Frequently Asked Questions

What can a Customer Satisfaction Specialist do for me?

Do you have other products not listed online?

How do I place an order?

How much is the shipping and handling fee?

When will I receive my order?

What are screen charges, plate charges and programming fees?

Can I order less than the minimum quantity shown?

What is a Custom Logo?

What is a Custom Logo Charge?

What typestyles can I use?

What is a stock logo?

Can I use copyrighted material?

What is camera-ready art?

In what format should I send my artwork to you?

What file formats are preferred?

Can I send laserprinted output as artwork?

How do I get my artwork to you?

Is ordering online secure?

What are your terms of use?

How does STEPromos help prevent errors?

Do I have to pay sales tax?

What is Over/Under Runs?

What is a California Proposition 65 Warning?

 

Question: What can a Customer Satisfaction Specialist do for me?
Answer: STEPromos.com is designed to allow our customers to find and purchase personalized promotional products quickly and easily, without the need to call and speak to a specialist. However, the nature of the products offered and the specific needs of our customers require a staff of knowledgeable and courteous representatives to help fulfill certain orders. STEPromos Customer Satisfaction Specialists are trained to find unusual products, resolve problems and otherwise smooth the way for a satisfactory shopping experience for our customers. Our website will easily handle the majority of typical orders. If you have specific needs, or if you encounter difficulty completing an order, please call 1-866-PRINT-IT and a Customer Satisfaction Specialist will help you. (top)

Question: Do you have other products not listed online?
Answer: STEPromos has many, many items not featured on our website. Our product offerings evolve constantly to reflect the newest and most popular trends in promotional marketing. If you cannot find what you want online, or have a specific need, our sales specialists will find that product and provide a quote. (top)

Question: How do I place an order?
Answer: When you find an item you would like to purchase, simply select the quantity you want, and proceed to the shopping cart. The site will direct you step by step through the ordering process. You will be asked to provide imprint information for your item, as well as color and type style choices where applicable. The shopping cart will ask for complete shipping and payment information. The easiest and fastest way to order is with a credit card, but customers may also establish credit with STEPromos by completing a short credit application. (top)

Question: How much is the shipping and handling fee?
Answer: Shipping depends on the weight and destination of your product. Handling is 8% of your order total, but will not exceed $12.95. Due to the multitude of distribution centers and means of shipment, shipping costs can not be determined exactly until the order is complete. That is why they are not added into your order in the shopping cart. Our customer satisfaction specialists can give you an estimate of your shipping and handling costs. Please call 1-866-PRINT-IT. (top)

Question: When will I receive my order?
Answer: Production time depends on the product you order. Plastic and laser pens take approximately two weeks from the time we receive your order to the date it is delivered to your door. Calendar orders take about three weeks. Other advertising specialty items can take two to four weeks. Artwork and proofs require additional time. If you have a specific date when you require your shipment, let us know in advance. We will make every effort to ensure your items arrive on time. (top)

Question: What are screen charges, plate charges and programming fees?
Answer: These are industry standard charges for the set-up of specific printing equipment used to produce your imprinted products. Plastic pens, apparel and many advertising specialty items use a screen printing process. Vinyl calendars require a metal plate to imprint your message. Laser engraving is a computerized process that requires specific programming to set-up each order. (top)

Question: Can I order less than the minimum quantity shown?
Answer: As a rule, the minimum quantities are established by our factories' production restrictions and therefore cannot be changed. Certain items, however, can be ordered at less than the minimum quantity for an additional charge. These items are usually indicated and the additional charges noted. (top)

Question: What is a Custom Logo?
Answer: We recognize the importance of promoting a corporate identity in today's busy marketplace. To assist you, we will imprint your company's logo for an additional charge. All custom logos require clear camera-ready art. Photocopies, colored ink, paper or raised printing cannot be reproduced. See instructions for camera ready art below. Please specify where we should locate your logo. If you don't specify a location, your logo will be placed at the discretion of our artists. (top)

Question: What is a Custom Logo Charge?
Answer: A custom logo charge is necessary to prepare a logo or graphic you submit to us to be imprinted on a product. You will not be charged if you select one of our free stock logos to use instead of your own artwork. (top)

Question: What typestyles can I use?
Answer: The products featured on this website offer three standard options for type: Times (serif), Modern (san-serif) and Script. These options meet the needs of most of our customers. Laser engraved items are limited to Times, Modern and Script type. If you use a specific typeface in your promotional material, you may request that typeface for your imprint. STEPromos has license to thousands of typefaces in the Adobe Type Library. If your requested font is not part of the Adobe Library, you must send your artwork in a format that include non-editable fonts, such as PDF. To comply with copyright and licensing laws, STEPromos is unable to accept or use fonts sent to us by our customers. You may see a representative selection from the Adobe Type Library by clicking on FONTS. (top)

Question: What is a stock logo?
Answer: Several laser engraved items are available with specially designed logos that we offer free of charge. STEPromos subscribes to the Blue Book, a compilation of thousands of art designs and brand logos that may be used on your imprinted promotional products. You may see a selection of some of the thousands of available logos by clicking on ART. Make note of the number of the art you want and use it to upload the artwork on the product page when placing your order. Please specify where we should locate the logo. If you don't specify a location, the logo will be placed at the discretion of our artists. (top)

Question: Can I use copyrighted material?
Answer: Customers are totally responsible for obtaining rights to use any logo, trademark, service mark, artwork, name, photograph, statement, illustration or any other intellectual property on the products purchased by the customer. STEPromos shall not be held liable for the unauthorized use of any art, logo, trademark or copyright printed on any item ordered by the customer. The customer agrees to hold STEPromos harmless from any claims, suits or actions alleging that the products purchased by the customer violates or infringes on any rights of any third party. The customer further agrees to defend and indemnify STEPromos Printing from any such claims, suits or actions. (top)

Question: What is camera-ready art?
Answer: "Camera ready" refers to art and copy that is ready to be imprinted onto a product without being retouched, reworked or otherwise "cleaned up" by our art department. Logos, images and artwork must be clear, sharp line artwork without ragged, jagged edges. Type appearing in logos should be the same quality and may need to be reset by our art department. We will match your typeface as closely as possible. Please read the paragraph "Tell me about Typestyles" before ordering. We CANNOT accept photocopied artwork, or any art that contains shading, patterns or screens. Typically business cards, letterheads, decals, and faxes are not suitable as camera ready art. All work requiring the skill of our art staff will be billed at the rate of $25 an hour. (top)

Question: In what form should I send art to you?
Answer: Artwork sent on disk or via e-mail is preferred. E-mailed artwork must include a customer name, account or order number (for existing customers) on the SUBJECT LINE. Disks must be labeled with the customer name, account or order number. Floppy, Zip or CDs are acceptable. NOTE: We cannot access artwork sent in any program format other than the ones listed below. Please list all fonts and styles used. (Ex. Times Bold Italic). (top)

Question: What file formats work best?
Answer: • Adobe Acrobat Files (PDF) • Adobe Illustrator 9 or earlier (Save file as EPS. All fonts must be converted to outlines.) • Adobe Photoshop Bitmap Image (Minimum 300 dots per inch saved as a TIFF line) • All Microsoft programs except Publisher. All fonts must be listed. • QuarkXPress 4.01 or lower (Send original document & export as an EPS. All image files must be included and all fonts must be listed.) When sending color artwork please specify colors using Pantone Matching System (PMS) spot colors. These files are not preferred but still usable: CorelDraw (Save documents as Illustrator files. All fonts must be converted to curves.) Freehand (Send original document & export as an EPS. All fonts must be converted to paths.) (top)

Question: Can I send laserprinted output as artwork?
Answer: Yes, provided the following measures are taken. Artwork should be printed out at 200%, twice the size that the art will appear on the product. Output should be printed at 300 dpi (dots per inch) or greater. This will help eliminate any imperfections in the final art. NOTE: 200% enlargement on a photocopier is not acceptable. Our artwork guidelines are in place to help deliver a final product featuring a clear, crisp imprint that promotes you. If you have any questions about preparing camera-ready art, contact a Customer Satisfaction Specialist at 1-866-PRINT-IT or e-mail customerservice@stepromos.com. (top)

Question: How do I send my artwork to you?
Answer: You will conveniently encounter a "browse" button on the imprint-entering screen while placing an order. This function allows you to select an art file that is located on your computer. The file will be uploaded to our site when you advance to the next screen. You may e-mail art files to customerservice@stepromos.com.Please include customer name and account or order number (for existing customers) on the SUBJECT LINE. All typefaces and PMS colors should be listed in the e-mail. You may also mail your art on CD, Zip disk or floppy disk. Please label the disk with the customer name and account or order number. Include all type and color information with your file.

Mail the disk to:
Attention: Prepress
STEPromos
P.O. Box 310
McDermott, Ohio 45652 (top)

Question: Is ordering online safe?
Answer: Yes, Authorize.Net is committed to providing its merchant customers with the highest level of transaction processing security, safeguarding customer information and combating fraud. We implement and maintain compliance with industry leading security initiatives such as the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard. More than 158,000 merchants trust Authorize.Net to process their Internet transactions securely. For more information about the benefits of Authorize.Net’s secure transaction processing, please visit the Authorize.Net Web site. (top)

Question: What are your terms of use?
Answer: The information and images on STEPromos.com are protected by copyright and trademark law. Nothing that appears on this site may be copied, republished, retransmitted or reproduced in any way without express permission from STEPromos . STEPromos assumes no responsibility, and shall not be liable for any damages to, or viruses that infect, your computer due to your access and use of this site. STEPromos Printing may provide links to Internet sites maintained by others. STEPromos is not responsible for the content or products offered on any third party site. STEPromos does not warrant or guarantee any of the products or services offered through third party sites. (top)

Question: How does STEPromos help prevent errors?
Answer: OOPS! Mistakes are one thing we don't like to make. We take painstaking steps to ensure the accuracy of information on our website. However, occasionally errors do occur. Please accept our apology, in advance, if an error has caused you any confusion or inconvenience. We also try to reproduce the colors of our products as closely as possible, but colors may vary due to the web process. (top)

Question: Do I have to pay sales tax?
Answer: Only residents of the State of Ohio have to pay sales tax on purchases through our website. (top)

Question: What is Over/Under Runs?
Answer: We try to produce your order in the quanity specified, but we reserve the right to ship and bill up to 10% over or under the desired quanity. (top)

Question: What is a California Proposition 65 Warning?
Answer: The materials used as colored decorations on the exterior of products identified with the following symbol contain lead and/or cadmium, chemicals know to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. (top)