General FAQs

UV is short for Ultra Violet Light-Cured Coating. This is a high-gloss coating applied to specific spots of your choosing.

Spot UV Coating is a High-gloss coating applied to specific spots of your choosing on either one side or both the front and back of the printed piece for emphasis or as a design element. Do not put spot UV anywhere that you will need to write.

AQ is short for Aqueous Coating, which is a semi-gloss, environmentally friendly, water-based coating applied to the front of the printed piece. It provides additional gloss and protection, and it can be written on with a ballpoint pen.

14pt Uncoated Cover
This is a very versatile stock. The uncoated finish is good when you don't want a slick and shiny look, while the firm 14 Pt. stock folds precisely

14pt Gloss Cover
This thick and stiff stock is coated on both sides with a glossy finish.

16pt Gloss Cover
This is our thickest stock and comes with a gloss coating on both sides. Because of its thickness, it is not ideal for folding unless scored first.

70# Linen Text
This thinner linen option offers a unique non-glossy look enhanced with a subtle, woven linen finish. Unlike linen finish letterhead stocks, this linen finish digital stock is not watermarked.

70# Uncoated Text
This paper has a quality feel, folds easily, and is a good choice when you don't want a slick and shiny finish.

80# Gloss Text
This type of stock is lighter than 100# Gloss Book. Has more flexibility for folding.

100# Gloss Text
This paper strikes a balance between thickness and foldability, while the glossy finish on both sides gives your text a professional appearance.

100# Gloss Cover
Stiffer than 100# Gloss Text, this glossy finish cover stock offers sharp folds and a sturdy product for a very professional result. This stock is coated on both sides.

After you fill out all of the details, you'll receive a quotation where you can review all of the information concerning your order. If everything is correct, click the ‘Approve Quote’ button so that you can add this item to your cart.

No, the price list indicated basic prices of products against the speculative quantities and options selected. The prices are calculated with regard to the most basic type, size and print. As you know, the final printing cost depends on many parameters: paper/card weights or thickness (GSM/Pt), glossy or matte finish, 2 or 4 colors, square or rounded corners, single or double side printing, quantity, destination shipping charges and the mode of transport, and much much more. Please use the indicative prices for calculating the basic cost. Once you place the order using the above parameters, we will quickly mail you the final, exact cost.

We currently accept the following credit cards for payment; Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and EFTs. If you would like to be set up on terms, please contact our customer support team for an application. 

Yes, we do! We have multiple locations throughout the country, and many of our items offer the union stamp as well.

Top Frequently Asked Questions

APS Marketing Group is your one-stop solution for all of your marketing and promotional product needs. Our custom print designs, brand promotion, website re-design, and social media marketing all help streamline your business processes and increase profitability. We save you money and time by eliminating the headache of having to coordinate various vendors, instead of working with you directly to take care of everything at once.

At APS Marketing, our first priority is you! Our general support line is (800) 444-6545, or you can reach out to us by emailing support@apscentral.com. You can also submit a request by using the ‘How Can We Help You’ button located at the bottom left of your screen.

If the page is displaying problems or issues, you may need to clear the cache and cookies in your browser. If the problem persists, please be sure to use one of our recommended browsers: Google Chrome, Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox and be sure to have the most updated version. Should you continue to experience issues, please contact us right away at 800.444.6545 or email support@apscentral.com for further assistance.

Placing an Order

Yes, all orders must be placed by the customer through store.apscentral.com. If further assistance is needed, please email the files and send a request to support@apscentral.com and our representatives will contact you promptly. If the files are too large, provide zipped files in a compressed folder or divide files into separate emails.

We offer several options for placing an order online. You may (1) use our online designer or choose a complementary template to customize a design; (2) select a CUSTOM DESIGN to create and upload a design from another program; or (3) consult with our Design Services team by emailing support@apscentral.com or submitting a request through the how can we help tab or submit request sheet.

The moment that you submit your order, our customer support team begins working to ensure that we process your order as quickly as possible. We understand that mistakes happen, so we kindly ask that you call or email us directly as soon as you choose to cancel. Please note that once a proof has been approved or an order shipped, there may be charges associated with the cancellation of your order. If the order is successfully canceled, a credit for the order amount will be applied to your account. 

Depending on the desired changes, an order can be edited prior to proof approval before it has been entered into production. However; products cannot be added or removed after production has begun or payment has been processed. If your order is on hold or processing, you may edit an order, upgrade shipping or cancel the order if it has not yet been printed or shipped. Please note that additional fees may apply to any accepted changes.

 

After payment has been processed or an order has been sent into production, changes to an order that affect the total product cost cannot be applied. Unfortunately, as each order is custom printed, changes cannot be made to an order if it is already in production.

We do provide hard copy proofs upon request, but there may be an additional fee and charge based on order size. All proofs can be previewed online on the Approve & Order page before checking out. Please keep in mind that computer monitors will reflect a slight variance in color.

After placing an order, our up to date order tracking information will let you know when the status of a product or order has changed via email. You will additionally be able to view the current status of your order by clicking on "My Account" and then "My Orders" to see the current status of your order item(s). If you feel that the status of your order is incorrect, please contact our customer support team immediately for additional information.

We do all that we can to provide the best customer service, so if we are notified of a request to change a shipping address, we will do everything in our power to update it before the order has been shipped. Please note that additional charges may apply and once an order has shipped, we are not able to guarantee that a requested change can be made. To change a billing address, please notify us as soon as it comes to your attention and our billing department will assist with this change if they are able to. 

Don't worry - chances are we shipped some of your items separately. To see if that's what happened, review your Order History:
Click on ‘My Account’ (If you are not signed in already, you will be prompted to do so).
Click on ‘My Orders’.
All of your orders to date will be displayed. The ‘Status’ column will display Partial Shipped if your order was shipped in separate packages.

As always, if something doesn't seem right, contact us and we'll get to the bottom of it.

If you are unsatisfied with the product or believe that you received a defective product, APS Marketing must be contacted within 30 days of receiving your order via email at support@apscentral.com or by phone at (800) 444-6545 with the following:
The quantity of defective products and the specific set, if any
A photograph of the defective product fanned out with a sampling from the front, middle and end of the package(s)
A written description of the defect
The order number
Please allow up to 2 business days for review of your inquiry.

Since each order is custom made and has no resale value, all sales are final. Orders that are returned without prior authorization will not be eligible for compensation. 

Full refunds are only authorized with a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) label based on manager discretion. All authorized RMAs will go through a Quality Control check prior to issuing compensation. All defective merchandise, including any and all reprints of the defective set(s), must be returned with an RMA label in order to receive a full refund on the defective product ordered.

APS Marketing does not offer any compensation for customer errors under Limited Warranty for Products Ordered.

APS Marketing Group offers a variety of options depending on the product, including rounded corners, and coating and folding options, multiple color imprints and more! To view options for specific products, see the Pricing & Information tab on the individual Product Pages.

Design

If you need graphic design, our minimum charge is $35 for any changes needed. If you want to send the files over and let us know what you need to be changed, our estimating team will be happy to provide you with a quote. It's likely we will be able to edit/change the file if it is in its original format (photoshop, etc.).

 

Online Designer:

 

We offer our Online Designer service for users to create files on store.apscentral.com with options to make adjustments to text, images, and sizes. To use the Online Designer:

Start by going to the specific Product Page.

Select "Design Online" to begin with a blank template or search our extensive library of templates.

Add images, text and/or unique features to your design, including gloss coating or rounded corners.

Select the desired quantity and final options, including paper material type, coating options or rounded corners (if applicable).

Check File Review if you would like our specialists to review the file for any errors. The Standard File Review fee is done at no additional charge per item.

 

If you experience problems with our Online Designer, a common error may be cookies that interfere with our system. To resolve this issue, clear the cache and cookies from your browser and then reopen in a new browser. Chat with us or contact at support@apscentral.com for further assistance.

 

Uploader:

 

Our Uploader feature is best for files that are to be printed as is and has no editing features. To create a design in another program or to upload an existing design, visit our DESIGN GUIDE for accepted file types and product specifications or download a pre-formatted ‘Start File’ from the Downloads tab on the individual product.

 

On the Product Page, select "Upload Design" to upload a design.

Click Upload to drag and drop files or manually upload from your computer.

Select the appropriate files for the Front and Back of your product, if applicable.

Preview and approve your design.

 

Design Services:

 

For design help, consult with our team of graphic designers who can create custom designs for any print product. From the Product Page, select "How can we help?" or contact us at support@apscentral.com start a consultation under Design Services.

Fonts may not render correctly depending on the external program used and how the file is saved. There may additionally be times where our design team will need to manually change the font size for the best effect. For best results, we require all text and images to be embedded or outlined prior to uploading the design file.

No, if there is white space around the design, then the file may not contain a Full Bleed.
If you wish to have colored backgrounds or images continue to the edge of the product, they must be extended past the Safe Zone to the Full Bleed margin. If they do not continue to the Full Bleed line, you will most likely end up with white stripes along the edge of the product due to the cutting tolerance. Our prepress team is additionally available to assist with any design that you may be looking to create as well.

 

In order to save a design and come back to it later, you will have to add the product to the Shopping Cart. Once in the Shopping Cart click ‘Continue to Checkout’ and follow that process to the payment page but not enter any payment information. If it is an item that allows customization it will be saved to ‘My Portfolio’ once you have titled your design. 
Once you are ready to return to your design and continue, log in to MY ACCOUNT and click on the Shopping Cart to complete the design and process payment. Please note that if this process is not completed, the entire design will be erased and you will have to start from the beginning.

Files should be submitted at 300 dpi to print clearly and correctly. The thumbnail shown is a low resolution preview of the submitted file. If the preview appears blurry, the file may be pixelated, which may affect the quality of the printed product. Our design and prepress department are additionally able to help should you have any further questions regarding images.

If the file appears to have shifted in the preview, then the artboard size may not be designed to the proper specifications. Please submit flattened files for correct preview or contact our customer service for assistance.

The submitted file likely does not meet the required specifications. Make sure your file resolution is built to 300 dpi. Our prepress team will additionally send you a fresh proof before any custom order or design is placed into production that will be the best display of how your printed product will print.

Accepted file types include TIF, PSD, PDF, JPG, EPS, PNG and AI (Version 9 or newer). 
Files must be high resolution at 300 dpi.

To submit, please upload flattened files under 100 MB per side. To decrease file size, we recommend LZW compression. Please do not submit transparent or multi-layered files as they may have issues during the final rendering process for production. If you continue to experience problems, download a pre-formatted START FILE.

Web Browser:

Make sure Adobe Flash is updated to version 10.2 or higher or download the latest version. 
If the page is displaying problems, you may need to clear the cache and cookies in your browser. If the problem persists, the browser may not be compatible with our site. Use one of the recommended browsers: Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Internet Explorer.

Assistance: 

If this fails to resolve the upload problem, you may email your files to support@apscentral.com with ATTN: File Support in the subject line. We will make every effort to respond to emails within 24-48 hours. Delays may occur during high volume.

NOTE: All orders must be placed by the customer through store.apscentral.com.

When creating your Illustrator file, you must create a white background layer that completely fills the full bleed size of the file. This will prevent the file from cropping to a different file size. When exporting to PDF, make sure your file is flattened for correct preview.

Fonts may not render correctly depending on the external program used and how the file is saved. For best results, APS Marketing Group requires all text and images to be embedded or outlined prior to uploading the design file. We recommend submitting flattened files to prevent this from occurring.

 

If the file appears to have shifted in the preview, then the artboard size may not be designed to the proper specifications. Full bleed dimensions can be found under the ‘Upload Info / Start Files’ tab on each Product Page or view our QUICK SPECS. Please submit flattened files for correct preview.

No, we do not have a bulk upload option for submitting files. Single files for each side or page must be uploaded for double-sided products and booklets.

General Shipping Information

We use a variety of shipping carriers to deliver your order including United States Postal Service (USPS), UPS, DHL, and FedEx.
All our carriers enable us to offer high-quality shipping services at a low cost. We determine which carrier to use for your order based on a variety of factors, such as products purchased, shipping address, size/weight of the order and delivery speed selected.

Once your order ships, the delivery method, estimated arrival date and other tracking details (if available) will be provided in your shipment confirmation email.

Unfortunately, at this time we’re unable to accommodate special shipping requests.
To ensure that you get your items on time (regardless of when manufacturing is done at our plant), we use a variety of delivery couriers.

 

Absolutely we do! While some exceptions may apply, please contact our customer service team via the ‘How Can We Help’ button should you be interested in finding out more information and pricing about the various levels of expediting that we can offer for your order.

 

Unfortunately, we do not offer shipping services to PO boxes at this time.

Printing & Turnaround for Your Order

1 to 4 business days from proof approval. You can select a more expedited turnaround time for an additional charge or speak with our customer service team should you have an in hands date or event that you would like to receive your order by. Please bear in mind that the time listed on the product does not include shipping time. Production or working days are business days, Monday through Friday.

10AM EST on the day of the order, unless the order is using expedited printing, in which case 7AM EST. If the artwork has not yet been approved, or the artwork submitted does not meet the requirements, your order may be delayed. Production times are in business days and we can only guarantee turnaround times on print ready files that have been approved.

Rewards Program

Subscribe to our email newsletters at the bottom of your homepage for monthly promotions, discounts, and coupon codes. We additionally have a rewards program where you can exchange points towards a one-time use coupon code to apply towards a future order.

To unsubscribe from exclusive offers, deals, and updates, click the unsubscribe link in the footer of the email. If you are receiving an error, please email support@apscentral.com with your request to unsubscribe.

At APS, we want to help you get the most for your marketing and advertising dollars. That's why upon signing up, you'll receive an automatic 100 points to get your rewards started and with every dollar spent, you'll receive 1 point.

Your rewards points will never expire and they can be used towards a gift or coupon code.