Terms & Conditions
About the Products
We have done our very best to describe our products in as much details as possible. If there is any information you feel is missing, please email us and these details will will aim to add these details to our print options page. Be sure to read any detailed descriptions of products and print options before purchasing, as the main title does not, and cannot, cover all details regarding the quality, finish and content of each item.
On printed products, please be aware that colours may differ slightly from what you see on your proof. The errors on the colouring may not be a result of poor printing, but a result of your monitor. Different monitors view different colours in different ways, particularly pale colours. Colours vary from screen to screen and we will not be held responsible for any slight differences in colours from your screen to the prints. If any colour differences to occur, they will only be slight.
On printed products a 3-6mm bleed is included around the edge of your design, therefore some cropping will occur. We ensure any text is within these boundaries.
If you feel there is an issue with the quality of the photographs on your design, this will be due to the quality of the original images sent through. We enhance them to the best of our ability, but low resolution files or poor quality photographs are sent through, there may not be anything we can do to solve this. Those designs hugely affected will be discussed prior to printing. All colours and images are printed exact, and colour quality and definition is very precise.
About Timescales
We try to give as accurate a turnaround time as possible for proofs, printing, dispatch and email replies. However, please bear in mind that Ella Announements is run by a mother to 4 children aged 6 and under, therefore we cannot account for everyday surprises such as illness, unexpected visitors and a toddlers need to bake cakes! Unfortunately we are not yet lucky enough to have a whole team of professionals scurrying around seeing to all aspects of the business, and noone to cover sick days. Just one mum, at one desk, scurrying around to see to all aspects of the business, and all aspects of day to day parenting. Therefore please note timescales are estimates only and none are 100% guaranteed.
Proofs: Our standard proof turnaround time is 3 days, however this can change from week to week dependant on the volume of orders. We often turnaround proofs in 1-2 days, and occasionally this can take up to 5 working days. Check the homepage for the most recent turnaround time.
Printing: All printing is outsourced to ensure the best possible quality. Photo Paper print options can take between 4 and 10 days to be printed, therefore we do not advise selecting this print option if you require a speedy turnaround time. All other print options are printed and dispatched to you within 72 hours of approval. Printing times for any printed gifts vary. Check the product description for more details.
Dispatch: Photo Paper print options and gifts are sent via First Class Recorded Delivery as soon as they are ready. This services takes around 1-3 working days when the postal service is at it's best! All other print options are dispatched via next day courier, therefore we advise selecting these print options where possible.Please note: "Days" are working days, Monday - Friday.
When purchasing invitations, we recommend placing the order at least 8 weeks in advance, or sooner where possible. We do not recommend ordering invites if your event is less than 4 weeks away, without first contacting us. Orders can potentially be turned around quicker if contacting us prior to placing your order, but it is in no way our responsibility if orders do not arrive on time when you have ordered them later than the 8 weeks recommended. Complaints regarding lack of time to dispatch invites or wondering where the postman is because you need the invitations now is unreasonable. Should it happen that your order does not arrive in time when ordered after 8 weeks before the event, then this is in no way our fault and you will not receive a refund.
About Payment
Online Payments can be made through our website via credit/debit card or paypal. We never see your payment details. If you need to use an alternative payment method, contact us to discuss.
About Shipping
Cardstock options are sent via next day courier, and will require a signature. Photo paper print options, and gifts, are sent via first class recorded mail.
About Items Lost or Damaged
We cannot be held responsible should items be lost or damaged when sent via Royal Mail. We will, however, send all items recorded delivery to ensure this does not happen. Should you need to make a claim, we will assist you in doing so.
About Returns and Refunds
Due to the nature of our printed products, we are unable to offer a standard returns policy. Each of our announcements, invitations and gifts are bespoke and personalised, meaning we are unable to resell any returned products. Should you have any issues with your order then we will gladly talk this through with you and hopefully come to a solution to suit you.
About your Proof
We will only ever send one proof of your invitation or announcement via email. We spend, on average, around one hour designing photocard invites and we dedicate this whole hour to creating your unique and special design, and making sure you are happy with the proof. If you require bespoke additions to your chosen design please give detail after purchasing your invites in order for us to ensure we create a proof you are happy with. Please avoid requesting to see two proofs "just to compare", as you can compare with samples on the website should you need to.
If you require amendments beyond this one proof, this is no problem at all. There are no limits to the number of amendments you request, however where possible please try to request all changes in one go to cut the overall turnaround time. Amendments will usually be seen to within 24 hours.
The proof turnaround time is counted from when we personally receive and review your photographs (or text) and not from when you hit send on the form. If this is an evening or a weekend, you will not be placed into the proof queue until the following working day. Photographs for photocard designs must be received before you are placed in the proof queue.
Please fill in your design and information details with as much information as possible. We cannot guess your design preferences, or your preferred style. Everyone is different. Please fill in your form with wording exactly as you wish it to appear, including upper/lower case letters. Please refrain from completing the form in upper case lettering, as we than have to type everything ourselves, and this is where most spelling errors can occur. Where possible, we will copy and paste the information directly into the design from your details, and assume all spelling is correct.
Always check the wording and spelling on your proof. Typing errors are a part of computer life, so it's vital to double check all spelling.
Our proof, amendments and approval system is in place to avoid errors on the design. We cannot be held responsible for any errors you spot after receiving your order, including spelling errors. All proofs must be approved before printing. You are responsible for proof reading, checking and approving your design via email. It is your responsibility to spot any errors. We will not replace items that have been approved before printing. If you wish to reprint due to an error, we are more than happy to offer the reprints at a reduced rate.
An email saying you are happy with the design, happy to print, require no further changes, or words to this effect will be taken from us as approval of your proof and your order will be sent to print. Approval of your proof is you telling us that there are no errors, and nothing you are unhappy with. We will never send any order to print before a proof is approved. This includes requesting amendments and asking that orders are sent to print immediately. Every set of amendments will require a proof to be emailed to you and approved.
If after approving your proof you spot an error, or wish for further amendments, this is at the discretion of Ella Announcements if your order has not been sent to print. This may cause a delay with your printing turnaround time. You may not receive an amended proof for these amendments. If you order has already been sent to print, there is nothing more we can do, so please ensure you are 100% happy with the design before approving.
About your Photographs
When emailing your photographs, please ensure you are sending the image in it's highest resolution. Resized images are not recommended for printing on our designs. We need the photograph exactly as it was when downloaded from your camera. Please do not use any software to upload your photographs to a website (photo printing website, photo sharing website, myspace/facebook/etc). These will automatically be resized and we'll be unable to use them on your design. Should your email account automatically resize your photographs, we ask that you try to send these from a different account. We do have a photobucket account where you can upload your photos for us to collect. Do not send photographs edited to black and white. If you want black adn white photographs, let us know in your proof request form and we will do this. Where possible we need all photos to be in colour.
It is not our responsibility to request original files from every customer. If the photograph quality on your final invitations is poor, this is due to poor quality photographs being sent. To avoid this please send us the original photographs as email attachments.
We can edit images only so much. We're nifty with photoshop, but no miracle workers. If there are serious problems with a photograph, then do not use it. Send us another. The final product will ultimately depend on the photographs you sent us. See our photo tips page for some ideas on perfect photos.
We cannot use professional photographers without the photographers permission. This includes digital images, or scanned photos. Please have the photographer email us direct to let us know they are happy for you to use their images in the design. You can use photographs taken by our recommended photographers on any designs. Please visit the Recommend Photographers page to find a photographer near you.
About Copyright and our designs
You may not under any circumstances copy or reproduce either an announcement you purchase, a proof you receive or a design/layout from our website.
Every design we create is completely unique. No two designs are identical. Each is created entirely from scratch to ensure an individual nnouncement for every customer. Your announcement design belongs to Ella Announcements. We give you no rights to the design. You may not reprint our designs. You may not resell our designs. You may not replicate our designs.
Do not email our samples to other companies and ask them to copy. Purchase the invitations here. While Ella Announcements is flattered to a degree, please be aware that some companies on the web are replicating the work of Ella Announcements and our designs. If you see any designs frightfully similar to ours on your travels, we'd love to hear from you. Though companies may copy us, they will never beat us on unique design, attention to detail and top quality products.
Every order will include the Ella Announcements website address. This will be discrete and positioned appropriately so as not to detract from your announcement. It will be visible on your proof, so if you're unhappy with it's positioning, let us know and we can try it somewhere else.
Privacy Policy
Ella Announcements is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.
When placing an order with Ella Announcements we will collect details such as your name, contact information, mailing details and email address. When signing up to your mailing list, we will collect details such as your name and email address.
We require this information to enable us to process your order, and will only be used outside of this situation for internal record keeping and improving our products and services. From time to time, we may also use your information to keep you up to date with any new products, competitions and special offers especially for our customers. Should you wish to opt-out of our mailing list, simply click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any of these emails and your address will be instantly removed.
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties.
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement.
Should you have any questions regarding our Terms & Conditions, or our Privacy Policy, please contact us.