FAQ

1. Frequently Asked Questions - Art

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1. What are your prices?
- Prices are determined by the complexity of the project, we base our quotes on a $50 per hour rate. Our artists have been creating production artwork for many industries including promotional products, screen printing, engraving, vinyl cutting, web art, and more. Each has redrawn over 8000 images and they are faster than the average artist.

2. What are our turnaround times?
- Our business hours are Monday-Friday 8-5 Central Standard Time. We guarantee a next business day turnaround time. In situations where the image or the project is extremely complex we will notify you that we may need more time, usually just a 2 business day turn around. If you are in a rush, we offer a $15 same day rush service before 3pm CST, just notify us about your deadline, and we will work our hardest to meet it.

3. What file types will you provide?
- We send the 4 most basic files types - .AI, .EPS, .PDF, .JPG. We can also provide .CDR, and others, just let us know what file type you need as we have the current industry leading software.

4. Who does the work?
- We have 6 artists, all based in the USA, that trace your art within the program by hand, using a mouse and or pen tablet.

5. What can you do to help us keep your art fees down?
When submitting projects always include the following information:

- Imprint method

- Imprint size

- Color of the item being imprinted

- Your complete contact information

- The largest and clearest image you have of the logo or photo being redrawn. If you are in a time crunch tell us your submittal deadline, ASAP means different things, by 1PM EST tomorrow is specific and something we can commit to.

6. How do I order from RIPTAW?
- Register as a new user here – login to place your quote or order online.

- Call us at 1-855-747-8291

- Email projects@riptaw.com ask for a quote and we will quickly respond to your request. We will begin work upon receiving your approval.

7. How does billing work?
- We send out invoices via email using Quickbooks, you will receive an invoice for each project. Include any info required to be on the invoice in your job submittal, we will copy and paste it onto the invoice. If you are billed and later your customer asks for a change, don't worry, just send it over, the majority of our edits are done free of charge and we will alert you if yours are billable.

8. Do you store my art files and do I own them?
- Yes, we archive all files indefinitely and the company or person that pays our bill for the conversion is the owner.

9. What does RIPTAW stand for?
- RIPTAW is an acronym that is a tribute to Jim's son Tyson who was tragically killed by a drunk driver in 2004. It stands for, Rest In Peace Tyson Andrew Wilkes.

 

Frequently Asked Questions - Art

1. What is vector art?
- Vector art, also know as "camera ready art", or "production ready art" is made up of lines and points to create paths or quick simply shapes. In comparison to Raster art, also know as "bitmap" images that are composed of pixels or dots. Some things to keep in mind about vector art:

- It's scalable to any size without the loss of detail, where as raster art will become pixilated and detail will be lost.

- Almost all of the elements within the file are independently editable, raster art cannot accommodate that.

- It's the ideal format for color separations.

- Its Resolution independent, DPI is not an issue, raster isn't so DPI is an issue.

2. Spot Color Vs. CMYK
- Spot colors: are pre-mixed inks using an exact formula and are usually used as solid colors instead of blending the inks. One advantage of spot colors is that you can select the color you want from a swatch book prior to printing and you can rest assure the printed item will be the same exact color.

- CMYK: also referred to as 4 color or full color process. Printers using CMYK process print out four different plates from your file. A separate plate for each of these colors; Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. The full color spectrum is achieved by combining these four colors. With this process there may be slight color variations.

3. Can you match colors?
- No, it's impossible to match colors based on submitted art. All computer monitors display color differently so what you see may not be exactly what we see. It's always best to consult a PMS book. Any CMYK or RGB value can be made into a swatch for separation purposes.

4. Does art always have to be vector?
- No, all imprint methods do not require vector art. It's always best to consult your vendor on their requirements for art. When vector art is not required DPS or Image Resolution does become a factor. We can check resolution of almost any image for you usually at no charge.