Popular questions
Do you offer a warranty?
YES. Your branding iron is warranted against defects in material and workmanship for six (6) months after the purchase date. This does not include damage or wear resulting from physical trauma (it got dropped/thrown/melted with a torch), misuse, or wear that's caused from normal use. If your iron is damaged in a way that isn't covered under the warranty, we can usually repair or replace the damaged components at a reasonable cost. Please be aware that disassembly of electric products will void the warranty. If your iron requires service, contact us.
Do you offer design services/work?
We do not as we don't have a graphic artist on staff. Graphics must be sent to us exactly as they need to brand, in all black on a white or transparent background and have a minimum resolution of 600.
For design files, we ask that they are all black text and designs on a white/transparent background, vector based or high res (minimum resolution of 600 dpi) saved as one of these preferred formats: pdf, jpg, png or ai/eps saved for CS5. If you’re using Illustrator, please outline or embed all fonts. All color and grayscale shading should be removed from the image.
How long will it take you to make my branding iron?
For standard sized torch-heated irons and standard sized electric irons, it'll take us 5 business days to make your iron and get it ready to ship. Oversized irons may take a bit longer than our standard lead times due to increased production time.
Once it's cut, we'll proof it out and send you a picture. Provided you approve, we'll get it in the mail the ASAP. (Please be aware that if you would like design changes made to the logo once it’s been proofed, there is a $30 fee ($60 for xl irons) to re-cut your branding plate.) We do offer a Rush Upgrade for a fee, with approval, but you should contact us in advance to discuss your timeline.
What is your shipping and return policy?
Your shipping cost is calculated based on the weight of the product you order, your location, and the carrier and speed you select. The price that is calculated during checkout is the price that you pay--we will NOT increase your shipping cost after you check out.
Returns for warranty service should be accompanied by a note describing the trouble, and we strongly recommend emailing us prior to shipping your iron. Since your iron is completely made-to-order and unique, we do not offer refunds. We reserve the right, under rare circumstances, to offer store credit for products that are returned unused in the original packaging. The purchaser is responsible for all shipping costs associated with returns and warranty service, irrespective of circumstance.
Do you deliver internationally?
Yes. We ship Torch Heated Irons all over the globe and our branding irons are used on every continent in the world (except Antarctica).
Please note our Electric Irons are only sold within North America.
What’s the difference between torch-heated and electric irons?
Torch-heated brands are good for small-scale production or one-offs. They yield the same results as an electric iron, but they require just a bit more practice to figure out optimal heating time. Also, they require re-heating after a few minutes, which doesn't take a terribly long time, but it can get tedious if you're doing a lot of pieces. Electric brands are easy to use, but they cost more.
If you're doing a number of brands at once and you just want something that'll be consistent and easy to use, we'd recommend electric. If you don't mind occasional slight variations, and the moderate learning curve associated with a torch-heated iron, then go with that.
Please note that we can only guarantee your iron itself will be a mirror image of your design. It may not brand clearly on food or rough and uneven surfaces as they were designed for flat and smooth surfaces. You must brand prior to finishing any type of wood as the heat will cause any finish to bubble or burn. Our irons are 100% custom and made to order so they are non-refundable.
How do the irons heat up?
For torch-heated irons, most folks use a plumber's torch, but you can just as easily use a gas cooktop or propane grill; anything with a hot, clean-burning flame. We don't recommend using a wood-burning fire, primarily because it's difficult to control the heat, and they tend to crud up your iron with soot (that is unless you’re going with a brass head).
For electric irons, simply plug it in. It'll get up to branding temperature in 15-20 minutes. Essentially zero reheat time between impressions--it's got more than enough power to do long production runs. At operating temperature, you should be able to make a good, dark impression in 2-4 seconds.
We'll include a "Use and Care" sheet with your iron that has directions and tips.
I’m not sure if my design will work and/or I don’t know what size iron I want. What should I do?
We encourage all of our clients to contact us via the contact form on our website prior to placing an order. This gives us a chance to determine how well your design will brand. Remember, this is a completely custom piece created to fit your needs.
Please be aware than anything larger than 9in² is considered an XL iron. They can be heavy and cumbersome to use. It can also be difficult to get an even branding result due to the sheer size of the iron itself. We are very upfront about this as our irons are 100% custom and non-refundable. Again please contact us via the Contact Form before ordering to confirm the details.
For design files, we ask that they are black on white, vector based or high res (at least 600+dpi) saved as one of these preferred formats: ai, psd, pdf, eps or jpg.
What's the difference between brass vs. aluminum?
We make our branding plates out of Aluminum or Brass. As a rule of thumb, aluminum is best for occasional use, and brass is the best choice for professional environments. Both yield identical results as far as sharpness and detail. Aluminum is, obviously, less expensive, and it’s considered safe for food contact. At high temperatures, aluminum is a bit softer than brass, and if heated incorrectly it can sustain damage. Brass is essentially impossible to destroy with high heat, and it withstands non-ideal conditions substantially better, like branding dirty, rough, or painted surfaces. When properly cared for, a brass branding plate will last for a lifetime.
Can I brand food with your irons?
What can I brand? Can I brand food/leather/my cattle?
When it comes to branding, the possibilities are endless. Wood, leather, suede, yoga mats (made of thermoplastic elastomer), cork, card, denim, paper, canvas, food…whatever your business or hobby, whether you make tables or clothes, you’re a chef or a fitness instructor, you can brand.
When branding leather with an electric iron, we recommend a deep cut plate and that you use a Temperature Controller as leather requires a low heat.
Also note that some plastics brand and some do not. We cannot guarantee it will work on your specific plastic so please contact us via the contact form for additional information.
We do not intend our brands to be used on living creatures for any reason, nor will we knowingly manufacture a brand for that purpose. There are other sources for livestock brands.
Will you make a brand of my favorite college/pro sports team logo or other well-known logo?
Nope. You need to own the rights to whatever you want made, or it needs to be in the public domain. We will not knowingly violate someone's copyright or trademark, even if you say please.