Step 1 – Order Confirmation 

Once you’ve placed your order (see Placing Your Order, below), we’ll assign a dedicated service representative to help determine your needs, affirm your timeline, and oversee your project,. Once your details have been finalized, we’ll email you an order confirmation with a summary of your items, costs and requested delivery date.  

Step 2 – Designing Artwork

Our graphic designer creates custom artwork for your awards based on the details you provided. These artwork proofs will be emailed to you for your review. Check closely for spelling and grammar. If you’d like to make any edits or changes in the design, let us know and we’ll send you an updated set of proofs at no charge.

Step 3 – Artwork Approval

Step 4 – Production

With your artwork approved, we begin producing your order. To ensure the handcrafted quality of your order, we apply the same meticulous production processes to everything we produce. We never cut corners on quality or service.

Step 5 – Delivery

Once your awards have been completed, we inspect them for quality control, make sure they’re sparkling clean, then pack them safely. If your order is being shipped, we will email you a shipping notification and UPS tracking number. If you’re picking up your order, we’ll let you know when it’s ready.

What’s Included?

We offer simple, all-in pricing so that you can budget easily and reliably. The following services are all included and complimentary so that you don’t have to worry about unexpected charges, cost per letter, or hidden fees:

No Setup Charges

Order 1 piece or 100, there are no setup charges at Eclipse Awards

Dedicated service and support 

With every order, you receive a dedicated customer service representative who is responsible for guiding your order through to completion. They are up to date on your order details and can be reached anytime to answer questions.

Professional graphic design

You also receive a dedicated graphic designer who is responsible for making your awards look great. Our in-house designers are talented and experienced. They will personalize your awards to make them uniquely yours. 

Free artwork proofs and unlimited design changes

We provide you with digital artwork proofs to show you exactly what your awards will look like. You’re free to request as many design changes as you like and we’ll send you updated proofs at no charge until we receive your approval. 

Free logo inclusion

To create your artwork, we require logos in vector format such as .eps, .ai or .pdf. If you supply vector files, we can include them at no charge, however they can sometimes be difficult to locate (tip: ask your designer or marketing department if they have a vector file). If you only have a bitmap version of your logo (.jpg or .bmp), send it along and we’ll convert it to vector for you at no charge. We include one free logo conversion with each order. Additional logos or more complex artwork can be converted to vector files for $75 each. 

Experienced makers

Our team of artisans are skilled and experienced, with an eye for quality and details. From sandblasting to laser engraving, sublimation and quality control, we’re dedicated to making your awards stand out. 

Award labeling for easy identification 

Orders of 3 or more awards include compli mentary identification labels on each presentation box. This can save time when you’re organizing and presenting the awards at an event as you don’t have to open each one to confirm the recipient.

“White Glove” care

With every shipment, we include a pair of white gloves as a symbol of the care we put into your order. When handling your awards, use the gloves to prevent fingerprints. 

Safe packing, shipping and handling 

Our team is extremely proficient at packing and shipping. In fact, with over 20 years of shipping experience and a breakage rate of less than 0.5%, we are so confident your awards will arrive safely, that we guarantee safe delivery.

Follow up

Once your awards are delivered, we follow up to ensure you’re happy and to request any feedback. If there are any issues you’d like to bring to our attention, please do!

Glossary

Awards

Markers of recognition given in honour of excellence, leadership, or achievement.

Award Program

An Award Program, or Recognition Program, is a system of rewards and awards that encourage specific behaviours, usually in support of achieving a larger collective goal. Award programs can be very effective at changing organizational cultures and creating new outcomes. See also Certification Program.

Bitmaps

Bitmaps (also known as Rasters) are digital files created from a fixed number of pixels. Typical file extensions include .jpg, .png and .tiff files. Bitmap files are commonly available and primarily used on the web, however they are unsuitable for award designs as they do not resize well.

Certificate

A type of award, typically made of paper, designed to recognize a specific accomplishment or achievement.

Certification Program

A Certification Program is a type of Award Program, typically focussed on highlighting specific achievements or qualifications. Effective certification programs are often enhanced with special awards or certificates to highlight accomplishments. Certification programs can be effective at establishing credibility and communicating the values of an association or industry.

Colour Fill

The process of filling an engraved area with paint to add colour or contrast.

Customization

A broader term for personalization that refers to tailoring a product to accommodate your specific requests. Though personalization and customization are often used interchangeably, customization tends to refer to the style and dimensions of a piece, while personalization refers to the markings on it.

Decals

Decals are custom cut vinyl symbols designed to self-adhere to a flat surface such as a wall or window. Decals are often used in certification programs to identify qualified individuals or organizations.

Financial Tombstones

Financial Tombstones are customized gifts designed to commemorate a successful financial transaction or business deal. They typically include the details of the deal, the parties involved, and associated logos. Financial Tombstones, also known as Deal Toys or Deal Gifts, are prized as symbols of achievement.

Green Awards

Green Awards are made from eco-friendly materials and are often used to recognize leadership in sustainability, though they can be used for any occasion.

Lead Time

Lead Time is the time required to design, produce and deliver your order, once you’ve placed your order. Our standard lead time is 10 business days from your order date, to in your hands.

Laser Engraving

Laser Engraving is a permanent marking process that uses a focused beam of light to carve text and artwork into wood. Laser Engraving is a machine process that allows for tremendous detail and resolution. Our designers and makers are skilled at laser engraving, ensuring that all lasered wood awards look sharp and eye-catching.

Marking

Marking is the process used to personalize the pieces in your order. To mark crystal and glass awards we use sandblasting. For wooden awards we use laser engraving. Both sandblasted and laser engraved markings are permanent and have a high perceived value. For marking metal name plates, we use a process called sublimation.

Name Plates

Name plates are typically rectangular metal plates that contain a name, date, and/or short message. Name plates are typically used to update trophy bases or perpetual award plaques.

Optic Crystal

Optic Crystal or Optical Crystal is created by a special process that eliminates bubbles and imperfections, making it extremely clear and “sparkly”. Optic Crystal does not contain lead and is widely regarded as a premium material for awards. Eclipse Awards uses K9 Optic Crystal, the highest grade of optic crystal for our recognition awards.

Perpetual Awards

A Perpetual Award or Perpetual Plaque is presented repeatedly over a fixed period of time and typically updated with a new name plate at each presentation.

Personalization

The process of designing and marking pieces to make them unique to your event or occasion. Personalization typically refers to the details and markings that make your pieces special. Personalized products have a higher perceived value because they are made with intention and not considered “off the shelf”. Eclipse Awards provides personalization on all orders.

Plaques

Plaques or Wall Plaques are typically thin and flat recognition awards designed for mounting on a wall or other vertical surface. Typically they include mounting hardware like standoffs, brackets, or keyholes.

Proofs

Proofs (also known as Artwork Proofs or Mockups) are digital illustrations of proposed designs, used for design evaluation and approval before production begins.  

Recognition

An intentional expression of approval that communicates admiration, respect and gratitude.

Sandblasting

Sandblasting is a marking process that uses a stream of pressurized sand and air to carve text and artwork into crystal. Sandblasted crystal has a high perceived value because the markings are deep and permanent. Sandblasting is a manual skill that benefits from experience to look great. Our team of talented sandcarvers ensure that the sandblasting on all crystal awards looks crisp and impressive.

Sublimation

Sublimation is a marking process that uses heat to transfer images onto metal and other surfaces. Eclipse Awards uses sublimation to personalize and mark metal name plates.

Trophy

Trophies are awards that are typically presented as a prize for winning a contest.

Vector File

Vector files are created from mathematical formulas, which means they can be resized without any loss of quality. To create quality designs for your order, we require any logos or graphics in vector files such as .eps, .ai or .pdf.  If you don’t have a vector file, we can convert one bitmap file per order at no charge. Additional bitmap files can be converted to vector files at a cost of $75 each and we provide a copy for your own use. Note that simply saving your bitmap file with a vector file extension will not create a vector file.