WORKING WITH BLACK DOG PRESS
Why work with Black Dog Press?
As the owner of Black Dog Press, meeting personally with my clients is one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. I love hearing about your event, sharing invitation design ideas, and watching your vision materialize.
You'll know what to expect when you order through a personal consultation with Black Dog Press versus an on-line site. As you peruse our portfolios you’ll feel the quality of the paper and view the design and printing up close. We often hear that people are disappointed when working with an on-line retailer because what they saw on screen looked better than what they receive.
When we schedule an initial appointment you’ll receive a questionnaire and an opportunity to download photos of your inspiration. We’ll meet in the studio, or in a virtual meeting and work with you to create a completely custom invitation package.
We also have a wide range of pre-designed suites to choose from in our portfolio. Contact us here to set up a consultation.
After we meet, you'll receive a proposal outlining your project as discussed, including an estimate and contract to sign. We’ll coordinate with you if revisions are needed and when the proposal is prepared to your satisfaction simply sign the contract and return it to us with a 50% deposit. Once the deposit is received the design stage begins!
We'll email 2 PDF digital proofs to you. Before signing off on a proof please review it with care. We recommend you print out the PDF proof to check for spelling, accuracy of dates and addresses, etc. It can also be helpful to have someone else review it. With the exception of custom design approvals, in most cases a digital proof will be produced within 2 to 3 business days after your contract is signed.
A custom design includes anything more significant than general typesetting and image placement. The parameters of your custom design will be discussed during our initial meeting.
FAQs
How much time will I need?
This is not a process you want to rush. If you’re going to make the effort to have something printed, you want it to be done right the first time. Depending on the complexity of the design, 4 to 5 weeks is the minimum time usually required to create an invitation from design development, proof approvals, adjustments, and printing.
The print process you choose also determines the time frame. Printing cannot begin until the design has been approved. The time required to do the printing is calculated from the day the proof is signed. Average turnaround time from proof approval is 14 business days. Shipping time may be included in the production process.
What is my printing budget?
We can guide you in a direction that will work for any budget. For instance, if you love the look of traditional engraving, but feel it’s outside your budget, we can look at thermography instead. It may give you the look and feel you are after and fit your price range. Do you love letterpress but don’t have the budget for an entire letterpress printed wedding invitation suite? Consider letterpress for the invitation, and flat printing for the rest of the pieces.
How many invitations do I need?
It costs much more money to do a reorder than to increase the quantity. Remember that for invitations the quantity required is less than the number of people you are actually inviting. You will need 1 invitation per household address. Our minimum quantity starts at 50 invitations and increases in increments of 25.