Project Reference
Oftentimes, we have several custom projects concurrently being designed for our customers so these reference names to help us keep track of which project is which.
Customer Classification
This is an internal classification on how we categorize your organization.
Payment Terms
New customers are always on prepayment terms. Some custom projects, regardless of preexisting relationships with Cristaux, will still require prepayments due to project complexity.
Currency
USD only.
Quantity
We like to itimize our quantities based on economies of scale. Even though your project may only ask for a certain amount, we still like to show you where the next price break is. We do this in the event that your custom project is part of a program that repeats itself year-over-year, and it is something worth manufacturing more inventory of.
Item Number
This helps us track which creative concept your custom project relates to when it is in the quoting phase. If your project repeats annually, then we have internal SKUs we reference to denote the same design used in prior year(s).
Description
Similar to Project Reference above. We like to expand on the description and details of the creative concept being quotes in the Notes section below.
Unit Price
Similar to Quantity above, we itemize where unit prices change based on quantity. The higher the inventory amount, the more you will see a reduction in unit price.
Taxable
Depending on which State your organization resides in, this will determine if sales or VAT taxes are necessary and will be applied to your invoice.
Subtotal
Estimated costs excluding drop shipping, collation, fulfillment and shipping fees.
Notes
This is where we like to expand on your creative concept and verify things like materials, dimensions, color, etc. We also use this area to advise suggestions should a quote fall outside the scope of your budget.
Decoration Method
The majority of the custom products we create are personalized. Therefore, we like to determine the best personalization method based for the final creative design. Sometimes, laser is more desirable with materials like wood, whereas sand etch makes much more sense when using crystal or glass.
Copy Change
This cost is associated with changing names and the overall personalization from one piece to the next. Oftentimes, when we quote projects, we like to make our unit price an inclusive price where this is already accounted for. In rare situations, we will itemize because certain customers request all costs broken out that way.
Color Fill
This process is most often tied to sand etching. Once your product is engraved, we fill in that personalization with a certain type of paint to amplify that “wow” factor. Our standard colors are: black, white, silver and gold, but often, we can PMS match based on the organizations brand identity.
Please note: Any PMS matching will require a PMS matching fee and have a higher unit price as the method of applying this paint takes twice as long as the standard colors listed above. For more questions please consult with your account manager.
Design & Prototype
Most of our creative projects require additional R&D. It is practically impossible to go from computer to finished product, or even approve a budget without often seeing a sample in-hand first. We onboard most of our custom projects with bare minimum creative services to see if we are on the right page to bring your idea to life. From there additional concepts such as renderings and CAD drawings may be required and additional fees will be necessary. We will always notifiy you if additional creative costs are required.
Gift Box Foiling (Optional)
Depending on your creative concept, sometimes we have the capabilities to brand your gift boxes. We have special packaging relationships established with certain vendors to assist with this and for a small per/unit fee we can foil stamp or imprint on the lid of your gift boxes to make them even more personalized.
Decoration Setup/Run
Every creative project differs from the next. We use different personalization methods depending on how your creative project manifests. There are different setup processes involved to prime our laser machines, or UV digital printers vs. using our sand blasting machines or screen printing machines. Oftentimes, at least 1-3 hours of setup time needs to go into getting your creative project ready for personalization. This is independent from the time required to personalize all of your products.
Production Setup/Run
Similar to Decoration Setup/Run above, every creative project requires different forms of setup in order to achieve your design. Because of the brevity of materials that we work with (aluminum, crystal, glass, marble, resin, steel, bronze, etc) different machines are required in order to take your design from computer and bring it to physical form. Sometimes we need to setup our CNC machines, or Waterjet, or other times we use EDM Wire Cutting (just to name a few). These fees simply help us program all machines required to bring your ideas to life.
Modeling & Tooling
Depending on the complexities of your creative concept, a mold may be more suitable compared to machining. Oftentimes, machining is more suitable for lower production runs, but as quantities increase, creating a mold helps bring better accuracy to the design as well as streamlining the overall manufacturing process. Mold fees can vary but typically offset themsevles with the reduction in unit cost prices.
Sample Fee
This is the fee required to create a live sample so we can eventually get your project approved and into production.
Sample Fee Lead Time
This is the approximate production time needed to create your sample. Please note, every project is different and all vary based on complexity.
All days are to be calculated based on business days, not calendar days.
Manufacturing Lead Time
This is the time required to manufacture your entire order. Please bear in mind that this is manufacturing time only and does not account the time required for the personalization process (unless otherwise specified).
All days are to be calculated based on business days, and not calendar days.
Personalization Lead Time
This is the time required to personalize all of your products. Please note that we have a very thorough process of approving all personalization before it is released into production. Our standard lead times are typically 7-10 business days after the final approval of your files. However, these times change week-to-week based on how busy our production team is and how many units are required of the production run. We always do our best to create our production manifests based on desired in-hands date.
All days are to be calculated based on business days, not calendar days.
Rush Charges
If your project needs to be expedited, that means we need to change our entire production process to move your project to the top of this list. This comes at a premium, depending on how busy production is and overall quantity desired. For this reason, we always suggest to start working with your account manager as early as possible to help eliminate any unnecessary rush fees. These fees often range between 25% and 50% of the unit price.
Rush Lead Time
This is the adjusted manufacturing lead time, should you proceed with rush charges and have Cristaux expedite your order.
All days are to be calculated based on business days, not calendar days.
Drop Shipping Charge
If you need Cristaux to split up your order and drop ship your project to various addresses and destinations, this is the per/address fee required in order to do this. Please note that this excludes the cost of shipping charges.
Shipping Method
Our preferred courier is FedEx, due to our long standing relationship and incredibly low breakage rate over the years. We also ship via USPS, UPS & DHL, but we offer the best rates with FedEx. For higher quantity runs, we suggest allowing us to palletize your order and ship via LTL to help save on overall shipping fees.
FOB Destination
This defines where our product is coming from. We do our best to have all of our products ship from our own production facility in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, however, there are times where we need to expedite your order and ship your goods directly from one of our partner factories.