We will be rolling out a series of helpful Artwork Guide posts to highlight topics that deal with submitting artwork to AmeriCAL.

Series #2: Raster vs. Vector Images

From time to time, you hear the terms “vector” and “raster” when talking about artwork. It may be a hard concept for some to grasp, so here is our condensed definition.

A raster image is like a photograph, and the larger you make it, the rougher it gets. The pixels that make up the image grow larger and appear jagged as they grow. We prefer raster images to be at a resolution of 600 dots per inch (dpi), but we will accept a minimum of 300 dpi. The size of the image needs to be sent at 100%.  If we have to enlarge the image provided, the quality will diminish.

Vector images consist of fills and strokes. They stay clean and at the same resolution no matter what size they are made.  You can compare a vector image to those you see in a coloring book.  You start with outlines and fill inside the lines.  This is the preferred format, especially for spot color labels.

Next time: Is PDF always the answer?

As a reminder our offices will be closed Monday, July 5 in observance of Independence Day. Please keep this in mind when placing orders, requesting proofs and estimated turnaround time. This is a very busy time of year for us, and we thank all of you for your patience and understanding. Regular business hours will resume Tuesday, July 6 at 7:30 CDT.

We wish you all a very safe and happy 4th of July!
-AmeriCAL, Inc.

Over the holiday weekend we had two very “demanding” Dealers stop by our offices. We are pretty sure that they wanted to get an early start on promoting chicken instead of turkey for Thanksgiving this year! Even though we are located close to I-80 our building is next to a wooded area and a creek, which gives us great opportunities to see curious wildlife. We have a very happy family of woodchucks behind our building, and in the early morning you can sometimes catch deer grazing on the north side of our building.

First, AmeriCAL produces a wide range of label solutions for the variety of applications labels can be used in.  We have our most popular shape and sizes printed with one spot color in our Fastship section, available as low as 250 up to 25M. From there we can produce up to 8 spot colors, 4-Color Process (Full Color) labels, static clings, bumper stickers, weatherproof (waterproof), parking permits, hot foil stamped and blind embossed labels.  Those are just a few categories out of our “America’s Source for Labels & Stickers” catalog, but we produce other specialty labels outside of our catalog.  Please contact us for specific information for your particular application.

Second, our catalog turnaround time is set up based on the number of colors, as well as the material needed to produce that label.  Please refer to each category page in the catalog for specific turnaround time or if you have received a quote, look to the upper right hand corner of your quote.

Third, spot color combo orders may be combined starting at a total quantity of 5,000 with a minimum of 500 per copy. Additional charges may apply, such as the ink, copy or stock changes. 4-Color Process combo orders may be combined starting at a total quantity of 5,000 (contact us for complete specifications).

Fourth, it seems that trends come in two categories, industry trends and product trends. We have seen an increase orders for the independent wine/vineyard labels, craft breweries and organic markets. For new product trends, our economically priced Repositionable Ultra Semi-Gloss II material is being ordered more and more. This material can be used in direct mail, point of purchase applications, maintenance/janitorial notices, calendars and it is a cost efficient alternative to magnets (it can be applied to stainless steel without leaving a residue or ruining the finish). Contact us today for test samples.

Lastly, what does make AmeriCAL stand out from the rest? Our foundation is built on the philosophy that we are a customer service company that just so happens to print and distribute labels and stickers. We are all reminded each day that if we don’t take care of you, someone else will. AmeriCAL is centrally located in Omaha, Nebraska and have been family owned and trade only company since 1983. We work side by side as a company to go above and beyond your expectations and create a relationship with you. Just ask any one of our Dealers, once we’ve got you, you don’t want to go anywhere else! 75% of our Dealers do business with AmeriCAL solely based on our Customer Service. We also provide a variety of label solutions, great pricing and sales tools to help you sell more labels and stickers. If AmeriCAL sounds like the type of company you would like to work with, please fill out our Dealer Registration form.

Once again, thank you to everyone that stopped by and we are proud to be your Trade Only Source for Labels and Stickers!

-Diane and Jessica
AmeriCAL,  Inc.

With two weeks under our belt with our new and improved website, we thought it would be a good idea to answer the most common questions we have had so far from distributors like you!

Q: Why is my old login or password not working?
A: There could be one of two reasons why your old password may not be working.  First, all logins and passwords are case sensitive, so please enter those in accordingly.  Secondly, if you changed your password on our old site during our transition time (January to March) we may or may not have brought that most recent password over to the new site.  We apologize for any inconvenience.

Q: How do I create a new password?
A: Please go to “Log In” and press the “Forgot your login or password? Click Here.”  Type in the e-mail address associated with your account and a reset password link will be sent to that e-mail.  Or you may call in and we can manually reset it to a default password.  Once you log in, go to “My Account” located by the “Sign Out” button that will take you to your account information.  Click on “Edit My Account” to edit contact, address and password information.

Q: How do I view my order status/tracking?
A: Please Log In and go to “My Account” next to your company name and the “Sign Out” button.  Once on the “My Account” page you can view your order status by clicking on “Complete Order Tracking”.  You will have the ability to search by our invoice number if you are looking for a particular job.

Q: What is “Online Order History?”
A: “Online Order History” is where you can view orders you have placed online with us.  You have the option to “Reorder” any of these online orders through our online order system again.  Unfortunately, we were unable to bring over that order history from the old site, we apologize for any inconveniences.

Q: Do I have to have a proof for an online order?
A: No, you are not required to have a proof for an online order to be complete.  We wanted to give you proofing options on each product we offer based on your needs.  You will always have the option of “No Proof” when ordering online.  If you do choose to have a proof, please note, all proofs take 2 business days to generate because we are taking the steps to insure that your artwork is ready to go to print.  And as always, turnaround time begins once proof approval is received.

Q: I want a quantity not listed on the website, how do I order that quantity?
A: Our online ordering system was designed based off of our “America’s Source for Labels and Stickers” catalog.  All shapes, sizes, pricing and quantities come straight from our published catalog.  For the time being, we are only offering quantities available from the catalog.  If you require a quantity not listed, please e-mail or fax in your order so that a Customer Service Rep can get back to you with the correct pricing.  Please note, the pricing per 1,000(M) remains at the lower quantity per (M) pricing until you reach the next price break, as published.  It may be worth ordering at the next higher published quantity if you have a quantity that falls in between.

Q: I have credit terms already established, why can’t I be invoiced on my online order?
A: We are in the process of going through our accounts and marking those that have credit terms on file and those that do not.  Please call and we will be able to set your online account with terms if you have terms on file with us.  If you are in the middle of placing a job and we have updated your online account please do the following: Go back to your shopping cart, hit “Save Changes” then hit “Check Out”, check your billing information and then check the box that says, “Please Invoice My Account” and your account will now be invoiced.

Q: Why do I have to enter in my credit card information each time I place an order?
A: For the present time we have chosen the option not to store your credit card information for online orders.  As we become more familiar with our service providers we may decide to turn this feature on in the future.  We do have the option for setting up credit terms, to apply, click here.

On Tuesday, April 27 from about 12:05 to about 2:30 CST our phone and internet services were cut off unexpectedly. We are still in the process of catching up and answering your questions and concerns, as well as entering orders entered into our system. If your question has not be answered or your order has not been entered in yet, please be patient. If you submitted your question, quote or order during our down time and you have not heard back from us, please feel free to double check that we received your submission.

Once again, thank you for choosing AmeriCAL as your Trade Only Source for Labels & Stickers!
-AmeriCAL, Inc.

Print Professional Magazine asked AmeriCAL to contribute to their annual “State of the Industry: Labels & Tags” article in the March 2010 issue.  Tim Vogel, our General Manager, gave Elise Hacking Carr an insightful look into our industry.  AmeriCAL is different from many label and tag converters because we are a trade only company, we sell only through Registered Distributors.

Here’s a preview:

“On the other hand, AmeriCAL, a supplier of items including simple one-color stickers and complex full-color or four-color process labels, specializes in ‘finding economic label solutions for distributors while providing a dynamic-looking product,’ according to Tim Vogel, general manager.  He added this generally means prime labels to enhance product visibility and create effective shelf appeal.”

To read the full article go here.

We will be rolling out a series of helpful Artwork Guide posts to highlight topics that deal with submitting artwork to us.

Series #1: Original Application Base Files are Always Best

Today’s sophisticated graphic software applications let a user save a file in an assortment of formats. When in doubt, save it in the native application and include all art elements and fonts and zip or stuff the whole file. We utilize all of the major graphics applications, so there shouldn’t be a problem with us opening it. If you are concerned about fonts or type moving/reflowing, just convert the fonts to outlines in the applications, such as Illustrator or Freehand that allow it. If you are working in Illustrator, Freehand or InDesign, you can go ahead and save it as an EPS. We can open that also.

Next Time: Vector vs. Raster

Thank you for visiting our new and improved website. We have been working hard at providing you with a useful tool to learn more about labels and stickers, and making ordering from AmeriCAL much, much easier.