Getting Started
Shipping
Photographic Printing
Press Printing
Mounting
Turn Around Times
Custom Orders
Getting Started with ProDPI:
Q. How do I set up an account?
A. Our homepage has a link called “Sign Up!” which will take you to a page with simple instructions/links to sign up to be a ProDPI customer.
Q. How can I see your papers before I start ordering?
A. After signing up with ProDPI and downloading ROES, you will be given the opportunity to order up to five 8×10 prints on our Fuji Professional Super Type PD Luster Paper. We suggest you use this as an opportunity to test our quality and check how well your monitor is calibrated to our printers. You can order the sample prints in ROES under Sizes > Catalogs > Get Started Here! You will also have the choice of ordering a free swatchbook of all of our press papers and Fuji Pearl & Luster photographic papers from this catalog as well!
Q. What color spaces may I use?
A. ProDPI accepts all RGB color profiles so long as they are embedded in your file.
Q. How can I see your executive drop ship packaging before I send it to my clients?
A. You can order Executive packaging for orders being shipped to your studio for just $4.95!
Q. What is your policy on damaged orders?
A. ProDPI will gladly replace any damaged orders. Please contact us as soon as you receive a damaged order so we may speed along the reprocessing, as well as place a claim with the carrier for the damage. We suggest inspecting the box upon arrival and if any damage is discovered, please refuse the delivery if possible and contact ProDPI. Please retain any damaged packaging for two weeks for UPS damage inspection purposes.
Q. Do you offer web cart services?
A. ProDPI is a printing lab only. We do not offer any hosting or order processing for our photographers. However, we do have partnerships with Digiproofs and Nextproof, two companies who do provide such services.
Q. How can I change my information on file – address, email, phone number, credit card?
A. Pay a visit to www.prodpiconnect.com or from our homepage under the “Account Management” link to gain access to our customer portal where you can modify your information, view open orders, and search for completed invoices. It’s important to make these changes before you place orders that will be affected by the changes. As always, feel free to pick up the phone and contact a customer service representative who will be happy to update your account information. We are available M-F 9-5 PST at 1.888.ProDPI.5
Q. Can I combine orders from multiple catalogs?
A. Due to maximizing turnaround times and ensuring proper order handling in-lab, ProDPI cannot combine orders from different catalogs in ROES. Different paper types and various products have a different turn around in the lab, taking different routes and thus completed in different amounts of time. This means that orders containing certain product types (album prints, express proofs, and different printing services such as metallic printing and press printing) cannot be combined with each other or with our standard digital printing.
Q. Do you offer any coating or texturing of photographic prints?
A. We now offer Luster Coating for sizes 4×6 to 20×30 of Fuji Luster Photographic Prints, as well as UV coating for Press Products! The UV coating for Press Products is available with the following paper types: Semi-Gloss, Pearl, Stipple and Linen!
Shipping:
Q. How long will my order take in shipping?
A. Orders being delivered to your studio address on file will ship via UPS . These orders will arrive in 1-3 business days depending on your location. Orders being Drop Shipped to your customer will ship via UPS Ground and will arrive in 1-7 business days depending on your customers location. Shipping upgrades include UPS 2 Day Air and UPS Overnight. Orders being sent to your customer via US Postal Drop Shipping will ship through the US Postal Service and will normally arrive in 5-10 business days depending on your clients location. Postal Drop Ship orders are not traceable.
Q. What is Drop Shipping?
A. Drop shipping is an option we provide which allows you to have your clients prints shipped directly to them. They are packaged in unmarked brown boxes and shipped without any information indicating our lab’s involvement in their product. You have the option with drop shipping to have the package sent via UPS Ground, UPS 2day, or UPS Overnight.
Q. What is Postal Drop Shipping?
A. Postal Drop Shipping is a drop shipping option we provide through USPS. It requires that you not place more than 50 prints in the order, and that you not order anything larger than an 8×10. PDS shipments are mailed in thick tan mailer envelopes. Like normal drop shipping, there is nothing in or on the package that indicates our lab’s involvement in the product. Unlike normal drop shipping, there is no tracking information provided, and the normal time for delivery is 5-10 days. Because no tracking is available for this shipping option, we do reserve a 21 day period after shipment before considering the print ‘lost’ in shipping.
Q. What is Executive Packaging?
A. We now offer two types of Executive Packaging, both available for studio as well as drop ship orders. We still have our classic black Executive Packaging boxes with silver stretch bows, and have now added our Green Executive packaging to the mix! Our Green Executive packaging includes brown boxes made from recycled materials and cream colored, 100% recycled cotton bows!
Q. What happens when I forget to select a shipping method?
A. When you do not select ‘Ship To Studio’ in the review order stage of your Roes program, your order will be adjusted during processing for our normal Free UPS 1-3 Day shipping. However, neglecting to select this option can sometimes hold your order up in processing as shipping will need to be manually corrected. If you forget to select a shipping method when Drop Shipping an order, we will ship via UPS Ground.
Q. Is there an order minimum for shipping?
A. It depends where you’re shipping! When you place a ‘Drop Ship’ order there is no minimum. When you place an order shipping to your studio, it must be at least $12 to qualify for the free UPS 1-3 day shipping. If your order does not meet $12, you will be billed for the difference. For example, if you place an order for (4) 8×10 prints on Luster paper, your order will only come to a total less than $12. You will be charged the difference so that your order total reaches $12 and can be shipped UPS 1-3 day for free.
Q: Do you ship to Canada?
A: Yes! We do! We currently ship to Canada through USPS Priority International. The fees are based on weight and destination of package but feel free to contact us directly for more information.
Note: We do not offer drop shipping services to Canada at this time.
Photographic Printing:
Q. How can I see your papers before I start ordering?
A. After signing up with ProDPI and downloading ROES, you will be given the opportunity to order up to five 8×10 prints on our Fuji Pro Luster Paper. We suggest you use this as an opportunity to test our quality and check how well your monitor is calibrated to our printers. You can order the sample prints in ROES under Sizes > Catalogs > Get Started Here! You will also have the choice of ordering a free swatchbook of all of our press papers and Fuji Pearl & Luster photographic papers from this catalog as well!
Q. How can I see your Executive Packaging before I send it to my clients?
A. Select Executive Packaging on one of your studio orders! We have made the executive packaging available for “Ship To Studio” orders so that you can see how the packaging will arrive to your customer! This also gives us the opportunity to nicely package prints that you will be delivering to your customer in person, that way everyone saves on shipping!
Q. Do I really need to resize my images when sending an order via roes?
A. Only Album Prints and Express Proof orders MUST be sized correctly. For all other prints we don’t mind if you use ROES to crop or scale your images. However, resizing your images for print size (300 DPI, sized) beforehand will save you a lot of upload time!
Q. What should the resolution be for proof book thumbnail images?
A. When ordering 8×10 or 10×13 proofs books (or our new Eco Proofs Books) you should resize your images to have the longest dimension set to 1500 pixels. For more information on resizing images, refer to our price guide.
Q. How can I duplicate an order I placed previously?
A. ProDPI tries to have the fastest turn around times possible, and because of this we cannot guarantee that we have orders on file after they have gone to print due to our lab’s volume. To duplicate an order we require our customers to place a new order.
Q. What will be back printed on my prints?
A. The image’s file name, the order number, and a dated copyright to the studio name you have on file.
Q. What is the difference between Fuji Pearl and Kodak Metallic?
A. Both papers are similar in the fact that they are high gloss, high contrast, and high saturation papers. Fuji Pearl has a softer pearl finish than Kodak’s Metallic. Fuji Pearl is also available up to 30×50, whereas Kodak Metallic is limited to 20×30 maximum size.
Q. What are the crop ratios of the 5×5/8×8 bordered proofbooks?
A. Roughly a 3:4 aspect ratio for both. However, we do have other options in Roes. Our “No Crop” border can be used for full frame images, or you may zoom in to create square images.
Q. Do you slightly enlarge my image files?
A. To ensure that your prints do not have white slivers on the edges, our printers have approximately an 1/8th inch bleed.
Q. Do you auto-sharpen files?
A. Yes, all prints entered through ROES are automatically minimally adjusted to provide closer screen-to-print sharpness.
Q. Why do my non-color corrected prints look different from my monitor?
A. It is most likely that your monitor is not correctly calibrated. Information about this can be found in our price guide. There are also numerous sources on digital photography forums and color management sites explaining and offering suggestions on monitor color calibration.
Q. Can I combine orders from different catalogs?
A. Due to maximizing turnaround times and ensuring proper order handling in-lab, ProDPI cannot combine orders from different catalogs in ROES. Different paper types and various products have a different “lifespan” in the lab, meaning they take a different route and are completed in different amounts of time. This means that orders containing certain product types (album prints, express proofs, and different printing services such as metallic printing and press printing) cannot be combined with each other or with our standard digital printing.
Q. Do you offer any coating or texturing of photographic prints?
A.Yes we do! ProDPI now offers Luster Coating on Fuji Luster photographic prints (up to 20×30) and Linen Texture for Fuji Luster and Fuji Pearl papers (up to 24×36), as well as UV coating for our press products. At this time, UV Coating is restricted to five of our paper types; Semi-Gloss, Pearl, Stipple and both our Linens!
Q. How do I order a custom size?
A. When you need to order a size that is not readily available in Roes, such as 11×21 or 18×18, there are a few steps we need you to complete before uploading. First, size your image for the dimensions of the print you desire. An 18×18 print should be sized as an 18×18 print. Then, place your print on a canvas of the next available size. Continuing with the 18×18 example, you would place your 18×18 sized file on a 20×20 sized canvas. Make the color of the excess canvas something that contrasts well with your image. Also, place the image in the corner of the canvas, DO NOT center it. This allows us to print your image at the correct size and if your print is mounted, to trim accordingly. When you do not place your custom size on a canvas, your image will print the way it has been uploaded into Roes.
Press Printing:
Q. How can I see the Press Papers before I start ordering?
A. If you are signed up as a customer, you can sign into your Roes ordering system and select a ProDPI Press Printed Swatchbook from the “Get Started Here!” catalog. This product is completely free and includes all 11 of our Press Papers as well as a sample of our Fuji Pearl and Fuji Luster photographic papers.
Q. Do I design my press files in CMYK?
A. Since we cater to a photographic market, ProDPI only accepts embedded RGB profiles for our photographic and press prints. Our press templates are in an SRGB color space by default. Designing in CMYK will NOT give you the most accurate color representation of your final print.
Q. Why doesn’t my sized (5×7, 4×5.5, etc.) press file fit your templates?
A. ProDPI always suggests using our design templates. At minimum we suggest taking your pre-designed graphic and placing it into our template, where our guides indicate areas that may or may not show up in your final product. Our press templates are not exactly 5×7, 4×5.5, etc. because they accommodate for areas where trimming and/or bleeds will occur. All our Press Templates are available for download from the “Downloads” page of our website!
Q. What do the red and blue areas mean on the products in the press catalog of roes?
A. Those areas represent spaces where your design needs to fill, but should not have anything critical (images, words, graphics, etc.) in the area due to cutting and bleeds.
Q. Do you auto-sharpen files?
A. Yes, all prints entered through ROES receive a minimal automatic adjustment to provide closer screen-to-print sharpness.
Q. Why do my non-color corrected prints look different from my monitor?
A. Most likely you have an issue with monitor calibration. Information about this can be found in our Price Guide. There are also numerous sources on the internet explaining and offering suggestions on monitor color calibration.
Q. How do I order a custom product from the Press Printing catalog?
A. At this time we are not fulfilling custom orders in our Press Department. We do encourage you to email press@prodpi.com with the specifications for your custom product for review. This allows our Press Team to gather information about what our customers are looking for, and also to consider future product additions.
Q. What happens when I forget to select a paper type?
A. If you forget to select your paper type in the review order screen of Roes, your order will automatically be printed on our default press paper, Standard 120# Semi-Gloss with UV Coating or our Standard Smooth Matte.
Q. Why can’t I order Promo Packs with envelopes?
A. Our promo packs serve a specific purpose: promotional items! By printing in bulk and removing the option of envelopes we are able to provide our promo products at affordable prices.
Q. Why can’t I combine Press orders?
A. Each press order is unique in its path through our Press Department. Our ordering system for Press is designed to provide the quickest, most efficient process so that we can get your product to you in a timely manner.
Q. Why can’t I order Executive Packaging with my Press orders?
A. At this time our Executive Packaging is not designed for Press Products. Due to the varying sizes and bulk of Press orders, we cannot make the boxes available.
Mounting:
Q. Is there a fee for a custom mount size?
A. When you have a custom sized print with mounting, it will incur a small trimming fee. The trim fee for mounting is $1.00 per mounted print.
Q. What is the best mounting to order for humid climates?
A. Our Black or White Styrene, ProDPI Black Foam, and Stand-outs are the most suitable mounting products for more humid climates.
Q. How do I hang a print that has been mounted on foam, styrene, or matboard?
A. You have a few options when it comes to hanging foam, matboard, or styrene mounted prints. One method we do suggest is to use an adhesive to fasten a hing or hook to the back of the print, which can then be connected to a screw or nail in the wall. Another option is to frame the print itself.
Q. What is the best mounting to order for framed images?
A. All of our mounting, (except Stand-outs!), is highly suitable for framing. Things to consider when ordering are the thickness of the mount versus the space available in the frame. Our Standout Mounting is also a beautiful alternative to framing as it comes ready to hang on the wall.
Q. Why can’t I select Standout Mounting in Roes?
A. If you are unable to select standout mounting for your print it may be due to the fact that it is not available in the size you desire. If you refer to our Price Guide you can see that our Standout mounting is not an item that can be customized. All of our Standout mounting comes pre-sized.
Q. Why can’t I rush a canvas print?
A. At this time our canvas printing is an outsourced product. This unfortunately makes any type of Rush unavailable.
Q. How fast can I get a mounted print if I order with 100% Rush?
A. 100% Rush will cut the turn around time for mounted prints in half. For example, this takes the turnaround time for a Fuji Luster mounted print from 1-3 days to 1 day. Rush orders are required to be in lab by 11 AM PST.
Turn-around Times:
Q. What is the latest I have to get a print in if I want it to ship the same day?
A. In order to Rush a print so that it ships the same day it is ordered, we must receive the order before 11am Pacific time. This does not include mounted prints! Mounting has a normal turn around time of 1-3 days in lab, so rushing a mounted print would change the turn around time to 1 day maximum.
Q. What is the turn around time for Fuji Luster/Fuji Pearl printing?
A. Fuji Luster photographic printing has a 24 hour turnaround time. Any order placed before 3 PM on our normal business days (Mon-Fri) will ship the following business day.
Q. What is the turn around time for Kodak Metallic printing?
A. Kodak Metallic photographic printing has a 2 day turn around time. Any order we receive before 3 PM on one of our normal business days (Mon. – Fri.) will be shipped two business days later.
Q. What is the turn around time for mounted prints?
A. Mounting turn around time is an additional 2-3 days. This does not include the time needed for printing the image that will be mounted. With Fuji Luster and Fuji Pearl mounted prints, the total turn around time is 3-4 days. Any Luster or Pearl Mounted order placed before 3 PM on one of our business days will be shipped four business days later at the very latest. For a Metallic print with mounting, the turn around time is 3-5 days.
Q. What is the turn around time for Press Products?
A. The turn around time for our Press products is the same as our normal Fuji photographic printing, just one day!
Q: What is the turn around time for Book Products?
A: The turn around time for products from our Books department is currently 1-2 days in lab.
Custom Orders:
Q. How do I place an order for a custom size if Roes doesn’t have it?
A. When you need to order a size that is not readily available in Roes, such as 11×21 or 18×18, there are a few steps we need you to complete before uploading. First, size your image for the dimensions of the print you desire. An 18×18 print should be sized as an 18×18 print. Then, place your print on a canvas of the next available size. Continuing with the 18×18 example, you would place your sized print on a 20×20 sized canvas. Make the color of the canvas something that contrasts well with your image. Also, place the image in the corner of the canvas, do not center it. This allows us to print your image at the correct size and if your print is mounted, to trim accordingly. When you do not place your custom size on a canvas, your image will print the way it has been uploaded into Roes.
Q. How do I place an order for custom press products?
A. At this time we are not fulfilling custom orders in our Press Department. We do encourage you to email press@prodpi.com with the specifications for your custom product for review. This allows our Press Team to gather information about what our Photographers are looking for, and also to consider future product additions.
Q. Do I have to pay for custom trimming?
A. Custom trimming for photographic prints is $.45 a print, and custom trimming for mounting is $1.00. If you are having a photographic print mounted, you will only incur the mounting trim fee.