Frequently Asked Questions
Printing, Signage & Display Products

How can I get a quote or order something?

If you would like us to contact you regarding our products or services please email or phone. Our customer service team will happily come and discuss your requirements with you.

How can I pay?

Payment can be by cheque or direct deposit into our bank account.
Full payment is required on completion and despatch of all work unless prior agreement is made with management.

How long will my large format prints last?

Your large format prints (depending on the machine and substrate we use) can last anything for 3-6 years. At Chief Graphics we are continually sourcing the best and most economical substrates in the world, in order to ensure our clients get the best usage out of their products.

How long does it take for my order to be finished?

Turnaround time is based on the complexity and magnitude of your specific print job. Usually 7-10 working days from approval of your proof depending on the size of the order, but exceptions can always be made!

What is the usual cost of printing and signage?

This varies greatly depending on the size, materials used and if artwork is supplied. Check out our price pages for further information or email us for a fast quote which is valid for 3 months. Prices start from $50.

Do you offer custom design services or do I have to supply my own artwork?

Yes we have our own qualified graphic designers who specialise in all aspects of print and signage work.

How do I supply artwork?

We run a fairly standard pre-press department and use current versions of prepress & design software and can therefore handle most files sent to us.

Our preferred file format for your artwork is CorelDraw, or PDF files. If you already have your artwork, save time and effort when designing your files from within your page layout program by downloading our easy to follow specifaction sheet with tips on how to setup your files for hassle free printing. How to Create PDF Files

We also can accept Illustrator and Photoshop file formats. Illustrator files, please link (do not embed) all artwork (logos etc) and images when saving your files. For Photoshop files, we insist that images are saved with layers intact (not flattened) as a PSD or TIFF file. If you must supply JPEG images then do so at your own risk! Only supply JPEGS if they are already a high quality JPEG (ie: from a digital camera).

Our goal is to produce your job to your satisfaction, on time and at the lowest possible price to you. Following our guidelines will dramatically increase the likelihood of your job going through the stages of production quickly and easily.

In naming files, please use sensible names - don’t use code numbers etc which are understandable only by your company. All disks and their cases / sleeves should be clearly marked with the name of your job, and company contact details. Please only give us the file that needs to be printed.

Given the final output size of some jobs such as signage, it may not be possible for you to set up your document at 100% of the final print size. You may set up your document at a percentage of final size (50%, 25% or 20%), but please clearly communicate the final output size to us.

Bitmap images must be saved at 150-300dpi depending on the output printing method. For any questions on artwork prepartion, please feel free to contact our Pre Press Department via email

Colours must be CYMK, any spot colour will be converted to 4 colour process.

All fonts must be supplied or convert fonts to outlines / paths.

We accept files on CD's or you can email files to us (under 4MB).

Frequently Asked Questions
Web Services

I've never had a website before, where do I start?

If you would like us to contact you regarding our website services please email or phone. Our customer service team will happily come and discuss your requirements with you.

Building a web site involves work from you too. In establishing a web site you should go into it with the right preparation. If you haven't regularly used the Internet, this is the first step. Spend some time researching other web sites (in and out of your industry) for ideas.

Next step is collecting all the content that will be seen on your new website. It's a good idea to use your existing corporate image to follow through onto your site. This way customers visiting the site will instantly recognise it as your company. Things such as brochures, logos, printed material, business cards and any artwork relating to your business such as photos and images that will be included on your website need to be supplied. If your firm has a style guide, then we'll need a copy of it as well to ensure that we use the right fonts, colours and logo placement. The text content of the web site is often the hardest thing to organise, if you need asistance with writing your text from scratch, we suggest that you contact a professional copy writer.

How long will it take?

Building a web site is a sequence of steps that go from initial planning and preparation, through to design, construction and release. It depends on the size of the site. The following delivery times apply to the completion of various stages of the web development process. The times shown commence from the point at which Chief Graphics have all necessary content supplied by you, materials and direction with which to finish that particular stage.

Job Type	To Design Brief	Then To Final Draft	Then To Release
Minor Content Updates	-	3-7 Days	N/A
Major Content Updates	-	5-10 Days	3-5 Days
Structural Modifications To Existing Web Site Including Additional Pages	-	7-10 Days	3-7 Days
1-5 Page Web Site	7-10 Days	7-10 Days	3-7 Days
5-10 Page Web Site	7-10 Days	10-14 Days	3-7 Days
10-20 Page Web Site	7-10 Days	14-21 Days	3-7 Days
20+ Page Web Site	10-14 Days	21+ Days	7-10 Days

 

How much will it cost?

There are a lot of variables to be considered in building a site such as extra images, re-typing etc, so below is an indicative cost for a professionally designed static site:

Site	Setup	Per Page
Single Page	$400	$150
3-4 Pages	$450	$140
5-7 Pages	$500	$130
8-10 Pages	$550	$125
15 Pages	$600	$110
20 Pages	$650	$105
30 Pages	$750	$100
40 Pages	$750	$100
50-75 Pages	$850	$95
75+ Pages	Price On Application

How can I pay?

Payment can be by cheque, direct deposit into our bank account, or by credit card.

Web Site Cost	Deposit	Progress Payment	On Completion
<$500	100%	N/A	N/A
>$500 & <$5,000	50%	N/A	50%
>$5,000 & <$10,000	35%	35% on final draft	30%
>$10,000	30%	2 x 20%	30%

 

Do you host web sites?

No but we can recommend hosting providers.

Do you write my web site text for me?

No but we can put you in touch with a copywriter if you need assistance.

Can I edit my site myself?

Yes. If you have the in-house technical expertise that we have, then sure, but we don't jointly manage sites with our clients - it's a a case of to many computers involved and it usually gets messy. We are a very organised team and know where to save files. There are many good books and training courses on how to use Dreamweaver and photoshop for those who want to look after their own site, but whether you're able to manage the broader issues associated with looking after a web site depends on your own skill base, and desire to do so. We are happy to train you if you really want to do it yourself.

Can you update my existing website?

Yes we can if it has been created professionally.

Can you fix up my existing website?

Often it works out cheaper to start again than to patch up a poorly structured web site.

Can you do a website even if I don't live on the Gold Coast?

Yes, of course. Once you have a web site you will be dealing with people all over the world. Think of the process of doing business with us long distance as a practice run for doing it yourself in future with your own customers. We have interstate and overseas clients and we will guide you through the procedures involved.

Do you do email stationery and letterheads?

Yes we do. Every email message sent from within your company should be effectively branded.