EmblemArt Knowledge Base

Whatever you can send us as your design, be that a fully realized Vector file, or a simple Napkin sketch, we can help you reproduce it as an emblem.

The best type of file to send us, which will keep your costs as low as possible is called a Vector File. If you can send us a vector file then we can keep your costs to a minimum. If you are unable to we do offer Conversion Services to help you out :)

One thing to nate is that many times people will try to send us images of existing product or emblems and ask us to copy it for them, but to change a few components. Unfortunately, due to changes in International Copyright Law, we can't do that. Even if the picture is of an old discontinued vehicle or emblem. Possible copyright limitations prohibit us from copying design from existing product unless you have licensing, or other explicit permission to do so.

Original Art and design is referring to artwork or design that you have created yourself, or that you own the rights to reproduce.

Due to copyright and trademark limitations we can only reproduce designs that the customers owns, or has liscensing to reproduce.

For more info on Intellectual Property check out our IP Section.

Reproduction is when you recreate a part, from scratch, to be the same as a the original part. To do so (at least with custom emblems) actually violates the copyright (and possibily trademark) of the original person/company who created the part. Here at EmblemArt we will only reproduce past parts if the customer has licensing to do so.

But, you ask, what if the company went out of business years ago? Well, copyright, trademark and other protections don't simply disappear with death, or with a company going out of business. Copyright, trademark, and patents are a form of property, and are passed down to next of kin (in the case of death), or, if a company went out of business are retained by the owners of the company, then passed down to next of kin.

For these reasons we simply don't make recreations except in cases of ownership or appropriate licensing.

In regards to copyright, it must be at least 95 years from the death of the owner who created/owned the design. For trademark, the design and the lettering cannot still be registered as a trademark. We can only reproduce emblems that you own the rights for, or that do not violate any Copyright or Tradmark Protections.

For more info on Intellectual Property check out our IP Section.

Due to copyright and trademark limitations we can only reproduce art and designs (intellectual property, IP) that the customers owns, or has liscensing to reproduce.

Unfortunately the idea that you can change a design X amount and therefore have it bypass copyright or trademark protections is actually false. We're not sure where it started, but it never worked like that. There are actual protections and legal terminology to protect that. Copyright has "Derivation" and Trademark has "Likelyhood of Confusion" as protections.

Basically those 2 concepts boil down to a simple idea that if someone, unfamiliar with the small details or exact nature of the original branding/logo, would still associate or confuse your artwork or design for that original brand or logo, then it's protected and you're breaking the law. It's a very extensive protection, and as such protecting IP boils down to who has the most money to go to court over it and convince the Judge or Jury that it is, or is not, protected.

For that reason we require that any IP submitted to us which is protected, or may be protected, is accompanied by a copy of Licensing or other Explicit Permission from the IP Holder.

Trademark:

With regard to Trademark, if your design could be confused for a protected mark, then it is protected as well. The concept is called "Likelyhood of Confusion". You can see what the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has to say about this and what it is HERE.

Copyright:

Copyright has a similar protection to "Likelyhood of Confusion", it's called Derivation. If your design is Derived from something that is protected by Copyright, then it is also protected by that Copyright. For more information on Derivative Works check out what th U.S. Copyright Office has published HERE.

For more information on Copyright in general click HERE.

Parody:

Parody is the only thing that can overcome Trademark and Copyright protections. However in order to qualify for Parody use, the design must show relation and social commentary to the brand itself. Or in other words, it must directly reflect back to that brand and make a commentary on society at large in relation to it. Being similar to the logo, but slightly different by itself, doesn't qualify it for parody use and is still protected by either Trademark ^{(via Likelyhood of Confusion)} or Copyright ^{(via Derivation)}.

Due to the complexity of what will actually qualify as "Parody", we won't reproduce parody logos without licensing or permission for the orignal IP owner.

More Information & Additional Resources:

Here are some more links that may help in the explaination of things:

FORBES - Copyright VS Trademark VS Patent

We've found a site that is great for looking up terms to see if they are protected. It's what we actually use to look up trademarks. That site can be found HERE

That page makes looking up TM's really easy at times it has trouble loading. You can actually use the USPTO trademark database directly HERE. Heads up though it is a little more complicated to search using that page. You wa

For more info on Intellectual Property check out our IP Section.

There are many different types of graphic design files. Generally image and design files are categorized as RASTER or VECTOR images.

They type of design file we need is what's called a Vector file. You can find more information on vector files below

This is our most common question. Vector files are something the average person has never heard of. This makes explaining what a vector file is a difficult task at times.

Here at EmblemArt we do offer vector conversion services. There is a bit of a cost involved with this but we do try to keep it as cost effective as possible. Afterall, we don't want to make your project to be limited based on the conversion.

Many times clients will misunderstand what a vector file is, and send us a Raster Image embedded inside a vector file in an attempt to keep their costs down. While we'd love to accept these types of files unfortunately they aren't true vector files and we'd need to convert this type of file by hand.

We have found some really great Youtube Clips that help us explain why vector files are so important:

And here is another:

You can also purchase vector files from any number of vector design companies such as Vector Stock. There are many other websites that sell vector files as well but Vector Stock is pretty common.

Making letters from scratch, or from a JPG image is actually more difficult than it seems. Lettering is exact. Any small detail that is out of place is instantly noticable. Therefore, converting a JPG image of letters takes us a lot of time, which will end up costing you more.

To keep costs as low as possible for you, we need a font for any lettering that you have in your design. Font files are special computer files that hold all the information for lettering styles. Us having the font file saves us the time, which saves you cash.

We have a a FONT PREVIEW system set up to allow you to see what fonts we have on file. however if you'd rather choose a different font we just need you to send us the .ttf or the .otf file.

There are a couple places you can find Font Files if one of our stock fonts won't work for you.

1. The Internet

   There are a ton of websites out there that host Fonts. However font files also have special permissions, called Licenses. Some Licenses allow free use commercially, others are only free for personal use, and some aren’t free at all.

   If you find a font online that you want us to use, send us over the URL and we can tell you if we, as a company, can download it commercially. or if you need to download and send it to us for exclusive use on your personal project.

   If the font you want to use isn’t free for commercial use, then you can still use it for your project. We just need you to download it and send it to us to use for your personal project only. We keep files for all our clients and we do not share what you send us with any other clients, thus the font will only be used for you personally.

   There are a couple websites that we direct customers to that have worked out really great in the past:

   DaFont

   Some fonts are free for commercial use, some aren’t

   FontSquirrel

   All are free for commercial use

   FontSpace

   Some are free for commercial use, some aren't

   Simply send us the URL for the font that you want to use, or download the font file and send it to use as an attachment.

2. Your Home Computer

   You can see the fonts you have on your computer through programs like Microsoft Word. We are licensed to use any fonts found in Microsoft word. If you know the name of the font, shoot that over to us and we can take a look. However if we don’t have it in our system. We need you to send us the font.

   The fonts are stored in a special location called a Font Folder. Here are a couple of Youtube clips we found that helps us locate this folder.

If you haven't yet be sure to check out the section above about Vector Files. If you are unable to send us a proper vector file for your request we can help you out with a service called "Artwork Conversion".

Artwork Converion unfortunately does have a cost associated with it as it can take time. Converting Pixels to precise vector lines is pretty much an artform for us. However we do provide and ask for everything we need to make it as easy as possible for us, thus keeping your cost to a minimum.

If you don't have a design in mind we can definitely help you out. However creating Design from Scratch is a Premium service and thus have a premium cost. How much that cost is really depends on how much creative work you'd like us to do vs how much you'd like to do

All the designs on our website are owned or licensed by the Customers or Clients who ordered them. We have them on our site so that you can see things we've done in the past and to inspire you on different techniques and ideas of how to make your logo or design into an emblem.

As the images are owned or licensed by our Customers or Clients we cannot use them to make your designs. We can only make custom emblems from designs that you own, or that you have licensing for.

"Overall Dimensions" refers to the overall height and the overall width. This one is pretty simple, yet with complex designs it can get a little confusing at times. So we made a simple image to help you know what we are referring to:

You can see here that we have the height from the top most part of the design, to the bottom most part. And the width, from the part furthest left to furthest right.

Proportions refers the the scale of your design. For example if you were to send us the design found in the "What do you mean by Overall Dimensions?" section above, but then ask us for the dimensions of ( 3" tall x 4" wide ) we'd get the following:

See how the design is all distorted? This is because it didn't keep the proportions, (or scale) of the original artwork.

In this instance, if the important dimension was 4" wide, then the height would need to scale, proportionately to .95" tall as you can see below:

You can see here that the design kept it's overall look and proportions (scale) but in order to do so had to be much shorter than originally requested.

While we don't have a minimum order requirement for custom emblems we do have limitations with what material's and processes may be avialable based on those quantities.

Quanties of less than 300 units:

• Chrome Emblem Material^[link]
• Gold Emblem Material^[link]
• Black Emblem Material^[link]

These materials have a standard lead time of 2-3 weeks to ship

• Research and Development Materials

R&D materials can have a much longer lead time.

For information on the pricing of these materials take a look HERE.

Quantities of 300 or more

For quantities of 300 or more we can use the same materials that are used for smaller quantity orders, but we also have access to additional, more cost effective production methods, namely Injection molding.

The only downside to these options is that their lead time is much longer. A typical lead time would be 8-12 weeks depending on the options.

Injection molded parts consist of 2 main subcategories. Molded Plastic and Chrome Plated. Molded plastic emblems have a few different options such are colored plastic base with stamped color, but generally are only recommended in interior use, or other uses where durability isn't a requirement.

Chrome plated emblems are however, the "go to" product if you are looking for something that will meet or exceed the OEM standard set by the Toyota and FCA automotive groups. These parts can be made with recessed color fill or even lexan or acrylic inserts.

To take a look at difference products we offer at high quantities take a look HERE.

For information on the pricing of higher quantity orders take a look HERE.

Most all emblems are backed with 3M adhesive. There are some limitations with this, but unless otherwise stated they come with the adhesive already pre applied. Simply peel and stick.

Most all emblems are backed with 3M adhesive. There are some limitations with this, but unless otherwise stated they come with the adhesive already pre applied. Simply peel and stick.

Currently only our OEM options at quantities of 300 or more, allow for color fill. However we are constantly testing and proving new production methods and options.

You can definitely paint your car emblems, however this isn't a service we offer in house. Proper precautions must be taken to prepare the part to accept point. Precautions such as cleaning the emblem or badge as well at taping off any area where you don't want paint applied.

Plasti-dip is a product that we recommend to many of our clients who want to temporarily change the color of their custom emblems. However it's not a permanent solution. As long as you prep the part carefully plasti-dip should last a long time.

We can make them pretty much any size you like. There may be some limtations, however for the most part we do have solutions :)

Use the Get Started form to get a quote.

When clients or customers have designs or requests that consist of individual parts they are concerned that they won't be able to align the parts once they are ready to install. To solve this issue we offer an alignment templates or prespaced jigs so that clients can easily apply their custom emblems.

Application with an alignment template is incredibly easy. Simply align the template at the install location. (we recommend supporting it with masking tape on the surface). From there simply remove the adhesive backing on each part you want to install, and place that part in the appropriate space in the alignment template.

Vid coming soon

There are a few reasons why quantity can make a difference and it really depends on the product you're looking for and the price point (budget) you'd like to hit.

For example, the OEM styled emblems are only available at quantities of 300+, however if you're only wanting 1-2 and if money isn't an issue, there may be options in our R&D products. On the oposite side of the coin though if you like any of the materials we offer that don't have a minimum order requirement such as our Chrome Emblem, Gold Emblem, or Black Emblem materials, the more you order the cheaper we can make them. This also applies to our Chrome Letter Product.

Yes and No.

There is an onld addage that money can buy anything, and while technically this is correct, at times technology, and no necessarily money, would be the limiting factor.

That being said, we do have options that are very cost effective, but also others that aren't. So yes, at times you can pay more than what we quote you and achieve additional options, however it really depends on what that request is.

If you already know how many you're wanting to order, and the dimensions feel free to GET STARTED. At the end of the questions there will be a place where you can enter in additional details of what you're looking for :)

Please Contact Us for more information and with any questions.

Here at EmblemArt we are always looking for new and exciting technologies to bring the best products to our clients. These new technologies need time to be tested, time to figure out what correct pricing structures are, as well as production solutions to keep pricing low while still making a small profit. This is what R&D is.

The best way to do these things is to put these products out in theh "wild" so to speak. Having great customers and clients allows us to use them as gineua pigs for our new products. There are some drawbacks to this, namely we aren't sure of timelines for productions, nor are we 100% sure on some aspects of durability. However, because of this we don't charge as much for the R&D products as we would for the final product once R&D is complete.

We will cherry pick different customers when they approach us with their requests to participate with us in our R&D product, however if you'd like to see what options are available definately feel free to ask. We'll take a look at your request and see if it isn't a good canadate for any of our R&D products. :)

Ordering is simple:

1. Come Up with a design.
2. Check out our products and find what will work best for you.
3. Contact Us.
You can contact us via our Get Started, Get a Quote, or Contact Us pages.

From there we will guide you through the Order Process .

For a more detailed explaination of these steps see the page found HERE.

When you fill out our Get a Quote, our Get Started or our Contact Us forms you will be sent an automated, programmed response to your request. This email was programmed to use the details that you entered and generate a quote for you (if possible). It's not a huge deal is you don't get this email (as sometimes it gets lost in cyberspace) however we've spent a lot of time programming it to try to help people get information as quickly as they can while they wait for a personal message from one of our Quote Specialist. if you have any suggestions for the Intro Email our ears are definitely open to them. The Intro email is just a tool to help people out as quickly as we can.

Check your Junk Folder. For whatever reason our Intro Email gets sent there sometimes.

It's not a huge deal though if you can't find is. The Intro email simply gives you a bunch of information and links for pages to look at to answer your questions. It can also give you a quote.

If you didn't get the INTRO email don't worry. One of our Quote Specialists will reach out to you soon after you place your order. If for whatever reason you don't hear from us though, feel free to reach out directly to info@emblemart.com.

Many people try to figure out how to place orders for custom parts through the website itself. Instead we prefer to work 1-on-1 with customers to get them the best possible pricing, as well as walk them through each step of the Order Process.

There are a few steps in the order process:

Initial Contact & Intro Email

via our Get Started, Get a Quote, Contact Us forms, or by Emailing us directly.

Design & Product Consultation

via email with one of our Quote Specialists

Final Quoting & Invoicing/Payment

via email with one of our Quote Specialists

Production & Shipping

Each step is pretty simple and one of our quote specialists will guide you through each one.

For a more detailed explaination of these steps see the page found HERE.

Pricing can be a complicated thing with anything that is custom made. However we have simplified it down to 2 seperate categories based on the quantity you'd like to order:

Low Quantity Order Pricing
^{Less than 300 units}

High Quantity Order Pricing
^{300+ units}

We do offer price breaks depending on the quantity you order. How this pricing breaks down though differs based on the product we can offer for your request.

For our Low Quantity materials it's quite simple. The more you order the cheaper it is per unit. As these materials are calcuated based on the total material used, the more material you order the cheaper it becomes. So, 2 emblems will always be cheaper per unit than 1, and 10 will always be cheaper per unit than 9, etc. The quantity doesn't matter, we will always be giving you the best pricing prossible. Feel free to request a quote at anytime. For more information on the pricing process for this material Click Here.

For our High Quantity Options it's quite simple as well, although this works differently. For these options price breaks occur at 300, 500, 1000, 2500, 5000+. However there are some options that may differ a bit. For more information on the pricing process for these options Click Here.

The process of ordering an emblem can either be very quick, or it can take awhile. What it boils down to is how often we communicate back and forth. The downtime between email responses is what takes the most time. The quicker you respond to our messages the quicker you’ll get your emblem. Different types of emblems have different lead times as well.

Most orders of less than 300 units will be filled within 2-3 weeks, OEM or large quantity orders may take 8-14 weeks.

Of course there are extenuating circumstances, that must be accounted for. After all these are custom products and we want to assure that you are 100% satisfied. We refuse to supply you with anything but the best product. At times this may mean that your order could take up to twice the predicted lead time. But we’ll always try our best to get you your emblem as soon as possible, and we will always keep you informed of the progress. Feel free to contact us about the status of your order at any time.

We offer USPS priority shipping for all Custom Orders. On Occation we will ship via UPS at our descresion. Shipping upgrades are available at request, however they may incur additional handling changes.

We do offer the ability to RUSH certain types of orders. Any order that is made from our low quantity materials can be RUSHed. Other OEM options unfortunately cannot be Rushed.

This service will typicaly reduce the standard lead time by about 60%. (ie from 2-3 weeks to ship, to 5 business days).

Rush services start at $125 and are adjusted for the amount of material to be Rushed, and the desired timeline.

There are 2 payment options available. 1 – Online Payment via Credit Card by a Payment link, or Payment Request (PayPal), or (2) for larger amounts, and some materials, payment by check.

For any Custom Emblems, such as our Chrome Emblems, Gold Emblems,… or anything that uses your custom design there are no refunds. This is because they are custom. We can’t simply put them back on a shelf for resell. Once you place the order and make payment your funds go into making your custom project. At that point, there are no refunds. With that being said please be sure to ask any and all questions regarding your project, design, and the material you were quoted. We’re more than happy to take any amount of time needed to help you understand the product you’re ordering. For more information on payments and refunds take a look at our Terms and Conditions page.

However, we have our Chrome Letters, which are an off the shelf item, and we have Custom Emblems. The Chrome letters may be returned within a certain time frame as they are an off the shelf item. We just put them back into our stock. Refunds for Chrome Letters are dependent on the conditions in which we receive them and are subject to restocking fees. For example, if you tried to use them then we won’t be able to refund them. Contact us for more details regarding that.

We do allow cancellations. However cancellations are still subject to our No Refund policy. Once payment is made for any custom product the process of creating them begins and costs are incurred. So, you can 100% cancel your order and we will stop production. However we wouldn't be able to return any payment.