Questions, answered.
The things people ask us before they order and after. If you do not see yours, ask; we answer the same day.
Ordering
How do I order?
Business cards, booklets and the other things we make to a set recipe are under Products: choose the paper, the finish and the run size, watch the price, add your file and check out. Anything else starts with Start a project: a few questions, and a quote from us within a business day.
What is a quote, and how do I accept it?
A quote is our price for a job that is not on the shelf, good until the date on it. Open it from your email or under Quotes in your account. Accepting it makes the order. The quote shows any deposit and payment terms; if sales tax is pending, we email you when payment is ready. We confirm the files and approval needed before printing.
Is there a minimum order?
Only what the product page says. Some things start at 25, some at 100, and a single poster is a fine order. If you need less than the smallest run, ask; often we can.
Can I order without an account?
Yes. Check out as a guest and follow your order from the link in your email. An account keeps your orders, quotes, proofs and files in one place and makes reordering easier.
Can I reorder something I had before?
Open the order in your account and choose Order again. The paper, the finish, the run size and your artwork come with it. Change anything you like before checking out.
Files and proofs
What file should I send?
A PDF, exported at press quality with 0.25 in of bleed. The artwork guide has the whole recipe: bleed and safe area, resolution, color, type sizes, how to set up a booklet. Native files and photographs are welcome too.
I do not have a designer. Can you help?
Yes. Tell us what you have (a logo, some text, a photo, an old card) in the notes or through Start a project, and we will lay it out and send you a proof. Design time is quoted by the hour, and we say what it will be before we start.
Will I see a proof?
For most jobs, yes. You approve it while ordering or on your order page before we print. If we send a proof after checking your file, we email you when it is ready to review. Photo prints are printed as you crop them and do not receive a separate proof.
What do you check, and what do you not?
We check that the file will print well: size, bleed, resolution, color, fonts, page order. We do not proofread. Spelling, dates and phone numbers are yours to check on the proof, and once you approve it, it prints as shown.
Can I add or change a file after ordering?
You can add files from your order page while the job is waiting for them. To replace a file or make a change after approval, write to us on the order or call straight away. We will stop the job if we can and confirm what needs changing before it runs.
Paper and finishes
Which paper should I choose?
The product page describes each one, and the paper guide explains the words: weights, coated and uncoated, gloss, silk and matte, and what each of our stocks is good for. Cotton, kraft and black stocks are ordered in for a job; ask. Paper is easier to feel than to read about, and when it matters we will talk it through with you and show you the difference.
Will my colors be right?
We measure them rather than judge them by eye. The press is calibrated with a spectrophotometer, an instrument that reads printed color, and profiled for each paper we run, so the same file prints the same next month and a reprint matches the first. A printed proof comes off the same press on the same paper, so it is the job, not a guess at it. For a brand color, give us CMYK values or a Pantone reference, and ask for a printed proof when the color is critical.
Will the color match my screen?
Close, not identical. A screen glows and paper does not, and a few screen colors are outside what the four colors on the press can mix. If a color must match, name the Pantone number or the CMYK values and ask for a printed proof.
Do you laser cut and engrave?
Yes, in house. A laser cuts paper and card to any shape without a die: no die to make, any outline, detail as fine as the design allows, and on paper a faintly darkened edge, which we will point out before you decide. It is how we cut intricate invitations, tags and shapes. The same lasers engrave wood, acrylic, leather and coated metal, and mark glass and plastics. Tell us what you have in mind through Start a project.
Do you print white ink and foil?
Yes. Neither is part of a standard run, so tell us before you design for them, through Start a project, and we will say how each works on the paper you have in mind and quote it with the job. Then set the white or foil elements on their own layer as a spot color (the artwork guide shows how), or send the design and we will separate it.
Turnaround and delivery
How long does it take?
Most business cards and flat pieces are ready two to three business days after you approve the proof; booklets and anything with finishing, about a week. Photo prints have no separate proof, so we confirm their timing when you order. The order page tells you where the job is at every step. Need it sooner? Say so in the notes and we will tell you what is possible.
Do you ship, or can I pick up?
Both. Pick up at the shop in North Carolina, or we ship anywhere in the US; you choose at checkout. A poster on a board is picked up here, or we quote its shipping. When a job ships, the tracking number appears on your order.
Where is my order?
Follow the order link in your email, or open the order in your account: Waiting for your files, Proofing, Printing, Finishing, Ready, Shipped. We update it as the job moves, and you can write to us on the order any time.
Paying
When do I pay?
Online purchases are paid at checkout, unless your account is set up for invoicing. Your quote and order show any deposit, what is due and when. If sales tax is pending, we email you when payment is ready. Tax and delivery are shown before you pay. Invoices are due on the date shown on the invoice.
What about a bigger quantity than the page offers?
Ask through Start a project. Larger runs are quoted, and we will say how the quantity changes the price.
When something is wrong
The job did not come out the way I expected.
Write to us on the order or call. If we made a mistake, we reprint it, quickly and at our cost. If the file had the problem and the proof showed it, we will tell you honestly and work out the best way to put it right.
Can I cancel an order?
Before you approve the proof, we refund the order less any design time already done. After approval, or for photo prints that have no separate proof, write to us on the order or call immediately. We will stop the job if we can and charge only for work already done.
How do I reach a person?
Call (919) 744-1801, email hello@howlingpress.com, or write on your order in your account. Real people, in the shop, during working hours.
Something we missed?
Call (919) 744-1801 or write to hello@howlingpress.com. If you already have an order, the fastest way is a message on it.