Follow these simple tips when ordering your custom screen printed t-shirts for a quicker and more trouble free experience.

The first thing to be discussed is the difference between screen printing and digital garment printing. In general screen printing is a more labor intensive process than digital printing and requires color separations and individual screens to be made for each color in the design. Look no further for more information
Digital garment printing on the other hand is simply a shirt printed in a printer much like the paper printer that most of us use everyday to print photos or documents.

The subject of a different article, but for now suffice it to say that digital garment prints work better on white or light colored shirts and are better suited to short run orders.

Artwork is a prime factor in getting your shirts printed in a timely manner. The better the artwork, the better the finished product. I’m sure you have heard the old adage “Junk in, Junk out”, well, this is truly the case when it comes to screenprinting. Artwork falls into two basic groups depending on what software program produced it or where it came from.The first group I will talk about are Raster images. Raster images will have file extensions such as .bmp, .jpg ,.tif, or .psd and are pixel maps which are dependent on resolution (dots per inch ) to maintain clarity. The higher the dpi, the clearer the image will be. While Raster images are great for digital printing, they can be problematic for screen printing in that file sizes are typically large and color separations can be more difficult, not to mention the pix-elation that occurs when up sizing images. If a Raster image is the only option that you have, be sure that it is sized appropriately for screen printing and in a high resolution (at least 300 dpi original resolution) before sending to avoid additional art charges or unnecessary delays.

The second group is called vector images. Vector images are preferred by screen printers due to their flexibility in resizing without degradation, smaller file sizes and ease of color separations. Typical file extensions for vector images are .ai, .eps and .cdr. Vector images use point coordinates and mathematical equations to define elements in an image as opposed to pixels and can therefore be re-sized without discrimination. Vector images are your best bet for getting a fast turnaround and avoiding additional art charges when ordering your custom t-shirts printing.

Color selection is also something to be considered ahead of time to help expedite your order. Your printer will need to know the pantone colors that you would like to be used in yourt-shirts printing.

Shirt Selection can be confusing, but basically there are two main fabric weight classes to select from, 5.6 oz or 6.1 oz. Beyond that style will need to be decided, Ladies or Men’s, short sleeve or long sleeve, pockets or not, scoop neck v-neck or regular, as well as shirt color. It will save much time if all of this is decided ahead of time, and whether you purchase your shirts from our company or not, please feel free to shop and make selections with our online Catalog If your custom t-shirts printing order includes any individualization such as names or numbers prepare a list displaying properly spelled names, numbers, and sizes to help avoid confusion.

We hope that this article has been helpful in making a custom screen printing order a little less daunting. Artistic Apparel has been in the decorated apparel business for 6 years and is a supplier of quality apparel, Screen Printing, and promotional products. Please visit our web page here, Core Media

We simplify the sometimes complicated process of buying a new home!

Our step-by-step guidelines make it easy.

The next step is to get your financing in order. This is vital to a smooth transaction. Please read our report on the difference between “pre-qualification” and “pre-approval”. This gives us the “ammunition” we need to negotiate on your behalf for the best possible price and terms. Not only will this help, but check out our “Bundle” service for great savings. Having the right mortgage broker is as important as having the right Realtor. They are both vital in your home buying transaction. Accent Properties is a “family” company. …and my son, Michael, is our “in-house” mortgage broker. He is highly qualified to find you the best mortgage rate possible. Obviously you are free to choose any mortgage broker, but we do make our discount service available to you.

At this point, we will enter a detailed description of the home you’re looking for into our MLS service. You will receive every listing within your search criteria and then receive brand new listings as soon as they “hit” the market. We want to put as much detail as possible so you aren’t overloaded with too many homes to look through. It doesn’t make sense to us to keep sending you home listings that won’t meet your needs. We will deposit homes into your shopping cart……and you tell us which ones you like.

Once we find a home that interests you, we will set an appointment to look at the property. If you live out of town, we will preview the home for you. In this case, we usually call you while we’re there and tell you about the home as we walk through. This way, you can ask any questions that you might have at that point. If the seller is agreeable, we will also take additional photos and e-mail them to you. We are careful to tell you both the good and bad points of the home. Sometimes I feel that we go overboard in pointing out negative issues…..but we want you to be advised of anything that will affect your decision.

When we have found the home that is right for you, we will prepare a detailed market analysis to determine the best “offer price”. We consider how long the home has been on the market, the trends within the neighborhood showing what other homes have sold for, how soon you need to move, etc.

It’s time now to write the offer. We want to be sure that it is written with your best interests in mind. Offer price… home inspection….pest inspection…..disclosures, any items that you ask to remain with the home…..earnest money……title insurance…..home warranty…..closing date……any or special stipulations……any environmental tests, including mold inspection and radon gas testing, you wish to have conducted…..and all state required documents. We also attend to any issues regarding zoning, easements or other restrictions that might apply to the property. We always want to ask the seller to provide a CLUE report, which would tell us about any insurance claims that have been made on the property. Note* We actually provide radon gas testing for you as part of our comprehensive service to you.

Negotiation time! We present the offer along with a copy of the market analysis, your earnest money check and your pre-approval letter. This lets the sellers know that we have done our homework and are prepared for a swift closing. We are careful to protect your confidentiality…..never divulging any of your personal information to the listing agent. And they do ask because they work for the seller and want to give them every advantage.

Once we have finished negotiations, we are then ready to send a copy of the executed contract to the mortgage department for processing. At this point, the appraisal is ordered. While the paperwork is being processed, we will be conducting our home inspection and environmental testing. We strive for a smooth, trouble-free transaction.

We will be working with the closing department…. handling all the closing details during this time of mortgage finalization…..making sure that all paperwork is in order. Your responsibility during this time is to provide any required documentation and also to provide the name and phone number of your homeowners insurance agent.

We schedule a final walk-through the day of closing to make sure that the home is in the same condition as it was the day of purchase. At this time, you will need to carefully check the home and sign an agreement that you are accepting the home in its present condition.

Closing time! Once everything is ready, we set a time for closing that is convenient to you. In the State of Florida, closings are handled through a title company or attorney working directly with the lender. If you cannot be present for closing, it can be handled through FedEx. All funds for closing must be in the form of certified funds. We always attend the closing with you to insure that everything is in order…..and all your questions are answered. Our job is finished only when you are satisfied. Click for an overview of the Good Funds Law.

We truly appreciate your business and know that without you, we wouldn’t have a business. Please contact me about anything we can do to help make your home buying process or move easier.

Construction defects can occur in multiple areas of your house, condo, or townhome, including the exterior. Since there is such a wide range of construction defects it is sometime difficult to determine whether or not the building issues you are experiencing are in fact construction defects or just simply a necessary repair. How do you know if your issues are from a construction defect and why does it matter?

If the cause of the building issue is not from your negligence but from the negligence of the builder, developer, contractor, or any other professional involved in the construction of your house, any one of them or all of them may be responsible for the cost of repairs.

One root of these building issues can be fireplaces. You may have an issue with insufficient clearances between fireplaces and combustible materials and/or missing or incomplete installation of firestops between floors.

Insufficient Clearances between Fireplaces and Combustible Materials

Insufficient clearances between fireplaces and combustible materials can be a serious construction defect. The construction, placement, chosen material, and other aspects of fireplaces have to adhere to certain regulations and building codes. These regulations and building codes are in place to look out for the safety of the inhabitants of a building. They can be strict but they do serve a public purpose. Not being compliant with these restrictions can result in a hazardous situation. Insufficient clearances between fireplaces and combustible materials are fire hazards.

Use of Non-Approved Decorative Chimney Terminations

Use of non-approved decorative chimney terminations is a common problem that many homeowners may have, unbeknownst to them. A construction defect like this may only become evident to a homeowner when there are some obvious issues, such as excessive smoke collection or when the fire cannot escape and/or have room to breathe. If you are having issues with the functioning of your fireplace and chimney you may need to verify that use of non-approved decorative chimney terminations is not the issue.