FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the differences between indoor and outdoor magnets?
Indoor magnets come in either 20 mil or 30 mil thickness, depending on your needs. However, button (40 mil thickness) and business card (25 mil thickness) magnets are exceptions to this rule, due to their attributes and intended function respectively. The larger the number, the thicker the magnet is. The thicker the magnet is, the stronger and more durable it will be. The colors are offset printed onto a flexible vinyl magnet, then coated with a protective Mylar laminate to protect the inks against daily wear and tear.

As an example, our 20 mil magnets are 3/4 the thickness of a dime.

Outdoor magnets are available only in 30 mil thickness. This thickness is able to withstand varied weather conditions and frequent handling. The colors are silk screen printed onto a flexible vinyl magnet, then coated with a protective Mylar laminate to protect the inks against daily wear and tear. The colors are a fade-resistant UV-tolerant ink that can withstand exposure to sunlight and maintain their vibrancy. Due to the properties of the inks and the printing process, outdoor magnets can only be printed using one-, two-, three-, or four-color spot processes.

What is a mil?
1 mil = 1/1000 inches or 0.001"

A mil is a unit of measurement commonly used to specify the thickness of materials sold in sheets. The average sheet of copy paper is 3.8 mils (0.0038 inches) thick.

What is a spot color?
A spot color is any single color portion of the face of a white magnet without using shades or gradients.

What are one-, two-, three-, four-, or full-color processes?
The different color processes indicate how many spot colors you have available when designing your custom magnet. Keep in mind that the base magnet is white, so every color other than white is considered a spot color.

What types of images can I upload using the free quote form?
JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF, PSD, AI, PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, PUB, and EPS are all acceptable file types to upload. Upload the largest, highest quality (300+ dpi) image you have for the best result.

What does bleed mean when referring to images and magnets?
Bleed is a common term in the printing industry that refers to an extended area around the edges of a document, or in our case, a magnet. Because a magnet is die-cut from a sheet of vinyl, we require both an external and internal bleed of 1/8". The external bleed provides an area for the ink to bleed outward from the edge of the design, so that when it is cut there is a crisp, precisely colored edge. The internal bleed protects important information from mechanical error during the die-cut procedure.

How do I measure a custom magnet?