COMMON QUESTIONS

HOW DO YOU DO IT?

So how do we do it?  How do we get such vibrant colors on such a variety of different mediums? It's SCIENCE!  We use a unique process called Dye Sublimation Printing to create our products. The process utilizes a specialized printer with high-tech dye, along with special paper, products, a heat press, and a little computer magic. During the creation of your item, the ink changes from a solid to a gas, which permanently embeds the image onto your item. 

Scientifically speaking, sublimation is the change of state of a substance from a solid to a gas, without first becoming a liquid. A more common example you might be familiar with is dry ice. With dry ice, the solid vaporizes into a gas, while never changing to a liquid. Similarly, sublimation inks behave in a similar manner.  Instead of being liquid, like other printer inks, sublimation inks are pellets of solid dye. The ink pellets are converted directly from a solid to a gas under heat and pressure, causing them to bond with the material in a very unique way. The molecules of the ink then revert back to a solid state upon cooling, thereby transferring the image, with no loss of quality, into the surface of the product. The image therefore becomes part of the final product.

We use this printing process, Dye Sublimation Printing, to create all of our products. Combined with a high quality heat press, and pressure, we are able to permanently embed the image into the product. We believe the process is unmatched in quality and durability. 

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PHOTOS?

Our experience in this industry has shown one of our biggest delays in producing your product is that artwork (photos) is not suitable for use. If the image is blury or low quality, likewise the product will reflect that, making both of us unhappy. There are a few things to keep in mind as you are making the decision of what photo and what item you would like to order.

Here's what we need:

If you are purchasing a soft fabric items, such as a pillow or canvas item, we require resolution of 150-200 PPI. For hard goods, such as glass or slate, resolution of 200-300 PPI is best. This is based on our experience in sublimation printing.

Also, think about the shape of the product when selecting your photo image. If you are ordering a round ornament, providing a wide landscape image is not going to produce the best results. Marrying the image you want, with a product that will best showcase that image will always give you the best results.

And finally, we can accept files in the following file formats: .pdf, .cdr, .eps, .tif, .jpg.  If you have the option of CMYK or RGB color, please select RGB.  And, when providing the file, please use specific file names, such as "Veronica Stevens cutting board image.jpg". Many times we find customers name the file something generic like "my print file.jpg".  We want to make sure we get and print the correct file.

We are happy to help you through the process, to ensure you are 100% satisfied with the end result.

WHAT ARE THE PAYMENT OPTIONS?