Artwork and Virtual Proofs
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Artwork
Artwork is a vital part of our sales process, therefore employees should be proficient in the following areas:
- Knowing what file extensions are acceptable to us
- Judging what logo quality is good enough for us to work with
- Knowing when text is too small to print at readable size.
The Flashbay website provides information on the best file types for artwork: http://www.flashbay.com/support/faq/logo-format.html and information regarding branding techniques: http://www.flashbay.com/support/faq/flash-drive-customization.html
- Most commonly used file formats. The Guide on file format shows which file formats are acceptable and which are to be avoided.
Requesting Virtual Proofs
Prior to sending virtual proof requests to the CN Graphics department, employees should consider which branding techniques are most suitable for the artwork, think about the best layout, and request for better quality artwork from your contact if necessary.
Being proactive and already putting the customer's website address on the back of the flash drive can save time with future proof revisions when they come up with the idea later. Being proactive will also help to entice the customer to order and increase your conversion rate.
To request a virtual proof email virtualproof@flashbay.com. Requests will be allocated to a member of the CN Graphics team at the factory. Graphics team members will reply from their own email account. Please do not reply to the individual's email address e.g. oscar@flashbay.com. All replies should be sent back to virtualproof@flashbay.com.
Your emails should be direct, concise and as simple as possible.
UK employees only:
Cost of Virtual Proofs
UK Graphics shall be used only in exceptional cases. The cost of VPs made in the UK ofiice has been set to 10GBP/ proof that is getting deducted from your monthly Sample pack and Proof budget.
Special fonts
If CN Graphics is unable to help with a Virtual Proof request that has a text part with special fonts, the request can be resent to the UK Graphics Designer (bartek@flashbay.com).
The text will be put in the right format/font and than can be sent to CN Graphics.
Please note above is applicable onlly if CN Graphics is unable to fulfil the VP request with special fonts.
Shortcuts and individual product codes you can find on the Price list and also on wiki main page (Item code guide).
Common shortcuts for BRANDING METHODS to use in communication:
SPR - Screen Print
ENL - Laser Engraving
DPR - Digital / Photo Print
EMB - Embossing
or combinations like
SPR + ENL
SPR + EMB, etc.
You must always include the lead/customer number so the virtual proof will be saved to the correct record. Remember to use text parts where you need to fill in which product and colour you require, and also indicate branding technique. Please open a new email and use the Text Parts -> Graphics -> New Proof Request
Here is an example:
Graphics standards for Sales
Font
If you don't specify font for a the text to be put on the Proof, Graphics will try to find a font that is similar with the text in the logo. If they are unable to identify it, they will use Arial Regular by default.
Logo colour
If Pantone colours are not specified in the initial email to Graphics, they will choose the colour that suits the logo best subjectively.
Position of the logo/text
The logo or text will be centre aligned within the standard branding area, unless specified differently.
Logo/text size
Graphics will make the logo or text a size that looks subjectively best unless specified by the Account Manager.
Artwork with poor resolution
If you need a proof for reference only (not production ready), Graphics can create this but you will need to source better artwork before placing the order.
Graphics can redraw the logo, but will note in the reply email that it’s not 100% accurate.
Virtual Proof reference numbers
Graphics will create a new proof number when the initial email is received.
When updating proofs, Graphics will update the proof number referenced if it has not been used in a sales order. Graphics will only create a new proof when you specifically ask for it.
Communication with Graphics
Communication with Graphics should be via email at all times, Graphics will not respond to Slack messages.
Email content
Text parts should be used for every Virtual Proof request.
Only one customers request can be sent to Graphic (multiple proof request can be sent but all for the same customer).
Virtual Proofs Rating Guidance
In order to increase the productivity of the graphics team please follow the below rules on how virtual proofs should be rated.
This will guarantee consistency of virtual proof ratings across the sales team and will ensure graphics team members are appropriately rewarded for their work.
5 stars, finished the virtual proof within 30 minutes and met sales person's request exactly
4 stars, finished the virtual proof within 30 minutes and met sales person's request exactly but required more than 2 clarifications.
3 stars, finished the virtual proof within 60 minutes (but longer than 30 minutes) and met sales person's request exactly.
The above mentioned 30 minutes should exclude sales response time.
For below example, Graphics took 29 minutes to complete VP:
Sales (initial request) 10:00am
Graphics (asked for clarification ) 10:10am
Sales (sent explanation) 10:20am
Graphics (VP sent) 10:39am
2 stars
- incorrect proof
- proof took longer than 60 minutes
1 star,
- additional unrequested proofs (e.g. different colours or different products than those requested)
- proof took longer than 75 min
- previous proof used .jpeg image (i.e. graphics person send an initial 'draft' and only later a real proof)
- deleted header information or proof request email thread
- Same proof sent more than once
For proofs where rating is 3 stars or less you are required to provide reason on your rating by choosing from below 4 options (multiple options can be chosen). This feedback is very important in order for Graphics team to improve where necessary.
Unrated Proofs
Unrated VPs are displayed on the upper right corner of My Proof Ratings tab. If unrated proof number reaches a certain number you will not be able to send Samples to your customers/leads until all proofs are rated.
If you can not find the unrated proof in your mailbox, please ask CN Graphics to resent them so you can rate.
It can take up to 20 mins to sync once all VPs have been rated but closing NS, clearing the cache and restarting NS will normally help immediately.
Virtual Proofs and Netsuite
Every virtual proof that is created for a lead/customer is stored in Netsuite and can be viewed (and downloaded in PDF form) in the Virtual Proofs tab of the customer record (or by searching for the proof reference (e.g. PR121234) using the Global Search function).
The Virtual Proof Record in Netsuite stores the data for a particular virtual proof. Pressing the 'generate proof' button will convert the record into a PDF document which is 'customer presentable':
This is useful because you can edit simple aspects of the record (e.g. pantone references) and generate the PDF to show the customer without the assistance of the graphics team.
Checking text and logo on Virtual Proofs
On our Virtual proofs the customers text and logo might look large, but when it`s branded on our products it will be significantly smaller and in some cases not readable.
This can be checked if you zoom out on the Virtual proof PDF to match the actual size of the product, you can also advice your customer to do the same given they have samples.
The responsibility to check if it will be visible lays with the Sales Account Manager.
Models where you should pay extra attention is, but not limited to Focus (FC), Ellipse (EL), Wallet Stick (WS) , Lynx (LY), Orbit (OR) , Active (AT),Pod (PO) and Halo (HA).
Laser Engraving (ENL) on Virtual Proof
In order to make Virtual Proof as realistic as possible Graphics will prepare the VPs according to below branding guide.
Metal Models
Wooden Models
