Send the printer a specification for the physical item as well as an artwork preview. A generated image does not establish size, material, quantity, sides, finishing or delivery requirements. Ask for the supplier's current template and proof process before treating a quote as comparable to another supplier's offer.
Define the item being quoted
Specify intended dimensions, quantity, material, single- or double-sided printing and any hardware or finish. State whether you have production-ready artwork or only a concept. Include the needed delivery destination and deadline through an appropriate private channel, not a public guide or social post.
Do not infer manufacturing details from a photorealistic mockup. A shiny ticket image may depict an effect the selected print process cannot produce. Confirm whether the visual treatment is printed color, foil, a film or simply illustration.
A fictional event-card order
An invented organizer has a portrait-card concept and wants a small run for an event. Supplier A quotes one-sided ordinary card; supplier B quotes double-sided laminated card with rounded corners. Comparing only total price would compare different products.
The organizer should send the same agreed specification to each supplier and ask which finishing steps are included. If the back artwork has not been prepared, disclose that. Do not present a front preview as a complete two-sided production file.
Ask about the proof and file requirements
Request the supplier's bleed, safe area, color and file-format requirements. Ask whether a physical proof is available and what can still change after approval. Keep the proof separate from an AI preview: the proof supplies evidence of the real process, material and trimming.
Review the quote for setup, artwork preparation, packaging, shipping and applicable additional charges. These are supplier-specific business terms, not costs included in Imagild points. If a detail is unknown, ask rather than filling it from an image or another printer's template.
Keep the digital and physical workflows distinct
Use Fan Merch to create and review digital artwork in the available format. Prepare the production file through the supplier's accepted workflow, including exact text and any separate finishing masks. Imagild does not become the manufacturer because its artwork is used in the order.
Freeze the approved version and identify it in the supplier correspondence. A later generated variation should not overwrite that file silently. Verify the received proof against both the artwork and the agreed physical specification before authorizing a larger run.
Can a screenshot be enough for a quote?
It can communicate a rough concept, but should not be mistaken for a production file or a complete specification. State what remains undecided.
Are generation points part of the printing quote?
No. Digital generation and physical production are separate services. Compare each cost and obligation using the actual current terms.