Frequently asked questions
Some of the questions that are most often asked
Questions about print, post and logistic services
What print, post and logistic services are available to students?
We have a wide range of services available for students to support academic and extra-curricular activity.
Click HERE to read more
What print, post and logistic services are available to staff?
We have a wide range of services available to support staff in teaching and research activities.
Click HERE to find out more
What print, post and logistic services are available to campus partners?
We have a wdie range of services availbe for campus partners including self-service and managed options.
Click HERE for more information
What print, post and logistic services are available for off campus customers?
We have a number of services that off campus customers can use and this list is constantly growing as our capabilities change
Click HERE for more information
How do I print my file?
Staff and students can either use the Campus Printing service or you can upload .pdf files to the Online Shop.
This is accessible through the VPN only
Not everything you need will be possible through the Online Shop or on a Campus Printer. But we can still help.
Our Account Management team can meet to discuss your requirements and advise you on the most cost-effective way to produce your job. They will establish a specification and once agreed, they will organise a quotation for you. Once this quotation is approved, we schedule the work into production.
This team work across the broader Creative and Print Services bringing together design, print, video, photography, and web. They can not only provide print support but bring together the whole piece to develop with you a complete suite of materials piece that address the messaging and collateral you need.
Get in touch to start your conversation.
When I approve an Online Shop order what am I signing off?
By clicking on the 'I Approve' button on the Online Shop for print products you are agreeing to the following:
Terms and Conditions
Our full Terms and Conditions are available at https://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/creative-print/print-post/terms-and-conditions/
All prices quoted are exclusive of VAT which will be added at the prevailing rate where applicable.
Every endeavor will be made to deliver the correct quantity ordered. However, some variation is inherent in the print process, and it is understood and accepted as reasonable that minor variations are immaterial and acceptable up to 4% and that we shall have no liability in respect of such variations.
In the event that we cannot produce your job in-house we will contact you. Our print supply partner’s Terms and Conditions stipulate that the quantity delivered may vary plus or minus 10% from the quantity ordered. The price invoiced may therefore vary from the prices quoted, depending on the precise quantity delivered.
We reserve the right to delay the production of goods until payments are made to clear outstanding invoices.
Additional Information
Turnaround is measured in working days.
All use of photography or stock imagery will be charged as extra to the prices quoted.
Printed pages: This means the number of actual printed pages, not the number of sheets/leaves. For example (A4) 2 printed pages double sided equates to 1 A4 sheet, and 100 printed pages double sided equates to 50 sheets. 14 printed pages single sided equates to 14 sheets. Please read the ‘No. of pages’ & the ‘Printing’ this will confirm whether the printed pages are double sided or single sided.
Data for all variable data jobs must be provided to us in accordance with The Good Data Guide. Data not provided correctly will delay the production of your job.
The Good Data Guide is viewable on our web pages at
https://www.lboro.ac.uk/services/creative-print/good-data-guide/
Digital and camera-ready artwork supplied to Brand, Digital and Creative Production must be to our specification.
Copyright
Where a request for design or printing involves materials which are subject to copyright laws, clearance must be obtained in advance by the person requesting the service.
By clicking on the 'I Approve' button you accept all of the above.
What are the standard paper sizes?
A6
105mm x 148mm
A5
148mm x 210mm
A4
210mm x 297mm
A3
297mm x 420mm
A2
420mm x 594mm
A1
594mm x 841mm
A0
841mm x 1189mm
What does ‘bleed’ mean?
This is when the printed area extends out of the trimmed area. To achieve this, printers print a larger area than is required on oversized paper and then trim the paper down to the required finished size.
Where can I send post or collect parcels from?
The Mailroom provides a collection and delivery service for school and department external and internal mail to the Loughborough campus.
Departmental mail is delivered and collected from around the university daily. All Royal Mail and Parcelforce post for university staff is delivered to the Mailroom and then sorted and delivered by our team of drivers.
All student parcel deliveries to campus are made to our facility in the Herbert Manzoni Building. We log and store your parcels until you can collect at a time convenient to you. Click on the link below to find out more.
Campus partners can contact us to arrange post services within our schedules and available services.
For personal mail we offer limited services from our counter in the Herbert Manzoni Building. Stamps can be purchased over the counter and a mail and parcel delivery service up to 30kg is provided via Royal Mail, DHL, or Parcelforce.
We offer time saving, cost effective mailing solutions that deliver highly professional results. Our services include mail merging, photocopying, collating and stuffing envelopes as well as printing envelopes. Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
For more information click HERE
Can I obtain a certificate of postage?
Unfortunately, as we are not a Royal Mail Post Office we cannot provide any proof of postage receipts. We would strongly recommend using signed for or tracked services for valuable items.
Questions about Design
I have something I need designing, where do I start?
Please contact one of our account handlers, Lynne Atkin or Matt Cawrey, who can discuss your requirements and advise you on the most cost effective way to produce your job. They will establish a design specification and once agreed, they will organise a quotation for you. Once this quotation is approved, we schedule the work into production.
How do I supply text for my job?
Please send any text via email, preferably as a Microsoft Word document. Please make sure this text is as accurate as possible to reduce proofing stages and to keep costs to a minimum. We can also accept content via Dropbox, Google Drive, WeTransfer or other similar services.
Where can I find information on the university's key messages to include in my design content?
Information on the University's key messages to include in your design content can be found here: https://internal.lboro.ac.uk/info/key-messages/
Where do I find images for my job?
You can source existing University photography online via ImageBank. Alternatively, you can contact our photographer who has access to additional photographs. He can also talk to you about taking bespoke images to suit your needs.
We do recognise at times that we won’t have certain images to meet your requirements. In this case, we will use our preferred stock image provider, Fotolia. Feel free to browse the Fotolia website and choose some suitable imagery. You can then supply us with the image references and we can obtain free, lo-res versions to use in concept designs. Once the concept design has been agreed, we can purchase the hi-res image for the final artwork at a cost of £1.44 per credit.*
If you require a diagram, illustration or infographic, the design studio can create this for you.
* cost is subject to change.
What image files and quality do you suggest?
JPG, TIF or EPS files are usually the best for our designers to work with in either RGB or CMYK. We need files as high resolution electronic files and request they are 300 dots per inch (DPI) at the size you expect to use them.
When saving images, always select the highest quality and turn off any compression before saving. Please do not embed the images into Microsoft Word documents as this reduces their quality.
How should I provide my data for a variable data print job?
A guide to producing data for personalised print
Overview
This guide is intended for those working with the Brand, Digital and Creative Production (BDCP) team at Loughborough University on personalised print production, and mailing campaigns.
For example these include items such as postcards, certificates, name badges. In the past data has been a key part of the design and distribution of the Open Day pre-visit postcards and Results Day Golden Ticket.
Accurate data is crucial for products to be produced and the campaign to be effective. Incorrect data can be embarrassing to the institution, look unprofessional or could mean the item not reaching the intended recipient.
(Updated May 2024)
How long on average does it take to turn a job around?
This usually depends upon the size and complexity of the job. Once a quote is accepted, design usually takes up to five workings days for first proof stage. You are responsible for proofing work so you must pass proofs back quickly to avoid delays.
How can I promote an event that I am organising?
Please contact one of our account handlers, Lynne Atkin or Matt Cawrey, who will discuss with you how to coordinate all of your marketing material. They will discuss initial publicity to final event items to ensure you have a professional, consistent look and feel to the event.