Frequently asked questions

Some of the questions that are most often asked

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 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.

Visit the photography section to find out more ImageBank

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 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.

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.

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.

What are the last dates for posting my letter or parcel?

For a list of national and international Christmas postal dates, we will provide details closer to the season as soon as suppliers advise us