The Art of Setting up and Sending Artwork:

It's not as easy as it looks!

Good artwork is essential to producing quality merchandise. Our graphics department works hard to make each piece of artwork the best it can be, but it takes a little help from you. Recognizing the differences in file types will help you provide us with the best art possible.

Vector vs. Bitmap

A vector image has clean, crisp lines, and can be enlarged and reduced without affecting quality. We require vector images for most screenprinting, embroidery, laser engraving, and promotional products.

A bitmap image is created by pixels, or small dots. When enlarged it has rough edges and color variances, which is hard to separate into useable colors for screenprinting or embroidery. Images from websites are bitmap images, and although they look good on the screen, they are not the best artwork for our products. One notable exception is photographs used for sublimation.

The Accepted Artwork Formats

Vector:

The most commonly accepted vector artwork is .eps format. We use both Corel Draw and Adobe Illustrator - original files can be sent (no shading - all text converted to curves - spot colors). Other accepted formats are .pdf and .wmf.

Please note - saving or exporting a poor piece of artwork as an .eps file will not make it better artwork. Artwork charges may apply.

Bitmap:

If the only artwork you have is a bitmap image (.bmp, .jpg, .gif, .tif), we will do our best to work with it. Artwork charges may apply.

Scannable Art:

We will accept hand drawn art or logos from printed material that can be scanned. Black and white is best, but colored logos can be used, as long as there is little or no shading. Artwork charges may apply.

Fax:

Please do not fax us artwork - the quality is not good. If you can't email the artwork, send it by mail. Artwork charges may apply.

The Exceptions

Photographs

Sublimation is a process that allows the use of bitmap images. Photographs are a good example of a piece of art that can produced on t-shirts, plaques and other items.

Four Color Process

Some items are available with four color print process, which enables logos with an unlimited number of colors. Please contact our graphics department if you are interested in this process.

SENDING ART ELECTRONICALLY

Please either email us after you send in your order, from the shopping cart pages (area you go after you select "Add to Cart") or click here to email us the design (Prefer: EPS, PDF or .WMF in a Stuffit or ZIP format) you wish to be imprinted. If the only artwork you have is a bitmap image (.bmp, .jpg, .gif or .tif), we will do our best to work with it. Please note artwork charges may apply.

Please indicate the file(s) name in the shopping cart area where it says "Imprint Design" so we can associate the imprint design with your order.

If a file becomes to big to email, when in a zip/stuffit format, please contact us at 1-800-441-5844 or by email at info@adkawards.com so we can arrange another way to receive your art. We can also provide you with FTP information to upload the art into our server using any FTP software you have.

Questions... we are always here to help you! Please call or email us.

SHIPPING & HANDLING, SCREEN CHARGES...

Screen Charges & Four Color Process Charges

Screen charges are for imprinting your design. You will need to select the "add to cart" in the row where the screen charge appears so it becomes a part of your order. Otherwise we will automatically add it to your total.

Shipping & Handling

Since the weight varies to the item(s) you order, it's best to have this be additional so you only have to pay what it costs. You will be notified of the shipping charges.