FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the difference between copying (e.g. Xerox) technology and offset printing?
Copying, or xerography, involves creating a magnetic image on a photo drum using a laser beam. The magnetic field then attracts staticly charged toner particles which are then deposited on to the page. Once the image is on the page, the toner is run past a fuser unit to melt it onto the page. With offset printing, an image is photographically etched on to an aluminum, plastic or paper plate which is then mounted onto a drum. Water is then applied to the plate so that the liquid ink is repelled from the areas without an image and attracted to the areas with the etched image. The inked plate is then pressed onto a roller which applies the ink to the paper. Since offset printing involves a fair amount of preparation work for each image, the main difference between the two technologies comes down to cost and volume. Copier or laser technology is cost effective for short runs of up to about 1,000 pages. Offset printing starts to become cost effective for quantities larger than that.

Can you scan a whole book and put it on a CD?
Our high speed scanner will process about 50 pages per minute and can save them as .PDF to a floppy or CD. The cost for this service is $0.01 less than the cost per page for black and white photocopying, but only if each page is separated (so if it's a bound book you would have to physically remove each page).

Is a colour laser print better than an inkjet?
There are substantial differences between the two technologies. A laser printer melts the toner (consisting of tiny pigment particles suspended in minuscule wax-like granules) directly on to the paper. This results in the wax partially soaking in to the paper and the pigment sitting on top of the paper, held in place by the melted wax. This results in very good colour and resolution and works well on just about any type of paper stock. Inkjet printers on the other hand use liquid ink or dye which is sprayed directly on to the paper. The ink soaks in to the paper so the type of paper will have a noticeable impact on the colour and the resolution (e.g. absorbent paper will bleed each dot making it larger and thereby blurring the image somewhat). The main challenges with inkjet printers are the slower speed, higher ink cost, frequent clogging of ink and lack of water proofing (unless a special coating is applied afterwards).

I have some old business cards. Can you scan the logo etc. on the card and make new ones from that?
Yes, this can be done but any graphics or logos will likely lose some resolution or sharpness. For better results, we can re-create the logo from scratch or we can scan in a larger example if you have one (the larger the better).

Can you print photos from a CD or a camera memory card?
We can handle just about any type of camera memory card, CD, DVD or USB memory stick. In our shop, we can print colour photos on our laser printer at up to 600x600 DPI resolution, at sizes up to 11" X 17".

Can you make enlargements?
Any image, whether a document, photo, digital file etc., can be enlarged. On the copiers, we can enlarge any original by 200%. If it's an electronic file, it can be enlarged to whatever size you want. Our in-house equipment can go as large as 12" X 18" for color (34" wide to almost any length for black and white). For larger sizes we use our preferred trade printer suppliers and can deliver very high quality at competitive prices. Just keep in mind that the larger the image is made, the less sharp or detailed it will appear, but it greatly depends on the resolution or quality of the original.

What is the difference between a Commissioner for Oaths and a Notary Public?
A Notary Public has the power to administer oaths, and take and receive affidavits, declarations and affirmations, just as a Commissioner for Oaths can. However, the Notary Public may do several things that a Commissioner cannot. more...