The Do’s and Don’ts of Approving a Mock-Up

You finally submitted an order for your t-shirts, and you are dying to have them in hand!

But don’t let your excitement keep you from focusing on critical aspects of your order process, mainly the approval of your mock-up. Doing so could be a costly mistake. Once you place an order with Jersey Ink, we will send you a quote email with several details that we need you to confirm.

Dos of Mock-up Approval

1. Make final payment. The total amount of your invoice is due before proceeding with your order. Please make sure the total amount is paid so we can deliver your items in a timely fashion.
2. Confirm shipping address. Your shipping address should include the street address and any additional information required for delivery, including apartment numbers and business suites. In addition, please provide any special delivery instructions, such as where to place the package or package recipient names.
3. Communicate deadlines. If you are on a tight deadline, please let us know as soon as possible. We do our best to deliver completed merchandise in 10-15 business days after receiving final payment and final design approval. However, we may be able to accommodate tighter deadlines if we are notified early in the process.
4. Check your artwork. Once you’ve reviewed the details in the email, it’s time to review your artwork. Start by clicking the grey button labeled “Pay for Quote #XXXX.” This will take you to your invoice. At the top of the invoice is a button for artwork approval. Once you click that button, you will be able to review all aspects of your artwork. Make sure that the design placement, colors, fonts, and dimensions match your expectations for the final product.
5. Check spelling and grammar. This is often the most critical step in the approval process. As silly as it may seem, we encourage you to spell-check your mock-ups several times before approving the design. Sometimes getting an extra set of eyes to review the design can be a helpful tip!
6. Sign your name. Don’t forget to sign your name and select “Approve.” This will set your order in motion, and the printing will begin!

Don’ts of Mock-up Approval

1. Ignore the email. While this may seem like an obvious “don’t,” it’s not uncommon for people to ignore quote and approval emails, especially if they feel strongly that they’ve previously submitted the correct information. However, human errors happen, and ignoring this email could be a critical mistake.
2. Skim the email and/or mock-up. In a similar vein to ignoring the email is skimming the email. As you can see above, several small details go into the final approval process for bringing your design to life. Any small detail missed could delay your order or result in a mistake with the final product. Be sure to read through the email carefully to ensure all details, large and small, are correct.
3. Wait until the last minute. Approval emails should not be left until the last minute, especially if you are relying on a deadline. Orders are filled in the order in which they are received, and this can sometimes cause delays if design approvals are not completed in a timely fashion. If possible, try to submit your approval within 24-48 hours of receiving your email.

Finding a Mistake After Mock-up Approval

Mistakes happen. When a mock-up is accidentally approved with an error, we do our best to work with our customers to remedy the issue. If the items have not yet gone to print, we can often work with the customer to make last-minute adjustments. However, because we promise to deliver all final products EXACTLY as shown in the mock-up, we cannot offer refunds or exchanges for products that have gone to print after the customer has approved the artwork. We are always here to help guide you through the process! If you have questions about your custom order or approval process, please don’t hesitate to reach out!