Custom Print Requests for Special Sizes and Finishes: Build the Brief
Use Custom Orders when a required size, finish, quantity, or artwork need is outside the standard product form. The current request page asks for product type and finished size, quantity and preferred turnaround, paper or coating or special-finishing notes, and artwork status. The team reviews the request and replies with options or a quote; do not promise feasibility, timing, or price before that review.
A custom request is a feasibility and scope handoff, not a shortcut around product details. The current 55printing Custom Orders page is for a size, finish, or quantity outside the standard product form and asks for the fields the team needs to assess the request. Give the finished dimensions and intended result first, then keep artwork status and proof questions visible so the response can be tied to the actual job.
What is the main job of Custom Orders?
The main job is to describe work that the standard product path cannot represent clearly. That may include a nonstandard finished size, a special coating or finishing request, a quantity outside the usual form, a preferred turnaround that needs discussion, or artwork that is ready, needs design help, or is still a concept.
The current page asks for product type and finished size, quantity and preferred turnaround, paper or coating or special-finishing notes, and artwork status. It says the team reviews the request, replies with options or a quote, and may ask for a rough sketch or sample file. Use the Custom Orders route for the request, the File Uploader for the current file handoff, and Free Design Proof for the later visual approval question.
| Field | What to state | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Product and finished size | What the item is and the exact dimensions after finishing | Defines the object the team must assess |
| Quantity and turnaround | How many are needed and the preferred timing | Gives the review its planning context without guaranteeing a schedule |
| Material and finish | Paper, coating, and special-finishing notes | Separates the material result from a nearby standard option |
| Artwork status | Ready PDF, needs design help, or concept only | Shows whether the request begins with files, design scope, or an idea |
Which custom-order assumptions should be separated?
Separate a request from a quote, a quote from feasibility, and feasibility from proof approval. Sending a complete brief does not establish that every requested finish is available or that the team will respond with one particular option. A standard catalog price may help when the standard product fits, but it is not a custom promise.
- Scope: describe the finished object, size, quantity, material, finish, and turnaround preference.
- Artwork: state whether the file is ready, needs design help, or is only a concept.
- Review: let the current Custom Orders team determine feasibility and options.
- Proof: treat the active PDF proof and approval stage as a separate visual checkpoint before production.
Use Contact for a focused clarification when a standard product and custom request appear to overlap. Do not force a nonstandard job into the nearest dropdown and hope a later stage will infer the missing specification.
How should a customer prepare a custom request?
- Describe the finished product and the result you need customers to hold, display, or distribute.
- Check whether a standard product page already represents the exact size, quantity, paper, finish, and turnaround context.
- If a required choice is outside the standard form, open Custom Orders.
- Enter the product type and finished size, including exact dimensions after finishing.
- State quantity and preferred turnaround without treating either as a promise.
- Describe paper, coating, special finishing, and any functional or visual requirement.
- State whether artwork is a ready PDF, needs design help, or is a concept only.
- Prepare a rough sketch or sample file if the current team requests one.
- Wait for options or a quote before committing artwork or payment, then use the current proof path for visual approval.
No custom request, payment, order, upload, or customer-data action is required to follow this guide. It is a preparation checklist; the active request page and current team response control the live scope.
Which custom-request scenarios need extra care?
The needed size is close to a standard size
Check the exact finished dimensions, not just the nearest catalog label. If the active product does not offer the requested size, use Custom Orders and state the size after finishing so the team can assess it accurately.
The special finish is hard to describe
Name the paper or coating, the special-finishing result you want, and any sample or sketch that explains it. Avoid assuming that a nearby standard finish means the same material, appearance, or process.
The artwork is only a concept
Say that clearly in the artwork-status field. A concept request may need design discussion before a proof can be created. Keep the design scope separate from a promise that the final artwork or proof is already approved.
Questions customers ask
When should I use Custom Orders?
Use it when a required size, finish, quantity, turnaround, or artwork need is outside the standard product form, or when the project needs team review before you commit artwork or payment. Start with the fields the current Custom Orders page requests. Keep the current request page and team response as the source of truth for what happens next.
What finished size should I provide?
Provide the exact size of the finished piece after any folding, trimming, or finishing that defines the customer-facing object. If the active standard product does not offer that size, state it explicitly in the custom request rather than choosing a nearby option. Keep the current request page and team response as the source of truth for what happens next.
What material information belongs in the request?
State the paper or stock, coating, and any special-finishing notes that affect the result. Describe the outcome you need and add a rough sketch or sample file if the current team asks for more evidence. Do not assume a nearby standard finish is equivalent. Keep the current request page and team response as the source of truth for what happens next.
What if my quantity is outside the standard form?
State the requested quantity in Custom Orders along with the product, finished size, material, finish, and preferred turnaround. The quantity gives the team planning context, but it does not guarantee a minimum, maximum, price, or production method before review. Keep the current request page and team response as the source of truth for what happens next.
What if I need design help?
State whether the artwork is a ready PDF, needs design help, or is a concept only. The current team may ask for a rough sketch or sample file. Keep design scope separate from proof approval and do not present an unfinished concept as production-ready artwork. Keep the current request page and team response as the source of truth for what happens next.
Will the team provide a quote?
The current Custom Orders page says the team reviews the request and replies with options or a quote. That is a workflow description, not a promise of a particular price, option, response time, or feasibility result. Wait for the current response before committing the project. Keep the current request page and team response as the source of truth for what happens next.
Can I receive a proof before printing?
Use the current Free Design Proof route for proof context. Its visible guidance describes preparing a PDF proof, sending revision notes, and approving before production. Do not treat a custom request or uploaded file as proof approval until the active proof is reviewed. Keep the current request page and team response as the source of truth for what happens next.
Should I use a standard product if it is close?
Use the standard product only when its active options describe the exact job you need. If a required size, finish, quantity, or material is not represented, use Custom Orders and state the difference. A nearby catalog option is not evidence that the scopes are identical. Keep the current request page and team response as the source of truth for what happens next.
Describe the finished size, material, quantity, turnaround preference, and artwork state before the team reviews feasibility and options.