All You Need To Know about Vector Artwork for Promotional Products

Why do promotional products and apparel printers require “good” vector artwork? It is required in order to produce clean, non-pixelated output on items such as mugs, pens, t-shirts, bags, golf balls, apparel, etc.  Vector artwork provides sharper and smoother output.  It is the only file type for clean resizing.   Without vector artwork, most promotional products producers will not accept nor guarantee their work.   

What Is a Vector File? A vector file is made up of lines, curves, shapes and fonts all saved in outlines; different to files many people are more accustomed to via Microsoft Office   A Vector file is a graphics file that contains a vector image, rather than a raster, or bitmapped image.  Shapes and lines make up vector graphics, which are fully scalable images, while raster images are made of pixels and cannot be scaled up without loss.  Vector graphics appear smooth at the edges no matter how they are sized, whereas raster graphics appear jagged, or pixilated, when scaled up.  Vector files provide a high quality of reproduction based on their clean lines and curves.  
Vector files are usually created in dedicated vector graphics editing programs, such as Adobe Illustrator.  The acceptable output files from Illustrator saved in outlines are: .ai, .eps or .pdf. 
Example

If a file is saved in one of these formats (.eps, .ai or .pdf), that does not mean it is truly vector art. Only art originally created in a vector editing program, such as Adobe Illustrator, is truly vector art. The most common examples of file types people try to save as vector art -  .jpeg, .png, .bmp, .gif, .psd, .tif. These files cannot become vector art. 
If you had a professional designer create your artwork or logo, most likely they did this in vector art.  However, they may not have sent it to you in this format.  If so, ask them for the “native vector file” Even though you may not be able to open it, this will be good to send to your promotional products partners.   

What if I don’t know how to make my artwork into a true vector file?   Easy, for most artwork we offer this service for a small fee of $20. When completed we give you the file to own and reuse.  This is a tremendous savings of time and money.    Note – you must have the rights to the artwork being vectorized. 
For more information visit: www.ecopromotionsonline.com, email: info@ecopromotionsonline.com or call: 877.326.9467.

Green Spring Cleaning tips

25 Green Spring Cleaning Tips

Good for You, Your Home and the Planet

-- By Liza Barnes, Health Educator

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After being cooped up in a stuffy house all winter long, it’s finally time to fling open the windows, shoo away the cobwebs, and take on your annual spring cleaning. But often, the chemicals found in conventional cleaning products can be more dangerous than the dirt they’re intended to clean. And the way we clean (with lots of disposable paper towels) isn’t exactly earth-friendly. Thankfully, there are many alternatives available that can help you make your home squeaky clean—and green. Green cleaning products The last thing you want to do is dump toxic chemicals into the environment in the name of cleaning, right? These days, you don’t have to make a special trip to the natural foods store to seek out environmentally-sensitive cleaning products. Seventh Generation, Method and Biokleen are three companies that make full lines of household cleaners, and you can find them in just about every store. These products work just as well as their conventional counterparts. Or you can stock your natural cleaning kit with homemade cleaners—making them yourself is super easy. The basic supplies you’ll need to make your own green cleaners include: Distilled white vinegar (sold in the cooking section of most supermarkets) Baking soda Olive oil Borax (sold in a box in the laundry aisle) Liquid castile soap (like Dr. Bronner's brand, found in most natural foods stores) Essential oils (super concentrated natural plant oils found in natural foods stores, usually in the cosmetics section) Microfiber cleaning cloths Newspaper Here are a few basic “recipes” and techniques to get you started: Glass: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 1 quart of water in a spray bottle. Spray on glass and wipe clean with old newspaper or a lint-free cloth. Countertops and bathroom tile: Mix 2 parts vinegar and 1 part baking soda with 4 parts water. Apply with a sponge, scour, and wipe away. Floors: Mix 4 cups of white distilled vinegar with about a gallon of hot water. If desired, add a few drops of pure peppermint or lemon oil for a pleasant scent. After damp mopping the floors, the smell of vinegar will dissipate quickly, leaving behind only the scent of the oil. Wood furniture: Mix equal parts of lemon juice and olive and oil. Apply a small amount to a cloth, and rub onto the furniture in long, even strokes. Toilet bowl cleaner: Sprinkle a toilet brush with baking soda and scrub away! Occasionally disinfect your toilet by scrubbing with borax instead. Wipe the outside of the toilet clean with straight vinegar. Disinfectant: Mix 2 teaspoons borax, 4 tablespoons vinegar, 3 cups hot water, and 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap. Wipe on with dampened cloth or use a spray bottle. Wipe clean. Mold and mildew: Wipe with straight vinegar. Air freshener: Sprinkle essential oil on a cotton ball, and stash it in a corner of the room. If you have kids, make sure it is out of their reach as essential oils are very strong and could irritate their skin. Lavender is a relaxing scent that is great for bedrooms, and cinnamon, clove, and citrus oils are great for the rest of the house. You can stash a few in the car too—try peppermint, which may help you to stay alert. And while you’re at it, consider these 6 additional ways to green up while you clean up: 1. Hang dry your laundry. Drying your clothes in an electric or gas dryer isn’t just hard on your clothes; it’s also hard on the environment. Don’t stop with natural laundry detergent. Stay green every step of the way and install a clothesline in your backyard. If space (or aesthetics) is an issue, look for a “retractable clothesline” like this one from Gaiam, which takes up virtually no space when not in use. Weather permitting, line-dry your clothes outside to reduce pollution, cut your energy bill, get more exercise, enjoy the sunshine, and extend the life of your clothes. Plus, they’ll smell like a clean breeze, not a fake “clean breeze scent.” 2. Add a little greenery. Install a living air filter—houseplants! Some of the most efficient air-cleaning houseplants include Spider plants, English ivy, rubber plants, and peace lilies. You’ll need 15 to 18 medium-sized (6 to 8-inch diameter container) houseplants for the average 1,800 square foot house. If that sounds like a lot, place a few plants in the room where you spend the most time. 3. De-clutter your wardrobe. Donate gently worn items to charity, where they’ll get a second life, and donate torn and stained items (if they’re made of an absorbent fabric) to your rag collection, where they’ll replace wasteful paper towels. And as you’re packing up your winter sweaters, replace those stinky mothballs with a natural and better-smelling version: Stuff a lonely unpaired sock with cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, and whole cloves and tie it at the end. 4. Paint your walls green. If spring cleaning at your house involves a fresh coat of paint, consider the VOC content of the paint when choosing your paint. VOC's, or Volatile Organic Compounds, are chemicals that form vapors at room temperature. Some VOC’s, like the ones in many paints, contribute to smog and indoor air pollution, and can cause a host of short- and long-term health problems. The good news is that many paint manufacturers have started making low- or no-VOC paints. The bad news is that many of those manufacturers have simply substituted VOC's with other non-VOC-yet-still-toxic chemicals. For truly eco-conscious safe paint, check out these products: Eco-Spec, by Benjamin Moore; Clarity, by Dutch Boy; Enviro-Pure, by MAB Paint; American Pride Paint; and BioShield Milk Paint. 5. Swap out your Swiffer. Instead of continually buying expensive single-use mop pads, invest in a reusable mop. Casabella is one brand that’s widely available in health food stores and general stores. Their mop heads can be washed in your washing machine, hung dry, and used again and again—well worth their moderate price tag. 6. Ditch the paper towels. Save trees, cash and landfill waste. You can buy specially-made, washable cleaning and dusting cloths (in all types of fabrics from cotton to microfiber). But better yet? Use what you already have and give an old piece of cloth (stained towels, ratty sheets and pillowcases, too-small T-shirts, etc.) a new life. Simply cut or tear your old item into smaller squares (if you want to get fancy, finish the edges with a sewing machine), and voila! Pop them in the washing machine with your laundry to clean, and use them again and again. Cleaning up your home for spring doesn’t have to be dirty work. When you implement some of these ideas and products, you can rest assured that you’re benefiting your body, your home and the planet all at once. Many of these changes are small ones, but their impact on your health and the environment can really add up over time. Happy spring cleaning!

Some Interesting INFO from Healthy Dining Chicago: On the Road with Harry Rhodes As a long time fan of Charles Kuralt's "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, I was thrilled to learn that Harry Rhodes, Executive Director of Growing Home, was going on the road and blogging about it as he explores urban agriculture throughout the US (MadisonWI, New York, NY), Canada (Toronto), Cuba and perhaps a few other places!   Join me in reading about Harry's travel adventures!      http://on-the-road-with-harry-rhodes.tumblr.com/     Did You Know? Tearing Romaine and Iceberg lettuce the day before you eat it quadruples its antioxidant content. The smaller the tomato, the more nutrients it contains. Deep red tomatoes have more antioxidants than yellow, gold, or green tomatoes. Beet greens are more nutritious than the beets themselves. As a nutritarian who strives for more micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals) per calorie and avoids unhealthy food choices whenever possible, I've included information like this for years in my book and presentation 100 Simple Ways to Eat Well for Less (aka Healthy Dining on a Dime). Now it's going mainstream in the forthcoming book Eating on the Wild Side: The Missing Link to Optimum Health by Jo Robinson, an investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author who specializes in science-based health information.    This superbly-researched and illustrated how-to guide on selecting, storing and preparing the most nutrient dense produce items from your grocery store aisles, farmers' markets, home gardens and more is an important addition to your summer reading list! Best part! It's available at your local public library!   Must Reading if You Shop at Walgreens! In February, I commented on Twitter "At the Corner of Happy & Healthy? Come on Walgreens! You can't keep pushing soda pop, bottled water & canned soups and keep that slogan!"   Now, I see Phil Rosenthal is asking the same question. Below is a link to his great column in yesterday's Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/columnists/ct-biz-0505-phil-20130505,0,6702990.column     Upcoming HDC Presentations New Dates and Times Added Shift Your Assets From Clutter to Cash (newly updated!)* Eat Well for Less (based on 100 Simple Ways to Eat Well for Less) Healthy Desserts in Under a Minute! To book a presentation for your community group, corporate lunch-n-learn program or local public library, e-mail Laura@HealthyDining.org    * George Carlin Talks "Stuff"        What's in Season in the Midwest in Spring Arugula, Asparagus, Lettuce, Peas, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Radishes, Ramps (Wild Leeks), Rhubarb, Scallions, Spinach, Strawberries, Tomatoes, Turnips      Tuesday, May 21from 12-1 pm Final Re-Thinking Soup of the Season http://www.uic.edu/jaddams/hull/_programsevents/_kitchen/_rethinkingsoup/rethinkingsoup.html    Healthy Dining Chicago has offered a steady diet of bite-sized, easy-to-digest morsels of practical information and valuable resources to help time-pressed consumers make informed choices that are kind to Mother Earth and all of her inhabitants since 2003.

Until next time,  Laura Bruzas Healthy Dining Chicago founder Website: www.HealthyDining.org

Eco-Friendly Super Bowl Party

Eco-Friendly Super Bowl Party (via Green Living Ideas)

Hosting a Super Bowl party can be fun, but it can also be very green. Why not allow your football festivities showcase your green living? Here are just a few ideas for throwing an eco-friendly Super Bowl Party. Homemade Chips Think of all the snack bags thrown away at the end of Super Bowl Sunday and…

Washington Green Schools

Welcome!

Take a look at the what the state of Washington is doing with their efforts to make schools Green.

Washington Green Schools challenges students and school communities to create a sustainable region through educational experiences that transform school environments. Schools that certify engage students, conserve resources, and save money. Explore this website to learn how to get your local school involved.

• Read about Washington Green Schools success stories on the Case Studies page.
• Visit the Program Info page for details on how the program works.
• Explore our 2011-2012 Annual Report or recent news articles to read stories about successful projects led by teachers and students.
• Learn how the Washington Green Schools program addresses WA State Learning Standards.

About Us

Washington Green Schools is a nonprofit program supported by government agencies, individuals, businesses and foundations. Its robust educational resources are available to all public and private K-12 schools in Washington state.

Our Mission

Washington Green Schools challenges students and communities to create a sustainable region through educational experiences that transform school environments.

Our Vision

Every school in Washington will teach, model, and practice environmental sustainability, serving as centers for change throughout the region.

Contact Us

For more information about Washington Green Schools, please use the contact us form here.

Awards

2011 - Washington State Recycler of the Year from the WA State Recycling Association

2010 - Organizational Excellence from the Environmental Education Association of Washington (EEAW).

“I’m monumentally excited. This is not a burden. Even without the recognition rewards, we are being given so many resources to make a change. This is great!”

Teacher, Everett School District

What's New in Recycling in Lake County?  SWALCO has launched a brand-new recycling campaign, “Recycle First. Trash Last.” The campaign encourages all Lake County residents to place a priority on recycling first, and trashing what’s left.  Instead of immediately thinking about throwing away that empty shampoo bottle, for example, ask yourself “is that recyclable?” (The answer, by the way, is yes!) For a full list of what is accepted in Lake County, click here.  While many residents in Lake County already do a good job at recycling, we can always do better. Check out the campaign atwww.RecycleFirstTrashLast.org and learn more about curbside recycling in Lake County, the campaign and what you can and cannot recycle.

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Declutter the Eco Friendly Way - Secrets to Sanity in 2013

Eco Promotional Products, Inc. – Written by Laura Mathews


If you’re like me, you don’t need to wait until March to do some spring cleaning.  With the New Year upon us the decorations come down and you’re left with a great opportunity to organize and declutter your home.

But where do you begin?  Let’s start with things that are frequently coming into your home, and then leaving in short order.  Two main culprits for most are mail and packaging.  The average American receives about 41 pounds of junk mail a year, a statistic you can likely appreciate after just getting through all the holiday mailers.  By going to the National Do Not Mail List & Direct Marketing Association’s website, you can set preferences to get off unwanted mailing lists.  You can also set up online accounts to handle all your bills electronically.  It’s fast, easy and you’ll save a few bucks every month on postage.  Moving into the kitchen, let’s talk about packaging.  With all the serving size food options available to us at the grocery store, convenience can seem tempting and worth the price.  But all those single use 8 oz. yogurts and 12 oz. water bottles are part of the 200 billion pounds of plastics that are produced every year.  I challenge you to go green and save yourself some green by purchasing bulk sizes.  It may require you to actually portion out your own on the go snacks, but pre-portioned items can easily cost two to three times as much as their larger container counterparts.  Another great place to eliminate packaging is in the bulk dried goods area.  Beans, rice, flour and granola are some of the most common items that can be purchased in bulk and can save you around 30%.  You can even bring your own container from home to fill up.  That brings me to a key point I’d like to make about eliminating packaging.  In order for this kitchen transition to be a success, you must have proper reusable containers at home.  If you don’t, you’ll get frustrated and just buy smaller portions.  Start by saving glass containers from things like preserves, honey or pickled items.  Also invest in some larger containers.  When I made this transition in my kitchen, I purchased a case of pint and quart mason jars.  It’s made it easy to see what I have, they stack, they’re easy to clean, they work for saving leftovers and it makes my food more visually appealing and all the more enticing to cook.  A lighter option for foods you’ll be taking on the go are BPA free plastic containers.  And let’s not forget drinks.  Investing in a quality water bottle and coffee mug is going to make it easy for you to bring filtered tap water or home brewed coffee with you as you leave.  Perhaps your company hands out reusable water bottles.  Put the money saved from bottled waters and coffee shop coffees in a fund for next year’s Christmas presents or a vacation!  You’ll be amazed how much you’ll save.  Reducing the amount of things coming into your home is a great start to decluttering your life. 

 

But what about all the items that have already gotten into your home and are staying there?  They are necessary items being stored where they should be but every time you need something, you know it’ll be a battle.  I’m talking about your clutter hiding spots - the closets.  To begin, just start folding.  What started as being in a rush while putting laundry away can often become an “Oh, just shove it in” situation.  Take back your closet and fold!  The next step is to get containers that can easily store items that can be grouped.  The possibilities are endless but here are three scenarios in which containers will help.  If you’re an avid camper but all your camping stuff is strewn across various closets, purchase large storage containers with lids and keep everything stored in one place.  You can do the same for holiday decorations also.  A solid colored container will give off a cleaner appearance than a clear one; choosing different colors for each storage category will help you distinguish which is which.  Second, a better solution to having all your medicines, lotions, and extra toiletries standing on a shelf in the linen closet may be to keep them in an open container on the shelf instead. This way, you can slide the container out rather than

reaching behind various bottles to get what you need, being at risk of knocking all the other containers down.  Third, if your beach towels, bathing suits, scarves and mittens are taking up valuable closet space that could be storing something you use all the time, get an under bed storage container for season specific items so they can be alternated out twice a year and free up space in the closet.  Just by investing in some smart containers, your closets will go from disaster zones to the awesome storage spaces they were meant to be. 

 

Finally, the part that is often hardest for us all.  Be honest.  While you may not be the next to appear on an episode of Hoarders, that doesn’t mean you’re not hanging on to an item or ten that you’ll realistically never need again.  You’ve lessened what’s coming into your home; you’ve organized your clutter danger zones, now all you have left to do is take a good look at what you don’t need anymore. I strongly discourage haphazardly throwing stuff out.  However, for those items that are still perfectly good but just not needed anymore, maybe it’s time to donate them, (companies like the Purple Heart actually do scheduled pickups), repurpose them (turn an old vase or colander into an outdoor planter) or, if you have a lot of items, host a yard sale.  Decluttering is an amazing feeling.  Treat yourself to a more Zen-like home this New Year.

 

 

About Eco Promotional Products, Inc.:

Eco Promotional Products, Inc. (EPP) is a certified woman owned company providing a full-line of eco- friendly promotional products. EPP helps organizations promote their logo, brand and message in a “green” way.  All products are made from either recycled, organic, biodegradable, rapidly renewable resources, promote conservation, made in the USA or a combination of these qualities. Eco Promotional Products was born out of a passion for the environment, with goals of reducing landfill use, respecting our non-rapidly renewable resources, providing exceptional service at affordable prices and being an active advocate for human rights issues.

 

For more information on Eco Promotional Products, Inc., please visit:

www.ecopromotionsonline.com , call local: 847.520.1771, toll free: 877.326.9467 or email us at info@ecopromotionsonline.com  .

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