CHOOSING AND CREATING YOUR DESIGN
• While browsing our designs, write down names of designs you like. Note: Many of our design backgrounds are color customizable. If there is a section on the order form for your design choice titled "Background Color," that design's background is customizable. If you don't see a "Background Color" section, but prefer a different color or color scheme, please feel free to call us and ask if we can change the design color(s).



• Choose or take photos that will crop for the final design you choose (i.e., if you're ordering a design with a vertical photo area, you need to send a vertical photo, or a horizontal photo that can be cropped vertical, and capture the part of the photo you want at the same time.)
  
  
• Complete the order form. You can get to the order form by clicking on the small image of the design, which will open a larger image with the order form for that design. When you get to the bottom of the order form, you'll find a "Special Instructions" box. Add any special design instructions in this box, which were not covered in the order form (e.g., for multiple births, include the other baby's birth info here). Also, this is a good place to add any other additional text or instructions such as the when there are 2 background colors in a design, where you want the bakground color you chose in the order form to go. Here are a few ways you might use the "Special Instructions" box:
• "I'd like to change the poem to the poem on the "Heather" design."
• "Please do not use the lower-case type for the name."
• "I chose this design because of the way the baby's name is laid out once in handwriting and once in print in lower-case. Please be sure to include this in my design."
• "I chose this design because I love the entire collage layout and typography, but I prefer that you do not include the quote at the top of the card."
• "Please remove the skin blemishes on baby's face."
• "Second baby info: Joe Bradley Hicks, 2:45 p.m., 6 lbs. 8 oz., 19 inches"
• "Please do not crop photo, if possible"
• "Please use the same font for all text on my card."
• "If possible, given the colors of my photo, please use the font color I selected for the baby's name, and use black font color for all other text."

If you have any questions while ordering, please do not hesitate to contact us.

PHOTO REQUIRMENTS AND SUBMITTING PHOTOS

• Ideally, we need a 1200x1800 pixel image to get the best quality for your 4-inch x 6-inch print (at 300dpi). A higher resolution is even better! A lower resolution may work for a collage design, which incorporates several smaller size photos. If using a digital camera, set your camera to the highest resolution possible (Please refer to your owner's manual for more information about setting the resolution on your camera). If you still have questions or concerns as to whether your photo(s) will work, we'd be happy to take a look at your photo(s) prior to ordering, by e-mailing photo(s) to us at customerservice@instylecards.com with your question in the body of the e-mail. Please save your files to either JPG, TIFF or PSD format before sending them to us. Also, please make sure your e-mail program does not try to automatically resize your photo(s) if you e-mail your photo(s). Following these resolution and file format guidelines will ensure the highest quality card.



• After placing your order, if you haven't already done so, run each of your photos through our Photo Submissions Requirements Check page. Our photo submissions email address is available on that page.
  We no longer accept postal mailed photos. You'll need to have your photos scanned at 300 dpi or higher and email them to us.
  

ORDER PROCESS, PROOFS, AND PHOTO REPLACEMENT POLICY

• On average, the order process takes about one week from the receipt of your order, payment and photos, to the actual arrival at your door (Sending photos that do not meet out photo requirements and changes to your proof are the only things that delay this process). Once we've received your order, payment and photos, the design process will begin, and a proof will be e-mailed to you within 2-3 business days (During busy times, this may extend one additional day). If you're happy with your proof, your order will ship within 1-2 business days after you approve your proof. If you need to make some changes to the proof, we'll make those as soon as you send them to us, and we'll send you another proof within 1 business day (We generously offer 3 proofs free of charge). This will truly be a one-on-one collaboration between you and one of our designers, with the end result being a stunning, one-of-a-kind, custom-designed-by-you birth announcement, using one of our more than 400 existing layouts, that your recipients will save and treasure for a lifetime! Because our designs are customized to your order specifications, we require that you approve an e-mailed digital proof of your card prior to printing. Upon receiving your proof, if any changes are necessary, we will make changes and send up to 2 additional proofs at no charge (3 proofs total free of charge). Any additional proofs are $10 each. Therefore, when proofreading the first 1-3 proofs, make sure you address as many changes as you'd like early on, to avoid the cost of additional proofs.
  IMPORTANT NOTE: Please make sure the photos you send are the photos you are going to use, because once the designer does the touch-up work on the photos (a time-consuming process), you will not be able to replace any photos free of charge. If you really need to replace a photo after the photo work is done, you may do so for a $10 fee per replaced photo. Once a design is created, if you decide you would like a different design for any reason, there is a $35 re-design fee to cover the cost for the designer's time in creating a new design. Tip: Ask your designer's opinion--they are very helpful, and their suggestions often cut back on the number of proofs you need. Only after you have given final approval will your card be printed. Therefore, it is important to check your e-mail often while we are in the design phase of your order. Also, please check your spam or junk mail folder in case your e-mail program automatically sends our e-mails there.



• We ship USPS Priority (which arrives to you within 3-5 business days from approving for print), or USPS Express (which arrives to you within 2-3 business days from approving for print). We also ship International Orders via USPS (Times vary according to destination). To view the shipping cost, go to any design, enter the quantity you'd like to order, then click on "Add to Cart". The shopping cart will open, and you can select a shipping method and hit "RECALCULATE," which will calculate your actual shipping cost for your specified quantity and specified shipping method.

Please See our Photo Tips page and FAQ page for important information about photographing your baby and sending your photos to us.