Thesis on Demand FAQs

What is Thesis On Demand?

Thesis On Demand is an online service dedicated to printing and binding theses and dissertations.

What is your refund/cancellation policy?

Please see this page for complete instructions: Refund Policy

Shipping Restrictions

At this time we are unable to ship to PO Boxes using FedEx – please do not use PO Boxes when adding your shipping information if using FedEx shipping option.

How can I make sure my PDF will work with your site?

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE MAC/APPLE PDF CREATION TOOL as it will NOT flatten your PDF properly.

If making a PDF using MS Word:
Please use MS Word 2007+:
Choose the Save AsPDF or XPS option or PDF option when saving NOT Adobe PDF:

If not using Word to create your document or alternatively you can use a third-party PDF creator. We recommend CutePDF: http://www.cutepdf.com/Products/CutePDF/writer.asp which installs a printer on your system:

Simply choose to PRINT your document and choose Cute PDF instead of your normal printer
Remember to change your settings by clicking on the Printer Properties and choosing advanced and then the below option:

Another alternative is to use Adobe Acrobat Pro or the PDF creation tool in  your word processing software.

PLEASE DO NOT USE THE MAC/APPLE PDF CREATION TOOL as it will NOT flatten your PDF properly.

Can changes be made to my order after I have submitted order?

To avoid changes and additional charges, we recommend you check to make sure the file and order information is correct, and that your thesis or dissertation meet the requirements of the school prior to submitting the order. Any change to your order after it has been submitted will result in a minimum charge of $25.00. If the order has been put into production the additional cost will be the minimum charge of $25.00 plus the cost of reprinting and/or rebinding your order with the submitted changes. Your thesis usually prints shortly after receipt of the completed order. Because of our automated process and time to halt or change production any changes to an order after the order has been submitted, including but not limited to submitting a new corrected file, changing from double to single sided printing, single to double sided printing, paper type or other changes or instructions will result in the additional charges to complete the revised order and may delay the originally quoted ship date.

What things should I be aware of when preparing my PDF?

There are a couple of things to be aware of when creating your PDF for upload to our system – they are:

  • Make sure your fonts are embedded – this is an option available in most PDF-producing programs. To check if your fonts are embedded:
    1. Open Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat
    2. Click on “Document Properties”
    3. Click on “Fonts Tab”
    4. Each font listed should have “(Embedded)” or “(Embedded Subset)” next to the font
    5. If font does not have one of these next to it, font is NOT embedded
  • Make sure images that are embedded in your document are the highest quality you can get. We suggest a minimum 300 dpi for images or graphics. Although in most cases lower dpi images print quality is acceptable in thesis, note that images under 300 dpi may print with a lower resolution resulting in poor print quality.
  • Make sure you have permission to use any images contained within your thesis or dissertation

Depending on how you set up your original file, i.e., Microsoft Word, it could very well be reading a considerable number more color pages than expected because Microsoft uses RGB or process black which is a combination of colors to make black and unfortunately that is how it will print. If you have or have access to Adobe Pro you can go under their preflight option and change the pages it’s showing as color to a true black (K) then save a new PDF and use that for your upload but unfortunately we have no way around this except to offer all black and white or the color printing as our system is reading it.

Can I have my title and degree added to the spine?

Yes, but you have to specify this when placing your order. If your title is too long to fit the spine it will be truncated. There is no extra charge to choose this option.

How is my title printed on the spine and front page?

Unless customer specifically requests for the front cover of their Thesis to be stamped with Mixed Case text, by means of a written note in the special instructions field, we will stamp all cover and spine information in capital letters.

What are my paper and size options?

Standard thesis are printed in portrait orientation(8.5″ width x 11″ height) and our standard product is produced using archival 8.5″ x 11″ White Vellum 60# paper that meets or exceeds all specifications in the ANSI/NISO standard for paper permanence (see ANSI/NISO Z39.48 -1992(R2002) Permanence of Paper for Publications and Documents in Libraries and Archives).

If you choose to have your order printed at an A4 size, note it will only be printed on the White Vellum 60# paper. Other selections for paper stock are not available with this option. Choose the A4 paper option when ordering ONLY if you want it printed and bound A4 size. If you submit your file A4 size and do not specify the A4 size paper from the choice of paper (additional cost), your thesis will be bound 8.5×11. If you want other options for your thesis not shown on the order form (ie..landscape, larger sizes), please contact customer service for pricing.

Can I have my thesis printed on cotton paper?

We do not offer printing on cotton paper at this time.

Can I have my thesis printed double-sided?

Yes, double-sided printing is available. Choose this option when ordering. You must make sure that your file is formatted for double-sided printing. This means you must insert blank pages as needed to print as you want it. We cannot modify your file if it is not formatted correctly. If printing double sided and you are sending in signature pages for us to add to your thesis, you MUST make sure to format your thesis correctly so that we can insert the signature pages or replace the unsigned copy if needed. This may mean you insert blank pages when creating your file. We are not responsible for thesis that have been printed that the customer has not formatted properly. Printing and binding a corrected thesis will be charged as a new thesis order.

Can I use my original signed signature pages?

Yes, you must print a completed order page and send that, along with your signature pages, to the address shown on the page. This may delay the delivery time because we cannot print or bind your volumes until the signature pages are received. There is a small charge for signature pages. Also make sure that if you are having your thesis printed double sided, to make sure your thesis is properly formatted (as described under double sided printing) to allow the signature pages to be inserted, and if needed, a single sided page to be removed. There will be additional charges if a file is not formatted properly to add signature pages, and we have to format and/or reprint any part of the file, or if thesis needs to be returned to us for repair or reprint because the file was not formatted correctly. If there is no blank signature page in your file to replace and if you have not given instructions on where your signature pages should be placed, we will add the signature pages in front of all other pages.

What are my cover color options?

Our covers are made using Summit cloth, which is available in 8 different colors and are available for viewing when placing your order. Leather is also available for the cover in colors shown in the drop down box. If ordering a cloth cover, click on the color you want. If ordering leather, choose the color from the drop down box. Leather requires additional production time and is not available on a RUSH order.

My thesis has a couple of foldouts in it. Do you have the capabilities to work with these?

Yes. Thesis On Demand is a branch of our Preservation Photocopy department and we do this kind of work frequently. You simply note the pages that need to be treated as foldouts when placing your order. There is a small charge for foldouts.

What if I have pocket material or I want to place a CD in my thesis-can you do this too?

Yes, we can provide pockets for extra materials and CDs. This is an option you must specify during your order. There is a small charge for pocket material.

We make a paper pocket and place it on the inside of the back cover for extra materials. For CDs or DVDs we mount a plastic case on the inside of the back cover. If both a paper pocket and a CD case are needed we will place the pocket on the inside of the back cover and the CD case on the inside of the front cover.

When should I expect my bound theses or dissertations?

You should expect your bound product to ship in approximately four weeks (not including holidays) from the order date, or from the date on which we receive your signature pages if you have selected that option. Thesis ordered bound in leather will ship in approximately six weeks from the order date.

Is there a rush service on this product?

Rush service is not currently not available.

I have only one color page. Can I print that out myself and send it to you?

No. Our automated production process, which allows us to offer reasonable prices, makes it impossible to handle individual pages within the textblock.

I want to send my thesis/dissertation to several different people. Will you ship to multiple addresses?

We are not able to send products from a single order to multiple addresses. If you do not want to ship them yourself, you can place separate orders for each address.

Can I have my order shipped to a foreign address?

Yes we are now able to ship to foreign addresses.

Can I add my tax exemption certifcate

To add your tax exempt certificate:

  1. Click the My Account menu item
  2. Setup or login to your account
  3. Click the Tax Exemption link on the left
  4. Upload your Tax Exempt Certificate in PDF format
  5. Click the Submit Tax Info button
  6. It should display Approved
  7. You should be all set to place your order

Tax Exempt