I've just registered. Do I get a confirmation mail?
Yes. After your registration you will receive an automatic confirmation e-mail. If that's not the case, please check your spam folder. If together with your registration you ordered samples or added a note, you can be certain we received this request and the samples will be shipped in the next 1-2 days.

I noticed that it's possible to get free samples of business cards. How about the shipping of the samples, do I have to pay for that?
We're happy to send you samples of our business cards or other products. For European desitinations the dispatch is free. For overseas destinations we ask you to kindly pay USD 5.00 for shipping. Please send your payment to our Paypal account contact[at]bce-online.com. Make sure that you send your payment together with your shipping address.

Is it possible to ask for samples without registering?
Yes, of course. On our homepage we've combined the request for samples with a registration. That is to protect ourselves from automatic requests. However, of course you can also order samples by mail or directly by making a payment of USD 5.00 via Paypal.

What samples do I get?
In case that when ordering samples you leave only your address, we usually send you samples of business cards printed on each of our materials. That way you'll get a frosted translucent (semi-transparent), a crystal clear (fully transparent), a white and a metallic plastic business card and also a business card in paper. If you're interested in other products please add a note to your request. Unless we ran out of a specific sample we gladly comply with such individual requests.

How long does it take for the samples to arrive?
Usually we ship the samples on the next working day. Shipping from Italy takes about 7 days. If after a week you still haven't received your samples, please send us a short note.

What if I forgot my password?
Simply click on the link "Forgot your password?" beneath the login button and enter your email address. By that you'll get an automatic mail with a verification code. This code has to be entered in the appertaining field and in the next step you will be able to choose a new password.

What if I also forgot my username?
In this case simply click on the link "Forgot your username?" beneath the login button and enter the email address with which you resistered. By that you'll get an automatic mail with your username.

How do I delete my account?
In case you want to have completely deleted your account please send us a short note.

How long does it take to get a quote?
We try our best to prepare your quote on the same day. In case of a special request you will get a reply at least on the next day.

How do I order online?
In our online shop in the menu you can select the relative categorie in which you will find the different products and by choosing the product you're looking for you'll arrive on the product page. On this page you can choose between different options like quantity, additional printing options etc. After clicking on the "next" button you will (in case you haven't been registered yet) asked to insert your data, then paying options and shipping address. You also will be able to insert a coupon, in case you have received one. The total amount will be shown immediatly after entering the payment method , and at the end of the order process you will have the opportunity to upload your artwork. After completing this process you will receive a confirmation mail with all important informations.

In addition to the prices shown on the product pages, what do I have to pay (tax, shipping etc.)?
All prices in our online shop are without taxes. However, as bce-online.com LLC is an American company, orders with us are VAT-exempt, i.e. you won't have to pay any tax.That's it. No further costs. The total amount of your order will be indicated during the order process.

I only find quantities of 500 pieces and beyond. Is that the minimum order quantity (MOQ) ?
Exactly. We only use offset technology and unfortunately cannot accept smaller orders. However, we're glad to be able to offer exceptional prices for 500 pieces, thanks to collect-run printing. For smaller orders you could refer to a digital printing company, but in this case it's necessary to lower a bit the expectations regarding the quality of the printed image.

I'd like to order transparent flyers in A4 format. Is that possible?
Yes, even A3 is possible. Creative ideas got no limits :) If you don't find in our online shop the size you're looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us asking for a quote.

In the list of options, what does "different designs/names" mean?
This option for instance refers to combined orders for several employees. The design of the cards might be the same, only name and contact details are different. If you're placing a combined order, for order quantity you may want to choose the total quantity and then the number of different names or artworks. This way you'll pay the graduated price for the total quantity and a small up-charge for the fact that you order different versions. Please consider, however, that also for single versions (each employee) minimum order quantity is 500 cards. Higher amounts have to be divisible by 500.

With what radius do you round the corners when I order my business cards with rounded corners?
Generally rounding of the corners is done with a radius of 4,5 mm. That means that the rounded corners of business cards are slightly rounder than of those of credit cards (3,1 mm). At an extra charge, however, it's possibile to order die cutting with individual shape (other radius, holes or individual outlines). Please consider that with die cutting for printed plastic products full bleed printing in dark colors isn't advisable. In this case kindly leave a white or transparent border along the edge. This refers only to die cutting, though. Business cards with straight sides can be designed with dark full bleed.

A finishing option you offer is hot foil stamping (gold/silver)? What does that mean exactly?
Hot foil stamping is a method by which business cards or other printed products are getting refined in a very impressive way. By means of a clichee a metallic foil (in gold or silver) is applied with heat and pressure for to create a look of real gold or silver for a type or decorative element. In contrast to silver or golden offset inks the metallic hot foil doesn't simulate a metallic effect but in fact aluminizes the relative parts of the design. The impact is noble and at the same time vivid.
Hot foil stamping on plastic can be used for logos or bold type, but not for very delicate elements.
This finishing option seems to be pretty expensive, but the price can be easily explained by the necessity of producing an individual clichee and the stamping of the foil on every single card, which is a much more elaborate job than offset printing. The results, however, show that hot foil stamping gives you value for your money.

What does "full bleed printing" mean?
Full bleed printing means that the elements of the design are intended to go till the edge of the printed business card. To prevent that a fine white or transparent line remains where the element meets the egde of the card or sheet, please prepare your artwork in a way that these elements go into the bleed area. This part will be cropped after the printing process and the element will perfectly end at the edge.

I've got a fancy idea. Are there other finishing options than mentioned before?
We will be happy to realize your ideas. Please do not hesitate to contact us with a detailed description to ask for a quote. Kindly consider, however, that most finishing options because of high basic costs do only make sense for high quantities.

Is it possible to order a proof?
For printed paper products you can order a digital proof, for printed plastic products, we're sorry, we can't offer a color proof, just a PDF which shows in which way your file has been prepared for the layout foil. What we can also do for orders on transparent substrates, is to prepare a mock-up which illustrates the effect of your design on a transparent ground.

Can you create an individual layout for my business cards?
Yes, of course. At a small extra charge our graphic designers will create your business card based on your material (logo, contact data) and ideas. When placing your order in our online shop you can choose the number of layouts you'd like to be done. Two modifications are included if desired. Please send us your ideas, logo, font, color, images etc via mail. Kindly assure to note your order number.

How about the ecological aspects of the materials you use?
Even though we are specialized in PVC products, objectively not the most ecological material, we're eager to organize the manufacturing process as environmentally friendly as possible. UV offset technology makes the use of solvents unnecessary. PVC on one hand is a long-lasting and on the other hand to 100 % recyclable type of plastic.

Is it easy to order in Italy or is there something that I need to consider?
Yes, its quite easy :) We are an American company, the printing takes place in Italy, though. Orders with our company are VAT-exempt. We're shipping from Italy, i.e. for inner-European orders you won't have to pay customs.

Is it possible to order online or also by mail?
Generally both is possible. We would like to ask you, however, to place all orders in our shop which fit into the scheme of the shop. By this you'll clear us of this charge and enable us to answer more quickly to your requests for quotes, for advices on how to prepare an artwork for printing on transparent substrates or to help you in case of other needs

Where do I enter the coupon code?
After you have choosen a product, by clicking on "next" you will get to the shopping cart. There you will find a box into which you can enter the coupon code. On the next step, the value of the coupon will automatically be subtracted from the total amount. Please take note of a possible expiration date of the coupon code.

Will I be informed about the progress of the printing?
Yes of course. We are going to send you a confirmation after placing your order. After that you can inform yourself about the processing of your order in "My account - Orders". That is also where (after printing has taken place) you will find the tracking number of your order, by which you will be able to track the shipping of your order on the website of TNT.

Can I modify my order after placing it?
Modifying your order and/or replacing a file is possible as long as we haven't prepared the layout foil. Please send us your request with your order number by email. You will get a confirmation mail, if the modification can be accepted.

Is it possible to cancel an order?
Yes, cancelling your order is possible, as long as we haven't yet sent the order into production. Please send us an email with your order number. Payments which already have been made cannot be refunded. Instead you will get a coupon, which you can use on your next order.

What are the possible payment options?
Payment is possible via Paypal, credit card or bank transfer.

Why it's not possible to order on account?
The reason why is, that unfortunately lately we were confronted with an increasing amount of defaults in paying. As our customers are from all over the world for us such defaults are more difficult to handle than for a company which only operates countrywide. That's why we only accept payment in advance. This doesn't only reduce the risk for us, but also it reduces costs (and thus keeps the product prices low), it saves time and energy, which we can invest in our customer service. Our customer service is intended to offer our clients a individual and friendly guidance regarding preparation of files and the ordering process, instead of dealing with payment issues. We're sure that we can count on your understanding.

Are the prices with or without tax?
As we are an American company orders with us are VAT-exempt. You'll only have to pay the prices shown on the product pages (plus shipping). Your business cards will be shipped from Italy (European Union).

Is it possible to get an invoice?
After we've received a payment for an order the shop system generates an invoice which you can download in your account (My Account - Orders - PDF icon "Invoice").

Do you exclusively print with offset technology?
Yes. To be more precise: we exclusively print with UV offset technology, using peak-performance (Speedmaster) presses, equipped with UV technology. We only use UV offset technology as, in comparison with digital technology, it provides a much higher image quality. It produces clean and pin sharp images with an evenly covering of the substrate. UV inks are brilliant and vivid and above all environmentally safe, as they need no solvents.

What does "collect-run production" mean?
Offset printing normally is relatively expensive, especially at a small order quantity. That's because the lion's share of the costs goes into prepress preparation. Therefore, the higher the quantity we print at one go, the less is the price per piece. To let you take advantage of this fact, we collect several business card orders, place them together on a layout foil and print them all together. This way we can offer you such attractive prices.

What does "file control" mean?
"(Manual) file control" means, that when you order your business cards with this option our graphic designers double-check your printing data. They often recommend to do slight modifications to optimize the printing result (in most cases such a modification is included in the upcharge for this option). As for transparent substrates special factors have to be considered, we recommend that you add to your order the file control by our graphic designers.

What file formats do you accept?
Kindly send us your files preferably in .AI or .EPS format. Because of the chequered background it is immediately obvious which parts are meant to be in white and which ones transparent. The same applies to .PSD files. However, because of the pixel graphics instead of vector graphics, .PSD format should be second choice. Apart from these we also accept .PDF In any case, for orders on transparent, translucent and metallic substrates please attach a detailed description of the design with precise distinctions regarding white and tranparent parts.

What if I want to use an unusual font?
If you use unusual fonts please embed or rasterize resp. outline all the fonts or send us the font file together with your artwork.

How do I outline a type? Where on my computer do I find the font file?
For outlining a type in Illustrator, select the type then choose "type" from the menu and "create outlines." For rasterizing type in Photoshop choose the level with the type > right click > rasterize type. The font files on your PC you'll find on the main hard disk (e.g. C:) > folder "Windows" > "Fonts". In case that you want to upload a font file with your artwork, just copy this file from your "fonts" folder to the desktop and then upload this copy. Please take note that most fonts are protected by copyrights and passing them on obviously isn't in the interest of their designers, so first choice should be outlining or rasterizing the type and after that sending us your artwork.

In what color mode do I have to create my artwork?
Please use the CMYK mode. We can't guarantee for colour fidelity for files using RGB. If your artwork contains your brand color please send us the code or percentages (CMYK).

You're talking of adding a "flash" to certain graphic elements. What does that mean?
Sometimes we add a white layer ("flash") on the back of graphic elements to add more contrast and brilliancy to the colors. Offset colors (apart from metallic colors) generally are slightly transparent. Therefore in front of dark backgrounds or depending on the light some colors might seem a bit pale or fonts aren't easily legible. This we avoid by adding a white layer on the back. Of course a white layer isn't added when the design requires transparency. We also don't add white on the back of very small fonts, as (even if we work as accurately as possible) there is always the risk that the white colour will show on the front side. Therefore we avoid using this technique for small fonts.

What does "4+w/0c" mean?
This is the indication of the number of printing colors on front and back of a business card (or any other printed product). In the case of "4+w/0c" we print with 4-color-technology (CMYK) plus white on the front, the backside is left blank. The indication for a double-sided print could be 4/4c or 4+w/4+w.

Are there any restrictions regarding the resolution of pictures?
Files, including any images, need to be at least 300 ppi to print clearly. A lower resolution is not suitable for professional printing, as this way images may appear pixelated.

Do I have to bleed the artwork?
When creating your artwork please add to the product size 2.5 mm on each side(download the template here), i.e. extend your design 5 mm past the format of the finished product (e.g. artwork size for business cards 90 x 60 mm). If your design contains a stripe which goes from one edge to the other, you must bleed it past the edges (at least 2.5 mm on each side). This prevents a white line down one or more edges of your print, caused by very slight variations in printing and guillotining.
In addition any text or important graphic element should be at least 2.5 mm away from the edges of the finished size (this is for optical, not for printing reasons).
Kindly note: If you intend to order your business card with rounded corners, we'd recommend, that you don't bleed your design, but instead leave a small transparent or white border. In the case of die cutting of non-absorbent substrates such as pvc, there is always the risk, that the printing at the edges gets slightly ruined when the business card gets trimmed to its final format. However, you don't have to consider this when your business card is intended to have "normal" corners.

What size has to have my artwork?
All products are trimmed down on all sides, therefore the dimensions of your artwork need to be at least 5mm larger than the final trimmed product. The following table shows the size your artwork should be (this information you can find also on any product page):

Business cards Artwork size 90 x 60 mm Product size 85 x 55 mm
Postcards Artwork size 90 x 165 mm Product size 85 x 160 mm
Calendar cards Artwork size 115 x 75 mm Product size 11 x 70 mm
Rulers Artwork size 215 x 55 mm Product size 210 x 50 mm
Bookmarks Artwork size 165 x 45 mm Product size 160 x 40 mm
Plastic cards Artwork size 91,6 x 59 mm Product size 86,6 x 54 mm

Where can I upload my file?
You'll have the possibility to upload your file at the very end of the order process.

What is the maximum file size I can send you?
The maximum size of a file you can upload to our web site is 10MB. Larger files you can send us via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I discovered a mistake in my design, can I send you a modified file? Of course. This is possible as long as we haven't yet sent your file into production. Please send us an email with the corrected file and we will send you a confirmation in case that we can accept the changes.

I'd like to reorder, but unfortunately don't find the file. Do you have by chance saved the data or do I have to create everything anew?
Usually we do keep a copy of the files on our server to facilitate the reordering. If there should be changes regarding your address or simply need the same design for another employee, we can adapt the file, if you have sent us before an open format file (and in case of unusual fonts the font file).

Could you please showcase my business card in the gallery of your blog?
Of course we can ;) Just send us a picture of your cards and we will post it in our blog.

What shipping methods do you offer and how much does the shipment cost?
Generally we ship with DHL Global Express. The shipment usually takes 3 days. inside the EU. Worldwide shipping for packages till 6 kg is already included into the price.

In what countries do you ship?
We offer worldwide shipping.

Can I use a different address for the delivery?
Yes , of course. While ordering you will be asked, whether you want to insert a different address for the delivery.

How much is the turn-around-time and can I be certain that the job will be shipped on the desired day?
The production usually takes 10 to 15 workingdays (according to requirements or material it can take less or longer). Shipping time is 1 to 7 days (depending on the destination).

Is it possible to track the delivery online?
Yes, of course. If the shipment should take more than a day. Usually the shipment is faster then the tracking to be online ;)

Can I choose a certain time for DHL to deliver?
Unfortunately by using our standard shipment with "DHL Global Express " this is not possible. When you need a shipment for a certain date, it is possible to choose the option "Overnight Express", which means that the shipment arrives till 12 o'clock on the next morning ("overnight express" isn't possible for all destinations, please send a request for placing your order).

What do I need to do when the package has been damaged at the delivery?
We are using stable package material. Anyhow it is possible that during shipment the package will be damaged. Please control immediately after the delivery, if there are damages, that in case you can complain directly to the driver.

The package came without an invoice, could you send me the invoice by mail?
Generally we do not send an invoice with the order. The appertaining invoice is ready for download at any time in your account on our website (My Account > Orders > Invoice).

I'm afraid I have to complain. What is the general practice?
If the quality of product should give cause for complaint please call our customer service for clarification.

Your feedback is always welcome. Please send us a This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .