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Your questions will be gladly answered by e-mail, but you will find immediate answers to many common questions in the following information.

Experience & Equipment

• How long have you been digitizing?
I began digitizing in 1986 for a company of 50 heads, where I worked full-time as the head digitizer, creating designs for both multi and single head machines.  I established  Moonlight Design online in 1995, to serve embroiderers who are without in-house digitizing, or are not yet proficient with their digitizing software, or are in need of an extra digitizer.
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• What type of equipment do you use?
I digitize on commercial equipment, using SEDS.  For home machine conversion I use Buzz Tools Plus or Melco Sizer.
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• What type of digitizing do you do?
I'm skilled in most styles of digitizing on most fabrics, from corporate logos to artistic works.

Corporate/business logos are the only "proprietary" work I will do and only if the embroiderer has appropriate permission.  Artistic works that have potential for resales by Moonlight Design can be done under a "custom stock" policy (see below).

Note: If you have a design, such as a special animal you'd like digitized, I can no longer accept this type of work as proprietary.  This work requires time that cannot be recouped, without an excessive charge, or through resales of the design.

I will occasionally accept proprietary artistic work only after discussion (inquire by e-mail), at an appropriate charge, and when given ample time so it can be worked around the current schedule.  To see a sample of a proprietary artistic jacket back, which also reveals my abilities, click here:  Proprietary Artistic Sample
 

• -Who will you accept as a client?
My services are ONLY available to embroiderers.  If you are not an embroiderer, and you wish a design digitized by me, you must first contact and work through an embroiderer.  If you need to find an embroiderer, you may check listings on the Link Mini Mall or contact me for a referral.

If you are a fairly large embroidery house with constant high demand for custom designs, my services on a regular basis may not accommodate your needs due to previously scheduled obligations to smaller shops.  However, I'm most willing to accept your work when possible.  You're invited to inquire for a free quote.

• Do you charge for Quotes? How long does it take?
All quotes are free, without obligation.  If e-mailed or faxed, they are responded to within 24 hours, excluding Saturday and Sunday.  Quotes requested by U.S. Mail are responded to asap by e-mail or phone.
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• How do I get a quote?
Send artwork and a brief explanation of the design specifics, such as fabric and/or garment to be sewn on, approximate size in inches, number of colors and style (filled or outline only, and what parts are sewn or not sewn). You must include WHO YOU ARE, full name and business name (if any) and phone number.  Identify yourself even if you have a past history with Moonlight Design, or the quote will be delayed.  Send request by fax, (fax number is given only by private request).  If U.S. Mail is preferred, please e-mail or call to acquire the mailing address.  For the fastest service and the most accurate quote, e-mail an image graphics file, preferably .jpg, .gif, or .bmp.

E-mail: moonltd@aol.com

Phone: (507) 263-3998 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. CT If no answer, please leave your information & I'll return your call asap.

NOTE: (Virus caution)  When requesting by e-mail, I accept .JPG files only.  An .exe file of any sort will not be downloaded.  Please understand all attachments to e-mails must be explained, and if you do not identify yourself, attachments will not be downloaded, and I will not respond.  Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

• Do you quote stitch counts?
If requested, I will offer my opinion, but an exact count can not be guaranteed. All requests for a close estimation must include complete specifics for the design.

• What kind of artwork must be submitted?
Artwork submitted for quotes does not need to be camera ready, but must be a clear drawing with particulars in a written explanation.  Photos are suitable for quotes and often for digitizing, however, they are not always appropriate for digitizing and it may require an art charge.  Scans of sewn samples are appropriate for quotes, but if used for digitizing, it will require an art charge.  If artwork is a clear, clean, non-distorted image, this is quite acceptable for both quotes and digitizing.  In this case there is no charge for artwork that must be prepared for digitizing.

• What if I have an idea or rough sketch, but don't have final artwork?
I no longer work from ideas for proprietary work. Proprietary orders require clear artwork and appropriate artwork for the job must be submitted.  Rough sketches are only accepted when work is done under my custom stock policy.  
 
• What do you charge for artwork?
If a proprietary order needs only minor polish (less than one hour) to make it suitable for digitizing, time will be considered and any art charges, not to exceed $35, are included in the total of quoted digitizing cost.  (Artwork that needs sufficient polish will increase digitizing quote.)

If poor artwork is submitted for a quote and polished artwork is promised for digitizing, a temporary quote is given and a firm quote will be given after artwork for digitizing is submitted.

In most cases there is no art charge for custom stock orders when an appropriate sketch is submitted.

• Do I need permission from the original artist/copyright owner?
YES!  I have the utmost respect for copyrights, trademarks and license requirements.  Any artwork submitted for digitizing must be copyright free, or the end customer or embroiderer must hold the copyright or have the legal permission to use the artwork.  If you are unsure, it is your responsibility and to your advantage to be certain.

Seek and obtain the proper legal permission in writing. If you can't do this, please do not ask me to digitize it!

• How do you charge?
Moonlight Design charges by complexity -- not by the stitch.  I focus on customer satisfaction from quality work at an affordable and agreeable price.

Until recent years, pricing a design by $X per thousand stitches was the expected form of final cost. Today this method of pricing is still possibly the fastest and easiest way to determine final cost, but is not always the most fair to either digitizer or embroiderer.  It often causes dispute due to the amount of stitches placed within the design as to whether or not the amount of stitches are completely necessary. 

When I quote a design, I consider the clarity of art, the time it will take to digitize, for what type of fabric/garment, and the complexity of the job to create a quality, smooth running design.  Often a design can be digitized in a simple style that will lower cost and stitch count.  Or it can be digitized in an elaborate style that will raise cost and stitch count and raise the possibility of sewing problems that will take time to investigate and avoid.  It's really a matter of what the end customer expects it to look like and within what price range they desire.

A note about size:  Often a small design can require more work than a large design while achieving detail.  A small design cannot be enlarged for use as a large design (or vice versa) so two separate files must be digitized.  If more than one size is ordered simultaneously, a discount is given.

Minimum digitizing charge is $35.  Cost of small design with average detail, runs $75-125.  Cost of large size with average detail, runs $125-200.

• What is your Payment Policy?
A pre-payment is required of all first-time customers.  Once a history is established, payments can be made after the file is delivered.

Credit Card acceptance only through Paypal, or check/money order via U.S. Mail.  Information for delivery of payment is received upon confirmation of order.

Cancellations:
Due to a schedule that does not allow for idle time, there is a cancellation charge of $25 for all confirmed orders if canceled after the job has been scheduled.  If a pre-payment has been made for a job that is canceled, all but $25 will be refunded.  I advise that you do not confirm your order with me until your customer has confirmed with you, and that you retain this $25 fee, or the full quoted cost, from your customer when they confirm.  Full quoted cost or appropriate charge for invested time must be paid if sufficient work on the design is in progress when canceled.

• Do you have a stock catalogue?
A "printed catalogue" is not available at this time.  However, to meet popular demand, Moonlight's Design Shoppe has been established, which offers a variety of stock designs from Moonlight's library for online viewing and purchasing.  If you are in search of a particular design that is unavailable at the online store, please feel free to inquire.  If I have a file that may meet your request in my archived stock, I will e-mail you an image file of the sewout for you to consider.

• What if you don't have the stock design I want and I can't find it elsewhere?
I offer a "custom stock" price for work that I believe has a potential resale value.  I will do the design following your custom specs, at a lower-than-custom charge, if I'm able to retain the exclusive resale rights to the embroidery design.  The custom stock design will become a part of my design library and will be available in the future to other embroiderers at an acceptable stock price.

Ordering under my custom stock policy assures that you receive the exact design you wish, and pricing is determined on its complexity and potential resale value.  Cost can range from $25 to $150.  Average cost of a custom stock design is $50.

You must agree in writing that the copyright to the embroidery design file will become and remain in my exclusive possession for the purpose of resales.  If you are not the copyright owner of the submitted artwork, you must obtain and submit written permission from the copyright owner that releases the exclusive right to Moonlight Design for embroidery design resales. 

• What formats are available?
Most commercial or home machine formats are available in "stitch files," such as .DST, .EXP, .HUS, .PSD, .PES, .CSD, .SEW. 

No domestic object files are available.  Commercial object files such as .EDF are available with possible stipulation:

.EDF
If you have SEDS software or i-Punch, an .EDF object file can be delivered.

.CND or .OFM
DOS .CND is available, but cannot be guaranteed to read appropriately by some software systems.  Problems can occur when converting special stitches and various fill functions to .CND or .OFM.  When delivery of a DOS .CND or .OFM is made, an .EXP or .DST stitch file will also be delivered.  Only stitch files are guaranteed.

True Melco .CND files are no longer available.

• Do you edit designs you didn't digitize?
Yes, under proprietary "work for hire" policy (for your use only), existing designs can be edited ONLY to remove machine problems or polish (not change) existing work, and only if you own a legal copy of the original design.  Extreme editing is not advised, however, is sometimes accepted only with the original digitizer's permission who must first contact me directly.  Editing charges are $35 minimum for the first hour and $15 per each additional hour of work.  Most editing jobs can be accomplished within one hour. 

• How long will it take?
Turn-around will vary, due to the time of year and current schedule.  Orders are not scheduled until after confirmation and appropriate artwork is submitted.  (I will not schedule a design for a firm deadline until I have final artwork in hand.)  Average turn-around runs at about 5-10 working days.  Your due date for a sewn product is always considered when scheduling orders and every effort is made to accommodate your deadline.
 
• Do you accept RUSH orders?
Yes, for established clients only and when possible.  RUSH orders require an additional charge appropriate for the order and time allowed.  All orders requiring that I work weekends are considered an overnight RUSH, i.e., order is confirmed on Friday to be delivered Monday.

• How do you deliver?
All orders received through the net are delivered by e-mail, attached to an invoice.  (Arrangements can be made for a private Internet page where designs can be downloaded when e-mail service doesn't allow attachments.)   Modem to modem direct delivery is no longer available.  Diskettes are mailed upon request for an additional $5 charge and the time to receive the order is lengthened by at least 4 days. 
 
• Do you supply sewn samples?
No.  All designs are test sewn, however, in order to keep the cost of the digitizing as low as possible, and to speed delivery, a final sewn sample is no longer included in delivery.  It has been my experience that the process works best if the customer sews their own sample immediately after receiving the design.  One machine will sew different from another.  Because I guarantee my work, I can most often, have any revision necessary done and returned the same day it's reported.  Note: if a .jpg close-up of the actual sewout can be delivered, revisions take less time.

• Do you archive files?
Files are kept on an "active drive" for one month after delivery, to remain prepared for any possible requested revision.  After one month, files are archived in customer's file.  For any revision requested after one month, an appropriate charge is possible.

Due to the abundance of archived files and software upgrades that may change the availability of tools for proper adjustments, no guarantee can be made to retain the working object file indefinitely.  If changes to an archived file are requested after an approximate period of 2 years, it may require re-digitizing.
 

• Who owns the archived file?
CUSTOM STOCK orders are completed with the agreement that Moonlight Design retains all resale rights to object and stitch files.

PROPRIETARY orders are completed as "work for hire" and rights to the archived file belong to the party who paid Moonlight Design for the work to be done and who has legal permission to use the file.  If a design such as a corporate logo that resides in my archives is asked for by another party, it will be resold as "Restricted Stock" ONLY when appropriate written permission from the copyright/trademark owner of the artwork is presented.

• What's in your guarantee?
All work is guaranteed to run smooth, and to match the submitted artwork and original instructions.  The "instructions" must be written in the form of an e-mail, fax or letter, prior to digitizing, for use as a reference while work is being done, and to avoid possible later disputes.

Revisions due to my errors are made at no cost and most often sent within a 24 hour period of notice.  I ask that this notice for revision be given within 7 days of receipt of the original file or a report as to why the notice for revision will be delayed, to be assured of no extra charge.

Revisions due to a change of mind by client or end customer are scheduled in as another order and charged appropriately.

More questions? 
E-mail: moonltd@aol.com
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