One Star and Eight Ruined Foam Boards…read more
I'm someone who has worked with print shops for many years, so I couldn't just ignore this experience with Guru Print. I'm not the type to leave reviews or rate other people's work -- but, as they say, there's a first time for everything. And this is exactly that case. Because what I encountered here was not work, and not professionalism, but a careless, dismissive attitude toward a client's work -- combined with an apparent inability (or unwillingness) to spend even two minutes making sure the final result looks even remotely acceptable.
-1 star: The website and file upload circus
The print shop initially caught my attention thanks to its strong good rating and a fairly decent-looking website. After carefully reviewing the file submission requirements, I was genuinely pleased to see that everything could be done remotely -- quick, convenient, and hassle-free. Or so it seemed. I followed all stated requirements precisely: CMYK profile, PDF format, files up to 200 MB.
That's when the fun began.
The website simply refused to accept the files -- freezing, throwing errors, and effectively telling me to figure it out myself. After some time, it became clear that the advertised 200 MB limit does not actually exist. In reality, the system only accepts files significantly smaller than that -- something conveniently not mentioned anywhere. After nearly an hour of wrestling with PDFs, compressing files from 180 MB down to 50-80 MB each, I found myself literally hoping and praying that each upload would make it into the paid online cart.
-1 star: Communication (or lack thereof)
Client communication deserves a separate mention. I'm not a fluent English speaker, and phone calls already come with a certain level of stress -- because the outcome depends not only on my language skills, but also on a basic level of patience and courtesy from the person on the other end. After submitting the files and waiting a reasonable amount of time (about two to three hours), I called with a very simple question: when will my boards be ready, and when can I pick them up? Since I paid extra for same-day printing, I only needed to know when I should get in the car and drive over.
The response? Rude, unhelpful, and completely uninformed. The person on the phone didn't know my order number and, frankly, seemed to know nothing at all. The only thing I got out of that call was:
"You'll get an email when it's ready," along with a noticeable dose of irritation. As a result, I ended up sitting in my car near the printing office, waiting -- because if that email had arrived an hour and a half before closing, I simply wouldn't have made it in time.
-1 star: Finding the place
The establishment has no sign, no plaque, no indication whatsoever that a print shop exists in the building. I understand this is a production facility, not a showroom -- but a small sign by the door, or even a basic written instruction on how to find the place, would've gone a long way. Consider it a courtesy to your clients. Nothing more. Instead, I had to wait outside until someone exited the building just to get in. Then I walked into a tattoo shop (which, by the way, had no trouble putting up a clear sign). The tattoo shop staff kindly pointed me to an unmarked, anonymous door -- behind which, apparently, Guru Print was hiding all along.
-1 star: The final result
Finally, I picked up my boards and felt a moment of relief. I honestly thought the final result would be so good that it would make everything else fade into the past.That illusion lasted about five seconds. I opened the first board and immediately noticed that the gray color had a strong green tint. I was in a rush, and there was no time to stand by my car unwrapping all eight boards -- let alone start a reprint. The boards were supposed to be displayed the very next morning at an event in another city. That's exactly why I chose extra for same-day printing. The entire drive home I kept wondering what I had done wrong -- the layout, the color, the color profile.
Surely it must have been my mistake
It wasn't
Once home, I unpacked the remaining boards and realized the situation was even worse. Some of the supposedly black-and-white boards had turned purple, others blue, and the rest green. Same settings. Same color profiles. Completely different results. To make matters worse, some boards were cut so poorly it looked like they'd been chewed up by dull scissors in the dark.
That's how this story ended
I genuinely don't understand how this place has so many positive reviews. I hope mine stands out from the sea of praise and gives potential customers at least a moment of pause. If you care about your work -- and if the final result matters to you -- I would strongly recommend staying away from this place.
