I ordered three magnets with images of my dogs. Two of them look o.k. but one looks really bad. As you can see from the pictures below, the text and picture on the magnet are not placed as shown on my website.
On the magnet, the dog picture goes all the way to the top and bottom edges with no space left at all. However, the magnet on my site shows there is plenty of space left between the picture and the top and bottom edges. Additionally, on the website the text is centered horizontally in the grey area but on the magnet it isn't. It is lined up too close to the left edge.
I tried to return this magnet with a note that the printing errors should be addressed for future purchases. I got an email back, telling me I would get a refund and could keep the product which is good, but I wonder if anyone is going to contact the printing company, as I believe it was an automated message.
Although magnets don't cost much, and customers may not complain much if they receive a refund and also get to keep the product, it still looks bad for Zazzle, and it's highly unlikely that the same customer will be a return-customer. I am definitely disappointed. Even though I received a refund and didn't have to return the faulty magnet, I really want the magnet I designed on my website. However, now I am afraid to order it again because who knows if the errors will be fixed.
BTW: I had a magnet order cancelled in the recent past and now wonder if it was also due to printing error(s).
Here is the magnet on my site:
And here is a screenshot of what I received:
This isn't a printing error.... Very few printing processes are done with laser precision, there's some wiggle in lots of steps. Think about how this particular item is made - it has to be printed on a sheet of paper, then it has to be cut out, wrapped around the piece of metal or plastic that stiffens the front of the magnet, then the magnet needs to be applied. There's bound to be some amount of movement introduce in each of these steps. The printer can predict about how much is possible - this is why there are print guidelines that show you how much bleed (over print) and where your "safe areas" are.
Looking at your design, you've placed your image outside of the safe area - the green dotted line. Don't rely on the preview - rely on the guidelines... the preview just cannot represent every unique item that they make and all of the variations that might possibly occur - that's why they give you the guides. What you received seems to be very much in line with what you submitted.
As I mentioned before, I also ordered magnets from Zazzle before and they turned out alright. When you look at the design of the following Malshi magnet, you will see that the feet of the dog stop at the green inside guidelines but the preview shows lots of space between the feet and the edge of the magnet. Similar to how the Morkie magnet was designed and appeared. However, unlike the Morkie magnet, the Malshi magnet arrived looking just like it appears on my site unlike the Morkie magnet. Either we go by the guide lines or we don't. I need to know ahead of time so that I can design accordingly.
BTW: I had designed and ordered a Morkie magnet before but the image of the Morkie was too small while there was lots of space around it. That's why I redesigned it and ordered it again. Unfortunately that didn't work out either. If the printing is so inconsistent with small items and nothing can be done about it, I will no longer design any of them, as I am sure it will frustrate customers who expect to get what they see.
This isn't a printing error.... Very few printing processes are done with laser precision, there's some wiggle in lots of steps. Think about how this particular item is made - it has to be printed on a sheet of paper, then it has to be cut out, wrapped around the piece of metal or plastic that stiffens the front of the magnet, then the magnet needs to be applied. There's bound to be some amount of movement introduce in each of these steps. The printer can predict about how much is possible - this is why there are print guidelines that show you how much bleed (over print) and where your "safe areas" are.
Looking at your design, you've placed your image outside of the safe area - the green dotted line. Don't rely on the preview - rely on the guidelines... the preview just cannot represent every unique item that they make and all of the variations that might possibly occur - that's why they give you the guides. What you received seems to be very much in line with what you submitted.
