Congratulations Rachel - T.A.S.

Congrats to our Rachel Valdez for achieving the industry's Trained Advertising Specialist designation, T.A.S. In order to receive this designation, she completed a set of required courses spanning a wide range of areas covering promotional product sales, service, artwork, decorating, safety, product and business topics.

Education and continuing training for our staff is a high priority at The Creative J. It is our focus to be as educated and knowledgable about all aspects of our industry so that we can provide our customers with the most up to date and informed information possible.

Seriously, We're Certified!

We're info junkies here at The Creative J. I have never seen a staff so committed to learning and researching than we have here. Whether it's learning the latest in apparel decorating techniques, researching how much weight a bag will hold, or testing the quality of a pen, our staff is constantly striving to provide our customers with the information necessary to make informed decisions.

Part of our learning quest is to become fully certified specialists in our industry. Did you know there is a certification process for promotional product distributors? By attending various classes, seminars and educational events, certification can be earned through our international industry association, PPAI (Promotional Products Association International).

Currently, we have two staff members who have received their T.A.S. designations (Trained Advertising Specialist), with the rest of our staff working to attain their certifications this year. Over 25 credits of industry training was completed in order to receive these certifications. 

Classes include subjects spanning a range of topics covering the promotional products industry – everything from ethics and proper business practices, to artwork and decoration techniques, to product safety and compliance.

And, we are not stopping there! Our next step is to receive the C.A.S. certification, a process which requires over 75 credits and at least 3 years experience in the industry. 

So why should you use a certified promotional products consultant for your promotional marketing? Easy! We have the best knowledge to help guide you in making the right decisions for marketing your company or brand. We can advise you on a variety of things such as what items and artwork will imprint best, what products or suppliers are the quality you need, and how to make the most of your budget. Once you work with us,  you'll see how we can make the entire process much simpler for you by allowing us to do the legwork and research. We know what works, and what has failed. We know how important it is to make sure the products you receive will work for your marketing purposes.

We're not just sales people, we're true consultants. We're here to help you reach your marketing goals, solve problems, and find the best possible way for you to present your brand – which is a reflection of yourself.

If you'd like to read more about why using a professional promotional product consultant is a great thing, just click here:  Why Use a Consultant?

What Are Those Extra Charges?

On most orders of promotional products, you'll see some charges in addition to the item cost, which you may have not been expecting. Depending on the imprinting method, you may encounter screen charges, set up charges, die charges, plate charges, PMS match charges and running charges. Why these additional charges? Let me try to explain:

Set Up Charges:  Most suppliers charge this per location, per color, per size. This covers the cost for the supplier to set up their equipment, load the inks and plates or screens, and get the order ready to run. It may also include the cost of plates or screens. If a supplier doesn't charge these, it simply means they have rolled that cost into the price of the item.

Screen, Plate or Die Charges:  These are charges for the silkscreens, plates or dies used to create the imprinting material from the supplied artwork. These materials are then used on the printing equipment to transfer the imprint to the item. Some suppliers include these charges in the Set Up Charge. Since for each color there needs to be a separate screen, plate or die, you are charged per color for these.

PMS Match Charges:  Most suppliers will have a list of stock ink colors they keep on hand or have preloaded in their imprinting equipment. If you want your imprint color to match the PMS color of your logo as close as possible, then most suppliers will charge the PMS Match fee. This covers the extra cost of exact PMS inks, and also the labor to clean the printing equipment, load it with the specific color, and to clean it again to reload it with the stock color.

Running Charges: The majority of items are priced with a one color imprint included in the item price. If you decide to imprint in multiple colors, or in multiple locations, then running charges apply. These cover the cost to run the items through the printing equipment multiple times – once for each color and each location. Usually the only time you won't have running charges is if the item is being digital printed. When printed digitally, all colors are laid down on the item at one time.

Less Than Minimum Charge:  If you want to order below the minimum quantity listed for the item, most suppliers will allow you to order 1/2 of the listed minimum...for an additional charge. This charge covers the portion of the set up they have already included in the item price and have allowed for with the minimum quantity listed. 

Proof Charges:  To make sure your imprint is going be positioned correctly, sized right and all the elements are there, the suppliers send an email proof, usually showing the imprint positioned on the item. (There are some that just haven't been able to figure this part out, but we're working on them!) The proof charge covers their cost of the additional paperwork and delays in the production process to prepare the proof. Now, it is always your option to forgo the proofing process, but an option we strongly oppose. There are times there might not be time due to a tight deadline, but whenever possible, it's best to have a proof sent to make sure everything is right.

These are the most common charges that may show up on your order, depending on the items, imprinting method, and colors. When you work with The Creative J, we will always send you a confirmation showing all your charges BEFORE we place the order. Once you approve the confirmation and charges, then your order is placed and the process should be clear and simple for you to follow.