Guides and Tutorials
Frequently Asked Questions
Customer Service
Click on the Contact Us link at the top of the page. Or Click Here.
Our hours of operation during Covid-19 are 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday Arizona Time. You may still order 24 hours a day and your order will still be processed.
Our customer service representatives are not able to give you a custom quote over the phone. You will need to send us a custom quote request form in order to get a quote. Please Click Here to read more about custom orders.
Designer Pro Subscriptions
Designer PRO gives you access to an enhanced designing experience, offering you more tools and discounted services with our cloud designer for the duration of the subscription.
- Unlimited eNewspaper Publishing – While your subscription is active, you can create as many eNewspapers as you wish of any or all of your projects. Normally, to get an eNewspaper of your PDF, you would be charged $19 per project--which only gets you the PDF and the eNewspaper. But with a Designer PRO subscription, you can create as many as you want.
- Unlimited PDF Creation – While your subscription is active, you can create as many PDFs as you wish of any or all of your projects. Normally, to get an eNewspaper of your PDF, you would be charged $19 per project--which only gets you the PDF and the eNewspaper. But with a Designer PRO subscription, you can create as many as you want.
- Unlimited Proofs – Many customers want the ability to print their project using their home or office printer. They want to do this in stages for proofing purposes, and with a Designer PRO subscription, you can create as many proofs as you need with no need to pay for any more PDF versions of your project.
- Access to Premium Templates – Designer PRO comes with access to hundreds of beautiful, first-class templates that are not accessible through the free version of our designer. These templates are often cleaner, better spaced, offer more versatility and control, and can assist you in designing a newspaper that removes much of the hassle.
- Access to 100,000+ Print-ready Image Library – With Designer PRO you have access to a gigantic library of print ready, royalty free images that can be inserted directly into the designer without the need to upload them on your own.
Absolutely. To begin with, our premium templates will save you time and money, allowing you to instantly insert some of our more top-notch templates. Templates on the internet may range from $5 to $50 each, so the savings can accumulate rapidly.
Secondly, because you can create an unlimited number of PDFs and eNewspapers, you will not need to keep purchasing the single $19 download each time you need a PDF or eNewspaper. This alone could save you hundreds of dollars.
Thirdly, the ability to instantly insert a print-ready, high quality, and royalty free image from a huge library directly from our cloud designer will save you the time and hassle you would put forth in finding such images on your own--especially when compared to paid Image websites that often charge up to $20 per high-quality image.
Obviously, the more you use your subscription, the more money you will save.
eNewspapers
An eNewspaper is an online or digital version of your newspaper. For those customers with an email list, a website, use social media or simply want other people to be able to access and read their newspaper from anywhere in the world, an eNewspaper is ideal. You will have the benefits of enjoying exposure to millions of users, a handy digital viewer that displays your newspaper exactly like a newspaper, and the ability to embed the viewer and your eNewspaper in your website.
The eNewspaper creation process is done automatically through the ordering process. We do the uploading, deal with posting, manage it for you, and display a link for your eNewspaper right in your account. eNewsapapers are a great way to disseminate your news, stories, services, or products to as many people as possible in a truly professional format. We cannot, however, help to embed it onto your website. You will have to do that yourself.
Absolutely. Many customers design a newspaper for the sole purpose of using the eNewspaper format. You do not have to print to get your eNewsapaper link and subscription. If you ever do decide to print, you can do so directly from your account.
Yes. Many customers design a newspaper for print and then discover the value of having an eNewspaper as well. You can order both through the checkout process.
Your eNewspaper link will enable you to use it in a variety of ways. You can send the link via email, and share the link in your social media accounts. It is a great way to share your message!
Designer PRO Subscriptions will allow you to save money over the long run if you print more than a few times a year. First, with a subscription, you can publish unlimited eNewspapers. Then, if you print monthly, a year subscription will save you a lot of money versus buying eNewspapers one at a time. This means, if you use our Free Cloud Newspaper Designer, you will always get an eNewspaper, and a PDF file and links, every time you order while your subscription is active. In addition, links on your eNewspaper will be activated so that if a reader clicks on one, it will take him or her to the link address. This gives you even more power for yourself or your advertisers. A subscription is also a great way for as many instant proofs as you need, as you can create unlimited PDFs. As a bonus, the Designer PRO subscription also gives you upgraded premium templates, thousands of print ready images and discounts on any premium content available.
Yes! Anyone can use the Designer PRO subscriptions and take full benefit of the digital viewer and handy link to share your publication. AND, unlike other sites without a Designer, when you order through us, your eNewspaper is absolutely ad free and you share your publication with no other publications. Your eNewspaper is private and safe from the adult content of other publications.
Click Here to read all about eNewspapers.
When you open your eNewspaper, there is "share" button in the tool bar on top. Simply click there, and an embed code will show. Copy the embed code into the page of your website where you want it to show. Ask your webmaster for help if you have any issues.
Two (2) years. At which point, we delete them from our system. To keep a permanent copy of your project, you will need to download the PDF to your computer. Current subscribers may, of course re-upload their PDF and get another eNewspaper once it has been purged from our system. Non-subscribers may also re-upload their PDF and order another eNewspaper as well.
Yes. Non-subscribers and subscribers alike may order a PDF only of their Designer project. Keep in mind, however, that you get a PDF regardless. A PDF comes with ALL eNewspapers.
It takes between 5 and 20 minutes for the PDF to render and the eNewspaper to be created. On your initial order, you will recieve 2 emails. The first is an order confirmation. The second comes later and will contain the links to access your eNewspaper and PDF. If you have a subscription already and are using our Designer, you get the PDF and eNewspaper faster and directly from within the Designer. Simply click the "eNewspaper" publishing button to get your eNewspaper and PDF.
Print Products
We utilize two different types of presses to fulfill a newsprint order. For copies of 5000 and less, we may use a digital press, and for copies over 5000, we may use an offset web-press. Both presses produce high-quality newspapers that utilize the latest safe-ink printing technology while offering the lowest pricing available. All orders are printed on regular or hi-bright newsprint.
There are slight differences in the way a newspaper will look depending upon what type of press is used. However, a reader, unless held side by side, will never know the difference. Also, paper rolls will vary slightly in whiteness from one roll to the next so often one print run may be slightly whiter or grayer than the next even if the same press is used. This is normal and nothing to be alarmed by. But for the best quality print run, it is important to follow our specifications.
No. Newsprint is not coated so it does not look like the glossy magazine paper you are familiar with. Typically, newsprint has gray in it and our hi-bright newsprint is a thicker and whiter newsprint than regular. It will make your colors look brighter and more vivid.
Quarter fold means the newspaper is folded into a quarter of its normal size. For an example, see our Specifications Page. This is how your newspapers will be delivered.
On an 11x14, the sheet of newsprint is 22x14 inches. For 11x17, it is 22x17. For 11x22, it is 22x22. We fold this one time (half fold) to produce 4 pages of the size you ordered. TThese 4 pages are printed on both sides of this larger sheet. 1 page for us is literally one content page out of the 4 content pages that can be produced on the larger sheet of newsprint. This is why you can only order pages in quantity of 4. We require PDF's to be in consecutive page numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. We arrange them to print correctly in your newspaper.
For the most part. However, newsprint absorbs ink more than any other print medium. Therefore, the color saturation may vary from what you see on your screen. And if you are new to newsprint, you may need to experiment a bit to get your images at the right brightness or contrast. Typically, for offset web presses, you want to lighten the images, but for the digital press you want to darken them a bit.
WARNING: Excessively dark pictures with dark backgrounds, dark features, or lots of dark shadows will likely not print well on either the offset web press or digital press. Print mediums cannot adjust the contrast like you can on a computer screen, so the odds of these dark colors blending together (particularly in gray scale or in similar color shades) are extremally high. We strongly recommend lightening the images and/or lightening the background of the images before submitting for print.
Every computer screen has its own contrast and brightness settings and are not calibrated to the printers that are used. There is no easy way to make newsprint printing exactly match your computer screen display. If you are new to ordering newspapers, it may be a matter of trial and error to better match your desired brightness and contrast on images. We are not responsible for the quality of your images and if they will print well, and since we cannot know how an image will print until it is printed, we will not contact you in advance.
You can absolutely do this. Many customers want the professional look of a newspaper that people can read, download, or email to family and friends. Our eNewspaper service allows you to do this. You can print, produce a PDF, have an online newspaper or any combination of the three.
Hi-bright newsprint is a bit thicker and whiter than regular newsprint. Both, however, are newsprint.
Yes. For details, view our tutorial for direct mailing. Click Here.
Our newspapers are come in many sizes, both Tabloid and Broadsheets. You can choose between a tabloid of size of 11x14 or 11x17 (11x12 if you need it) and 11x22 sized broadsheets. Metric sizes are available, but we cannot print them in the US. You will need to find a printer that prints metric sizes in your country.
Not always. When your artwork has a heavy use of images and will be printed using a digital press, the saturation of color on the page may cause the paper to warp and sometimes cause small creases. We have worked extensively with the printing process and unfortunately there is nothing we can do to prevent this when it does happen. It most all cases that we have reviewed with creases, the creases are minor and unobstructive as they are generally in the photo areas. We have not seen this issue when using traditional printing webs, which are typically reserved for higher volume orders of 7500 copies or more. Please be aware, if using high saturation of color on the page, these creases may occur with digital press orders (5000 copies and less). Reprinting the order will not change this and you can expect the same creases.
The ink is environmentally friendly soy ink and the paper is recycled.
B&W / Color newspapers means FULL color on certain pages and through our automated published pricing is as follows:
4 Page: pages 1 and 4 are color (the balance of pages are printed in black only)
8 Page: pages 1, 4, 5, 8 are color
12 Page: pages 1, 6, 7, 12 are color
16 Page: pages 1, 8, 9, 16 are color
20 Page: pages 1, 10, 11, 20 are color
24 Page: pages 1, 12, 13, 24 are color
Any choices outside of these parameters would be a Custom Order or a Full Color order.No. All our newspapers are printed on real newsprint.
For a small shipping fee, you can order samples of how our newspapers look and feel. These sample packets can be purchased from the Sample Pack Product Page and include around 4 copies of various newspapers that have been left over from previous print runs. They include newspapers printed on both a digital press and a web-press and both regular and hi-bright newsprint. Unfortunately, you cannot order a sample of your own design for the same cost. If you want a sample of your own design, you will need to order at least 50 newspapers from our newsprint products.
No. Our pricing is structured around the best value between the cost of printing and the quantity needed. Typically, copies are less expensive at higher quantities when printed on an offset web-press, while the per copy price is much better at the lower quantities when printed on a digital press. In most cases, but not universally, any newsprint order of 5000 copies and less is printed on the digital press, whereas anything over 5000 is printed on a web-press.
Makemynewspaper's Free Cloud Designer
We are first and foremost a printing service, and everything we do is geared toward that end. This is one reason why our Designer only works in page counts of 4, because that is the requirement for print. To that end, someone who only prints actual newspapers through us never has to pay for the use of the free templates on our website. They can design an entire newspaper without purchasing any software, use our templates, and order newspapers without ever paying for the templates or the use of the Designer.
But if you do not intend to print actual newspapers through us, then there is a fee to purchase or publish the PDF or eNewspaper. To get the PDF and eNewspaper only is $19 or you can subscribe to Designer PRO and publish unlimited PDFs. Students can get a discount if they write us and can show they are using our system to complete a school or class assignment.
No. We do recommend that whatever browser you use that you consistently use that browser as using different browsers may shift some of the components from session to session. For optimal performance, we recommend Chrome.
There are advantages and disadvantages.
The Advantages:
- There is nothing to download to your computer and you access it from any device because it's Cloud based.
- You do not have to worry about CMYK issues in our Cloud Designer.
- You do not have to worry about PDF creation.
- You do not have to deal with page size and margins.
- You get many free templates to use.
- The learning curve to use our Cloud Designer effectively is minimal.
- You do not have to purchase any additional software.
- Features and options special to newspaper design will constantly be added.
- Avoid the upload process.
- You can collaborate with others from anywhere and anytime.
The Disadvantages:
- If you have designed newspapers before using sophisticated programs, our Cloud Designer does not have some of the more advanced features of other desktop publishing software that you may be used to.
- You do not automatically get a PDF copy of your design unless you purchase it for a minimal charge.
- You need an internet connection to design.
- Speed of design is dependent upon the speed of your internet connection.
You have the following options: tabloid sizes 11x12, 11x14, 11x17, or 11x22 (broadsheet). Metric sizes are available, but not for print in the US. You can only create a PDF or an eNewspaper with metric tabloid sizes from the USA site.
Yes. Currently, our designer only supports up to 32 pages. However, anything over 24 pages will require you to get a custom order quote before you print. If you need more than 32 pages, you will need to not only get a custom quote, but you will need to design your newspaper using your own Desktop Publishing Software. If you are using your own software, please read our specifications listed under the "Help/Tutorial" menu.
Yes. Our designer is accessible from any browser with an internet connection. Anyone who has access to your account can open and edit one of your designs. We do, however, recommend strongly that everyone use the same browser when editing your document. Moving between browsers could shift some of the text since each browser renders their kerning (space between letters) for letters differently. Also, don't work on the same project at the same time. Whoever saves last will win and erase what the other person has done.
Most likely, you either used a different browser than the one you saved it in or you are using a different version of the same browser. Each browser renders their kerning (space between letters) for letters differently. This may cause some shift in the letters when you click on a text box. To avoid this, always use the same browser. It doesn't matter which one you use, so long as you use the same one.
PLEASE NOTE: Most of our templates were designed in Google Chrome. Loading them in a different browser may cause some of the text to shift when you first click on a text box. However, once you replace the text and save it, it will always come up the way you saved it as long as you continue to use the same browser.
No. Most of our templates were designed in Google Chrome so there should be no shift in the kerning (space between letters) if you use Chrome. It doesn't matter which browser you use so long as you continue to use the same one throughout your project.
Yes. We offer a written tutorial and video tutorials.
Most likely you are using an old browser. Upgrade your browser and you should have no problems.
Any project that has had no activity (saves) in the last eighteen (18) months will be purged from our system.
You may need to do a hard refresh on your browser. Either the cache is corrupted or we updated the Designer and now your cache is outdated. For Windows based operating systems, do a CTRL-F5 on the tab with the open Designer in it. This will reload the page, clearing the cache and likely solve the problem. For Mac based systems, do a COMMAND-R.
Design
No. We do not offer design services at this time.
You can use any desktop publishing software that will produce a print ready PDF in CMYK colors. Below is a list of common programs and if they are or are not acceptable to produce a print ready PDF:
- Adobe InDesign – This is perfectly acceptable as it is a desktop publishing software designed for this type of project.
- Adobe Illustrator – This is not acceptable. Illustrator is a vector editing program, not a desktop publishing software. Please do not use Illustrator for your newspaper designs.
- Adobe Photoshop – This is not acceptable. Photoshop is a photo editing program, not a desktop publishing program. It creates huge picture files that often do not have the correct font or CMYK information imbedded in the PDF. Please do not use Photoshop for your newspaper design.
- CorelDraw – This is not acceptable. CorelDraw is a vector editing software similar to Adobe Illustrator. It is not a desktop publishing software and does not produce acceptable print ready PDFs for commercial printing.
- Microsoft Publisher – This is perfectly acceptable. Although not our favorite, it can be used for your newspaper designs. Converting to CMYK in Publisher is tricky…especially trying to get 100% black fonts. You may use Publisher for your newspaper designs.
- Microsoft Word – Word is not acceptable for PDF submission as it is not a desktop publishing software. It is a word processor and does not have the functionality to correctly convert a PDF to the correct CMYK settings or embed the necessary font information in the PDF. We will not accept PDFs created by Word.
- Microsoft PowerPoint – Powerpoint is not a desktop publishing software and lacks the capability to convert RGB to CMYK or embed the fonts needed for commercial printing. Please do not use PowerPoint.
- Mac/Apple Pages – Pages is a basic design program for home use. It does not have the capacity to convert RGB to CMYK for commercial printing. Please do not use Mac Pages.
- Serif PagePlus – This is perfectly acceptable. This is the only Serif program that is a true desktop publishing software.
- QuarkXPress – This is perfectly acceptable.
Click Here to view our specifications.
CMYK stands for the color pallet (c)yan, (m)agenta, (y)ellow, and (k) black. CMYK is what professional printers use in their web and offset printers. Conversely, your home printer is more apt to use RGB (red, green, blue) to produce colors.
In CMYK, the K means black. When you convert RGB black to CMYK black, the black is actually a combination of all 4 colors. To get the black font to be true black, you will need to reduce the C, M, and Y colors to 0% and the K to 100%. This should be done for all true black fonts to prevent the printers from going over your text four times with all the colors.
We have included a tutorial for Microsoft Publisher 2007 on our Design Tips Page. A similar procedure will need to be followed for all desktop publishing software--except for our free Cloud Newspaper Designer, which does the conversion for you. The tutorial covers both the CMYK conversion for the actual PDF and how to ensure that all your black fonts are 100% black and not an actual combination of colors.
You can bridge the center margin of the center spread of your newspaper. You cannot do this in our online Cloud Designer, but you can do this if you design the newspaper using your own Desktop Publishing software. To do this, you would move the image or text of the left page all the way to the very edge of the right margin of that page and for the right page, you would move the image or text all the way to the left of the page. We need TWO pages that meet our normal specifications...except on the bridged margins. Do not create one very large page.
We do not, however, do bleeds. A bleed is when you have print or color in the half inch margin around the outside of your newspaper.
Because the actual sheet of newspaper is double the width of the page size. When we fold it in half, we get 4 pages when you print on both sides. For example, a 11x14, 4 page newspaper is really a single sheet of 22x14 printed on both sides. Thus 8 pages is 2 sheets, 12 pages is 3 sheets, and 16 pages is 4 sheets of newsprint.
Our templates allow you to design relatively easy. You can call Customer Support if you do get stuck.
We have several pages and tutorials that might be of help to you.
- Click Here to view our specifications page. This will help with picture quality, CMYK options and more.
- Click Here to view some more design tips.
- Click Here to view some more content tips.
- Click Here to view a thorough tutorial on starting a profitable newspaper. The tutorial talks about design, content, ads, ad pricing, distribution, and much more.
The Printing Process
ORDER CUTOFF TIME: 5:00 PM Pacific Time. Any order placed (or final artwork received) after 5:00 PM Pacific Time will be processed as an order coming in the next day. For Newsprint Orders of 500 Copies and Less:
Example: If an order is placed on a Thursday at 4:50 PM Pacific Time for 100 copies, UPS Ground, then Friday is the first day the order can be printed and shipped and Tuesday of the next week is the last day (assuming there are no holidays in that time period). Ground will take 2 to 5 business days from the day your order is shipped. If the order is placed after 5:00 PM Pacific Time, then Monday is the first day it can be printed and shipped and Wednesday is the last day (assuming there are no holidays in that time period).
Holidays may delay printing and shipping. Regarding UPS Shipping: UPS does not necessarily deliver on weekends, so it is possible that Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air will not arrive until Monday.For Newsprint Orders of 750 Copies and More: Orders are completed and out the door within 4 business days starting the day after the order is placed or the final artwork received. Shipping times will vary.
Example: If an order is placed on a Thursday at 4:50 PM Pacific Time for 750 copies, UPS Ground, then Friday is the first day the order can be printed and shipped and Wednesday of the next week is the last day (assuming there are no holidays in that time period). Ground will take 2 to 5 business days from the day your order is shipped. If the order is placed after 5:00 PM Pacific Time, then Monday is the first day it can be printed and shipped and Thursday is the last day (assuming there are no holidays in that time period).
Artwork Revisions: Revisions made to the submitted artwork means that these turnaround times go into effect according to when the final artwork is received. Thus, if an order comes in on Thursday, but the final artwork isn't received until Friday, turnaround times may be pushed back by one day.
Regarding UPS Shipping: UPS does not necessarily deliver on weekends, so it is possible that Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air will not arrive until Monday.
Regarding customer deadlines: We know that occasionally a customer has their own deadlines for when they need to receive their newspapers. In such cases, we recommend ordering early enough so that there is not a rush and to allow for mishaps in printing and delivery times, but we also know that may not always be possible. However, in the event that UPS fails to deliver according to their own promises, we can only refund the shipping costs, not the entirety of the print order, even if the customer cannot use them or the event in which they were to be distributed has passed.
Daily, weekly, and bi-monthly accounts can get a quicker turnaround time. We would put you on a printing schedule, so as long as we have your PDF the day before you are scheduled to print, your order will print and ship according to a set schedule. Please contact Customer Service to set this up.
Be aware of our turnaround times before you begin. In all cases, our worst case scenarios require that you have your order in 2 weeks before you need it. In most cases, you will receive your newspaper well before that time, but with printing demands and shipping transit times, we recommend that you order 14 days before you actually need it.
A web-press is deigned to print from a large roll of newsprint instead of individual sheets. It is cut after printing. There is no relation at all to the internet. The offset lithographic process is employed by web-presses, but in such a way as to make the speed far superior to that of sheet-fed methods. Typically web printing is for large quantities.
No. Our minimum order is 50 copies, and 50 copies. It essentially costs us the same to print 1 copy as it does 50. Most of the expense is in the equipment tooling, setup, and labor.
Shipping
The pricing page has a shipping calculator available to help you calculate your shipping. If the UPS shipping exceeds $150 you may request a drop ship quote--also from the pricing pages.
UPS Shipping: UPS does not necessarily deliver on weekends. This means that Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air may not be delivered until Monday.
Drop Shipping is the use of a Trucking Line to deliver your newspapers—versus UPS or USPS. These shipments typically arrive on a tractor trailer. You will need a loading dock, a forklift, or a crew of people to remove the shipment from the back of the trailer.
If UPS Ground is more than $150, you can request a drop ship quote to use an LTL trucking company to deliver your newspapers. This can often save you money. The request form is found on the Newsprint Price Page in the Shipping Calculator section. Fill out the form only if UPS is more than $150. Our system will send us your request and we will research the shipping costs for you. These quotes are only valid for 15 days, so it is best to get them close to the time you intend to order. Once you have your drop shipping quote, the different values will be made available to you when you order your newspapers. This allows you to see the entire cost of your newspaper and pay for everything at the same time. The values will also be displayed in your account so that you may reference them at any time.
For UPS deliveries, your newspapers are delivered in a box. For Drop Shipping deliveries, your newspapers will be bundled, shrink wrapped and secured to a pallet.
Currently, because the shipment is often so large, we do not offer expedited shipping services when your order requires Drop Shipping.
Absolutely. When we get one, we update your account and an email is sent to you with the details.
Your Account
Our services are designed to allow you to also act as a manager of your print projects. To do that, we need to associate your projects with you—so we need an account set up. The account is free and your information is fully protected. We don’t use it except to occasionally send you an email informing you of changes or new features.
No. The account and our Online Cloud Designer are free (with the exception of a few features). We only charge when you go to print, create a downloadable PDF, or create a digital newspaper. The designer itself is free to use, though some of the features are only available through a Designer PRO subscription.
Contact Customer Support to help with this problem.
Projects in your account are never used unless you publish in some way. Our Terms of Service specify that, unless you indicate otherwise, we may use your (published or printed) newspaper as a sample displayed on our website or send extra copies of your newspapers in a sample packet ordered by another potential customer. If you specifically request that your newspaper not be used, we won’t use it.
All rights to your content are exclusively yours. If you don’t want us to publish your newspaper as a sample or to send any extras in a sample packet to prospective customers, please let us know. We do not republish your content for any other purposes than what is mentioned by our Terms of Service.
Ordering
The maximum size of file you can upload at this time is not an issue. If you are experiencing problems when ordering a newspaper, please contact us and we'll help you place your order. Also, be aware than images larger than 15 MB cannot be uploaded into our Designer...if you do upload an image larger than 15 MB, the image might show, but not print whatsoever.
The only form of payment we accept is from a debit card, a credit card, and PayPal.
We only allow schools and governmental agencies to use purchase orders and only when a credit card is disallowed. If you are one of those groups, please call before ordering.
There is a small window where you can re-upload your PDF with changes. Your account will inform you of the status of your order. If the printer has downloaded it for print, you most likely cannot make changes. If it hasn’t yet been downloaded for print, you can resubmit it. If you request a hold to be placed on the order and we do so, we must receive the revised artwork within the next 5 days or we will print the original artwork.