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Create Professional Designs with MyDesignBySnap

What is MyDesignBySnap?

MyDesignBySnap is an online web to print service that helps owners and employees of small and medium-sized businesses promote their products and services easily and professionally. In just a few simple steps, you can create and order professional business cards, brochures, postcards, and more. All print work is undertaken by Snap thereby guaranteeing quality and convenience. Either choose to have your order sent by post or pick-up from a Snap centre near you.

What are the minimum system requirements for MyDesignBySnap?

Microsoft® Windows® XP Service Pack 2, Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Vista® 32-bit Service Pack 1, Windows Vista Service Pack 2 (minimum Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista Service Pack 1), or Windows 7.

Microsoft Internet Explorer® 7 or later.

Mozilla Firefox 3.5.2 or later.

1GB RAM (512MB) minimum.

Internet connection (high-speed Internet connection recommended) for downloading MyDesignBySnap, downloading templates, and ordering printed marketing materials*

*Once you've downloaded MyDesignBySnap and some templates, you can customise the templates on your computer without using the Internet.

How does it work?

For instructions on how to use MyDesignBySnap, see MyDesignBySnap Instructions.

MyDesignBySnap accepts credit and debit cards.

Note: The MyDesignBySnap application is currently supported on Windows XP and later.

How do I remove a text box or picture box from a template?

For instructions on how to use MyDesignBySnap, see MyDesignBySnap Instructions.

How much does printing cost?

You can do a test print from your home or office printer (a watermark will appear on the test page). And you can order prints from your local Snap centre directly through MyDesignBySnap at standard, affordable rates.

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How do I contact Snap if I have any questions or concerns?

For any queries, please visit the FAQ and Knowledge Base section of the MyDesignBySnap Web site. You can also contact our Customer Support representatives through online chat 24x5 between Monday 7:00 AM – Friday 7:00 PM Irish Standard Time .

How do I place an order?

For instructions on how to use MyDesignBySnap, see MyDesignBySnap Instructions.

Do you offer matching themes to ensure consistency in marketing collateral?

We offer entire matching template sets with brochures, business cards, flyers, letterheads, envelope designs, and postcards to ensure consistency across your marketing collateral.

Can I get a physical proof before I order?

MyDesignBySnap lets you make a test print from your home or office printer before you order. To create a test print, click Test Print or go to File > Test Print.

How long does it take to receive printed materials by post?

On average, the time from order to delivery is between 7 and 10 business days (via standard post). This includes the time required for printing your job. When your order is shipped, you will receive an e-mail with tracking information.

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How can I get an invoice and order confirmation?

You will receive an order confirmation via e-mail shortly after you order. If you do not, first check your spam or junk mail folder. If you do not find the e-mail, contact Customer Support 24x5 between Monday 7:00 AM – Friday 7:00 PM Irish Standard Time or e-mail support@MyDesignBySnap.ie.

To which countries do you ship?

We are currently shipping only within Ireland.

Which picture file formats are supported by MyDesignBySnap?

You can add PNG, TIFF, and JPEG picture files. For best results, pictures should be in CMYK mode and have a resolution of 175 DPI. (To find out the resolution of an image, see the answer to "How do I find the DPI resolution of an image?" in this FAQ.)

If you use an image that is less than 175 DPI, a warning icon will display on the picture in the print preview under the Buy Prints tab within MyDesignBySnap.

How do I continue editing a document that I started customising and then saved?

For instructions on how to use MyDesignBySnap, see MyDesignBySnap Instructions.

How can I print the marketing materials I created in MyDesignBySnap?

For instructions on how to use MyDesignBySnap, see MyDesignBySnap Instructions.

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Are the colours shown on the preview screen accurate?

MyDesignBySnap does not guarantee that the colours of the printed materials will match the preview as it appears on your monitor. We cannot compensate for colour variation between different customers' screens. We work with all participating printers to standardise colours through industry best practices, and our prebuilt designs and colours are compliant with these standards. However, colour variations can occur among your monitor, your home or office printer, and the final printed materials from our partners. Also, your logos and photos may not be optimised for professional print.

What should I do if I am on Windows 7 using Firefox 3.5.2 (or later), and the application will not download or install when I click the Download or Customise buttons on the Web page?

The MyDesignBySnap installation process checks to see if you have Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1, which is a required component. In order to check your configuration, Firefox requires the plug-in "Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant." Windows 7 does not have this plugin, even though it comes with the right version of .NET.

To install the plug-in, go to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/search?q=Microsoft+.Net+Framework+Assistant&cat=all.

You can also choose Tools > Add-ons, then click Get Add-ons and search for "Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant." Alternatively, you can go to the Firefox Add-in page, search for "ClickOnce," and select the Microsoft .NET Framework Assistant.

Follow the Firefox installation instructions, restart Firefox, and then return to MyDesignBySnap and initiate the download again.

What is your return policy?

Snap stands behind the quality of its products. If you are not completely satisfied with the quality of your order, please contact support@MyDesignBySnap.ie. Please note that Snap cannot be responsible for design errors, spelling errors, or image selections made by customers. Please visit the following URL to read our refund policy.

Why do I get an "image resolution warning" after I select Add to Cart?

When you add to cart, you will receive an "image resolution warning" if you have any images with a resolution of less than 175 dots per inch (DPI). We warn you because if we print your job with images of less than 175 DPI, they will not be as clean and crisp as they should be. To correct this problem, replace any images that are less than 175 DPI. (To find out the resolution of an image, see the answer to "How do I find the DPI resolution of an image?" in this FAQ.)

What is the best resolution for images?

For best results, we recommend pictures to be in CMYK mode and have a resolution of 175 DPI (dots per inch). All of the free stock photos included with MyDesignBySnap are high-resolution images. Any of these images can be used for high-quality print production.

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What is the safe zone?

The safe zone is the area inside the blue dotted lines in a document. These blue dotted lines are 1/8th inch inside the trim lines (the trim lines are solid red lines that mark the physical boundary of the printed piece). Because of variations in the trimming process, text or images outside the safe zone may be cut off when the printed document is trimmed.

If the software detects that the edge of one or more text boxes or images are outside the safe zone, the software will display a Safe Zone Check message and will indicate which box or boxes are outside the safe zone.

However, there are two instances where you can ignore a Safe Zone Check message:

  1. 1. Text box outside but text inside: The software reports a problem if any edge of the text box is outside the safe zone, but the software does not know if the text itself is inside or outside the safe zone. You can safely ignore the warning if the text itself is inside the safe zone.
  2. 2. Image is supposed to "bleed": If you want an image to be positioned all the way to one edge or corner of the printed piece, then you should position the image so that it "bleeds," which means that you should position one or more edges of the image beyond the trim lines so that there is no chance of white space between the edge of the paper and the edge of the image.

What is the print quality check?

This is an automated process which checks the document for the following issues:

  • Low image resolution: The print quality check notifies you if one or more images has a resolution that is too low for high-quality printing. The recommended image resolution is 175 DPI (dots per inch).
  • Objects outside the safe zone: The print quality check notifies you if there are images or text outside the safe zone. This may result in the text or image being cut off.

These issues may be intentional or unintentional. You can choose to fix the issue or proceed with the order. (Please see the answer above for more information.)

What are the various thin paper weight options?

Thinner paper weights are used for posters, A4 & tri-fold brochures and flyers. The weights for these products are as follows:

Standard 150gsm – This is generally referred to as art paper and is offered in a high gloss or silk (matt) style finish. The majority of good quality full colour documents or brochures you would have seen would be on this type of stock. It provides for an excellent quality and professional finish to your printed document.

Premium 170gsm – Upgrade for that something just a bit different. The same style and type of paper as the standard 150gsm but just that little thicker to the touch.

What are the various thick paper weight options?

Thicker paper weights are used for business cards, appointment cards, postcards, vouchers, door hangers, half-fold cards and table tent cards. The weights for these products are as follows:

Business/Appointment Cards

Premium 350gsm – For business cards, we only offer a premium stock. Nothing says more about you and your business than the quality of your business card, how thick the paper is and the feel in your hand. This is generally the thickest stock that any business cards are printed on. For information on the matt coated finish on business cards, please see 'What is a coated finish?'.

Postcards

Standard 250gsm – This is generally referred to as an art paper and is offered in a high gloss or silk (matt) style finish. The majority of good quality postcards would be on this type of stock. It provides for an excellent quality and professional finish to your postcard. For information on the matt coated finish on business cards, please see 'What is a coated finish?'.

Premium 300gsm – Upgrade for that something just a little bit different. The same style and type of paper as the standard 250gsm but just that little thicker to the touch. For information on the matt coated finish on postcards, please see 'What is a coated finish?'.

Vouchers

Standard 200gsm – This is generally referred to as an art paper and is offered in a high gloss or silk (matt) style finish. This is a mid weight or thick cover stock. It provides for an excellent quality and professional finish to your voucher.

Premium 250gsm – Upgrade for that something just a bit different. The same style and type of paper as the standard 200gsm but just that little thicker to the touch.

Door Hangers

Standard 250gsm – This is generally referred to as an art paper and is offered in a high gloss or silk (matt) style finish. The majority of good quality door hangers would be on this type of stock. It provides for an excellent quality and professional finish to your door hanger.

Half-Fold Cards

Premium 300gsm – For half-fold cards, we only offer a premium stock. It provides for an excellent quality and professional finish to your half-fold card.

Table Tent Cards

Standard 250gsm – This is generally referred to as an art paper and is offered in a high gloss or silk (matt) style finish. The majority of good quality table tent cards would be on this type of stock. It provides for an excellent quality and professional finish to your table tent card.

Standard (left) and premium (right) cover stock

How do I find the DPI resolution of my image?

DPI is a measure of the resolution of graphic images. It refers to the number of pixels within a span of 1 inch. To find the resolution of an image, browse to the image in the File Explorer, right-click on the image and choose Properties, then click the Summary tab. (If you see an Advanced button on this tab, click it.)

Important: if you import an image into MyDesignBySnap and make it larger than its natural size, this reduces the image's effective resolution. For example, if you import an image with a resolution of 600 DPI and a natural size of 2" x 2", then you double its size to 4" x 4", its effective resolution becomes 300 DPI. Similarly, if you import an image with a resolution of 150 DPI and scale it to one half of its natural size, that will double its effective resolution to 300 DPI.

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What is a coated finish?

Coated finishes are offered on business cards and postcards.

Coated Finish – A coated finish is best described as a thin plastic coating. Not unlike what you get with sticky tape, it comes in both a gloss and a matt finish.

The options for coated finishes are as follows:

Business Cards – For business card, we offer a matt coated finish as standard. Professional to the eye and feels silky to the touch. On the premium 350gsm stock, it provides for a durable, water and stain resistant card that will hold your professional image in good stead. For appointment cards, it can still be written on using a ball point pen.

Postcards – For postcards, we offer both a gloss finish coating and a matt coating. The back of the postcard in each case is always finished with a matt coating. This provides for durability for mailing as well as that all important look and feel.

What is the Boundary Check for Email documents?

An email document is 600 x 800 pixels in size and all the text or images must lay inside the document boundary. If the edges of any images or text boxes are outside of the email document boundaries, the software will display a Boundary Check message, indicating which boxes are outside the email document boundary.

You should move or resize boxes so that they are positioned entirely within the document boundary to pass the Boundary Check.

What is the Text Overflow Check for Email documents?

If any text boxes have content that will not fit within the text box boundaries, the software will display a Text Overflow message, indicating which box or boxes have overflowing text.

You must either enlarge the text box, reduce the font size of the text, or reduce the amount of content in the text box to pass the Text Overflow Check.

What is the Box Overlap Check for Email documents?

Text boxes or images with hyperlinks applied cannot be overlapped by any other box. If a text box or an image box with a hyperlink is being overlapped by any other box, the software will display the Box Overlap Check, indicating which box or boxes are being overlapped.

You must eliminate any overlap by moving or resizing the boxes in order to pass the Box Overlap check.

What is a QR code?

A Quick Response code (QR code) is a unique barcode that can be read at high speed by a dedicated QR barcode reader or a smart phone with a camera. The QR code is one of the most popular types of two-dimensional bar codes. QR codes can be used to display text, open URLs, or share contact information.

Is there an additional charge for using the QR code feature in MyDesignBySnap?

No.

How do I use QR codes in MyDesignBySnap?

See the MyDesignBySnap Instructions.

What information can QR codes represent in MyDesignBySnap?

Currently, QR Codes generated in MyDesignBySnap can contain a URL or contact information in the form of a vCard.

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