{"id":3681,"date":"2019-01-18T09:21:27","date_gmt":"2019-01-18T14:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/?p=3681"},"modified":"2025-05-28T18:50:39","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T22:50:39","slug":"writing-your-terms-and-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sinalite.com\/printersuccess\/writing-your-terms-and-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing Your Terms and Conditions: A Guide for Print Shops"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sometimes print shop owners don\u2019t think they need to lay out the terms and conditions (sometimes called \u201cterms of service\u201d or \u201cterms of use\u201d). But having a clear, public terms and conditions page could save you thousands of dollars on legal fees in the future. Writing it is a necessary part of growing your print business.<\/p>\n\n\n

It\u2019s easy to find generic templates online, so in this article we\u2019ll focus more on the sections (or “clauses”) that are unique to print businesses. Remember, every set of terms and conditions is different, so use this only as a general guide and personalize yours for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n

Terms and Conditions for Your Print Shop: What Should You Include?<\/h2>\n\n\n

1. Order Approval<\/h3>\n\n\n

When your clients send you a file to print, what do you not<\/em> check for? Make this clear to your clients so that they don\u2019t expect you to catch their mistakes. And if you have a proofing process, let your clients know how it works.<\/p>\n\n\n

2. Customer Content<\/h3>\n\n\n

There are two sides to this coin. You may first want to mention that you don\u2019t pre-screen content, but also mention that you may refuse or remove content that is illegal. Then you\u2019ll want to list some of the illegal content that you will not print.<\/p>\n\n\n

3. Customer Submitted Artwork or Graphics<\/h3>\n\n\n

List out your file requirements, including the color mode you require, the minimum resolution, and any other requirements that you have. State that you are not responsible for print results caused by files<\/a> that don\u2019t meet these requirements. This section is very important when dealing with customer complaints<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

4. Color Proofing and Matching<\/h3>\n\n\n

Do you do color matching? How close to the proof (digital and physical) can your clients expect the print results to be? You should mention that you\u2019ll try your best to match the colors but that you can\u2019t guarantee exact color matches, just so that you have some wiggle room for reasonable color variation.<\/p>\n\n\n

5. Trimming and Folding<\/h3>\n\n\n

Similar to color, you should state that although you\u2019ll try your best to trim and fold as accurately as possible, there is an acceptable level of variation that could potentially occur. For example, you could say that you are not liable for up to a 1\/16 of an inch of trimming variance on each side.<\/p>\n\n\n

6. Turnaround Time<\/h3>\n\n\n

There are 3 questions that you should answer here:<\/p>\n\n\n

    \n
  1. What is the cutoff time for placing their order?<\/li>\n
  2. When does the turnaround time begin? (The moment they place their order, or after they approve the proof?<\/li>\n
  3. What does the turnaround time include? (Just production, or shipping as well?)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n

    7. Order Cancellation<\/h3>\n\n\n

    When can your clients cancel their order, and when is it too late? If they need to pay a fee for cancellation, state that too. This is also a good place to talk about when they can hold or change their order.<\/p>\n\n\n

    8. Returns and Refunds<\/h3>\n\n\n

    Here is where you list the conditions under which your client can get a refund. Decide on the number of days that your clients have to contact you about any print issues.<\/p>\n\n\n

    9. Shipping and Delivery<\/h3>\n\n\n

    Have a disclaimer that says the shipping and delivery times you provide are estimates. You\u2019ll also want to mention what happens when there\u2019s damage from shipping or when the package gets lost.<\/p>\n\n\n

    10. Payment<\/h3>\n\n\n

    What types of payment does your business accept? You should also mention whether you keep their payment information. Additionally, there should be a section here about using coupon codes or other special promotional offers. <\/p>\n\n\n

    11. Other Clauses<\/h3>\n\n\n

    These other clauses are not exclusive to the printing industry; they\u2019re often found in the terms of conditions of any business. You\u2019ll be able to find templates and \u201cgenerators\u201d for these parts online, so we will just briefly list them out.<\/p>\n\n\n