John Monsen 
If you have ever uploaded artwork to a printer and been told your logo is too low resolution, you have already met the raster vs vector problem. Raster vs vector for print sounds technical, but the core idea is pretty simple. One type is built from pixels. The other is built from paths and math. … Read more
Production time vs shipping time in printing is one of those phrases that sounds painfully boring right up until your order arrives after the event it was meant for. Then it becomes very interesting, very fast. A lot of deadline mistakes happen because buyers collapse the whole print process into one fuzzy question: “How long … Read more
“The best proxy is the one your playgroup actually plays with.” That line sticks with me whenever I compare services. In this review I look at PrintMTG vs PrintingProxies from a buyer’s point of view. I focused on print quality and resolution, card stock feel, card backs and policy, website flow, shipping time, and pricing … Read more
If you want the shortest version of DPI vs PPI explained, it is this: PPI describes the pixel density of the digital image.DPI describes the dot density of the printed output.When print shops say “300 DPI file,” they often mean a file that is about 300 PPI at final size. That last part is where … Read more
A digital proof is usually a PDF or online proofing file that shows the printer’s prepared version of your job before it goes into production. Depending on the product and workflow, it may show things like: Think of it as the last cheap checkpoint. It is the printer asking, “Is this the file and layout … Read more
TLDR Lip balm labels with ingredients are where branding and reality run into each other. Hard. The tube is small, the legal basics still matter, and suddenly your nice minimalist layout is trying to carry way more than it has room for. That is why lip balm labels with ingredients are not really a “make … Read more
BS5609 labels for chemical drums are a deep-cut label topic in the truest sense. Most people shopping for labels will never need them. But if you do need them, normal “durable” language is not enough. You need to know what the standard actually means and why generic waterproof stock is not the same thing. BS5609 … Read more
Roll labels vs sticker sheets for small business is not just a printing question. It is a workflow question. The right choice changes how you pack orders, how fast you move, how much storage space you need, and how annoying the labeling process becomes by week three. Most small businesses start with whatever seems easiest. … Read more
Printing methods explained gets much easier once you stop looking for one perfect process. There is no universal best method. There is just the right process for the job in front of you. If you are printing 5,000 identical brochures, your answer will not be the same as if you are printing twelve personalized shirts, … Read more
Choosing web to print software can get annoying fast. Most demos look good for twenty minutes. You see a storefront, a few templates, maybe a proof screen, and suddenly everything sounds “end to end.” Then implementation starts, and you find out one platform is really just an online order form while another can actually pass … Read more
The short version is this: gsm measures weightlb text or lb cover measures basis weight inside a paper categorypt and mil usually describe thicknesscover and text describe what kind of paper you are looking atdouble-thick is often a product name or construction style, not a universal unit Once you separate those ideas, paper thickness explained … Read more
If you’re asking how can I design my own Uber or Lyft decal, the first thing to know is a little annoying but important: in most cases, you should not design the official required decal from scratch. Uber and Lyft both use official trade dress, and in some cities or airports that branding is part … Read more
Print file formats explained sounds like the sort of topic people avoid until a printer rejects their upload at 11:47 p.m. Unfortunately, that is usually when it becomes interesting. Most print file problems are not about taste. They are about sending the wrong file type, or sending the right file type for the wrong job. … Read more
If you are asking “Is ProxyMTG.com a scam?”, our answer is simple: no. It is legit. We did not come to that conclusion by guessing from a homepage or skimming a few policy pages. We placed two separate orders ourselves and saw how the company handled real purchases from start to finish. Both orders arrived … Read more