Holiday order terms & conditions

These terms apply to every holiday card order placed with Dutton Design & Co. Placing an order means you accept them.

Ordering and payment

An order is placed when payment is received in full through the website. We do not hold quantities or production slots on an unpaid order.

The minimum order is 75 cards.

Prices are per the quantity selected at checkout. Adding cards to an existing order before files go to print may be possible and will be quoted separately; after files go to print it is a reorder.

Photographs and client-supplied materials

After checkout you will receive a link to an upload page. Send your photograph there, along with your order number.

Photographs must be at least 300 dpi at final printed size. A screenshot, social media download, or a text-message image will not print acceptably, and we will ask for a replacement rather than print it.

By submitting a photograph you confirm you hold the right to reproduce it. If a professional photographer took it, that means you have their written permission to print. We are not able to verify this and rely on your confirmation.

We will tell you promptly if a file will not work. We are not responsible for print quality where you have approved a proof made from a file we flagged.

Recipient addressing

Recipient addressing is an optional add-on and includes return address printing.

Addresses must be supplied using the spreadsheet template available on the upload page. Lists sent in another format will be returned for reformatting, which delays production.

We print addresses exactly as you supply them. Please check spelling, titles, and zip codes before sending. We will send a proof of the address file for your approval before anything prints.

Addressing is priced on the number of cards ordered, not the number of names on your list.

Proofs and approval

Every order includes a digital proof and one round of revisions. Additional rounds are $75 each.

Proofs are sent by email as a PDF. Please respond within three business days. Holiday production runs on a fixed calendar, and a proof sitting unanswered is the most common reason an order misses its delivery date.

Review the proof carefully. Check names, spelling, dates, the year, and the photograph. Once you approve, the file goes to press as approved, and we cannot correct an error that was visible on an approved proof. A reprint in that case is at your cost.

We do not print without written approval.

Production timeline

Production begins when we have your photograph, your address file if applicable, and your approved proof. It does not begin on the date you order. An order placed early but completed late is treated as a late order. Digital printing takes up to three weeks from approval, plus shipping. Letterpress takes longer and is quoted separately.

We are not responsible for carrier delays once an order has shipped.

Changes, cancellations, and rush orders

Changes to design, quantity, or add-ons can be made at no charge until your proof is approved. After approval the order is in production and cannot be changed.

Cancellations before any design work has started are refunded in full. Once design work has begun, a $100 design fee is retained. Once files have gone to the printer, no refund is available.

Orders placed after October 20 carry a $150 rush fee and are accepted only if the calendar allows. We will tell you before taking payment if we cannot meet a December delivery.

Each design is a separate print order. A second design on the same order is $125, which covers the additional setup, shipping, and proof.

Reprints and reorders

A reorder is a new print run and carries a new setup charge. The minimum is 25 cards, plus a $75 reorder fee and the per-card price at that quantity.

Reorders placed after November 14 are unlikely to arrive before Christmas. We will be honest about the timing before taking payment.

Designs are held through January 31. After that, a reorder may require the design to be rebuilt.

Envelopes, liners, and postage

Every order includes blank envelopes. Liners, return address printing, and recipient addressing are optional add-ons.

Envelopes are available in white, azure blue, vermillion red, and bittersweet chocolate. Other colors can be sourced but require additional lead time and cost, and are quoted separately.

Postage is not included in any order and is paid by you at the time of mailing.

Our 5x7 cards mail at the standard First-Class letter rate, currently $0.78, with no surcharge. Square cards exceed the standard letter size and require additional postage, currently $1.63 to $1.69 per card. Please confirm current rates with USPS before mailing.

Printing and color

Color on a printed card will differ from color on a screen. Screens are backlit and every monitor is calibrated differently. A proof shows layout and content, not exact color.

Paper is a natural material. Slight variation in shade, texture, and trim between runs is normal and is not a defect.

If exact color matters to you, ask for a printed sample before ordering. We would rather send one than have you disappointed in December.

Sales tax

Tennessee sales tax is applied at checkout at the current combined rate and is shown as a separate line on your receipt.

Portfolio use

We may photograph your finished cards for our portfolio, website, and social media. These photographs show the design, paper, and envelope treatment.

We will not publish your family photograph, your name, or any part of your address list without your written permission. If you would rather we did not photograph your order at all, tell us at any point before it ships and we will not.

If something goes wrong

Tell us within five days of delivery. Send a photograph of the problem and we will make it right.

If the error is ours, a misprint, a production defect, or a mistake we introduced after your approval, we will reprint at no cost to you, subject to the calendar.

If the error was visible on an approved proof, or stems from a photograph or address list you supplied, a reprint is available at cost.

Our liability on any order is limited to the amount you paid for it.

Questions before you order are always welcome. Ask rather than guess.