• I don't understand one of your printing terms, how do I find out what it means?
• Are rush orders available?
• Can I order fewer pieces of an item than what's priced on the site?
• Can I see a proof of my product printed with my artwork before production begins?
• How can I supply appropriate camera ready artwork?
• Can I provide the artwork in a digital format?
• What if I can only provide a JPG or GIF?
• Can I mail you the computer file?
• Can I email you the artwork?
• Do you have templates available for your products that I can download?
• What file format are the templates?
• What if I don't have camera-ready art or a computer file?
• How do I find out more about your great specials?
• What if I want a price on a product that I can't find on your site?
• How much will I be charged for shipping?
• Will I need to pay sales tax on my order?
• What do I need to know about printing multiple colors?
• What's the difference between a decal and a cling? And what do I need to know about imprinting on a clear material?

Q. I don't understand one of your printing terms, how do I find out what it means?

A. Look under our glossary. You can find the meaning to many of our terms there.

Q. Are rush orders available?

A. Often we are able to accomodate rush orders but these are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If you have a specific inhand date for an order, please make sure to let us know. Please contact customerservice@AbsorbentPrinting.com or call 785-842-9164.

Q. Can I order fewer pieces of an item than what's priced on the site?

A. No. These are the minimum quantities we are able to sell.

Q. Can I see a proof of my product printed with my artwork before production begins?

A. To see an actual sample of your artwork imprinted on the product is only available with certain products. The price ranges from $50 to several hundred dollars, and will increase the production time of your order. Our standard procedure is to email you a PDF (Adobe Portable Document Format) for your approval before we begin production.

Q. How can I supply appropriate camera ready artwork?

A. The minimum quality we accept for camera-ready artwork is a 600-dpi print from a laser printer on flat, white paper. The artwork must be printed out to actual size or larger. A fax is not acceptable for camera ready art. Files with bitmaps must be sent on disk or emailed. See next question.

Q. Can I provide the artwork in a digital format?

A. Yes. The best formats for us to receive are CDR (CorelDRAW), EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) or AI (Adobe Illustrator) files in vector format. All fonts must be converted to curves, paths or outlines. High resolution TIFs may also be acceptable, but we don't recommend sending us any text as a TIF. Pixelated files such as TIF, BMP, JPG, GIF and PNG are usually not appropriate for print jobs that require printing in spot colors because they can't separate properly for printing.

Click here for more information concerning the differences between vector graphics and raster images (bitmaps).

Q. What if I can only provide a JPG or GIF?

A. You can email us the file and we can check it out for you. If it's not usable, we can often give an estimate on what it would take to recreate the artwork in a suitable program such as CorelDRAW or Adobe Illustrator.

Q. Can I mail you the computer file?

A. Yes. If you want to send us a digital file, you can send it on a CD-R, a zip disk or a 3.5" floppy. Please mail a color copy of the artwork with your digital files. Please don't send us your only copy of the computer file. Make yourself a copy before sending us your disk. Mail to:

Absorbent, Ink.
1310 Wakarusa Drive, Suite A
Lawrence, KS 66049

Q. Can I email you the artwork?

A. Yes. Please don't email files larger than 2 megabytes. If your files are larger than 2 megabytes, you can also try compressing them with WinZip or StuffIt before you send them. Email your files to orders@AbsorbentPrinting.com.

Q. Do you have templates available for your products that I can download?

A. The only templates we currently have available are for matchbooks and matchboxes. For most products we have provided specifications for the printable area along with the pricing. If you're preparing artwork where the ink will need to bleed off the edge of the product such as a bumper sticker, please provide .125" bleeds in your file.

Q. What file format are the templates?

A. The templates for matchbooks and matchboxes are Adobe Illustrator (.ai) files. These files can be opened with Illustrator or can be imported into other design programs such as CorelDRAW or FreeHand. The templates have been compressed with either WinZip or StuffIt. You have the option of downloading either, though most Windows/PC users will need to use Zip files, where Mac users can download either the zipped or the stuffed file. You must uncompress these files before using them with your design program.

Q. What if I don't have camera-ready art or a computer file?

A. We have partnered with PilgrimPage, Inc., a design and ad firm. They have an exceptional design staff that can prepare your custom artwork just for you. Or you can choose a font from our catalog of fonts and tell us what you want printed on your order. Typesetting is free. You can provide this information when you submit your order. Custom design is billed at $60/hour.

Q. How do I find out more about your great specials?

A. Check out the SCOOP.

Q. What if I want a price on a product that I can't find on your site?

A. Our site only shows some of our most popular products. And we're adding new products to our site all the time. If you want a price on something you can't find on the site, fill out and submit the Quotes form for a custom estimate on your next printing project, including your more traditional projects such as brochures and business cards. We do it all.

Q. How much will I be charged for shipping?

A. We ship UPS or FedEx Ground unless you advise us to ship your products differently. Since many of our products are bulky and heavy, UPS and FedEx Ground are our most convenient and cost-effective options. Some larger orders will be shipped by trucking line. For most orders we charge the same rate charged by the shipping company. We do not charge handling fees, though sometimes we must charge for special packaging considerations. We will provide an exact dollar amount for your approval before your order is placed into production.

Q. Will I need to pay sales tax on my order?

A. If you live in the state of Kansas, you will need to pay the 7.3% Lawrence, Kansas sales tax. If you live in Kansas but are sales tax exempt, please call 785-842-9164.

Q. What do I need to know about printing multiple colors?

A. When printing more than one color, there are a couple considerations to keep in mind. Some print methods do a better job than others of "registering" or lining up the imprint colors to each other. Promotional products are printed in a variety of ways, such as pad printed, screen printed, or by letterpress. With any of these methods imprint colors can move as much as 1/16" in position and compared with other imprint colors. Some products, such as balloons and plastic bags, may even require a significant gap between imprint colors.

Often we can help compensate by "trapping" or "overprinting" the imprint colors.

A "trap" is when a printer spreads a color so that the different colors overlap just a bit. That way if one color moves during printing, you don't end up with the surface color showing through.

Another method used to compensate for color registration is to "overprint". Often the darker color can be printed right over the top of the lighter color, avoiding registration issues.

Where the colors overlap you may notice some color variations in the imprint colors. Some colors are less noticeable. Some may be quite noticeable.

There's no way to exactly "butt" the colors up to each other and guarantee perfect color registration. The amount of trapping and overprinting required by any specific product varies. If you have questions or concerns, please contact our Art Department about your specific art and product ordered.

Q. What's the difference between a decal and a cling? And what do I need to know about imprinting on a clear material?

A. In the promotional product industry, it can be easy to confuse bumper stickers, decals, stickers, labels and clings. These terms are often used interchangeably. For our usage, all of our stickers and decals include an adhesive to provide a more secure bond except those that have the word “Cling” in the product name. The clings do not include an adhesive, and “stick” to windows through their static properties. We do offer “transparent” decals and “transparent” clings. Click here for more information concerning the differences between these products, and other important information about imprinting on these transparent surfaces.