Invitation frustration- please help!

[shigidigi]

Hey ladies! I know I have been missing in action over the last month but in true fashion for anyone who falls off the planet- I have been very busy!

In adding to receiving a job promotion at work, I have been working dilligently on our wedding reception invitations. (For those of you who dont know the story, after all kinds of issues FI and I decided to elope last November! Now we are planning a fun reception for our family and friends because everyone kept asking us about a party- and frankly I am getting excited!)

Well, I have the invitations all ready to be printed and I ordered my beautiful stardream paper and set to work to print a test page today when I realized (after the printing, mind you) that the paper- it is over weight, is much too heavy for my printer. My printer actually did a lovely job but the ink from the first page I printed smeared a bit onto the second page. I think it may be in my best interest to have someone else print these but I have never done anything like that so I am deferring to you experts out there!

I want to be able to take my design and have it printed from my file onto my paper- but with someone else''s printer. Will Kinkos or someplace like that do this? I was always under the impression I had to use their paper which I dont want to do.

Ideas would be greatly appreciated!! I live in SF and am desperate to get this done this week (and economically) so I can get them mailed out asap. And of course, I promise to show pictures once they are done! (Including the cute limerick I wrote to explain why we are already married for those of our guests who havent heard through the grapevine yet!)

 

[neatfreak]

Hey Shigidigi! Good to see you!

My local Kinkos said sure when I asked them before about doing a similar thing. I don''t see why it would be a problem!

 

[Mandarine]

Definitely try Kinkos!!

I have printed most of my stuff there and they have bee great so far....Expect for one "dude" that always has an attitude!!!. This guy has turned me away saying they don''t offer the type of service I want....Then I wait for him to lave, ask someone else and they say

f course we do!". So if one person says no, ask someone else or call the manager!

You can bring your paper and color copies are $0.49/page. I know they have some restrictions on how heavy the paper can be...but mine is pretty think and I haven''t had a problem.

If your files are not flat (like in pdf or something), then make sure you use fonts that they already have because they won''t install new fonts on their computers...

If Kinkos is not being helpful, then try Office Depot

I hope that helps!!

M~

 

[shigidigi]

Thanks so much guys! Off to kinkos tomorrow then to see what they say.

So do you think it is better to put my files in pdf form just in case? I also have two sheets that need to be printed on the front and back- surely that should be fairly easy for them to do and make sure they are aligned right?

Did anyone else have a ridiculously hard time matching up the front and back of pieces of paper so when you cut them out everything is equal on either side? Can you tell I am so ready for this project to be over?

Anyways, thanks again ladies!

 

[Mandarine]

LOL.

If you can save on on pdf, and the files still looks the same (mine didn''t for some reason!) then I would go ahead and do it.

I was lucky enough that a manager helped me once and he actually let me download the 2 fonts that I used throughout the stationary...but any other person that has helped me there has been absolutely firm on not letting me download new fonts to their computer.

On the alignment. You should have them print one sample page and have them give it to you so you can check it out.

I actually printed all of the bookmarks only to find that I had misaligned them!. The back page should be a mirror (opposite) image of the front as far as the alignment is concerned. So in my case it was my fault, but they re-printed everything at no additional cost. Basically because they should have caught it (she inspected the first piece and didn''t show it to me).

I''ll be keeping my fingers crossed you get someone helpful!!!. Most of them are so you should be fine!

 

[gtn]

Although Kinkos can do it, I prefer not to use them. I have found as Mandarine has that some of the folks at Kinkos are not as helpful as you like them to be. In my experience, the office supply stores with print centers are the best bet. I usually go to Staples and if you use colors, their color laser copies are so much nicer than my color laser. Also, whenever I have had a problem, they are very good about fixing the problem.

Also, I would sign up for one of those frequent customer cards. I do that I get coupons and store credit based on the types of purchases and amount purchased. I got a $50 restaurant card to eat out as well as free pens and paper discounts just for signing up and doing the purchases I would have done with or without the loyalty membership

 

[shigidigi]

Thanks Mandarine! I have been annoyed at trying to convert my word doc into a pdf- anyone have any suggestions??

And gtn, you are right and I do hear mixed things about Kinkos. If Staples will print my stuff on my paper then I am all game for using them instead!