FAQ

1. What is the normal turn around time for an order?

The turn around time depends on the order, in all cases we get the job done as fast as possible. For an average job, the turn around time is 2-3 business days, but it all depends on the size, quantity, availability, etc. We always try to meet any of your deadline requests.

2.What exactly is Computer Cut Vinyl?

It’s just like it says, basically it’s a big sticker cut out of adhesive vinyl to a shape (like a letter or a basketball, etc.). And we transfer those over to Vinyl Banners/Signs/Vehicles/Etc.

3. What is Vector Art?

Vector art is kind of like line art and gives the appearance of taking a pen and drawing on a piece of paper. Circles and Squares are simple vector images.

4. What is raster image artwork?

Raster is more of a photograph, with gradients, soft meshes, textures, etc., not just spot colour sharp lines. You could not cut out a raster image. Raster can be 1, 2, 3 or 4 colours which makes the entire spectrum (CMYK, RGB, etc.).

5. What programs let me save in vector formats?

Adobe Illustrator, Freehand, and Corel Draw are the major software makers out there. Photoshop can export illustrator paths, and some other programs are also able to export their paths ti Illustrator file formats.

6. When do I save a raster image, and when do I save vector?

Vector is the file format you use when the image is made with paths and fills. It is also the only format you can cut vinyl from. Raster would be used for Photos and all miscellaneous images.

7. How should I give you my artwork?

It all depends on what kind of product we are producing. If we are doing a 1 color vinyl sign/banner, the best format is Illustrator. In usually best to give us something in Illustrator format, even for an inkjet or Gerber Edge print. If it’s an inkjet print, it is okay to give it to us in .TIF or .PSD format.

8. Do you accept Zip, Jazz, CDs, or Super Disks?

We only accept 3.5 inch floppies and CDs. However, the most convenient method to send your files would be by emailing us at sales@unitedawningsandsigns.com.

9. What's the largest file size I can email you?

If you cannot fit it on a 3.5 inch floppy (1.44 Megabytes) then probably it is too big to send by email also. In those cases, if the file size is really big, we suggest burning it on a CD.

10. How long will it last in the weather?

Our standard Vinyl Banners last about 3-5 years, but we’ve seen longer. You can buy heavy duty banner material or High performance vinyl to extend the life of your banner. All of our vinyl banners are weatherproof (rain, wind, snow, etc.). Our inkjet prints can last very long if they are indoors, and kept away from sunlight (due to fading). We can laminate or use different methods to make them last longer. Weather resistance and how long products will last depnds on the actual product. Feel free to contact us if you have any more specific questions.

11. Are your prices competitive?

When comparing apples to apples we believe our prices are very competitive. We always put out the highest quality for the same price as our competitors. We will never sacrifice quality for price.

12. Do you ship to our location?

Yes, we deliver and do installation for most areas in the Greater Vancouver. If you are out of this area, we can ship anywhere using couriers, UPS, FedEx, etc., for a nominal fee.

13. What programs do you use to print your signs?

We use proprietary Sign-Lab software. You would not have this software on your home computer and you would not just buy it at your local retail store. But if you are curious, we have Gerber Graphix Advantage 6.2, Anagraph Design Art version 3.5 and Photoprint 1.5 v1.

14. Why shouldn't I use my web site images for signs?

Well this is a wide statement. Web images can be great if they have are high resolution images and very large in size, but most are under 50K. 50 kilobytes is drastically small considering 3 sq. ft. should be 24 megabytes. Also they are bitmap, which means 4 color process prints. Basically web images are normally not a safe source of art.

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