Hello Shopkeepers,

The 2008 presidential elections are really heating up! Here it is 15 months from Election Day and many of us are already thinking about primaries, candidates, issues, platforms and what promises to be a VERY interesting election year!

To mark the occasion we’re introducing two new products geared specifically for politics – Yard Signs and 3.5″ Buttons!

Yard Signs

Wouldn’t you love to see your political designs pop up on lawns all over the country? Or the world for that matter! We see yard signs all over, but this new product puts the power of political expression into the hands of our Shopkeepers and the eyes of the world!

They’re scheduled to launch on October 10th, but if you want to get started on designs the following specs may be helpful:

• Image size: 21″ x 14″ (150 – 300 dpi, 200 recommended)
• Double Sided: submit a single image it will be printed on both sides of the sign
• Product size: 22″ x 15″
• Frame: ships with collapsible U frame stand that measures 21″ x 33″
• Base price: $14.99
• Material: Printed on flexible 10 oz outdoor sign vinyl
• Features:
  • Weather resistant for up to 2 years
  • Heat Sealed Edges
  • Double sided

We also see other cool possibilities for these – like Halloween, Christmas, Troop Support, Parties, etc. The possibilities are endless!

3.5″ Buttons

Vote for ____!

Just fill in the blank – buttons are an election essential so why not add another size? The BIGGER the better; introducing the 3.5″ button!

These are also planned for an October 10 launch, but it’s never too soon to get started with designs!

Here are the specs:

• Image size: 3.5″ x 3.5″, full bleed 4.66″ x 4.66″ (150 – 300 dpi, 200 recommended)
• Product Size: 3.5″ diameter round button
• Base price: Single – $2.49; 10 pack – $19.99; 100 pack – $139.99
• Material/Features:
  • Metal shell
  • Mylar/UV protecting cover
  • Pinned metal back

And a few more changes worth noting

New Book Paper

Due to overwhelming Shopkeeper requests perfect bound books are going to be switched from cream (off-white) to white paper.

Product Name Updates

• Keepsake Box – We’re going to be switching the name of the “Tile Box” to “Keepsake Box.” Important Note – Product names are limited to 50 characters, and in some instances the name change to “Keepsake Box” will cause names to exceed that limit. In these instances we will not make name changes, and the product name will retain the name “tile box.” Of course Shopkeepers are able to manually make changes to their product names as needed.
• Ornament – There are a few navigational menu locations within CafePress that refer to the round and the oval Ornament as “Keepsakes.” To maintain naming consistency and to drive traffic to the right products we will be renaming these locations as “Ornament.”

FAQ’s

Yard Sign

Are there any other products that match the aspect ratio of the new Yard Sign?

Yes! The Mini Poster at full bleed (12″ x 18″) has the same aspect ratio as the Yard Sign. Other existing products that have similar aspect ratios are the Postcard, the Small Poster, Large Poster, Rectangular Sticker, and Oval Sticker.

Is the Yard Sign double-sided?

Yes, the Yard Sign is double-sided. Shopkeepers will assign one design and it will be printed on both sides. The printing method for this product allows us to print on both sides of the sign in a single step. A second-side print surcharge to the base price is not required.

3.5″ button

Will my 2.25″ button images work on the new 3.5″ button?

Yes! Your images for the 2.25″ button will directly transfer over to the new 3.5″ button as long as they are larger than 690 x 690 pixels. The full bleed aspect ratios match exactly, making it easy for you to create new 3.5″ buttons.

Will this product be automatically added to my store?

No, you must add the 3.5″ button to your store manually.

Keepsake Box

What is a keepsake box, and what happened to the Tile Box?

Earlier in the year we upgraded the Tile Box and we are now changing the name to “Keepsake Box” to better reflect the product quality. We will update all product names that contain the name “Tile Box” to the name “Keepsake Box”. For instance, if you have a product named “Little Pugs Tile Box” it will now be named “Little Pugs Keepsake Box”

Are there any exceptions to this name change?

Yes, if your current Tile Box name contains more than 46 characters it will NOT be updated to Keepsake Box automatically.

Books

What happened to off-white paper for Perfect Bound books?

We will update the paper color in perfect bound books from off-white (cream) to white. This was a request from many shopkeepers, and more in line with a standard book. We will automatically start printing perfect bound books on white paper, there is no action required on your part for this change to take effect.

What about other binding types like Saddle Stitched or Wire-o?

Saddle Stitched and Wire-o books will continue to be printed on white paper.

In late August we will be introducing a new pricing structure for garments featuring more than one printing area, launching a product update to the existing Tile Box, and changing the product photo for the Jr. Jersey T-Shirt. Details for these changes are as follow.

Second Side Print Surcharge

With this launch we will begin charging a $3 second side printing surcharge for all garments* featuring more than one print area. To minimize work on your end and to ensure you don’t see a margin impact on these products, we will automatically add $3 to the current retail price for each second side garment in your shop(s). Of course you can always readjust the retail prices of your products as you see fit once this release goes live.

Please note that there is no action required on your part unless you wish to remove or change second side images in your shop(s).

For more information, and a complete list of FAQ’s please below.

New Keepsake Box replaces Tile Box

Also in the release you’ll see an upgrade to the current Tile Box. The new Keepsake Box will see a significant quality improvement, be available in two colors, Mahogany and Black, and will have a base price increase of $4 (new base price $19.99). We will automatically increase retail prices on all existing Tiles Boxes by $4 to ensure that there is no impact to commissions. As with the change to Second Side print, you’re welcome to adjust your retail prices as you wish once this replacement goes live.

In early October we’re planning to update the product name to “Keepsake Box”. The product description could not be changed in the introductory release.

If you’re already selling the Tile Box there is no action needed.

With this upgrade you’ll notice substantial increases on overall quality, and upgraded features such as:

• Piano lacquered wood finish (high shine)
• Spring-loaded hinged lid
• Felt lined interior
• Felt lined bottom
• Superior build quality

Jr. Jersey T-Shirt

After much feedback from Shopkeepers we will be making the following changes to the Jr. Jersey T-Shirt:

• Product Blank: With this release we will update the product blank for the Jr. Jersey T-Shirt. The new photo better reflects the look of this garment.
• Name Change: We are also searching all shops and product names that include “Jr. Baby Doll” and replacing it with “Jr. Jersey”

Sincerely,
The CafePress Merchandise Team

* Print surcharge includes all garments with second side print options with the exception of the Thong. This surcharge is not added to the Tote Bag.

Merchandise Release 6 FAQ

Second Side Print Surcharge

1. Why is CafePress implementing a Second Side Print surcharge?
2. How did CP determine that the charge would be $3?
3. Although you are calling it a “surcharge” isn’t this simply a price increase?
4. I use my shop logo/brand as my 2nd print area, should I remove it?
5. Why don’t you think that I need to remove the 2nd Side graphic when it is going to result in a price increase for my buyers?
6. I use the second side of garments to add my branding and I don’t think CP should charge for my branding.
7. How will the $3 charge be added?
8. Will bulk tools be available for me to remove second side images from my products?
9. Why can’t CP help me to remove the second side image from affected products in my shops?
10. Will the $3 Second Side Surcharge count toward Volume Bonus?
11. Will the $3 Second Side Surcharge count toward Bulk Discounts?

New Keepsake Box to replace Tile Box

1. What will happen in my shop when the existing Tile Box is upgraded to the new Keepsake Box?
2. What will happen if one of my customers orders the existing Tile Box the day before the new Keepsake Box goes up and hasn’t had their order processed yet?
3. Will the price of the new Keepsake Box be the same as for the existing Tile Box?
4. Will the Keepsake Box product description be changed to better reflect the new product quality?
5. What are the new features of the upgraded Keepsake Box?

Second Side Print Surcharge

1. Why is CafePress implementing a Second Side Print surcharge?We are adding a charge to cover the additional cost of materials and labor required when printing in multiple areas on garments. We held off on implementing this charge as long as possible, but we have found that our volume has reached a point where it is necessary to offset the costs associated with multiple prints.

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2. How did CP determine that the charge would be $3?We evaluated and balanced 2 considerations: 1. What are other companies charging for similar service? 2. What is the additional cost to produce a garment with second print areas (taking into account materials and labor)? Based on these considerations we determined that $3 is fair and competitive.

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3. Although you are calling it a “surcharge” isn’t this simply a price increase?You can think of it as a price increase specific to the second side print on garments, but the price of the garment itself has not increased. We determined that it made more sense to only add the “surcharge” where additional value (multiple print areas) is added.

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4. I use my shop logo/brand as my 2nd print area, should I remove it?It is our opinion that you don’t need to make any changes to these products. If you have garments in your shop that include second side printing, CafePress will automatically increase the retail price by $3 to cover the additional charge. Your buyers will not be alerted to the surcharge for the 2nd print; they will simply see the increased price.

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5. Why don’t you think that I need to remove the 2nd Side graphic when it is going to result in a price increase for my buyers?We have found that it is the design on the product that drives customers to purchase your products. Therefore, if a buyer is enthusiastic about the design on the shirt, they are likely to make the purchase regardless of the price increase (remember this surcharge is not called out to buyers). We encourage you to monitor the sales of your products with multi-side print over several months and then determine whether or not you think it is appropriate to make changes.

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6. I use the second side of garments to add my branding and I don’t think CP should charge for my branding.There are different ways to brand your product. The option to place your branding on a different location than the design is a personal choice for a Shopkeeper. Every shopkeeper should decide which method is the best for their brand and CafePress intends to give the Shopkeeper options. It takes an equal amount of labor to print a second image as it does the first image, whether it’s a 1 inch logo or a 10 inch graphic. Therefore, if you currently use the second side print for your brand, you can either leave it as is and the additional $3 will be added to the retail price, or you can choose to remove multiple print areas and incorporate your brand into a single design.

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7. How will the $3 charge be added?Regardless of how you set your prices or add a second design, the $3 surcharge, if applicable, will be included in the retail price.
   • Item change – As you design a product within the product designer, you will see a prompt indicating that a second design can be added for a surcharge of $3 after one design has already been added.
   • Section change – If you add or subtract a second image by section or make price changes by section, the surcharge will be added to the retail price of affected products after your changes are made.
   • Global price change – On the global price change page, instead of entering a new sell price, you will be asked to enter a new markup amount, and when you fetch your current retails, they will include surcharges.

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8. Will bulk tools be available for me to remove second side images from my products?We carefully considered the range of bulk tools our Shopkeepers would require for this change, and due to the range of variables involved we determined that there wasn’t a solution that would satisfy all or most users.

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9. Why can’t CP help me to remove the second side image from affected products in my shops?We carefully considered this option, but there are too many variables within different shops for us to be able to help Shopkeepers remove second side designs effectively.

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10. Will the $3 Second Side Surcharge count toward Volume Bonus?Yes. We are treating this surcharge like the $3 charge for XXL garment sizes so it will be included in the Volume Bonus.

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11. Will the $3 Second Side Surcharge count toward Bulk Discounts?No. We are treating this surcharge like the $3 charge for XXL garment sizes so it will not be included in the Bulk Discount.

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New Keepsake Box to replace Tile Box

1. What will happen in my shop when the existing Tile Box is upgraded to the new Keepsake Box? The new Keepsake Box, in both black and mahogany, will automatically appear in your shops in place of the existing Tile Box.

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2. What will happen if one of my customers orders the existing Tile Box the day before the new Keepsake Box goes up and hasn’t had their order processed yet? We will make every effort to ship what the customer saw on the website when they placed their order (in this case the existing Tile Box). If we are unable to do this, we will offer the new style or a full refund.

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3. Will the price of the new Keepsake Box be the same as for the existing Tile Box? No, the new Keepsake Box is a significant upgrade from the current Tile Box and the base price will increase by $4. We will automatically increase your retail price by $4 to ensure that there is no impact to your commissions. We increased the retail price within shops to make the transition easier for shopkeepers. However, you can easily change the price of your new Keepsake Box after the automatic $4 increase though your shop management screen.

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4. Will the Keepsake Box product description be changed to better reflect the new product quality?Yes, we plan to change the name of this product to “Keepsake Box” in early October.

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5. What are the new features of the upgraded Keepsake Box?The new Keepsake Box has the following upgraded features:
   • Piano lacquered wood finish (high shine)
   • Spring-loaded hinged lid
   • Felt lined interior
   • Felt lined bottom
   • Superior build quality

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