Definitions

Screen Printing / Silk-Screening

Most popular and economical for t-shirts, sweatshirts, towels, econo fabric bags, and 5 panel caps. Different items, colors, and sizes may be combined for higher quantity discounts if using the same imprint. You may also change imprint color or inks used with a small change of ink fee, but the gain through combined quantity discounts far outweigh the nominal fee.

Process: your image is transferred to the printed surface by ink, which is pressed through a stenciled screen and treated with a light-sensitive emulsion. Film positives are put in contact with the screens and exposed to light, hardening the emulsion not covered by film and leaving a soft area on the screen for the squeegee to press ink through. Also, you must create a different screen for every color you are going to print per location, and then screen each color separately allowing drying time in-between. Original art is needed for this process - .ai or .eps files. Our design services can convert your jpeg, tiff, bmp, or faxed images for a small fee.

Embroidery

Most popular for golf shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, 6 panel caps, windshirts, leather and nylon carry bags. Different items, colors, and sizes may be combined for higher quantity discounts if using the same embroidery pattern. You may also change stitch color(s) used for a small fee, but the gain through combined quantity discounts far outweigh the nominal fee.

Process: stitching a design into fabric through the use of high-speed,computer-controlled sewing machines. Artwork must first be "digitized," which is the specialized process of converting two-dimensional artwork into stitches or thread the embroidery machines understand. The digitized file is called a .DST and can be produced using a jpeg, tiff, eps, or bmp image of your logo/text. Once the .DST is created, you will never have the digitizing or set-up fee again - unless you want changes made to your design in the future.

Deboss

Achieved by depressing an image into a material’s surface so that the image sits below the product.

Emboss

Impress an image in relief to achieve a raised surface.

Hot Stamp

Setting a design on a metal relief die or plate, which is then heated and pressed onto the printing surface to achieve a deboss.

Laser or Foil Stamp

Applying metallic or colored foil imprints to vinyl, leather or paper surfaces. Usually with a deboss.

Pantone Matching System (PMS) - Color Guide

A book of standardized color used to identify, match and communicate colors in order to produce accurate color matches in printing. Each color has a coded number indicating instructions for mixing inks to achieve that color. Please feel free to use our PMS Chart.

Personalization

Imprinting an item with a person's name using one of several methods such as mechanical engraving, laser engraving, hot stamping, debossing, sublimation, screen printing or embroidering, to name a few.

Set-up Charge

A fee charged for labor and materials needed in order to transfer your logo/text to an item.

Screen Print/Silk-Screen: Every color per location uses a different screen for printing your logo/text.

Embroidery Set-Up/Digitizing: a special file called a .DST is needed for the embroidery machines to read proper pattern and stitch color placement for your logo/text. Once the .DST is created, you will never have the digitizing or set-up fee again - unless you want changes made to the design in the future.

Plate or Die Charge: A metal plate or die needs created per color to imprint your logo/text.

**We keep your plate, screen, and embroidery set-up on file for reorders, and you will not have to pay setup charges again unless you make changes to the imprint in the future.

PMS Color Match Fee

A nominal fee may be charged to use a specific PMS Color that you have requested on certain items. Most of our manufacturers have an extensive stock offering of colors. You will not be charged a PMS Match fee until approved by you. 99% of the time, a close stock color match can be used without incurring the PMS Color Match Fee.

Camera-Ready

Artwork that is black and white and has very clean, crisp lines that make it easy to scan and suitable for photographic reproduction.

Paper Proof or Swatch Proof

You will always receive a paper proof or swatch proof or your logo/text emailed or faxed for approval before ever imprinted or embroidered on an item.

Pre-production Proof

An actual physical sample of the product itself produced and sent for approval before an order goes into production. The fees for pre-production proofs vary and must be approved by you before we proceed.

Copy Change

A fee charged for changing the imprint copy on a product either at time of the original proof approval or upon a re-order.

Quantity Pricing

These are the prices for which we discount your items based on the quantity purchased.

Halftone

An image produced by breaking the subject into small dots of varying intensities of gray ranging from white to black.

Bleeds

Printers cannot print right to the edge of a paper sheet. To create that effect, the printer must use a sheet, which is larger than the document size. Then the printer prints beyond the edge of the document size (usually 1/8”), then cuts the paper down to the correct document size.