FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (F.A.Q.’S)

• How to place an order?
To make purchases with your p-card, please shop for items and add to shopping cart as in any online store and proceed to check out by submitting your p-card billing and shipping information or you can also contact vendor directly. Please make sure to include your GL program and account # codes when placing your order so that Eckerd Connects accounting department may process your invoice when they receive them at the Clearwater Support Center.

• Why are Promotional Products so great for advertising?
They promote image and brand awareness. They also can be a valuable tool for introducing or reinforcing marketing of products and services. Promotional Products are great for generating sales leads, for example at trade shows or corporate events.

• Can I place a custom artwork order?
Yes, we work directly with Eckerd Connects creative services team to produce any customized artwork to ensure that Eckerd Connects branding in upheld at all time.

• I need help searching for various items, who can help?
Mike Graham is our account representative and is available to assist you to discuss product options or provide recommendations to meet your promotional efforts.  You may contact him at: Mike Graham, P: 813.949-9000  |  C: 813.417.4611  | [email protected]

• Can I get invoiced?
Yes, Eckerd Connects has a terms with the vendor.  All invoicing will be mailed directly to the Clearwater Support Center for processing through the accounting department.  It is essential that your GL program/department and account codes be included in your order where indicated for processing.

• What are set-up charges?
Most manufacturers have set-up fees per orders placed. These are charges are calculated above the product base price and need to be considered when calculating our final cost for the order. Setup charges vary by product and are normally per color.  

• Do these prices include shipping?
No, all shipping cost are updated by the manufacturer once your order has been placed.  You may speak to our representative, Mike Graham if a shipping estimate is required for approval purposes.

• What logo options are available?
We have all Eckerd Connects brands available on file and all its secondary logos.  Please email the artfile needed for the order directly to: Mike Graham at [email protected] and cc: [email protected] for approval if this is custom art design request. All Eckerd Connects brands are available in full color, black or in white. For your convenience the vendor keeps all the art files on hand so simply specify your logo choice in your email to the vendor.  At checkout there are also the most common brand art files which you can select on your order.  Please be aware that some products are not suited for multiple color imprints and/or there are additional setups and run charges so keep this in mind when selecting your art files. Vendor will contact you directly to discuss imprint options so please provide your name, address and phone number when emailing vendor.

• How can I see how the logo looks on the product before placing an order?
Our website by default highlights the main Eckerd Kids logo on all products, but you can create a virtual sample with your desired logo by uploading your logo or custom artwork on the virtual sample feature on the site. Various formats available.  You can find your logo brands images on Eckerdnet (Eckerd Connects intranet) under the Resource Center navigation tab or by contacting [email protected].

• Can I order any color item?
Eckerd Connects has a brand guidelines that associate certain colors to service categories;
Purple: Private Sector Services  |  Yellow: Prevention Services  |  Orange: Community-Based Services  |  Red:  Residential Services  | Burgundy: Transitional Services  |  Cyan:  System Management Services |  Royal Blue and Lime Green can be used with all our services since those are our main brand colors.  White, black and grey (silvers) are our neutral colors that can also be used for all services.  Any questions about the Eckerd Kids brand, please visit Eckerdnet Resource Center under Logo download to get a copy of the brand guideline or contact [email protected] with any questions.

Common Printing Terms:
Screen Printing: an image is transferred to the printed surface by ink, which is pressed through a stenciled screen and treated with a light-sensitive emulsion. Film positives are put in contact with the screens and exposed to light, hardening the emulsion not covered by film and leaving a soft area on the screen for the squeegee to press ink through. (Also called silk screening)

Pad Printing: a recessed surface is covered with ink. The plate is wiped clean, leaving ink in the recessed areas. A silicone pad is then pressed against the plate, pulling the ink out of the recesses, and pressing it directly onto the product.

4-color Process: a system where a color image is separated into 4 different color values by the use of filters and screens (usually done digitally). The result is a color separation of 4 images, that when transferred to printing plates and printed on a printing press with the colored inks cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow and black, reproduces the original color image. These four colors can be combined to create thousands of colors.

Pantone Matching System (PMS): a book of standardized color in a fan format used to identify, match and communicate colors in order to produce accurate color matches in printing. Each color has a coded number indicating instructions for mixing inks to achieve that color.

Camera-ready: artwork that is black and white and has very clean, crisp lines that make it easy to scan and suitable for photographic reproduction.

Bleeds: printers cannot print right to the edge of a paper sheet. To create that effect, the printer must use a sheet, which is larger than the document size. Then the printer prints beyond the edge of the document size (usually 1/8?), then cuts the paper down to the document size.

Imprint Area: the area on a product, with specific dimensions, in which the imprint is placed.

Paper proof: Impression of type or artwork on paper so the correctness and quality of the material to be printed can be checked. The least expensive is a regular black and white faxed paper proof.

Pre-production Proof: an actual physical sample of the product itself produced and sent for approval before an order goes into production.

Drop Shipment: an order shipped to more than one location will be charged a fee for each additional destination.

Less than Minimum: the fee charged for ordering 50% fewer items than the quantity listed in the minimum or first column. This option is not always available on all products.

Etching: using a process in which an image is first covered with a protective coating that resists acid, then exposed, leaving bare metal and protected metal. The acid attacks only the exposed metal, leaving the image etched onto the surface.
Engraving: cutting an image into metal, wood or glass by one of three methods--computerized engraving, hand tracing, or hand engraving.

Color fill: screen printing an image and then debossing it onto the vinyl's surface

Embroidery: stitching a design into fabric through the use of high-speed, computer-controlled sewing machines. Artwork must first be "digitized," which is the specialized process of converting two-dimensional artwork into stitches or thread. A particular format of art such as a jpeg, tif, eps, or bmp, cannot be converted into an embroidery tape. The digitizer must actually recreate the artwork using stitches. Then it programs the sewing machine to sew a specific design, in a specific color, with a specific type of stitch. This is the process known as digitizing.

Debossing: depressing an image into a material's surface so that the image sits below the product surface

Embossing: impressing an image in relief to achieve a raised surface

Hot Stamp: setting a design on a relief die, which is then heated and pressed onto the printing surface

Laser or Foil Stamp: applying metallic or colored foil imprints to vinyl, leather or paper surfaces

Personalization: imprinting an item with a person's name using one of several methods such as mechanical engraving, laser engraving, hot stamping, debossing, sublimation, or screen printing, to name a few.

Die-casting: injecting molten metal into the cavity of a carved die (a mold)

Die-striking: producing emblems and other flat promotional products by striking a blank metal sheet with a hammer that holds the die