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.  Ultimately, THE DESIGN YOU CREATE IS THE DESIGN YOU WILL RECEIVE.  For example, if you create a design with a black background, your drumhead will have a black background even if you choose to order a white drumhead.  In fact, we will likely change the color head to better match the design you created in the HeadBuilder.

Ultimately, 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.  So, as amazing as it is, if what you see in the HeadBuilder is not *exactly* what you want, you should use our "Leave the work to us" order process instead.   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.
• You want a different color background than the background in your provided image.
• Etc.

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.  While a couple companies (Yamaha and Gretsch) have explicitly requested that we deny their customers access to their logos through our HeadBuilder drumhead design tool, we do offer many of the most popular drum manufacturers' logos directly without the need to upload or include them in your artwork.

Please note that manufacturers' logos must be CLEAR and LEGIBLE and in a CONTRASTING COLOR to the color of the drumhead or artwork to be included.  We also reserve the right to remove a manufacturer's logo where the content of the print may be offensive or overly objectionable or where the logo itself is not properly sized, proportioned or the official logo of the company in question. 

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 20 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 heart'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 the work 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!

If you need to have some additional basic work done on your design -- for example, you'd like an outline or shadow applied to your text to make it stand out better -- use the Order Notes/Special Requests field and we'll do what we can to accommodate you.  Since every head design we receive crosses the desk of one of our designers for review, we're more than happy to add whatever finishing touches will make it just right.

*Please note: not all special requests can be accommodated (e.g.: "I want this to be glow-in-the-dark"), and others may require additional design time and/or cost (e.g.: "I want the text to be mirror-chrome").  We will contact you for approval before doing anything that would require additional cost.  Also note that a mockup will not be provided for orders placed in the HeadBuilder.

The Port Notes field is used for port-related requests that can not be reflected in the standard HeadBuilder interface.  Things like mirroring the ports at 4:00 and 7:00 on a double-kick set, using two different size ports on the same head or requesting two different port protector colors.

While DrumART.com's HeadBuilder is peerless in its power and flexibility, there are times when the help of a designer can be useful.  To that end, we offer you the ability to allow one of our designers to "enhance" the design you have.  Generally this involves things like adding an outline, shadow or glow to text, centering/aligning, changing head color to better integrate with artwork provided, etc.

We won't send a mockup to confirm the enhancements, but after nearly 10,000 heads produced, you can trust us to make the best choices to work best with your artwork and design!  :)

We offer three different mousepad options:

1. 8.5" Round - Our 8.5" round mousepads feature the same artwork used on your custom bass drumhead (printed without manufacturer's logos and port holes) dye-sublimated on 1/4" thick neoprene mousepad material making a spectacularly vivid, durable and personal keepsake for you and (if you're feeling generous) your bandmates!
   
   
2. 11" Round - Our 11" mousepads feature the same great printing as our standard 8.5" mousepads, we just turn them up to eleven!
   
   
3. Drum Shaped - Unique in the industry, these mousepads are die cut out of the same neoprene material as our standard mousepads and are made to look like your design printed and applied to a bass drum.  Very cool!
   

Quite a bit, actually!  In addition to the world's absolute BEST custom printed drumheads, DrumART prints custom speaker grille cloths, bumper stickers, banners, backdrops, mousepads...just about anything you can imagine!

The answer to this question is yes, absolutely! Our new HeadBuilder system gives you access to literally MILLIONS of images, and it provides the text, scaling and rotating tools you need to create your own custom bass drumhead from scratch.

But what if you want the help of a professional?  Thankfully, we can help there, too.  But before you start jumping for joy, let's all get on the same page...

First, we need to clarify the difference between a custom design and custom illustration. Basically, custom design is your standard fare -- layout, design, typesetting, drop shadows, colors, general presentation, etc. Custom ILLUSTRATION on the other hand usually involves hand-drawing, painting or otherwise manually creating a work of art literally from scratch. In other words, commissioning a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork from a very talented (and usually expensive) artist.

DrumART.com employs some amazing designers, so we can (and do) both types of work all the time. In fact, we provide some form of graphic design services on virtually every "Leave it to us" head we produce. It's rare that a design comes in that can't benefit in some way from our experience and skill. We generally do this at no change as a courtesy to our clients -- it's why you hire us, after all. We do charge for more in-depth design work, complicated vectorization services, etc. but we are as reasonable as possible with the top-notch services we provide.

Custom illustration is where things get hazy. It is very, VERY time-consuming to draw something meaningfully good from words in an e-mail. "I want a guy on a boat on a stormy sea, and I want it to look cool" doesn't actually mean very much. What kind of guy? What's he wearing? What color hair? What kind of boat? What's the perspective? Is it day? Night? Is there anything else in the water? What's the landscape? Is he even near land? What colors should be used? You get the point. Even after creating something there's no guarantee it'll be exactly what you expect.  For these reasons (and more), we do not offer custom illustration services.  If your concept falls outside our standard design offerings, we'll let you know and point you in the direction of some resources that can help.

p>Required? Absolutely not. It's your head, so who are we to *force* you to put anything on it?

That said, there has been some confusion in the marketplace about the differences in the superior quality and customer service provided by DrumART.com vs. our competitors. It is important that our high-quality work be recognized as ours and, perhaps more importantly, that the sub-standard products of others not be confused with our own.

So, as of November 1, 2008, all custom bass drum heads provided by DrumART.com will have a small, tasteful and very cool DrumART.com logo added to the bottom the head. You may elect not to include the logo on your head if you wish ($5 fee will apply).

We know you're going to be so thrilled with your head that you'll tell everyone you meet about it, but as more and more of our heads are appearing in advertising, videos, concerts, TV appearances, photos and websites all over the world, we have come to realize that this is a good opportunity to solidify our brand and differentiate ourselves from the competition.

So, allowing us to add a small DrumART.com logo to your head not only helps us build our business so we can continue providing the drumming community with the best, most economical, most innovative custom bass drum options in the world, but it's also a killer logo that looks great on any design! :)

Please note: While it is possible to change the color of the DrumART logo in the HeadBuilder, if you choose to include our logo on your head, it must be visible when your order is placed.  If the logo color is changed to match the background image/head color or if the logo is moved off the edge of the design area, our designers will replace the DrumART logo to make it visible at the bottom of the head when printed.

Why yes we do!

In the past, online design systems were both extremely limiting and even more difficult to use.  But the DrumART.com HeadBuilder has changed all that!

The HeadBuilder is light years ahead of any other tool available.  Not only does it provide you with the basic ability to upload your own artwork, but it gives those who do not yet have solid artwork (or any artwork for that matter!) the ability to create their own head from literally MILLIONS of high-quality, high-resolution, royalty-free images available through our massive online catalog.

In addition, text, fonts, colors, ports, logos and more can all be moved, rotated and edited via the HeadBuilder application to your heart's content.

That said, we still believe in providing direct customer service to our clients. That means that a graphic artist reviews every design that comes across our desk, and we regularly make suggestions and changes if the design warrants it.  At DrumART.com, you get the benefit of the most advanced graphic drum head creation tool on the planet plus a real live human being who can make suggestions and judgement calls with the sole purpose of creating the best possible design for you, all before one drop of ink is printed on your custom drumhead.

And if your own artwork is too big, too small or not in an acceptable format, you can always choose to leave the work to us!  This is the same option that nearly 10,000 of our customers have used since our founding in 1997, and that has earned us our well-deserved reputation for over-the-top customer service.

We can work with just about anything you can throw at us. Our extensive experience in graphic design and enlargement means that we have the skills and tools necessary to allow us to take just about any image you've got and make it work on a drumhead.

That said, these guidelines will give you our preferred artwork specifications based on your order type.  The closer you can come to these specs, the more likely that your DrumART.com custom bass drum head will be exactly what you want.

HeadBuilder Orders - Upload Your Own Image:

The HeadBuilder allows you to use .jpg, .png or .gif images.

If your artwork does not meet our suggested type or size requirements, don't worry, we can still help.  You can always simply choose your head specs, upload your design and leave the work to us.

Leave it to us Orders:

Because every file is manually handled when you leave the work to us, this is a *much* more flexible ordering option.  We have the tools in place to accept just about any artwork format that you have. These include (but are not limited to):

• Raster File Formats:
  • .psd (Photoshop Document)
  • .tif (Tagged Image File Format)
  • .jpg (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
  • .gif (Graphics Interchange Format)
  • .pdf (Portable Document Format
  • .bmp (Bitmap)
  • etc.
• Vector File Formats:
  • .ai (Adobe Illustrator)
  • .pdf (Portable Document Format
  • .eps (Encapsulated PostScript)
  • .ps (PostScript)
  • .svg (Scalable Vector Graphics)
  • .cdr (CorelDRAW!)
  • etc.
• Other File Formats:
  • While we *may* be able to work with them, artwork created in word processing, page layout and presentation software like Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher and Microsoft PowerPoint is generally not the best option for creating a custom bass drumhead design.  That said, you're welcome and encouraged to send us your file through our Artwork Evaluation Form and we can let you know for sure.

Raster Art:

When at all possible, raster images should NOT be resized upward (enlarged). This means that you should provide us with your file at 300 dpi at full size or 600 dpi at half size. We understand, however, that this is not always possible. When it isn't we'll do whatever we can to work with what you send us, but the degree to which your file deviates from these specs will contribute to quality loss and "pixellation."

In other words, we can generally work with the 2" 72 DPI image you use on your Website, but you shouldn't expect the same results as if you provided us with a 600 DPI full-size original. The less the original quality of a raster image, the more extreme our attempts need to be to fix it.

Vector Art:

Vector Art should be sent to us in pretty much whatever format you have. Since they're easily resizable, vector graphics are HIGHLY recommended wherever possible.

What's the difference between Raster and Vector art? See here.

Unfortunately not.  Unlike our online catalog, our Gallery displays heads that have been produced for previous customers. These customers have submitted their artwork and have agreed to comply with our terms and conditions relative to copyright for the submitted artwork.  As such, copyright (or liability for use of copyrighted material) for heads we produce remains with the band or owner of the artwork, and we can not reproduce any heads without express written consent from them.

That said, with literally millions of images in our online catalog and an art department that is second to none, the real question is why would you want someone else's design when you can get your own?

You have two ordering options if you would like to submit your own artwork for use on a custom bass drumhead:

• The HeadBuilder
  If your artwork conforms to our suggested artwork specs, you can simply upload it to the HeadBuilder, format it and purchase your created design - easy!
• Leave it to us
  Once you place an order, you will be directed to a special webpage where you can upload your file directly to our Web server.  You may also choose to e-mail your image to us directly.  There is a 5 MB filesize limit for e-mail attachments.

The method used to create a graphic makes a big difference in the graphic's appearance and in its appropriateness for certain uses. The two most common ways to create graphics with a computer are raster and vector. This page explains them and offers some guidelines on their use.

Raster, or bitmapped, graphics produce images as grids of individually defined pixels while vector graphics produce images using mathematically generated points, lines, and shapes.

So, how do you decide which method is appropriate for your graphics project? Here are some thoughts:

Raster

Raster is the way to go for photographic images, and it is the only artwork format supported by our online HeadBuilder application. The dominant TIFF, GIF and JPEG formats, and the increasingly popular PNG format, are raster formats. Raster is the best mode for working with photographs and other continuous tone images with complex and subtle shading.

That said, increasing the size of raster graphics can be problematic, and it often yields less than desirable results. Because raster images are based on grids of pre-defined pixels, increasing the size forces the computer to interpolate or "guess" at at adjoining pixels when enlarging the image. This process results in distortion and focus problems. These problems compound exponentially as the size increases from the original image.

If you want to use a raster-based image for your DrumART.com custom bass drum head, it is best to create the file at full-resolution at full-size, or 2x resolution at half size. In other words, the ideal size for an image to be used on a 22" head would be 300 dpi at a full 22" (6600 x 6600 pixels), or 600 dpi at 11" (also 6600 x 6600 pixels).

While it's generally not advisable for our clients to enlarge images on their own, we do have the skills and tools to do some of the best enlargement possible on images much smaller than you would ever think possible to use on a drumhead.  While we can do some amazing things with enlargements, the best results for your head will always come from full-size original artwork.

Vector

The clean lines and smooth curves of vector graphics make them an obvious choice for logos, drawings, and other artwork that will appear in print. Also, the use of mathematical equations enables vector graphics to be scaled and manipulated infinitely without distortion.

Where possible, vector images are the preferred image format for us to work with. Since they are easily resizable, vector images will yield the best, most consistent results for your DrumART.com custom bass drum head, but they are not generally appropriate for photographic or continuous tone images.

Vector images are also incompatible with our online HeadBuilder application.  As such, if you want to use a vector image on your custom bass drumhead, you'll need to use our "Leave it to us" order option.

p>Basically, the higher the printer's DPI output capabilities, the better the final print is going to look, no matter what the resolution of the original file was.

Don't be fooled by anyone who would tell you that the benefits of higher resolutions are a myth -- they're just trying to cover for their own hardware's inadequacies! More resolution means richer, more vibrant prints with deeper colors and sharper lines and edges.

Let's just put it this way: why would every single printer made today use 1440 dpi if it *wasn't* the way to go? Modern materials are designed to maximize the benefits of higher dpi counts to produce superior prints. Period.

Eleventy billion.

Okay, maybe not eleventy billion, but literally millions. Our state-of-the-art printers output at 1440 DPI using either a six-color (CMYKLcLm), eight-color (CMYKLcLmOG) or twelve-color (CMYKRGB Matte Black, Gray, Matte Gray, Photo Cyan, Photo Magenta) depending on the needs of YOUR artwork, not what we're limited to by our equipment. What does this mean in English? It means that you can have whatever you want printed on your DrumART.com custom bass drum head and it'll look simply amazing. From vector art to high-resolution photography, we can print whatever you want!

And don't be fooled by anyone who would tell you that the benefits of more colors or 1440 DPI are a myth -- they're just trying to cover for their own hardware's inadequacies! More ink and more colors means richer, more vibrant prints with deeper colors, finer gradients and sharper lines and edges. Bottom line: six, eight or twelve colors means the widest color gamut (range) in the business, and 1440 DPI means the finest details are reproduced vividly and accurately.

Generally, if you have the image, we can print it! That said, we do reserve the right not to print any given image, but it would have to be WAY outside the bounds of good taste and/or bordering on criminal for us to decline.  In more than 10 years and 10,000 heads, we've never declined to print a design.  And trust us, there have been some questionable ones!

The only exception to this rule is known-copyrighted images.  That said, as part of the purchase process the customer must agree to our terms and conditions. Boiled down these basically state that you either (a) own the copyright for the imagery being used on your head(s), (b) agree that you have permission to use the artwork from the copyright owner, or (c) take full responsibility for using any artwork where (a) or (b) are not true. As such, the customer assumes all liability for the use of their submitted artwork.

The bottom line is that if you comply with our terms and conditions, we will print the head.

Does the artwork affect the sound of the drum?

The answer to this question is "no" -- at least not in any appreciable way. We have taken great care to develop a printing and application process that results in the most vivid, vibrant print AND the best sound possible.  Because the best-looking custom bass drumhead isn't worth a dime if it makes your drum sound like a cardboard box or if the print flakes, chips or fades over time.

DrumART uses only the thinnest, most durable, most flexible and highest-quality digital printing material available today.  So, whether your artwork is printed directly onto the head or laminated to it (we offer both options), you're sure to get both the look AND the sound you want.  The net result is a 100% custom bass drumhead that sounds just like you'd expect.  Dont' believe us?  No problem -- see what our customers have to say!

Still have questions? Contact us!

Port cutting is free for Full Heads, whether ordered through the HeadBuilder or if you leave the work to us.  Port protection rings (Bass Drum Os) and KickPort sound enhancement inserts are also available for an additional fee.

Port cutting is not included for Removable Logos or Marching heads because Removables are designed to have the port cut for an exact fit on your existing glossy bass drumhead, and Marching drum heads are never ported.

Port holes can be located just about anywhere on the head, but they need to be at least 1.75" from the edge of the head.  Any closer and you risk having a head that is both very difficult to tune and prone to tearing very easily under tension.  All of our heads are ported by hand based on your requested location.  None of them are pre-ported.

The HeadBuilder application conveniently displays this "port boundary" when you select a port to be included in your head.  If you place a port outside that area, it will be adjusted during the order fulfillment process.

If you choose to leave the work to us, we'll place your port in the best possible location given the artwork and the 1.75" port boundary limitation.  You will receive a proof of your design for approval before it is released to production.

Short answer: No.  Long answer: HELL no.

While DrumART.com is 100% color-managed from proof to print in-house, there's absolutely no accounting for what happens outside our four walls with regard to artwork and color.  That said, we (and any other *honest* company, for that matter) can not say that we will 100% match the colors you expect every single time.  Anyone who says differently is lying.

The color and brightness on many (read: most) consumer-grade monitors and printers are skewed one way or the other -- usually far brighter than "real world" situations.  Moreover, subjectivity and plain ol' human nature prevents any meaningful discussion of color in the first place.  What may look "too purple" to you might look "too blue" to someone else.  And don't even get us started on lighting variations.  The same print will look entire shades different under different light sources.  Fun.

That said, our printers offer the widest color gamut (range) in the industry, so we offer the best possible opportunity for getting a "good" match, right out of the chute.  Nobody has the tools we do (SIX printers ranging from six to twelve colors each and FOUR print technologies including UV-cure, solvent, dye-sublimation and aqueous), so nobody offers the range of prints we do.  And while it is possible to get very close 99.9% of the time, if you're looking for an *exact* match for the finish on your kit, our recommendation is don't bother.  There's a chance you won't be happy with the results, and we don't like unhappy customers.

The bottom line is this: if close enough is good enough, order away!  You won't be disappointed.  If you're looking for a spot-on match, we'll give it a shot, but it may not work.  And if it doesn't, we told you so!  :)

The answer is yes, but the question is price.  Many drummers have seen the amazing work we've done for Todd Sucherman's waterfall bubinga Pearl Masters kit.  For that project, Todd sent us a very high-quality, high-resolution closeup image of the finish on his kit.  We then spent a couple hours tiling a large enough image together and printed a series of 8 or 10 samples that we mailed to him for color matching.  He chose the closest match and we produced his heads based on that. 

Cost for something like this runs in the $300 - $500 range in addition to the cost of the head.

We also offer many different sparkle finishes, sequin sparkles, holographics, diamond plates, mirror chromes, carbon fibers...you name it!  These finishes differ from the glass glitters available on many drumkits since they have to be thin enough to sound good, but oftentimes they are a close enough match to compliment the finish and still look good.  Drumkit wraps resemble formica counter tops and are obviously not suitable for use on a vibrating membrane.

Cost to use these "advanced materials" generally adds $50 to $100 to the cost of the head.

Unfortunately, the time and cost involved in something like this make it nearly impossible for us to do for our international clients.

If these are not in your ballpark, you can always use our amazing online catalog and HeadBuilder tool to find an image that would compliment your kit well without being an exact match (or breaking the bank): 

https://drumart.com/photos-catalog

With more than 50 million (yes MILLION) inexpensive, high-quality, royalty-free images to choose from, it's hard to imagine you not finding the perfect image to compliment your drums and your style. 

Short answer: No, we NEVER, under any circumstances, use a client's submitted file for another client's drumhead without the owner's express written permission.

Long answer: That said, we have had different clients submit very similar artwork in the past.  With the ubiquity of certain types of images or designs and the ability of people to do all kinds of in-depth searches through Google Images and various microstock photo repositories, it is impossible for us to become "image police" for the thousands of images we receive every year.  In these cases, our submitted artwork terms and conditions policy comes into play.

For example, we once received a nasty letter from a client who claimed that we used an element of their design in another client's drumhead.  This was patently untrue -- the new client had submitted their own artwork -- and the the elements in question were two very common tattoo swallows (birds).  A simple Google Images search returned literally hundreds of identical designs, and both clients likely sourced their elements from the same place.  The point is that we can not be held accountable for the use of common and/or unoriginal elements in your or any other drumhead design.

In addition, images chosen from our image catalog are not exclusive and may be used by many different clients.  However, the exact changes/additions/enhancements that you make in our HeadBuilder drumhead design tool are *yours* and will not be reproduced unless the client goes in and makes the changes themselves. 

The bottom line is that we will NEVER reproduce your submitted artwork for someone without your express permission.  So as long as your artwork is fairly original and includes elements that make it unique, your head will be the only one of its kind!

Our HeadLIGHTS(TM) drumheads use a special process and material to print onto translucent drumheads.  The translucent part is important.  Our testing has clearly shown (pun intended) that fully transparent drumheads are not the best possible option for illuminated kick drums.  The reason?  Your eye sees right through the printed head and focuses on the super-bright lights behind it, defeating the entire reason for having a printed drumhead in the first place. 

Our process results in a look similar to that of a soft-white lightbulb -- a nice diffuse light pattern that highlights the print as opposed to overwhelming it.  It's a killer look that we developed in conjunction with John Cowsill from The Beach Boys for use on their 50th Anniversary Tour.

Even better, our illuminated heads look just as good as our standard custom bass drumheads when they're not lit from behind -- something you don't get with printing on clear heads. They're easily the most beautiful, most flexible solution for drummers who want to backlight their custom artwork without sacrificing print quality or sound, day or night.

As for lighting the kick drum itself, you can use your own light source or DrumART's own HeadLIGHTS(TM) LED drumkit illumination option which will be offered on our website very soon.

And while they're actually quite a bit more expensive to make, the cost of our illuminated heads will be the same as our standard heads during their introductory period.

To order, simply select the HeadLIGHTS(TM) illuminated head option and we'll take care of the rest.  Please note: the HeadLIGHTS finish option may add 5 to 7 days to our standard turnaround times, so please plan accordingly.

*DrumART's HeadLIGHTS(TM) drumheads do NOT include any lighting system.  They are designed to
work with whatever lighting system you use in your kick drum(s) or with our own brand of HeadLIGHTS LED
illumination (coming soon). The HeadLIGHTS finish option is also NOT COMPATIBLE with Aquarian Regulator
or any Evans drumheads and is NOT AVAILABLE on CustomPEELER removable logos.

That depends on the way you ordered and your submitted artwork.  Mockups are not sent for orders formatted through our HeadBuilder app -- the head you build is the head you will receive.  For orderes placed using our legacy "Leave the work to us" order process, proof turnaround is dependent on submitted artwork quality.  Please see the matrix below for some general rules of thumb:

*Again, this help article does not apply to heads purchased through the HeadBuilder. For HeadBuilder orders,
the image shown on the Order Confirmation page serves as the mockup for your order.
Your your custom head will be produced accordingly and artwork substitutions are not possible.

Type	Description	Turnaround
"A" Artwork	High-quality raster art (Layered Adobe Photoshop Document, TIFF, JPG, BMP, etc. at 3000 x 3000 pixels or larger) or vector artwork (Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, vector PDF, vector EPS, etc.)	1-2 Business Days or fewer
"B" Artwork	1000 x 1000 pixels - 3000 x 3000 pixels raster art	3-4 Business Days or fewer
"C" Artwork	Less than 1000 x 1000 pixel raster art or other "non-standard" file formats like Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, etc.	5-7 Business Days or fewer
From Concept	Design based on your description, doodle on a piece of paper, scan, scrapbook, whatever.	TBD - based on project scope

Please feel free to send us your artwork for evaluation.  That way we can let you know if there will be any issues before you order.

Also, please note that orders placed using our "Leave the work to us" order process include one mockup and one revision.  If approval or a request for revisions is not received within 48 business hours of the mockup being sent, we will presume approval and move forward with printing.  Additional mockup revisions are subject to a $15/mockup charge if requested.

Our general rule of thumb is that your order should ship within three to seven business DAYS of final artwork approval.  That's not a typo - we can often ship that fast.  So, once you've ordered your head (or, in the case of "Leave the work to us" orders, once you've okayed the final proof), it will generally be on its way to you quickly so you'll have it in a flash.  That said, we do our best to keep this news article updated with current order volume and turnaround times.

The chart below shows our target printing/shipping schedule depending on the day of the week you order (by 5pm Eastern Time)*:

Order Day:	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Print Day:	Wednesday	Friday	Friday	Next Monday	Next Wednesday	Next Wednesday	Next Wednesday
Ship Day:	Friday	Next Wednesday	Next Wednesday	Next Wednesday	Next Friday	Next Friday	Next Friday

In addition, we do our best to stock all drumheads and accessories that we offer on the site in all available sizes to avoid any stock-related delays whenever possible.

We're committed to your satisfaction, and offering the widest variety of heads with the fastest turnaround times in the industry is one of the ways we achieve it.

Time in transit is in addition to our standard turnaround times and varies depending on your location and your selected shipping option.  DrumART HQ is located in Voorheesville, NY (12186).

We generally send orders via FedEx Ground (1 - 5 business days).  Expedited shipping is available at additional cost during checkout.

 

---

*PLEASE NOTE: Our target shipping chart is simply that - a target.  It is not a service commitment and is dependent on
current order volume, holidays, weather delays, etc.  It does not include time in transit which depends on your
location and choice of shipping method. We do not guarantee delivery dates under ANY circumstances.

Yes, we absolutely ship internationally! We do it all the time, in fact.

Our order system supports order fulfillment to the US, Canada, and most other parts of the world.  Shipping to Canada is $45 US, and shipping to most countries in Europe and South America as well as Australia is generally $65 US.  Shipping to African nations, some Asian nations and more distant lands or remote locations may exceed $65 US.  If that's the case, we'll let you know what the difference is.  It's never cost us more than $85 US to ship a full head anywhere in the world.  Please feel free to e-mail us if you'd like an exact quote before ordering.

Please note that any and all duties or other charges are the responsibility of the recipient. We value the contents of the package appropriately, and we will not call the merchandise a "gift" or "documents" to help avoid additional charges. Such actions would be illegal and could result in the loss of our ability to ship internationally.

Also, international delivery times can vary WIDELY from country to country or even from order to order to the same country. Time in transit for any given package depends on time of year, current customs and/or border security backlogs, etc. USPS generally quotes 6 - 10 business days to a destination country, but once the package reaches that country, delivery is wholly dependent on that nation's customs, border security and domestic parcel delivery systems. We've seen packages take anywhere from a week to reach their destination to over a month. Generally speaking, it's usually in the 10 - 14 business day range.

You can ABSOLUTELY order just the logo! Our CustomPEELERS removable DrumART.com custom bass drum logos are designed for exactly this purpose.  You can apply, remove, and reapply them over and over again to whatever head you want. We invented removable bass drum artwork, and our materials and process remain superior to all others.

Due to the fact that the permanent installation of artwork on a drumhead is a very difficult process (you only get one shot), we only offer permanent logos on complete heads and we do not accept client-supplied heads under any circumstances.

That said, please do not be fooled by others selling a simple decal for a few dollars less than our full heads and removable logos and passing them off as a "bargain" -- they're not! In order to get the maximum sustain and minimal tonal change out of a head, the thinnest material is critical. Thin materials are very, very, VERY difficult to apply effectively, and the application and positioning of that material matters greatly in the overall sound of the head.

Our advice, whether you get your head from us or someone else, is to purchase your custom bass drumhead from a company that has a proven track record, uses the highest-quality materials in the industry and stands behind their products 100%.  It never pays to be penny-wise, pound-foolish.

Here's the bottom line: if you're planning on buying a simple decal -- DON'T. We'd rather have you purchase a custom head from one of our competitors than be turned off of the possibilities of a quality custom bass drum head by someone who doesn't care about you or the industry. That's just plain irresponsible.

There are three different ordering "pathways" you can take to get the custom bass drumhead of your dreams - two work through our revolutionary HeadBuilder online design tool, and the third allows you to place your order, send us your artwork and leave the work to us.

The right one for you depends on what you have and what you want to do.  Here are a number of scenarios and options:

1. You have your own artwork and want to do the layout and design yourself.
   In this case, you would select the "HeadBuilder Drumhead Designer" option.  This process allows you to upload your existing artwork to the HeadBuilder application where you can layout your head design on your own (please see our image requirements to see what file types and sizes are supported).  This order process pathway looks like:
   
   Upload Artwork --> Design in HeadBuilder --> Review Order --> Place Order
2. You do not have specific artwork, but you still want a killer graphic bass drumhead.
   In this case, our "Catalog" option is perfect for you.  This process allows you to choose from over 8.5 million (yes, MILLION) inexpensive, high-quality, royalty-free images to use on your head.  Once you find the right image, you will be taken to the HeadBuilder application where you will be able to layout your own head using many different fonts, logos, port options...you name it.  This order process pathway looks like:
   
   Search the Catalog --> Select Your Image --> Design in HeadBuilder --> Review Order --> Place Order
3. You have artwork, but it's too big/too small/in an unsupported file format for the HeadBuilder.
   In this case, you would want to "Leave the work to us."  The same order process we've had in place for more than a decade, this pathway bypasses the HeadBuilder altogether, letting you select your head options, place your order and send us your artwork at the end.  From there, we'll format your artwork and send you a mockup for approval via e-mail before printing.  This pathway allows you to use the file format YOU want, and to have a dedicated designer in charge of your project from proof to print.  This order process pathway looks like:
   
   Select Head Options --> Review Order --> Place Order --> Upload Artwork
   
4. You are a current client who wants to re-order an existing design.
   Easy!  Just select the "Leave the work to us" option and let us know that this is a reorder.  Be sure to contact us before you order and we'll hook you up with a special coupon code that will give you a discount on your reorder.  This order process pathway looks like:
   
   Select Head Options --> Review Order --> Place Order --> Upload Artwork

Please feel free to contact us with any other questions you have before ordering!

Because DrumART ships all over the world, we use shipping categories to determine the relative speed at which your package will arrive.  Economy is the least-expensive option that takes the longest in transit.  Rush is faster and Express is the fastest possible.  Please see the following matrix for a ballpark estimate of the time in transit to your location once your head leaves our manufacturing facility in Upstate, NY:

	Lower US 48 States	Alaska & Hawaii	Canada, Mexico, US Protectorates	Worldwide
Economy	Up to 5 Business Days	Up to 7 to 10 Business Days	Up to 21 Days (generally less)	Up to 30 Days (generally less)
Rush	2 - 3 Business Days	3 to 5 Business Days	Up to 10 Days	Up to 14 Days
Express	Overnight (rural areas may be 2 days)	1 to 2 Days	1 to 5 Days	3 to 7 Days

Nope. Aside from our modest "from concept" design fees, there are NEVER any additional fees for things like image scanning, basic image retouching, design enhancement, port hole cutting, etc. See our Pricing page for all the details.

Aside from our industry-leading prices, top-notch quality and untouchably good service, a major contributing factor in our ability to attract and maintain such a rabidly supportive client base is our ability to work artwork miracles.

Our artists stand alone in their ability to enhance, convert, vectorize and otherwise amaze you with what they can do to your old artwork, HeadBuilder creation or from-concept design.

That said, one of the most frequently asked questions we receive from our clients is if they can have the high-resolution version of their enhanced or modified artwork.  Licenses acquired through our online HeadBuilder Catalog are purchased by us for our clients.  That said, we are happy to send you the raw, unedited artwork files licensed on your behalf.  However, DrumART.com charges $50 (in addition to any artwork conversion fees) for the final high-resolution and/or vector versions of your artwork. This includes any enhancements, text, logos, etc., and it helps offset the cost of converting/creating/ehnancing/vectorizing the original.

In other words, while you own the artwork, we hold the file. We absorb this cost as part of the creation of your drum head, but it is our policy not to give away that work for free. We do, however, offer many other merch services including stickers, banners, posters, etc...so why would you want to go anywhere else?!

Please contact us if you'd like more information about purchasing your converted artwork!

Ancient Chinese secret! :)

Okay, seriously -- DrumART.com invented removable bass drum artwork, and unlike some others you may find, we use a very specific material and a very special application process that allows our removable custom logos to grab onto your GLOSSY, non-coated head and not let go until you want them to! Don't believe that they can take the pounding you're going to give them on your bass drum? Check out our Testimonials page to see what other drummers have to say about them. They're no joke!

Our CustomPEELER removable logos are designed to cover the whole head and feature the same quality printing and "whole head" coverage as our full head prints. This has the benefit of making them more durable and ensuring color consistency on the head, but there is a caveat: this process "marries" your removable logo a particular ported head.

This is not an issue if you never play ported heads, but once the port is cut in your removable logo to match an existing head, it generally needs to be used on that head. This is not a bad thing if you're in more than one band and using the same kit or sharing the same backline on a tour or something, but they may not work well if you're using rental kits with different heads and different port locations every night.

In addition, their greatest strength is also their greatest weakness.  The fact our removable logos are designed to be applied, removed and applied again means that the chances for them getting folded, wrinkled, stored improperly, left in a hot car, stepped on -- whatever -- are MUCH greater than a full head that's applied, tuned and played without further disruption.  This isn't an issue if you properly apply, remove and store your removable logo, but that doesn't always happen.

Please note that removable logos do not include the drum head, and they are not pre-ported. Since it is impossible for us to know the exact port location in your existing head, they come with instructions for applying the logo and cutting the port based on your existing port.  We ask for the size and placement of the port on your existing head so we can provide a ballpark estimation of how the CustomPEELER will look when ported and to help you make sure that the port will not cut into critical parts of the drumhead design.

Removable Logos have only a marginal impact on the overall sound of the drum. Bass drums move a LOT of air, and the combination of our material and application process make sure the logo resonates *with* the head and not as a second ply that binds *against* it. As such, there's some mellowing or dampening of the head, but it's not too noticeable, especially if you're playing a bigger drum or louder music.

Add-ons are additional products you can order with the same fantastic artwork used on your fancy new DrumART custom bass drumhead.

We offer heads from both Aquarian and Evans.  The dirty little secret in the drumhead world is that all manufacturers use very similar raw materials in the creation of their heads.  The differences come in things like hoop construction, muffling options, coatings, etc.

We have long partnered with Aquarian Drumheads and generally recommend their heads absent a compelling reason to use a different manufacturer.  There are a number of reasons for our choice:

1. Quality/Durability
2. Consistency
3. Innovative Features
4. Company Responsiveness

In our extensive experience, Aquarian offers the highest-quality and most durable drumheads on the market.  We stock all types and sizes of Aquarian heads including single-ply Classic, Full Force II, Regulator for drumkit and Powertone and Articulator for marching drums.  So, we're likely to have your size and color in-stock with no waiting!

That said, we understand that head choice is a subjective matter, so we have also partnered with Evans drumheads and offer their EQ3 heads as well.

We do not offer Remo heads at this time.

Full Heads:

Our Full Heads are permanently applied to your choice of Aquarian drumset bass drum head. They can have a more "polished" or "finished" presentation (including port protectors), and they include the drum head.  We generally recommend purchasing a full head unless there is a compelling reason to purchase a removable logo.

Removable Logos:

Our Removable Logos feature the ability to be applied and removed to your glossy, non-coated drumhead over and over again. These are specifically good if youâ??re in more than one band or if youâ??re sharing a backline where the logo has to be applied before your set and removed afterward.  Please note that removable logos do not include the drum head, and they are not pre-ported. Since it is impossible for us to know the exact port location in your existing head, they come with instructions for applying the logo and cutting the port based on your existing port.

Our removable logos are designed to cover the whole head and feature the same quality printing and "whole head" coverage as our full head prints. This has the benefit of making them more durable and ensuring color consistency on the head, but there is a caveat: this process "marries" your removable logo a particular ported head.

This is not an issue if you never play ported heads, but once the port is cut in your removable logo to match an existing head, it generally needs to be used on that head. This is not a bad thing if you're in more than one band and using the same kit or sharing the same backline on tour, but they may not work well if you're using rental kits with different heads and different port locations every night.

Marching Heads:

Marching Heads are applied to your choice of Aquarian marching bass drum head.  They include an oversized laminate "power dot" on the batter side that allows them to be struck with mallets without adversely affecting the sound of the drum or the printed image.

Aquarian offers three types of standard (drumkit) resonant bass drum heads and two kinds of marching bass drum heads:

Drumkit:

Classic Clear (plain):

A single ply, medium weight drum head available in glossy white or black. Ideal for the resonant side of the bass drum. Classic Clear heads produce a wide-open full sound with plenty of attack. (Very similar to Remo Ambassador heads)

Full Force:

A clear, single ply, medium weight bass drum head. Full Forceâ?¢ drum heads feature an acoustically â??ventedâ? muffling ring that is tucked into the hoop on the back side of the head. The muffling ring has special â??tone holesâ? that allow the ring to move and resonate with the head. (Very similar to Remo Powerstroke III heads)

Regulator:

These single ply, resonant bass drum heads feature Aquarianâ??s patented â??Floating Muffling Systemâ?. They are perfect companions for the Super-Kickâ?¢ and Impactâ?¢ series batter heads. Regulatorâ?¢ heads are available in Video Gloss black or white, and they feature a focused, punchy sound that does not sacrifice the low-end fundamental of the drum. (Unlike any other head on the market)

 

Marching/Drum Corps:

Articulator:

A powerful, punchy and direct sounding bass drum head featuring Aquarianâ??s patented â??Floating Muffling Systemâ?. The sound of this drum head really projects because the felt muffling â??floatsâ? and does not touch the bearing edge. The drumhead collar is free to vibrate in unison with the drumshell to preserve the low-end. This unique drumhead is made with Aquarian's new Power-Playâ?¢ film. The Articulatorâ?¢ is available in white or black.

Powertone:

A full, open, traditional bass drum sound with great resonance and projection. It also features Aquarianâ??s new Power Playâ?¢ film. A big sounding drumhead. The Powertoneâ?¢ is available in white or black.

Easy! Buy a custom bass drum head for us and then tell the world how much you love it.

In all seriousness, it is our position that, while endorsement programs can be good to the degree that they support rising talents, they're far too often used exclusively for promotion of one particular product and the marketing of one particular drummer. Moreover, it is shocking how many "artists" have the entire system backwards -- it is the artist endorsing the product, not the other way around.

Our friend Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz from Weird Al Yankovic's band has what we believe to be the best webpage available on this subject here.

By declining to offer endorsement "deals," we are working to maintain the integrity of our company and to ensure that our products remain the highest-quality and most affordable on the market. This way, everyone wins.

Suffice it to say that the "big name" drummers who use our products and whose heads you see in our gallery (and there are a LOT of them!) do so because they want the fastest possible turnaround and the highest-quality products in the business and they support the way we choose to operate.

So, as we said, if you really want to become a DrumART.com product endorser, send us a testimonial for our Testimonials page.

The bottom line is this: Although they're the best custom bass drum heads in the business, our heads are made for ALL drummers, not just rock stars!

Depends on what you're looking for:

• Full Heads can be made in 18" - 28" in even sizes.  We can also make 16" heads for cocktail-type kits, but they are a special-order item (more information).  The type of hoop your 16" bass drum uses will determine the exact head size we have to use.
• Removable Logos can be made in any size from 16" - 30".  Removables can also be made to fit oddball sizes like DW's 23" drums or 14" kids' drum sets.  We've made removables for drums up to 42" in size.
• Marching Heads can be made in any size from 20" - 30" in even sizes.

Yes, we archive all client images on both fixed and removable media. What does this mean? It means that your files are safe and sound with us. So, printing a new DrumART.com custom bass drum head will be a snap the next time your guitar player "accidentally" smashes in your kick drum head on a doorknob. I don't sound bitter, do I?...

Yes, you can, usually with no damage to the head. Our unique removable logos are designed for this purpose and can be used over and over again. However, our full head logos are permanently attached -- they can be removed, but the decal will be toast when you're done...

Um...I don't know...forever?

Seriously, they last a long, LONG time! Our inks and materials are rated for 3 - 5 years of outdoor exposure.  We're talking Arizona sun or Alaskan winters here.  In effect, this means that the useful life of our prints is far longer than the useful life of the heads they're printed on.

That said, they're not indestructable.  Reasonable care and consideration is required to keep your DrumART custom bass drumhead looking and performing at its best.  Our rule of thumb is that if something will scratch a plain drumhead, it'll scratch a printed drumhead.  Not usually an issue, but you can't expect to run it into a wall or have your singer throw your drum off the stage without some damage.  But then again if your singer is throwing your drums off the stage, you've got bigger issues to deal with!

The peregrine falcon. Like the DrumART.com crew, the peregrine falcon is a native of Upstate New York. Unlike the DrumART.com crew, the bird can travel at speeds up to 217 miles per hour. Of course, those of you who have seen the movie Airplane know that the fastest land animal is the cheetah.

We're not quite sure about that one, but those of you with children have at least caught a glimpse of the answer. One thing we are sure of is that a DrumART.com custom bass drum head will make you look pretty cool while engaging in one of the more enjoyable activities life has to offer!

#11: We're players, too!

DrumART.com began way back in 1997 -- remember 1997? -- when I wanted my own custom bass drum head, and it's grown from there. We've seen it all and done it all *before* you even thought about coming to us, so you can be sure that you'll benefit from our experience.

Our heads are made BY drummers, FOR drummers. And I mean drummers, not former drummers. We're still out there, still playing every day, grinding it out in clubs and bars across the country.

#10: We offer the highest-quality printing and materials.

Our new six-color 1440 DPI printer is literally state-of-the-art. It boasts the highest quality and durability of any printer in its class, as well as the widest color-gamut in the industry. Colors are true and blacks are BLACK, not some washed-out approximation of black.  And our process is 100% color-managed from proof to print.

Huh? You want that in English? Okay... Basically it means that your head will be clear and sharp enough to turn every head in the place, that it'll have... like... eleventy-billion colors in it, that you can spill a beer on it and not have to worry about the head more than your drums, and that the image you approve will be the drum head you get. Simple!

Not only is the quality of our output second to none, but the materials we use have been thoroughly tested against many others and chosen for their specific characteristics for use on drum heads. In fact, our materials and application process are so refined that the artwork does NOT noticeably impact the sound of the head. Anyone can print a logo on a head -- only we create DrumART!

#9: Our artists ROCK.

It's true, they do. Both literally and figuratively in most cases. We work with some of the most talented artists in the industry to create our magnificent custom bass drum heads. Many of them are musicians themselves. They understand what we're doing and why we're doing it, and they want to be a part of the DrumART revolution. Compare our gallery to others. The proof is in the pudding!

#8: We use Aquarian drum heads.

Given our laser focus on creating the highest-quality products, why on earth would we skimp on the head itself? We chose Aquarian drum heads after testing ALL others, and our selection was based on their sound, quality, and durability. We don't use no-name or third-rate heads -- we only use the best!

Not only that, but we give you the choice of ANY bass drum head Aquarian offers. Again, as drummers ourselves, we know that having choice is an important component in your decision. Don't want to use Aquarian heads? No problem! We can print on ANY glossy head you choose for an additional fee.

#7: We're at least a little bit clever.

You've seen our ads or checked out the website and cracked a smile once or twice, right? We know you have. Come on, admit it! "ROCK STAR quality at GARAGE BAND prices" is somewhat clever, right? We're at least a little amusing...right? Right? RIGHT??

Bottom line: we like having fun, and we want you to have fun with the process, too.

#6: We care about our customers!

Seriously. A lot. But not in that creepy Single White Female kind of a way. It's more like a bunch of friends hanging out with a couple of beers on a Saturday night.

Just check out the hundreds of reviews in our Testimonials section.  They're administered by RatePoint, an independet, third-party rating and review management company, so you can be sure that they're all 100% real and 100% unbiased. Of the nearly 10,000 heads we've done we can count on one hand the number we've had returned: 4. While we can't please ALL of the people ALL of the time, we can certainly try!

#5: We stand behind our products. Period.

The bottom line: if you're not happy, we're not happy. We might not be able to satisfy *everyone* (see #6), but that's why we've got our 100% satisfaction guarantee. You know how we can afford that? Did you see how many returns we've had in nearly 10,000 orders? Right. 4.

#4: Research and Innovation

Our custom bass drum heads are at the top of the heap because we've put in the research necessary to make *educated* decisions on their construction and materials. Everything from materials to ink types to application processes has been tested and benchmarked until we found the optimal combination that affords the highest clarity, richest color and least impact on the sound of the head. Trial and error and spending late nights supporting unproven products is not the way we choose to do business. We don't sacrifice the trust of our customers by using them as guinea pigs for untested products.

With that said, we are also very proud of our track record of innovation and forward-thinking. We invented removable custom bass drum head artwork that can be used over and over. We pioneered the combined use of digital printing with mind-blowing advanced materials like holographics, mirror-chromes, sparkles, etc.  And now, with our HeadBuilder online drumhead design system, we put the power to create truly custom bass drumheads into the hands of everyone.

We don't imitate, we innovate!

#3: We don't nickel-and-dime you!

Again, we're providing a service, and we take that responsibility very seriously. How annoying is it when you get charged for every little tweak and change that you try to make? VERY annoying! You choose us because you know we can make the head of your dreams. Your happiness is our success, and we're not going to squander that goodwill. Our artists are peerless when it comes to taking your artwork and making it happen on a bass drum head, regardless of size or resolution. And while we can't create artwork from scratch for free, we *can* work with you to make it easy.

There is no fine print at DrumART.com.

#2: We're not an afterthought.

There are sign shops and drumhead manufacturers that try to make custom bass drum heads, and then there's DrumART. Unlike many of our competitors, DrumART.com was started as a custom bass drum head manufacturer, not as an afterthought of an already busy sign shop, design firm or drumhead manufacturer.

What does that mean? It means that we can be faster, more responsive and more innovative. It means that we can focus all our energy on you and your band. It means that we can offer the full spectrum of products that bands require -- custom bass drum heads, banners, backdrops, bumper stickers, t-shirs, keychains, mouse pads, mugs...you name it.

It's the reason we turn heads around in three DAYS while others can't turn them around in three weeks or more.

#1: My mother says so!

It's true, my mom says that you should get your custom bass drum heads from DrumART.com. I'm not kidding. And she's a really nice lady. You should listen to her. I know I do.

Yes, we absolutely do make 16" heads!  These heads are generally a special-order item and the cost is the same as our 18" heads.

The reason we do not offer them directly through the website is that properly sizing them can be confusing.  Basically, there are two types of 16" bass drums available.  The first uses a "standard" wood bass drum hoop with tension rods and claws (like the Sonor Jungle and Safari kits).  These require a slightly oversized head.  The second uses a metal tom-like hoop with flanges that the tension rods go through (like the Yamaha HipGig kit).  These drums require a tom-sized head.

If you have a converted 16" floor tom that you're using as a kick drum and it still uses the standard tom hoop, you need the smaller head.  If you converted the drum to use hoops and claws, you need the larger head.

If you'd like to order a 16" head, please simply order an 18" head and make a note in the ORDER NOTES field letting us know that you need a 16" head and which type you need.  We'll take care of the rest.

We do not recommend DrumDials or any other tuning aid that makes direct contact with the head.  The same way these weighted metal products can (and often DO) mark and scratch standard glossy heads, they can mark and scratch DrumART printed heads as well.  The difference is obviously that damage to a printed head is substantially more noticeable and frustrating than the inevitable scratches these things cause on standard heads.  This is *especially* true on our HeadLIGHTS finish as the very thin print that makes them translucent also makes them more susceptible to damage from physical abrasion.

All that said our opinion is that these products are never more than a crutch and our recommendation is always that it is better to learn to tune drums well by ear and by consistent process.  Benny Greb has an EXCELLENT series on tuning -- here is a taste:

DrumART LLC Terms of Service

By uploading your art or design to DrumART LLC, you warrant that the art is your original work, in the public domain, or that you have acquired the legal right for us to reproduce the art on your drumhead.  You further warrant that the art does not violate the rights of any third parties, including but not limited to copyright, trademark, defamation, and rights of publicity or privacy.  You agree to indemnify and hold harmless DrumART LLC for any expenses incurred arising from any complaint or cause of action cause by your breach of these warranties, or damages awarded from any legal proceedings arising from such breach.

HeadBuilder orders (customer uploaded artwork or images purchased through our online catalog) go into production *immediately,* so a cancellation fee of 15% applies to HeadBuilder orders cancelled one hour after purchase since our artists have taken the time to properly format your artwork by that time.  Artwork (including any images purchased on your behalf) and design fees are non-refundable.  If the head has already been printed but NOT ported, a flat $25 cancellation fee will apply.  If the head has already been printed AND ported, cancellations are not possible and the head will ship as-ordered.

Leave The Work To Us orders (where a mockup is included as part of the approval process) may be cancelled and a full refund issued up to the point that you receive a mockup of your drum head via e-mail.  Once you receive a mockup, a cancellation fee of 15% would apply since our artists have taken the time to manually format your artwork.  Again, artwork (including any images purchased on your behalf) and any additional design fees are non-refundable.  If the head has already been printed but NOT ported, a $25 cancellation fee will apply.  If the head has already been printed AND ported, cancellations are not possible and the head will ship as-ordered.

In either case, shipping is obviously refunded as well.

Substitutions:

DrumART may, at our sole discretion, make minor order substitutions based on design characteristics or where doing so will allow us to fulfill orders in a timely manner due to product availability.  This includes things like changing head color based on artwork (switching to a black head where white was selected for a dark design), changing head type based on inventory (same manufacturer, different model), changing drumhead finish based on artwork, adjusting port size, port color, etc.

That said, we will not make major changes (Evans head to Aquarian head, HeadLIGHTS finish to opaque head, etc.) without prior consent.  Any changes that would result in a decrease in price will have the difference refunded to the customer.  Any changes that would result in an increase in cost will be absorbed by DrumART LLC.

Reprints:

As listed above, HeadBuilder orders often go into production almost immediately upon order receipt, so changes made to a design *after* printing but *before* the head is modified (ports/port protectors, etc.) or shipped are subject to a $25 reprinting fee.  Change requests received after a head has been modified or shipped are not eligible for reprinting and will be shipped as ordered. 

As fabric/specialty items like t-shirts, mousepads, coasters, bumper stickers and other similar items are not as stable or consistent as rigid items like drumheads, color consistency between those items and printed drumheads is not guaranteed and they are NOT eligible for reprints under any circumstances.

Refunds:

At DrumART.com, we take your satisfaction VERY seriously. If you are not completely happy with your DrumART.com purchase, you can return it within 14 days of your receipt of the head or removable logo (as tracked by FedEx or USPS Delivery Confirmation) for a refund of your purchase price less a 25% labor charge (to cover the time spent formatting your artwork and printing your head). Artwork, design, port protector and shipping fees are non-refundable.  And while we accept returns for any reason, we do reserve the right to not accept reorders or offer reprints where we believe that a return was initiated for frivolous reasons or that a customer's particular expectations may result in additional cost in time and materials.

Mis-ordered heads (wrong size, wrong type, etc.) that are not our error are NOT returnable for a refund.  Please contact us in these cases and we may offer a one-time "oops" discount on a reorder.

As fabric/specialty items like t-shirts, mousepads, coasters, bumper stickers and other similar items are not as stable or consistent as rigid items like drumheads, color consistency between those items and printed drumheads is not guaranteed and they are NOT eligible for refunds under any circumstances.

Warranty:

In addition, our heads and removable logos come with a one year warranty in materials and workmanship. If within one year from the date of purchase your DrumART.com custom bass drum head or removable logo fails as a result of a material or workmanship issue, just contact us. We'll do what we can to make it right for you.  Unfortunately, this does NOT cover clumsy soundmen, leaving them in a hot car, in the sun, rain, snow, etc.  It also does not cover unprotected port holes.  We ALWAYS recommend installing port protection rings since the port hole is most succeptable to premature head failure when heads are improperly or unevenly tuned.

The bottom line is that we're not only committed to producing top-quality custom bass drum heads and removable logos, we also stand behind our product 100 percent!

DrumART LLC Privacy Policy

This privacy policy will explain how our organization uses the personal data we collect from you when you use our website.

Topics:

• What data do we collect?
• How do we collect your data?
• How will we use your data?
• How do we store your data?
• Marketing
• What are your data protection rights?
• What are cookies?
• How do we use cookies?
• What types of cookies do we use?
• How to manage your cookies
• Privacy policies of other websites
• Changes to our privacy policy
• How to contact us
• How to contact the appropriate authorities

What data do we collect?

DrumART LLC collects the following data:

Personal identification information (Name, email address, phone number, etc.)

How do we collect your data?

You directly provide DrumART LLC with most of the data we collect. We collect data and process data when you:

Register online or place an order for any of our products or services.

Voluntarily complete a customer survey or provide feedback on any of our message boards or via email.

Use or view our website via your browser’s cookies.

DrumART LLC does not currently collect data from any indirect sources.

How will we use your data?

DrumART LLC collects your data so that we can:

• Process your order and manage your account.
• Email you with special offers on other products and services we think you might like.

DrumART LLC does not partner with or share data with any other companies or entities.  We will not sell or share your data with any other companies or entities without your consent.

How do we store your data?

DrumART LLC securely stores your data at the OVHcloud Data Centre in Beauharnois, QC, Canada.  We do NOT store credit card data on our servers and only pass credit card information to our payment processor (Authorize.net) using Authorize.net's encrypted tunnel for the purposes of transaction processing.

DrumART LLC will keep your data indefinitely, subject to periodic purge based on customer activity.  Generally, accounts not used for ten (10) or more years will be deleted from our servers.

Marketing

DrumART LLC will occasionally send you information about products and services of ours that we think you might like, as well as discount codes and company news and updates.  You have the right at any time to stop DrumART LLC from contacting you for marketing purposes and you may request to be removed from our lists by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

What are your data protection rights?

DrumART LLC would like to make sure you are fully aware of all of your data protection rights. Every user is entitled to the following:

• The right to access – You have the right to request DrumART LLC for copies of your personal data. We may charge you a small fee for this service.
• The right to rectification – You have the right to request that DrumART LLC correct any information you believe is inaccurate. You also have the right to request DrumART LLC to complete the information you believe is incomplete.
• The right to erasure – You have the right to request that DrumART LLC erase your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The right to restrict processing – You have the right to request that DrumART LLC restrict the processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The right to object to processing – You have the right to object to DrumART LLC’s processing of your personal data, under certain conditions.
• The right to data portability – You have the right to request that DrumART LLC transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you. If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at our email:

Call us at: 001-518-595-4789

Or write to us:
DrumART LLC
3252 New Scotland Road, BLDG 7
Voorheesville, NY 12186
USA

Cookies

Cookies are text files placed on your computer to collect standard Internet log information and visitor behavior information. When you visit our websites, we may collect information from you automatically through cookies or similar technology

For further information, visit https://allaboutcookies.org

How do we use cookies?

DrumART LLC uses cookies in a range of ways to improve your experience on our website, including:

• Keeping you signed in
• Understanding how you use our website
• Maintaining your saved designs

What types of cookies do we use?

There are a number of different types of cookies, however, our website uses:

• Functionality – DrumART LLC uses these cookies so that we recognize you on our website and remember your previously selected preferences. These could include what language you prefer and location you are in. A mix of first-party and third-party cookies are used.
• Advertising – DrumART LLC uses these cookies to collect information about your visit to our website, the content you viewed, the links you followed and information about your browser, device, and your IP address. DrumART LLC does not share any aspects of this data with third parties for advertising purposes.

How to manage cookies

You can set your browser not to accept cookies, and the above website tells you how to remove cookies from your browser. However, in limited cases, some website features may not function as a result.

Privacy policies of other websites

The DrumART LLC website contains links to other websites. Our privacy policy applies only to our website.  So, please be sure to read that site's privacy policy if you click on a link to another website.

Changes to our privacy policy

DrumART LLC keeps its privacy policy under regular review and places any updates on this web page. This privacy policy was last updated on 21 June 2020.

How to contact us

If you have any questions about DrumART LLC’s privacy policy, the data we hold on you, or you would like to exercise one of your data protection rights, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Email us at: [email protected]

Call us: 001-518-595-4789

Or write to us at:
DrumART LLC
3252 New Scotland Road, BLDG 7
Voorheesville, NY 12186
USA

How to contact the appropriate authority

Should you wish to report a complaint or if you feel that DrumART LLC has not addressed your concern in a satisfactory manner, you may contact the Federal Trade Commission.

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/

Address:
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
USA