Obtaining a Digital Proof is the single best way to visualize your custom uniform or piece of apparel. We use proofs on every order we process so that both the customer and us know exactly what we are building. Proofs are also a valuable tool to show other members of a team or organization what a potential order might look like.
While we wish we could satisfy everyone's request to obtain a proof, proofing takes time and time is money. Below are some guidelines we have developed to help us become efficient at creating proofs for all our customers. Many times we can create proofs at no charge but sometimes the requests get a little wild.
Please email us with your request for a proof. In your email be sure to include your specific ideas for the proof. Many times customers are looking to get a variety of proofs such as uniforms, sweats, practice shorts, tshirts etc. Be sure to tell what the custom apparel is for, ie regular season, summer tournament, fundrasier etc.
The phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words" holds very true. If you have seen a uniform, shooter shirt, or other custom apparel that would like to mimic, please send it to us or share the link. If you have the ability, please create an image via an art program or send us a scanned drawing. If that is not possible, please clearly describe what you are looking for. Here is an example:
"I am looking to get custom shorts for my team. We are looking for a Black Short with a golden honeycomb pattern down the side inserts. Our team name is the Wutang Killer Bees. I really like the Shogun Clans Font and I want to incorporate some white trim or piping. Please place the logo (Gold and White) on the left leg and a number on the right leg in white. I also want the words 'Killer Bees' going down the back of the left leg. Please put the Wutang symbol in one of the inserts."
This is what we came up with:
We require and prefer Vector Artwork files be submitted to us to help us create your proofs. We can accept hi-res bitmaps at a quality of 300 dpi as well. If you are unfamiliar with the differences, please read about the differences of Vector and Bitmap images.
Many times customers submit a link or .jpg taken from a website and tell us they want to use that particular logo. Usually we are able to redraw the bitmap in vector in a few minutes and can provide the proof very quickly. Other times the bitmap is either too complex or has heavy shading or gradients and the conversion can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 2 hours. If you have vector files, please send them to us. If not, send us what you have and we'll let you know if we can use them without charging artwork fees. If the amount of time needed to create the logo in vector is high, we will let you know what the artwork fee will be.
We receive many requests from customers telling us they want some kind of themed apparel and to "Go crazy!", or "Use your imagination". No problem......but we need to charge artwork fees at this point. The process of designing a custom piece of apparel requires time and talent, both of which cost money. If you have an idea that you would like to see on a proof, please contact us with your request and we'll get back to you with a quote.
