Frequently Asked Questions
Artwork Specifications -
Orders containing logos or graphics must be accompanied with clean vector artwork (black and white for engraved products).
Engraving Artwork - Artwork submitted in grayscale or with gradient colors may incur an art charge. Any art that does not satisfy our artwork guidelines will incur an art charge. When art does not conform to our artwork guidelines the minimum art charge is £25.00 plus VAT. Our hourly rate is £35.00 per hour plus VAT. Customers will be contacted before any art charges would be applicable.
ARTWORK FILE GUIDELINES
- Engraving - Vector Black & White Line Art (no grayscale, color, or halftones)
- Printing - Vector artwork
- PC-platform file formats (EPS, AI, PDF, CDR)
- Images embedded inside of Word documents is not acceptable art.
- Convert all fonts to outlines/curves before sending.
After your order has been placed, we always provide you with a pre-production proof for you to approve before production commences.
Please see our other page re. artwork FAQ's for more information.
What is your turnaround time?
It all depends on how busy we are when you place your order. For most items, a proof is sent between 1 to 5 business days from receipt of order. Once approved most orders can be produced within 1 to 2 working weeks, sometimes sooner (if we can). If you have a urgent deadline, please let us know when you order and we will do our very best to help you meet this.
Can I rush through an order?
If we are not too busy we will always try to help out with quick turnarounds. However for complete peace of mind you can ensure priority for an additional 10% to 25% of the order value.
Can you send me a proof before order and payment?
For us, time is money and we simply cannot commit to speculative graphic design work for an unknown customer (i.e. web customer) without an order and payment in place. Unfortunately we do not have the luxury of working for free, so please do not be offended if we ask for payment first. We too, have bills to pay!
After your order has been placed, we always provide you with a pre-production proof for you to approve before production commences.
Do you offer free goods for free advertising?
We have, on numerous occasions, have had offers of advertising bundles in exchange for bartered goods, We are a small business and we simply cannot take up all of the advertising offers of this nature (we have had a few you see..). Again, as we have stated above, we do not have the luxury of working for free advertising only, and therefore we would need payment for the goods provided.
Is Plywood Environmentally Friendly?
The wood that is used to make plywood comes from sustainable forests. In addition many plywood manufacturers replant more trees than they actually use in the manufacture of plywood. We also actively seek from our suppliers evidence of commitment to continuous improvement in environmental performance, information on the source of wood products and evidence of good forest management practice. Currently all plywood supplied is FSC certified.
Other Woods - We will only source materials from suppliers who are operating within the laws of their own country. With the growing public awareness of the environment and environmental issues, and with many customers specifically requesting certified timber, we stock woods originating from sustainable and correctly managed forests, and in particular FSC certified products. (FSC products have their forest of origin independently inspected and evaluated according to environmental, social and economic criteria agreed by the Forest Stewardship Council AC.)
Another wood we use is alderwood, This is an American hardwood and is classed as “an abundant, sustainable and legal resource under the United States rule of law.” Virtually every portion of the alder log is used during the lumber manufacturing process. While the lumber is manufactured into furniture or cabinetry, the tree bark becomes mulch and the sawdust is fuel for the mill. Furthermore, it takes less energy to manufacture lumber than it does to manufacture steel, concrete, aluminum, glass, or plastic. Alder trees grow quickly and die relatively young – at approximately 60 years. If a tree dies in the forest it begins to release the carbon it had previously sequestered. By harvesting this prolific tree and manufacturing it into furniture, cabinetry and millwork, carbon remains sequestered for the life of the finished product. It is estimated that each year more than 175 million tons of carbon are stored in wood products.
Why is thinner plywood more expensive?
The thinner the plywood the more expensive it becomes. Therefore if you required 0.8mm thick birch plywood the price increases by 30%.
Will you send me a sample of one of your products?
We send out 100's of samples, many "Free of Charge" and we will continue to do so. Please don't expect to see a sample of all of our products as we have such a varied product range. Each sample request will be considered carefully. Some samples are chargeable (invitations etc.) and usually cost £5 for each sample (the Cube and the Wedding Wheel are £10.00 each). Apologies for charging for samples however we receive so many requests of this nature we have to charge this amount to cover production and delivery costs. Sorry, but we cannot engrave single, bespoke samples.
Will you engrave our design and, if so, how should our artwork be supplied?
Yes we can. Please see the below artwork specification.
When supplying artwork please note that vector artwork is preferred, saved as an Adobe Illustrator AI, EPS or Corel Draw file. Please ensure that all fonts are outlined or supplied (PC format true type or post script).
Can you offer a bespoke design service?
Yes we can, our graphic design rates are very reasonable. Please contact us for more details.
I have not received my proof, can you advise?
If you didn't receive your proof, the most common reason is that your SPAM filter has blocked or placed the email into your Junk Mail or Trash. This is happens a lot with AOL and ipad users. Please check you Junk folders and if it is not there please contact us for an update.
Can you print as well as engrave the wooden invitations?
Yes we can full colour print (INCLUDING WHITE) onto both the wooden and acrylic items. We can also print onto pencils. The only items we cannot offer print is to non flat items such as driftwood. Please feel free to contact us via email or phone (01386 849217) if you have any queries on this.