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Pre-Sales Help with vLetter Products
Welcome to the Pre-Sales Help page. You can find answers to most pre-sales questions here.
What minimum skills do I need to have?
You should have most (if not all) of the following computer skills:
- how to use the Start Menu and the Control Panel (for Windows)
- how to use menus in applications and select items within the menus
- how to find and open folders on your hard drive
- how to resize and move windows on your desktop
- how to view files (with their extensions) in folders or on the desktop
- how to use the right and left mouse buttons
- how to make a shortcut or alias and move it to another location
- how to delete files from a folder
- how to copy or move files from one folder to another
- how to copy and paste text from one document to another
- how to attach a file to an email message
- how to open a file that is attached to an email message
- how to download files from the internet
- how to burn files to a CD-R for backup
PLEASE NOTE: We do not provide basic computer help. You need to know how to use Windows or Mac, Microsoft Office, email applications, web browsers, other programs you own, your CD burner (if you have one), and your printer. Please contact the companies that made these programs and products for help in using them. If you are new to using computers, check with your local community college or community education organization for classes on learning to use your computer and the different programs.
What programs do I need to have?
Windows: Windows XP, Vista or 7; Acrobat Reader 5.0 or later; Microsoft Word XP (2002) or later to use the vLetter Toolbar for Word.
Macintosh: Mac OSX 10.3.5 or later. OS9 version is available by request. You also need the free StuffIt Expander to decompress the download file (this is standard for Macintosh).
What programs does vLetter work with?
- Microsoft Word XP and later - great for envelopes and mail merges
- Windows WordPad and Notepad
- Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat (Mac or Windows)
- Adobe InDesign for Windows
- Adobe InDesign CS3 or later for Mac OSX (CS2 and earlier versions are buggy on the Mac)
- Adobe Flash (so we've heard from other customers)
- QuarkXPress 7.0 (Mac or Windows)
- TextEdit, AppleWorks, Pages and Microsoft Word for Mac
What programs does vLetter NOT work with?
- WordPerfect versions after version 8 have conflicts with vLetter fonts. We recommend using Microsoft Word.
- QuarkXPress version 6.x is very problematic.
- Microsoft Publisher (2007 and earlier) has difficulty with some of the characters for TrueType fonts. We recommend using Microsoft Word or InDesign for Windows.
- Font management programs can interfere with the vLetter software being able to recognize that a handwriting font is installed. Install the font normally, and do not use it via font management software.
- Microsoft Word for Mac 2008 sometimes has problems displaying font names in the font menu, particularly for .TTF files.
- InDesign CS1 and CS2 are very buggy in Mac OSX.
- "Open" Office programs: many open source freeware programs are works in progress and still contain bugs that need to be resolved.
What about printers?
- We cannot recommend a specific brand or model of printer, but the handwriting fonts look best on ink jet printers.
- A few people have reported problems printing on the HP P1005 and P1505 models of laser printers.
Is it easy to download the software?
Yes it is, provided you are comfortable doing so. You can create a backup copy by burning the download file onto a CD-R disc, or making some other backup copy. Most new computers come with CD burning drives, but not with floppy disk drives. If you do not want to download the software, we can ship it on CD to you. See Shipping costs.
NOTE: If you want to download and/or install the software at work, check with your company to be sure this activity is allowed. Some companies have strict policies regarding downloads and installations. Also, some companies may have firewalls that block our downloads, or even our emails. If this is the case, you should place the order from home, and use your personal email address.
What happens if I lose the software?
If your computer crashes before you make a backup, if you get a new computer, or if you lose the disk or the disk is damaged, we can replace your software. Current version software can be replaced for $10 for custom fonts. Older software will need to be upgraded (price varies). Contact us to ask about a new copy of your software. Shipping charges are separate from the replacement cost.
Can I install vLetter on multiple computers?
Yes, but the user license limits you to using the software on one computer at a time. This means you can install a copy at home and a copy at work, or one copy on a desktop and one copy on a laptop, etc. If many people need to use the same copy of the software, such as at a school or in an office, then contact us about a site license.
NOTE: If you have a Windows computer and a Mac computer, you will need to buy both versions of the software.
Can I give vLetter as a gift?
Yes. You can purchase a product online to download yourself and give, or you can select CD shipping and designate a Ship To address for the gift recipient. Please tell us it is a gift in the Comments field during checkout. For custom handwriting fonts, we first send the handwriting sample form to the person to fill out. If you do not choose CD shipping, we will provide a download link only for the completed software, and not a CD.
How do I submit a writing sample?
When you purchase a custom font (Pro, Print or Sig), we provide you with the download link to the handwriting sample form. Fill it out with a good pen (roller ball or gel ink pen), then mail it to us, or scan and email it to us. The form must be scanned at 300 dpi, 100% size, in Black & White only (that's 1-bit color), as a TIFF, PICT, JPG or GIF image type. PDF files and Word .doc files are not usable. Also, any color in the image means that it is not scanned as Black & White only. The file should be about 1MB in size. If it's larger than 2MB, it is not scanned correctly.
NOTE: Not all scanners can scan as Black & White only. If you cannot scan at the correct settings, you will need to mail us the form.
Be sure to write how you normally write. If you try to write cursive, when normally you print, you will probably not be happy with the cursive. If you normally write in all caps, write in all caps. You should be happy with how you have filled out the form before you send it to us. Also, double check that you filled out all punctuation marks - these are commonly missed. Finally, write your capitals the size of capitals - sometimes people write these too small, and we cannot make them larger.
Can I submit alternate writing samples?
Our sample form for the vLetter Pro is specially designed to capture all 4 variations on the lowercase letters. This requires a lot of "nonsense words" that are not present in everyday writing. Further, any writings that you could submit would need to be written with the same type of pen, at the same size, and with the same consistency in style. The extra work involved for us to make a Pro font from alternate writing samples would require us to charge significantly more than the retail price of a Pro.
It's best that you fill out the Pro form to send us your writing. If you are trying to create a font for someone who can no longer write, the easiest way would be to submit basic printed characters for the vLetter Print. The Print requires a simple alphabet of upper- and lowercase letters, punctuation and numbers, and is much easier to create than the Pro.
What if I don't want my handwriting as a font?
You can purchase any one of the ReadyMade Styles to use instead of your own handwriting. These all contain the same letter variations that are included with the vLetter Pro, so that you can produce handwritten letters, notes and mailings.
Can I do mail merges with vLetter?
Yes. Our software works with Microsoft Word for Windows or Mac OSX, so that you can do mail merges through Word. You can download our free mail merge guide for Word XP, mail merge guide for Word 2007 or Word 2004 for Mac.
Can I use the signature in Acrobat forms?
You can if you have permission to edit the PDF document in order to add your signature. You can learn how to create a stamp of your signature.
Do I have to purchase online?
Although it is secure and faster to purchase online, you can also order over the phone with a credit card or check card, or you can mail us a check or money order. Please contact us first to be sure of the total before sending us payment.
NOTE: We take credit card security very seriously. Because you are not making a purchase in person, we need the correct billing address for your credit card or check card to verify that the purchase is legitimate. If you do not provide us with the billing address as it appears on your statement, your transaction may be delayed until verified, or even cancelled if it cannot be verified. Please provide valid phone and email information in case we need to contact you.
What if I don't like the font?
If you don't like the stock handwriting font you have purchased, you can exchange it for another font, or request a refund within 30 days of purchase. If you do not like your custom handwriting font, you can submit a new writing sample or request a refund within 30 days of your completed font being shipped. See our Returns policy.
Do I get more than one custom font?
No. There is only one custom font included with the price of a Pro, Print of Sig font. Each new custom handwriting font must be purchased separately. This is because each handwriting font has to be created from scratch, and requires the same time and effort to create each individual font by our expert designers.
NOTE: We do offer volume discounts for orders of more than 10 of the same product at one time. Please contact us for a quote.
Can I get print and cursive in one font?
If you normally write in a combination of cursive and print together, then your font would be a combination of some cursive characters and some printed characters. But you cannot use either cursive or print in the same font. It would always be a combination of both.
If you want to have both a full cursive style and a full printed style, then you need to purchase 2 separate fonts. You can buy 2 vLetter Pros, and have one cursive and one printed (with 4 variations on the lowercase letters, so it's more natural), or you can buy 1 Pro for the cursive style and 1 Print for a simple printed style (no variations on the lowercase letters).