Printing and Industry Terms

Pantone Matching System (PMS):

A book of standardized color usually in a fan format 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 Color Chart as a guide if you do not have access to a PMS Chart.

Color Match:

Sometimes the factory will have to charge a small fee to custom blend a special color that you have requested. If you select from their normal colors, you will be able to avoid this 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

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, then cuts the paper down to the correct document size.

Personalization:

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

Typeface:

General term used to describe the styles of lettering available in typesetting.

Set-up Charge / Screen Fee / Plate Charge:

A fee charged by the manufacturer for labor and materials needed in order to transfer your logo to the printing method. A silk-screen requires a screen fee for every color, this is needed to manufacturer the screens that will be needed for printing your logo. A deboss or hot stamp requires that we make you a metal plate for which the machine makes your imprint witch is otherwise known as a plate or a die. Digitizing for embroidery is the most expensive process; we need to make you a digitized tape so the stitching machine can recreate your logo on fabric. Many of these setups are outsourced to companies who specialize in correctly making these items, and the fees are the costs for this service. Often times we will keep your plate, screen, or mold on hand for a few years for reorders, this way you will not have to pay another setup charge again.

Embroidery:

Design stitched onto fabric through the use of high-speed, computer-controlled sewing machines.

Swatch Proof:

Sample of the material fabric, embroidered with the desired artwork in the colors specified for the imprint.

Exact Rerun:

Usually there is no setup charge on exact reruns of an order. This may vary depending on the item and manufacturer.

Paper Proof:

Impression of type or artwork on paper so the correctness and quality of the material to be printed can be checked. All of our non rush orders will receive a paper proof to make sure your order will be completed as you desire. For rush orders proofs are waived.

Pre-production Proof:

An actual physical sample of the product itself produced and sent for approval before an order goes into production. This process has high costs due to the labor involved, and having to slow production at the factory to make one sample.

Production Time:

The amount of time needed to produce and ship an order, once an order has been received and approved. Stock products with a one-color imprint usually ship within 10 working days. Custom products and those with multi-color imprints may require longer production time.

Overruns/Under runs:

The number of pieces that were printed in excess of the quantity specified/ the production run of fewer pieces than the amount specified. The industry standard on most products is +/-5%, with the exception being on paper and plastic bags. They can range from +/-10-25%. Supplier’s bill on the actual quantity shipped. Most suppliers will print more than ordered in case there is a problem with a few items.

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 you would like to purchase.

Drop Shipment:

Where we ship direct from the factory to your location. An order shipped to more than one location will be charged a fee for each additional destination. This option is not always available on all products.