Promotional Power Banks

Custom Power Banks | Promotional Portable Chargers | Branded Mobile Charging Banks

Our promotional power banks (aka battery banks or charging banks) and custom phone chargers are the best promotional business products for tech companies, communications businesses, and office supply companies. They're also perfect for anyone who wants to be able to keep their phone, tablet, or MP3 player at full power and performing its best. With these custom mobile chargers, anyone can keep their smartphones powered up on the go even if there aren't any electric outlets around. These custom power banks will literally able to promote your business and meet & surpass your promotional needs anywhere and everywhere.

Custom Phone & Tablet Chargers | Company Logo Power Banks in Bulk

What Are Power Banks? How Do You Use a Power Bank?

How Do Custom Power Banks Work? - Charging Bank Components & Terminology

• Power Bank Batteries
• Power Bank Input Ports
• Power Bank Output Ports
• Power Bank USB Cables
• What is Battery Capacity?
• What Does mAh Stand for?
• What are Amps?
• What are Volts?
• What is SmartSense?
• What is Standby Current?

Different Types of Promotional Power Banks - Styles

• Promotional Mini Power Banks & Custom Portable Power Bank Chargers
• Custom Mobile Phone Charging Banks
• Promotional Tablet Power Banks & Personalized Laptop Power Banks
• Branded Power Banks with Multiple Ports
• Custom Logo Multi-Function Power Banks
• Unique Custom Power Banks & Promotional Novelty Power Banks
• Promotional Wireless Power Banks
• Wholesale USB Car Charging Banks
• Custom Power Bank Portfolios
• Bulk Phone Stand Power Banks
• Promotional Credit Card Power Banks
• Company Logo Branded Solar Power Banks
• Wholesale Power Sticks

Custom Power Banks - Materials

• Wholesale Plastic Power Banks
• Custom Metal Power Banks
• Branded Bamboo Power Banks
• Personalized Faux Leather Power Banks

Customized Power Banks - Safety Certifications

• Promotional CE Approved Power Banks
• Bulk FCC Approved Power Banks
• Branded MFi Certified Power Banks
• Company Logo IEC Certified Power Banks
• Wholesale RoHS Power Banks
• Promotional UL Listed Power Banks

Wholesale Power Bank Promotional Items in Different Shapes

Custom Promotional Power Bank Accessories & Features

• Personalized Digital Display Power Banks
• Wholesale Keychain Power Banks with Carabiners
• Promotional Flashlight Power Banks
• Custom Power Banks with LED Indicator Lights
• Imprinted Power Banks with Suction Cups
• Bulk Charging Banks with Wristbands
• Custom Power Bank Carrying Cases

Design Your Own Customized Power Banks with Your Logo

• Wholesale Screen Printed Power Banks
• Full Color Company Logo Printed Power Banks
• Bulk Pad Printed Power Banks
• Promotional Power Banks with ColorBLAST Logo Imprints
• Custom Laser Engraved Power Banks
• Personalized Power Banks with Digital Reverse Logo Imprints
• Custom Power Banks with Protective Epoxy Domes

What Are Power Banks? How Do You Use a Power Bank?

Even if you don't know what a power bank is, chances are you've used them, own them, and rely on them on a regular basis. So, just what is a power bank? Our promotional power banks are devices that are used to charge mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, and MP3 players. All of our promotional power banks are equipped with either lithium-ion batteries or lithium polymer batteries and are housed by protective casings.

They connect to other devices by way of USB cables which are connected to the power banks' output ports and the input ports of the devices being charged. Electricity flows in a current from the power bank battery, through the USB cable, and to your device to keep it running at top power. They're especially handy when there are no available wall sockets to plug into or all of the outlets on a power strip are already occupied. Their modern convenience is yet another reminder of how far away we've moved from the obsolete tech items from the 90s. Whether camping, commuting, killing time in a waiting room, or marooned in any other place where power outlets aren't readily available, our custom promotional power banks will make sure that your mobile devices and those of your employees & target market stay up and running!

Below, we've included an infographic explaining in a more visual way how power banks are used.

                                                

How Do Custom Power Banks Work? Charging Bank Components & Terminology

Our promotional power banks, as well as just about anyone else's, will almost always contain one of two battery types. Because both of these battery types go by so many different names, it's easy to get the impression that there are several more. Fear not though, because we will share the alternate names with you and by the time you finish reading this section, you'll have become a promotional charging bank battery pro.

Additionally, our custom logo imprinted power banks and promotional phone chargers probably have more technical and in-depth descriptions than any other class of items on our site. Therefore, it's natural that many people won't be familiar with a lot of what they read on our product pages. A bit later in this section, we'll provide some definitions for some of the more often-seen terms on our individual power bank product pages.

Promotional Power Bank Batteries

Our promotional power banks, as well as just about anyone else's, will almost always contain one of two battery types. Because both of these battery types go by so many different names, it's easy to get the impression that there are several more. Fear not though, because we will share the alternate names with you and by the time you finish reading this section, you'll have become promotional charging bank battery pros.

Lithium-Ion Batteries

The first and more common variety of power bank battery we'd like to introduce with you are Lithium-ion batteries. As we said before, our business logo power bank batteries possess a king's ransom of nicknames. You'll also see Lithium-Ion batteries referred to as Li-Ion batteries, LIBs, and USB batteries. The last term is actually incorrect; USB batteries do exist, but refer to something else entirely (opens in a new window).

Lithium-ion batteries are lightweight and rechargeable. They also offer an impressive amount of power and stamina for their size. However, they are not immortal and as with any other battery, they eventually will weaken and ultimately stop working after too many re-charging cycles. No need to fret though, as this won't be an issue for a long time. These batteries work by way of moving lithium ions through their inner membranes toward the cathode or + side of the battery. This flow of electricity toward the cathode (the other end of the battery being the anode) enables electricity to flow throughout a device to maintain a steady source of power.

Lithium Polymer Batteries

The other type of battery you'll find in our power banks are Lithium-polymer batteries. These are also called LiPo, Li-Poly, LIP, or rechargeable polymer batteries. While they are similar to Lithium-ion batteries, they are not exactly the same, despite what some sources may tell you. Lithium-polymer batteries are generally a bit larger than Lithium-ion batteries and usually have higher capacities in terms of mAh. These batteries are especially helpful for power banks that need to charge larger devices such as tablet computers.

When you see the term "Grade A" before any of our custom power bank batteries, it means that the battery has a capacity of 1000 mAh or greater. If you're unfamiliar with terms such as capacity and mAh, fear not. We're going to explain them in just a bit.

Promotional Power Bank Input Ports

Most any item that operates in conjunction with USB cables will have input and output ports. It's easy to visually distinguish an input port from an output port. Input ports are generally quite small and have a trapezoidal kind of shape. In our promotional battery power banks, the input port is where the power bank's own USB cord will be attached to a wall socket to charge its batteries. The energy that flows into a power bank through its input port is measured in volts. Voltage is also used to measure the energy level at which the battery operates. Most all Lithium-ion charger batteries naturally run at a voltage of 3.7, but can adapt to run at 5 volts while in use.

Promotional Power Bank Output Ports

The output ports in our promotional power banks are larger than the input ports. They also have a typical rectangular shape. These are the ports you would use to connect to the device that you're wishing to charge. When the USB cable is in place to connect a power bank to a phone or tablet, energy flows out from the power bank's battery and is measured in amps. Most smartphones and MP3 players only need 1 amp to efficiently charge, while tablets usually will require 2.1 amps.

The pressure with which the amps flow to your device is measured in volts, so when you see a power bank with a battery rating of 5V/1A or 5V/2.1A, it means that the battery is operating at 5 volts and that the device is pulling 1 amp or 2.1 amps of electricity, respectively. Because of this, we offer many promotional power banks with multiple ports, allowing users to charge numerous devices at the same time.

You can think of it as a push and pull kind of relationship. The power bank battery pushes energy out in volts and the mobile device being charged pulls in energy in the form of amps. As we said, a typical smartphone or MP3 player only requires 1 amp to effectively charge, but you can also charge them at 2.1 amps if desired. The result is a faster charge. Some devices will only accept a certain level of amperage and will self-regulate to only take in 1 amp while charging. Even if this isn't in place, you don't have to worry. You'll only run into problems if you try to charge a device at a lower amperage rate than what is recommended.

Custom Power Bank USB Cables

In order for our custom business logo imprinted power banks to effectively charge any device, a USB cable is needed. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus and the main function of these cords is to transfer data and power from one source to another. Consistent with the ports that they populate, every USB cable has an input and an output. The input (also known as the "upstream connector" or "Type B connector") is the small trapezoidal end and the output (also referred to as the "downstream connector" or "Type A connector") is the larger rectangular end.

The input connector of a USB cable goes into a device that is being charged and the output connector goes into the host device, or the entity that is providing the charge. For example, picture your cell phone. You know that when you charge it, there's a small port that a small USB connector enters. This is the input connector. You also know that a larger, rectangular port exists in your charger, and this is the output connector. Your phone draws energy from the host device by way of the output connector. The energy then flows through the USB cable and up through the input connector and into your device.

What is Battery Capacity?

Battery capacity is something that you'll see mentioned in every one of our individual power bank descriptions. This is because it's quite possibly the most important statistic you'll need to know in order to decide which one of our wholesale business logo power banks best fits the promotional needs of your business. To put it simply, a power bank battery's capacity is a measure of its longevity. In other words, it lets you know how long you'll be able to use a power bank before its batteries will need to be recharged. It also helps you to know which devices a given power bank is able to charge.

What Does mAh Stand for?

The battery capacity in our promotional battery banks is measured in mAh. These are milliamp hours, though mill-ampere hours and milliampere hours are also commonly used terms. A milliamp is one thousandth of an amp. As stated earlier, amps are the units of energy which devices pull from power banks in order to charge their own batteries. If a battery has a capacity of 2000 mAh, that means it can consistently provide 2000 milliamps, or 2 amps of energy, for one full hour at a time at a specific voltage before it runs out of energy and needs to be recharged. Nearly all power banks run at 5 Volts, so that's a number than can always be assumed.

A higher capacity means that a battery is able to provide more energy for a longer period of time. Even if you no longer have the manual that came with your phone, tablet, or iPod, you can still look online to see what the capacity of its battery is and therefore know how much energy it needs to be fully charged. It's a whole lot easier than opening the device up and extracting the battery to read its specifications.

What are Amps?

Amps, short for amperes, are a unit of measure for the volume of electrons passing through a wire in one second. Basically, amperage refers to the energy a device is drawing from a power bank and how quickly it is doing so. It's the current rating for a battery's output, and shouldn't be confused with the mAh number, which, as we said earlier, is a measure of the battery's longevity.

What are Volts?

Voltage is a number that remains at a constant. It's a measure of the electrical pressure and strength of current being pushed from an energy source. In this case, of our promotional power banks, it concerns the level of electrical pressure the power bank's battery is running at to push energy toward its output port and connected device. The input voltage of a power bank's battery refers to the voltage supplied by a grounded electrical outlet that a power bank is plugged into while being charged.

What is SmartSense?

SmartSense is a technology used by our power banks that allows them to identify and properly charge mobile devices.

What is Standby Current?

Every battery, regardless of what kind it is or what it is being used for, consistently leaks energy at all times. Standby current is the number used to measure this energy leakage, particularly when a battery is not being used. It's also known as quiescent current. One shouldn't be overly concerned with this number, as the standby current rates for our promotional power banks are extremely low. They're so low that they're measured in microamperes, which are equal to one millionth of an amp. The amount of time that a charging bank's battery can lie dormant before needing to be charged again is known as its standby time.

Different Types of Promotional Power Banks - Styles

We offer power banks in a cornucopia of different shapes, styles, sizes, and functions. We have a custom logo imprinted power bank to your promotional needs, no matter what industry your business operates in. Read on to learn a bit more about some of the different types of promotional power banks we offer.

Promotional Mini Power Banks & Custom Portable Power Bank Chargers

Our custom mini portable power banks are relatively small and easily can fit in one's pocket. Therefore, it's no mystery as to how the name of "pocket power bank" came about. Many people associate small power banks with low battery capacity, but there are some mini power banks that are able to provide enough energy to still live up to the "power" part of their name.

Custom Mobile Phone Charging Banks

We offer a wide variety of promotional cell phone charging banks. These require less battery power than versions intended to charge larger devices such as tablets and laptops. Androids, iPhones, and MP3 players can all easily be accommodated by these models.

Promotional Tablet Power Banks & Personalized Laptop Power Banks

Power banks with higher mAh factors are capable of charging larger mobile devices. We have personalized power banks for tablets and promotional laptop power banks to help professionals and students on-the-go keep a full charge whenever needed.

Branded Power Banks with Multiple Ports

We carry a grand array of wholesale multi-port power banks. These are highly convenient promotional products, as they allow you to charge your phone and your tablet at the same time. You can also charge two phones at once, two iPods at once, a phone and a GPS while driving, and so on.

Custom Logo Multi-Function Power Banks

Sometimes, such as when camping or out on a long road trip, users may need a power bank that's more than just a power bank. That's when our logo personalized multi-function power banks are ready to answer the call of duty. With the ability to charge multiple devices and perform other practical functions outside of charging, these power bank promotional items are a big hit with every audience.

Unique Custom Power Banks & Promotional Novelty Power Banks

Stand out at your next trade show or event by handing out power bank giveaways that march to the beat of their own drum. Our unique promotional power bank promotional items are always conversation starters that grab attention for your brand. Meanwhile, our imprinted novelty power banks bring about laughs & smiles to build goodwill and strengthen relationship marketing bonds.

Promotional Wireless Power Banks

Wondering what to do for customers, employees, and target audience members who don't like to deal with lots of wires and cables? The answer is easy; supply them with company branded wireless power banks, imprinted with your logo design! These unique tech giveaway items work by way of transferring power to a mobile device's Qi wireless charging receiver when the device is placed on top.

Wholesale USB Car Charging Banks

Our custom mobile charging banks for cars are a perfect fit for tech firms, car dealerships, auto parts stores, and more. All one needs to do is plug these promotional power bank products into their vehicle's USB charging port to get them up to full energy and ready to power up a phone in need.

Custom Power Bank Portfolios

Ideal as premium corporate gifts, our promotional power bank portfolios are items which you'll be proud to imprint with your logo. These portfolios feature built-in power banks along with writing pads, organizers, pen loops, and several other items that every consummate professional needs to stay at the top of their game.

Bulk Phone Stand Power Banks

We offer several promotional phone stand power banks. These power banks often come equipped with suction cups, or suction feet if you will, to which you can stick your phone to during charging cycles. They're a handy way of keeping your items organized and conserving space. They're promotional products for businesses that are definitely built with ergonomics in mind.

Promotional Credit Card Power Banks

Our promotional credit card power banks are extremely thin and compact. They get their name both due to the facts that they have a similar shape to credit cards and that they're designed to fit within the credit card slots of a typical wallet.

Company Logo Branded Solar Power Banks

Our business logo imprinted solar power banks, as one would expect, are solar powered rather than reliant upon electricity for charging purposes. They're among our most eco-friendly power banks and many feature batteries with significant capacities.

Wholesale Power Sticks

Our rectangular custom battery banks are often referred to as power sticks. A promotional power stick offers a familiar shape and a body that's easy to store and transport wherever you go. Many of our power sticks fit within users' pockets.

Custom Power Banks - Materials

Our custom power banks for businesses are constructed of a variety of different materials, each with its own advantages and unique properties. The best material for a power bank all depends on your business's particular promotional needs and requirements.

Wholesale Plastic Power Banks

Many of our more affordable power banks are constructed of plastic. Our promotional plastic power banks are lightweight and easy to transport. Two of the most common plastics that go into the construction of power banks are ABS plastic and EVA plastic. ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic is known as a thermoplastic. This is because it isn't destroyed by heat - it's highly malleable and can be melted down and reformed into nearly any shape over and over again without losing its integrity.

All told, it's pretty much the ultimate in recyclable plastics. It's also inexpensive, surprisingly sturdy, and resistant to impact and most chemicals. It's seen in many items that you use every day. One example would be the keys on a computer keyboard, which are almost always made of this kind of plastic. Our custom ABS plastic power banks are among our most affordable models and are great when buying power banks wholesale.

EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) plastic can exist in many different forms. Despite being highly elastic and rubber-like, it can be compressed into hard, rigid forms as well. When existing in this form, EVA plastics are typically used to provide sturdy and reliable protection, usually beneath other materials. Rather than being used in the devices themselves, EVA plastic is seen in many of our promotional power bank carrying cases.

Custom Metal Power Banks

Many of our high end promotional power banks are made of metal, particularly aluminum. Our personalized metal power banks come in a few different forms. Some of our power banks feature aluminum alloy construction. Aluminum alloys consist of aluminum combined with metals such as copper, magnesium, zinc, tin, and manganese. These bolster the aluminum with additional strength for greater resistance to corrosion. We also offer personalized power banks made of anodized aluminum. Anodized aluminum is treated by way of being immersed in chemical coatings which provide an even higher level of protection against rust, abrasions, and smudges. Our are among the toughest models money can buy. They offer ultimate durability with a powerful, modern look.

Branded Bamboo Power Banks

Our promotional bamboo power banks bring together rustic charm and cutting-edge technology in a single product. Quality construction and impeccable visual design make these some of our best-selling power banks for businesses.

Personalized Faux Leather Power Banks

Looking for a tech item that's a bit on the posh and luxurious side of things? Then your company and its target audience will love our customized faux leather mobile charging banks. These promotional power bank items offer all of the luxury and elegance of leather in an animal-friendly material.

Customized Power Banks - Safety Certifications

Mobile technology, for better or worse, is becoming an ever-growing part of our lives. Consequently, it is important that they are functional at all times. This means that our promotional power banks need to be efficient, reliable, durable, and environmentally-friendly. For all of these reasons and more, there are several different standards, certifications, and approvals that a power bank needs in order to be sold, though requirements do vary by geographic location.

Promotional CE Approved Power Banks

CE stands for Conformité Européenne (opens in a new window). Since 1985, this organization has set the standards for requirements a product needs to meet in order to be sold in Europe. It is most commonly seen with electronic items and centers around quality and safety.

Bulk FCC Approved Power Banks

The Federal Communications Commission is a United States government agency that you've likely heard of before. Rather than dealing with censorship, the FCC regulations pertinent to our promotional power banks are in place to ensure that they operate within frequencies that won't interfere with the electromagnetic currents needed for radios, television, mobile devices (kind of ironic), and satellites to operate efficiently.

Branded MFi Certified Power Banks

MFi is a set of standards maintained by Apple. It stands for "Made For iPhone/iPad/iPod" and it means that a given peripheral device is compatible with and well-suited for these products. We provide several MFi certified promotional power banks for iPods, MFi certified promotional power banks for iPhones, and MFi certified promotional power banks for iPads.

Company Logo IEC Certified Power Banks

The IEC (opens in a new window) is the International Electrotechnical Commission. It's an independently-run organization that has no connections to the government of any one nation. Essentially, IEC certified power banks are power banks that live up to what they claim to be. In other words, an IEC certification guarantees that a product has the qualities and capabilities that it is said to have by its vendors.

Wholesale RoHS Power Banks

RoHS is an acronym for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. The goal of its relevant standards is to ensure that technological products are produced with as few hazardous substances as possible in order to prevent pollution, environmental damage, and health risks. You can rest assured that our RoHS Compliant power banks are eco-friendly promotional products.

Promotional UL Listed Power Banks

UL is an acronym for Underwriters' Laboratories. The UL (opens in a new window) is a worldwide safety and health assurance testing organization. While it is an independent organization, it is approved to conduct safety and quality testing in the United States by OSHA (opens in a new window), which is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Wholesale Power Bank Promotional Items in Different Shapes

Our custom mobile charging banks come in many different shapes and sizes. Certain shapes may be a better fit for certain promotions. Other times, it's just a matter of personal taste or what shape best shows off your logo. Below is a quick list of some of the customized shapes and forms our power banks come in.

• Custom Square Power Banks
• Wholesale Round Power Banks
• Bulk Slim Power Banks
• Branded Power Bank Cubes
• Custom Logo Imprinted Cylindrical Power Banks
• Promotional Rectangular Power Banks

Custom Promotional Power Bank Accessories & Features

Who couldn't use a bit of added convenience in their life? Nobody we can think of. That's why you'll love having your business logo imprinted on our promotional power banks. Many of our custom charging banks have additional handy features and accessories that will make your employees and customers want to take them everywhere they go. Mobile advertising on a mobile device is a match made in heaven!

Personalized Digital Display Power Banks

Several of the custom power banks available on our site come with digital display screens that always let you know how much remaining charging capacity is available. Our personalized digital display power banks are great for anyone who wants to know the exact power status of their device at any time.

Wholesale Keychain Power Banks with Carabiners

If your business is looking for cheap affordable battery charging banks that are also convenient, we have a suggestion for you. Consider making an investment in our custom keychain & carabiner power banks, which are designed to attach to keys, belt clips, and other items used on a daily basis. When armed with these, users will never need to search for their power banks, and your company logo will get exposure everywhere users go.

Promotional Flashlight Power Banks

Our promotional flashlight power banks offer a 2-in-1 tool that function perfectly in automobiles, on hikes, and on camping trips. When you can't get to an electrical outlet, it's pretty nice to still have both a source of light and a power source for your mobile devices.

Custom Power Banks with LED Indicator Lights

Some of our promotional power banks feature one or more built-in LED lights that let you know when they're fully charged, when they need to be charged, and when they're successfully charging a tablet, cell phone, or MP3 player. We have many promotional power banks with charging status lights for you to choose from.

Imprinted Power Banks with Suction Cups

Great for supporting phones and preventing accidents, our branded power banks with suction cups are some of our best-sellers. The suction cup bottoms of these items help them to stay firmly in place, preventing them from being knocked over by fast-moving users or bumped off of tables by energetic kids or pets.

Bulk Charging Banks with Wristbands

Our customers love our promotional power banks with wrist straps. While this feature may just be an afterthought for many, they go far in preventing users from dropping, losing, or leaving their power banks behind when they're finished using them.

Custom Power Bank Carrying Cases

For those who like an added measure of security, we offer an assortment of promotional power banks with carrying cases. These provide a method for keeping power banks safe, easy transportation, and an additional way to get your logo into the public eye.

Design Your Own Customized Power Banks with Your Logo

A product isn't very promotional if it doesn't include a custom printed business logo. We surely haven't forgotten this fact, as our promotional power banks come with several custom logo imprinting options to choose from. We'll explain these options to you in the following paragraphs, empowering you to design your own power banks.

Wholesale Screen Printed Power Banks

Screen printing is one of the old standbys when it comes to product promotion. It's one of the most affordable ways to print your custom business logo on a promotional product to ensure ongoing advertising wherever your items go. Many screen printed logos consist of a single color, but multiple colors are often available for an extra fee.

Full Color Company Logo Printed Power Banks

If you want your promotional power bank to be custom printed with your company logo in a speedy fashion that renders bold colors, this is the method for you. Multiple colors can be imprinted simultaneously, which saves time, and as every business owner knows, time is money. Those are just a few of the reasons why our promotional power banks with full color logo imprints are so popular.

Bulk Pad Printed Power Banks

Pad printing is a custom company logo imprinting process that is often used on items that have unusual shapes or hard-to-print surfaces. The pad printing process starts with a custom etched metal plate being coated in ink. A soft silicone pad is then pressed to the plate so that it will take on the right patterns and colors, which are then softly pressed against the item that is to bear the design. Once this is done, the ink is dried and the process is complete.

Promotional Power Banks with ColorBLAST Logo Imprints

The ColorBLAST printing process is similar to full color imprinting. It makes use of specialized inkjet printers which are able to move items as they go through the printing process. Specialty inks are applied to the surface of the items and absorbed in a way that allows for more detailed and intricate designs.

Custom Laser Engraved Power Banks

For a durable, elegant, and impossible-to-ignore company logo design on your promotional branded power banks, we recommend laser engraving. Through the laser engraving process, your promotional power bank will have your custom business logo etched into its outer casing for a textured look and feel that can't and won't fade over time. Buy personalized laser engraved power banks with your logo today and let the advertising admiration flow!

Personalized Power Banks with Digital Reverse Logo Imprints

Our Power Banks with digital reset logo imprinting feature at least two custom logo imprint areas. The reverse part of the name refers to a logo's text and background being swapped. For example, if your business logo features yellow text against a blue background, the additional digital reversed logo imprint would consist of blue text against a yellow background.

Custom Power Banks with Protective Epoxy Domes

Many of our promotional power banks have protective epoxy domes. These domes consist of thick layers of liquid adhesive which are applied at the surface of the area where your custom business logo is printed. It provides a 3-dimensional look and protects your logo from being scratched, smudged, or fading over time.