FAQ and Terms of Order

FAQ

Frequently asked Questions. Please also note terms of order are set out below. Please read carefully as they may affect your order, and expectations.

Terms of Order.

Please read carefully as polythene differs to paper specifications.

Order Terms:

Prices exclude VAT

Payment Terms

net 30days

Origination & plates

are not included in any quotation. Any verbal quotes given are an estimate only and are subject to sight of artwork.

Delivery Quantity

(overs and unders) + /- 10%, overs charged extra. We can quote for exact quantity or minimum plus overs of up to 10% max.

Safety air hole:

please state if not required, stock items default to an air hole. Air hole will vary from agreed position.

Width:

First Measurement (width) is quoted as the opening edge. Tolerance +/- 5% subject to nearest print cylinder and may vary slightly from your enquiry.

Polymail Logo

printed on lip, please state if not required

Ink & Substrate (film) Colours

matched as closely as possible. Depth of colour will be best we can supply. We use Pantone colour matching. All colours will be matched to this specification

Storage of Self seal strip

products may be impaired in cold/damp/humid conditions. Ideally use self seal bags at room temperature Self Seal Adhesive (glue) may become ineffective after 9 months.

White ink

will not obscure contents completely. If confidentiality or security is a priority please call sales for advice on a silver underprint.

Delivery of Stock Items

(sameday despatch): Please order prior to 12 noon as transport departs 1.00pm
Overnight deliveries are delivered any time the next day. We can offer pre 10am, please call.

Printing

on thick gauge film 80mu and above may suffer a matt effect due to polymer properties .

Liquids & Powder Packaging

Bags are not suited to pack viscose, powders, or liquids unless confirmed in writing

Shipping

Delivery costs to destinations other than the UK mainland are not included. For other regions please call sales.

Artwork Requirments:

Software Design Programs – Flexible Packaging:

We accept artwork in Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Quark Xpress or Adobe Photoshop. MS Word files are not acceptable. Please try to keep all artwork in the same file, and bundle fonts into the same file, where possible.

Disks:

We can accept artwork on CD by post. Please click here for our Postal address. Fonts and Images/Scans: Please include all typefaces and scans or images used in documents and eps graphics. Both screen and printer fonts must be supplied. Although we have access to most fonts, there is no guarantee that fonts from one manufacturer will match those of another.

If not supplied in the 4 process colours (CMYK), all colours must be spot colours, using colour matching by Pantone. Each different colour should be on a separate layer where possible. This enables us to add grips and bleeds, where necessary, more easily.

Flexo Printing

Set-Up – Flexible Materials: Please note that there will be a small unprinted border (Gutter) around all edges of your bag (approx 1-2mm) where the printing plates are joined. We will keep this to an absolute minimum, but if you are unsure as to the effect this will have, please leave a 3mm unprinted gap from left and right sides. We are unable to join tone plates, and so in this case, the tone plate will require 3mm cutbacks. Please leave a clear area (equal to the length of the lip less 5mm) on the reverse to allow the flap to seal. The print will affect the adhesive should the lip be sealed onto a printed area and may not seal correctly.

Inks – Flexo and Screen Printing:

Most ink will not give an opaque finish on clear material, even if there are several layers of ink, or a base layer of white ink. Screen printed inks will usually give a more opaque finish than flexo, as the ink is printed in a thicker layer, but we cannot guarantee the results. If you are unsure, we can run tests prior to manufacture, using your particular ink colour and requested method of print, to check whether the results are suitable. The amount of black and white ink in the make-up of a Pantone reference colour will affect the opacity of the ink. Colours with less black or white will remain more translucent and give a shinier finish on metallised films. Colours with more black or white will give a more matt finish and will be more opaque. When printing onto metallised or coloured films, the substrate will affect the final colour of the printing. This is especially true when printing onto silver translucent films, which may produce a far darker shade of colour.If you are unsure, please ask us to run tests prior to manufacture, using your particular ink colour, chosen substrate and requested method of print, to check whether the results are likely to be suitable.

Materials:

Tinted Polythene (LDPE)

is not usually completely opaque, although this depends on the colour, thickness and density of tint.
White polythene is not opaque unless manufactured with a different coloured inner (see below). Co-extruded (CO-EX) polythene (generally white outer with black or grey inner) is opaque, but cannot be manufactured with a clear window. The translucency of Silver Translucent CPP film varies from batch to batch. It may also have slight banding. This is inherent in the manufacture of the film. Please check with our sales team, who will provide samples of your chosen substrate where possible to assist you in your product choice.

Proofing:

Our standard method of proofing is by PDF. Please bear in mind that these are not accurate for colour as different monitors and printers are calibrated in different ways. Chromalin or digital proofs can be supplied at extra cost if required. These will be as close a match to colour as possible, but digital proofs will be made up out of 4 colours, and may differ from your artwork if your job is using spot colours. A hand-made sample can be supplied if requested in most cases to verify size. This will be made in a material similar to the one quoted but may not be identical, and will not be printed.

Manufacturing:

All measurements are internal, and the leading edge is the opening edge of the bag ie: 110x165mm is a portrait bag, opening along the 110mm edge. Production tolerances are +/- 3% on all dimensions.

Hopefully these guidelines will be of some help, although it must be noted that they are generalisations that apply to fairly simple images and manufacturing styles. More complicated images or styles will be dealt with on an individual basis. Please do not hesitate to contact us on (01892) 800108 should you require further information or need any assistance.