FAQ’S
Frequently Asked Questions About Promotional Merchandise
1. PRODUCTS
1.1 What is the minimum quantity I can order?
1.2 Can I order a lower quantity than the minimum order quantity?
1.3 Can I order your products without any branding?
1.4 How many colours does my chosen promotional product come in?
1.5 I have seen a product on one of your competitor’s website; can I order it through you instead?
1.6 The promotional product I am looking for has been discontinued, what should I do?
1.7 Where do your products come from?
1.8 How many products do you sell?
2. BRANDING
2.1 What methods are used to brand the promotional products?
2.2 How do I know my promotional product will be printed correctly?
2.3 Can I print in more than one position on the product?
2.4 Can I print more than one design on the same product?
2.5 Why is there a maximum print area restriction on some products?
2.6 How many different colours can be printed onto a promotional product?
2.7 What is the difference between spot colour and full colour?
2.8 How do I know whether my logo will print clearly on my chosen product?
2.9 What colours can be printed on my product?
2.10 What is a pantone colour?
3. ARTWORK
3.1 How does my artwork or logo need to be supplied to you?
3.2 What is a bleed?
3.3 What do you mean by converting text to outlines?
3.4 What is a vector image?
3.5 When referring to the resolution of artwork, what does 300dpi mean?
3.6 How do I change the dpi of my artwork?
4. ORDER PROCESS
4.1 How long will it take to receive a response to my email?
4.2 How long do quoted last for?
4.3 Can I see a mock-up/ visual of my chosen product with my logo on?
4.4 I would like to see the item before I order, can I have a sample?
4.5 Do I have to pay for samples?
4.6 How do I go ahead and order my promotional product?
4.7 What is a PDF proof?
5. DELIVERY AND LEADTIME
5.1 How long will it take to receive my promotional products?
5.2 How will I know when my branded merchandise is going to arrive?
5.3 What is your fastest turnaround time for branded products?
5.4 Can you deliver outside the UK?
6. COSTS AND PAYMENT
6.1 What are your origination/ screen charges?
6.2 Do I have to pay an origination charge again if I want a reprint of products I have previously purchased from you?
6.3 How much will delivery cost?
6.4 Are there any additional costs?
6.5 What are your terms of payment?
6.6 Which payment methods do you accept?
6.7 Do you offer a discount on my chosen promotional products?
1. PRODUCTS
1.1 What is the minimum quantity I can order?
At Premier, our minimum order quantities vary depending on the product, typically they range from around 50-100 units. Most of the minimum order quantities are stated on our website within the individual product pages, but if you are unsure please feel free to ask us. If a product you are interested in on our website has a minimum order quantity that is too high for your budget, please do contact us, as often we are able to suggest similar promotional products or suitable alternatives with smaller minimum order quantities, to enable you to stay within your marketing budget.
1.2 Can I order a lower quantity than the minimum order quantity?
On some products the minimum order quantity can be reduced, so if you do need a lower quantity than the MOQ stated on our website, please check with us. There is usually an extra charge for this so depending on the product you want, it might work out only slightly cheaper to order the minimum quantity anyway.
1.3 Can I order your products without any branding?
Yes, you can order any of our products as plain stock (without any printing or branding) should you wish to, but why would you want it plain if you can have it branded? :)
1.4 How many colours does my chosen promotional product come in?
Most of the product colours are listed on our website within the product pages, but if a product doesn’t appear to come in the colour you are looking for, please check with us as quite often certain products introduce new colour lines and some products can be Pantone colour matched to your exact brand colours.
1.5 I have seen a product on one of your competitor’s website; can I order it through you instead?
Yes, more often than not we can supply it, if you email the details of the product across to us (the webpage link, an image or a product code); we can normally source it even if it isn’t on our website. On the rare occasion that we can’t find that exact product we will always suggest some other, very similar options for you to have a look at and consider.
1.6 The promotional product I am looking for has been discontinued, what should I do?
Please check with us anyway as we might still be able to source it for you from a different factory through our partner offices in China, and of course we would always check our usual manufacturer in case they have any old stock left. At Premier Promotional Products, if we cannot source the exact product you want we will always try to find a very similar, alternative product to suit your needs.
1.7 Where do your products come from?
Our products are sourced from different factories around the world; this depends on the type of product. Where possible we often try to source in the UK if the price is competitive. At Premier Promotional Products we have our partner offices in Asia, which means we can source internationally made products and have them branded with your chosen design, logo or text at very competitive prices.
1.8 How many products do you sell?
We have a portfolio of over 130,000 products on our website. Our well established relationships with hundreds of other suppliers and factories, as well as regular contact with our partner offices in Asia, mean that we are able to source almost anything. If you are looking for something very specific, no matter how niche the product is, please do let us know and we will always try to help. We also have a huge bespoke made-to-order product range, for companies that are really looking to stand out from their competitors.
2. BRANDING
2.1 What methods are used to brand the promotional products?
We offer a huge range of branding methods, and the method used depends entirely on the type of product, material, print area size and your desired outcome. These methods include digital printing, silk screen printing, litho printing, heat transfer printing, dye sublimation printing, offset printing, laser engraving, electroplating, embossing, debossing with colour infill, embroidery, weaving, moulding and pad printing (also known as tampography or tampo printing).
2.2 How do I know my promotional product will be printed correctly?
We create visuals and proofs to demonstrate what the product will look like with your artwork designs and the use of PMS colour references ensure that we can exactly match your brands’ corporate colours. If you would like a free PDF visual mock up, with no obligation (this is an image of the product with your logo placed on it), please send us your artwork and we will produce this for you to help you visualise how the finished product will look. Additionally, before we proceed to the bulk production of your order we will send you a PDF proof for your written approval, to ensure you are completely happy with how the product looks.
2.3 Can I print in more than one position on the product?
It depends on the item, many of the products we offer allow for more than one print position (both sides of a USB memory stick for example would be two positions). This not only varies depending on the product, but is also subject to sight of artwork as well as restricted by maximum print area dimensions. There may be a small extra cost for each additional print position added on some products, as well as the possibility of further set up or origination charges, which will be made clear in our quote to you.
2.4 Can I print more than one design on the same product?
Yes, most of the time you can print different designs on the same product, providing that particular product has enough print areas to print multiple designs. If you email us your artwork we will be able to give you a quote with more accurate prices. If you have two or more different designs branded on a product, this may incur additional origination/ set up charges to configure the machines ready for production.
2.5 Why is there a maximum print area restriction on some products?
It is important that your product artwork stays within the maximum print area dimensions, to ensure that the whole design is printed clearly without cutting off any edges. The print area is determined by the capabilities of the different machinery used to brand each product. To brand a pin badge, for example, the badge is held still by a clamp whilst the machine is printing. The clamp covers an area around the edge of the badge, which therefore cannot be printed on. The diversity within our product range and branding methods means that these maximum branding areas will differ for every product. If you are unsure and need any help, we are always happy to offer our expertise and suggest products that we feel are most suitable for your artwork.
2.6 How many different colours can be printed onto a promotional product?
This depends on the product and the process being used but for many of the products on our website we can print up to 4 colour process (or full colour). If you require a full colour print on a product that cannot be printed in full colour, please feel free to contact us on 01732 843250 and we would be happy to suggest similar or alternative products that meet all your requirements.
2.7 What is the difference between spot colour and full colour?
Artwork that uses spot colours refers to artwork that is made up of solid Pantone colours that haven’t been altered by effects, such as highlights and shadows. Spot colour printing is normally used when it is just a solid logo or text being printed, for example on items such as business cards or wristbands. Spot colour designs use a smaller colour range but often create brighter results. For printing spot colours we would need your artwork in a vector format (graphics or text converted to outlines or curves).
The colours used in artwork that is considered full colour would often have different gradients, fading effects, tints of colour or shading. A full colour process (also known as a 4 colour or CYMK printing process) is often used for printing a photograph or multi-coloured logos for example.
When using a full colour printing method, four primary printing colours are used: CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Keyline or Black), separating the artwork into these four colours and four separate plates. To maximise the print quality of a full colour print, the resolution of the artwork must be high (300dpi, and large enough for the branding area on your chosen product).
2.8 How do I know whether my logo will print clearly on my chosen product?
If you are unsure, our experienced team will be able to advise you on which promotional products will compliment your logo, as it will depend on the product as well as the branding process used. Simply email us your artwork and we will send you a tailored ‘Ideas List’ containing product suggestions that we feel will best suit your logo and brand.
If you do not have any artwork yet but would like to get an idea of prices, having a better understanding of the difference between full and spot colour artwork will help to ensure that any initial quotes (without sight of artwork) are more accurate.
2.9 What colours can be printed on my product?
Not all promotional products can be printed with colour; some products, such as a metal pen, might only have the option of engraving for example. For products that do allow for colour printing, we are able to print any colour you require, all we need is your full colour artwork or a Pantone colour reference so that we can colour match as closely as possible. Click to download our PDF Pantone Colour Matching Chart. Please be aware that when printing on promotional products, colours may vary depending on the material and printing method used.
2.10 What is a pantone colour?
The Pantone Matching System (PMS) is a universal spot colour matching system used not only in the promotional products industry, but any industry which uses colours other than CMYK. Using a special mix of ink ensures accurate colour matching, with over one thousand pantone colours available. Each Pantone spot colour in the system is assigned a unique number or a name and can then be referenced for custom multi-coloured projects. This standardised colour system eliminates language barriers between different countries by enabling manufacturers and designers across the world to refer to the same colour codes. This ensures that the correct colours are achieved, without the need to physically see the colours to match.
For example, if your brand’s corporate colour is purple, the colour reference can be found in the Pantone system to determine the exact shade of purple used in your logo and within other marketing materials, ensuring consistency for your brand. Pantone colour references have a letter following the number; C stands for ‘Coated’, which means gloss or shiny, U stands for ‘Uncoated’ and M stands for ‘Matte’. When creating artwork in Adobe Illustrator, you are able to select colours from the Pantone swatch library. Click to download our PDF Pantone Colour Matching Chart.
3. ARTWORK
3.1 How does my artwork or logo need to be supplied to you?
Artwork can be sent to us via email, alternatively if the file is too large to send using this method, there are online file transfer tools available such as WeTransfer.
In most cases the preferred format for artwork is as an editable vector EPS file (using Adobe Illustrator) with text/ fonts converted to outlines or curves (vector format). If you are unsure, ask the creator of your logo/ artwork for the original logo file as an EPS format as well as the PMS references.
For full colour or digital printing we would need a high resolution of 300dpi bitmap/raster images to ensure we can achieve a high quality print. If you do not have your artwork in this format, please send us what you have and we will always see what we can do to help you.
Artwork should be supplied in CMYK format, as artwork that is supplied in RGB can cause issues with tints, gradients and colour balance when printed.
RGB is mainly used for displaying images on electronic systems such as computers or TVs. It is a colour model in which red, green and blue light are combined in different ways to reproduce a broad range of colours.
3.2 What is a bleed?
On promotional products where the design is printed right to the edge of the item, such as a mouse mat, we might ask you to supply your artwork with a bleed. This means that the design goes beyond the edge of the product (ensuring that important messages stay within the printable area). The bleed is the area around the edge that will be trimmed off during production. This ensures that when the item is cut to size there are no unsightly white spaces on the finished product. The bleed also allows for a small amount of movement of the product when cutting.
3.3 What do you mean by converting text to outlines?
We ask that you supply your artwork to us in a vector format with all fonts or text converted to outlines or curves rather than as editable text. This is because not all computers will have your organisation’s corporate fonts that are used within your artwork. Therefore, your artwork is likely to look different across different systems, computers and printers, if the text isn’t in a vector format.
3.4 What is a vector image?
Vector graphics or images typically have the following file formats: ‘.pdf’, ‘.ai’ and ‘.eps,’ which are generally the most commonly used artwork file types in the promotional product industry. Vector images are made up of paths with a start and end point, and joined up by other points, lines or curves, unlike ‘.jpeg’, ‘.gif’ or ‘.bmp’ files which are made up of a grid of pixels. This means that when vector images are scaled to a different size, the points are reallocated and the image can be made smaller or larger without losing any detail or quality.
3.5 When referring to the resolution of artwork, what does 300dpi mean?
Raster (or Bitmap) images normally use the following file formats: ‘.jpg’, ‘.gif’, ‘.bmp’ and ‘.png’. They are made up of a grid of pixels, which are lots of tiny, tightly packed squares of colour. The individual pixels are so small that they are not noticeable when viewed on a screen; instead you will see a sharp, clear image. These file types are therefore ideal to use online, for example across social media or for e-mail marketing. Pixels determine the image size on a screen and so when a raster image is enlarged, the pixels also increase in size, causing the image to become 'pixelated' and lose detail/ quality. This is an issue in the promotional products industry, particularly if the product being printed has a large branding area.
For this reason, it is important that raster artwork used for branding products must be of a high resolution, with 300dpi (dots per inch) being the industry standard. This helps to maintain quality of print; otherwise the design will look blurry or fuzzy when printed. This resolution setting determines the print size as it tells the printer how many dots to print per inch.
3.6 How do I change the dpi of my artwork?
When creating your artwork, you need to ensure the document has a high resolution from the outset to ensure high quality when printing onto your chosen product. If a document is set with a low resolution for example 72dpi at the start, the imagery within the document cannot then be changed to 300dpi, so it is important that a high resolution is set right from the beginning. For example, on Adobe Illustrator you will need to change the ‘Raster Effects’ to ‘High (300 ppi)’ and on Adobe Photoshop the ‘Resolution’ boxes need to be changed to ‘300 Pixels/Inch’.
4. ORDER PROCESS
4.1 How long will it take to receive a response to my email?
We respond to customer enquiries within a maximum of 24 hours of receiving them. All quotes will vary in response times, depending on the complexity of the quote and your given deadline. If you need a very quick quote for a tight deadline, please state this in your initial enquiry email or phone call to us so that we can ensure we prioritise your quote to be able to meet your given deadline.
4.2 How long do quoted prices last for?
Prices that we quote you are held for 7 days; please see our Terms and Conditions for more information on this. Pricing for some promotional products can fluctuate on a daily basis, so it is important to double check for updated pricing on quotes over 7 days old. The prices for USB flash drive sticks, for example, are constantly changing dependent on the supply and demand of the memory chips inside. There are a limited number of memory chip manufacturers and thus a limited supply of chips, so as the demand increased so does the cost. When the consumer demand for chips slows, the stock builds up so prices are reduced to move the product.
4.3 Can I see a mock-up/ visual of my chosen product with my logo on?
If you wish to see a visual of your promotional product branded with your artwork we offer this for free, with no obligation. Simply email us with the link or an image of the product you would like along with your company logo or desired artwork and we will produce this for you. This visual is not a final proof; it simply helps to give you an idea of what your product will look like, prior to placing an order. Please note that depending on the complexity of your artwork or designs there may be a small charge for the visuals, for example if you require an intricate print or pattern on a tie or scarf visual. We will always make any additional costs clear to you to ensure that you are happy to pay before we proceed and produce the visuals.
4.4 I would like to see the item before I order, can I have a sample?
Yes, if you would like an unbranded sample of any of our products please confirm your preferred colour and address for delivery and we will arrange this for you. If you would like to see a printed sample, branded with your logo or artwork, we can arrange to have a pre-production sample (PPS) made at an additional cost. This will allow you to visualise your product, make any necessary changes and ensure you are completely happy with the final product before your bulk order is produced. This is especially important on items such as neckwear (printed or woven ties and scarves), which we will usually ask you to approve the PPS before we proceed with the bulk production.
Pre-production samples are not compulsory, and if you have a tight deadline or do not want the additional sample costs, we will suggest that you approve your artwork branding from a visual proof instead.
4.5 Do I have to pay for samples?
Yes sometimes, please note that some product samples may be liable to a small charge, although often any origination charges for the pre-production sample are usually only charged once, and so if you go ahead with the bulk order you will not have to pay the origination again, instead you only have had to pay this charge once. This is dependent on the type of product and type of set up needed for the machine. We will always quote you to ensure you are happy with the charges before we send the item, then once you have received them you will invoiced accordingly.
Most of the time generic, unbranded samples are supplied free of charge, although there may be a small cost for the delivery or depending on the value of the product. When producing a personalised pre-production sample, the costs involved are usually the origination and carriage fees. In some cases the origination charge is only charged once, so when the bulk order is placed this cost is often removed. This is dependent on the type of product and the amount of time and labour involved in setting up the machine. We will always send you a quote and ask you to approve the PDF Proof to ensure you are happy with the charges and the visual before we produce the PPS.
4.6 How do I go ahead and order my promotional product?
Once you have received the quote and you are happy with the details and costs involved, simply email us to let us know that you are ready to go ahead and place your order. Your Sales Account Manager will then pass you onto a member of the Production Team who will process your order and keep you updated with the progress of your purchase along the way. For new customers, we will need a pro-forma payment from you, either via BACS transfer or credit/ debit card over the phone.
4.7 What is a PDF proof?
Once you have ordered, we will send you a PDF proof which demonstrates an accurate scale of where your artwork will be placed on the product, taking into account the maximum branding area dimensions of the product. We will then ask you to approve this proof by signing and returning the approval form, to ensure you are completely happy with how the product looks, before we go to print your bulk order. Although a proof is similar to a visual, they are different in that the visual is simply giving you a rough idea of what your logo might look like printed on your product, prior to placing an order, whereas the proof is an accurate scale.
5. DELIVERY AND LEADTIME
5.1 How long will it take to receive my promotional products?
The standard lead times typically range from around 1-4 weeks for most branded products, but this varies depending on the item, branding method and the quantity. Screen printed ties and scarves, for example, have an 8 week lead time as you receive a pre-production sample first before bulk production. We will always state the lead time of each product within the quotation we send you. Please note lead time means from approval of your artwork proof; if you need a product sooner than the lead time we have quoted you, please let us know and we can always check the production schedule to see if we can reduce this for you. If you need promotional products really quickly and have a tight deadline, we do also offer an express service on some products.
5.2 How will I know when my branded merchandise is going to arrive?
Our production team will keep you updated with the progress of your order along the way. You will be informed of a delivery date once you have approved the final proof of your product and signed to say you are happy for us to proceed to production.
5.3 What is your fastest turnaround time for branded products?
We do offer a small selection of promotional products with an express delivery service option, from as quickly as 24 hours to around 5 working days lead time. Call us on 01732 843250 to find out more. Please note that with this super-fast dispatch service, some orders may be liable to an extra charge which will be included in the quote you receive.
5.4 Can you deliver outside the UK?
Most of our customers are based in the UK so our standard quotes include delivery to one UK mainland address. We can deliver overseas if required so please make sure you specify if the delivery of your products will be outside of the UK so that we can calculate this in your initial quote.
6. COSTS AND PAYMENT
6.1 What are your origination/ screen charges?
Some branded products will have an origination charge in addition to the unit cost. An origination charge is the cost involved in setting up the printing machinery. When branding a promotional product using a screen printing method, there is an individual set-up cost per printing colour. This is because the different colours are layered onto the product one by one and so each colour requires a separate screen. An origination cost charged per colour also applies to pad printing and offset/ litho printing, where each colour printed requires its own printing plate and run of the press. If you are using a digital printing method to brand your promotional merchandise, this incurs a fixed, one off set-up fee, regardless of the number of print colours required.
6.2 Do I have to pay an origination charge again if I want a reprint of products I have previously purchased from you?
Often if you are ordering an exact repeat of a product you have previously purchased from us, there is no origination charge. However, depending on the product and the printing method, sometimes there might be a repeat origination charge. At Premier Promotional Products we keep your artwork on file within our computer systems ready for future use; however we are not able to keep every screen used for printing for example. Therefore in some instances there will still be a small cost to set up the branding equipment again for repeat orders.
6.3 How much will delivery cost?
The cost of delivery for your promotional merchandise will depend on the quantity, the size and weight of the product ordered. We will always include any delivery costs within our original quote to you. Please note that the delivery costs stated, or carriage, are based on delivery to one UK mainland address, unless stated otherwise. Please inform us initially if you will be requiring delivery of your products to more than one address or outside of the UK.
6.4 Are there any additional costs?
Quotes from Premier Promotional Products include the unit cost, set up (origination) and delivery charges if applicable, excluding VAT and subject to sight of artwork. The price ranges stated on the website are a rough guide of the product unit costs – not including set up/ origination or delivery, so please ask us for a quote if you would like a more accurate idea of cost. If you have an idea of what you would like branded or if you are able to send across your artwork, this will also help us to be more accurate in our quote to you.
6.5 What are your terms of payment?
For new customers we have a first order by pro-forma payment term. For customers with an existing account with Premier Promotional Products, the payment term is 30 days from date of invoice for most, unless agreed differently otherwise and subject to satisfactory credit checks.
6.6 Which payment methods do you accept?
We accept BACS transfer payments only.
6.7 Do you offer a discount on my chosen promotional products?
At Premier Promotional Products we always search the market for your product and contact multiple different factories for prices, to ensure we get the best possible price for you. Prices can sometimes be reduced even further, particularly on larger quantities. We are always happy to discuss with our factory any like-for-like quotes that you may have, so that we can try to accommodate your clients given budget. So let us know if you have a price to match or need a slight price reduction and we will always see what we can do to help you or offer suitable, lower cost, alternative products.