HFC Print Shop request form and process
To improve our efficiency and provide better service, the HFC Marketing and Communications division, with help from ITS, created an online Print Shop Request Form in 2022.
Please use the online Print Shop Request Form as the only method to request Print Shop services.
The online form allows us to manage our work flow, triage and prioritize projects, and to run an efficient Print Shop operation.
Drop-in visitors will be required to fill out the same online Request Form and follow our normal 5-full-day turnaround time.
IMPORTANT: Our turnaround time is 5 full business days
The Print Shop serves the entire College and is often very busy with multiple print and production requests. Our workflow requires lead time so we can accommodate the quantity of requests we receive and produce the work requested. 5 business days is our minimum for any standard printing request. If you request a job from the Print Shop in less than 5 business days, it will be flagged for special review as a “rush request” and is likely to be denied. If we do grant you an exception to our 5-day turnaround time, it will be a one-time exception only. Further requests for fewer than 5-day turnaround will not be accepted.
(If you need your print job in fewer than 5 days, the Print Shop can refer you to outside suppliers who can produce your job more quickly at your expense.)
Please plan ahead so you can request your job at least 5 business days in advance. More time is always appreciated. Thank you.
Questions?
Print Shop services that are provided to HFC departments at no cost (within reason)
You may order printing/creation of the following items from the Print Shop. Note that we have a maximum size that our equipment can produce. Contact the Print Shop for further details.
- Printing and copying of various HFC-related documents:
- brochures
- flyers
- posters
- postcards
- signs
- letters
- mailers
- etc.
- HFC-branded notepads
- Business cards (standard HFC template options; no custom designs or elements)
- HFC-logo notecards with HFC return address envelopes
- Bindery, trimming
- Lamination
- Bulk envelope and letterhead ordering
Exams and classroom materials
We provide printing of exams within reason. We recommend you consider the self-serve copier option for faster turnaround. We will not print exams or similar classroom materials as rush items. All requests need to accommodate our 5-day turnaround time.
We will print textbook materials under the following circumstances (all are required):
- Materials are not copyrighted, or the requestor can demonstrate that they own the copyright.
- Materials are requested at least 2 weeks in advance (preferably more).
- Materials are a standard size and can be printed using standard Print Shop paper and binding services.
- Materials are sold in the College bookstore, which allows us to recoup most of the printing cost.
Reducing waste:
Because most of our services are provided at no cost to HFC departments, we need your help in reducing waste. Please do not request larger printed quantities than you know you will actually distribute to people who will use them. We will ask specific questions about uses and distribution of materials to assist in reaching our goal of efficiency without waste. Waste has been a large problem in the past, and we are working to change that. We appreciate your teamwork on this.
When requesting services from the Print Shop, please follow these guidelines
- Please complete and submit one Request Form for each individual request.
- Allow 5 or more business days for turnaround. We are likely to deny any requests for fewer than 5 business days.
- In cases where we are able to make Rush Service exceptions, you may be charged for services.
- We are very likely to deny any urgent rush requests (less than 2 days). If we deny your rush request, we recommend you go to a local quick-print shop such as FedEx Kinko's. You will have to pay for all such services.
- Any file containing copyrighted information must be accompanied by documentation that explicitly grants permission for duplication of the copyrighted material.
The Print Shop request form requires HFC login and will automatically record your name. It is a dynamic form, which means that your responses to certain questions will generate different options. For example, if you select "copies," you will then see a new section of the form that requests details about the copies you need.
Important details regarding delivery and delivery dates
- The 5-day turnaround time is standard but not a guarantee. Some projects may take longer depending on quantity and complexity. The 5-day time period does NOT include design. If you need design services, you will need to request them separately (email pjsekulidis) and follow our normal timelines for design. From start to finish, no fewer than 3 weeks are required for jobs that need design and printing. Please note that we will not print materials that do not meet our basic professional standards or that use our logos / standards inappropriately. Request design services several weeks or more in advance of when you need the materials.
- The delivery date cannot be the same date the materials are needed for a class. Specific time-of-day deliveries are not available.
- Rush Services Request (less than 5 business days):
If you request rush service, your request is likely to be denied. If we are able to accommodate your request, rush service charges may apply, and pre-approval from the office of the Vice President of Marketing and Communications will be required. Accommodations of rush requests, when permitted, are offered on a ONE-TIME basis only. You will need to engage outside suppliers, at your initiative and your cost, for future rush requests. - Materials will not be sent to you via postal service or any other paid delivery method. We will deliver to you on campus, or you may pick up items at the Print Shop during designated open hours.
Self-service copy option
If you are in need of basic copies or you have a tight timeline for copies, the self-service copier is in an open room next to the Print Shop. This copier is available during business hours for all employees. It is available 24/7 for employees who have after-hours access to the F building. The copier is for HFC-business use only. Like other campus copiers, this copier keeps a record of items that are copied.
The Print Shop is not able to accommodate all requests. Here is what we cannot do, or must charge for
Due to costs, timeline, capability, or priorities, there are some items we do not produce.
Items that we do not produce (or for which additional charges will apply) include, but are not limited to:
- Course texts or similar materials for students (except those that are sold in the College Store).
- Niche materials such as department or unit newsletters.
- Oversized materials that exceed our in-house capabilities.
- Complex bindings, custom papers, or similar requests that we cannot produce in-house or whose materials are costly.
- Items that are not aligned with the goals of the HFC Strategic Plan.
- Larger quantities than are actually distributed to individuals or groups.
- Items that do not meet HFC branding standards, that misuse our HFC logos, or that are not professionally produced. (Contact the Graphics Team for professional design assistance!)
- Items that are not submitted in a format that we can produce (our primary services are from properly-prepared PDF files, or MSOffice files).
- Items submitted on a timeline that we cannot meet.
- Items that require special treatments such as embossing, metallic inks, etc.
- Specialty items such as high-volume requests, requests that require significant manual preparation, or items that require costly materials (such as high-volume foam core, custom papers), etc.
About charges that may be applied to your requests
If we are able to produce your request but there will be a necessary charge to you, we will notify you in advance of the charge and obtain your consent to proceed.
When charges are necessary, they include materials costs, labor, and/or rush charges. We do not make a profit from necessary charges.
Graphic Design services are here for you!
Our Graphics team produces well-branded, high-quality materials for print and digital use. They will work with you on projects that align with the goals of the HFC strategic plan and overall College priorities.
Design projects are a consultative process that involves teamwork. Our designers work directly with you and with the Print Shop. They can save you time and effort by developing materials that can be produced efficiently by the Print Shop and will work with our other marketing materials.
We are developing a form (similar to the Print Shop request form) for design services. Until that form is ready, please send your request to Patti Sekulidis, and she will triage and assign design projects.
The online Print Shop Request Form is here
If you are ever looking for this form and cannot find it, login to the Employee Portal at my.hfcc.edu and select "All Request Ticket Systems." You will see the form on that list.
For questions or more information, contact the Print Shop at 313-317-6861.
