Choice Image.Lakewood,Colorado.Custom screen printing & embroidery for apparel,sportswear,clothing,garments and t-shirts in Denver!

		FAQ about Custom T-Shirts and Other Products
		berda.com - The USA's Online T-Shirt Printing Shop
	Below are answers to frequently asked questions. If the answer to your question isn't shown below, please e-mail us. ORDERING FAQ’s: · How do I place an order? · How do I pay for my order? · Do I get to see a "sample" before you print my order? · How long does it take to receive my order? · Will I receive a confirmation after I place my order? · Will I be notified after my order has shipped? · Do you take overseas orders? ARTWORK FAQ’s: · What kind of artwork files do you accept? · How do I get my artwork to you? · My artwork needs some "touch-up." Is there a charge for that? · I don’t have a design. Is there a charge to make a design for me? · I have several designs, do they all add up as 1 order? GARMENT SIZES/COLORS FAQ: · Do you offer "youth" sizes? · Do you offer 2X, 3X, 4X, etc. size shirts? · Can I mix the shirt sizes in my order? · Can I mix the shirt types in my order (t-shirts, sweatshirts, golf shirts)? · What do the "color groups" mean? · Can I have different ink colors on different color shirts? PRINTING FAQ's: · If I reorder, do you keep my artwork or screens? · Are your T-Shirts screen printed or are they iron-on transfers? · Will the printing fade on my shirts after a few washings? · My design has PMS colors, can you match them? · What is the largest size that can be printed on a T-Shirt? · I already have shirts. Will you print on them? · Do you sell transfers that I can apply on my own shirts? GENERAL FAQ’s: · Do you have a catalog? · Do you have a guarantee on the products that you sell? · Where is BERDA Cosmographic located? · Do you have other offices in the country? · How long has BERDA Cosmographic been in business? · Do the prices of the products become lower when I buy larger quantities? · Do you accept purchase orders? · Do you offer "wholesale" or special prices to the "trade," schools, or non-profit organizations? · Can I get less than the minimum order? · Do you sell "blank" or "un printed" items? · Do you sell screen printing equipment or supplies? · If there is a problem with my order, what do I do?

	ORDERING FAQ’s: How do I place an order? We offer (4) ways to place an order. You can place an order by phone, e-mail, fax, and secure online ordering. For more detailed information on placing an order, please see our "How to Order" page: http://www.berda.com/how_to_order.shtml Back to Top How do I pay for my order? Payments can be made in the form of credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover), check or money order. You can phone, fax, or e-mail your credit card information to us. Purchase Order payment is available to certain firms and organizations and is handled by written agreement and offered at our discretion. Back to Top Do I get to see a "sample" before you print my order? Yes. After you place your order, you will receive an e-mail directing you to an "Artwork Review" web page. This web page shows how your artwork will appear on the actual product that you are ordering. On the "Artwork Review" web page, you have the opportunity to approve or disapprove your proposed artwork/layout. Production does not begin on your order until we receive an artwork approval from you. Here is a link to a "sample" artwork approval page so you can see how it works: http://www.berda.com/artwork/artwork_approval_faq.shtml Back to Top How long does it take to receive my order? It depends on what you are ordering. The typical production time for most custom printed products is 2-3 weeks. This doesn't include shipping time, which is determined by your state. We offer rush service on many items, please e-mail or call us for availability of this service. Back to Top Will I receive a confirmation after I place my order? Yes. You will receive an e-mail confirmation if you place your order by e-mail, fax, or online order form. Back to Top Will I be notified after my order has shipped? On all orders that are produced in our shop (all custom garment orders), you will receive an e-mail notification with the tracking number and details of your shipment. On orders that are not produced in our shop (mostly promotional products, e.g.: mugs, plastic bottles, steins, etc.) you will not receive a shipment notification. However, we will be happy to obtain the shipment tracking number(s) on these items for you after your order shipped, if you request it. Back to Top Do you take overseas orders? Yes. We take overseas orders. For security issues, there are certain restrictions on the orders that we will accept and how we ship them. On all international orders payment must be made by credit card. We accept Visa, Master Card, and Discover. We do not accept American Express. On ALL credit card orders, we require that our credit card authorization document (document is in Adobe PDF format). be completed and returned prior to production of your order. Our standard method of shipping international orders is by USPS (United States Postal Service) Parcel Post Economy Rate, or via UPS. The typical time frame for delivery via Parcel Post Economy is three to eight weeks. Faster rates of delivery are available, however they are more costly and not available in all areas. We reserve the right to refuse any order without reason. In addition, there are certain countries that we are unable to ship to. Back to Top ARTWORK FAQ’s: What kind of artwork files do you accept? We accept many types of art files. The ideal file formats are: .cdr (CorelDraw), .ai, (Adobe Illustrator), .eps, .wmf, .pdf (Adobe Acrobat), .psd (Adobe Photoshop), .tiff. We also accept .jpeg, Microsoft Word, Publisher, Power Point, and many others. For a complete listing of acceptable file formats, please click here: http://www.berda.com/graphic_options.shtml Back to Top How do I get my artwork to you? There are several ways to send artwork to us. (1). You can email your art to us (please keep the file size under 10 meg.) Our art department email address is available by clicking here. (2). You can place your artwork on a FTP page and we can download it. (3). You can fax your artwork to us : (FAX): (724) 445-5082. (4). You can mail your artwork to us: BERDA Cosmographic, 220 Holly Road, Chi cora, PA 16025, USA. If you are mailing your art to us, we accept artwork on floppy disk, CD's, Compact Flash disks and Memory sticks. Back to Top My artwork needs some "touch-up." Is there a charge for that? Yes, there will be an artwork charge. The charge is determined by the level of "touch-up" that your design will require. Please see our Graphic & Logo Design Services page for more information and pricing. Back to Top I don’t have a design. Is there a charge to make a design for me? It depends. We offer many free of charge art services, including text only designs, custom designs from our Design Center templates, and free text designs that you can create yourself in our BERDA.COM Custom Design Maker. If you want us to create a custom design for you based on your ideas or sketches, there will be a charge. For more information and pricing, please see: Graphic & Logo Design Services. Back to Top I have several designs, do they all add up as 1 order? No. Each design is treated (and priced) as a separate order. Back to Top GARMENT SIZES/COLORS FAQ: Do you offer "youth" sizes? Yes. We offer youth small (6-8), youth medium (10-12), and youth large (14-16). Back to Top Do you offer 2X, 3X, 4X, etc. size shirts? Yes. We offer up to 6X on some of the garments that we offer. However, not all colors are available in these size shirts. Call or e-mail for availability. Back to Top Can I mix the shirt sizes in my order? Yes. You can mix the sizes any way that you need to complete your order. Back to Top Can I mix the shirt types in my order (t-shirts, sweatshirts, golf shirts)? Yes, as long as the image will be exactly the same on each shirt and will be printed in the same location on all of the shirts. The price that you would pay for each garment is determined by the total number of shirts in your order. Back to Top What do the "color groups" mean? The "color groups" shown on the product pages refer to the color of the product, not the imprint color. Depending on the product, all standard imprint colors are usually available. Back to Top Can I have different ink colors on different color shirts? Yes. However, each ink color change will incur an ink color change charge of $18 per color. Back to Top PRINTING FAQ's: If I reorder, do you keep my artwork or screens? We keep your artwork on file indefinitely. However, we do not keep screens as we remake the screens for every order. Unless you are going to place another order within a few weeks, you will be charged for the screens on all reorders. You should notify us if you plan to place another order in the very immediate future, in which case we would not charge you for the screen(s). Back to Top Are your T-Shirts screen printed or are they iron-on transfers? We screen print ALL t-shirts with the exception of digital transfers ("photo") t-shirts. "Photo" or "digitally imaged" T-shirts are transfer printed as the image is applied with a heat press. We also use CAD-cut vinyl letters which are used for player names on the backs of "team" t-shirts, they too are applied with a heat press. Back to Top Will the printing fade on my shirts after a few washings? No. The printed image on screen printed t-shirts is very durable and will hold up for a long time as they are directly printed onto the garment using plastisol ink. "Wash" tests that we've conducted in our shop also prove that the printing on "Photo" or "digitally imaged" t-shirts (which are transfers) is durable and holds up to many washings before fading begins to occur. Also, however the image is printed on your shirts, the image will not peel off and can't be otherwise removed. Back to Top My design has PMS colors, can you match them? We offer PMS color matching on many products. The cost varies depending on the product, but is typically $40.00 per color. Back to Top What is the largest size that can be printed on a T-Shirt? The maximum image size that we offer is 11" X 11." Back to Top I already have shirts. Will you print on them? Yes. Please click here for pricing/information: http://www.berda.com/screen-printing Back to Top Do you sell transfers that I can apply on my own shirts? Yes. Please click here for pricing/information: http://www.berda.com/screen_printing_heat_transfers.html Back to Top GENERAL FAQ’s: Do you have a catalog? No, we do not offer a catalog. Information and pricing of our available products can be found on the pages of our web site. If you would like more information, please e-mail us. Back to Top Do you have a guarantee on the products that you sell? Yes. Please click here for details: http://www.berda.com/guarantee.shtml Back to Top Where is BERDA Cosmographic located? We are located in western Pennsylvania. Back to Top Do you have other offices in the country? No, our only office and printing facility is located in western Pennsylvania. We ship nationwide from this location. Back to Top How long has BERDA Cosmographic been in business? We have been in business since 1994. Back to Top Do the prices of the products become lower when I buy larger quantities? Yes. The more you buy, the lower the price. Back to Top Do you accept purchase orders? Yes. We offer Net 30 terms to schools, government agencies, and major corporations. All purchase orders are handled by written agreement only. Back to Top Do you offer "wholesale" or special prices to the "trade," schools, or non-profit organizations? No, we do not. Back to Top Can I get less than the minimum order? On most items, no. However, there are a few products that we offer below minimum quantities. Call us for availability. Back to Top Do you sell "blank" or "unprinted" items? Yes. Call us for pricing and availability. Back to Top Do you sell screen printing equipment or supplies? No. Back to Top If there is a problem with my order, what do I do? You should contact us immediately by phone, fax, or e-mail. We want to help you resolve the problem as quickly and effectively as possible. Back to Top

Screen Fundamentals: A Special Three-Part Series on Screens

By Greg Kitson

Part Three: Working with Screens. Find out how to handle your screens for longer shelf life and maximum productivity.

Now that you have a thorough understanding of the types of frames and mesh choices available to you (see Parts 1 and 2), you're ready to start working with your screens. Initial Stretching/Inserting Mesh You have by now made your choices regarding purchasing frames with or without mesh pre stretched or inserted. Each type of frame also requires an investment in tools to get the best value from that investment. Often you will hear someone in our industry say that they have never been happy with XYZ company frames because ….(fill in an excuse here). Almost every time I hear this it is because they have not made an initial investment in the tools necessary for success with the product. Kind of like a mechanic working on your car with a hammer and an adjustable wrench, he may get the job done but you won't like the results. A partial list of recommended tools includes a tension meter, custom wrenches, spare parts, adhesives, stretching tables, etc. The good thing is that just like your dad's socket set, once you make this tool investment, it will last almost forever. The other investment you need to make is perhaps the hardest for many of us—TIME. Time is your most important asset and I am the first to advocate not wasting time, however the investment of your time at this point is vital. Learn about the screen system you have invested in and most importantly learn when to tear out and replace the mesh. Millions of hours and billions of dollars have been wasted in our industry because of simple stubbornness. The comment, “I'll make this register if it's the last thing I do !” is always followed by the flushing sound of money being wasted. The reality is that a mesh tension issue is almost always causing a registration problem. Pre-washing Mesh All mesh has an extremely fine coat of silicone oil on each individual thread. This oil keeps the weaving machine from turning into a huge bird's nest during the manufacturing process. However, it also keeps your emulsion from adhering correctly, so the first thing you want to do with a new screen is give it a vigorous degreasing. This not only gets rid of the oil but also cleans off the crud that may have accumulated while sitting in the supplier's warehouse. The cleaner the mesh, the better the emulsion will adhere. Next, label the screen, making note of the date you put it in inventory, and its mesh count. If your shop uses lots of mesh types, you may want to include the thread diameter too. To label the screen, lay it on your exposure unit and find a spot that will be visible during exposure. Many printers label their screens in the corner on the bottom side, but this doesn't do much good if you can't read that information easily while it's on the exposure unit. Before you affix the label, take it into your screen storage area (the place where you keep screens before and after they're coated), and make sure that the label will be visible during storage. Now you're ready to label it. You might want to use poly con tape for the label. This permanent tape practically requires a chisel to remove. Alternatively, if your shop does signs, you probably have vehicle vinyl handy, and this works well for labeling screens when cut into 1” x 2” squares. (If they'll stick to a truck speeding down the interstate, they'll stick to your screen.) By the way, if this all sounds like unnecessary overkill, keep in mind that every minute a shop wastes trying to figure out the mesh count is time that could've been spent printing — and making money. Screen Re stretching When a screen rips, you have a question to ask yourself: What are you going to do with it? Will you throw it away, remove and replace the mesh yourself, or have a third-party company stretch and glue it for you? The answer depends on the type of frame you're using. If it's a wooden frame, you may as well simply toss it, given the low cost of buying another. If you have a metal frame, even a static one, you can use a stretcher to apply new mesh. Stretchers cost anywhere from roughly $300 to $3,000, depending on how big it is and how many screens it can handle at once. Alternatively, you could simply keep the ripped screens in a pile until you have enough to warrant sending them to a company that will apply new mesh for a fee. If you have a retensionable frame, it is easy to apply new mesh in-house. This is a fairly straightforward question and is generally based on the volume of screens in your shop. Once you reach critical mass it makes sense to bring stretching in-house. Re-Tensioning Up Close When you purchase a extensional frame, you have the option of buying it prestretched. I suggest buying it un stretched so that you can begin mastering the process of inserting and properly tensioning the fabric. As you are learning the ins and outs of screens, mesh, and stretching make good use of the free education available from your vendors. Suppliers are great about spending time with new customers and helping them master the process. It's a critical part of being successful with the frame, so it only makes sense that you can handle it with no difficulties. Tools such as stretching tables also can make the job easier. Once you have the fabric inserted and properly tensioned, it may take about 15 minutes to bring it up to its final tension. At that point, you shouldn't have to tension it again. Originally, extensional frames were sold with the notion that printers would pretension them regularly. However, as mesh as improved, the need to re stretch it has changed to more of a tension monitoring function. The previous comment may tend to make managers question the wisdom of the extensional purchase versus a static metal frame with the right fabric and initial mesh installation. I agree, you should always question every investment. However, I firmly believe that extensional is the only way to go for best value, control, and profitability in today's market. Think about what a great era this is: We can bring mesh up to its ultimate tension, get a maximum open area and maximum tension, and reduce emulsion costs, thanks to the more consistent coats that high-tension frames provide. This leads to better prints, particularly with high-end, simulated process jobs, because you know how dots will resolve. Clearly, advancements in screen technology mean it's a great time to be a screen printer.	How Many Is Enough? Perhaps the No. 1 question new screen printers have about screens is, “How many do I need?” The best answer is that you need three times your screen cycle. Let's say you own a small shop that prints two hours a day using six screens. However, you only reclaim these screens on Saturday. That means you need six on Monday, six on Tuesday, six on Wednesday, etc., for a total of 30 screens across five days. In this hypothetical situation, the shop uses 30 screens per cycle, meaning it needs 90 screens. This would allow the shop to have 30 screens coated and waiting; 30 screens imaged and waiting; and 30 screens ready for reclaiming. Choosing A Mesh Color To paraphrase Henry Ford, screen printers used to be able to get mesh in any color they wanted, as long as it was white. Then, about 25 years ago, the industry began bumping up the limitations of its tools as it strived to get higher-detailed images on T-shirts. When screens were exposed, they would have gain or hazing, or halftones couldn't be clearly resolved. Part of the problem was that printers were using strictly white mesh. When screens were exposed, light hit the fiber and traveled along it, causing perfectly round dots to become fuzzy. By using gold, yellow or orange mesh, printers can eliminate this light scattering. Which color should you use? I generally recommend purchasing gold or yellow fabric, even if you're not having issues with light scattering. This way, you have one less potential problem to worry about. It doesn't really matter whether it's yellow, gold, or orange — as long as it's not white. If you want to get the most out of your screen-making system investment, buy the right tools. A partial list of recommended tools includes a tension meter, custom wrenches, spare parts, adhesives, stretching tables, etc. Photo courtesy of Mind's Eye Graphics White-colored mesh can cause dot gain, hazing, and fuzzy dots. To eliminate light scattering, gold, yellow, or orange mesh is recommended. Photo courtesy of Mind's Eye Graphics Label the screen, making note of the date you put it in inventory, and its mesh count. If your shop uses lots of mesh types, you may want to include the thread diameter too. To label the screen, lay it on your exposure unit and find a spot that will be visible during exposure. Photo courtesy of Mind's Eye Graphics Before you affix the label, take it into your screen storage area (the place where you keep screens before and after they're coated), and make sure that the label will be visible during storage. Now you' History of Inkjet Printing on Shirts By Scott Freshener It may seem that inkjet printing on shirts is new when in reality it was first introduced by a company called Emblem in France. Emblem was started in 1993 by Pa trice Grad as a spin off from a company called IMAJE. It was a French government sponsored project. See Image A The Emblem system (called D' TOPE) was unique in that is used UV curing ink printed through industrial inkjet heads. The machine was large and nothing like we see today. In order speed up the curing process UV lights were actually attached to the printing head to help cure the ink immediately after it was printed. See Image B The printing mechanism was designed much like a typical carousel printing press. Two arms held a typical platen. The shirt was loaded or draped over the platen and then the sleeves or excess garment material (in the case of a thick sweatshirt) is tucked under the platen to keep it out of the way of the machinery. Again, all procedures adopted from traditional screen printing on T-Shirts. The operator would then send a command from a graphic program and the shirt would be printed. See Image C Like today's machines, the Emblem machine could also print on yard goods, towels, and even mouse pads. This mouse pad was printed in late 1994 for a 1995 News Years celebration. See Image D Due to funding cuts this project was abandoned in 1997. We were able to obtain a short and very poor quality video tape of this machine in action and would like to thank you for providing this. This video was taken in late 1994. In fact, our good friend and inkjet expert, . History of Inkjet Printing on T-Shirts - Low Quality History of Inkjet Printing on T-Shirts - High Quality

Choice image Screen printing and embroidery can Custom decorate any textile or apparel product. We print and embroider in house right here in the greater Denver area of Colorado. We are not a middle man. Come see our Print facility and watch the t-shirts as they are printed but our professional printers.

If you need corporate attire, Company casuals, School jerseys and Uniforms or just t-shirts for an event or Club, Choice image can get the job done. We have been decorating and customizing apparel and clothing in the Denver area for over twenty years. We're glad to ship our garments anywhere in the country. Our screen print and embroidery prices are Comparable to any companies. Our service and Quality area hard to match.

We print tee's in Denver Colorado using the silk screen and direct digital garment printing process's. Silk screen printing is still the best way to get your image, artwork or Company logo on a shirt, jacket, attache, bag hat or other item.

Welcome to Choice Image screen printing and embroidery. Get custom t-shirts in Denver Colorado. We can product promotional products too. From Key chains and kites to balloons, mugs and everything in between.

Our Denver screen print production facility can be toured anytime. We print and embroider everything in-house. Our Graphics professional can produce any artwork, logo design and layout needed for all printed products.

Printed hoodies are hot! Get school wear with your mascot printed on the shoulder or hood. We even print right over the zipper! T-shirts are our number one seller but we print apron', embroider hats and caps. Do numbering on Jerseys and Uniforms. We'll print apparel and corporate wear and ship anywhere in the USA. Silk screen printed t-shirts can be affordable. Embroidered Polo's are classic! Want you art or tattoo design on a shirt? Contact Choice Image of Denver, Colorado. Come see our screen print machines. Watch as we print the shirt.

Lots of places advertise t-shirt printing and tee imaging. Many do not really do the actual silk screening and or printing in house, But farm out to places like Choice Image in Denver. Make sure not to get your shirts from a middle man. We are factory Direct and do all our own printing and sewing right here in Denver. Let our graphic artist custom create a design just for the silk screen print process or they can help you understand the limatations and creative abilities of our printer and screening process. T-shirts can be printed in a variaty of areas and sizes . Colored t-shirts present their own challenges to the screen printing process. We are experts and silk screen printing, screen printed art and the General decorated t-shirt industry! t-shirts are the best advertising bang for the buck! everyone loves to wear t-shirts and printed tee's. The t-shirt is and american institution. Advertise and promote with printed t-shirts and embroideredjackets and hats. Print a t-shirt with your art or graphic. Logos are not the onlything to print on t's/

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FAQ about Custom T-Shirts and Other Products

berda.com - The USA's Online T-Shirt Printing Shop