We require digital art files to be saved Adobe Illustrator ( .AI or .EPS ) files or Adobe PDF files.

• (.EPS) files need to be saved as “vector” or “editable.”
• Vector art containing fonts must be converted to curves or outlines.
• Objects of the same color must be grouped and placed on the same layer.
• 4-color process art should be converted to CMYK, resolution should be minimum of 300 DPI at the finished print size, saved as .tiff or .jpg files.

Please send your artwork as email attachments to customerservice@americanaccents.com. If the art is over 10 MB, please store it in the cloud using a service such as Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, etc., and email us a link to it. Art file(s) should be accessible without user login credentials. 

Yes we do! If text is requested to be added or used as artwork, we offer typesetting. View available fonts on our website under the fonts page. For orders over $200 net, 5 lines of text or 75 characters is free of charge. Orders under $200 net will be charged an hourly art fee of $50 (Z) per hour, minimum charge of ½ hour.

In the event that acceptable camera ready art is not available, we will make our art department available to assist with re-creation of art. The fee for this service is $50 (Z) per hour, minimum charge of ½ hour. You will be quoted on this service and will be required to submit written approval of the charges.

We can replicate gradients using halftones & screen tints with our pad or screen printing processes. Halftones will not appear as smooth when printed as viewed on the computer screen or printout, unless the output device is set to print tints at 55, 65,85, 90, 90 LPI. (See graphic example). Tints below 20% at 65 LPI cannot be achieved and tints over 80% at 65 LPI will appear solid. Due to this coarseness of the halftones, we recommend images be outlined with a solid outline. (See graphic example).  Purple = screen print napkins /  Red = screen print cups /  Green = offset print /  Blue = pad print  /  Yellow gold = process print.

American Accents recommends a product proof for testing functionality of QR codes before placing an order. Minimum size should be 1 inch or larger. Taper of cups can and will affect readability. QR codes work best with dark ink on light items. Quality of smart phone and choice of QR reader apps affect the scanability.

Yes! To retrieve and forward a digital copy of artwork from current or past orders there will be an artwork retrieval fee of $30 (Z). A purchase order is required. Include the previous order number and the email address which to forward the file.

Thin Lines: American Accents recommends using 1pt line or thicker for thin lines. Reversed lines require 2pt line or thicker (see graphic example). If recommendations are not followed, we cannot be held responsible for the outcome.

Small Text: American Accents recommends using 8pt fonts or larger for basic text. Script and reversed out fonts should be 10pt or larger (see graphic example).

Premium Backgrounds: Choose from any of our images and apply them to digitally printed items to create a perceived higher value at no additional cost. The backgrounds in the catalog and website are a representation of our images and may vary from the final printed product. Background image color may vary from re-order to re-order or within an order if multiple presses are used. This is not considered a defect. Premium background images can be found [HERE]. 

Clip Art: To spark some ideas, we offer a library of clip art to choose from. Due to licensing purposes, we cannot make clip art files available for download, but you can request them in your artwork when you submit your PO. If you require our factory to research and process clip art in our library that is not shown in your library, there will be an art charge of $50 (Z) per hour, minimum charge of 1/2 hour. Written approval may be required. Digital proof is required. Clip art images can be found [HERE]. 

All copy and art submitted by the distributor will be accepted by the factory as being submitted in full compliance with all applicable laws regarding trademark, licensing, copyright, right of privacy, patent, or similar protection. Factory will be held harmless from all claims and cost arising from these issues.

Trademarked, licensed, and copyrighted logos contained in our catalog and website are not for sale. They are for the illustration of printing capabilities only and do not represent endorsement from their respective owners. By placing an order, distributor understands that overruns may be used for digital or print media illustrating factory’s printing capabilities.

Screen printing is the printing process for smaller quantities and the highest quality image. Screened images are very sharp, crisp, and deliver good ink opacity. This process also gives the ability to overprint multiple colors to solve registration issues in some art. Multiple color logos are printed and re-registered one color at time. The registration can vary approximately 1/8″. Multiple color logos are limited to one side on cups. All artwork is evaluated on a case by case basis. We do not guarantee multicolor imprints until artwork is evaluated and approved for printing.

Pad printing is a printing method which uses a silicon pad to pick up ink from a plate and transfer the ink directly onto the item being printed. The ink transfer is thin and the opacity is lesser than screen print. It is not recommended to print on dark substrates without first putting a white base down. This would add an additional color charge to the cost of the item. Images with fine detail and halftones are best suited for this print method. On most items we are limited to 5 spot colors. Registration can vary approximately 1/8″.

Traditional 4-Color Process is a printing method that gives the ability to reproduce photographs and special effects in artwork. The process allows for less than full saturation of the primary colors. This is achieved by tiny dots (halftones) of each primary color printed in a pattern small enough that it is perceived as a solid color. With this, a full continuous range of colors can be produced. Colors created by 4-color process printing are not solid colors, but a series of dots. For example, this is noticeable in the photographs reproduced in your local newspaper. Unlimited colors and color choices can be achieved with this print process. Special effects, such as drop shadows, glows, and gradients, can also be replicated. Colors are not matched to Pantone® colors, therefore if you attempt to replicate spot color artwork with 4-color process you will not receive the same results. The gradients and tints only fade to 20%, which can lead to loss of sharpness of photo or illustration quality. 4-color process can utilize either vector based or pixel based versions of your artwork, as long as the image has adequate resolution. It is recommended that digital files are no lower than 300 DPI, and cannot be images pulled from the Internet.

Digital printing is an ink jet process that uses CMYK, otherwise known as 4-color process (4-CP). It is great for smaller quantities, photo replication, and replication of special effects such as shadows, highlights, and dramatic contrasts. This process can hold great detail, however is not great for Pantone® color matching. All PMS/spot color logos are converted to CMYK. Most Pantone® colors will appear different when converted to CMYK. This is not considered a defect. This conversion can be referenced with a Pantone® Color Bridge book. When choosing this print method, if you have other items ordered that will be printed via the American Traditions or American Hi-Speed print method, they will not look similar. This also is not considered a defect. American Digital printed items may be run on different machines. This can & will yield color variation throughout the product proof, initial order, reorder, or final product. This is not considered a defect.

Offset Printing is a method of printing in which all colors are laid in one pass, achieving tight registration. This makes offset printing an economical way of ordering larger quantities. Registration can vary up to 1/16”. Quality of offset printing is sometimes less than screen print due to the high printing speeds, resulting in slurring at the top and blurring towards the bottom of the imprint area. Ink coverage is thinner than screen printing. This results in an imprint which may look transparent, especially on clear items. Dot gain in halftone is often up to 20%. Butt registration is allowed, however trapping is not. Do not expect the same clarity and opacity of print as screen printing. Maximum number of imprint colors varies between products. Specifications can be found under individual item pages.

Emboss & Deboss printing is a printing method which uses heat and pressure to create a raised or recessed image into the product. This printing method is best suited for bold imprints without fine detail, halftones, or reversed images. Both imprint methods are available on all napkins and deboss is available on coasters. Please be aware the image is not as crisp on the Almost Linen™ napkins due to the thickness of the product.

Hot Stamp printing is a printing method which uses heat and pressure to transfer foil to the item being imprinted. Due to the softness of the napkins, coasters, and wraps a certain amount of bleeding and fill in will occur on fine detail and reverse images. Logos with fine detail and reverse images are recommended to be ink printed. Please note, since foil is stamped on to the products, large solid areas may flake during use. Halftone images are not able to be hot stamped.

Maximum Imprint: Imprint area specifications can be found on our website under individual items. We recommend staying 20% under this area. Unless specified at the time of order, we will enlarge or reduce your image to fit within these areas. Artwork is enlarged and reduced proportionally by both width and height. Therefore, if you request maximum imprint area, only one of the dimensions may be maximized.

Wrap Imprints: There will be a gap of approximately 3/4″ on screen printed cups and approximately 1/2″ on offset and digital printed cups. Screen print wrap imprints are limited to one color. Offset and Digital wrap imprints are offered as multiple color.

Second Side Imprint on Coasters: The imprint orientation is not guaranteed to match the orientation on the first side when printing on both sides of coasters.

Standard Layout: Unless otherwise specified, we will default to our standard placement (marked in blue). Shadow on the napkins illustrates the ruffled edge. Cups are printed one side as a standard, however there is not an extra cost to print as 2 sided or a wrap, but must be specified.

White items will vary in “brightness” from lot to lot. Colored napkin paper is dyed to achieve its respective color, therefore each lot could appear as a slightly different shade. Napkin color could “bleed” when wet. The shade of plastic products could also vary from lot to lot. This variation in color is not considered to be a defect.

It is the nature of our materials to scuff and scratch during stacking and shipping. Clear and dark colored material & imprints show this the most. This is not considered a defect.

The logo will be printed based on the placement shown on the proof. Slight variation of this placement can occur when printing. This is not considered a defect.

Products are printed with inks that must evaporate to dry. Vapors may be trapped in the plastic packaging before they have completely dissipated. The inks are dry, but there may be a residual odor in the package from the vapors. Some colors of ink have more odor than others and the amount of ink coverage can affect the amount of odor. This odor, should it be present, is not considered a defect. It is similar to painting a room in your home. The paint will be dry, but there will be an odor that remains for several days. Should this odor be a concern, remove the products from the plastic packaging and let them air to eliminate the odor. Normally, once the products are placed for use, any odor that remains will quickly dissipate.

Full bleed imprint is available on Grip-It™ material but it is not recommended for longevity due to the stresses that the product will endure while being used. Recommended cleaning is wiping with a warm damp cloth only.

Boxes, Gift Boxes, Dispenser Boxes, Table Tents, and Table Luminaries are printed with digital UV inks and the following characteristics are not considered a defect: At folds, creases, and cut lines the ink may exhibit cracking or flaking. If you use sealing tape or labels, we recommend acrylic based adhesive as opposed to rubber based for best available adhesion or designing artwork so that desired label or tape placement is ink free.

Sizes listed refer to boxes’ inside dimensions which are represented as L” x W” x D”. Inside dimensions can vary slightly depending on assembly quality. Printed registration will vary due to several factors including: artwork layout, print & cut placement relative to the corrugated material, and assembly quality. If printing full-bleed, interior/exterior prints may be visible on the outside/inside. It is strongly recommended that you plan for these possibilities when selecting sizes and setting up artwork.

Please note that as the amount of UV ink coverage increases, so does the likelihood of linear banding and cracking along folds & creases. It is the factory’s recommendation that you limit the amount of ink coverage to achieve the best results.

All mailing boxes ship flat and unassembled from our warehouse.

Diagrams show approximate thickness per 1″. 

American Tradition ink color changes are available in increments of 50 pieces, cost of $15 (V) per change. American Hi-Speed ink color changes are available in increments of 15,000 pieces, cost of $65 (V) per change.

The imprint orientation is not guaranteed to match the orientation on the first side when printing on both sides of coasters.

Due to the cylindrical shape of cups, when printed, artwork will take on the shape of the cup: circles will appear more conical and squares will appear more trapezoidal. This is not considered a defect. 

Every effort is made to verify accuracy of the pricing in this catalog and maintain pricing. However, American Accents reserves the right to change prices without notice.

American Accents will not be held responsible for erroneous pricing, product description or specifications found on 3rd party publications, websites, and search engines (such as ESP, SAGE, etc). Please verify the above mentioned information on the American Accents website or with Customer Service.

Every effort is made to verify accuracy of the product information in this catalog. Due to printing and computer monitor limitations, product colors can vary. If color is important, please request random samples or order a product proof. American Accents cannot be held liable for erroneous information or variations in color.

American Accents reserves the right to substitute our products with one of a similar design and function. Notice may or may not be given at our discretion.

Any change to a processed order must be in writing and is subject to a $10 (Z) charge, in addition to any labor and material costs that have accrued.

Any cancellation to a processed order must be in writing and is subject to a $30 (Z) charge, in addition to any labor and material costs that have accrued.

In the event that a return is requested, it must be pre-approved by American Accents. Under no circumstance will returns be accepted after 30 days from date of delivery. Orders refused by the customer through no fault of American Accents or unauthorized returned merchandise will be reshipped direct to the distributor, with re-forwarding charges being the distributor’s responsibility.

To order unimprinted items, the cost is based on American Traditions pricing, less a 10% discount. Return of unimprinted items will only be accepted if packages are unopened and will be subject to a 25% restocking fee. All freight is the responsibility of the customer. Packaging for unimprinted items may vary from standard packaging.

An order acknowledgment is sent for all orders within 24 hours of the order being entered. It is the distributor’s responsibility to check for discrepancies, as the order will be proofed and produced accordingly. The acknowledgment also has disclaimers for all items being ordered. After proof approval is received, you will receive another acknowledgment showing the ship date and method. Again, please verify this information along with the ship to address for accuracy.

The distributor or end user must make their own determination that their use of product(s) is safe, lawful, and technically suitable for the intended applications.

We provide random samples for your convenience to show print and item quality. Samples are free of charge, however shipping is the responsibility of the distributor. Due to samples being random in nature, specific color on specific items and specific shape or premium background will not be possible. If you need to see a specific color on a specific item, please refer to pricing for product proofs.

It is understood that by submitting an order to the factory, the distributor agrees to all of the factory’s terms and conditions, regardless of what is on the distributor’s purchase order.

AMERICAN ACCENTS only sells to authorized promotional products distributors.

Several times throughout the printing and packaging process, the product count is verified. When questions arise, the actual shipping weight receipt, which is automatically generated from the shipping scale, will be used to verify product count. We make every effort to ship exact quantities. However, over / under runs can be up to +/- 10%. 

Proofs are required for all orders, including reorders. One proof will be emailed free of charge within 24 hours of receiving good art and purchase order. Proofs are to show logo placement as well as item color, imprint color, quantity, and special packaging. Your order will not be assigned a ship date until the signed proof approval and any instructed pre-payments are returned. After receiving signed approval and pre-payment, we will e-mail an order acknowledgment showing the ship date and method. If requesting a proof without the factory’s receipt of purchase order for printed items, there will be a $30 (V) charge per item.

Yes. Any change, including ink color, quantity, packaging, etc. will require a new proof. Proof changes are $10 (Z) per item.

Yes we do. Product proofs are an actual printed product. We will email a proof prior to printing the product proof. Production time for a product proof is 5 working days after email proof approval. If the product proof is approved as is, without any changes to the logo, there will not be additional setup charges for the full run of the order. Product proof not available on all items. See product proof pricing below:

• American Traditions items: $25 (V) per color, plus setup charges.
• American Hi-Speed items: $125 (V) per color, plus setup charges.
• American Digital items: $25 (V) per side, plus setup charges.

Yes. If requesting multiple proofs, we will do a first round with all versions; additional proofs are at $10 (Z). When you decide which version to use, we will do a final proof which must be approved prior to production.

A ship date is not assigned and production does not begin until all written approvals and any instructed pre-payments are received.

Approvals received after 5:00 PM ET will be treated as being received the following business day for production scheduling purposes. Orders received with an event date sooner than standard production may be eligible for Quick Ship service. Please see policy below.

See product page for production time on digital printed items.

Purchase orders for 2,500 combined total pieces or less are 3 working days after all approvals, excluding emboss/deboss/hot stamp. Purchase orders exceeding 2,500 combined total pieces will receive standard production time of 5 working days after all approvals, up to 10,000 pieces. Over 10,000 pieces see catalog products pages for production time at each quantity break.

See catalog product pages for production time at each quantity break.see product page for production time on digital printed items. 

We use UPS, FedEx, UPS Freight, and USPS.

All products are shipped FOB KY. American Accents will not be held responsible for lost, damaged or delayed products caused by shipping carriers.

Yes. Spilt shipments are $10 (Z) per address and shipping method.

Hi-Speed Offset orders are limited to case quantity for split shipments.

When shipping on any third party account other than American Accents’ account, there is a charge of $8 (Z) per box.

Full breakdown of 3rd party shipping charges is as follows:

• $8 (Z) per box
• $5 (Z) per box / over 25 boxes
• $4 (Z) per box / over 50 boxes
• $3 (Z) per box / over 75 boxes
• $2 (Z) per box / over 100 boxes

If sending a prepaid shipping label, there will be a $10 (Z) charge per label. 

$8 (Z) handling charge per box, plus the actual cost of freight.

We can provide freight quotes for orders shipping to USA via FedEx. These are approximate and for estimation purposes only. We are unable to provide quotes for international shipments. LTL quotes available upon receipt of written requests for full pallet quantities.

Any charges for address corrections or interception fees will be billed at $25 (Z) + additional costs and are the responsibility of the distributor.

All product damage claims must be made within 5 days of receipt. Please note that one should expect a reasonable percentage of breakage on disposable plastic drinkware. If after inspection of your entire shipment you feel that a claim with the carrier is warranted, we will be happy to help by filing a claim on your behalf. All products are shipped FOB. Customer must retain packaging and contents to make them available for the carriers for inspection.

The distributor or end user is responsible for all duties, taxes, and fees on international shipments. A 3rd party account is required for shipping. Freight quotes cannot be provided.

We reserve the right to ship via an expedited method to meet any “event date” or “in hands date” listed on a purchase order.

We use the Pantone® Matching System, otherwise known as PMS is a system shared worldwide by the printing industry. PMS is a system that standardizes the definition of color whereby printers in separate locations can be assured of the color outcome. The use of the term PMS or PMS # in this catalog refers to Pantone® Matching System and its intellectual property.

American Accents offers free PMS matching. We take great pride in our ability to match PMS colors, however color match is only guaranteed +/- one shade on white / clear items. We cannot guarantee PMS match on colored items. If a purchase order says to use a PMS # and the color described does not match the number given, we are not responsible. We do not check to see if the PMS # provided is the color stated. Due to the nature of uncoated products, they will not exhibit the “sheen” of a coated ink color, we will use Pantone® solid uncoated colors when printing on uncoated products.

Yes. If a PMS # is not available, you may choose from our standard ink colors. We offer free PMS matching, so feel free to supply a Pantone® color if available. 2X and 4 digit metallic PMS #’s are not available. 800 series colors are limited to the PMS #’s shown.* Represents the default color when more than one choice is available.

STANDARD INK COLORS

With PMS Equivalent

METALLIC INK COLORS

With PMS Equivalent

Available in Uncoated ONLY

NEON INK COLORS

With PMS Equivalent

Neon ink is not available in Offset Printing. Available in Uncoated ONLY.

HOT STAMP FOIL COLORS

Setups are always charged per item, per color, per panel. Setup charges are listed on each product page and vary by print method.

On exact reorders, new setups are not required as long as the date of the last purchase order referenced is within 1 year and is from the original distributorship. If the referenced order was placed over 1 year ago, there will be a re-order setup charge per item, per color, per panel.

Reorder setup charges are as follows:

• Screen Print $20 (V)
• Pad Print $20 (V)
• Hot Stamp $30 (V)
• Deboss $30 (V)
• Emboss $50 (V)
• Offset Print $30 (V)
• Digital Print $20 (V).

Distributors referencing art from an order other than their own will incur new setup charges unless they supply a written release from the original distributorship.

Yes. Changes to logo size or placement will require new setups. On multi-color logos, changing any of the colors in the imprint will require new setup charges for all colors.

On our website, standard packaging is listed for each item. This is subject to change based on specific requirements and quantities. Unimprinted item packaging may vary from standard packaging.

You may choose to package your products differently from the standard packaging. For this service, a special package charge will apply. Please note that changing packaging may require additional boxes. Below is a list of general guidelines for pricing. We recommend sending all specific packaging requirements to customer service to have the project quoted.

Custom Packaging: $0.30 (Z) per package

Custom Labeling: $0.30 (Z) per label

When custom fulfillment is requested, submit a detailed request including item numbers, quantity, and packaging details and we will be happy to quote. This is a popular choice for “Lunch and Learn” kits.

When custom collation is requested, submit a detailed request including item numbers, quantity, and collation details and we will be happy to quote.

When special boxing is requested, there is a minimum charge of $5 (Z) per box.