Our Process
Steel Art is the premier full-service manufacturer to the sign trade. From materials selection to mounting details, our goal is to ensure that each customer receives a quality experience.
We realize the crucial importance of that quality, which is passed down to your customer. With a history of more than six decades in the industry, we understand what it takes to deliver unparalleled expertise and service. Let us help you impress your customer. When you work with Steel Art, success is always found in the details. Look close.
STEEL ART PROCESS
Contact your dedicated Project Manager (PM) for a quote. Your Project Manager will remain the same and is dependent on the state you are in. Please make sure to send in the artwork & all required specifications and/or special notes.
Your PM will send your quote back to you promptly based on your RFQ. Read through this carefully to make sure everything is correct & all special notes have been included. Send back revisions if needed.
To approve the quote & place order, send back a signed copy or a Purchase order (PO) referencing the Steel Art Estimate Number along with the full-size art files. Also include the shipping address & UPS Account number if available.
We will then send to all files to Design and create an Art for Approval (AFA). This will follow our internal review process to ensure all specifications match.
You will receive an email from design (Design@steelartco.com) with the AFA. Please review to ensure all specifications are correct and all special notes are accounted for. Sign every page and send back to design to begin production. If you are unable to physically sign, you can request the EVERSIGN link to be sent where you can sign electronically.
NOTE: Your lead time does not begin until design receives your signed AFAIf you job has a custom paint match, you will receive emails from the Paint department (Paint@steelartco.com) as well as a 2” x 3” paint chip via UPS to approve. The paint department will accept email approvals for paint. Your job will not be painted until the chip has been approved, which can push out the estimated ship date.
Once in production, you will receive an email from our customer service team with the assigned estimated ship date along with a link to our online Order tracker. There you can track the job and see your estimated ship date whenever you need.
Once the job is complete:
a. IF PICK UP: Customer service will reach out to you and let you know the job is ready for pick up.
b. IF SHIPPING: you will get an automated email from UPS notifying you that the job has shipped.Once shipped, you will get an updated invoice from our billing department including shipping cost.
For payments, please contact: roberts@steelartco.com.
Let’s Break It Down More….
Design Consulting
Based on Steel Art’s decades of experience with various materials and manufacturing methods, we encourage our customers to ask our project management team about their customers’ options on any particular project. In the past, we have had great success in collaborating with our customers toward the realization of the end user’s true vision. There is nothing more satisfying to us than hearing that our customers have been praised for a project we were fortunate enough to have a small part in. In the end, it is our job to help you exceed all customers’ expectations.
Artwork Rendering
Once we have received your purchase order and a CAD file of your artwork, Steel Art Company’s dynamic design staff will commence production of a complete Art for Approval (AFA) document for your final review prior to production. This document will include all specifications of your job, including dimensions, colors, fonts, materials, finish, LED specifications, and mounting details. We wish to emphasize to our customers that a stringent review of this document is essential as it is the last opportunity we have to make changes before the job goes to the manufacturing floor.
As a manufacturer to the sign trade, we understand that our customers are faced with the challenges of satisfying their own customers. It is our goal to exceed your expectations in order that you may do the same for your customer. This goal starts with our project managers. Because of Steel Art’s long standing experience in the sign trade, you will find our project managers to be amongst the most knowledgeable, experienced professionals in the sign manufacturing industry. You will also be dealing with a person who truly cares about your order and your signage needs today and moving forward.
Project Management
From your initial contact through each and every phase of your experience with Steel Art Company, you will have the resource of a dedicated member of our amazing project management team. Your project manager will guide you through the entire ordering process seamlessly and efficiently, and will always be available to answer any technical questions you may have regarding Steel Art product and services.
Major Project Support
Major projects are normally either very large or very complex; sometimes they are a combination of the two. Whatever the size and/or complexity of your project, we want you to feel assured that Steel Art will quickly identify the issues presented by your major project. We will act quickly to provide you not only with an accurate pricing assessment, but also a recommended strategy for project roll-out in compliance with your customer’s needs.
Customer Service
Should you have questions on your job’s estimated shipment date, we encourage you to contact Steel Art Company’s Customer Service Department for updated information. You may reach our Customer Experience Manager at (800) 322-2828, ext. 518.
Shipping
Steel Art Company has partnered with UPS Worldwide to provide small package shipping services to meet all of our customers’ needs. Steel Art has the capacity to provide direct shipments and drop-shipments to almost any location as well as blind shipments when specified. Please contact our Customer Experience Manager at (800) 322-2828, ext. 518.
*If you choose to use your own UPS account, an $8 handling fee will be added to your Invoice.
We also offer convenient GUARANTEED SHIPPING RATES for any UPS Small Package Ground Shipment sent directly from our facility to your company. Please contact your Steel Art project manager for details and they will be happy to forward you a shipping rate chart for your future reference. If your order is in compliance with our Terms and Exclusions, your project manager will simply add the corresponding shipping charge (according to your product total) as a separate line item on your estimate. (If you would like to pick up your order at our facility OR if you choose to use your own UPS account, please notify your project manager who will remove this charge from your estimate.*)
Credit and Invoicing
Steel Art Company realizes the up-front financial challenges many of our customers face. As such, our Credit Department is here to work with you. It is our goal to provide net 30-day credit terms to as many qualifying customers as we can. Should you choose to apply, we ask that you please contact our director of finance, Robert Smith at (800) 322-2828, ext. 517 to obtain a copy of Steel Art Company’s net 30-day credit application.