Indigo Envelope Terms of Agreement
Like all businesses, Indigo Envelope has terms of agreement between Owner/Designer and Client. The following outlines our terms of agreement in the exact wording and order that is on our estimate form. If you have any questions, always feel free to contact us either by e-mail or phone.
Conceptual Approval
Fees quoted include one to three design concepts/sketches and up to four meetings and/or discussions about designs for each project. We will do whatever it takes to refine a good idea, as long as we are both heading down the same path together on this project’s design. However, if the essential design idea changes radically to a different theme more than three times, and if additional illustration work will be required as a result, additional illustrated ideas will cost $125 each. Signing this form indicates approval of the proposed estimate, although details of the project content and design still need to be developed. It begins our design process in good faith that we will be able to work together to make your project come to life.
Design Fees
To offset our costs for somewhere between 2 and 16 hours of planning, design, pre-press, and printing work per project, we have based our pricing on paper and printing costs, plus a small charge per designed component of your invitation, with no additional fees charged for envelope or label setup or for small seals. A component is an envelope, main invitation card, RSVP card, accommodations card, etc. Map cards cost more for design. In some instances, more may be estimated and charged if a project is quite time-consuming to illustrate. All estimated fees and costs have been noted and the Designer will not charge any additional fees unless the Client requests changes to the project scope and is made aware of the additional fees. If there are major changes, a revised estimate will be created and sent to the Client for approval. If we have made an error somewhere or our prices increase, the Designer will always honor the prices that are quoted on this estimate, provided that Client has signed and sent us a copy as requested for our records. If the Client requests additional services and products before their event date, those will be placed on an estimate and priced according to whatever the current prices are at that time for the additional products and services.
Final Design and Submission of Information to Designer
After the Client approves this proposal and pays their Deposit, the Designer will present the Client with a design concept for art and fonts for their project and seek the Client’s direction and approval. The Designer will complete the project’s final artwork within twenty-one business days of receiving all required information from the Client. Usually, we can do this more quickly, but the Client should send all content needed for this project as soon as possible, particularly if an event is planned during peak wedding season. Our response time for small design change requests can vary over the course of a year from within 24 hours to up to a week if we have received multiple requests on the same day. It is very difficult to design project components in a timely manner when information is lacking or changing. Final design work may be delayed until the Designer is sure that all information required for a project has been received.
Revisions
After the Client approves a basic art and font design concept, and then submits all the required information for the project’s completion, the Designer will provide the Client with up to two rounds of “proof” sheets of the final design artwork in order for the Client to review the final design and to suggest changes and/or corrections. The Designer will do whatever it takes (seriously, we will) to perfect the Client’s design. The Client is responsible for signing and returning these proof sheets, along with written requests of changes, and for requesting revisions within a timely manner. After our collaboration is concluded, a third and final set of artwork will be delivered. This is what will be printed.
Additional Proofs or Changes
The Client can always change their mind and make additional changes at the last minute. However, each extra set of revisions and proofs beyond our normal process will cost $50. In addition, the Client may be billed at an hourly rate of $45 in 15 minute increments for the Designer’s time after three rounds of proofs if major changes to illustrations are required. The Client agrees to pay such charges if such revisions are requested at that time and the Designer will inform the Client of estimated additional charges before additional rounds of proofs.
Materials and Ordering: No Returns on Stationery
The Client acknowledges that upon approval of this form, their stationery supplies will be ordered. A member of our team typically contacts the Client to confirm quantities prior to an order being placed, but this may not always happen. Once an order has been placed, the Client is responsible for paying the full costs of materials as quoted and approved by the Client on this form. The Designer cannot accept returns on any paper products, since the stationery will be custom-manufactured per the Client’s instructions. The Client is responsible for approving colors and sizes as reflected by this proposal, understanding that these decisions cannot be changed after the stationery is ordered without some additional cost. All stationery materials are ordered in units of 5, with 10 being the minimum amount that can be ordered of any one item. The Client may ask the Designer to purchase additional small amounts of stationery, as long as it meets this minimum order requirement. Orders of less than $50 will be charged an extra $5 handling fee, which is what our vendors charge us to deal with such orders. IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT ALL STATIONERY ORDERS INCLUDE AT LEAST 10 TO 15 EXTRA UNITS, as ordering a few extras later will be costly. The minimum charge for a reprint of a few additional pieces of any single component of your invitation is $25 per component, so the total cost of a few extra invitations could easily be in excess of $100.
Normal Loss During Printing
There is a routine loss of some materials whenever printing, which the Client acknowledges. When the Designer prints on envelopes and certain other difficult stocks, or uses printing techniques such as multiple-color thermography or letterpress, the Designer may request per this estimate that the Client purchases 10 to 100% extra of a material because there will be a normal loss of materials during production. After production, any extra material will be returned to the Client or applied to other projects as the Client directs. If the Designer is printing on stocks supplied by the Client for their project, the Client acknowledges that up to 15% of their stock can indeed be lost during a normal printing process and that they have provided enough extra stock to cover any such normal losses; losses over this amount would be covered by the Designer at their cost. If the Designer begins to print on the Client’s stock, and finds that it is unsuitable for printing on our machines and presses, the Designer may request that the Client will need to provide an alternative stock. The Client recognizes that any provided stock has been untested until the Designer actually begins the printing process.
Turnaround Time
The Client is responsible to place their order in a timely fashion. It could take up to three to seven weeks for the completion of orders with design work, printing and/or assembly. Designer’s ability to meet deadlines is predicated upon Client’s provision of information and approvals during the process. We are a small company by choice and each order receives many hours of individual attention. Orders are handled in the order in which they are placed.
Shipping Costs
Actual shipping costs will be charged if the Client desires the Designer to ship their order to them. If Client does not have another preference, the Designer usually ships all such orders via Priority Mail. Additional rush shipping expenses may be requested if desired and billed to the Client, per their actual cost.
Back Orders
In some rare cases, a specific design material or paper is back-ordered and out of stock at the time that a Client’s stationery supplies are being ordered. In this case, the Designer will immediately notify the Client and will work to substitute a similar material from our many suppliers. Any changes to the project’s cost will be submitted to and approved by the Client in a new estimate. The Client acknowledges that the in-stock status of materials from our vendors is out of the Designer’s control.
Rush Design Fees
The Client may request a rushed design for a fee of an additional $100. In this case, the Designer will complete the design within 48 hours after the approval of this proposal and the upfront payment of the fee.
Rush Printing Fees
The printing of the stationery may be rushed for an additional fee of $100. Rushed printing jobs will be completed via high quality inkjet printing or digital press printing within 48 hours of receiving the final proof sheets from the Client. Another 24 hours may be required if assembly is requested by the Client.
Accuracy of Information
To ensure accuracy, all Clients should submit information to the Designer in a typed format, via e-mail and/or as a Microsoft Word document. The Client will be responsible for the accuracy of their information, including the spelling of any names, phone numbers, addresses, website links and other content.
Rights
Upon full payment of all fees and costs, all rights to the use of the designs and/or artwork remain the property of Christina’s Creative Enterprises Inc., dba Indigo Envelope, and our licensors, who provide us with licensed design elements for the production of customized stationery. Indigo Envelope retains the right to display completed stationery designs. All rights not expressly granted hereunder are reserved to the Designer, including but not limited to all rights in sketches, comps, or other preliminary materials created by the Designer.
Credit
The Designer shall be accorded a credit line on all published and printed publicity about the Client’s event that also features our designs, to read as follows: “Stationery designed by Indigo Envelope, www.indigoenvelope.com, in Durham, North Carolina. All rights reserved.”
Sales Tax
In addition to the fees and costs estimated herein, sales tax will be charged for orders by Clients from the state of North Carolina. Sales tax will be applied to the total cost of the order.
Schedule of Payment
The Client will pay for the $50 deposit as listed on this form at this time. Additional charges will be paid for at the time the order has been completed before it is shipped or picked up. We accept cash, check or credit card. Take your pick.
Termination Policy
The Client and Designer may terminate this project based upon mutually agreeable terms, but if the Client terminates this arrangement, the Client will be responsible for paying for all stationery materials that have been ordered and all services that have been rendered up until the point of termination. Notice to terminate the project should be given in writing.
Term of Proposal
The information contained in this proposal is valid for 14 days. Proposals approved and signed by the Client are binding upon the Designer and Client beginning on the date of Client’s signature.
Additional Terms
Now let’s make the best darn stationery that your clients have ever seen…