TheStuff.be can take care of the entire layout of your printed materials. What we do not do is provide the content. All texts and accompanying images must be provided by you. You should assume that texts will be copied as you deliver them. If we notice any spelling errors, we will of course report them, but you will always be responsible for the final editing. Images should also be of sufficient quality, i.e. a resolution of 300 DPI. We will always send you a preview for approval before your order goes into production so that you can approve everything. For the layout of your printed matter we charge €60.00 (excl. VAT) per hour started.

It is always possible to resize images without losing quality. But you cannot possibly blow up small images to large sizes without losing sharpness and quality. In addition, you must also take into account the aspect ratios. From a high and narrow source file you cannot make a low and wide end file without cutting away parts. Images for printing should always have a resolution of 300DPI. This guarantees a razor-sharp result at any size. The file size is therefore usually a few MBs.

For some of our products it is essential that the design is in a vector file. This is necessary for practical reasons, or because the machines only “understand” this format. A vector file is actually a whole list of mathematical formulas that describe the length and direction of all the lines that make up the image. For example, the machine used to weave wristbands knows how long a particular line should run straight, and when to make a turn. Another feature of vector files is that they can be enlarged indefinitely, without loss of quality. Just adjust a few numbers in the formulas and the result changes proportionally. In addition, you can attach a color to each shape or line. This allows the embroidery machine to know what color thread to use. In other file types, this information is stored in a different way or just not at all. So those are unusable for certain products.

In principle, you can only be sure of the final result if a design is laid out in vector format from the beginning. However, it is possible to convert ordinary images to vector. Then you let the computer ‘draw over’ the image with specialized software. Just as if you were to draw the outlines of an image yourself with a pencil and chalk paper. However, you are always limited by the quality of the source file. If this is a nice, large image, the result will be nice. But the smaller the source file is, the less detail you will be able to recreate. We can do the conversion of images to vector format for you with specialized software and manual work. For this we ask a one-time fee of €20,00 (excl. VAT) per logo. We keep the finished vector file on our server, so you don’t have to do another conversion for future orders. If desired, we can also e-mail you the logo in PDF for your own use!

The file types we prefer to see come up for vector graphics are .ai (Adobe Illustrator) and .pdf (various programs). There are many types of software available to create vector graphics. These can often save the design as a PDF file. Along the other hand, not every PDF file is vectorized. If you save a JPEG image as a PDF file, it is not a vector. Think of a bottle of milk that you fill with water. The label might say it contains milk, but that doesn’t make it milk.

We always recommend submitting vectorized images for textile printing. Keep in mind that you will pay more per color for textile printing. These colors cannot flow smoothly into each other. This effect can be approximated to some extent by rasterization (dots like in newspaper photos). Ideally, you should work with solid color areas. For large runs, you can even work with exact colors from the PMS spectrum. For smaller runs, we are limited in the number of colors. Samples of the available colors are available. It is also possible to print photos or other Full Color images at an economical rate. This method also gives an excellent result with good wash fastness.

That can become a problem. The smaller the detail in an image, the finer the lines,…. the less “grip” they have on the textile. The material has a layer that is fused to the textile. If there is only a very small contact area, the print will not be as firmly attached to the textile. We recommend not to use details smaller than 2mm in prints. There is also a risk that fine details in a print will clog up or be lost.

Downloading fonts from the Internet is not a problem. However, you should know that these are not standard fonts that come with windows or office. If your design contains a non-standard font, it is essential that you also email us the file that contains the font. This is often a file of type .ttf. Otherwise we will not be able to print this font. If you are working with a vector file, we recommend converting the fonts used to outlines during design. In this way, problems or unpleasant surprises can be avoided.

This is possible (usually), but always at your own risk! The textiles that we offer are specially developed for textile printing. You will get the best results if your textile is made of at least 50% cotton. For our own textiles we use a setup fee of € 2 per piece of textile. Clothing that has already been worn or washed can be printed, but the adhesion can be affected by wear / washing powder / softener. Clothing must be smooth in structure (without lint, loose threads, protruding parts such as zippers/cords). The textile must be able to withstand up to 180° Celsius. This can be tested by pressing an iron hard on the textile for 15 seconds (position 2 to 3 dots depending on the model). Although we are always very careful with our own textiles and try to avoid all risk, own material is always at your own risk. This for both mechanical and human error. In case of a failed print we can, after consultation, reimburse the value of the print at most, not the value of the textile.

Shipping

TheStuff.be works with courier services to deliver your orders. This is an additional service.

If you are not present during the first delivery attempt, the courier will return the next day or you can request a different delivery address.

Pick-up

You can also pick up orders yourself at our addresses in Leuven or Ghent. This is possible between 4 pm and 5 pm on the day your order is ready, or simply during the opening hours the following days.
Your order is ready after you have received a message. If the order has not yet been paid (in full), payment must be made upon collection