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What kinds of products do you print and embroider?
We can print just about anything you will ever want or need. T-Shirts, Jerseys, Greek Shirts, Pledge Jerseys, Corporate Apparel, Workplace Uniforms, Athletic Uniforms, Towels, Bags, Totes, Blankets. If you can think of it, we can probably print on it! Browse through our Products to see some of the possibilities.
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How much do promotional products cost?
This depends on the type of product, the color, the number of colors in your design, and the total quantity of products you will be ordering. Some products are as cheap as a few pennies each and can range upwards greatly from there. Our staff will be happy to help you find products that fits your purpose and budget.
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What is the minimum number of products I can order?
This varies with the product. Some are offered as low as twelve and occasionally there are products that can be done in even smaller quantities.
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What kind of products do you use?
We carefully screen all of our products and use only the best available. We have tested and used all of the products we sell for our own company. While there may be occasions when your demand requires an unusual product, we will not feature any products that we have not previously quality tested.
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Who creates the Art Design?
You can bring in your own art, choose a design out of our portfolio (above), or you can leave it up to our professional artists to create a design for your use. If you choose to have one of our artists develop a design for you, you will be asked to describe in as much detail as possible what you would like, and our art department will turn your ideas into a great looking design; of course you will review and approve art before we embellish your products. Check out the Art Requirements for more information.
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When do I pay?
We require payment at the time of order.
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How do I get started?
Our Steps For Ordering can lead you through every step of the process or you can simply request a quote online, give us a call, or drop by one of our offices.
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What are "outlines" and why is it important for me to create them?
Background: Fonts are normally very important to maintaining the quality of a design. There are also thousands of fonts available already with many more being created every day. Answer: One computer can not read a font from a file correctly if the computer does not have that font installed. While Aztec has many thousands of fonts in our library it is still a real possibility that we may not have the font that is specified in your design. By creating outlines in adobe illustrator (most commonly used art program) your font is no longer a font, it is an image, and while it now cannot be modified without recreating it you ensure that the person you are submitting your design to sees exactly what it is you want them to see.
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How detailed can my embroidery be?
That depends on the material that you are embroidering on. A general rule is the finer the material the finer the embroidery that can be sewn on it. For instance a pique polo (looks like a waffle up close; typical of most many golf shirts) is fairly rough and very fine lines will look choppy and poor because of the texture of the material, while on a fine jersey knit (standard t-shirt) or silk the exact same design will look very nice. It is important to know what kind of materials you will be using before a job is started so that a design can be "digitized" to look optimal.
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What is digitizing?
Digitizing is the process of turning a graphic design into thread. It can be very time consuming depending on the design and often takes many revisions and test "sew-outs" to get it just right.
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What is a sew-out?
A sew out is a sample sew of a particular design. Sew outs are done the first time a design is digitized to ensure that the digitized design looks good when it actually sews.
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What is the difference in vector and raster art?
Vector images (illustrator, freehand, corel draw) are graphics files that are made up of a set of mathematical points stored by their position on a grid. Because vector files are mathematical the images can be changed in size infinitely and maintain their integrity. Raster images (photoshop, jpeg, bmp, png, etc) are made up of pixels and . As raster images are blown up in size the pixels get larger and their edges become more pronounced. While raster images can be stored at very high dpi (dots per inch) in order to allow them to be blown up, they may not be increased in size infinitely and are thus much less useful in design applications. Practically, most raster images can not be blown up much bigger than you see them on screen before they begin to degrade. For purposes of promotional products raster images often have to be recreated to ensure great quality.
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What is dpi?
DPI is dots per inch (square inch). It is used to measure the quality of raster images at a certain size. Standard web images are saved as 72dpi. Midgrade images are saved at 150dpi. High resolution images are stored at 300dpi or higher. Keep in mind that because dots or pixels increase in size as an image is expanded the number of dots that will fit in a square inch is reduced as an image is expanded. Often times raster images must be recreated (tracing a raster file in illustrator or another vector file to get a replication of the file in vector format) in order to be print well. In order to trace an image an artist must be able to see the image. As a raster image is increased in size the square edges of the dots become more pronounced and the image becomes choppy. This is why in order to maintain high quality it is important that an image of the highest resolution possible, preferrably 300dpi (at the dimensions it is desired) is provided to recreate from.
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What is recreating an image?
Recreating an image is the process of tracing a raster image file, placing vector points in order to create a vector replica of the design. An artist will do this for a couple different reasons. Quality of print is the most common reason. In order for the film positive printer to print clean lines, which will then be burned into a screen and eventually end up on your promotional product, it must be able to see a smooth clean line. Vector files have substantially cleaner lines than raster files most of the time. The other reason is that it may be necesary to modify the file. While it is possible to "photoshop" a raster file it offers substantially less flexibility in most situations.
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What is a film and how are they used?
A film in reference to screen printing is a monochromatic (single color) positive image that is either burned or printed onto a piece of clear acetate or some other film material. Registration marks and order details are normally imaged onto the film as well. The films are then registered and attached to screens one at a time. Next the screen is exposed and the film is removed from the screen; it will then be either discarded or filed away for use on another job in the future.
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How long will the print last?
If the ink is cured correctly it should last longer than the garment that it is printed on.
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What is the difference in silk screening and screen printing?
There is no difference. The name silk screening was derived because traditionally silk has been used for the mesh in a screen as it was the only material fine and consistent enough in pattern to achieve a nice print. Only relatively recently (in relation to the life of screen printing) has synthetic mesh become more cost effective and reliable to use in screens.
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What is emulsion?
General Info: Emulsions are a combination of two unblendable substances, one of which is referred to as the “continuous phase” and the other the “dispersed phase.” Emulsions are unstable by nature and typically appear cloudy. Emulsion functions just like a jar of oil and water. When left alone the two phases will stay separated. However when energized, through shaking, stirring, homogenization, or other processes the two phases intermix but do not blend. The cloudy appearance is due to phase interference which is the refraction of light between the two intermixed phases. Some emulsions are more stable than others. Some very unstable emulsions will separate quickly unless constantly energized. The phenomenons of separation are flocculation (clumping), creaming (concentration of particles to either top or bottom) and coalescence (formation of a layer of liquid). While emulsions an colloids are very similar terms, emulsion refers to liquids. As used in screen printing: Photoemulsion is used in screen printing. This emulsion is photosensitive, meaning it hardens with exposure to UV light, preferable at a wavelength between 350-420nm. This result is best obtained with a 5000 Watt metal halide lamp positioned approximately 40” from the screen and the unexposed emulsion. Emulsion hardens in between 60 and 160 seconds depending on mesh count and light conditions. To become fully cured in less controlled environments emulsion may take more or less time to harden. Underexposed stencils will feel slime and degrade during washout while overexposed stencils will lose detail. Emulsion is spread onto the screen (“coated”). Normally it is applied with two coats on each side. From there the emulsion is left to dry onto the screen; while it is now dry it is not hardened as it is applied to the screen in a dark room to prevent exposure to UV light. Next a monochromatic (single color) opaque image is attached to the screen.
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What does monochromatic mean?
Monochromatic is a term that you will hear used often in screen printing. It means of one color, ie a single color image.
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What is a mesh count?
A mesh is essentially a fabric woven into a consistent pattern of squares. Mesh count is a measure of how many squares of the pattern will fit into a square inch. The higher the mesh count, the finer the mesh. Mesh counts range from 24 to upwards of 400 for textile printing depending on the type of printing, inks, and presses you are running. The higher mesh counts, 280 and up, are used for four color, simulated and other types of process jobs. It is necesary to use very high mesh counts because you need to limit the amount of ink that passes through onto the garment and the more squares per inch the more fabric per inch to separate the squares and the smaller the holes, thus less ink passes through. Mesh counts below 100 are used for applying specialty inks like glitter and clear inks. Such a coarse fabric must be used because otherwise the flakes of glitter will not pass through them. Mesh counts between 110 and 230 are used most for standard prints and count is chosen based on the level of detail in the image.
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What is a PMS color?
A PMS color is a Pantone Match. The pantone color system was developed as a matching system for graphic designers that is comprised of hundreds of colors from accross the spectrum. Pantones are labeled with a single numeric or alphanumeric code and are the common link between paper, web, paint and other types of design. While PMS are a great reference to use they DO NOT always match up perfectly especially when moving from one base material to the next. Furthermore some PMS colors simply will not display on a computer screen (ex. flourescent colors). For these reasons it is important that PMS colors are not relied upon solely for pure color matching. When using PMS colors it is important to match to UNCOATED PMS colors. If you have any questions about PMS colors that are not addressed in this FAQ please contact our design department and they will be happy to assist you.
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What is the origin of the t-shirt?
The exact origin of the t-shirt is unknown (possibly the 1920's), but what we do know is that the t-shirt become popular in the late 40's and early fifties in Europe and the United States. Notable early examples are the "Dew it for Dewey" t-shirt created in support of Thomas Dewey for the 1948 presidential campaign and the "I like Ike" t-shirt created for the Dwight Eisenhower for the 1952 election. By the fifties/sixties the t-shirt had become extremely popular and a big part of fashion due to its comfort the ability to customize it.
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How can I customize apparel/garments?
There are multiple different ways to customize a garment, most of which can be used in conjunction with one another. These include screen printing, embroidery, applique, heat transfer, foil printing, airbrush, direct to garment inkjet printing, and dye sublimation to name a few. Screen printing - The most common form of customization is done by creating a stencil on a silk or polyester mesh that is stretched over a wood, aluminum or steel frame. These are called screens, hence the name screen printing, and serve to transfer ink onto the garment in the desired pattern. Next the tee shirt is run through a dryer/oven and heated to 350 degrees farenheit for about 20 seconds. Embroidery - This is also a very common type of customization. Embroidery is much the same as it has been for hundreds of years, except it is now handled primarily through computerization and high capacity machines instead of by hand. It is also remarkable faster than previously with some machines capable of producing as much as 1000 customizations/hour (depending on the sew file). The garment is mounted onto a "hoop" or some type of frame with backing behind it. Backing varies with different types of garments. The hoop is then mounted to the machine and the machine stitches the design. It is imperative in embroidery that the garments are hooped consistently. Applique – Applique is the process of stitching letters (normally) or designs that have been cut out of a twill material down to the garment. Most fraternity of sorority shirts with the big letters on the front have been created with an appliqué process. Applique is done by stitching a small “run stitch” a basic stitch that looks similar to what you will see on the hem of your tee shirt around the perimeter of where you are going to place your letter or design cloth. You then place the appliqué material, with a little bit of sticky spray adhesive on the back of it, down onto the garment and within the perimeter. Next a finishing stitch, either a zig zag or a satin stitch will be sewn around the edge of the letter or design to hold it down. Heat Transfer – Heat transfer is often used when doing only a small number of pieces or when screen printing equipment is not available. Heat transfers can be done in a couple different ways. One, an image can be screen printed onto a special heat transfer paper. This paper is then cut out and dusted with a powder that helps it adhere and a heat press (like a large iron that clamps shut) is used to “transfer” the image from the paper onto the garment, hat or whatever it is you are customizing. You can also buy heat transfer paper from a hobby store that can be printed with a laser jet printer and then ironed onto the garment or applied with a heat press. This type of transfer is normally designed to be ironed on as it is designed for home use. This is the lowest quality method of customizing a tee shirt as you can normally see a rectangle around the design due to the whole paper transferring, but is the lowest cost option. A third type of transfer is vinyl cut letters. These are what you probably had as a kid on your soccer shirt. Essentially you use a plotter/cutter to cut whatever shape you desire out of a roll of vinyl that is specially made to adhere to fabric with heat application, remove the excess, position the vinyl on the shirt as desired and heat press it on. This is very common in neighborhood sports stores. Foil Printing – Foil printing is really a combination of screen printing and heat transfer. A design is screen printed (see above) onto a shirt, but instead of using ink in the screen a special glue is used. Then the shirt is run through the dryer/oven. Next the desired foil (pink, gold, silver, bronze, etc.) is laid on top of the printed area and the two are heat pressed together. This foil is a very thin metallic foil, not regular kitchen foil. Finally you tear the excess foil from the shirt where it is not touching the glue and the garment is finished. Airbrush – Airbrush is most commonly found at carnivals or specialty stores and is more artistic than a manufacturing process. Simply, you have an artist with a small paint sprayer paint your shirt with the desired design. Direct to Garment Printing – Direct to garment printing is essentially the same as using your inkjet printer, with a few more complexities. A tee shirt is mounted onto a “pallet,” about a 16”x16” table that is covered in rubber, and normally a thin sheet of paper. The shirt, depending on which machine is used is then treated with a chemical to prepare it to bond with the ink better (bonding chemical may be applied before mounting tee shirt on pallet) and then the shirt is moved through the printer on a synchronized conveyer system just as an inkjet printer moves a piece of paper. This is a very slow process and is normally only feasible for small numbers of tee shirts. Dye Sublimation – Dye sublimation is very similar to heat transfer with an ink jet printer with one notable exception. The inks that are used in dye sublimation begin as a solid and are heated. In the “sublimation” process solids are turned from solids directly into gas and then transferred onto a paper or plastic carrier sheet. Next they are again transferred, using an industrial heat press normally, onto the finished product.
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