Planning Ahead for Printed Products
A Plan to Print
Buying a custom printed item from Celina is like ordering a cake with extra icing (or a pizza with double cheese and olives – you know, whatever your preference is with food and “extras”). Not only do you get the base item in all of its event accessory glory, but now you’ve got that little added flavor that elevates your installation by so much more. We’ve previously outlined exactly the process that printed orders take to get from your brain to your backyard; today we’re giving you a Printed Item Checklist to help you make sure you get what you need, when you need it.
Planning for Time: Decisions
All people are capable of doing amazing things. Truly remarkable things, so long as they take one very, immensely important step. That step is, of course, to get up and begin to do the thing. Just as rolling a boulder downhill requires the most energy to start the ball rolling, so to speak, starting an action is the biggest hurdle in terms of getting a project going. Decisions should generally include what product you’ve decided on getting (a 10’ x 10’ Fast Shade, maybe), what your imagery should be (this is for work, so our logo, big on the sides!), and around what time you’d like to start using it (the county fair next month). Once the process has begun, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to outline your whole idea.
Creation Station
Once you know what the product is, you can begin to design how you want your logo or image displayed on it. Each product that we print will have a print template linked to the product page (there is also a main listing of templates in the Knowledge Center). If no template is listed, you can email us at sales@gettent.com and we’ll be able to send you a template for the desired item. Providing downloadable templates gives you the option of creating the graphic on your own, if you wish. Celina does provide design services if graphic manipulation isn’t your thing; send in your artwork and we’ll create a layout for you to look over and approve before we begin processing. All of the steps required to choose a good image and create a stunning print are outlined in our “Print Parade 2018” blog series, starting with “Is My Image a Good Image?”.
Payment Progression
One of the issues with selling large tents and their various pieces of hardware is that prices can add up very quickly. The price for a printed version of a product will differ from the standard plain white variety, so make sure you’ve addressed this with your accounting department or spouse, respectively. Or both.
It is very important to make sure that you’ve placed your order as soon as you decide to get it. This will actually secure your item a space in the production schedule. Production won’t actually start on your item until the print design has been verified and ok’d by you, the customer, so that the final product is exactly what you want. Completing the order through the payment step is the only way to secure this production spot.
Planning for Time: Shipping Methods
Celina doesn’t own its own shipping company; all items are scheduled according to their weight and destination, and not every option is available for every shipment. Because of this – and all of the standard perils of shipping – it is not a good idea to place an order with the expectation of expedited shipping as an option. By contacting one of our Customer Account Managers you will be able to gather any shipping information you need.
An additional note: Expedited shipping can be requested on UPS-shipped items only. All standard LTL/semi-trailer shipments do not have an expedited option. UPS orders are limited to orders that do not exceed 200 pounds or are more than 9’ long.
I know, it seems like a lot to take into account. Luckily, Celina has a whole mess of Customer Account Managers ready to help you! Feel free to look through our Knowledge Center for more information on the print process or send any general questions to sales@gettent.com.