What to Send Us for a Free Engraving or Print Proof

If you have never ordered engraving or custom print before, the first quote can feel like a guessing game. It is not. Here is what we need from you, what we send back, and what happens after you say yes, whether you pick up in the Inland Empire or we ship it to you.

The five things that make a quote fast

You can send a note that just says "plaques?" but it will take a round or two of questions before a proof. If your first message covers these five things, we can usually skip the back-and-forth and go straight to a proof.

• The item. A plaque, a piece of drinkware, a shirt, a sign. If you are not sure, tell us what it is for and when you need it, or point at something in awards, signs, apparel, or drinkware.
• The quantity. Even a rough number helps.
• The wording or artwork. The exact text you want on it, or a logo file. More on this below.
• The date you need it. The event, the handoff, the day the new hire starts.
• Pickup or ship. We offer free local pickup in the Inland Empire, and we ship nationwide.

Put all five in the quote form and you are done. You will see a "Request received" page, and we reply from info@inlandengravings.com.

Artwork that works, and artwork that does not

The best starting point is your original logo file: AI, EPS, SVG, PNG, or PDF.

What slows things down is a screenshot of a screenshot, a logo pulled off a website at thumbnail size, or a photo of a business card. Those are hard to work from.

The quote form takes JPG or PDF, up to three files. If your logo lives in another format, email it to info@inlandengravings.com and mention your quote.

Only have a low-res image? Send it anyway and we will tell you what it needs. Our design help page covers logo cleanup, layout, and making AI-generated artwork production-ready.

Wording tips

• Spell every name the way it should appear.
• Write dates out in full so there is no question about format.
• One short line beats a paragraph.
• If you are including a quote or a message, put it in quotation marks so we know where it starts and ends.

What the proof is, and what to look at

Within 48 hours of your request, we send a free digital proof: a mockup of your item with your text and artwork placed on it. There is no obligation, and nothing is made until you approve the proof.

Check four things:

• Spelling. Every name, every date, every word.
• Size. Does the text fill the space the way you pictured it?
• Placement. Logo on the left, name centered, date underneath.
• Colors. A screen and a finished piece do not match exactly. If a color matters, say so and we will tell you what to expect; our post on laser engraving vs. UV printing covers color on each process.

How to ask for changes

Reply to the proof email and tell us what to change. "Make the name bigger." "Move the logo to the right." "Try the second font." Plain language is fine. We send a revised proof, and you look again. We would much rather fix it on a screen than on a finished piece.

What happens after you approve

Once you tell us the proof is good, we send an invoice you can pay by Zelle, card, or check. Then we make it. Most pieces are ready 3–5 business days after approval; pack items and larger runs take longer, and we confirm the date in your quote. When it is ready, free local pickup in the Inland Empire, or we ship nationwide.

Common questions

Can you rush it?

Ask. Give us the date and we will tell you straight whether we can hit it.

What file types work?

Your original logo as AI, EPS, SVG, PNG, or PDF. The quote form takes JPG or PDF, up to three files; email anything else to info@inlandengravings.com.

What if I only have a low-res logo?

Send it anyway. We will tell you whether it can be cleaned up or needs to be redrawn before the proof.

If you already know what you are after, we have walked through the common ones: closing gifts for Inland Empire realtors, custom signs for Inland Empire businesses, and employee recognition awards for Inland Empire businesses.

Ready when you are

Send the item, the quantity, the wording or artwork, the date, and whether you want pickup or shipping, and we will have a free digital proof back to you within 48 hours. No obligation. Start on the quote page, or call (909) 265-3656.