Branding FAQ's


HOW DO I START A PROJECT WITH A DAY IN MAY DESIGN?

Schedule either a private appointment or phone consultation where we’ll discuss your company’s needs and get an understanding of your business. We’ll then send you an estimate that goes over all costs. If accepted, we’ll kick-off your project with a detailed questionnaire that will give us a clear understanding of the ins-and-outs of your company, your design vision and your goals. Once the questionnaire is completed, we’ll create a schedule and begin design on your project.

HOW LONG DOES A PROJECT TAKE?

A typical logo or identity project takes 6-8 weeks for design (printing is additional). However, every project is quite different so please call us to get a clear timing estimate.

WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS IN A COMPANY IDENTITY?

An identity starts with a great name, is followed by a beautiful logo – either typographic or iconic – and is then expanded through business cards, note cards, mailing labels, stickers, letterhead, envelopes, website, blog, etc. You may not need all of these elements. Our job is to help you determine what you need to create a solid identity for your business.

I HAVE AN EXISTING LOGO. CAN I WORK WITH YOU TO CREATE JUST THE PRINTED PIECES?

Absolutely! We’ll design and manage any portion of an identity suite that you need.

I HAVE MY IDENTITY DESIGNED. WILL YOU MANAGE THE PRINTING ONLY?

We’re not printers, we’re designers. We’re happy to refer you to a variety of printers that will help you produce your identity.

Invitation FAQ's


HOW DO I ORDER AN INVITATION?

Please note, we work exclusively with clients represented by event planners. Call or email us to schedule either a private appointment or phone consultation. We’ll discuss your invitation needs and brainstorm ideas. An estimate, invitation overview, and schedule will follow each meeting/phone interview. Once the estimate is approved and the text and deposit are received, Visit HOW IT WORKS for an in depth view of the design process.

WHAT IF I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WANT?

That’s why we’re here! We’ll work with you one-on-one to develop a design direction (or several) which we’ll then finesse throughout 3 PDF design rounds.

CAN I PICK FROM EXISTING DESIGNS?

We don’t have pre-designed templates to choose from. The invitations we create for our clients are completely custom. If you’re looking for a starting point, we encourage you to use any of our designs as inspiration and we can begin our conversation from there.

CAN I WORK WITH A DAY IN MAY IF I DO NOT LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO?

We can easily accommodate long-distance orders. A phone consultation is just as effective as a studio visit. In fact, over half of our clients never meet with us in person.

WHAT TYPES OF PRINTING DO YOU OFFER?

We specialize in letterpress printing, but we also offer digital printing and foil stamping. In addition, we can do extra embellishments like colorful edging and die-cutting.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LETTERPRESS, FOIL STAMPING AND DIGITAL PRINTING?

Letterpress printing is the oldest printing method. It uses a raised, ink covered image (your type, illustration, etc) and presses it into paper. If you closed your eyes and touched the paper, you would feel the impression left behind. We suggest using this method if you want thick paper, a tactile piece, and a subtle look. It is best for designs that do not have very large areas of solid color. Foil stamping uses a metal plate with heat to imprint foil (not ink) onto paper. Foil is opaque and can be either shiny or matte. Most graphics and type tend to look thicker and bolder with foil printing. We suggest using foil if you want a true metallic (shiny) color or if you want to print a light color on dark paper. It is slightly more expensive than letterpress.

Digital printing is a method of printing your text or image straight from the computer onto paper, no plates involved. Your ink lies flat on the paper so you don’t have the tactile quality of letterpress or foil stamping. This is the least expensive and fastest of the printing methods. As opposed to letterpress or foil stamping, there is no additional fee to print a second, third or fourth ink color. We suggest using it for day-of pieces (programs, menus, etc) or for designs that incorporate many colors and/or photographs.

WHAT IS THE INVITATION TURNAROUND TIME?

Once an estimate is approved, the design and printing process takes 6 weeks on average. Certain procedures (edging and foil stamping, for example) can add extra time while other procedures (digital printing) can shorten the timeline. We can also accommodate rush orders for an extra fee to shorten the 6 week window.

CAN I RUSH MY ORDER?

We can rush most orders for an extra fee. Exact times depend on your design and printing process so please call us for specifics.

IS THERE A MINIMUM ORDER REQUIREMENT?

Yes, our minimum quantity is 50.

I HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC INK COLOR IN MIND, CAN I MATCH IT PERFECTLY?

We can easily match any color you want. Send us a swatch (paint chip, swatch from your bridesmaid dresses, etc) and we will match it to the corresponding Pantone ink color for our printer.

HOW DO I SEE MY PROOFS?

All proofs are emailed to you as PDF documents.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROOFREADING?

We are focused on getting the design just right. You are responsible for making sure everything is spelled correctly and all periods are in place. When you receive the final approval PDF from us, please take great care to proofread thoroughly.

WILL MY INVITATIONS ARRIVE ASSEMBLED?

No, our invitations come unassembled to allow for envelope addressing. Most calligraphers will handle the assembly (for an extra fee) once they’ve addressed each envelope.

DO YOU MANAGE CALLIGRAPHY FOR GUEST ADDRESSES ON THE FRONT OF ENVELOPES?

We have a long list of wonderful calligraphers and we are happy to share that information with you. We are also happy to give you recommendations based on your invitation design. We will coordinate shipping the envelopes, or all pieces, directly to the calligrapher but you will speak with them directly to select final ink color, your calligraphy style and you will pay them directly for their services. Most calligraphers will address, stuff, stamp and mail so you might also inquire about that service when you contact them.

IS A DEPOSIT REQUIRED?

We ask for a 30% non-refundable deposit before we begin design. Final payment is required upon delivery of your package.

WHAT ARE MY PAYMENT OPTIONS?

We accept Visa, MasterCard and personal checks.