faq's

A domain is the name address of a website (ie. www.yourdomain.com) and it can be purchased on your own or through BlackStone Studio. I can transfer your domain back to you at any time, but if there are any fees related to the transfer, you are responsible to pay those fees.
 

Hosting refers to where your website is stored online. Due to security and technical reasons, as of April 2010, BlackStone Studio will require clients to use BlackStone Studio's hosting when hiring me to design your website or blog. I no longer accept clients that want to use their own hosting provider.
 

The storage space can vary depending on the size of your site or blog. For email storage, the default capacity is 250MB per email box. The bandwidth limit is 10GB a month.
 

A blog is a kind of online journal that can be updated by the client. The client can access it on his/her own and post entries that can be categorized and tagged for easy search. It can be part of your website or it can be created as a website in itself if you choose to have your domain link directly to it.
 

This is a single page that can be displayed while I am building your website. It usually has minimal content, like your logo, business description and contact information.
 

I currently offer a basic content management system where you can access specific areas in your site and edit text or add small images. Unfortunately, this system does not allow you to edit flash animations or update photo galleries.

I can also do the updates and maintenance for you at an affordable monthly fee that is charged only on the months with updates.
 

I currently do not offer custom e-commerce websites. I am able to integrate PayPal "Website Payments Standard" buttons if you have an account with them, and customize the PayPal buttons so they look cohesive with the overall design.
 

I do not build websites that are entirely flash based, but I do use flash elements in the websites. I can integrate transitional animations, slide shows, photo galleries and other types of flash projects.
 

I currently do not offer Search Engine Optimization, so I do not guarantee that your website will be ranked organically in the popular search engines. However, I do make your website as search engine friendly as possible by using keywords, meta tags and site submission among other things.
 

All BlackStone Studio websites will have a link back to BlackStone Studio and the proper accreditation to the work. Clients may not remove this link unless agreed upon otherwise by both parties.
 

Once the site is completed, any additional changes or maintenance will have added cost. I offer an affordable basic monthly update package. For more information contact me at bholland@blackstonestudio.com
 

A project’s turnaround time depends on many factors. I pride myself on how fast I can design and build a website, but my work schedule can be affected by how quickly I receive content or feedback from the client.
 

I cannot guarantee that your website will be compatible with all web browsers. I do test all my sites on the latest versions of the most popular web browsers (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome, etc.) on both PC and Mac platforms before going live with any site.

Please note that Internet Explorer 6.0 is not compatible with a lot of new coding and became obsolete in March 2010. If you have this version, we recommend that you update your browser to the newest version available.

I currently offer digital four color printing process, therefore I do not guarantee a perfect color match to specific colors, however I do try to find the best CMYK combination that will print as close to the color as possible.
 

BlackStone Studio's turnaround time is 2 weeks. I currently do not offer rush service. In some cases, depending on the type of print, I might be able to have them ready sooner, so please let me know your deadline ahead of time.
 

Due to the digital printing process I cannot guarantee a perfect color match every time I print a job, even if it is a reprint of the same project. However I do try my best so that the colors match as much as possible.

No, I do not sell or release any website, source or development files. For more information on this, please click here read BlackStone Studio's terms of service.
 

The content of the site can be copyrighted by the client, but the design and coding are property of BlackStone Studio or have been licensed to BlackStone Studio by a third party. The client can only copyright the text information and the images he/she provided to use on the site, but not the website itself. For more information on this, please click here read BlackStone Studio's terms.
 

The client will provide the content for the website or design. Any text or images provided must be owned by the client or they must have permission to use it. Under no circumstances will BlackStone Studio be held liable for content provided by a client on a client website, design or print project. For more information on this, please click here read BlackStone Studio's terms.
 

I sometimes may include stock photography in projects, but because of the license agreement limitations, I now refer clients to purchase directly from www.istockphoto.com.

Click here and start browsing at www.istockphoto.com. Don't forget to check their license agreements as well, as you might want to buy an extended license if you plan to use it for large print runs.

You can find some pricing packages that are available on our service pages. I charge per project and not per hour. Pricing varies from project to project depending on the client’s needs. For a quote, contact me at bholland@blackstonestudio.com
 

I can accept up to three payments. A deposit or first payment is required after a proposal has been approved. The last payment should be done by the completion of the project.
 

Deposits are non-refundable. If the client paid in full and the project had to be terminated before it was completed, a partial refund can be issued based on the amount of work that was done.
 

Yes, but only through PayPal. Using this payment option has an added processing fee. I also accept cash and checks.

You can email me files up to 10 MB, you can upload to BlackStone Studio's FTP or you can send it using a file transfer website (ie. www.transferbigfiles.com). If you decide that FTP upload is the best option for you, contact me for access.
 

The accepted file formats are: Word Document or Notepad files. If you only have scanned material, there will be an additional fee for retyping the information.
 

All images that will be used for printing purposes should be at least 300 dpi and the exact size that they will be printed at or larger.

All images that will be used for web purposes should be at least 72 dpi and the exact size that they will be used at or larger.
 

Your logo should be preferably be in vector format. Accepted file formats: . eps and .ai.

No, currently I only take pictures on location, preferably in natural light.
 

Depending on the type of photo session I can suggest different locations. The client can also request a location or place of their choice.
 

Depending on our agreement, I may give you a CD with a selected number of photographs in JPG format and a written document granting you permission to print, publish or reproduce them freely. For more information on this, please click here read BlackStone Studio's terms.
 

Yes, I can touch up a selected number of pictures if the client requests it.