2018 - Contract Screen Print Policies and Guidelines
OFFICE HOURS
10am – 6pm [Monday - Friday]
CONTACTS:
(412) 251-0880 (main phone) - production coordinator or accounting
(412) 251-0891 (fax)
SALES: JAKE HUFFMYER – jhuff@3estudios.com
SERVICE: JOE WAGNER – jwagner@3estudios.com
PRODUCTION: PAUL LUCCI – p.lucci@3estudios.com
BILLING: ELIZABETH VOIT – accounting@3estudios.com
MAILING ADDRESS:
3E STUDIOS, LLC
1310 WESTERN AVE
PITTSBURGH, PA 15233
Holidays - These days are not counted as production days toward turnaround times
January 1, 2018 - New Year’s Day (Observed)
March 16, St. Patrick’s Day
May 28, 2018 - Memorial Day
July 4, 2018 - Independence Day
September 3, 2018 - Labor Day
November 23, 2017 - Thanksgiving Day
November 24, 2017 - The day after Thanksgiving
December 24, 2017 – Christmas Eve
December 25, 2017 – Christmas Day
General Questions
If you have any questions regarding our Print Policies & Guidelines, please call or contact us before placing your order. Our goal is to set clear expectations to ensure a strong working relationship.
* 24HR ORDER CONFIRMATONS - ALL ORDERS AND APPROVALS RECEIVED AFTER 3PM WILL BE ENTERED THE FOLLOWING BUSINESS DAY *
TURNAROUND TIME
Every effort will be made to process your order accurately the first time and within our standard turnaround time. Please notify us of the In-Hands date when placing your order. Shipping transit time must be taken into consideration. Our production coordinator is accessible directly at 412-251-0880.
Our standard turnaround (production) time is (3-5) business days from the time we receive a complete purchase order, product, and, have final customer approved art files.
The term “standard turnaround” refers to orders which follow our standard print sizes, placement and garments packaged in bulk that also do not require additional finishing services. Additional services and specialty printing methods will add to the standard turnaround time.
Rush Production – After receipt of a complete purchase order, product, and final art files
Rush Fees may apply to orders needing a quicker turnaround time than our standard. We understand how time can escape you against your best efforts. When there is available capacity we will turn orders faster than our standard at no extra charge. Please consult with Production Coordinator.
3E Studios will not be held responsible for missing deadlines due to weather conditions, power supply interruptions, vendor shortages and/or errors, shipping errors, or acts of Nature. If we expect or foresee any problems, we will notify you immediately and work with you to rectify them.
Rush Order Production Fees: Percentage added to final invoice cost.
· 1-day sooner than standard production [Guaranteed] (+10%)
· 2-days sooner than standard production [Guaranteed] (+20%)
· 3-days sooner than standard production [Guaranteed] (+30%)
· 4-days sooner than standard production [Guaranteed] (+50%)
· Same day turn [Guaranteed] (+100%)
* Rushes are available BUT are contingent upon scheduled press capacity. All rush orders must be approved by 3E Studios
PACKAGING, SHIPPING & RECEIVING
Shipping
We ship according to each contract customer’s requirements. Please complete the Contract Customer Shipping Requests Form, included in your New Contract Customer Packet, or submit your own form to accounting@3estudios.com. We keep these details on file for quick outbound release.
To view normal transit times, see the UPS or FedEx shipping transit time maps included with your Welcome Email. A tracking number will be available once your order has left our facility. Shipping time is not included in our turnaround (production) times. Shipping expenses are the sole responsibility of the customer and all shipments will be billed to your FEDEX OR UPS account (third party). If you do not have a shipper account 3E will add the shipping expense to your final invoice.
3E Studios will not be responsible for shipping transit complications such as carrier errors, weather, strikes, or otherwise. We will not be responsible for shipping to an incorrect address if it is listed incorrectly on the Purchase Order. Order confirmations are sent out within 24 hours.
Split Shipping
We are happy to split ship your order. Please send an itemized PO detailing what quantities should be shipped to which address when placing your order. Split shipping changes, after the order is submitted, may result in additional charges or outbound delays. Spit-ship handling fee: $2.50 per box
Packaging
All orders are shipped out blind in distributor cartons by default. 3E offers clean box repackaging for a fee. Please call production for pricing (412) 251-0880. All orders will be bulk packaged, generally folded by the dozen, unless stated otherwise or a finishing service (retail ready) was purchased.
Delivery Charges
· Local Deliveries - $5.00 per box + $1.50 per mile up to 40 miles (one way)
· Guaranteed UPS same day drop - $15.00 (per drop)
· Guaranteed FEDEX same day drop - $25.00 (per drop)
payment terms
All orders with must be paid with cash, check, or money order; credit cards and PayPal are not accepted for contract print orders.
CHECK PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
Please make checks payable to 3E Studios, LLC.
Mail your payments to:
3E Studios
Attn: Accounting Department
1310 Western Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15233
Returned Checks
There is a $38 charge for returned checks. The subsequent payment must be made with cash or a cashier’s check.
Cancellation
Orders that are cancelled prior to printing will be subject to a Cancellation Fee based on the total order value. Cancellations will not be accepted once shirts have been printed. Cancellation fees are as follows:
· Within 2 days of placing your order: 15% Cancellation Fee
· Within 3 days before the est. ship date: 75% Cancellation Fee
· On est. ship date but before printing: 90% Cancellation Fee
credit terms
NET Terms
For the convenience of our contract customers, 3E Studios offers initial credit limit of one thousand dollars with Net 10 Terms. Net Terms begin the day your order is completed. A notice that your order is complete will be emailed to you automatically upon completion. Credit increases and Net Terms extensions are considered based on payment history and order consistency. If increased credit terms or extended net terms are desired, please indicate your preferences on your credit application. A Credit Application is included in your New Contract Customer Packet for your convenience.
Please complete the provided forms and return completed forms to: accounting@3estudios.com
Your application will be reviewed and you will be notified of our decision within 15 business days
Under/Over Run Allowance
Custom printing is an art form, especially when it comes to simulated process and special print techniques. We do our very best to deliver, at minimum, the ordered quantity for each and every size on your order. However, printing mistakes happen, screens break on press, shirts arrive with holes or stains from the manufacturer. For that reason, we have an under/over-run allowance. This is simply an acceptable margin of error.
We ask for a 3% spoilage allowance. Under/Over Run Allowance is calculated by number of impressions in the order. If you need to “net” a specific number of garments, please provide extra garments to account for process errors. We do not charge for ruins, and ship them back with your completed order, marked separately.
Invoiced Quantity
IMPORTANT: Your final invoice will reflect the total quantity shipped. This total quantity will be within the Under/Over Run Allowance for your order. This means that if you order 100 imprints, your quote will show 100 pieces, but your final Invoice after production could show an invoiced quantity between 97 and 103 pieces. This is the Under/Over Run Allowance for that order. The price per piece will not change from the Quote to the Invoice. The invoice will be simply the NET impressions.
artwork specs & ownership
Artwork Creation & Ownership
All artwork created by 3E Studios is the sole property of 3E Studios.
Any artwork, not created by 3E Studios, submitted to us for printing, is owned by you or its rightful owner. We will not reproduce your artwork, trademarked or not, without you or the rightful owner’s consent.
Right of Refusal
3E Studios reserves the right to turn away or cancel the production of any order deemed to have copyright issues or potential copyright issues associates with branding, artwork, graphics, product “copycatting”, etc.
Requirements - High quality prints begin is high quality artwork. PLEASE READ.
· All jobs require vector (spot printing) – OR – raster artwork (process printing)
· Vector artwork is preferred in all cases.
· If raster artwork is the only artwork available, 300dpi minimum at print size will still print professionally.
o See standard print sizes for sizing details
File formats / software versions
PREFERRED FORMAT (VECTOR)
· Adobe Illustrator PDF (CS2, CS3, CS4, and CC) .pdf (most compatible)
· Adobe Illustrator (CS2, CS3, CS4, CS5, and CC) .ai
· Adobe Illustrator EPS (CS2, CS3, CS4, and CC) .eps
OTHER ACCEPTED FORMAT (RASTER)
· Adobe Photoshop (CS3, CS4, CS5 and CC) .psd – 300 dpi (minimum) @ print size & all layers.
· 300dpi @ size .png or other uncompressed file types
Here are a few helpful tips to avoid delays
GENERAL SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FOR ALL ARTWORK & ORDERS:
· Specify print dimensions. If you choose not to specify print dimensions, 3E Studios will print your order according to our print standards and the discretion of our designers.
· Maximum amount of colors printed is 8 for light and 7 for dark (per print location)
· If you have a specific Pantone (PMS) color requirement, artwork must include specific Pantone numbers. The designer should work with pantone colors as a best practice.
· All shapes should be merged down to a composite piece of artwork.
· Created outlines for all fonts is (required)
· Line weights, Rules, etc. should be no less than 1 point for positive image details.
· Line weights, Rules, etc. should be no less than 3 points for negative image details.
· Small typefaces will be accepted on an individual submission basis, but as a guideline use no less than 12-point bold type.
· For raster files never flatten / merge the layers when submitting a Photoshop .psd files
· All elements in the image should have opacity set to 100%, unless your art includes gradient/shading. If not set to 100%, our art program will interpret lighter or gray areas as halftone dots and your art may not print properly.
· All placed/linked images must be embedded or included separately (if applicable).
Purchase Orders and Art Expectations
3E Studios make every effort to meet and exceed customer expectations. We pay close attention to every aspect of the print process, but it all begins with the customer’s Purchase Order.
When submitting a Purchase Order, please clearly outline your order’s requirements and art expectations. While mock-ups of your designs on the garments are not required it is preferred. (Please refer to the 3E Studios Purchase Order Checklist, included with your Welcome Email, for the information 3E Studios requests when processing an order.) When you receive your ORDER CONFIRMATION email, please review it thoroughly and notify us of any corrections immediately as we run a flex press schedule.
PRINTING Types, techniques & INKS
Spot Color Printing
Plastisol ink is the most common form of printing, spot color printing uses a full-tone of color to create an opaque image. When heat-cured the ink bonds with the fabric of the shirt to create a permanent impression on the garment. Each color in the image is printed separately on its own screen; up to 8 spot colors, per location, for light garments and 7 colors, per location, for dark garments. See process printing for full color prints.
· Yields Vibrant, Professional Quality Prints
· Print on any color garment
· Our special ink chemistry & post roll techniques produce a softer hand than traditional plastisol imprints
· Good Pantone Matching System (PMS)
· Price: Less Expensive to More expensive, depending on the number of colors printed
· Used For: Most standard print of logos, graphics, and text
Simulated Process Printing
When printing a full color logo with many shades and tones of colors and a more vibrant, sharp print is desired, a simulated process is used. Unlike the 4-Color CMYK process, Sim-Process prints use a combination of spot colors and half tones to create all the colors in the image.
· Yields vibrant, professional quality prints
· Print on any color garment
· Price: This is a more expensive option to print multiple colors and shades than the 4-Color CMYK process, but it is still less expensive than using individual spot colors for every shade. Typically it involves the use of 4-8 colors to create the design.
· Used for: Full color images with many tones of color when printing on a dark shirt
CMYK (4 color process) Printing
When printing a full color image or photograph that involves many colors and many gradients or shades of colors, process prints are used. The 4-Color CMYK process uses the basic colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black to create the image, much like an inkjet printer.
· Yields more muted, lighter colors (additional spot colors are recommended for text or items that need to stand out in the print)
· Print only on white garments
· Price: The lesser expensive way to create full color prints when many colors or shades of colors are involved
· Used For: Photographs or Multi-Colored images with many tones of color when printing on a white shirt
Grey Scale Printing
An inexpensive way to make a photograph or other multi-color image into apparel. A grayscale of the image is created using full and half tones of black. Then the image can be printed in that "grayscale" version on a garment in any print color you choose.
· Yields a Combination of Vibrant and Muted Color, Quality depends on size and resolution of photo
· Print on any color garment, recommended for dark prints on light color garments for best results
· Price: Inexpensive - the cheapest way to print a photograph or multi-colored image
· Used For: One color versions of photos and multi-color images
Distressed Printing
In order to achieve a cracked, worn-in, eroded look, artists utilize filters prior to printing to remove parts of the images in a way to give it that vintage look. This technique can be combined with water based inks to give a super soft hand making the worn look truly realistic.
· Yields professional quality, eroded prints
· Print on any color garment, recommended for dark prints on light color garments for best results
· Price: There is no additional fee for making a print look eroded
· Used For: Vintage-looking prints
Waterbase Printing
Water based ink is a special type of decorative ink that literally soaks into the fabric instead of sitting on top of it, as our bold ink does (plastisol). SuperSoft ink can be used on light or dark colored shirts and allows for a bright print that has a “pop” factor. Since the fabric isn’t compromised by the ink, garments are left with a super soft touch and feel. You literally won’t even feel the print on the shirt, which is one of the many benefits of our SuperSoft inks.
· Yields Vintage (muted), Professional Quality Prints
· Print on any color garment with proper ink series
· Our special ink chemistry produces a super soft hand for maximum comfort
· Poor Pantone Matching System (PMS)
· Price: (premium inks) Less Expensive to More expensive, depending on the number of colors printed
· Used For: Retail-ready clothing, tri-blends, performance clothing
Discharge Printing
Discharge printing is a form of waterbase printing using a “bleaching” agent. This is used only for 100% cotton garments since the active agent is “bleaching” the cotton shirt back and cannot effect sunthetic materials such as polyester, spandex, etc. Natural discharge is a common technique on its own however discharge printing can also use pigments and other additional additives to “fix” color into the garment fibers permanently once the bleaching has finsihed. This is the least eco friendly option since there is a lot of waste and chemicals involved.
· Yields Vintage (muted), Professional Quality Prints
· Print on any color garment
· 100% cotton (only)
· No hand after first wash
· Poor Pantone Matching System (PMS)
· Price: More expensive
· Used For: Retail-ready clothing, 100% ringspun cotton preferred
Standard (off the shelve) Screen Printing Inks
Below is a representation of our stock plastisol screen printing ink colors. Please keep in mind that both cameras and computer screens all represent colors slightly differently. The swatches below are photographs of the actual screen printing inks that we print with, printed on white. Please refer to them as a "close to" color for what you would like printed for your specific order.
Pantone® Screen Printing Inks
The PMS Pantone Matching System® was designed for coated and uncoated papers not fabrics. While it is used universally for multiple substrates, it is nearly impossible to match an identical PMS® color on fabric. However, we can get as close as possible to within a reasonable range of shades. This is typically used for corporate branding or other color specific matching. This is only available for plastisol inks and is repeatable for reorders. This is not the case for water base inks. 5% it added to the print labor.
Ink Color Change Minimums
Orders are allowed changes of up to 2 ink colors on 1 location at 1 time. After this, all additional ink color changes will become a new order.
Image Placement
We will do everything we can to ensure images are printed in a consistent location on all garments within a run. However, small variations should be expected. For example, if a request is made for an image to be printed 2” below the bottom of a collar, a 3/4” standard deviation in either direction will be considered acceptable. If a request is made for images to be printed near the tag area on the back of the shirt and directly over the tag, it could have small ink coverage inconsistencies and will be considered acceptable.
Seam, Collar, and Zipper Printing
We do our very best to produce the best looking prints anytime we pull a squeegee. However, printing on or over any seams, collars, pockets, zippers or otherwise is subject to distortion, print imperfections, and/or other small inconsistencies. These are all considered acceptable goods and will not be considered misprints.
Specialty Print Locations
· Long Sleeves
· Hoods
· Over the Zipper
· Over seams
· Racer backs
· Pockets
· Re-tagging
· Pants & Shorts
Image Sizes
All shirt sizes in an order will be printed with the same image size unless otherwise requested. Different image sizes being printed on different shirt sizes will be treated as a new order and priced as such. An image size printed within 1 inch of any seam is subject to distortion, print imperfections, and/or other small inconsistencies. These are all considered acceptable goods. We will not assume responsibility for print imperfections due to printing too closely to seams. Please talk with you’re the production coordinator about sizing standards or curveball garment types.
ADULT SIZING STANDARDS
Full Front (Circular and Square Designs)
· 10.5” wide for standard t-shirts.
· For Hoodies, Youth and ladies’ shirts and all other specialty garments, measure the garment for appropriate print size
· Approx. 3” (4 fingers) down from the bottom of the collar.
Full Front (Rectangular Designs)
· 11.5” for tallest or widest side (while maintaining correct proportions) for standard t-shirts.
· For Hoodies, Youth and ladies’ shirts and all other specialty garments, measure the garment for appropriate print size
· Approx. 3” – 3.5” (4 fingers) down from the bottom of the collar.
Left Chest - Benchmark Case:
· 4” wide.
· 2” off-center line.
· Approx. 3” – 3.5” (4 fingers) down from the bottom of the collar.
Back Prints - Follow the same guidelines as the “full front” standards.
· 12.5”- for widest or tallest side for standard t-shirts.
· For Hoodies, Youth and ladies’ shirts and all other specialty garments, measure the garment for appropriate print size
· Approx. 3” – 3.5” (4 fingers) down from the bottom of the collar.
YOUTH / LADIES SIZING STANDARDS
Full Front (Circular and Square Designs)
· 6.5” wide for standard t-shirts.
· For Hoodies, Youth and ladies’ shirts and all other specialty garments, measure the garment for appropriate print size
· Approx. 3” (4 fingers) down from the bottom of the collar.
Full Front (Rectangular Designs)
· 9” for tallest or widest side (while maintaining correct proportions) for standard t-shirts.
· For Hoodies, Youth and ladies’ shirts and all other specialty garments, measure the garment for appropriate print size
· Approx. 3” (4 fingers) down from the bottom of the collar.
Left Chest - Benchmark Case:
· 3.5” wide.
· 1.5” off-center line.
· Approx. 3” (4 fingers) down from the bottom of the collar.
Back Prints - Follow the same guidelines as the “full front” standards.
· 9.5”- for widest or tallest side for standard t-shirts.
· For Hoodies, Youth and ladies’ shirts and all other specialty garments, measure the garment for appropriate print size
· Approx. 3” (4 fingers) down from the bottom of the collar.
Quality Guarantee
We fully stand behind and take pride in our workmanship. If for any reason we make a mistake printing your order, and, the error falls outside the parameters of these Print Policies & Guidelines, we will gladly reprint your order immediately. We do not offer refunds.
Care Instructions
In order to ensure image longevity and vibrancy, we recommend turning your garments inside out then “machine wash cold, tumble dry low” for plastisol / waterbase prints. All goods should be washed before wearing to remove residual tack from production; however we do try our best to make every garment retail-ready.
Terms & Conditions
Print Policies & Guidelines may also be referred to as Terms & Conditions and vice versa. 3E Studios reserve the right to change its Terms & Conditions at any time without notice.
CUSTOMER APPRECIATION & PHILOSIPHY
Thank you for taking the time to read and acknowledge these Print Policies & Guidelines. It is our goal to produce high quality print work, with fast friendly customer service. If you are, at any time, unhappy with our workmanship or service, please call and speak with your customer care representative or any member of our team. We look forward to developing a strong and lasting relationship.
Sincerely,
The Team of 3E Studios
