faq’S

It is an EXTREMELY good idea to review this page before beginning your Class Shirts order. 99% of the questions we get can be answered below. For a printable (pdf) version of the FAQ, click here.

What is turn-around time?
Turnaround time is defined as the time it takes us to ship the order from the day we receive it in the mail. If our website says we are at a 2 week turnaround time, DON’T FORGET TO ADD IN THE TIME TO MAIL THE LETTER AND SHIP YOUR SHIRTS!!! If you live in California, this could add 2 weeks to the stated time. If you live in Illinois, it will add 2-5 days.
How long does it take to make the shirts?

Processing times vary based on the time of year. We are very busy from mid-September through December and from early March through early June. Fall and spring it is normal to have a 3-4-week processing time. August, early Sept, January and February have much shorter processing times. Please plan early for graduation shirts. The website frequently updates our current turnaround time as needed on the home page.

Can we use pencil for the drawings?
No! Lines in pencil are almost always too thin and/or too light. Also, children tend to erase and the smudges left behind will show up on the shirt.
What should we use to make the drawings (single ink color)?
The thickness of the marker should be as thick (or a little thicker) as the oval in the template for the face. The marker should not be old and dried out as this faded look will appear on your shirt instead of solid, dark lines. The best marker is a brand new Sharpie Fine Point Marker.
Why don’t you want a fine line marker?

Drawings on larger templates will be likely be reduced by 40% or more. Fine lines in the drawing become approximately half as thick as they appear in the drawing. These lines will not show up well on a shirt. (The exception to this is the Sharpie Fine Point Marker. Its name is misleading, but it works better than everything else.)

What should we use to make the FULL COLOR drawings?

The thickness of the marker should be as thick (or a little thicker) as the oval in the template for the face.  The marker should not be old and dried out as this faded look will appear on your shirt instead of solid, dark lines.  The best markers to use are Crayola Conical Tip Classic Markers.  Please DO NOT use pastels or neon markers as colors do not reproduce well.

How will the full color drawings print on the shirt?

The printed shirts look very similar to the drawings on paper, but some slight differences may be noticed.  Look at our sample shirts page to see an example of a full color Classroom Faces T-Shirt.

Can the children “outline” their drawing in pencil and then use marker to go over the pencil lines?
NO! Young children will not trace over each line perfectly. Any pencil lines left in the drawing will show up on the shirt. For example, a “smile” that is not covered exactly with a marker, could result in 2 smiles on the face—one from the pencil line and one from the marker.
How do we take advantage of the free teacher shirt offer?

Effective July 1, 2019, all orders of 15 or more paid shirts receive a Free Teacher Shirt!  No promo code is needed to take advantage of this offer.  Because no promo code is needed, other promo codes may be combined with this offer when available!  To order your free teacher shirt, add your size to the counts on the left side of the order form, but don’t add that number to the totals on the right side of the order form.  In a nutshell, pay for one less shirt than you need.  See this example for details.  NOTICE: The free teacher shirt offer must be claimed when the order is submitted.  It cannot be claimed after we receive the order.  Reading our instructions is important!

Can I mix shirt colors in the same class order?
It is possible; however, the ink color must be the same on all shirts. A few classes have chosen heliconia for girls, royal blue for boys, and used white ink for all of the shirts. Please be sure to submit one order form for each shirt color you plan to use for each class/order and staple them together. Please refer to the Shirt and Ink Color Compatibility Chart on our site.
Can I mix different size templates for my class?

NO! Please use the same size template for all the drawings in your class.

We are placing 4 orders from the same school. Do the shirts all have to be the same color?
No! Each class use a different shirt/ink color combination.
Is there a discount for larger orders?
No. With our new everyday low pricing, we offer the same pricing to schools that submit one order as we do to schools that submit 20 orders. The new low pricing is what used to be only offered to schools submitting 3 or more classes at once.
How should I pay for the order?
You may use your own personal check, a school/PTA check, credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express), or school purchase order (PO). If paying by check or PO, a check or approved PO for the full amount must be included with the order. When using credit or debit cards, you will be emailed a link to pay online once we receive your order.
May I send checks from parents?
No. NSF checks from parents have caused too many problems and we no longer will accept them.
My toddler class/3 year old class cannot draw good pictures. What can I do?
Any age group that cannot draw good pictures can do handprints or thumbprints instead. (See handprint sample on the “sample” link.)
How do I do a handprint/footprint shirt as seen on the samples page?

Instead of using our templates, use a blank white sheet of paper for each student.  Under the print, write the child’s name.  You will want to keep the name relative in size to the print as we will shrink this image dramatically to fit it on the shirt and you want to maintain a legible name. Use BLACK finger paint for the hand-print and write the name with a black marker (unless you are doing our full-color option on white shirts).  Make sure to make a firm hand-print so the print on the paper is very dark.  Using other color inks and/or light pressure will not result in a good look when we print the shirts.

Will the drawings I send be the same size on the shirt?

Possibly, but not likely. The size of the layout depends on how many drawings are on the shirt, along with the smallest shirt size in the order.  Except for very small classes (<12 drawings), we will likely shrink the drawings.

What should I put at the top of the shirt?
Anything you want! Most teachers include some of the following: School name, teacher name, grade level, school year, class nickname. See our “samples” link for ideas.
How much wording can I put at the top of the shirt?
There is no set limit; however, getting too much wording detracts from the pictures and can make the text VERY small. Our graphics department will determine the layout for your shirt design.
Should I draw my own picture?
Sure! Almost all orders include pictures of the teacher and teacher assistant. Some include the principal and other school personnel. It is your class shirt…do what you want!
How many faces can I put on one shirt?
We have done faculty and grade level shirts with 90 faces and still had room for more. Drawing sizes must be reduced more than normal. The size partially depends on the number of drawings and smallest shirt size ordered. We can print up to 10.5” x 10.5” designs.
What if I want the faces to be arranged in a specific order?

Let’s start by saying we don’t recommend this.  By default, our designers will put the teachers at the top, and the kids below them.  The drawings are arranged by a variety of factors, including width and height of drawings, so the layout looks good.  For example, if you have 25 drawings and 5 are taller than the rest, those will go in their own row.  If you put one tall drawing in each row, we may have to shrink all the drawings more than usual to accommodate your wishes.  If you must have drawings in a specific order (even if it is only the teachers), please draw a mock layout of how you would like your drawings arranged.  Simply stacking the drawings in the order you want them is NOT an alternative to making a mock layout.

Can we put a school logo on the shirt?
It may be possible. We will need high quality, black and white artwork (no halftones). If you would like to do this, please email us a copy of the design and then give us a call to discuss it. Copyrighted logos or artwork cannot be used (other than your own school/organization.)
Any ideas on how to explain the drawings to younger children?
Some teachers have told us they draw a big template on the blackboard and make a sample drawing—showing things not to do as well as a correct drawing. Some teachers even have a couple of students come up and draw on the blackboard. This probably works better than pointing at a small sheet of paper.
I have an A.M. class, and a P.M. class. Can I get both on my shirt?

Yes you can, as long as you follow these directions (if you don’t, we’ll ask you to submit new order forms): You need 3 orders forms: 1 for the AM class, one for the PM class, one for both.  On the AM class, only order the shirts that have this on the front.  On the PM class, only order the shirts that have this on the front.  For the 3rd form, order the shirts that have both a front and a back.  At the top of the form where you would normally put text on top, put “AM on front, PM on back.”  On the 3rd form, add $3 for shirts with dark ink, $4 for white or yellow ink to the costs of the other shirts in your order.  Full color prints are $4 for the back side.

We want to do shirts for graduation in the spring, when should we send in our artwork?
Beginning in March, we may need 3-4 weeks for processing—from the time we receive your order. Plan accordingly for spring orders—don’t wait until the last minute.
Why do you ask us to approve the layout?
So that you can approve the spelling in the wording you gave us and to make sure all of the children are in the layout. Your approval of the layout protects both of us from any mistakes. It also gives you once last chance to make any changes (for a small fee) before it is too late.
Why do you want the approval back so quickly?
When we fax you the layout, we are also scheduling your printing. If you do not return the fax in the time allotted we will pull your order from the schedule and not reschedule it until we have received your approval. This could add up to a week or more delay before we ship your order.
What type of shirt do you use?

We use a high quality Gildan, 100% preshrunk cotton (90% cotton/poly for sport grey and ash), 6.1 ounce (heavyweight) t-shirts.

Why is there a 15 shirt minimum?
The cost of making a screen for the screen printing, plus the costs for the graphics time involved in making the layout have been incorporated into the shirt prices. (There are no extra set-up or screen charges). If we had lower minimums, like 8 or 10 shirts, the individual prices for all orders would have to be higher.
Why do you have larger minimum orders when there are a lot of drawings?
High numbers of drawings (usually for faculty shirts) require a great deal of graphics time to put the layout together. Instead of raising prices for everybody, we felt it was fairer to have these orders cover their own additional costs.
Why is shipping only included for the 48 states?

Shipping charges within the continental US are fairly standard.  Once a package leaves this area, the costs can skyrocket.  Since this situation doesn’t occur very often, we handle those charges on a case by case basis.  This makes shipping easier for 98% of our customers.

Why are full color designs only available on white shirts?

Full color shirt designs are only available on white shirts so any color marker can be used when making the drawing and will show up on the shirt.  If you chose a royal blue shirt and a student’s drawing had royal blue marker in it, it would get lost in the design.  The exception to this is our “Class-of” shirts, which have a white fill inside the numbers, so all drawings show up well.

Are your inks CPSIA compliant?

Yes! We use the 480 and Hybrid series inks from One Stroke Inks. Inks are made in the USA, 3rd party tested, and fully CPSIA compliant. More information can be found here.

We have 3 small preschool classes. What can we do?
Many preschools and kindergartens with small classes combine the classes and make one shirt with all the faces.
I only have 10 students in my class. Can I still order?

Have you offered shirts to the parents? Many parents will order a shirt if given the opportunity (see next question). If you are still short of 15 shirts, a $35 artwork charge will apply. Promotions cannot be used on orders with less than 15 shirts.

Will parents also buy a shirt?
Yes, many parents are buying shirts. Make sure you offer the parents a chance to get a shirt. Parents love having a shirt with a drawing done by their child.
A parent did not buy a shirt when we placed our order, but now wants to get one for her child. Can you make an extra shirt?

Yes!  We have recently purchased some new printing equipment and as a result we can now offer reprint shirts for only $18 (+$3 for 2XL+) each shipped!  For all reorders under 12 shirts, we can offer shirts using direct-to-garment digital printing.  Most ink colors will come close to matching the original screen print ink color.  Metallic Silver, Metallic Gold, and Fluorescent Green inks cannot be reproduced digitally.  Metallic Silver will be printed as grey, Metallic Gold will be printed as Vegas Gold, and Fluorescent Green will be printed as a bright Lime Green.  Full color reprints will look identical, as they were printed digitally initially.  Reorders over 12 shirts will be printed using the same inks as the original order.  If you want to change the layout, artwork charges will apply.

I coach a sports team. Can they do a shirt?

Yes, Classroom Faces® can be used by sports teams, Cub Scouts, Brownies, clubs, family reunions etc.

Is there an age limit?/Can high school classes make a shirt?
There is no age limit. We have done Classroom Faces™ shirts for High School AP calculus classes and Family Reunions.
What is the “PROMO CODE” on the order form?

From time to time we offer specials on our website, blog, Facebook page, Instagram page, and via promotions with other social media accounts. Putting a valid “promo code” on the order form ensures that you will receive the correct special. No promo code is needed for the free teacher shirt offer. Only one free teacher shirt per order is permitted.

What forms of payment do you accept?
No. We can expedite your shipping, but that generally only saves 1-3 days, and has SIGNIFICANT costs to it. We schedule orders on a first come, first serve basis. Would you want your order bumped from the schedule because someone else paid more and that caused you to not have them for your event? We didn’t think so, so please don’t ask us to prioritize your order!
Why do you no longer accept credit cards on the order form or over the phone?
By not accepting cards via the order form or over the phone, we reduce our liability.  Now, only the person who is paying sees the payment information.  Nobody at our company has any access to credit/debit card information.  This is just one way we can help keep your data secure.
Can we pay extra to rush or order?
No.  We can expedite your shipping, but that generally only saves 1-3 days, and has SIGNIFICANT costs to it.  We schedule orders on a first come, first serve basis.  Would you want your order bumped from the schedule because someone else paid more and that caused you to not have them for your event?  We didn’t think so, so please don’t ask us to prioritize your order!
Why do you charge cancellation fees?

We assume when you send an order to us that you want to receive your shirts. There are costs associated with processing your order, ordering shirts, and completing your layout. Depending on when you wish to cancel your order, an appropriate fee will apply to cover those costs. Full cancellation policy details can be found on our Pricing page. Additionally, when a refund is applicable, it may only be possible in the form of a credit. See the next question for more details.

Can I get a refund?
For orders paid by check or debit card (ACH Deposit), we do not issue refund checks for any reason. Any money owed (whether from a cancellation, over-payment, etc.) will be issued as a credit towards a future order. If the orders were paid by credit card, a refund for over-payment/cancellation is possible. We will not issue refunds or credits for differences in promotional pricing. Please double check your math before submitting an order.
Do we have to pay sales tax?
Only personal orders from Indiana pay sales tax (7%). All Indiana tax-exempt school orders MUST include a copy of their state issued tax exempt certificate. School orders that are taking advantage of their tax-exempt status must pay for their order with a form of payment that comes from the school. Example: A room mom organizing a Classroom Faces order in Indiana cannot use a school’s tax-exempt form and pay for the order with a personal credit card or check.
Should I make a copy of the order form?
YES!!! A large percentage of orders that come in have errors on the order form of some kind. Keeping a copy of what you sent to us it will make it easier to correct those errors once we identify them.
Where can I get a copy of your W9?

Have your accounting department email info@classroomfaces.com for a copy of our EIN. A+ Images is incorporated, so there is never a need to send us a 1099 form for tax purposes.

Who is A+ Images?
We are an Indianapolis, IN based garment decorator. We serve several niche markets by offering a variety of garments with our own designs. We also provide retail and wholesale custom apparel decorating services. “Classroom Faces” is the name we have given these specialized self-portrait class shirts.
Why do you need my email address?
It is often the best way to contact you about a question or problem with your order.  Additionally, your layout will be sent to this for quick approval and your UPS tracking information will be emailed to you once we ship your shirts!  We NEVER give or sell your email address (or any other info) to any 3rd parties.

 

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