Our terms of service

For Skink Ink Fine Art Ink-jet printing and all related services

Terms of service

FIiles​ & Proofing

1. All files must be supplied ready to print. This means correctly sized for final printing with any desired borders included and not requiring further color calibration or adjustment. We request that you do not add crop marks but instead size the artboard to the final print size. Please see file set-up for full instructions.
 
2. No adjustment or changes will be made to any file without the express instruction of the client.
 
a. If such adjustments are to be made by Skink Ink they will be charged for on an hourly basis in 0.25hr increments.
 
b. We may, at our sole discretion and with the permission of the client, make minor changes to a file free of charge as a courtesy. As long as these take less than 5 minutes to complete.
 
c. Fast Track files will not be modified. If modified the job will be become Full Service and will be priced accordingly.
 
3. All files will be proofed onscreen and a first printed proof will be provided free, but free only if the client proceeds to a final print.
 
a. The first proof is a ‘soft proof’ or on screen proof where we check for obvious errors in layout, color or resolution.
 
b. A printed or ‘hard proof’ is a reduced sized print of the whole image and a section at 100% printed on proofing paper at a combined size of no larger then 11” x 17”. The cost of a printed proof is 50% of the cost of a print of the same size and on the same paper used for proofing.
 
c. The cost of a printed proof will be charged to all clients when the proof is made and the amount will then be deducted from the cost of the final print if the client chooses to proceed.
 
d. Small prints (less than 11″ x 17″) to be printed on inexpensive papers (less than $15 psf) will not be hard proofed but will instead print straight to final.
 
4. The purpose of the ‘free’ proof is to ensure that the file will print as expected. We advise you not to skip the proof as we provide it for your protection and benefit.
 
a. If you, the client, waives the proof then you also waive the right to refuse the print and are liable for the full cost of printing even if the final is dissatisfactory.
 
b. If a print requires more than one hard proof, each subsequent proof will be charged for. Development of a work by pulling many proofs is not intended to be covered by our regular services and is outlined separately under ‘printmaking’. For more information please see ‘Our Difference’.
 
5. If a hard proof is made and shipped to a client, there will be a charge for both the proof and the shipping costs that will be due on shipping of the proof. The price of a first hard proof will be deducted from the final cost in the event that a final print is made.
 
6. ‘Artists proof’s’ which are full sized proof prints of the work on final paper will only be available for editions. The purpose of these is to finalize the artists’ choices prior to printing many copies. All other full sized prints will be considered finals.
 
a. Edition means where 3 or more identical but separate prints of the same image are to be printed at the same size on the same paper.
 
b. Artist proofs will be charged at 50% of the final non-discounted cost of a print. All other prints will be charged for at the stated full price.
 
c. A proof will only be considered a proof if subsequent changes are made to the file/job before proceeding with the final edition. If a proof print is deemed the same as a final print it will be counted as one and charged for as a final print.
 
7. These proofing conditions and discounts apply only to works printed in one job or session. Print on demand jobs will be subject to set up costs of a different structure to jobs printed at the same time. Please see ‘Print on Demand’.
 

Billing & deposits

 1. A deposit of 50% will be required for all jobs totalling over $300 or requiring a special order of materials.
 
a. The deposit amount must be paid before we can purchase materials, or proceed beyond proofing with a job.
 
b. Any delays in settling the deposit amount will set back the delivery date by an equal amount.
 
c. Payment of the deposit will be deemed as acceptance of the quote and of these terms and conditions.
 
 2. Any outstanding balance is required on completion of the job, after approval but before delivery. For new clients and clients not in good standing, full payment may be required in advance.
 
 3. The balance is required on completion of the job. We operate on a retail basis only where goods must be paid for before leaving the store. Although we may on occasion and at our sole discretion permit goods to leave before the bill has been settled, this would be a courtesy only and is used when third party collection of work is required and/or in order to facilitate the meeting of deadlines. Allowing work to leave before payment in no way diminishes our requirement for immediate settlement of outstanding balances and customers are still required to pay the balance as soon as possible.
 
 4. Instruction to print will be considered final and irrevocable. Once you, the client, has signed off on a proof and asked us to print the job cannot be changed. The job is accepted and must be paid for. You, the client, will be invoiced and payment required whether or not you choose to collect the job.
 
 5. We offer online payment and personal payment with credit and debit cards via Paypal or Square. These systems accept all major credit cards but we do not hold any credit card information so we cannot process a payment with any previously used card. Please do not email us with your credit card information as this is very insecure. We do also accept wire transfers and cash and no other forms of payment.
 
 6. We do not accept checks under any circumstances. We do not offer accounts, credit or terms of any kind, all bills are payable on completion of the work.
 
 7.  If you, the client, are unhappy with the final result due to fault or failure on our part then we may at Skink Ink’s sole discretion issue a full or partial refund.
 
a. Only if the job has undergone the full proofing process.
 
b. Only upon return of the work or refusal of delivery. We will not issue a refund on any work that has not been returned to us.
 
c. We will only be liable for the cost of the time and materials of the job as invoiced by us. We will not be held responsible for any other loss or expense whether or not it is the result of fault or negligence on the part of Skink Ink.

Deadlines

 8. Please allow enough time for printing and completion of your job before any exhibition, sale or shipping deadline.  The job begins when all the files are delivered correctly sized and in final printable form. If files are delayed, revised after delivery, re-submitted or require work by us to make them acceptable then the deadline for the job is shifted by equal amount to the length of any delay. All delays affect the whole job and not just individual works.
 
 9. We cannot be held responsible for any loss of opportunity, reputation or material damage that may result from a missed deadline, delivery date or any time-sensitive event.  Whether or not it is due to fault or negligence on the part of Skink Ink. The limit of our liability is for the cost of the job charged and measureable only in time and materials. 
 
 10. Haste means we have to take risks and make judgement calls on your behalf. We consult with the client whenever reasonable but if time is short we may be called upon to make decisions for you. Any problems with the final work that are a result of an error of judgement, opinion, subjective assessment, misunderstanding or any lack of quality attributable to our judgment will be considered part of the risk of doing business under rushed conditions. In the event of such a problem and at Skink Inks exclusive judgement we may offer only a partial refund (maximum 50%) of the total cost of the job. This means that even if you refuse or return the work we may keep keep the  deposit paid by you the client against our costs for time and materials used. 
 
 11. In good faith we may take on work where the results can be unpredictable because the size or nature of the job is untried, we may even take on work where we consider the time allowed to be inadequate. In these instances we may attempt the job for you but in doing so you understand that we share the risk with you the client and will not be held solely responsible for any failure. Whether or not it is due to fault or negligence on the part of Skink Ink. In the event of such a problem at Skink Inks exclusive judgement we may offer only a partial refund (maximum 50%) of the total cost of the job. This means that even if you refuse or retuen the work we may keep keep the deposit paid by you the client against our costs for time and materials used. 
 
 12. We understand that opportunities come up suddenly,  that the creative mind needs all the possible time available to finish and/or that the scope of a work may be ambitious or novel and the allotted time inadequate, but there is a well known and simple tradeoff between time, quality and cost. We urge you to leave enough time.
 
 13. We cannot be held responsible for any failure or loss of quality that is attributable to a lack of time caused by your actions or delays in supplying files, deposits, decisions or information.

Print on Demand

Print on demand refers to jobs that are part of an ongoing agreement between Skink Ink and a client to hold files that have been previously proofed and to print them on behalf of the whenever the client receives and order. When shipping is included it can be referred to as fulfillment.
 
1. There is a special pricing structure for POD that is scaled to reflect the quantity of anticipated sales. An agreement will be reached between Skink Ink and the client as to how many are expected to be sold and a pricing structure agreed according to quantity, size and materials chosen.
 
2. There will be a set up cost which is intended to cover proofing the files to be used and as well as establishing different sets of different sizes of work that are to be used for the project.
 
3. Where ‘Gilt’, ‘One Kings Lane’, or other specific timed auction sites are to be used there will an additional handling charge to cover their specialist shipping procedures. In all other cases normal shipping charges will apply.
 
4. Clients will need to stipulate any pre-shipping arrangements such as holding prints for signing, use of certificates or stamps for authentication and lastly any marketing materials required to be sent with the prints. Generally there are no additional charges of this unless additional printing or fabrication is required.
 

5. Turnaround times will be established that will be influenced by all of the above but 1 business week (5 days) is normal.

For the purposes of clarity in this document ‘Skink Ink’ or “us” refers to the company Digital Skink, for which “Skink Ink Fine art printing” is a registered trademark. Furthermore “you” or “the client” always refers to anyone engaging the services of Skink Ink and for whom these terms of service are provided.