all other bindery options.

.TXT - ASCII text file or .TXT is a file format is commonly used by clients to store mail list data.

U
Up - Printing multiple copies of same artwork on one sheet.

UV Coating - Liquid applied to a printed sheet, then bonded and cured with ultraviolet light.

V
Vector Images
- Vector images are created using mathematical statements that define geometric
shapes. You can move, resize, and change the color of vector graphics without losing any image quality.
Unlike bitmaps, vector graphics are not dependent on resolution. You can scale a vector graphic to any
size and it won't lose detail or clarity.

Glossary of Paper Terms

Bond Paper - grade used for letterhead and forms.

Book - Medium weight paper used for fliers, posters and inside pages of books. Available in both coated and
uncoated finishes.

Brightness - The brilliance, or "whiteness" of a paper. The higher the number, the brighter the sheet.

C1S - Coated One Side: Sheet is glossy on front, flat with no coating on back.

C2S - Coated Two Sides: Sheet is glossy on both sides

Caliper - The thickness of paper measured in 1/1000".

Coated paper - Smooth finish paper with a Matte or Glossy finish. Available in Book and Cover.

Cover - Heavy weight paper used for book covers, postcards, folders, etc.

Gloss - Paper type with a shiny surface; best used with images.

 

Grain - The direction in which the paper fiber lie.

Linen Finish- Paper finish that simulates linen cloth.M

 

Matte - Paper type with a dull surface; best used with heavy text, and some images.

Offset paper - Basic uncoated book grade of paper.

Opacity - The amount of show-through on a printed sheet.

Recycled Paper - Paper made entirely or in part from old paper.U

Uncoated Paper - Paper without clay coating applied.

Watermark - An image created in paper at the time of manufacture that can be seen by holding the

paper up to a light.

Wove paper - Bond paper with a smooth finish.

Printing Trade Customs

Of The PRINTING INDUSTRY OF NORTH AMERICA as adopted by Hall Letter Shop, Inc.

1.    QUOTATION
    A quotation not accepted within 30 days may be changed.
2.    ORDERS
    Acceptance of orders is subject to an approved account number or credit approval. Canceled orders require compensation for incurred costs and related obligations.
3.    EXPERIMENTAL WORK
    Experimental or preliminary work performed at customer's request will be charged to the customer at Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s current rates. This work cannot be used without Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s written consent.
4.    CREATIVE WORK
    Sketches, copy, dummies and all other creative work developed or furnished by Hall Letter Shop, Inc are Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s exclusive property. Hall Letter Shop, Inc must give written approval for all use of this work and for any derivation of ideas from it.
5.    ACCURACY OF SPECIFICATIONS
    Quotations are based on the accuracy of the specifications provided. Hall Letter Shop, Inc may re-quote a job at time of submission if copy, film, tapes, disks, or other input materials don't conform to the information on which the original quotation was based.
6.    PREPARATORY MATERIALS
    Art work, composed files, removeable media, and all other items supplied by Hall Letter Shop, Inc remain Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s exclusive property.
7.    ELECTRONIC MANUSCRIPT OR IMAGE
    It is the customer's responsibility to maintain a copy of the original file. Hall Letter Shop, Inc is not responsible for accidental damage to media supplied by the customer or for the accuracy of furnished input or final output. No claims or promises are made about Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s ability to work with jobs submitted in digital format, and no liability is assumed for problems that may arise. Any additional translating, editing, or programming needed to utilize customer-supplied files will be charged at prevailing rates.
8.    ALTERATIONS/CORRECTIONS
    Customer alterations include all work performed in addition to the original specifications. All such work will be charged at Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s current rates.
9.    PREPRESS PROOFS
    Hall Letter Shop, Inc will submit prepress proofs along with original copy for the customer's review and approval. Corrections will be returned to Hall Letter Shop, Inc on a proof and marked with "Approved," "Approved with changes," or "Revised proof required" and signed by the customer. Until the Proof set is received, no additional work will be performed. Hall Letter Shop, Inc will not be responsible for undetected production errors if:
    — proofs are not required by the customer;
    — the work is printed per the customer's approval;
    — requests for changes are communicated orally.
10.    PRESS PROOFS
    Press proofs will not be furnished unless they have been required in writing in the Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s quotation. A press sheet can be submitted for the customer's approval as long as the customer is present at the press during makeready. Any press time lost or alterations/corrections made because of the customer's delay or change of mind will be charged at Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s current rates.
11.    COLOR PROOFING
    Because of differences in equipment, paper, inks, and other conditions between color proofing and production pressroom operations, a reasonable variation in color between color proofs and the completed job is to be expected. When variation of this kind occurs, it will be considered acceptable performance.
12.    OVERRUNS OR UNDERRUNS
    Overruns or underruns will not exceed 10 percent of the quantity ordered. Hall Letter Shop, Inc will bill for actual quantity delivered within this tolerance. If the customer requires a guaranteed quantity, the percentage of tolerance must be stated at the time of quotation.
12.    CUSTOMER'S PROPERTY
    Hall Letter Shop, Inc will only maintain fire and extended coverage on property belonging to the customer while the property is in Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s possession. Hall Letter Shop, Inc’s liability for this property will not exceed the amount recoverable from the insurance.
13.    DELIVERY
    Unless otherwise specified, the price quoted is for a single shipment, without storage, F.O.B. Hall Letter Shop, Inc platform. Proposals are based on continuous and uninterrupted delivery of the complete order. If the specifications state otherwise, Hall Letter Shop, Inc will charge accordingly at current rates. Charges for delivery of materials and supplies from the customer to Hall Letter Shop, Inc, or from the customer's supplier to Hall Letter Shop, Inc , are not included in quotations unless specified. Title for finished work passes to the customer upon delivery to the carrier at shipping point; or upon mailing of invoices for the finished work or its segments, whichever occurs first.
14.    PRODUCTION SCHEDULES
    Production schedules will be established and followed by both the customer and Hall Letter Shop, Inc . In the event that production schedules are not adhered to by the customer, delivery dates will be subject to renegotiation. There will be no liability or penalty for delays due to state of war, riot, civil disorder, fire, strikes, accidents, action of government or civil authority, acts of God, or other causes beyond the control of Hall Letter Shop, Inc. In such cases, schedules will be extended by an amount of time equal to delay incurred.
15.    CUSTOMER-FURNISHED MATERIALS
    Materials furnished by customers or their suppliers are verified by delivery tickets. Hall Letter Shop, Inc bears no responsibility for discrepancies between delivery tickets and actual counts. Customersupplied paper must be delivered according to specifications furnished by Hall Letter Shop, Inc . These specifications will include correct weight, thickness, pick resistance, and other technical requirements. Artwork, film, color separations, special dies, tapes, disks, or other materials furnished by the customer must be usable by the Hall Letter Shop, Inc. without alterations or repair. Items not meeting this requirement will be repaired by the customer, or by Hall Letter Shop, Inc at Hall Letter Shop, Inc current rates.
16.    OUTSIDE PURCHASES
    Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all outside purchases as requested or authorized by the customer, are chargeable.
17.    LIABILITY
    Disclaimer of Express Warranties: The customer understands that all sketches, copy, dummies, and preparatory work shown to the customer are intended only to illustrate the general type and quality of the work. They are not intended to represent the actual work performed.
18.    INDEMNIFICATION
    The customer agrees to protect Hall Letter Shop, Inc from economic loss and any other harmful consequences that could arise in connection with the work. This means that the customer will hold Hall Letter Shop, Inc harmless and save, indemnify, and otherwise defend him/her against claims, demands, actions, and proceedings on any and all grounds. This will apply regardless of responsibility for negligence.

19.       Copyrights 

  The customer also warrants that the subject matter to be printed is not copyrighted by a third party. The customer also recognizes that because subject matter does not have to bear a copyright notice in order to be protected by copyright law, absence of such notice does not necessarily assure a right to reproduce. The customer further warrants that no copyright notice has been removed from any material used in preparing the subject matter for reproduction. To support these warranties, the customer agrees to indemnify and hold Hall Letter Shop, Inc harmless for all liability, damages, and attorney fees that may be incurred in any legal action connected with copyright infringement involving the work produced or provided.
        Personal or economic rights - The customer also warrants that the work does not contain anything that is libelous or scandalous, or anything that threatens anyone's right to privacy or other personal or economic rights. The customer will, at the customer's sole expense, promptly and thoroughly defend Hall Letter Shop, Inc in all legal actions on these grounds as long as Hall Letter Shop, Inc promptly notifies the customer of the legal action; gives the customer reasonable time to undertake and conduct a defense. Hall Letter Shop, Inc reserves the right to use his or her sole discretion in refusing to print anything he or she deems illegal, libelous, scandalous, improper or infringing upon copyright law.
20.    STORAGE
    Hall Letter Shop, Inc will retain intermediate materials until the related end product has been accepted by the customer. If requested by the customer, intermediate materials will be stored for an additional period at additional charge. Hall Letter Shop, Inc is not liable for any loss or damage to stored material beyond what is recoverable by Hall Letter Shop, Inc fire and extended insurance coverage.
21.    TAXES
    All amounts due for taxes and assessments, will be added to the customer's invoice and are the responsibility of the customer. No tax exemption will be granted unless the customer's "Exemption Certificate" (or other official proof of exemption) accompanies the purchase order. If, after the customer has paid the invoice, it is determined that more tax is due, then the customer must promptly remit the required taxes to the taxing authority, or immediately reimburse Hall Letter Shop, Inc for any additional taxes paid.
22.    JURISDICTION
    The parties agree that all disputes arising under this agreement shall be governed by California law. The parties further agree that the courts of the State of California shall be the sole and exclusive jurisdiction and venue in which any dispute arising under this agreement shall be determined.

Mailing

More FAQ's on Mailing

How can I design my mailing piece to ensure that it qualifies for the service class I need?
The best way is to refer to our "Mail Layout Guides." They show where clear space (free of any design elements) is needed to facilitate barcoding, addressing and permit imprinting so that the mail piece is eligible for your preferred mail service class.

What is CASS and NCOA used for?
USPS Link: http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub363/

If the recipient has moved and left no forwarding address or the address is incorrect or missing an address element, the mailpiece could become undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail.

Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) standardizes your list to match Postal Service formats and then matches the address to as national database of valid addresses to ensure that the address is actually deliverable.

The National Change of Address (NCOA) system uses the USPS database to check for people and businesses that have filed a change of address with the USPS within the last 48 months. Performing this update satisfies the Move Update requirement for First Class and Standard mail. It also saves you money on printing and postage by updating a list. Studies have shown that this service can save users a significant cost of their mailings (in many cases up to 15% or more) and helps increase response rates.

Any address that cannot be standardized by CASS is invalid and cannot be mailed. Any NCOA changes must be updated to be mailed or they will be deleted. For more information go to the UPSP Move Update Link: http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub363/

Is there a fee for a NCOA?
NCOA is used for virtually all mailings we do. The cost for processing your list through NCOA is included in the mail preparations charges

What happens to invalid addresses from my list (CASS/NCOA)?
Addresses that are identified by CASS as Undeliverable As Addressed are removed from the list and are returned to you in a separate file for correction. UAA addresses can only be mailed as nondiscounted First Class Mail. This is only done on your request. Addresses that cannot be updated by NCOA cannot be mailed either.

Can you remove duplicate addresses?
Yes, but only upon your request. Be sure to specify that you want this service.

Can you send a clean list back to me?
We would be happy to email the "cleaned up" version of your list to you, or send you the list of the questionable addresses we removed at your request. Just call us at 661-327-3228 to let us know what file format you would like to receive.

Can you use my mail permit?
We are able to mail from our service location using our mail permit. Mailing permits are tied to local USPS offices and may only be used in the locality where they are issued. If you'd like us to address your material and ship it to you, you could use your own permit and mail it from your location.

How and When should I send my mailing list?
It is important to remember that without your list, we cannot begin the mailing portion of your job. Therefore, you should send it to us at the same time as your printing order if at all possible. If you do not need your cards to mail immediately after the printing, you should make sure we have the list no later than 4 business days before your preferred mailing date.
There are several ways to submit your mailing list. If you are shipping your order to us, you can include your list on a diskette or CD. If you are ordering online through our Online Ordering System, you will be able to upload your mailing list along with your print materials. Please be sure to "zip" your list files before submitting them electronically. In all cases, clearly identify each submission with your Job #, your name, company and phone number. Also, please indicate the quantity and the file types, and provide any special instructions for processing the lists. A field layout is always appreciated and will help expedite processing your list.

What mailing list format should I send you?
The best file formats to send us for your mailing list are either Microsoft Excel or a tab or comma delimited text file.

Please give us a call at 661-327-3228 if you're not sure what format you have or if we can use it. We can walk you through getting your address list into a viable file format and uploaded to us. The most common file formats and extensions for mailing lists are:

    .CSV Comma Delimited
    .ASC ASCII text file
    .TXT ASCII text file
    .XLS Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet
    .MDB Microsoft Access

Once you have your list prepared, you can upload it to us at www.hallprintmail.com. For more mailing list information check out: Getting Your Mail List Ready..

What's the best way to break out the address fields or column names when exporting or preparing a mailing list?
The minimum required fields are: Name, Address1, City, State, Zip. Optional ones might be Business Name, Address2, Dept., etc. There is a limit of 5 lines for any address which in turn limits the number of different fields we can include.

Can you insert additional pieces into my envelope, flyer, etc.?
Yes we can do inserting. Please contact us to discuss your particular needs and to get an accurate price quote.

Do you offer tabbing (also called wafer sealing)?
Any mailing piece that requires tabbing is automatically tabbed according to postal regulations. If you need tabbing but you don't need us to mail your material for you, please call us for pricing.

Will coatings interfere with addressing and mailing?
We can address aqueous-coated pieces, but there will be an additional charge.
We cannot address anything that has a UV coating.

Can I have you mail some of my order and ship the rest?
We'll ship the quantity which is not mailed to the shipping address you provide on the order form.

How long will it take to get my piece into the mail?
Add one to two days production time for mailing..

Do you offer mailing services for items not printed with you?
Yes. Please call us to schedule your mailing.

Can you mail to Canada or other non-U.S. addresses?
We would be happy to mail to your foreign addresses. If you have a mail piece that folds, most countries require that it be sealed on all sides or placed in an envelope.

What fields must I include to make sure my mail is delivered?
For proper addressing, your list must include a recipient's name (or generic name such as "Current Resident"), street name and number (include apt #, PO Box, or suite #), city, state and zip code. Business lists should also include Company names and may optionally include Title & Department fields. Find out more information at Getting Your Mail List Ready..

Is there a minimum quantity you can mail?
Postal regulations require a minimum of 500 pieces to qualify for 1st Class Presort and 200 pieces for Presorted Standard (Bulk Rate). Any less than these amounts will be sent out at the single-piece 1st class rates. Remember the minimum quantity refers the remaining qualified records after all processing and deduping.

I only have self-adhesive mailing labels. Can you use those to complete my mailing?
Yes, in those cases where you do not have an electronic version of your list, we can apply your labels instead of ink jet addressing. However, since we will not be able to apply postal barcodes to your mail, no presort discounts are available. Therefore, your cost for the mailing will be the full First Class postage, plus a Mailing Services fee and a per piece charge to hand-apply the labels. Contact us for details and a cost estimate.

What type of security and protection do you provide for the confidential information contained in my mailing list?
We will take reasonable steps to maintain the confidentiality, safekeeping and protection of confidential information contained in a Customer's mailing list. At all times it is Customer's or Customer's list vendor's responsibility to maintain a duplicate copy of their mailing list(s).

Mailing Services Glossary of Terms

Address - The location to which the USPS is to deliver or return a mailpiece. It consists of certain elements such as recipient name, street name and house number, and city, state, and ZIP Code as required by the mail class.

Address Change Service (ACS) - An automated process that provides change-of-address information to participating mailers who maintain computerized mailing lists. The information is captured in the Computerized Forwarding System (CFS) units and sent to mailers on electronic media, which reduces the volume of manual change-of-address notices.

Address Change Service - A system of ancillary service endorsements that allows mailers to obtain the addressee's new (forwarding) address or the reason for nondelivery.

Addressee - The person or organization to whom a mailpiece is addressed as shown in the delivery address.

Address Element Correction (AEC) - A process that identifies and revises incomplete or incorrect computerized address files and then attaches ZIP+4 and carrier route codes. It involves computer matching address records that cannot be coded using CASS-certified address matching software.

Ancillary Service - Forwarding, return, or address correction service included within a mail class. Depending on the mail class, these services are performed at a charge or at no additional charge, if and when the service is actually rendered.

Ancillary Service Endorsement - A marking used by a mailer to request the new address of an addressee and to provide the USPS with instructions on how to handle mail that is undeliverable as addressed. i.e. Change Service Requested, Forwarding Service Requested, Return Service Requested and Address Service Requested. One of these endorsements may be required if NCOA is not used for the Move Update requirement. (Also see address correction service.)

Army Post Office (APO) - A branch of a designated USPS civilian post office, which falls under the jurisdiction of the postmaster of either New York City or San Francisco, that serves either Army or Air Force personnel. (Also see military post office.)

Aspect Ratio - The dimension of a mailpiece expressed as a ratio of length (the direction parallel to the address) divided by height. For example, a postcard 5-1/2 inches long by 3-1/2 inches high has an aspect ratio of 1.57. An aspect ratio between 1.3 and 2.5, inclusive, is required for automation compatibility. For some First-Class Mail, aspect ratio is used to determine whether a nonstandard surcharge applies.

Automation-compatible Mail - Mail that can be scanned and processed by automated mail processing equipment such as a barcode sorter.

Automation Discount - A postage reduction offered to mailers who prebarcode their mailpieces and meet addressing, readability, and other requirements for processing on automated equipment.

Barcode (BC) - A series of vertical bars and spaces that represent any numerical series, most often a correct ZIP Code for the delivery address on a mailpiece. The barcode facilitates automated processing by barcode readers and scanners. These codes make it possible for the mail processing equipment to quickly process these pieces, lowering mail-processing and delivery costs. The savings are passed on to consumers through lower postage rates. (Also see delivery point barcode and Postal Numeric Encoding Technique.)

Barcode Clear Zone - A rectangular area in the lower right part of a letter-size mailpiece that must be kept free of printing and symbols, except for the barcode itself. This requirement allows automated processing machines to read or apply a barcode.

Barcode Read Area - A small area within the barcode clear zone in which the barcode must be printed. This area is defined by the position of the leftmost bar of the barcode and the bottom edge of the bar.

Bulk Mail - Mail that is rated for postage partly by weight and partly by the number of pieces in the mailing. The term is generally used to refer to Standard Mail (A).

Bulk Mail Center (BMC) - A highly mechanized mail processing plant that distributes Standard Mail in piece and bulk form.

Bulk Rate - The postage rate for mailpieces that are part of a large-volume mailing and that meet minimum volume and preparation requirements. The term is most often applied to Standard Mail (A) mailings, which usually consist of a per piece rate plus a per pound rate.

Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU) - The area of a postal facility where mailers present bulk, presorted, and permit mail for acceptance. The BMEU includes dedicated platform space, office space, and a staging area on the workroom floor.

Business Reply Mail (BRM) - A domestic service that allows a mailer to receive First-Class Mail back from customers and pay postage only for the pieces returned to the mailer from the original distribution of BRM pieces. These pieces must have a specific address and format. Postage and fees are collected when the mail is delivered back to the original mailer

Cancel - To render a postage stamp (except a precanceled stamp) unusable, usually at the point of original entry into the mailstream. This is done by using a facer-canceler or a handstamp Cancellation - A postmark that contains the post office name, state, ZIP Code, and month, day, and year that the mail matter was canceled

Carrier Route (CR) - The addresses to which a carrier delivers mail. In common usage, carrier route includes city routes, rural routes, highway contract routes, post office box sections, and general delivery units.

Carrier Route File - The official listing of all city and noncity delivery post offices, available to mailers in a standardized format. It contains schemes for city routes, rural routes, highway contract routes, post office box sections, and general delivery units. The data are formatted by ZIP Code, street name, and ranged street numbers.

Carrier Route Information System (CRIS) - The official city delivery scheme that lists all city and noncity delivery post offices, which is available to mailers in a standardized format. It contains schemes for city routes, rural routes, highway contract routes, post office box sections, and general delivery units. The data are formatted by ZIP Code, street name, and street number range. Delivery statistics (possible deliveries) for each carrier route are also included in the file. (Also see Coding Accuracy Support System.)

Carrier Route Presort Mail - Mail sorted by carrier route to qualify for discount postage rates. The mail requires no primary or secondary distribution. The term is a general descriptor of the available rates for this type of preparation, which includes Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail, automation carrier route First-Class Mail, carrier route Periodicals, and carrier route Bound Printed Matter. Unless mailed at automation rates, carrier route mailpieces usually do not bear a barcode. (Also called Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail.) Version 1.1 123 5/19/09

Certified Mail - A service that provides the sender with a mailing receipt. A record of delivery is kept at the post office of address. This type of mail must be sent at First-Class Mail or Priority Mail rates. Certified mail may be combined with return receipt service and restricted delivery service.

Change-Of-Address (COA) - A customer move from one mailing address to another.

Change-Of-Address Order - A customer's notification to the post office of a permanent or temporary change of address (COA) by using Form 3575, Change of Address Order, or other written or personal notice

Clear Space - Area in lower right of a mailing piece where the address and barcode is printed. This area must be blank or with less than 10% ink density, to ensure machine readability and therefore be eligible for your desired mail service class. Refer to our "U.S. Mail Layout Guides" for more information and help in preparing your layout. (See also Barcode Clear Zone)

Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) - A service offered to mailers, service bureaus, and software vendors that improves the accuracy of matching to delivery point codes, ZIP+4 codes, 5-digit ZIP Codes, and carrier route codes on mailpieces. CASS provides a common platform to measure the quality of address matching software and to diagnose and correct software problems.

CASS Certification - Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) improves delivery of your mail piece and maximizes postage savings by adding Zip+4 codes to your mailing list where possible. The CASS Certification process also helps determine certain address problems and standardizes addresses to Postal Service formatting. The correct Zip+4 allows us to apply postal barcodes to your mail pieces, qualifying your mail for Mail Class discounts.

Coil - A roll of postage stamps (usually in quantities of 100, 500, 3,000, or 10,000

Courtesy Reply Mail (CRM) - Envelopes or postcards that a mailer provides to its customers to expedite delivery of their responses. The customer affixes the reply postage before mailing.

Dead Mail - Mail that is undeliverable as addressed and cannot be returned to the sender (usually because there is no return address on the piece).

Delivery Address - The location (destination) to which the USPS is to deliver a mailpiece. Except for mail prepared with a detached address label, the piece must show the address of the addressee (intended recipient) on the side bearing the postage. It is usually placed in the lower right. (Compare with return address.)

Delivery Address Format - Address elements required by the USPS on all mailpieces - that is, the intended recipient's name; either general delivery, a house or building number and street name (plus apartment/suite number, if applicable), or a post office box number or rural route or highway contract route designation with a box number; and city, state or state abbreviation, and ZIP Code or ZIP+4. Placement of this information on the mailpiece determines the dimension considered the length of lettersize mail. (Compare with alternative addressing format.)

Delivery Point Barcode (DPBC) - A POSTNET barcode that consists of 62 bars with beginning and ending frame bars and 5 bars each for the nine digits of the ZIP+4 code, the last 2 digits of the primary street address number (or post office box, etc.), and a correction digit. The DPBC allows automated sortation of letter mail to the carrier level in walk sequence.

Delivery Point Code - In mail processing, the finest depth of code to which a mailpiece can be sorted by its address. It is usually the 11-digit numeric code formed from the ZIP+4 and represented by the Version 1.1 124 5/19/09 delivery point barcode (DPBC).

Destination Bulk Mail Center (DBMC) Rate - A rate available for Standard Mail (A) and Standard Mail (B) Parcel Post that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the BMC or other designated postal facility that serves the delivery address on the mail.

Destination Delivery Unit (DDU) Rate - A rate available for Periodicals and Standard Mail that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the delivery unit that serves the delivery address on the mail.

Destination Sectional Center Facility (DSCF) Rate - A rate available for Periodicals (except In-County) and Standard Mail that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the sectional center facility (SCF) (or, for certain Parcel Post, at the BMC) that serves the delivery address on the mail.

Detached Address Label (DAL) - Paper or cardboard stock used to carry address information when preparing a mailing of unaddressed Periodicals flats, Standard Mail (A) flats or merchandise samples, or unaddressed Bound Printed Matter.

Direct Mail - Another name for advertising mail sent to targeted markets. It can be any mail class, but it is usually Standard Mail (A).

Exceptional Address - An alternative addressing format that indicates that the mailpiece should be delivered to the current resident if the addressee has moved. i.e. “or Current Resident”. (Compare with occupant address and simplified address.)

Flat-size Mail - A mailpiece that exceeds one of the dimensions for letter-size mail (11-1/2 inches long, 6-1/8 inches high, 1/4 inch thick) but that does not exceed the maximum dimension for the mail processing category (15 inches long, 12 inches high, 3/4 inch thick). Dimensions are different for automation rate flat-size mail eligibility. Flat-size mail may be unwrapped, sleeved, wrapped, or enveloped

Forward - To redirect mail to the intended recipient's new delivery address in cases where Form 3575, Change of Address Order, or other written or personal notice has been filed with the local post office. (Also see Address Change Service, address correction service, and ancillary service.)

Highway Contract Route (HCR) - A route of travel served by a postal contractor to carry mail over highways between designated points. Some HCRs include mail delivery to addresses along the line of travel. Formerly called star route.

Ink Jet Addressing - We use state of the art, high-speed, ink jet technology for accurate addressing and bar coding that meets or exceeds USPS addressing regulations. Ink Jet addressing prints directly on the mailpiece, allowing for additional variable print fields to be used for marketing or transactional information.

Letter-size Mail - A mail processing category of mailpieces, including cards, that do not exceed any of the dimensions for letter-size mail (that is, 11-1/2 inches long, 6-1/8 inches high, 1/4 inch thick

Machinable - The capacity of a mailpiece to be sorted by mail processing equipment. (Compare with nonmachinable.)

Mailbox - Any private receptacle or container used by customers to receive mail either at their residence or at the curbside

Mailer - An entity that prepares and/or presents a mailing to the USPS. In some cases, a mailer is the agent for the actual owner of the mail. Version 1.1 125 5/19/09

Mail Fraud - A scheme to get money or other assets from a postal customer by offering a product, service, or investment opportunity that does not live up to its claims. Prosecutors must prove that the claims were intentionally misrepresented and that the mails were used to carry out the scheme. (Also see fraud order.)

Mailing Agent - A private third party that engages in a principal-agent relationship to mail bulk mail.

Mailing List - A group of names and addresses to which mailpieces in the corresponding mailing are addressed

Metered Mail - Any mail class (except Periodicals) with postage printed by a USPS-approved postage meter.

NCOA (National Change of Address) - Over 40 million Americans change their address every year. The National Change of Address (NCOA) system uses the USPS database to check for people and businesses that have filed a change of address with the USPS within the last 48 months. Performing this update on a list saves you money on printing and postage by updating a list. Studies have shown that this service can save users a significant cost of their mailings (in many cases up to 15% or more) plus help increase response rates. We compare your list with the address change orders given to the Post Office. Your list is automatically updated with that person or business' new address. We provide you with this a list of the names with changes and their new address (some change to valid addresses, others change to non-updateable addresses). Due to postal regulations and USPS privacy rules, a NCOA Processing Acknowledgement Form must be filled out and kept in our files before we can create you account and process your list through NCOA.

Nonmachinable - The incapacity of a mailpiece to be sorted on mail processing equipment because of size, shape, content, or address legibility. Such mail must be processed manually.

Nonprofit Rate - A preferred rate for a Periodicals publisher authorized as a nonprofit organization.

Nonprofit Standard Mail - A subclass of Standard Mail that is available only to qualified organizations specified by U.S. statute.

Non-Quals - Matter remaining after completion of a presort sequence. It lacks the volume set by standard to require or permit package, tray, or sack preparation to a particular destination. Residual mail usually does not qualify for the presort rate. (Also called nonqualifying mail and working mail.)

Nonreadable Mail - Mail whose address cannot be deciphered by an optical character reader.

Occupant Address - An alternative addressing format that uses on one of four designations (that is, postal customer, occupant, householder, or resident) rather than an addressee name at a specific street address or post office box number, or rural route and box number; and post office, state, and ZIP Code. (Compare with exceptional address and simplified address.)

OCR Read Area - A rectangular area on the address side of the mailpiece that is 1/2 inch from the left and right edges of the mailpiece, 5/8 inch from the bottom edge, and 2-3/4 inches from the bottom edge. (Also see optical character reader.)

Optical Character Reader (OCR) - An automated mail sorting machine that interprets the address information on a letter-size mailpiece and sprays the corresponding ZIP Code information onto the piece as a barcode. The OCR consists of a mail feed unit, transport unit, stacker modules, computer with a control system, video monitor, and printer.

Optional Endorsement Line (OEL) - A series of specific printed characters on the top line of the address block that identifies the sortation level of a package or bundle and may contain an ACS participant code. The OEL is used in place of package labels. Version 1.1 126 5/19/09

Periodicals - A class of mail consisting of magazines, newspapers, or other publications formed of printed sheets that are issued at least four times a year at regular, specified intervals (frequency) from a known office of publication. Periodicals usually must have a legimate list of subscribers and requesters

Postage Meter - A mechanical or electromechanical device that can print one or more denominations of an authorized postage indicia. It is available for lease only from designated manufacturers. (Also see metered mail.)

Postage Stamp - A gummed or self-adhesive paper stamp affixed to mail as payment for postal services. Types of stamps include definitive stamp (regular-issue stamp), special-issue stamp, and commemorative stamp. (Compare with metered postage.)

Postage Statement - Documentation provided by a mailer to the USPS that reports the volume of mail being presented and the postage payable or affixed, and certifies that the mail meets the applicable eligibility standards for the rate claimed

Postal Numeric Encoding Technique (POSTNET) - The barcode system used on letter-size and flatsize mailpieces for encoding the delivery point information and ZIP+4 code information. (Also see delivery point barcode.)

Postal Rate Commission (PRC) - An independent federal agency that makes recommendations on USPS requests for changes in postal rates and mail classifications. The five commissioners are nominated by the President and approved by the U.S. Senate

Precancel - To cancel postage stamps or stamped envelopes before mailing. The USPS sells precanceled postage to mailers of Presorted (including automation rate) First-Class Mail and Standard Mail (A). If authorized, bulk mailers may precancel their own postage.

Precanceled Stamp - A postage stamp canceled by marking across the face before it is sold to mailers for use with bulk mailings. Also, a stamp designated by the USPS as a precanceled stamp without cancellation marks. Mailpieces with these stamps do not go through a canceling machine at the time of mail processing. Precanceled postage is an optional postage payment method for mailings at Presorted and automation First-Class Mail rates and at all Presorted Standard Mail (A) rates. (Also see precancel.)

Presort - The process by which a mailer prepares mail so that it is sorted to the finest extent required by the standards for the rate claimed. Generally, presort is performed sequentially, from the lowest (finest) level to the highest level, to those destinations specified by standard and is completed at each level before the next level is prepared. Not all presort levels are applicable to all mailings.

Presort Accuracy Validation and Evaluation (PAVE) - A voluntary program in which the USPS tests vendors' presort software and hardware products to determine their accuracy in sorting address information according to USPS standards and producing standardized supporting documentation

Presorted Mail - A form of mail preparation, required to bypass certain postal operations, in which the mailer groups pieces in a mailing by ZIP Code or by carrier route or carrier walk sequence (or other USPS-recommended separation).

Presorted Standard - The postage rate for Standard Mail (A) pieces that are part of a mailing and that meet minimum volume and preparation requirements

Return Address - A mailpiece element that is usually placed in the upper left corner of the mailpiece to indicate the address of the sender. This address indicates where the sender wants the mail returned if it is undeliverable and where the sender will pay any fee due for that mail. (Also see undeliverable as addressed.)

Return Receipt - The mailing card (Form 3811 for domestic and Form 2865 for international) signed by the addressee of an article and mailed back to the sender as evidence of delivery. This supplemental mail service is available for a fee when using Express Mail or recorded delivery, certified mail, collect on delivery, mail insured for more than $50, registered mail, or return receipt for merchandise.

Sectional Center Facility (SCF) - A postal facility that serves as the processing and distribution center (P&DC) for post offices in a designated geographic area as defined by the first three digits of the ZIP Codes of those offices. Some SCFs serve more than one 3-digit ZIP Code range

Simplified Address - An alternative addressing format used when delivery of identical mail is requested to every customer on a rural route or highway contract route, or to all post office box customers at a post office without city carrier service. Instead of listing the name and address of the addressee, the mailer may use "postal customer." It may also be used by government agencies for official mail sent to all stops on city routes and post office boxes at post offices with city delivery service. In such cases, these formats may be used: "Postal Customer," "Residential Customer," and "Business Customer," depending on the type of coverage requested. (Compare with exceptional address and occupant address.)

Standard Mail (A) - Standard Mail matter that weighs less than 16 ounces. It comprises the subclasses of Regular Standard Mail, Nonprofit Standard Mail, Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail, and Nonprofit Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail. These subclasses include circulars, printed matter, pamphlets, catalogs, newsletters, direct mail, and merchandise. Standard Mail (A) may be sent at presorted rates and at automation rates.

Standard Mail (B) - Standard Mail matter that weighs 16 ounces or more but not more than 70 pounds. It comprises four subclasses: Bound Printed Matter, Library Mail, Parcel Post, and Special Standard Mail.

Undeliverable As Addressed (UAA) - Mail that the USPS cannot deliver as addressed and must forward to the addressee, return to the sender, or send to a mail recovery center. (Also see address correction service, Computerized Forwarding System II, markup, nixie, return address, throwback case, and tracer.)

ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan) Code - Established in 1963, the system of 5-digit codes that identifies the individual post office or metropolitan area delivery station associated with an address. The first three digits identify the delivery area of a sectional center facility or a major-city post office serving the delivery address area. The next two (the fourth and fifth) digits identify the delivery area of an associate post office, post office branch, or post office station. All post offices are assigned at least one unique 5-digit code. ZIP+4 is an enhanced code consisting of the 5-digit ZIP Code and four additional digits that identify a specific range of delivery addresses. ZIP Code is a USPS trademark. (Also see two-pass.)

ZIP+4 - The nine-digit numeric code, established in 1981, composed of two parts: (a) The initial code: the first five digits that identify the sectional center facility and delivery area associated with the address, followed by a hyphen; and (b) the four-digit expanded code: the first two additional digits designate the sector (a geographic area) and the last two digits designate the segment (a building, floor, etc.). ZIP+4 is a USPS trademark. ZIP+4 barcode - A nine-digit POSTNET barcode consisting of 52 vertical bars

Mailing Trade Customs

Of The MAILING & FULFILLMENT SERVICE ASSOCIATION as adopted by Hall Letter Shop, Inc.

1.    QUOTATIONS: Subject to acceptance within 30 days. Quotations are based on the cost of services, labor and materials on the date of the quote. If changes occur in cost of materials, labor, or other costs prior to acceptance, or if the customer requires changes in the mailing schedule subsequent to acceptance, the right is reserved to change the price quoted. Subsequent orders will be subject to price revision if required. Quotations do not include applicable taxes, shipping costs or deliveries unless specifically stated. Quotations are only valid when in writing.
 2.   CANCELLATION: Orders may be canceled by the customer at any time by notice in writing or via e-mail with the understanding that the mailer will be compensated in full for any work or services performed prior to cancellation, plus the cost of any goods or services purchased for the order. In addition, because mailing requires advance scheduling of equipment and labor which often cannot be replaced by other jobs, the mailer reserves the right to assess a cancellation fee to reflect the opportunity cost associated with a job being canceled.
3.    ALTERATIONS/SPECIFICATIONS: Prices quoted herein are based upon the mailer’s understanding of the client specifications submitted. If there is a change in specifications or instructions to the original quotation and these changes result in additional costs, the work performed will be billed at the current or minimum rates, and the mailing date may be delayed.
4.    VERBAL ORDERS: Written or e-mail orders are strongly recommended. Verbal orders are accepted with the provision that the final specifications will be those faxed or mailed and understood by the mailer at the time the work was started.
5.    POSTAGE: Quotations do not include postage. The mailer will notify the customer in writing or by email of the required postage as soon as this amount is known and will notify the customer of the date when the postage is needed in order to complete the mailing prior to the agreed upon mailing date. While the mailer will make every effort to provide the customer with an accurate estimate of required postage, the mailer is not responsible for additional postage charges if the rate of postage changes due to the design of the mail piece. Payment of postage in advance is required on all orders and is the responsibility of the customer. The mailer reserves the right to hold mailings for which sufficient postage has not been paid or until postage payment has been verified. The customer will provide the postage payment in adequate time for the mailer to complete the mailing prior to the previously agreed upon mail date.
6.    ACCEPTANCE OF ORDER: The mailer may refuse at any time to mail any copy, photographs or illustrations of any kind that in the mailer's sole judgment is an invasion of privacy, is degrading, libelous, unlawful, profane, obscene, pornographic, tends to ridicule or embarrass, or is in bad taste, or which in the mailer's sole judgement is an infringement on a trademark, or trade name, or service mark, or copyright belonging to others.

    The customer will defend and hold the mailer harmless in any suit or court action brought against the mailer by others for alleged damages, costs, expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees), liabilities or losses resulting from circumstances where the mailer, acting as the customer’s agent, uses copy, photographs, or illustrations that are believed by others to be degrading, libelous or harmful to their reputations, images, or standing in the community or which in the mailer's sole judgment is an infringement on a trademark, trade name, service mark, or copyright belonging to others, or in a suit or court action brought against the mailer for actions of the customer's employees which may occur as a result of any mailing.
7.    MAILING LISTS: Customer's mailing list(s) in the mailer's possession, for storage or otherwise, is the exclusive property of the customer and shall be used only at the customer’s instructions. The mailer shall provide reasonable and prudent protection against the loss of a customer's list, in much the same manner that the customer would itself. This includes adequate backup procedures for all files and programs. The mailer shall pay for the cost of replacing such lists in the event of systems failure, loss by fire, vandalism, theft, or other such causes (excluding destruction of the list due to customer's negligence or willful misconduct), provided that the customer has a duplicate list or has the source material from which the list was compiled, and then only to the extent of the costs involved in replacing the lost list. The mailer shall not be liable for compiling such lists nor for an intangible or special value attached thereto.
    The mailer is not responsible for the accuracy or integrity of lists or other data supplied by the customer or a list broker. Unless otherwise specified in writing in advance, all rented mailing lists are provided on a one-time use basis.
8.    MATERIALS: The mailer assumes in all quotations that all material provided will permit efficient handling on automated equipment and meets equipment manufacturer's published specifications. Materials furnished that are within manufacturer's specifications, but which are not up to acceptable operational standards due to poor folding, facing, trimming, packing, sticking together of material, insufficient leeway between enclosures and envelopes, square envelope flaps or other causes, will be subject to pricing at special rates. Customer will be notified when a deficiency is discovered and approval will be obtained for handling at special rates before proceeding with work. A new delivery schedule may result when deficient materials are used.
    The mailer is not responsible for identifying errors in preprinted copy on customer-furnished materials and assumes no liability for damages resulting from the mailing of materials which contain erroneous information. When performing mailings for not-for-profit customers, the mailer is not responsible for content in mailed materials which causes a customer to lose their Nonprofit Status. All direct mail handling and processing involves spoilage. Spoilage of up to three (3) percent of customer’s material is typical. Allowances for spoilage should be taken into consideration in ordering material. Every effort will be made to handle customer's material with frugality and to prevent undue spoilage. Nevertheless, the mailer cannot accept responsibility for shortages of material as a result of normal spoilage in processing. All stock and materials belonging to a customer will be held and stored only at the customer's risk, and the customer shall be responsible for insurance on their material.

    Printer delivery tickets must accompany the material delivered and should show the number of skids or cartons, the quantity per skid or carton and the total delivery quantity. Each incoming carton or skid must bear an identity, item code, quantity and a sample clearly visible. Each skid should have only one material version, unless clearly marked and separated. Multiple items should not be included within a single carton, skid or container unless noted thereon and on accompanying paperwork. The mailer will apply a surcharge for any rework necessary for materials received not meeting these specifications. Mailers accept printers' count until processing and assume no responsibility for shortages discovered at that time. Additional charges will apply if customer requires the mailer to verify printer’s counts prior to processing. Customer is expected to provide mailer with sufficient inventory or adequate sources of supply to meet anticipated demand. Cost for backorders, delay notices, canceled orders and increased customer service resulting from out of stock conditions will be billed additional to customer. Collect shipment will be accepted by the mailer only if clearance is obtained in advance, and a service charge will be added to the actual freight charges. Mailer is not responsible for the condition of shipped overs, unless customer has been billed for packing and/or shipping. Customer retains title to and the insurable interest in its materials. Because of this, the mailer is held harmless for acts not of its doing that create losses. It is the responsibility of the mailer to carry insurance to protect against acts or negligence on the part of its employees in the normal course of business. If specific additional insurance coverage is desired, such coverage must be specified by agreement or by separate insurance rider and premium. In such instances, the liability for losses will be limited to the agreed upon insurance amount.
9.    INSERTING SEQUENCE: Effort will be made to insert material in the sequence and facing the direction the customer requests, but quoted prices assume the most advantageous production speeds. Specified sequence or facing may result in additional charges being billed.
10.   OVERAGES: The customer must advise the mailer, in advance of the job, the disposition of overs. Overs may be returned to the customer, stored or destroyed. If items are stored or returned, applicable storage and delivery charges will be added. Additionally, at the mailer’s option and without liability to the mailer, material may be automatically destroyed after 60 days if customer has failed to respond to a disposition request or failed to pay for storage starting 30 days after the mail date. Premium storage rates may be applied to old materials or materials for which disposition has not been designated.
11.   DELIVERY SCHEDULES: Mailer will make every reasonable effort to meet scheduled delivery and mailing date(s), but because of the many factors outside its control, accepts no liability for failure to meet scheduled date(s). In addition, mailers have no control over U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service or common carriers’ delivery schedules and cannot guarantee when mail or shipments deposited with or released to these carriers will be delivered. The customer shall accept the date which mail or shipments were deposited with or released to these carriers as the date of delivery. All orders are accepted contingent to fire, accident, acts of God, mechanical breakdown or other causes beyond the mailer’s control. Since the time element is an integral part of the mailing business, quoted prices are based upon a specific set of time schedules for completion. Any requested deviation from the schedules described or agreed upon by both parties at commencement of order may alter the quoted price. Late material may affect the completion date of the order by a greater degree than the actual elapsed time the material is late.
12.   ERRORS IN MAILING: Mailer shall be liable only to the extent of remailing a correction or corrected job as soon as possible to rectify the mistake. Damages shall be limited to the value of the work performed. In no case is the mailer liable for loss of business; incidental or consequential damages; or costs in excess of billing for services related to the specific job.
13.   DELINQUENT INVOICES: If money is owed the mailer, the mailer may, at his option, withhold future mailings and/or hold the customer's list, printing or other property against payment of delinquent invoices. "Delinquent" is defined as "past the agreed or specified payment date." After suitable credit has been established, unless otherwise specified in writing by the mailer, terms are net with interest as allowed by law applied to delinquent invoices. Customers are responsible for any related collection costs, legal fees and interest.
14.   BROKER/AD AGENCY/RESELLER: When contracting with an intermediary such as a broker, ad agency or reseller for work on behalf of their clients, the mailer will hold the intermediary fully responsible for timely payment of invoices and for related collection costs, legal fees and interest. This will be done without regard to whether the intermediary has been paid by their client for services rendered.
15.   TAXES: All amounts due for taxes and assessments will be added to the customer’s invoice and are the responsibility of the customer. No tax exemption will be granted unless official proof of the customer’s exemption is on file with the mailer or such documentation accompanies the order. If, after the customer has paid the invoice, it is determined that more tax is due, the customer must promptly remit the required taxes to the taxing authority or immediately reimburse the mailer for any additional taxes paid by the mailer.

MFSA has issued trade customs for the mailing industry for more than 70 years.

Payment and Delivery

We accept VISA, MasterCard and American Express credit cards. We also accept Purchase Orders from approved agencies and businesses.

To be exempt from California Sales Tax you must:

 -Reside outside the State of California

or

-have a re-sale certificate on file with Hall Letter Shop, Inc.

or

 -be a Federal Credit Union or Federal Agency

or

-have a Non-Profit Sales Tax exemption Certificate on file with Hall Letter Shop, Inc

Pricing

Web-to-Print Products

All our web-to-print products have a dynamic pricing calculator that will instantly display the selling price based on the options you have selected. The total price will be displayed in your cart and it will include your selected shipping method and sales tax if applicable.

Custom Print to Order Products

All other printed products or mailing service will be quoted on a job by job basis and a deposit will be required before any work is begun. A final signed proof and authorization to proceed will be required before any actual printing is started. Payment in full is then required before final delivery unless other terms of payment have been agree upon.