Frequently Asked Questions

Do you provide 'Samples'?

Actual ones? Absolutely...from a pen to a bag to ...whatever! 'Virtual' samples? Yes, we'll take your 'art' (logo, mantra, etc.) and 'place' it on a 'virtual' sample so you can view it before making a decision on a product. And if you are ordering "volume" of an embroidered or silk-screened product, we can have a 'decorated' spec sample worked up & provided to you. As far as t-shirts go, we have samples of the actual shirts, but best we can do there is provide a 'cyber sample' for you to view on your computer. Shipping charges apply from the factory to you for any sample provision or it can be wrapped up in your ultimate order invoice.

What is 'art'?

Art, when used in the context of promotional products, is a 'graphics file'. In the world of 'logos', the most acceptable form is an: '.ai' or '.eps' file (created in Adobe "Illustrator"). A PDF file that WAS CREATED in Illustrator but 'saved' out to a PDF for viewing (you cannot view a '.ai' or '.eps' file unless you have Illustrator on your system) is also acceptable. For both of above, instruct your artist or provider that all text must be saved as 'Outlines'.

Secondly...'workable' files: 'cdr' (Corel Graphics) and files created in Photoshop (psd files) may be usable. May..

We can get an 'idea' or 'concept' of what you would like, say as a logo, from a jpeg or any other simple graphic program such as Publisher, Word, Paint or even PowerPoint. But from there, we must 'trace' or 'redraw' your concept in "Illustrator".

Therein lies the cost of 'art' to you. You may mitigate this 'setup charge' by obtaining your 'art' from ie: your advertising artist, the folks who print your business cards or even your web host. If so, the 'imprint area' is on the product data we share with you and they (or you) are expected to provide 'to size' vector art that we do not need to touch. They might use many of the file types named above and could share those files with us. But they may not, as we do not share 'created art' from scratch either. Your 'art' via Promo Focus is to be used on products purchased from Promo Focus only.

Now..we're not done. Size matters, right? (LOL). Well, in the promotional products world, we sometimes must either squeeze a whole lot of 'concept' onto the barrel of a pen or blow it up to cover the entire back of a t-shirt...OR perhaps to fit onto graphic panels of a trade show booth!

So....your 'art' from above? It may require some work, some editing and possibly a redesign to either be 'supersized' or shrunk to look good on a pen, magnet, etc.

It all requires work, the programs named above require a very beefed up computer to run, with tons of memory...and the people who do this work? Graphic Artists, and that's who we employ to work with you to ie: create a logo, create a 't-shirt', etc.

We charge $75/hour for 'art' work. If you see 'free art' or there are no art charges when you purchase any promotional product or custom t-shirts? Then the cost of the 'art' was built into the price of the shirt, promotional product, etc. We do not operate in this manner and believe in educating our prospects and clients in the entire process of creating something special.

Whew...almost there. Once your 'art' is done for a certain product? You won't pay an  'art charge' again, unless it needs to be resized or edited as discussed above. Which will be a minimum charge.

So...you can fax to 1-800-551-3878 if it's a 'drawing'/concept or email your 'images' to us & we'll work through it!

What are "Silk Screens"?

Silk screens, as most people think, are used for tee shirts. Imagine a sieve, like you are trying to filter 'sand' on a beach or dirt for use in your garden, to get it fine, without imperfections? Well, a 'silk screen' (we'll call it a 'screen' from here on out) is, well, silk. And it is perforated with fine holes, but not to filter out dirt but to filter IN colors..paint...ink. And these screens are created from a computer generated program, that allows the 'screen' to not only filter ink but to do it in a 'design' (ie: your logo, mantra, etc) and when 'pressed' through a screen onto a shirt, this ink will stick to the shirt..and WHAL-LA, you have a one color design on a shirt.

Ahhhh...but we're not done. One color t-shirt is nice, but how about two, three and up to eight colors? It takes....YES, up to eight screens, which each put out their own color on the same shirt. Like a red goes down first, a blue fills in some other areas, an orange does other areas of the 'art' , or logo, or text on your design. So...you have to have the computer 'separate' the colors, produce the screens and then each screen is put over the shirt, each color 'forced' through the screen, then the next color, and so on. So producing an eight color t-shirt takes eight screens, eight 'passes' with different colors on the pressing machine, etc.

NOW...you know why we can sell you a one color t-shirt for, let's say $6 for a gross while an six color shirt might cost $12-$20.

There is a charge for each screen, for each location on a shirt. Then a charge, per shirt, per location, for each 'color' on a shirt.

However, on 'screen printed' promotional products, there are also 'screen charges' (called Manufacturer Setup Charges) and much of the same (above) applies.

We will detail these charges to you 'up front' when we discuss your art, your budget, etc.

Embroidery?

Whole 'nother animal. You remember the 'art' charges in (1)? Well, while they are useful when doing an 'embroidery' setup, they are not the whole magilla. The computer software for embroidery is a whole different science than for print art or silk screening. The artist working that software is very important, as they can determine the viability of your 'concept' for embroidery...as not all fonts will look good, not all little nuances of a logo will come out clearly stitched when it goes from a print idea to an embroidered product. For instance, there are ways to make an embroidery machine turn a stitch in one direction that may look like a 'shaded' area of your text or art...yet the thread color is still the same.

So...without getting into too much detail (we'll do that some other time) it is a separate setup charge from the art for print or silk screens. It runs 'by the 1000 stitches.

However, all our embroidery is done by a local 'artist'. She is an expert manipulating your 'art' into embroiderable images & is not satisfied with 'just getting it done'. Unbelievable quality of work, great durability because of the style of embroidery & threads used and we cannot say enough about her artistic ability! From a simple company logo to the most difficult of designs, she just plain does great work!

Shipping
 
The customer pays all shipping. When we quote an ie: Promotional Product, you will see a note on the bottom of the quote stating: "Price is FOB at Manufacturer". We ship using UPS "Ground" as SOP and for most of the nation, that is 'one day delivery'. We will inform you if it will take longer and it is your option to request "One Day", "Two Day", etc.   If you have your own account with UPS, please let us know and we will be glad to use your account for direct billing. Otherwise 'shipping' will be added to your invoice.

A note: It's 'not uncommon' for some distributors to add shipping and/or 'setup' charges into your order, thereby increasing your per-unit price. We prefer to deal separately with these charges, that way you can budget your follow-up orders based on the 'real' price of a product.

Another note: re: our shipping "peanuts"? They are 100% biodegradable...you can save & use or trash 'em, as they will disintegrate in landfils! But please do not eat them! (LOL)

Why do some products have 'minimum' orders...and others not?

You will generally find 'minimum' orders in "Promotional Products" (day planners, magnets, pens, etc) because of the complexity in 'imprinting' on them. Even though you pay a 'setup' charge for each item, trust me, it does not cover the full time & expense of really settting them up.

On the other hand, when it comes to clothing? You won't find minimums...so if we, for example, outfitted your staff with embroidered 'polos' for trade shows? You could always call us, order one or two more polos for new employees OR if your employees forgot to pack their embroidered polo (LOL), and we'd ship them at the same price you paid for the rest of the company.

How do I pay Focus Promo?

Good question! We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover & American Express, "corporate" checks & of course, wires!

50% of the estimated order, except for shipping as that may change or be changed by you with respect to your needs. The balance is due when it is shipped.