Ordering Procedure and Artwork Guidelines
1st Straw Marketing & Promotions and You
Better Marketing Ideas Create Better Results
We know that you have a choice in whom you work with to help market and promote your business or organization. We appreciate the fact that you have chosen us to be your partner in this effort.
Attention to detail and time constraints are critical to most marketing efforts. In order to meet your needs, please understand that deadlines must be met in order to reasonably achieve your marketing goals. To get the job done, it is vital that we receive timely responses, necessary approvals and any other requested elements that are needed to complete your project properly and on time. Delays in communication or approvals may incur rush production surcharges, expedited shipping surcharges, or the inability to properly execute a planned marketing operation or event.
Working together, we can achieve your goals cost effectively and on time. We can make your job easier by doing our job right, but it is a team effort!
Putting Your Promotional Product into Production
1. We work together to select a promotion that will work with your theme, target audience demographics, distribution method, timeframe and budget. General artwork ideas are discussed to ensure that the item(s) selected will be able to accommodate the artwork’s specifications for size and color.
2. An Order Approval is issued to you by 1st Straw Marketing & Promotions. This will detail all aspects of the order, including: product and imprint specifications, artwork preparation fees, setup charges, estimated shipping, and any other fees that may apply. At this time, you will also receive a secure web link for credit card payment, or you can choose to pay by check. No payment information will be accepted via e-mail.
3. Once the signed Order Approval and payment are received by 1st Straw Marketing & Promotions, an Artwork Approval form will be sent to you, usually within one to three business days. This form gives you the opportunity to see a virtual mock-up of your imprinted product in order to give final approval on the artwork. It is vital that all aspects of the artwork be checked for accuracy – spelling, dates, phone numbers, imprint colors, etc... The imprint on your final product is only as accurate as the information you provide to us. And, yes, we occasionally do have typos.
4. Your order is submitted for production when signed Order and Artwork Approval pages are returned to us.
Artwork Tips and Requirements
Having the clearest detailed artwork is essential for the best results for all custom promotional product decorating, printing, and graphic arts projects. Vector art or images is the typical requirement by the factory or manufacturer that will decorate the layout of the chosen product. Using vector art is composed of lines and shapes based on math formulas allowing the design or image to be sized or edited without any loss of quality.
Vector Art is Different from Bitmapped/Raster Art
The advantage of vector art is that it may be enlarged or reduced in size and maintain top-notch quality. A logo can be as small as a dime or as large as a billboard and still look clean and crisp. Colors can easily be changed to fit the different needs of each printing process.
The file names for vector art files must end in one of these file name extensions ".eps", ".ai", ".svg". Some vector art files may be ".pdf", as long as the PDF is saved with the correct options.
Examples:"YourFileNameHere.eps" or "YourFileNameHere.ai" or "YourFileNameHere.pdf" or "YourFileNameHere.svg"
It is important to know changing the file extension characters from ".png" or ".jpg" to one of the examples above does not change the file quality. Designs and images must be properly exported from the original software/application in which the design was created.
Files ending with the extensions ".png", "bmp", and ".jpg" files are categorized as bitmapped or raster art. A raster file with a resolution of 72 BPI (Bits Per Inch), is typically used for display on a screen. These files are of inadequate quality for printing. They can be very grainy around the edges at lower resolutions (72 BPI), which detracts from the clean, professional look every brand deserves. Bitmapped files do not allow for easy edits, such as color changes or enlargement. Reducing bitmap size increases the bpi and has no effect. Increasing the size of a bitmap decreases bpi and makes jagged edges more pronounced.
Files ending with the extension ".png" are RGB (color model Red/Blue/Green) by default. Vendors typically require files that are CMYK (4 color Process Color Model - Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/Black) for printing. In the event, that the artwork is to be produced on product or paper, CMYK (4 Color Process) is often necessary. RGB color models will need to be converted to CMYK color for professional printing. Printing on a local computer or an office supply store, can print a RGB document. RGB to CMYK conversion is an easy conversion process. Care should be taken to check the closest match when converting from RGB to CMYK.
Most decorators require photography to be at 300 DPI (Dots Per Inch), or greater at the size of the intended layout. This is known as print resolution. Print resolution is measured in DPI which represents the number of dots of ink per inch that a printer deposits on a piece of paper. So, 300 DPI means that a printer will apply 300 tiny dots of ink to fill every inch of the print. 300 DPI is the standard print resolution for high-resolution, printed output. If the layout is comprised of or includes photos, 300 DPI is usually the minimum. On a few occasions, 150 DPI may be acceptable. To be certain, please ask us how to make sure the resolution is high enough for great printing results. We have tricks of the trade.
No matter the decorating process, low-resolution art can impact a project. Here are some examples of art so that you can see the difference in quality. All the examples shown below for display on your device’s screen are less than 300 DPI.
Note: Small and low-resolution files can also have a negative effect on embroidery
Fonts and Test Within Your Art
Please make sure to convert all your text to outlines (also called Boxes) before submitting your art to us. Why? Because decorator may not possess the particular font you may have used in your artwork.
Please be aware that most True Type Fonts (.ttf) are proprietary and are prohibited from comercial use, unless written consent is given by the font's creator. Open Type Fonts (.otf) with name similar to their .ttf couter parts can be freely used for commecial purposes. Once the text is converted to outlines, the text becomes objects instead of editable text. Thus eliminating comercial use concerns of .ttf fonts and decorator font ownership.
Example of original/editable text vs. outlined test
Acceptable Formats
We accept the following file types for all artwork: Adobe Illustrator™ CC 2021 or earlier, Adobe InDesign™ CC 2021 or earlier, .eps, .ai or .pdf formats. All versions of these software programs must have all text converted to outline or vector form. If not possible, all fonts must be included with art (True Type or Open Type fonts). We can accept 300 DPI artwork produced using Adobe Illustrator™ CC 2021 or earlier, eps or .ai format.
Unacceptable Formats
The following formats will not be recognized through our acceptance process: Jpgs, pngs, tiffs, gifs, faxes, photocopies, photographs, slides, transparencies, negative stats or films that need to be reversed to positive, halftone art that needs to be resized, low resolution laser printed artwork of less than 300 dpi, letterhead, business cards, actual product or any other art that needs to be touched up, color separated or made one color. Text files from word processing documents such as PowerPoint, Word Perfect, Publisher or Window Metafiles also cannot be used. Placed images are not acceptable.
Artwork Transmission
We offer FTP upload to our website for files too large for email. Please request upload information if necessary. If your email artwork is not acknowledged, please follow up by phone to assure the transmission has not been filtered as spam. We can also accept files with a shared folder on Google Drive or Drop Box. Artwork less than 4MB. in size can be e-mailed to Sales@1st-Straw.com. It is highly recommended artwork be compressed with software offering WinZip™ compatible compression as an added layer of protection against corruption during transmission.
Half-tones
ALL art supplied with half-tones should be "to-size" at 75 line screen. Due to textured surfaces, we cannot accept half-tones on Stress Relievers, Portfolios or Organizers.
Requests for Artwork on File
Artwork is kept on file for the purposes of project re-orders. Set up charges vary by factory for exact repeat orders.
Artwork Return Requests
Artwork will be returned upon written request after completion of order and payment of invoice. Written requests may be made via mail, fax or email.
Artwork Conversion
Should the project artwork need to be converted to the acceptable format, the incremental production time is about 24 hours and prices start at $25 for simple design conversions. Pricing for more complex designs will be quoted upon request.
General Information
Rush Orders
At 1st Straw Marketing, we will do everything in our power to meet your in hands date. We offer, 24, 48, & 72 hour production times on select items. Believe it or not, miracles do happen. Please note: In most cases, rush orders will result in additional charges. If you do not find an item that meets your criteria, please give us a call at 609.472.1667 and a sales rep will be more than glad to help you.
Production Samples
Due to the importance of being able to evaluate the accuracy of an order, 1st Straw Marketing offers the opportunity for a pre-production sample to be made on most products for an additional charge. Please call for pricing and availability on of pre-production samples on specific items.
When a pre-production sample is requested, the time necessary to make the sample is not typically included in the overall production time of the items. Please be careful to make sure that your sales rep is aware of your in hands dates, when items are needed for specific events.
Samples
1st Straw Marketing will send any sample to a client upon request. A valid shipping account will be required to ship the goods. All samples sent with a total value less than $5.00 will be shipped free of charge. Any sample sent to a client with a total value of more than $5.00 will require a credit card from new clients in order to process the request.
Proofs
1st Straw Marketing will send an artwork proof via email or fax on all items ordered. It is the responsibility of the client to check all proofs for correct grammar, punctuation, placement etc. Once a proof is signed and returned to 1st Straw Marketing, it is considered to be acceptable to move forward with production irrespective of its contents.
Overrun/ Underrun Policy
It is our intention to minimize the occurrence of overruns and/or underruns. However, due to the nature of manufacturing with high speed imprinting machinery coupled with damages that are removed during quality control. Overruns/Underruns are a common occurrence in this industry. Most promotional items have a 5% over/under policy. This means that if you order 1,000 pieces, you may receive 1,050 or 950. In some cases, a 10% over/under policy is standard with an order as in the case of imprinted paper or plastic bags
When an exact quantity is necessary for your event, it should be specified to your sales rep and should appear on your final estimate. In some cases, an additional charge may be incurred by requesting exact orders.
1st Straw Marketing will only bill for the exact quantity that was shipped.
Legal Disclaimer
All Prices in this website are subject to change without notice.
Any changes made to an order (by phone) after it had been received by 1st Straw Marketing, must be confirmed in writing, by email.
1st Straw Marketing assumes that when artwork has been submitted for reproduction in producing an order, this artwork was submitted in full compliance with the laws governing copyright, trademarks, etc. Purchasers, by placing these orders, agree not to hold 1st Straw Marketing responsible for any damages, costs and/or expenses arising under these laws as a consequence of our use of said work.
The logos and designs featured on items or with relation to promotional items are to show design capabilities only. These designs are not available for sale and do not imply endorsement of any products within this website. Logo bearing merchandise can only be obtained through the companies to which the logos or symbols belong.
Size Charts
The information herein is a general guideline and not to be considered a guarantee of fit for all garments. Garment sizes can and do vary between different manufacturers. If you have specific questions or requirements, please contact 1st Straw Marketing at 609-472-1667.
Shipping
1st Straw Marketing ships all goods FOB the location from which they have been customized unless otherwise noted in a quotation. Blank or non-imprinted goods ship from their distribution location or place of inventory. In most cases, 1st Straw Marketing will ship using UPS. In some cases, where it makes better financial sense to do so, trucking service will be utilized. 1st Straw Marketing will always invoice for shipping unless the client had requested a specific and acceptable alternate shipping method and account number be used prior to finalizing their order.
1st Straw Marketing will always do everything within its power to meet in hands dates and deadlines. It is our policy to make sure that a customer’s goods ship within the necessary time recommended by the shipper to meet the in hands date. Once goods are shipped, 1st Straw Marketing is not responsible for goods that arrive late due to the shipper not being on schedule.
It is understood that all rush orders will ship using an expedited shipping method unless otherwise noted. All shipping with reference to an order such as shipping for samples, proofs, preproduction samples etc., will be billed or invoiced once the entire order has shipped. Should the order not go through, a separate invoice will be sent for samples and their respective shipping costs, unless another method of payment had been arranged.
Split Shipments
A customer will often need an order to be split shipped. Example: 1,000 mugs were ordered and the customer wants 250 mugs to be shipped to 4 different locations. This type of shipping will normally carry with it a split shipping charge. This charge will be assessed on a per-product basis. It is the customer’s responsibility to notify their sales rep when prior to placing an order that split shipping will be necessary. Please note, split shipping can result in a delay for rush orders.
International Shipments
1st Straw Marketing can ship internationally. However, due to national security, customs, etc., international shipping almost always adds significant cost and time to an order. Please note that all costs associated with international shipping, such as duties, tariffs, customs, freight forwarding, etc. will be invoiced to the client unless otherwise noted. In hands dates cannot typically be upheld when dealing with international orders unless planned for and built into final expectations.
Overseas Production
1st Straw Marketing will, on large orders, produce goods overseas for our customers. This can save considerable money for customers and is only done when time and quantity warrants this type of an order. All fees associated with international shipments will be billed to customer at time of invoicing again, unless it is figured into the pricing of the items.
Payment Options
1st Straw Marketing offers many easy ways to pay for your order. The following methods of payment are acceptable: Major Credit Cards (MasterCard®, Visa®, and American Express®), 1st Straw Marketing Line of Credit (Credit Application) or Cash. An order will not be processed unless payment method is established and accepted. All Credit Card orders will be authorized for the approximate amount of the order and then charged once the order ships in full.
All prices shown on 1st Straw Marketing website are in U.S. currency.
Cancellations & Changes to your order
Once an order is placed by a customer it is considered final and binding. Of course, we will always make every effort possible to make changes or cancellations to orders if necessary. However, changes and/or cancellations will only be made if possible and on a best efforts basis.
Please Note: 1st Straw Marketing never puts an order into production without first receiving a signed estimate and artwork approval (when necessary). Once an order is live, estimate has been signed & production has begun. It is considered to be a bonafide order. Cancellations may result in a forfeit of the total job invoice.
