Placing an order
Unlike other SEF services, the process for ordering printing work is not managed via the SEF Service Centre. Sussex staff requiring print work should contact the Print Unit directly in the first instance.
Orders can be placed in person during normal opening hours, or by email.
The University ordering process is as follows:
- We are not able to accept budget codes for recharging printing work.
- Requestors should contact the Print Unit for a quote and a Service Centre reference number before placing an order.
- Requestors should then raise a purchase order through the Finance System and give the purchase order number to the Print Unit on placement of order.
- Orders may not be completed if a purchase order number is not provided.
- Quotes remain valid for 30 days from date of issue - due to current market volatility, quotes may be subject to revision after 30 days.
- Completed jobs will be invoiced in the same way as with any external supplier.
- Please note that invoicing is not undertaken by the Print Unit.
Invoice queries should be directed to SEF Accounts, via Accounts@sef.fm.
Alternatively, you can pay by debit or credit card.
Please note that printing work which is not being paid for by the University (i.e. by purchase order) must be paid for on placement of order, unless by prior agreement.
The following information may also be useful if you are planning or preparing a print job:
- University branding
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Please be aware that all University publications must be correctly branded. To avoid having to make extensive changes to your printed materials at the last minute, we strongly advise that you contact the Digital and Creative Media team for advice and guidance on how to format your documents before submitting them to the Print Unit. Information on the Sussex brand can be found here.
- Turnaround times
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Normal turnaround time for internal reprographic work is 2-5 working days from receipt of purchase order, depending on the size of the job. We can often turn jobs around faster if needed urgently - but we need a purchase order number before we can proceed with any work. For externally sourced printing the lead time is 5 working days from proof approval. Where work is required more urgently we will accommodate requestors' needs where we can, although this is not guaranteed. At certain times of year we are extremely busy and turnaround times can be longer than normal depending on the volume of requests we are handling.
- Supplying originals
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We can accept hard copy originals for copying, but for the best quality results electronic originals are advisable. We recommend PDF as the best and most trouble-free file format for submitting artwork for printing, but we can also accept the following file formats:
Microsoft Office
Word
Powerpoint
Excel
PublisherAdobe Creative Cloud
Photoshop CC
Illustrator CC
InDesign CCImage file formats
PNG (.png)
JPEG (.jpg)
TIFF (.tif)
EPS (.eps)Please be aware that supplying originals in one of these formats does not guarantee that a perfect result will automatically be achieved. In most cases where electronic originals are supplied, we will generate a proof which must be checked and approved before we print - see below for details of the proofing procedure. See our Guidelines for producing print-ready digital artwork for advice on preparing electronic originals.
Where artwork is supplied in any format other than print-ready PDF, a minimum file handling charge of £2 per file will apply.
- Sending large files
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If you need to send us a digital file for printing which is too large to send by email, we recommend you make use of , an online file tranfer utility. Use the browser to select your file (if you need to send several files we recommend you Zip them into a single file first), and enter as the destination address the Sussex email address (xxx@sussex.ac.uk) of the person you are sending to. You can add a short message too. Your file will be uploaded to a holding site from which we can easily download it, and you'll get an email confirmation that your file has been successfully sent.
- Pre-press and typesetting services
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Most print jobs will require a certain amount of pre-press work, for example formatting supplied files to make them print-ready, before they can actually be printed. In most cases the Print Unit can undertake this work for you and we will include the cost in your quote so you won't get any nasty surprises when you receive your invoice. Pre-press work is charged by time taken at £40 per hour.
We can also provide a typesetting and page layout service for items such as forms, leaflets and other short documents. If you need us to create artwork for you from scratch, it will be charged by time taken at £60 per hour. Please note, however, that we are not the right place to come if you need creative design services for brochures, promotional materials or corporate publications - for this sort of work you will need to engage one of the university-approved designers or contact the Digital and Creative Media team for guidance.
- Proofs
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If the Print and Reprographics team are involved in the creation or editing of print artwork, the job will normally be subject to a proofing procedure. This is designed to minimise the risk of typographical or formatting errors which might result in your job having to be reprinted.
If you are supplying print-ready artwork, proofs can be produced prior to printing if requested.
The Print Unit will provide you with a proof in an appropriate format (either PDF or hard copy) for checking before going to print. Please check your proofs carefully as it is the requestor's responsibility to check proofs and either approve them for printing or request amendments where errors or omissions are identified. If you ask us to make artwork amendments after the initial proof, additional artwork charges may apply.
We will not proceed to print without proof approval, and any errors or omissions which appear on the finished job once proofs have been approved are the responsibility of the requestor.
- Copyright
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The University is bound by strict regulations concerning the copying of copyright-restricted materials. It is the responsibility of all requestors to ensure that all copying they undertake - or ask the Print Unit to undertake - falls within the limits set out in the Copyright Licensing Agreement. For information and guidance regarding copyright, the following resources will be helpful:
The University Library's online Copyright Guide