Help! I don't have a logo or artwork!

That's fine--we can imprint a simple, basic text message on your item at no additional cost (many people just need their name, address, phone number, etc. imprinted in simple text, and this is easy to do). If you'd like something fancier and don't have your own artwork, we can accommodate that too; contact us for quotes on the cost of creating new artwork. Artwork costs are typically on a per-hour basis.

Help! I have a logo from our website/letterhead/business card; can I use this as my artwork?

Possibly. For us to be able to produce a quality product, we need a high-quality image to work with, and just grabbing any image with your logo on it may not cut it. Typically a logo taken off of a website, or scanned from letterhead, is not sharp enough or large enough to look good when imprinted on an object, particularly if we have to scale it larger or smaller so that it fits the item you want us to put it on.

If this is the case, we will have to re-create the artwork in a vector format, which may incur an artwork cost if your logo or image is particularly complex. If you're unsure, send us your artwork and we will take a look and see if we can re-create it for free, or if it will incur artwork costs. We will waive these costs when we can, but sometimes we can not.

What are the technical requirements for artwork?

Digital Artwork Requirements:

• Created in Adobe Illustrator
• Saved as a .EPS file (a "vector" format)
• We may be able to use .EPS files created in other programs; if in doubt, send it to us and we will let you know if we can use the file.

Digital artwork may be emailed to info@identity-links.com . Please include your name, company, and order number in the body of your email so we know who the artwork belongs to.

Physical "Camera Ready" Artwork Requirements:

• Laser-printed in black on white paper
• 1200 or higher DPI
• Size is 200% of the final intended size (twice as big--this gives us wiggle room so we can resize on our end as needed without loss of sharpness)

Physical artwork may be mailed to the below address:

Other considerations:

If you are having your logo or text embroidered (as opposed to silkscreened or laser engraved, etc.) please use sans-serif fonts. Ariel is an example of a sans-serif font.

If you have text in addition to a logo or graphic in your artwork, please convert the text to outlines, OR provide us with the proper font installation files.

We can occasionally use .JPG or .TIFF artwork files for Single Color imprints, so long as the resolution is 600 DPI or higher. For reference, images found on the web and on websites are typically only 72 DPI, and as such are unsuitable. For other types of imprints we will still need a vector file as outlined above under Digital Artwork Requirements.

We can do PMS Color Matching for many products for an additional fee; if you need to see if this is available for your item or need a quote, contact us and speak to one of our Sales Representatives.

Formats that are NOT acceptable:

• .EPS files created in Adobe Photoshop
• Web formats such as .JPG, .GIF, or .PNG
• PC formats such as .BMP or .TIFF
• Non-image files such as Word documents (.DOC or .DOCX), Power Point Presentations (.PPT), Excel Spreadsheets (.XLS), PDFs, etc.

Note: There are some programs out there that will let you "convert" a non-vector file to a vector file. The guidelines above are in place not because we can't open the files, but because non-vector file formats do not provide the resolution and sharpness we need to be able to provide you with a quality product, so "converting" or "re-saving" a non-vector file to .EPS will not really help--the image will still be low or poor quality.

Time Frame

Many different factors play into how long it takes to have artwork ready for production. One thing to keep in mind--we always require that YOU approve the artwork and any changes that are made to it. We will not start production on your items until you have confirmed that the artwork we are using is satisfactory to you. A second thing to keep in mind is that artwork revisions will take time as well. Each time we revise, we'll send you a new proof, and wait for your approval for that particular proof.

Another factor that will affect artwork turnaround times is the specific item you are imprinting. Not all items can be rushed. If you need your artwork made and the product put into production quickly, we will work with you to find an item that has a quicker turnaround (not all of our items are listed on our website). This may or may not incur rush charges, depending on the item.

Confused?

No need to be. If you have artwork with your logo on it, but have no idea if it's "vector" or ".EPS" or if we can use it, send it to us and we will let you know if there will be any charges for us to convert it to vector.

Also, if you're trying to figure out where you can get a vector version of your logo, and you know who made your logo graphic originally, you can often contact them to see if they have the original vector files. Most professional artists create logos in vector format, so even if you only have a .JPG or .BMP copy, they may have a high-resolution .EPS file they can send to you.