Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prepare for a UP&G print job?

  1. Using the online form. An online printing requisition is available on our main page: www.ecu.edu/upg. Here you may select Estimates, General Printing, Mailing jobs, or simple business card or stationery items. In addition to filling out the contact and billing information, You will also include preferences for paper color and weight, special instructions such as adding perforations, laminating, folding, stapling, etc.
  2. Decide on paper type. There are many kinds of paper available in-stock or that can be special ordered for your printing. As basic terms for weight: “20 lb bond” is what letterhead is printed on. “Text” is similar to copy paper and comes in various weights. “Cover” is stiffer than text-weight. “Index” is about the thickness of a file folder.
  3. Provide a sample after submitting your printing requisition. The sample lets us know if we are producing the piece with the right page breaks, color, and page layout. This can be in PDF format or a printed copy.
  4. Include any fonts used in your document with your file. If we don’t have just one of the necessary fonts, your job may print with the wrong font or be delayed until we receive a copy of the font from you. When furnishing fonts, make sure you include both the screen and printer fonts.

What software programs does UP&G support?

When you want to design a job for yourself to be printed using our offset presses, we prefer certain applications that are compatible with our equipment and that are catered toward offset printing.

We prefer:

  • Adobe InDesign (up to v. Adobe Creative Cloud)
  • Adobe Illustrator (up to v. Adobe Creative Cloud)
  • Adobe Photoshop (up to v. Adobe Creative Cloud)

We will accept the following, but files submitted in these formats may have an additional charge:

  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Publisher

What if I do not have access to the preferred software?

If you must use one of the above non-preferred software programs, we will only be able to provide you with digital color output or black output. For digital output or copy center jobs, a PDF file can be used if you embed all fonts and high-resolution graphics. We will gladly redesign your file at our standard design rate, or you may redesign it yourself using one of our accepted programs.

How should I scan images for print?

As a general rule, all images should be at 300 dpi (dots per inch). If your job is a 4-color process (full color), they should be 400 dpi. Digital images should be saved as CMYK when possible. Your image, if scanned, should be at the size it will be printed (i.e. 2×3 photo: scan at 200% for a 4×6 print). Images downloaded from the Internet, or photos/graphics used specifically for the web, will not print well because they are generally saved at 72 dpi (very low resolution).

How should I supply graphics files?

You may email your graphics files to us at upgprinting@ecu.edu (or if the job will be printed in Rapid Copy: rapidcopy@ecu.edu) or supply a CD. Be sure to include the job title and description of the job in the body of your email message. Also, indicate on the printing requisition that you have already sent the files electronically so our staff can match the art with the printing order.