Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL QUESTIONS

  1. How do you handle billing/payment?

    At FMP we accept cash, personal or business checks, MasterCard, Visa and American Express. Corporate accounts can be established through our Accounting Department. If you wish to set up terms for future orders, please let customer service know and they will provide you with the forms needed to apply.

  2. Can you send me a catalog?

    Most of our catalogs can be downloaded from our website under the product heading. If you need additional information on specific products, please call us and we will be happy to provide catalogs to you.

  3. What is the delivery time?
    • Production time for custom labels can be up to 10 business days (from proof approval) depending on whether we have the die and material on hand. We make every effort to ship earlier and strive to meet your production times.
    • Orders for tags, signs, nameplates, pipe markers and banners require two to four days production time from proof approval.
    • Most rubber stamps and daters can ship out within 24 hours of proof approval.
    • Inks, stencil machines, tapers, and other products not listed above will usually take 7 to 10 days to arrive.
    • Most of our orders ship via UPS, so you can choose from all the usual methods (ground, overnight, 2-day or 3-day delivery). We also ship via FedEx, Motor Freight and courier, when requested.

  4. Who can I talk to about placing a custom order?

    Someone on our sales team will be happy to call on you. Please feel free to call us toll free at 800-780-1111 or send an email to sales@floridamarking.com.

ARTWORK AND DESIGN

  1. What is the best way to give you the design?

    You can email your artwork to us at art@floridamarking.com in a vector, Adobe Illustrator, EPS format.

    If your art file is larger than 10 megabytes you can upload your design to our FTP site. The link to the FTP site can be found on the Artwork Info tab.

  2. Can you design my label for me?

    We will be happy to have our graphic designer design your label for you. Please feel free to contact customer service and inquire about your design & artwork.

  3. Will you send me a proof to approve?

    Yes. We will not start production on an order unless we have received written or emailed approval from you on the proof.

  4. How long will it take to see the proof?

    If you provide us with the artwork, we can provide the proof within 2 business days. If we are custom designing the artwork, the proof may take longer. Please inquire with your salesperson on the time frame in this case.

  5. What’s the difference between "spot color" and "4-color process (4-CP)"?

    A 4-color process basically separates the image into four primary colors: cyan, magenta, yellow and black (known as CMYK) by the use of filters and screens. The result is a color separation of four images that when printed make up the full color image. A spot color is any color generated by an ink (pure or mixed) that is printed using a single run.

  6. Can I use screens, gradients, and/or halftones in my design?

    Yes. Basically, halftones are regular patterns of tiny shapes (dots, ellipses, squares are common) that taper out to create the appearance of a color fading (or graduating) to white or another color at the edges.

  7. What is dpi?

    Dots per Inch. The measurement of resolution for page printers, photo type setting machines and graphics screens. Graphics screens usually reproduce 60 to 72 dpi, most page printers 300 dpi, and typesetting systems 1,000 dpi.

LABELS, DECALS AND STICKERS

  1. How do I know what kind of stock and adhesive to use?

    The stock and adhesive you use depends on how your product will be used and what elements it will encounter in that use. Just let the FMP sales team know where your label will be used, and any weather or temperature elements it will encounter, and they can advise you on the best stock and adhesive to use for your labels. Generally, labels intended for outdoor use must be very durable and have the ability to hold up to a wide variety of different weather conditions. Vinyl, polypropylene, kimdura, and polyester are some of the top material choices for outdoor conditions. We also have several laminate options to help protect your label from weather & chemical conditions. We have freezer grade adhesive options for those products which need to be frozen after the label has been applied. Additionally, we have many other options for adhesive such as removable and ultra removable that are best used if the label will need to be removed easily after placement. Tamper evident material options are also available for labels that are being used in high security areas that are tamper proof. The primary tests to determine film and adhesive performance are a heat age test, outdoor weatherability, and exposure to various solutions. Silk screening or special inks may be required to help with the fading of inks. Any of our sales representatives will be happy to discuss the conditions & elements of your label’s use to determine the best material for you.

  2. What is the flexographic printing?

    The Flexographic Technical Association describes flexography as "a form of rotary web letterpress, combining features of both letterpress and rotogravure printing, using relief plates comprised of flexible rubber or photopolymer plates and fast drying, low viscosity solvent, water-based or UV curable inks fed from an "anilox" or two roller inking system." Flexographic presses are capable of producing good quality impressions on many different substrates and are the least expensive and simplest of the printing processes used for decorating and packaging printing.

  3. What is a die?

    A die is a specialized tool used to cut, shape and form your custom product. Like molds and templates, dies are generally customized and uniquely matched to the product they are used to create.

  4. Do labels come in rolls or sheets?

    Both. Sheeted labels are more expensive because there is more labor involved in packing them.

  5. Can you print both sides?

    Yes, although this may incur additional costs for setup.

  6. What factors effect the price of custom labels, decals and stickers?

    Quantity, type of material, square surface area, additional colors and shipping are the main factors that effect the price of custom labels.

  7. What’s the difference between die-cut label and butt-cut label?

    Die-cut labels have round corners and spacing between each label on the roll. Butt-cut labels have square corners and no spacing between each label on the roll.

SIGNS AND BANNERS

  1. What materials are available to manufacture a sign?

    Aluminum, PVC, MDO, magnetic, coroplast, suncell, plastic engraving material, styrene, static cling, adhesive-backed vinyl, and different thickness options for banner material to fit your needs.

PROMOTIONAL ITEMS

  1. Do you have a catalog listing your promotional items?

    Yes. You can view thousands of items by going to our shopping mall on our Promotional Items page. With an incredibly easy shopping engine and easy-to-follow navigation, you will be amazed by an intuitive keyword tool that automatically categorizes similar products for additional ideas. It will help you find products faster, with more relevant results. If you have questions on a specific promotional item, please feel free to contact the sales dept at (800)780-1111 or email your request to sales@floridamarking.com.

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