FAQ for Promotional Product Buyers (Frequently Asked Questions)
Check back often as this page is frequently updated.
Order Questions
Q. What’s the best way to order?
A: We give you personal attention which means we handle each order individually. Promotional products are by nature a custom product so communication is important.
You’re welcome to visit our online stores (Plano Promo or RKC Promo online.) to view products, place orders or make inquiries. We have a special catalog of golf products. There are links on our website to suppliers where you can order directly from them. Those orders are automated. One such supplier link is for rubber stamps, labels, etc.
Please complete our contact form if you have questions. Be sure to leave contact information if you get voice mail. Our goal is to give the best customer service possible and respect your time as well.
Q. Can I order other quantites?
A. In most cases, yes, you may order any quantity above the minimum quantity requirement for most of our products.
Pricing between listed quantities will be based on the lesser quantity. Some products are case quantity and you can’t order in between quantities.
Many suppliers offer Less Than Minimum (LTM) quantities. LTMs have an additional cost associated with them so feel free to inquire if they are available.
Many suppliers have a +/- policy of 5% – 10%. This means that they may produce and ship 5% – 10% more or less than the order requests. The additional quantities are billed and are considered acceptable for a complete order. If less than the order is shipped, we will invoice the lesser amount.
Q. What is included in the cost of my order?
A. The total cost of your order will include the product cost, applicable set up charges and shipping & handling. Some orders do not have setup charges but all will have shipping charges unless we have quoted a price which includes shipping.
If you are located in Texas 8.25% sales tax will also be applied. Texas charges sales tax on orders shipped to Texas. Texas charges sales tax on shipping as well. As most of these items differ from order to order, it is best to obtain your total by calling us at 1-877-550-4723. If you have placed an order through our website, a confirmation will be sent to your email address which will include the order total.
Q. Rush Orders?
A. Yes, orders for some of our products can be expedited upon request. This will depend on product availability and production times for each item. You will be billed rush charges in addition to applicable shipping charges.
Some orders may qualify for rush production with standard shipping but some orders may require expedited shipping in order to get rush production.
We will discuss your in-hands date and rush options.
Q. My order is on hold, how do I proceed?
A. We do not release orders into production until all the information we need to complete the orders has been received. There are several reasons your order may be on hold. The reason for the order being placed on hold should be included with the correspondence.
Q. Can I change my order?
A. If you are a customer that has received a fax verification of your order then you can make changes on that form and fax it back to us at 1-877-550-4723 or call us at the same number. We will do our best to make changes but please note that if your order is already in production, changes will likely delay delivery of your order and additional charges may apply.
Q: What is the difference between an art charge and a setup charge?
A: Additional charges include:
- An art charge is a charge to prepare proper art work. Art charges may be added for cleaning up and preparing artwork by us, a third party graphics firm or the supplier. We will discuss these items with you and provide a cost estimate before proceeding. Charges for art prep are billed and payable even if you don’t go forward with an order.
- A setup, screen or die charge is a charge for setting up the equipment, etc. for the decoration process including foil and hot stamp, embroidery, screen printing.
- Die and/or mold charges are usually associated with emboss, deboss and some metal molding processes. These are normally charged by the supplier or manufacturer as part of the decoration process.
- Tool charge: another form of die or mold charge
Q: What are Over-runs and Under-runs?
A: It is customary for over/under-runs of +/- 5-10% for promotional products. Most of the time it is +/- 5% and varies by supplier. This is a normal part of production process. If it is critical that you receive an exact quantity, please contact us for availability. Many suppliers charge a fee for exact quantities. More and more suppliers are shipping exact quantities, especially on larger items.
Q. When will my order ship?
A. Most orders ship within two weeks after receipt of your imprint/art approval. Most suppliers now have 3-5 day production time. The nature of some products require 7-10 day production time.
Orders produced overseas will ship 4 to 6 weeks after imprint/art approval, sometimes longer. If a product is on back order you will be notified. Some orders can be rushed and additional charges may apply.
Q: Will I be charged sales or use tax?
A: Sales tax may be charged depending on your location and/or where the product is shipped. Residents (includes businesses) located in certain states will be charged applicable sales tax. Texas residents are required to pay sales tax unless your business meets the requirements for exempt or resale purchases. A Texas sales tax exemption form is required if we are not collecting sales tax from an order shipping to a Texas address. Texas and other states charge sales tax on shipping charges.
Please note: Although we may not charge sales and/or use tax, customers are responsible for determining their sales and use tax liability. Customers are also responsible for paying sales and use tax not collected by us if applicable. Each state may have its own rules regarding use and sales tax.
Q. I have a problem with my order. Who do I call to have this problem fixed?
A. We are very sorry this happened and we want to correct your problem right away. Please contact one of our Customer Service Representatives at 1-800-550-4723 or email to info@rkcpromo.com.
Decoration Questions
Q. How many lines and characters can I use for my imprint?
A. The limitations for the imprint length vary from product to product. The limit for a particular product is displayed with the product on our website at RKCPromo.com.
Imprint area may be specified by the number of characters for text imprints or by diameter or square inches depending on product shape.
Q. What process is used to imprint my product(s)?
A. Various methods are used to apply imprints, depending on the product. A few examples are:
- Hot stamp
- Pad Printing
- Screen Printing (wearables and most products)
- Embroidery
- Tackle Twiill
- Vinyl Lettering
- Applique
- Reverse Applique
- Laser Etch (can be applied to fabric, metal pens, leather products)
Q. Can I have my custom logo imprinted on all products?
A. Each product we offer has a designated imprinting area. The amount of detail contained in your logo and the shape and size of the product you want to put it on are factors. Each product on this website contains information about the maximum imprinting area.
If you would like us to advise you whether your logo will work on a specific product, please email the logo to info@rkcpromo.com along with the product number on to which you would like it imprinted.
We accept .jpg, .eps, .png file formats for evaluation but a high resolution vector file is best. If you do not have a digital version of your logo, we can use a letterhead or a business card to evaluate your logo and determine if it will require additional charges to be made camera ready.
Q. Will I get a proof of my custom logo before my order is produced?
A. Yes. You must approve this proof before we put your order into production. We can send this proof via fax, email or regular mail.
Production time does not begin until the proof is approved. Regular mail or other delivery services may create additional cost and may delay your order for days or weeks depending on time to turn around the proof. Digital proofs are more commonly used and are best for quick approval. Email approval of proofs may also be acceptable.
Q. What is black and white camera ready artwork?
A. This is a sharp black and white image of your logo, 300 dpi or higher, along with any text you wish imprinted. The artwork your printing company made to reproduce your logo on your business forms OR your logo printed from a laser printer, are both excellent for our use. Your stationery printer may be able to provide a vector EPS file for you.
Remember the following:
- Photocopies, faxes, shaded artwork, and raised lettering, unfortunately cannot be used for printing promotional products.
- Images downloaded from websites are not suitable for printing.
- Images saved from word processors and publishing programs are not useable.
- A jpg or png file saved as an eps file will not produce a higher resolution file. Art will have to be resized and a bitmap file will not size if it isn’t a high resolution file to start.
Q. Can I put individual names on the items?
A. Individual name personalization is available on some items. It’s best to inquire for details.
Decoration/Embellishment Techniques
This section may link to blog post also shown elsewhere on this site.
Decoration Options
There are many ways to decorate jackets, t-shirts, polos, caps, blankets and general garments. New techniques are being developed as technology becomes less expensive.
Laser Etching
This method uses a laser to burn the surface level of a garment for a tonal imprint. Laser etching is not suitable for all fabrics and is not as noticeable on dark color garments.
This process produces intricate detailing including fonts less than half an inch high and can go over seams and zippers. It can be used on high-pile fleece, denim, micro suede and some polyesters.
When etching on denim, the laser actually removes the pigment, leaving an off-white image. The picture shown above runs down a jacket sleeve. Laser etching can cover a large area.
The picture on the right shows leather etching.
We have used laser etching on leather portfolios and brief cases. This process gives a “branded†look. Leather debossing is normally for smaller areas so this is an option.
Screen Printing
Screen printing is one of the most common and inexpensive decoration applications. This is a process for printing images, text and patterns using stencils to transfer the design. Silk or nylon screens are used to allow ink to penetrate areas not blocked by the stencil. Several stencils can be used to incorporate a number of colors for a single print. Screen printing is great for large areas.
Discharge Printing
This process uses a special “discharge†ink that removes the shirt color. It can also replace the color. It produces a soft print and will not have bleed through from the shirt.
Embroidery
This decoration process uses needlework to create the design. The garment is hooped and thread is applied by the machine. The design is digitized by a computer. Embroidery can be done on large areas but most embroidery is applied to smaller areas.
Sublimation
This may also be called dye sublimation printing. Fabrics must be polyester-rich. Images are printed onto paper and then it is transferred by applying pressurized heat.
Direct to Garment
Images are printed using specialized or modified inkjet technology. Garments should be cotton-rich. This process is a little more expensive than screen printing.
Applique
Shaped pieces of fabric are sewn on a foundation fabric to form a design or pattern.
Shipping Questions
Q. Which shipping options are available?
A. The delivery times vary according to the destination and method used to ship your order. You may choose from our standard ground service, 2 day or 1 day delivery.
Ground service should arrive at your location in 7 business days or less.
2 day delivery is to any Continental U.S. destination and 4 business days to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
1 day delivery to any Continental U.S. location and 2 days to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
Expedited shipping does not extend production time which is determined when the order is placed. Shipping, or transit time is always in addition to production time.
Weather and other uncontrollable situations may delay shipments and should always be considered with tight delivery deadlines.
Q. How is shipping determined?
A. Ground shipping is always the first choice because it is most economical. It is not feasible to ship most promotional products via expedited channels because of weight and volume.
Q. How much is shipping and handling?
A.Shipping charges are a necessary part of this business. We don’t markup shipping charges but the charges are sometimes difficult to estimate. The shipping charges calculated on the online order forms may be over- or understated because of the estimates. We don’t process any orders automatically. You will be contacted to verify and confirm the order information as well as the shipping. Most online orders will have a final shipping amount less than the amount shown. The lower shipping rate is billed.
Charges vary according to destination and weight. Orders are shipped from the factory using UPS or FedEx Ground Service. We also offer UPS Blue, UPS Red and FedEx Air,different charges apply according to weight and destination. If you would like to know your shipping charges prior to placing your order, please contact our Customer Service Department by sending an e-mail to info@rkcpromo.com or by calling 1-877-550-4723. We will provide your shipping and handling cost based on UPS Ground Service.
Q. How are orders normally shipped?
A. Unless you specify otherwise, your order will be shipped using UPS or FedEx Ground Service. Please note that a physical shipping address is required for all orders. We are unable to deliver to post office boxes.
Q. Do you ship outside the U.S.?
A. We do not currently ship outside of the United States. If you wish to ship your order overseas, we recommend having your order delivered to a U.S. address where you can then ship the merchandise to the country of choice.
Billing Questions
Q. What forms of payment are accepted?
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover cards or check prepayment. We do not currently accept credit cards online except when ordering at Plano Promo but arrangements will be made through the representative handling your order.
Check prepayment from new customers will also delay order placement.
If you would like to provide bank references, we will establish an account for you with 10 days net terms. Please allow 10 to 30 days for an open account to be setup. Please provide credit card information if this is your first order and time is critical.
Q. Do I have to pay state sales tax?
A. We are required to collect and remit sales tax on purchases in Texas unless a valid exemption certificate is provided by the customer. Purchases made outside of Texas may be subject to sales and/or use tax in the receiving state but we do not have a part in tracking those sales.
Please note: Customers are responsible for determining their sales and use tax liability and remitting such tax to the appropriate state tax agency.
