Click on the Login link on the top right of the page (the user icon). On the Login page, type in your email address and password. Please note that you will need to set your password the first time you login. To do this, go to the Login page, and click "Forgot Password". Type in your email address, and click "Reset Password". You will receive an email with a link to set your password. If you receive a message saying that your email address is not recognised, please contact us so that we can create an account for you.
Click on the Login link on the top right of the page (the user icon). On the Login page, click on the "Forgot your password?" link, and type in your email address. This will send you a link via email to reset your password.
You can only change your name & email address. Once you have logged in, click on the user icon on the top right of the page, and choose Personal Info from the dropdown menu. Here you can update your details. Other details (e.g. your store details and 30-day account status) are maintained by Print Magic. If any of this is incorrect, please email service@@printmagic.co.za with the correct details, and we will update it.
Whenever you create a project in the Design Tool, and then either save it or add it to the shopping cart, the project will be saved to your account. To access the project, click on the user icon on the top right of the page, and select Saved Projects. To edit the project, click on the âEdit Projectâ link on the right of the thumbnail image.
To view the status of your orders, click on the user icon on the top right of the page, and select Orders. The current status of all your orders will be displayed. You can view the details of each order by clicking on the Order Reference ID.
Once you have finished designing your project, you need to save/exit the project. You can then access the project by clicking the user icon on the top right of the page, and selecting Saved Projects. When you have located the saved project, click on the âShareâ link to the right of the thumbnail. This will copy the project's link to your clipboard, which you can then paste into an email message. With this link, the customer will be able to view your project in the Design Tool, but won't be able to make changes.
Click on the user icon on the top right of the page, and select Saved Projects. When you have located the project, click on the "Delete" icon on the right of the thumbnail. Please note that this cannot be undone, and the project will be permanently deleted.
This is helpful if you have multiple similar designs with minor changes (e.g. business cards for the same company, with different details on). Click on user icon on the top right of the page, and select Saved Projects. When you have located the project you want to duplicate, click on the âCopyâ icon on the right of the thumbnail. This will create a duplicated, identical project which you can then edit with the different details.
You can give your project a name when creating the project in the Design Tool (top right of the screen, to the left of the Save icon). But if you forget to name it in the Design Tool, you can give it a name on the Saved Projects page. Click on the user icon on the top right of the page, and select Saved Projects. When you have located the project, click in the text field below the project thumbnail, and type in a new name. Press âEnterâ, or click on the disk icon to the right, to apply the new name.
Click on the user icon on the top right of the page, and select Saved Projects. When you have located the project you want to add to the cart, click on the shopping trolley icon on the right of the thumbnail. This will add the project to the shopping cart, and redirect you to the cart. If you want to add multiple items, you can navigate back to the Saved Projects page and add the other items in the same way.
To aid in ensuring timely delivery of orders, our system has been automated. Because of this, we require artwork to be presented according to our specifications. Our design templates provide guides for checking that the artwork is correct, and the onus is on the stores to do these checks before submitting an order. When orders are received that are not correct, it disrupts the automated flow of production, and we therefore levy a charge for fixing faulty artwork.
In addition to this, there is an added benefit of using the online Design Tool: the artwork for all orders placed is saved indefinitely on the website (accessible in the Saved Projects page). This makes it easier for the stores to place repeat orders of the same design.
The recommended resolution of images is 300dpi at full size. Even if your image is 300dpi, but you scale it to a bigger size, the effective resolution will decrease. As a general rule, images for canvases should be at least 2-3MB. If the image is less than 1MB, this will be too small even for an A4 canvas.
Both Word and Publisher have a built-in PDF generator. These are normally in the âFileâ menu, and will be called âExport to PDFâ, or âPublish to PDFâ. Please note that Publisher will, by default, step up a design multiple times on the page. You will need to change the settings so that it only puts one design on the page.
Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader (if you don't have Reader installed, you can download it here). Open the Preferences (in the Edit menu, or CTRL-K on Windows), and select Units. Set the Page Units to âMillimetresâ, and click âOKâ. With the PDF file open, move your mouse to the bottom left of the page, and it will show you the PDF size.
If the PDF has bleed** and/or crop marks, you can check the trim size by following this method*:
In commercial printing, it is necessary to have some allowance for trimming inaccuracies. If there is a full background in the design, this background needs to overlap the edge of the design (the trim line) by at least 2mm, because if the print is trimmed slightly outside the trim line, then there will be a white gap on the edge of the trimmed print. This applies to all elements that reach the edge of the page. This extra area is called the âbleedâ.
Likewise, important elements (e.g. logos, text, etc.) should be kept a safe distance from the trim line, to prevent the risk of them being cut off due to trimming inaccuracies. This area is called the âsafe areaâ and is 3mm inside the trim line on all sides.
We have deliberately made the prices on the website the Retail prices, so that the Store prices are not visible to the general public. During the checkout process, an option to reveal the store prices will be displayed (provided your user account is linked to a PostNet store). This will then reduce to the Store price the amount that needs to be paid.
Once your credit application is approved, your website account will be update accordingly. When checking out, you will then have the option to pay on account. If this option is not available, and your credit application has been approved, please contact us to remedy this.
Yes. Your user account is linked to your store, so when you add anything to the cart, your store will by default be selected as the delivery store. When checking out, you will be given the option to have the order delivered to a different store. Use your browser's search function (CTRL-F or CMD-F on Mac) to easily locate a store from the list. Please note that the order will still be for your store's account.
On the Shopping Cart page, click on the "Remove Item" link to the right of the order item.
Yes. In the Shopping Cart page, dropdown menus of the different options are displayed. Choose the correct options from these menus.
Yes. You can change the qantity when designing the project, or in the shopping cart. Note that this quantity is separate from the "Set Quantity" option (e.g. 1 x Set of 1000 Business Cards).
Yes. You can add any number of designs to your cart. Once a product is added to your cart, you can either click on the âContinue Shoppingâ link or simply navigate to a different product. If your other project is already saved, you can access it in the Saved Projects page. You can return to your shopping cart at any time, by clicking on the trolley icon on the top right of the page.
On certain design templates, a blank image placeholder is added to the page. This is to allow for a full page image to be added. Placeholders are not printed, unless they are edited. You can remove the placeholder, either by deleting it, or by choosing a different Layout (the Reset Layout will delete all content on the page).
You can create a new image box by click on the "Add image Box" icon above the page, or you can use the placeholder image box. Click on âUpload Imagesâ on the left, and browse to the image/s you want to use. (You can also drag images from a folder window into the Images panel on the left, or directly into an image placeholder). Once the image/s have been uploaded, you can drag the image/s from the left hand panel onto the page, or onto an image placeholder.
The Design Tool currently only supports the uploading of JPG and PNG images. It is possible to add a PDF to the Design Tool page, by dragging the PDF from the folder directly onto the page. But please note that this method provides limited functionality (e.g. it is not possible to resize, rotate or crop the PDF image). We have created a dedicated PDF import template for Business Cards, which provides more flexibility for PDF imports.
Images will always remain in proportion (they cannot be stretched or squashed). If the image box does not fit the entire image (e.g. a portrait image placed in a landscape box), the image will be fit to the box in the shortest dimension, and the excess in the other dimension will be cropped off on either side. You can change the portion of the image that is cropped off by selecting the image, and then selecting the âCropâ tool that appears in the centre of the image. You can then move the image inside the box, without moving the box. If you want to add extra cropping, you can click on the â+â button next to the crop tool on the right, to increase the size of the image in the box. Clicking the â-â button will reduce the image back to its minimum possible size (when the one dimension is reached). It is not possible to reduce an image to smaller than the image box (i.e. âfloatâ the image in a box).
Select the image on the page, and then adjust the slider under âBorderâ on the right-hand bar. You can also type in (in millimetres) the thickness of the border. To change the colour of the border, click on the block to the right of the slider, and choose a colour from the colour wheel. You can adjust the lightness or darkness of the colour using the slider under the colour wheel.
Yes. Select the image on the page, and then adjust the slider under âOpacityâ on the right-hand bar. You can also key in the percentage of the opacity under the slider.
Yes. Select the image on the page, and then choose one or more of the options under âEffectsâ on the right-hand bar (at the bottom). To remove the effect, simple re-click on the button to de-select it.
Select the image on the page, and then use the âTurnâ options on the right to rotate it in increments of 90°. To rotate it to a different angle, use the Rotate tool that appears under the box, or drag the slider under âRotationâ on the right hand toolbar, or key in the angle under the slider. A negative value will rotate anti-clockwise, while a positive value will rotate clockwise.
Click the âAdd Textâ icon at the top of the Design Tool. This will add a text box to the centre of the page. The box can be moved and resized as required, (see âHow do I resize or move an object?â below). To Edit the text, double-click on the text box (see below).
To edit the contents of the text box, double-click on the box and a dialogue box will open in which you can type your text. When you have finished editing the text, click âSave Textâ, and the dialogue box will close and the new text will be applied. If the box is too small for the new text, a warning will be displayed. You can then resize the box by dragging one of the handles.
When a text box is selected, a number of options will appear on the right. You can use these to change the alignment, font name and size, as well as the colour, opacity and rotation of the text.
You can resize the text box by dragging one of the handles that appear on the edge of the box when it is selected.
You can move or resize a box by selecting it, and dragging it to a different position, or use the handles to resize it. If you drag the corner handles, the box will resize in proportion. If you drag the centre handles, the box will stretch or squash (see note about images under âWhy does my image get cropped when I resize it?â below). When moving or resizing the box, positional guides will sometimes appear, allowing you to centre the box on the page, or align it with another object. To make this positioning easier, the image will âsnapâ into position when aligned. It will also snap to the safe area or bleed if you move it close to the edge of the page. You can also ânudgeâ objects when they are selected by using the arrow keys on your keyboard (SHIFT-ARROW will move the object in smaller increments).
Images cannot be distorted (stretched or squashed), so if the image box is in a different proportion to the image, portions of the image will be cropped off. Images can also not âfloatâ inside a box (i.e. there can never be any white space around the image). To show the entire image, it is best to add the image to the page without first creating an image box. This will automatically create an image box to the correct proportion.
When an object is selected, it can be moved up or down in the stacking order. When selected, stacking tools will appear above the box, allowing you to move the object higher or lower in the stacking order. Please note that text boxes cannot be adjusted, and always appear on top of other objects.
To use a layout, click on the âLayoutsâ icon on the right tool bar, and drag the desired layout onto the page. Elements in the layout can then be modified as required. If you drag a different layout to the page, it will apply the new layout, and any changes you have made can be lost. Note that certain elements in the layouts have been locked into position and cannot be moved or deleted.
To apply clipart to the page, click on the âClipartâ link in the Images panel on the left, and drag the desired clipart onto the page. The image can then be moved or resized in the same way as with a normal image box. Please note that clipart CAN be distorted (stretched or squashed), so if you donât want to distort the image be sure to use the corner handles, and not the centre ones. However, being able to distort the clipart does have its advantages. For example, if you want to create a PostNet red strip across the entire the page, you can drag the red square onto the page, and then stretch it to the width of the page.
If you drag the corner handles, the box will stay in the same proportion (see âHow do I resize or move an object in the Design Tool?â above). Note that, unlike images, clipart can be distorted (stretched or squashed).
Currently, it is not possible to create a box with only a colour - for a box to print, it needs to contain either an image or clipart. We have created clipart blocks of the PostNet colours, which can be added to the page, and then resized. Clipart can be distorted (stretched or squashed), so it is possible to create any size box from the clipart colour block.
Select an image, and then adjust the slider under âBorder Radiusâ on the right. Adjusting it slightly will create rounded corners ; dragging it all the way will make a circle or oval.
Select the âBackgroundâ icon on the right hand tool bar, and click âAdd Color Backgroundâ. This will then open a dialogue for you to choose a colour. If you know the Hex value of the colour, you can type it in, or just choose a colour from the colour wheel. Click anywhere in the colour wheel and then change the darkness or lightness of the colour with the slider. Click on âSave Backgroundâ. To apply the background colour, drag the colour block on the right onto the page. To reset the colour to white, click on the âClearâ button above the colour on the right.
Yes. Any object can be duplicated. To duplicate it, select it and use CTRL-C to copy it, and CTRL-V to paste it. Note that it will paste the copy in the same position as the original, so you will need to move it to see the duplicate. It is possible to copy/paste multiple objects â select multiple objects by holding the SHIFT key when selecting different objects (CTRL-A will select all elements). It is also possible to copy an object or group of objects from one page, and then paste it on a different page.
If the product has multiple pages, then thumbnails of the pages will be displayed under the main page window. Simply click on the desired page to go to that page. You can also use the navigation arrows on the left and right of the page.
The Design Tool has been enabled with an image resolution checker, and will give a warning if the image is not suitable for the print size. Resizing the image smaller on the page will increase the effective resolution, and remove the warning (see âWhat resolution do my images need to be?â above).
It is a good practice to preview the page before completing your design. If you are using one of the supplied layouts, there are placeholder elements which will not print unless they have been modified (you will be warned when exiting the Design Tool if there are unedited placeholders). Image boxes without images in them (which display as grey on the page), as well as text boxes that have not been modified, will also not print.
To preview the page, click on the âPreviewâ icon on the top right (to the left of the "Add to Cart" button). The preview will then be displayed, showing all the elements as they will print. Please note that to exit the preview, click on the âExit Previewâ button on the top right. DONâT click your browser âbackâ button, as this will exit the Design Tool, and you can lose your changes if you havenât saved the project.
Certain elements have been added to the pages and layouts that are expected to be modified (e.g. text that needs to be changed, or an image box into which an image should be added). You can preview the page to see which elements will not print (unedited placeholders will not print), and then either correct the placeholders, delete them, or ignore the warning (see âHow do I preview how my design will print?â above).