The Ouk-rra-i-nah Story by Warren Metzler Table of Contents
18. Fear and frustration
When I was reviewing the PDF file of the labels Vlad sent me, I happened to notice a size discrepancy; the size of one label in the PDF was considerably smaller than the size of that label on the proofs I had received from Adam. This was major problem, because as I mentioned previously, the US government is very strict about certain items; one such requirement being a minimum size for certain lettering on the label. If the printed labels were reduced in size compared to the final Scherzo design, some of the label’s lettering could be illegal. If that was the case, and US Customs noticed, they would refuse the shipment entry into the States.
I immediately contacted Adam, my graphic artist. He assured me the proofs he had sent me were the exact size of the final label. I called Alexander in Zhitomir, and he assured me their files were the same size as Adam had designed. Then I asked Alexander how the vodka factory had obtained the graphic files Scherzo had completed, and he told me the factory had not yet received those files. I then asked if he could imagine the source of the images in the PDF Vlad sent me. Alexander then told me, that when he sent me a PDF to verify the final labels he had sent Vlad a copy of that PDF. Alexander further told me that since I had paid their company, they would willingly give Vlad a CD of the final files if he sent someone over to pick up that CD.
I was astonished by this information. How could Vlad have some label printing company create a label based on images in a PDF; which has no correlation for size, and especially especially especially has NO CORRELATION FOR COLOR? The colors in the labels were very specific; much work and many conversations were involved in the final color selections. And I would be very displeased if the labels on the bottles that arrived in the US were not as was designed by Adam.
I promptly composed a letter to Vlad. And in it I wrote I would not provide label approval until I received a letter, on the vodka company official letterhead, which stated someone from the factory would pick up the graphic files from Scherzo, and factory personnel would ensure the labels on my order matched those files. I emailed this letter to Aleks of Poltava, asked him to translate it into Russian and forward it to Vlad. Within twenty four hours I received an email containing the letter I had requested.
I then thought all was solved, and I would soon receive word that the shipment had been sent. That was not to happen. But before I describe the next events, I need to provide some additional background information.