Purchasing Promotional Products-A Guide to Savings

How to buy and when to order.

For many schools and companies the purchase of promotional items is like clockwork. That is given there is a budget set aside for this product line. First we should consider why the purchase is being made. In a school it could be something as simple as teacher appreciation day and for a business it might be basic advertising. Whatever the case the process will be the same.

The first things you should know before you call a company is to determine what the budget is and know when you will need to have the final product. Obviously the more time you have the better but there are times when the time frame is shorter than you anticipated. Not to worry because  there are plenty of products to choose from.

You will also need to have some camera ready artwork. Below you will see the formats most companies will accept.

Embroidery

For already digitized files, we require Tajima DST files. If digitizing services are required, please send in art in the acceptable file formats listed below for the other methods.

Photoreal/Epoxy DomesPromotional Items

Please submit artwork in Adobe Illustrator vector format. Convert all text to outlines. If a placed/imported Adobe Photoshop type image is necessary, that original file should be included. The Photoshop file (TIF or JPG) should be at least 300 dpi resolution or higher and the art to size.

For Vector Artwork

Adobe Illustrator EPS, AI, or PDF files.

We also accept Corel Draw CDR.

Please be sure convert all fonts to outlines or paths.

Note: Microsoft Office programs (Microsoft Word, Microsoft Power Point, Excel, etc.) are not graphics programs and will not be recognized through art acceptance process.

If you have never had to make a purchase before and do not know what artwork you have you can always contact the company you are working with to get your questions answered. A good way to tell if you have the correct file type is to zoom in on the picture. If the art does not get all pixelated then you are good to go It should also be noted that there are hundreds of thousands of products to choose from. A little advice is to have a good idea of what you want before you start looking at catalogs. This can really help keep you from becoming overwhelmed.

Save Some Money

OK, you want to know how you can save some money? Here is the secrete that they do not want you to know. The margin of profit is really high and there really is a lot of competition. If you do not know this then you have no way to bargain. Now we can look at the charges that are associated with the purchase. You may see some or all of these charges on your quote.

The Set Up Fee

The set up fee is what they charge so the equipment can be calibrated to your specs. If you are getting a screen print done then the cost covers the prep work associated with your product. You will also see this charge for the following:

Laser Engraving

Digital Printing

Embroidery

Additional Colors

Re-orders

Here is a little more info on the charges…

Under/Overs
During the imprinting process, products may be discarded that do not meet our factories' high standards. Some factories run extras to be sure to have enough properly imprinted pieces to fill the order. We invoice for the exact quantity shipped. Usually the range is between 5% under and 5% over, but for certain products it can be 10% or higher. Empire will adjust your invoice or credit your account or charge card after your order ships for the exact quantity shipped to you. Please be sure to order a large enough quantity so that if there is an under shipment, you will have enough products for your program.

Packaging Requirements
Gift boxes, mailers, gift wrapping and other special packaging options are available.

 PMS Matches (Color Match)
PMS match charges apply each time the order is produced. PMS matching charges generally range from $35.00 to $75.00. Since we are printing on many different types of surfaces (canvas, plastic, rubber, etc.) and on many different surface colors (black, yellow, orange, etc.) exact PMS matches are not guaranteed.

Art Charges
If your artwork requires revision to make it suitable for reproduction, artwork charges are billed at $45.00 per hour. If that is necessary, we will let you know before proceeding.

Imprint Charges
Imprint methods other than the standard process listed for that item may usually incur additional charges.

Copy Changes
Imprint changes within a production run are available.

Ink Changes
Imprint color changes within a production run are available.

Drop Shipments
Empire can ship your order to more than one location. Please call for additional charges.

Split Shipments
If you wish to schedule shipment of your order over a specified time period.

Rush Service
For orders that need to be shipped in shorter than the listed production time.

Shipping Costs
This will vary from company to company.

You should try to get any additional charges waived if you can. Some of them really may not be needed. Another charge to look at is the item cost. You will see on most items that there are 3 price lines based on the quantity of the product. It never hurts to ask if you can get next line pricing.
Also remember that every product you order in addition to the first will have the same steps needed.