Terms of service

Terms & Conditions

Overview
By hiring BearBear for Risograph printing, design, illustration, or creative services, you accept and agree to the following terms and conditions.

BearBear prints using the Risograph RZ1090U and/or MZ1090U. Our Risograph machines are digital duplicators that use stencil technology, similar to the effect of screen printing. Imperfections are expected to occur. BearBear does its best to mitigate discrepancies that include, but are not limited to:

  • Paper feed roller tread marks
  • Ink traveling (smudging, transfer)
  • Color-trueness or consistent print density
  • Mis-registration up to 1mm (misalignment of layers)

Risograph Printing + Finishing
Printing and production times vary. We will discuss our workload and set timeline + delivery expectations before payment. We prefer 2 weeks between when we receive final print files to shipment. This timeline is for simpler projects (posters, flyers) and at least one month for more complex ones (zines, calendars, booklets). We are not responsible for client errors that cause timeline delays. Our current minimum is 25 copies of a single design. That means we do not Risograph print single prints, editions of 1, or single proofs. See more below re: proofs.

Showcasing Your Work
We respectfully reserve the right to feature client work in our portfolio (digitally on our website and social channels, or in print as examples) once projects are complete, unless explicitly requested otherwise. Thanks for collaborating with us.

Quotes
Any estimate we provide in writing (via email or on paper) is valid for 30 days and subject to change thereafter, or based on variable material cost or timing factors (such as file preparation) when the quote is presented. We will discuss any changes with you before invoicing. Avoid extraneous correspondence by including utmost detail about your project with your quote request. Tell us the following about your project:

  • Finished size of your item
  • Quantity (minimum of 50 to make best use of print preparation and use of consumables)
  • Design choices (ink colors, paper, etc.)
  • In-hand deadline

Payment
Quotes are sent as a digital invoice once we both agree on proceeding with a project. We request 50% down-payment as a non-refundable deposit. Once the deposit is received, we will put your project in our production queue. Please review the details of the invoice carefully before paying. Checks made out to BEARBEAR LLC can be sent to an address provided upon request.

Returns
All sales are final and no refunds will be given once work has begun. The 50% deposit is non-refundable and acts as a 'kill fee' if a project is halted, by BearBear or by the client, before completion. All sourced materials or charges made specifically for your project are non-refundable.

In A Hurry?
We charge a $55USD rush fee. We consider projects produced within 10 days as “rush” jobs. Shipping and delivery is not included in this 10 day window. We are not responsible for any shipping delays on behalf of the courier, or delays in production timeline due to client unresponsiveness.

Shipping
We ship domestically within the USA via the USPS. We may ship internationally upon request. Once we ship your work, carrier delays, lost shipments, and damages are not our responsibility. We do everything we can to pack your projects with care to avoid this. We also insure the package to its full value and provide tracking information.

Proofs
Digital “soft” proofs can be provided via email for free. Digital proofs mimic Riso’s colors but are not exact representations of your final product. Physical “hard” proofs may be quoted for you separately and involve our standard invoice deposit: 50% non-refundable payment on a full project before we send a hard proof, and if the order is canceled after the hard proof is seen (either digitally via a photo or physically in the mail) then the remaining balance owed is voided. Approval of a proof, plus invoice payment, indicates that you accept full responsibility for your order. Requesting changes to the print after giving your approval is an additional cost that will be billed to you.

File Preparation
30 minutes of file preparation are free of charge. Subsequent file preparation is billed hourly. Your submitted files are reviewed and revisions suggested before an invoice is issued for payment. Please check your file meticulously for text, color, and editorial accuracy. We are not responsible for errors found in client submissions after payment is made and files are submitted. Errors are not limited to:

  • Typographic errors (spelling, grammar, font choice, etc.)
  • Low-fidelity/resolution artwork
  • Editorial errors (miscalculation of sizing, margins, bleed, orientation)
  • Wrongly selected printing options, sizes, finishing options, or quantity
  • Duplicates
  • Color choices that could have been avoided by receiving a hard proof

Copyright
You warrant that the printed subject matter is not subject to a third party copyright.

Land Acknowledgement
We work on stolen land. BearBear acknowledges that in Milwaukee we live and work on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee homelands along the southwest shores of Michigami where the Milwaukee, Menominee, and Kinnickinnic rivers meet. Where the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida, and Mohican nations remain present.