2CT Media - Logo
2CT Media - Logo
(480) 269-7585

FAQs

Our Products, Quality, Materials, and Process

2CT Media takes pride in what we offer, our promise to you is a 120-day guarantee against manufacturing defects, quality issues, or printed ink failures. We reserve the right to investigate claims to determine coverage by our guarantee.

Our process, experience, investment in leading-edge technology and relationships allow us to produce these products at the highest quality with maximum efficiency and output speed. Our direct manufacturer relationships allow us access to the highest quality materials at ultra-competitive prices.

Learn more about why you should choose 2CT Media for your printing needs by clicking the following link: Why Choose 2CT Media
The materials we offer are the highest grade in the industry, we constantly seek to expand our offerings and increase the overall quality of the products we provide. We only work with the best material manufacturers in the industry, including Avery Dennison, Arlon, 3M, Interplast, Aluminate, and More.
We only offer the highest quality digital printing or cut vinyl. With our digital printing methods, there are no limits to the number of colors used. With our cut vinyl products, they are limited to 1 color per layer.
Our printers at 2CT Media are calibrated using special profiles that ensure accurate colors at high speed. These profiles are checked and calibrated consistently on a schedule to ensure no deviation. Our monitors are calibrated to display colors as close as possible to our output, but your monitors may not be. All monitors display color differently and we handle color output on a case-by-case basis, so if your project is color critical please contact us at [email protected] to discuss our color proofing options before production.
We allow you to reorder your projects with the same specs and files, or you may choose to reorder your project with the same specs but with new files. In the case, you choose to reorder your project with the same specs and files, we document our production process and will repeat your order as it was originally run. We ensure that the color output is the same too! We recommend that if you think your project will be a repeatable project during your first order, notify us and we will keep a physical comparative sample so we can guarantee exact output.

We employ the latest technology for our industry. We are constantly investing in leading-edge technologies providing some of the highest image qualities with maximum efficiency in mind.

Our Printing Technology:

We have UV-LED, HP Latex, and GelUV ink technologies printing from some of the industries’ top printing equipment. Our printers can print up to 1200 x 1200 dpi, and offer special features like Matte Ink, White, and Even Gloss Inks. We employ machines for Vanguard, Canon, and HP so from Roll stock to Direct-to-Substrate we have some of the most advanced technology available.

Our Finishing Technology:

We have deployed one of the highest resolution laser cutting/engravers on the market from Epilog and paired it with our Multicam Celero 7 CNC finishing table. Our technology allows for the most accurate finishing at the highest speeds, providing you with a top-quality product, rapidly.

We are constantly seeking advancements in our equipment portfolio and are testing and reviewing equipment at all times. Our goal is to provide you with the best-curated options in the industry using the best machines available.

We have carefully curated our equipment for the best output, durability, and economy. We rely heavily on our chosen machines due to their quality of output. Most of our roll stock products are printed on our GelUV machines, but for vehicle wraps, we only use our HP Latex printers since they are top of the class in the wrap industry. We are developing an output profile and testing our GelUV for wraps as it is very promising and offers advantages over the Latex. All of our Direct-to-Substrate printing is done on Vanguard UV-LED machines, their quality output is second to none and paired with their rapid print speeds and ink durability you will be impressed all around. If you decide you would like your project produced a certain way, please reach out to us at [email protected] to request a custom quote and to discuss options available to you.
We take our environmental impact seriously, we do all that we can to reduce our waste output in and industry of waste by nature. We make all attempts to recycle, seek materials that are degradable or recyclable, employ technologies with little to no VOCs, and donate unused materials to be upcycled by schools and other outlets.
We do! For certain processes, we do offer white ink, clear ink, and we even have a matte ink process.
Due to the many processes employed and the materials we use, exact dimensions may not be guaranteed for every product. Certain processes more than others have deviations, for instance, banner materials have a tendency to stretch and shrink when printing. Then, when it moves to the finish stage the hem welding process also causes deviations. We strive for exact output, but a margin of deviation is present in all of our products.

Ordering, Payments, and Shipping

Currently, we only take Credit Cards via our website. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.

Most orders can ship as soon as the next business day, but our Standard turnaround time is 3-4 Business days. We offer guaranteed RUSH processing, if your order needs to completed with a specific in-hand date please contact us directly before placing your order.

We are constantly negotiating the most aggressive rates from our providers. We, currently, contract with FedEx for our shipping due to their faster shipping times and reduced cost to our customers.

If the shipping carrier loses your order:

  1. We will contact them to open an investigation on the issues.
  2. We will then reprint with priority shipping.
If the shipping carrier damages your order in part or in its entirety, please follow these steps:
  1. If at all possible, notify the driver delivering the order if there is any visible damage.
  2. Inspect and take pictures of the damaged items and the packaging it arrived in.
  3. Write us an email to [email protected]. Please provide your order number, description of the damage, and provide pictures.
We will contact them to open an investigation on the issues. If we can reasonably determine the damage was caused by shipping, we will reprint your order item(s) and ship with priority shipping.

If your order is returned to our facility:

  1. We will make every attempt to contact you to reship the order to you. Some costs may apply unless it is determined to be our mistake.
  2. If we cannot make contact with you, after 30 days of receiving the returned order, we dispose of your ordered products. No Refunds will be made.

Yes, please contact us directly before placing your order to discuss shipping options and logistic costs.

If there is an issue with your order, you must report the problem within 5 business days after the delivery date. Please provide a description of the issue(s) and pictures to support them. We will do everything in our power to make sure you are satisfied with your order.

For errors by us:

If there are any errors on our part after the artwork has been approved, 2CT Media will send replacement products with priority shipping at no charge to the customer, *some limitations apply. We may also offer a refund, at our discretion, for the total amount.

Examples of these errors – Defects in the print or materials, improper material selection, etc.

For errors by you:

If errors are noticed in artwork after proof approval, we will work with you to rectify the situation. Our process gives every opportunity to prevent these errors, but we know that they happen and our ultimate goal is complete satisfaction.

Examples of these errors – Spelling or Grammatical Errors, Fuzzy or Pixelated Images, Color matching to other companies prints, etc.

There are 2 ways we can help you if you are unhappy with the proofs generated via our online proofing process:

  1. You may elect to edit your files and reproof those files to verify if the proof is correct.
  2. You may contact us to verify your files, make design alterations, or adjust colors and formatting for a fee.

Our entire process is incredibly automated. Once your order has been processed and has moved to the production process we can not guarantee your order can be changed or canceled. If you require your order to be changed or canceled, please contact us immediately to request changes or cancellations. One of our support team will do everything possible to halt your order and allow you to change or cancel it. If portions of the process have already started, we will discuss options with you.

Once your order has been canceled, it is removed from our workflow. You will need to reorder your order. If the order is date sensitive, you will need to contact us to discuss RUSH options.

We offer our products at the prices we do, through automation and efficiency. This means that we provide you with as many tools as possible to proofread, error check, and verify your orders before processing them. Once your order has been processed and has moved to the production process we can not guarantee your order can be changed or canceled.

If you spot an error after you’ve ordered, please contact us immediately to request changes or cancellations. One of our support team will do everything possible to halt your order and allow you to change or cancel it. If portions of the process have already started, we will discuss options with you.

Please verify your files carefully before you finish. We don’t want you to be disappointed, So please check all elements of your project’s designs.

Common errors are:

  1. Names
  2. Telephone numbers
  3. Dates & Times
  4. Addresses
  5. Prices
  6. Spelling
  7. Grammatical errors.

Our priority is satisfying you, we do this by being efficient. If you have a deadline, contact us directly and we will do all that we can to meet it. If we promise a ship date, and that date is missed… we will make it right!

Yes, please contact our sales department at [email protected] or call us at 480-269-7585 for more information on how we can process your order.

YES. We have options for designers, printers, corporations, brokers, and more to serve all of your needs and custom-tailor solutions for you specifically. We offer custom Web-to-print solutions with tailored branded stores and custom pricing, we can allow you to develop your own products to offer your specific client base and no one else. Please contact our sales department at [email protected] or call us at 480-269-7585 and let us know what the solution you are seeking is.

Do you have a product you want us to prototype or sell for you? We can do that too! We are always seeking the best solutions out on the market for our clients. If you think you have a great product for us please contact [email protected] and let us know what you offer.

We have sought for many years to make the complicated process of ordering signage, graphics, and large to grand format printing online easy. We have tailored our products and applied all the options that are easy for you to choose in our online store. You simply select the product you want, choose your size and options, upload or create your own designs in our intuitive designer, and checkout. If you have a more complicated project, please contact our sales department at [email protected] or call us at 480-269-7585 for more information on how we can process your order.
  1. If you Uploaded or Created your own artwork:

Sit back and relax. Seriously.

Once you accept your proof before checking out, you did most of the work you need to do. When you check out your files run through a “pre-flight” process that verifies all of your file output specs, if there are any issues or awesome design team steps in to try to correct them without your intervention. If you are needed we will reach out to you with options. Beyond that, your projects move through our nearly totally automated process to completion. You can even monitor the process from your account portal (if you created one).

  1. If you chose us to design your project for you:

You will fill out a design questionnaire to get us started with basics. Our design team will review it and then reach out to you for specifics to start your design process. Once you approve your proof, your projects move through our nearly totally automated process to completion. You can even monitor the process from your account portal (if you created one).

When you select your product in order to move to the basket, our system will ask you to upload your art files or to create your own custom design in our system. If you chose to upload your files later, you will be emailed a link or if you create an account with us your portal will allow you to select the order and upload files.
All uploads will allow you to size and proof before processing with us.

Yes, we can help you with that! Please contact our sales department at [email protected] or call us at 480-269-7585 so we can create a custom store for you.
Yes, you can! We are currently developing a sample “kit”, but in the meantime please create an account with us and send us a message to [email protected] or call us at 480-269-7585 so we can get you your requested samples ASAP.
No Problem! When you checkout, you can choose your address or any alternative from your address book, or even enter a new delivery address.

Yes, we do! When you checkout, select blind shipping for a $14 then you can choose your address or any alternative from your address book, or even enter a new delivery address.

If there is an error in your address:

Please contact us to rectify it.

If you just want to completely change your address of delivery:

Unfortunately, due to the complicated sales tax structure in the United States, we can not process your order and change the delivery address. Sales, Transactional, and Use taxes are calculated based on the final destination. In order to change the delivery address, please contact us to cancel and reprocess your order. Don’t worry, if your order is already in process or complete and pre-shipping we can express the process so you don’t lose any time!

The maximum dimensions we can ship for rigid sheet goods are 48” x 48” x 8” with a maximum weight of 95lbs. For rolled goods, the maximum dimensions we can ship is 104” x 10” x 10” with a maximum weight of 95lbs. If your order contains products larger than our maximum dimension allowance we will contact you with options to use a Freight or Specialty carrier.

Since South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., 585 U.S. ___ (2018) States, Counties, and Municipalities have started charging Sales, Transactional, and Use taxes across state lines for internet purchases. In order for us to be compliant, we must charge taxes levied based on the final destination. In many cases, if you can provide us with your states’ resale documentation we can waive the taxes if it is allowed.

Please see our privacy policy. 2CT Media Privacy Policy

Yes, we only use USAePay for our merchant processing. They are PCI compliant meaning none of your payment information is stored on any of our servers or recorded anywhere but with the merchant processor.

Currently, No for our Online Retail Store. We are seeking other options to make it more convenient for our clients like you. For our repeat clients ordering with frequency or resellers, we offer TERMs accounts with alternative payment methods. If you are interested in a TERMs account please send us an email at [email protected] to fill out our Credit Application and send us a request.

In some cases yes, we do this in order to maintain our low prices. There is a cost in labor, overhead, and merchant processing fees to process an order, we want to process all orders efficiently and fairly so we have set a minimum order price to handle this.

Yes, you can! You can pick up your orders from our client center located at:

7931 E. Pecos Rd
Bldg 4 – Suite 169
Mesa, AZ 85212

You can mail these items to our mailing address:

7931 E. Pecos Rd
Bldg 4 – Suite 162
Mesa, AZ 85212

You can deliver these items to our client center:

7931 E. Pecos Rd
Bldg 4 – Suite 169
Mesa, AZ 85212

Design Requirements, File Requirements, and Recommendations

Please see our Design File Requirements guide for complete details: 2CT Media | Design File Guidelines

Yes, we do! We offer many different design services to you. From simple design prep work like preparing bleeds, cleaning up images, or creating cut contour paths all the way to full creative design services. Our design fees range from a flat rate of $25 to $75/hr for full creative. If you are interested in using our design services, please contact us today to get a quote.

Preferred – Without Contour Cutting: JPG, PNG, PDF, PSD

Preferred – With Contour Cutting: AI, EPS, PDF: MUST Follow Contour Cutting Guidelines

Also Acceptable – CDR or SVG

Please verify your files are not missing any elements before approving your proof.

We recommend a resolution of 150dpi. The minimum resolution we recommend for most visual applications is 60dpi.

No, our software will handle this internally. Providing these marks will cause delays in your order.

Yes, it varies on a per-product basis but we do recommend providing a minimum of .125” (1/8”) of bleed on all sides. For Vehicle wraps we recommend 4” of bleed on none overlapping sides.

We can accept RGB, CMYK, SPOT Colors, and Greyscale. For rich saturated colors or photo-reproduction RGB color space is preferred. For accurate color matching using CMYK or Defined Pantone SPOT Colors will lead to higher accuracy. Greyscale is preferred for B&W printing to prevent color creep.

We employ color calibration, and normalization techniques to achieve accurate color reproduction. Images viewed on a monitor are not guaranteed to be accurate or match output. If a color is critical please request a printed proof.

Unfortunately, No. If the font is not loaded into our online system you will experience errors. Because we can not guarantee accuracy with live fonts in a file, to prevent errors please outline or convert all fonts to curves before uploading your files.

Because there are many variations of design programs and machine accuracy here are a few things we recommend before uploading your files.

  1. Working with Transparencies: To prevent errors in rendering, flatten all transparencies before saving and sending us files. As a best practice guideline, it is recommended to not use shadows, glows, or any other transparency type over a spot color if accuracy is required.
  2. Avoid hidden layers: Hidden layers can cause anomalies in the printing process. Please delete any hidden layers before uploading your artwork. Alternatively, you may also use the layer tool in the online designer to delete layers that are hidden from view.
  3. Handling Bleeds: Our design system will show you our bleed recommendations in the designer tool. For your files, due to many variables in machine accuracy, bleeds of a minimum of .125” (1/8″) on all sides of an image are recommended. If bleeds are not provided, we will not guarantee “no visible white bordering” on a finished image. If bleeds need to be generated by us there will be a setup charge of a minimum of $25 (depending on complexity).
  4. Use a Safety Zone: Due to many variables in machine accuracy, an inset safety zone of a minimum of .125” (1/8″) on all sides of an image is recommended. Avoid having important elements and imagery too close to the edge.
  5. Don’t use borders: Due to many variables in machine accuracy, borders are not recommended. Sometimes borders may appear uneven depending on cutting accuracy, if a border is required we recommend a minimum of .25” (1/4″) on all sides of an image is recommended.

Currently, No. Our design tool can only handle One set of Front and Rear artwork per product. If your project will require multiple files. Please add multiple products to your cart.

Yes, we do! If a custom shape is required (i.e. not square, rectangle or a simple circle) a vector cut path in your file is required. Make sure you choose a product size that is the maximum width and height of your design. Before uploading your file to us. please use the following steps that we recommend for the best output:
  1. Generate a vector path with your ideal finished layout in mind.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS:
  1. Utilize a minimal amount of Control Points (Nodes) as possible to assure smooth cutting.
  2. Avoid open shapes, these lead to unpredictable cutting results.
  3. Generating Paths in Photoshop may lead to less than ideal results.
  1. Make sure to bleed your image .125” (1/8″) beyond the cut path, Please mind overlapping colors as they may appear misaligned in detailed cutting.
  2. Create a SPOT color in your design program labeled “CutContour”, Assign 100% M as the color in CMYK color space.
  3. Make sure your Vector Path is a Stroke (Outline) and is .5 pt (hairline) thickness
  4. Your Cut Path must be the topmost layer in your Art File. For best results rasterize (flatten, convert to bitmap) your printed image at a minimum of 150dpi. This results in a Vector Layer (Cut Path) and a Raster Layer (Printed Image).
  5. Save your ready file as one of our preferred file formats: AI, EPS, PDF
If that all sounds daunting, never fear! You can elect to have us help you for a flat rate of $25 we can create a contour line for you in a jiffy!

Our system is a web-to-print workflow. We have a sophisticated design tool, that can not only allow for full-blown design but will allow you to proof and adjust your artwork immediately. Because we are employing a sophisticated proofing process, the responsibility of accuracy is on you. Please take the time to verify all your information, colors, layers, and images before approving. If a Color Accuracy is critical, please provide us the expected PMS / Pantone Color code and request a physical color sample (a fee is associated) for approval.

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