Terms and conditions for a print and signage company

Print cannot be corrected after the run: the error is in every copy, and the customer approved the proof. Signage adds installation, permissions and a building that was not as described. The terms have to make proof approval final, define colour and quantity tolerances, keep delivery dates as estimates, put permissions on the customer, and get paid for goods that cannot be sold to anyone else. I draft those terms for a fixed fee of £995, delivered in five working days.

Who this is for

Commercial printers, sign makers, large format and display print businesses and vehicle graphics installers in England and Wales serving business customers and some consumers, with artwork supplied by the customer or produced in-house.

What matters in print and signage terms

Proofs, approvals and errors

The terms should say that the customer is responsible for checking and approving proofs, that approval is final and that errors in approved artwork (spelling, numbers, layout) are the customer's cost, and that the printer's responsibility is to print the approved artwork faithfully. Where the printer produces artwork, the same rule applies once the customer has approved it. A proof approval record is the most valuable document in a print shop.

Colour, materials and tolerances

Colour on screen differs from colour in print and between print runs, and the terms should say that reasonable variation from proofs, samples and previous runs is not a defect, that materials may vary within stated tolerances, and that a stated over-run or under-run on quantity is acceptable with the invoice adjusted. Against consumers the Consumer Rights Act 2015 requires goods to be as described, so the description should state the tolerances.

Delivery, installation and permissions

Delivery dates are estimates, and the terms should say that delays by suppliers, couriers or the customer's late approvals move them. For installed signage the terms should make the customer responsible for the site survey information, for permissions such as advertisement consent under the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007 and landlord's approval, for access and for the condition of the fabric the sign is fixed to, and should say that making good after installation is excluded unless agreed.

Cancellation, bespoke goods and payment

Printed goods are made to the customer's specification, and the terms should say that orders cannot be cancelled once proofs are approved and production has started, that work done is charged on cancellation, and that a consumer's fourteen-day cancellation right does not apply to goods made to their specification, which regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 excludes. Payment is in advance for new customers and consumers, and on account for trade customers with interest and fixed compensation on late payment under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

Files, content, liability and retention

The customer warrants that it owns or is licensed to use the artwork, logos and images it supplies, since printing infringing material is itself an infringement under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, and the terms should say that the printer may refuse content that is unlawful or infringes others' rights. Files are retained for a stated period and then deleted. Liability should be capped at the price of the job, with consequential loss excluded, and the remedy for a defective job should be reprint or refund, tested for reasonableness under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and not applied against a consumer's statutory rights. Title in goods passes on payment, which the terms should say, while noting that retention of title has limited use for printed items.

What it costs

Customer or supplier terms and conditions, £995. One set of terms, customer-facing or supplier-facing, drafted for your business. Five working days.

Review of your existing terms, £495. You already have terms and want them checked and brought up to date. Returned marked up with my amendments and an explanation of the changes. Three working days.

Email me at geoffrey@caesar.co.uk with what you need and any documents, and I will confirm the scope and the fee in writing, usually the same working day.

What you get

• A full set of bespoke terms drafted for your business, reflecting the legal requirements that apply to your business and sector
• A note in plain English explaining the terms I have drafted for you
• Liability, payment, termination and IP provisions that protect your position and are drafted to withstand scrutiny from the other side
• Guidance on how to incorporate the terms properly
• Your questions and comments answered by email or phone
• One round of amendments to finalise the terms ready for use

What is not included

• Negotiating your terms with individual customers (I am happy to quote for this as an additional service if required)
• Sector-specific regulatory compliance beyond the contract terms themselves
• Website privacy notice and cookie compliance, which I quote separately
• Terms governed by the law of another country
• Tax advice

Questions I am often asked

Five thousand flyers went out with a wrong phone number the customer approved. Who pays?

The customer, if the terms make proof approval final and errors in approved artwork the customer's cost. Offer a reprint at cost as a commercial gesture if you want the customer back, but the terms should not require it.

The council says the shop sign needed advertising consent. Are we liable?

If the terms make permissions the customer's responsibility, no. The customer should have obtained consent before ordering, and the terms should say that the printer does not advise on it.

The customer cancelled after we had printed. Can we charge?

If the terms say orders cannot be cancelled once production has started and that work done is charged, the full price is payable. Printed goods have no other buyer.

Related guidance and services

• Terms and conditions drafting, £995, the service this page describes
• Contract review, £495
• Terms and conditions for a promotional merchandise supplier
• Terms and conditions for an exhibition stand builder

This page is general guidance for businesses in England and Wales, not advice on your own circumstances. Last reviewed: September 2026. Email geoffrey@caesar.co.uk.