Frequently Asked Questions
What is a proof?
A proof is a sample of your design. It will be sent to you via email to approve before printing can commence. Proofs will be sent with an Ella Announcements watermark for copyright reasons. We cannot send proofs via post.
Turnaround Times
When will I receive a proof?
After you have submitted your order, you can expect to receive a proof usually within around 5 working days, however it is important that you check the homepage for details of our latest proof turnaround time. For photo card orders, you will not be placed in the proof queue until your photographs have been emailed to photos@ellaannouncements.com
How long does printing take?
Printing can take up to 5 working days, but a more accurate timescale can usually be given at the time of approval. Orders are sent to print twice weekly.
When can I expect to receive my order after dispatch?
Order are dispatched within 24 hours of being printed, via Royal Mail. You can select from three postage options. If selecting Standard Delivery your order will be sent via First Class Delivery, and usually take around 1-3 days, however Royal Mail suggests allowing up to 15 days. We cannot be held responsible for postage delays once dispatched. If selecting Signed Delivery your order will be sent via First Class Recorded Delivery. Timescales are the same as standard delivery, but with the added security of having to sign for your delivery. If selecting Premium Delivery, your order will be sent via Next Day Special Delivery, which guarantees delivery the next working day after dispatch. Please note, this affects only the delivery and does not in any way speed up the rest of the design and print process.
What is the turnaround time if I want to buy something from your gift section? Ordering Is there a limit to the number of announcements I can order? What print options are available? Photographs Can I send you photographs that I've taken on my mobile phone? Bespoke Designs I have an idea for my invitations. Can you design it for me? Can I see a design before I purchase? Other Questions I have been emailing you for days with no reply. Are you receiving my emails? Have another question?
Turnaround time varies from product to product. Please view the individual items for details on turnaround time for our gifts.
No, there is no maximum limit on your order, however there is a minimum order of 20. Larger orders do not extend the turnaround time in any way. Orders over 120 prints will be entitled to a discount. Please contact us.
Can I order additional announcements at a later date?
Yes, of course. We will keep your design for a minimum of 12 months. Please note that the minimum order of 20 announcements is still applicable to reprints.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept most major credit/debit cards, processed securely through our website using Sage Pay. We also accept payment via paypal. All payment must be processed online, and for this reason, we are unable to accept payment via cheque, cash or postal order.
All of our print options are professionally printed on high quality silk card. See our Print Options page for more details and to see our different sizes and additional options.
How do I send my photos? And how many?
Please email your photographs to photos@ellaannouncements.com. Send at least the same number of photographs as is in your chosen design. If you area able to include an additional photograph or two, this will aid us if any are unsuitable for printing (due to quality, size, etc). Please view the photo tips for further information on how to get the most out of your photographs.
My photos are big, should I resize them before I send?
NO! Big photographs are the best photographs. Please do not under any circumstances resize your photos. The higher quality the photos, the higher quality your prints will be. Also leave any cropping and editing to us. If your photos are too large to send in one email, please do not worry about sending them over a series of emails. Be sure to keep the subject name similar in each email. If you do resize your images, you may be asked to resend.
This really varies from phone to phone! Some photos are large enough to use, some are far too small. Some are decent quality, some are too grainy and blurred. We do not recommend that you use mobile phone photographs on your invitations as photos from a digital camera are much higher quality. We will let you know if any photograph is unsuitable to use.
Yes! You can purchase bespoke invitations through all of our categories, and we will work with you to ensure your design is how you want it. Bespoke orders are permitted unlimited amendments.
Can I have more t
han one child on the design? Will it cost extra?
Of course you can. You can purchase bespoke invitations at an additional cost, however if you'd simply like to include two children on a design from any of the galleries, there will be no extra charge. We can adapt templates to suit your requirements which also includes your own choice of colours, which may be advisable for a design with a boy and a girl. You'll often find that if the children on the design are the same gender, then we can adapt an existing design, therefore not costing you anything more.
Can I combine a birthday invitation with a christening invitation? Or an announcement with a thank you?
Yes! All designs can be customised to suit your requirements, by changing wording, adding symbols/numbers, etc. There is no extra charge for adapting a current design in this
way, and you may already find a few examples of this within our galleries. If you want something completely different, you can purchase bespoke invitations at an additional cost.
Unfortunately we are no longer able to offer this option, due to many hours spent working on proofs that people had never intended to purchase. We hope that you will see from the style and quality of our designs that we will create a suitable invitation for you.
If you find that emails have not been responded to, please check your junk/bulk/spam folders as our emails tend to fall in these depending on your junk filter settings. Failing this, please check our homepage and blog to see if any updates have been made regarding delays in the service.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at info@ellaannouncements.com