1 Who or What are you?
IC Signs & Graphics offers direct-to-board printing, interior decor, photo reproduction, vehicle graphics, contour cutting of rigid and flexible materials, vinyl signs, banners, printed tiles, life-size cutouts, and many other printed products and services related to graphic design and production.
Our main pieces of printing machinery include a Colorspan 72UVR UV-curable inkjet printer, Mutoh ValueJet solvent printer & HP 5500 Water-based UV inkjet Printer. So unlike with screen printing or traditional offset printing, adding more than 1 color to your print does not increase costs.
Other hardware includes:
Zund CNC cutter, for contour cutting of rigid materials Roland VersaCAMM for die cutting of roll-to-roll or vinyl substrates Wolf Cold/Hot Film Lamintor/Mounter - Film Lamination & Mounting to Boards GraphTech Vinyl Plotter/Cutter - up to 52" wide
What this means for you is that we can handle just about any print project you throw at us, no matter how large or complex.
2 Where are you located?
IC Signs & Graphics is located in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago, IL. We service Chicago and the greater Chicago area.
3 Do you offer delivery?
We offer FREE local delivery for all orders over $250. Otherwise we have a low flat rate of $20.00 which is below average of most messenger companies. We like to personally deliver our products to assure a safe and timely delivery. We are not always available for delivery everyday, so we do work closely with one very reliable Messenger company we trust. Clients are always welcome to pick up at our location 7 Days a Week.
4 Will you ship your products?
YES!, We will ship world wide via FED-EX or UPS. We will ship under your account number if provided, or use ours. *Be aware shipping large signage items may result in a bulky shipment charge with the curriers.
5 What are your hours of operation?
We like to say we are available 24/7, which is true, but we are human and we must sleep at some point. Call for an appointment and we'd be happy to accommodate you.
6 Are you available for consultations?
YES! We love to meet face to face with our clients. For out of state clients we offer Web Cam consults. Its the only way to get all the details on your ideas and for us to suggest ways of improving your idea. Just call us at (630) 313-0286 & schedule an appointment. Whether you're looking to make-over an entire storefront or just want a family portrait enlarged, we're happy to discuss your available options. We pride ourselves on being problem-solvers, so if you have a problem, we've got a solution!
7 Payment Options..Do you take Credit Cards?
YES, We take credit cards via www.paypal.com. If paying w/ a CC. We will send you an invoice via paypal. Your order must be paid for before we deliver it or you pick it up. We also accept: Cash or Check.
8 What are your Payment Terms?
ALL orders must be paid for by COD when picking up or when we deliver it to you. Unless otherwise noted. We only offer terms with repeat clients that are in good standing for at least 6 months with IC Signs & Graphics. Our Max Term is 15 days. Orders over $500 require a 50% down to start the job w/ remaining on delivery.
1 What kind of materials can you print on?
We can print on almost any material you can imagine, up to 1/4î thick. Some materials, of course, work better than others. However, we have a large inventory of quality substrates on-hand, and if you wish to print on other specialized materials, weíll work with you to come up with the best possible option.
A word about printing on non-standard substrates Our 72UVR printer uses an Ultra-Violet curing system, which means UV Lamps. These lamps get very hot and move very closely over the surface of the material, so printing on extremely flimsy, fragile or flammable substrates is not recommended.
When choosing a unique substrate for your print, one thing to remember is that our printer does not "print" white ink. What this means is that wherever there is white (i.e. no color at all or extremely faint colors) in your artwork, the natural color of your substrate will show through. Likewise, anything printed on that material will use that material's color as its white value.
2 Can you do vehicle lettering?
Of course! Bring your vehicle by or we will visit you for a consultation and we'll get the ball rolling for you. Vehicle wraps and vehicle graphics are among the best marketing tools you'll ever find. Whether it's some basic lettering or a full vehicle wrap, IC Signs can guide you through the process, from start to finish. You'll be amazed by the attention simple lettering or full wraps bring to your business!
3 How long will my print/sign last?
The longevity of any graphic depends on the inks and materials used, the amount of sunlight received, weather conditions in the part of the country where the graphic is used, and other factors having to do with normal use and wear and tear. Ask one of our experts about what to expect from your particular product material. We will always suggest the most economical material for your project goals.
1 What is the largest print you can make?
In flatbed configuration, our printer can print on almost any surface, up to 6' wide and 1/4' tall. Unlike most situations, length is not an issue, since rigid materials are fed through the printer. The only limiting factor on length is the size of our production room! And thats pretty big. In Roll to Roll Solvent Printing, our printer can print up to 52.65" Full Bleed on all roll to roll materials by any length.
2 Do I have to create/provide my own files or can you design my project for me?
Our in-house design team would be happy to assist you in coming up with a look for your new sign or print project. No project is too small or too big. You are welcome to provide your own files (see formats accepted)
3 What file formats do you accept?
All artwork or print files should be constructed at 100% size if at all possible. However, this isnít always easy to accomplish, so we accept smaller artwork, with the intention of sizing it up. Keep in mind that any flaws visible at 25% will be very much worse when blown up to 100%. We accept files in the following formats. If you provide your file in a format other than those listed below, additional setup costs may be incurred.
Adobe Illustrator .AI / .EPS or PDF (CS3 or earlier) Embed All Image Flatten All Layers Outline All Fonts
Adobe Photoshop .PSD, JPEG, TIFF (CS3 or earlier) Rasterize all fonts Flatten All Layers
You probably noticed we talk about fonts every chance we get. When submitting graphics for production that include type, we ask that you please convert all copy to outline, curves, paths, or raster. This will eliminate the need to send us fonts. If we receive artwork with fonts that are not outlined, this will add time and possible cost to the setup process and possibly cause problems with your layout.
Hard Copy If at all possible, include a color hard copy of the graphic we will be printing. This aids us greatly in the proofing process, and, if you like how your hard copy looks, we can color match to that copy. Please let us know if color matching is crucial to your project when providing us with the files for your print. Remember, the size and quality of raster artwork will have a great effect on the final appearance of the art. Please keep in mind that your art may be enlarged up to 1000% and any flaws that were not visible at 100% will be quite visible after enlargement.
Disks will not be returned unless specified.
If you cannot obtain artwork in the above stated formats, or have any general questions about submitting artwork Please contact Cory at (630) 313-0286 or Email: cory@icsignsinc.com
4 What resolution do my images need to be?
Raster images, whether embedded in an Illustrator file (.AI, .EPS, .PDF) or sent as stand-alone pieces (.PSD, .TIF, .JPG) should be sized to 100% and at least 150 PPI (pixels per inch). It is possible to print images with lower resolutions, but bear in mind that quality may suffer.
5 What should I include when I send in my file for printing?
Everything associated with the file should be included. If you follow our guidelines, you should not have to include fonts with your file, but if you wish to do so, we wonít argue. If your file contains linked or embedded images, be sure to include those as well. Provide a hard copy of your image or swatches of preferred colors if you wish to have your piece color-matched.
6 Can I submit my file via e-mail or FTP?
Our Email is limited to 10MB, so if your file is under 10MB, you can email it to sales@icsignsinc.com. If your file(s) or archive(s) are larger than 10MB, we suggest you use one of the following Free upload servers. www.yousendit.com (send up to 100MB) or www.sendspace.com (send up to 300MB)
7 What kind of turn-around times am I looking at.. how soon can I get my print?
We pride ourselves on fast turn-around times and our ability to meet just about any deadline. We don't have super powers though (or do we?), so be sure to discuss your deadlines with us if they are extremely time-sensitive. Most signage orders turn time is 2-3 days. 4 Color Press Jobs are 4-6 Days and Embroidery & Screen Printing Appreal range from 7-13 days.
8 I found a great picture of ABC on the internet. Can you print a large version for me?
Most likely not. We go out of our way to respect copyrights and itís a safe bet to assume that whoever took that picture you found or drew that character you like wouldnít take kindly to us printing off copies without permission. If you purchase or otherwise secure the rights to the image however, we can print it at any size youíd like.
9 What kind of frames / stands / accessories can you supply to go with my sign?
Through our partnership with display vendors, we can provide specialty stands, racks, light-up units, rotating backlit signs, and many other exciting presentation systems to go with your imagery. Stop by today and let us show you some examples of the many outstanding options you can use to make your sign or display more attractive and effective.
10 Do you offer installations?
Yes, We have a full line of equipment & trucks with height limitations of 15ft-100ft in the air. Our install crew has over 20 years of experience and knowledge to get the job done right. We deal with various townships & cities for your legal permits for your job. No job too small or too big for IC to handle. We service a majority of the mid-west region.
1 Are you available for on-site consultations?
Yes, We prefer to meet with your in person to discuss your design goals.
2 What are your rates?
Our Current Rate: $45/hr. w/ a minimum $25 charge. Often we offer flat rates on package deals for multiply items.
3 Do you do photoretouching / photorecovery?
Yes. Your photos have cracks, bends, fading etc? Let us retouch them and bring them back to their original state or we can Color them.
4 Is there anything you CAN'T do?
We can't do brain surgery, train your dog to mow your lawn, or bring Elvis back. We can, however, provide you superior customer service, high quality printing and affordable pricing that will increase sales, promote your products, add style to your storefront or spruce up your home or office. Call us today!