Frequently Asked Question

Q.

What do I do after I upload my photo?

A.

If you uploaded a photo of an original Sharpie creation during the Submission Phase, you will be entered into a contest and a sweepstakes (sweepstakes void in Australia). Photos will be judged, and the top one-hundred (100) photos per eligible country will advance to a public voting phase. The three (3) photos per eligible country who receive the most votes will advance to a final judging phase, where David Beckham and other qualified judges will select the best photo. The person who submitted this photo will be the potential Grand Prize winner, subject to verification. Monthly winners will be announced in participating markets (void in Australia). (see Official Rules for more details).

Q.

How should my submission be formatted?

A.

The photo of your Sharpie creation should be in JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg or .jpe) file format and not exceed 2 MB in size.

Q.

How frequently can I enter the Write Out and Win with Sharpie Contest?

A.

You are allowed to submit ten (10) photos during the Submission phase and vote once per day during the designated voting period.

Q.

When will I see the photo of my Sharpie creation after I upload it?

A.

All photos submitted must be approved by the contest administrator before appearing on the site. Please allow three (3) business days for your photo to be approved.

Q.

Can I change the photo I uploaded?

A.

Photos cannot be modified or deleted once they are submitted.

Q.

What prizes are you giving away?

A.

For the Contest, one (1) Grand Prize, one (1) First Prize and one (1) Second will be awarded per participating country. For the Sweepstakes, one (1) Sweepstakes Prize will be awarded per participating country (Sweepstakes is void in Australia). Please see Official Rules for complete prize descriptions and details.

Q.

When will the winners be notified?

A.

Winners will be notified on or around 2 December 2008. Please see Official Rules for complete details.

Q.

Why can’t I submit a P.O. Box address on the Registration Form?

A.

A P.O. Box is not a valid home address. The P.O. Box does not allow us to identify your city and state of residence. Also, most shipping services cannot ship to a P.O. Box, so if you should be identified as a potential winner of a physical prize we want to avoid delay in shipping your prize.

Based on demand, fluorescent yellow and pink are more popular so these colours are usually the only colours available in single packs. Other colours may be available through mail order distributors, catalogues, and stationery stores.

You can purchase your favourite Sharpie products at your local office superstore, retail store and other retails locations.

For information on customer Sharpie permanent markers with your corporate logo or for corporate gift information, go to Sanford B2B

"The successful stain removal of ink stains differs from case to case because of the many types of fabrics, colours, inks and time elapsed before stain removal. We cannot guarantee stain removal since many variables can be involved. Testing first is always recommended as well as following both the stain remover and clothing manufacturer's instructions. Following these steps should result in partial or complete removal.

General Rules:

1) Treat stains as soon as possible.  Fresh stains can be removed more easily than old ones.

2) Check manufacturer's labels as to fabric content and any special instructions

3) Always test stain removal solution first on a hidden part of the article or on swatch of fabric taken from seam allowance to insure no colour loss or damage will occur.

4) Where possible, lay stained article face down on paper towels or clean white cloth and apply stain removal solution to underside of stain so that stain can be removed from the surface instead of pushing it through the fabric. Replace towels or cloth as they absorb stain to prevent stain transfer.

5) If enlisting the aid of a professional laundry or dry cleaner, be sure to indicate what the stain is and the type of fabric.

6) Do not iron stained garments or put in dryer as this may set stain.

* Also try AMODEX STAIN REMOVER for permanent ink: Amodex Products, P.O. Box 3332, Bridgeport, CT 06605, Phone:(203) 335-1255 or go to www.amodexink.com

The black ink in the Fine, Twin Tip, Chisel and Super is permanent ink. The principle solvents are alcohols, but they also contain ethylene glycol monobutyl ether. All other Sharpie ink colors are Permchrome ink. For these the principle solvents are also alcohols, but no glycol ethers are used.

We do not recommend the Sharpie for letter writing as it is solvent base ink and will soak through paper. We also do not recommend the Sharpie for use on cloth as it may fade or bleed in the wash. Also, over time a yellow halo may appear around the marking.

Sanford has used Sharpie markers on CDs for years and we have never experienced a problem. We do not believe that the Sharpie ink can affect these CDs, however we have not performed any long-term laboratory testing to verify this. We have spoken to many major CD manufacturers about this issue. They use the Sharpie markers on CDs internally as well, and do not believe that the Sharpie ink will cause any harm to their products.

Sharpie CD/DVD marker has a twin tip for added versatility in labeling CD and jewel cases.

A marker can be classified as a permanent marker if it:

1. Adheres to most surfaces and/or is water resistant.

2. Uses dyes or pigments



The dyes or pigments used, which give the ink colour (colorants), determine how well a marking will resist fading. Pigmented inks resist fading the best. The combination of ingredients used in the ink formulation gives the ink permanent properties. Each permanent marker that we manufacture may have one or both of the characteristics mentioned above.

We do not have a mathematical formula to figure how long a permanent marker will "last." With outdoor exposure on a nonporous surface, the marks from a dye base marker will be gone in perhaps three to four months. With indoor exposure on a porous surface, like artist canvas or paper, we would expect marks from a dye base marker to last several years.



Resins or surfactants give the ink the ability to adhere to various surfaces. Thus, we have markers for non-porous and glossy surfaces, markers for oily or wet surfaces and markers that can withstand extreme heat.



The solvents that are used mix all of the ingredients together, or dissolve them to form the ink. The solvents used also determine the solvent resistance of the markings. Various solvents used in inks are alcohol, ketone, xylene and glycol ethers.

Within the writing industry, a marker is defined as waterproof if the writing is still legible after it comes in contact with water.