Publications and Design

Our team of highly skilled communications professionals is here to help you strategically meet your design and printing needs, and we are available for consultation and full project development for all outward-facing Washington and Lee publications. In order to serve our university community effectively, we have adopted a series of guidelines, below, geared toward a timely and efficient production process.

Step 1: Plan in Advance

The creation and production of printed media is a deadline-driven operation. The most important thing you can do to make sure your deliverables meet your desired timeline is to get your project to us early. Our three-person team produces an enormous volume of work, and the more information we have about your job (and the earlier we have that information) the better positioned we will be to help you meet your deadline, budget and creative messaging goals.

Step 2: Determine the Scope of your Project

For smaller and medium-sized printed media such as posters, invitations and booklets you may proceed directly to our HelpScout ticketing system. This simple, easy-to-follow online form includes a short checklist of key information to include. Submit your job request at go.wlu.edu/pubs.

For larger projects, such as annual reports, brochures and multi-page books, reach out directly to Jamie Lipps, Director of Publications and Design (jlipps@wlu.edu), to discuss ideas for visual direction, strategic goals, budget and a timeline for deliverables.

Step 3: Be Mindful of Turnaround Times

Please allow two to three weeks from the time your order is submitted for completion and delivery of smaller and medium-sized projects requested via HelpScout. For larger projects that require outside vendors, timelines may be significantly longer—generally an average of eight to 10 weeks. All larger projects should be discussed with a member of the Publications team before submitting a HelpScout request to determine production schedules and delivery dates.

Rush or emergency jobs will be accepted only as our schedule permits.

Tips to Expedite the Process

Provide samples of previous or similar publications.
Include final approved text with your initial request.
Use the Associated Press Stylebook for all editorial.
Submit final approved photos, when appropriate.
During the final stages, proof content carefully.

Proofreading Checklist

We do our best to catch typos, grammatical errors and such, but the final responsibility for your piece lies with you.

Run your text through spellcheck; the app won't find everything, but it is certainly a useful tool.
Check the spelling of names, buildings and places.
Check the titles of professors, class years of students and titles of classes, programs and student organizations.
Check dates, times, URLs.
Review your captions, headlines, subheads.
Ensure that all paragraph indents are identical.

Resources

Copyright

Nondiscrimination Statement

All publications going to an outside audience should contain the following:

In compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and all other applicable non-discrimination laws, Washington and Lee university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran's status, or genetic information in its educational programs and activities, admissions, and with regard to employment. Inquiries may be directed to Lauren E. Kozak, Title IX Coordinator, Elrod university Commons 306, 540.458.4055, kozakl@wlu.edu, who is designated by the university to coordinate compliance efforts and carry out its responsibilities under Title IX, as well as those under Section 504 and other applicable non-discrimination laws.