It has long been said that to a man with a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.  Well, the HeadBuilder may be the biggest hammer around, but we're the first to admit that it's not always the right tool for the job.

In other words, as amazing as it is, our HeadBuilder system will never be able to accommodate every artwork file or design concept that our clients could come up with. That's why we will always offer the same high-touch, open-ended ordering process that our faithful customers have enjoyed for more than a decade. Simply place your order, upload your artwork and we'll take care of the rest!

Reasons for leaving the work to us include:

• Your artwork is too small or too big to be effectively scaled by the HeadBuilder.
• Your artwork file is not in a format that can be used by the HeadBuilder (e.g.: TIFF files or vector files)
• Your artwork is larger than 10MB in size.
• You want to re-order an existing design.
• You want to incorporate multiple images or different fonts into your design. (Please note: basic design work is included, but more involved work may involve additional cost. If in doubt, please send us your artwork for evaluation prior to ordering.)
• You want a simple text design using a specific font.
• You want curved text or text on a path.
• Etc.

And be sure to check out our independently administered Testimonials section to see just how good we are at what we do.

Please note: Orders placed using our "Leave the work to us" order process include one mockup and one revision.  Additional mockup revisions are subject to a $15/mockup charge if requested.

DrumART.com's HeadBuilder accepts .jpg, .png, .bmp and .gif file formats in RGB color mode and file sizes up to 10 MB OR 3300 x 3300 pixels in size.  You should also avoid using special characters in your filenames since the HeadBuilder's uploader filters out many special characters in order to prevent hacking.

Portable Network Graphic (.png) files are ideal because, unlike .jpg files, they use a lossless compression algorhythm and they gracefully handle tansparency and gradation.  JPGs are also fine, but the more compression used, the more artifacts will result.  If making your own .jpg, use the least possible compression when saving (quality setting of 75 to 100 is best).

Ideal size depends on your head size and are listed below:

Head Size:	Image Size:
18"	1800 x 1800 pixels
20"	2000 x 2000 pixels
22"	2200 x 2200 pixels
24"	2400 x 2400 pixels
26"	2600 x 2600 pixels
28"	2800 x 2800 pixels
30"	3000 x 3000 pixels

The system can handle images larger or smaller than these suggested sizes, but your ability to enlarge or reduce their size on the drum head will be proportionately related to these sizes.  For example - if you upload an extremely small image, you will not be able to enlarge it to fill the drum head.  Conversely, if you upload an extremely large file, you may not be able to reduce it enough within the system to fit it to the drum head.

In these cases, we recommend that you leave it to the experts and work with us directly.  Our "Leave it to us" order process is the same one we've used since the beginning.  Simply place your order, upload your artwork and we'll take care of the rest!  Sweet.

Please keep in mind that while images may easily be reduced in size without a loss of quality, it is very difficult to ENLARGE an image without a significant amount of blurring and/or pixilation.  That said, we have both the tools and the experience necessary to enlarge images with the least possible amount of image degradation, and we're willing to help.  If you need to enlarge your existing artwork to meet these specs, the better choice would be to select our "Leave it to the experts" order option.

Please note that YOU are responsible for the quality of your artwork.  If you upload it to the HeadBuilder, it will be printed as-submitted.  We will do our best to produce the best possible print from the image you submit, but "quality" is a subjective matter and we do not make subjective judgments on HeadBuilder orders.  That's why it is a less-expensive process.  Our general rule-of-thumb is that if a print will look reasonably good from 5 to 10 feet away (minimum audience distance), we will proceed without any additional communicaton.

You can always send us your design via our artwork evaluation process if you have any doubts or questions so we can have a look before you order.

 

As long as you legitimately own and play the brand of drums that you are advertising on your head then yes, you are legally allowed to include the logo on your head.  We offer many of the most popular drum manufacturers' logos directly in the HeadBuilder.

The DrumART.com HeadBuilder application allows users to upload their own artwork, OR choose an image from over 8 MILLION high-quality, high-resolution, royalty-free images in our online catalog.  Once your artwork is uploaded or selected, you'll be taken to the HeadBuilder application itself.

Hover over the different controls on the HeadBuilder image below to see what they do:

PLEASE NOTE: This is NOT the actual HeadBuilder. This is an interactive Help article and is for DEMONSTRATION ONLY.

The DrumART.com HeadBuilder is the most advanced, most robust, most customizable graphic drum head creation system in the world. It is an online application that allows you to upload your own images for use on a custom bass drum head OR choose from more than 8.5 million inexpensive, high-quality, high-resolution images and illustrations from our online catalog.

In addition, it allows you to add text, add logos, add ports and port protectors, scale, rotate and move virtually every element on the head to your heartâ??s content.  You can print your design or save it and come back to it later.

Help Article: How to use the HeadBuilder

That said, we know that not every order will fit neatly into the HeadBuilder, so we still provide our clients with the ability to leave it to us.  Place your order, upload your artwork and we'll take care of the rest.

So there you have it -- three great ways to get the custom bass drum head of your dreams.  What are you waiting for?  Go to the HeadBuilder and make some magic!