STEP TWO – DISCUSS YOUR NEEDS

We’ll discuss your specific requirements with you so we can work out the best option; for example, we’ll talk you through the different sizes of gazebos, the event you need it for, etc.

We then need to discuss what you have in mind for the custom printing and design. For example, things we’ll talk about include:

• How much branding you want on there
• Where you want it, e.g. which parts of the roof and side walls, inside and outside
• Sizing
• Colours – you can either opt for one of our standard colour variations, or if you need a specific pantone colour, we can print it from scratch
• Use of logos, text, imagery/photographs

We’ll make sure we know everything we need to before it moves onto the next stage.

STEP THREE – SEND US THE BRANDING (IF YOU HAVE IT)

Once the type of gazebo, inflatable, flag, banner, etc, has been decided, you’ll need to send us all the branding – logos, texts, colour pantones, anything you might have on file. It’s not a problem if you don’t have all these files, or in the correct format. Our in-house graphic designers can help you design everything from scratch and redraw the required logos into correct formats.

WHAT FORMAT DO WE NEED YOUR BRANDING IN?

When you send over any logos or graphics, we need to make sure that it’s in vector/outlines format (rather than a standard ‘pixel’ image format) before we start the printing process.

WHAT IS A VECTOR IMAGE FORMAT & WHY IS IT NEEDED?

Essentially, a vector image stores the image information as a mathematical formula, which can then be recreated in a size as required by the user. In simple terms, vector graphic files can be blown up as big as is needed without loss of quality.

A traditional image file (such as .jpg or .png) is made up of a finite number of pixels. This means that as you make it bigger, the pixels become stretched, which will eventually lead to a loss of resolution and you’ll be left with a blurry, poor quality image.

Vector format logos are usually in one of these three file types:

● PDF

● AI (Adobe Illustrator)

● CDR (Corel Draw)

● EPS

However, if you don’t or can’t provide logos in vector format, then our designer will recreate what you send, or even design and draw them from scratch.

FONTS & TEXT

If printing text, you’ll need to tell us what font to use. If you have a very specific or custom made font, you will likely need to send the font to us.

IMAGES & PHOTOGRAPHS

If you require images or photographs printed on the fabric´s surface, we need them as high resolution as possible. Ideally this would be at least 300 dpi, but is dependent on your needs.

BACKGROUND COLOURS

If you require a specific background colour that isn’t one of our standard block colours, then you’ll need to provide us with the PANTONE, CMYK or RGB code. We will then start the printing process by printing this colour onto blank fabric.

STEP 4 – VISUALISATION AND SIGN OFF

Once we know exactly what you require and have all the branding in the correct formats, we will make a start on visualising your design.

We offer a FREE design service so we’ll make your branding look fantastic on your gazebo, flags or inflatable structures. We will prepare a 2D or 3D visualisation so you can see exactly how it will look.

STEP 5 – PRINTING

Depending on the design you want, we will recommend one of our different types of printing: heat press vinyl printing; or dye sublimation digital printing.

Gazebos can be printed with either type, but flags & banners and inflatable structures can only be printed using dye-sublimation.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAT PRESS VINYL PRINTING AND DYE SUBLIMATION PRINTING?

For those who are interested in the nuts and bolts of the two different types of branding, here are the differences between the two:

Heat Press Vinyl Printing

With heat press vinyl printing, we brand existing gazebo roofs and sidewalls with text and logos cut out of vinyl. After cutting the desired logos/texts from a roll of vinyl, we then use a large hydraulic heat press to fuse the vinyl with the gazebo fabric.

The vinyl heat press branding process uses a MIMAKI digital printer, which prints on rolls of vinyl and then cuts the vinyl out into the required shapes. We then use a MIMAKI hydraulic heat press to put the vinyl on the gazebo roof or side walls at around 160 degree celsius.

More information about heat press vinyl printing:

• Cheaper than dye sublimation printing
• Price is dependent on amount of branding needed
• Can be made quicker, usually within 14 days
• Suitable for simple designs (for example, if you want to include 1 logo and couple of short pieces of text)

Dye Sublimation Printing

With dye sublimation printing, we use a state-of-the-art digital printer. It works similar to your printer at home (just a bit bigger!) – in that the fabric is fed through it like a sheet of paper and comes out the other side with your branding on it.

Everything starts life as a blank, white sheet of fabric before it goes into a MIMAKI digital dye-sublimation printer. This means that 100% of the fabric is printed, including the background colour, so we can get it just how you need it.

Once everything is printed, we then stitch everything together to make your fully formed product.

More information about dye sublimation printing:

• Unlimited amount of design, colours, logos, etc. at a set price
• Usually finished within 10 – 20 days from artwork approval
• Suitable for more complex designs

Price for digital printing is per piece depending on the size of the item. This means that you can have as many logos, text and images as you like for the same price.