Promotional items No matter what they are about, promotional product specialists must be proficient in several suitable printing and finishing processes.The specialists who turn more or less useful things into promotional items through finishing are not the usual print service providers. While many screen printers also offer printing on items, this is usually not their day-to-day business. Promotional product specialists are usually proficient in many more printing and finishing scenarios than just screen printing: they also use pad printing, have engraving systems, and some are also capable of embroidering or weaving in motifs or applying pre-produced objects to textiles (sewing, gluing, ironing).In addition, their printing equipment differs significantly from that of designated screen printers. The latter use this printing process on relatively large-format flatbed machines for paper and foil sheets, as well as for rigid signs. And small rotary screens are used in combination with flexographic and offset printing on label and packaging narrow web presses. Textile screen printers use larger rotary screens to print continuous motifs on textile webs.
In contrast, promotional product printers work either with special printing equipment that sometimes still has to be operated manually (e.g. screen printing tables for T-shirts or caps) or with highly automated, carousel or conveyor belt-type printing lines. These printing systems can be precisely adapted to a wide variety of surface shapes and object sizes by selecting the screens or pads.
Classic printing processes dominateScreen printing is a through-printing process. The screen fabric is partially impermeable to the printing ink in the form of a stencil. To ensure that the squeegee, which presses the ink through the screen, reaches all parts of the flat or curved surface with approximately the same contact pressure, the screen fabric is clamped relatively loosely in a frame. The curvatures may be strongly convex (outward), but only limited concave (inward) and not too rough.
When printing individual textiles, inks are used that dry as quickly as possible and are wash-resistant. If non-absorbent surfaces (glass, plastic) are to be printed, radiation-curing, bakeable inks or inks that adhere to a primer pre-print are recommended. Even chocolate and sugar masses as well as food coloring on chocolate bars can be printed.
If ink layer thicknesses are not as high as those required for screen printing, or if the surface is too rough, uneven or concave, pad printing is used. In this indirect gravure process, a silicone rubber pad picks up the solvent-based ink from a photopolymer gravure printing plate and transfers it to the object by literally clinging to it in a rolling motion.
Offset printing is also frequently used. It is suitable when promotional items are produced from paper or cardboard, e.g. matchbooks, card games and chocolate wrappers.
Digital processes expand the possibilitiesAs in the classic applications, screen printing has also faced competition from digital printing in textile printing. However, the prints are not applied directly to T-shirts, etc., but by "transfer printing," i.e., first onto a transfer material, from which the printed image is then transferred to the fabric surface by ironing.
Computer-assisted engravings in surfaces made of metal, glass and wood are popular, plastics less so. Simple motifs can be engraved with the milling machine. For more complicated, filigree and even hatched or gridded motifs, as well as curved surfaces, the diamond is recommended, which incidentally does not chip away like the milling cutter, but displaces the comparatively soft material.
In laser engraving, the material to be engraved is vaporized, achieving maximum precision even with the most filigree motifs. A laser can also be used for marking on surfaces with low energy input.
Of course, engraving is not done in soft materials such as chocolate. Here, appropriate casting molds or hot stamps are made. These can certainly be made with the help of an engraving process. However, Schokofränkli are embossed together with the metal foil cover.
Rules for data preparationWhen preparing data for printing, engraving or embroidering promotional items, there are some basic rules to follow. Since logos, lettering and contour-accentuated subjects are often involved, bitmap data (TIFF, JPEG, PNG, PICT, etc.) prove to be unsuitable - because of the sawtooth effect that would become visible when enlarged. Vector data (from Illustrator, CorelDraw and AutoCAD, or an EPS generated from these programs), which preserve the contours regardless of the enlargement, are ideal. If necessary, the service provider can still convert the vector data to a bitmap; however, the reverse does not work.
Another important point is to take into account any perspective distortions. If the surface is curved, the distortion that occurs when rolling (on) the object surface must be compensated for in the screen or pad printing form. However, this compensation calculation cannot be the customer's task; the promotional product specialists usually have appropriate CAD or packaging design programs in which the vector data can then be "straightened out".
Promotional products are not promotional itemsPromotional products is the correct technical term
for gifts and giveaways that are presented, shipped or displayed for takeaway for advertising and promotional purposes. Many people say "advertising materials" - an inadmissible generalization, because advertising materials are all objects and media formats that serve advertising. Specifically, advertising media can be divided into those that use an advertising medium and those that do not. Without an advertising medium, the promotional items shown above get by, but so do advertising prints such as flyers and brochures, which are virtually their own advertising medium. In contrast, advertisements, commercials, banners, pop-ups, posters, wraps, lettering, etc. need a physical advertising medium (newspaper, magazine, billboard/pillar, stadium perimeter, sports jersey, vehicle) or an electronic advertising medium (radio, TV, Internet, POS sound reinforcement).
By the way, promotional items do not always have to be distributed free of charge: Premiums for magazine subscriptions, for example, are not infrequently tied to additional payments. And articles from soccer teams or cycling teams sold to fans for good money are nowadays usually nothing more than a designed compilation of sponsor inscriptions and logos.
The most popular promotional items from A to ZWith logo, lettering or address, advertising companies like to order the following items:
Pins: tie pins/clasps, pins
Car accessories: shopping cart lock chip holder, fragrance dispenser, ice scraper, drink holder, parking discs, tread depth gauge, road maps.
Office supplies: Fountain pens, cell phone holders, staple guns, ballpoint pens, folders, markers, post-it pads, writing pads, writing sets, business card cases, note boxes/blocks.
Business gifts: gift baskets, wine selections
Event articles: Ribbons, buttons, raffle tickets, pennants
Computer accessories: mouse pads, MP3 walkmen, USB sticks
Fitness utensils: anti-stress items, heart rate monitor
Household items: Bottle openers, coffee makers, measuring cups, plates
Calendars: almanacs, picture calendars as own editions or preprints
Lights: Effect and ornamental lights, Maglite rod lights.
Leather goods: Briefcases, wallets, document bags/folders, belt bags, cell phone cases, purses.
Medi-/pharma items: Disposable tissues, condoms, herbal candies, vitamin tablets.
Outdoor articles: Compasses, travel / camping accessories, backpacks, umbrellas, trip lights
Radios: shower radios, radios in funny cases
Smoking utensils: lighters, cigarette cases, matchboxes/folders
Calculator: handheld computer, calculator, conversion tables
Seasonal items: for Shrovetide, Easter, Christmas
Security items: Lanyards, key fobs, numeric code mnemonic devices.
Snacks: gummy bears, nibbles, marked fruit, boxes of menthol pastilles, chocolate
Games: Jass cards, table games, peg games for on the go, beach games.
Toys: fantasy figures, mascots, soft toys
Pocket knives: Victorinox universal knives, often in set with Maglite lights
Textiles: caps, jackets, headbands / sweatbands, T-shirts
Drinking vessels: glasses, hip flasks, coffee mugs
Sports equipment: bathing sandals, balls, frisbees, golf and tennis accessories, sports bags
Watches: Wristwatches, table/wall clocks, alarm clocks, weather stations.
Tools: measuring tapes, screwdrivers, universal tools
Toothpick
www addresses of important suppliers*AbZAG.ch (WA=advertising articles); A-Roellin.ch (textiles); BBTrading.ch (WA); Bong.ch (headwear); Button .ch (buttons); Createam-promotion .de (WA); ChicPromotion.ch (WA); CPT.ch (WA, displays); Ecussons.ch (WA, coats of arms); E575.ch (WA, edibles); F-Brunner.ch (WA, wooden); farBIG .ch (WA); Frewe.ch (WA); Fries-Dekor.ch (WA, stained glass); Gnos-Werbemittel.ch (WA); Gottschalck.ch (WA); Hach.ch (WA); Hutter-ag.ch; Howigra.ch (WA); ID-Basel.ch (WA, training equipment supplier); KaiserProMo .ch (WA); Kalender-Werbe.ch (calendars); Lysa.ch (WA); Manroof.ch (lanyards, textiles); MB-Trading.ch (WA); MCShirt.ch (textiles); MeiersNeuheiten.ch (WA); Milestone-AG.ch (WA); Novidarte.ch (WA); PrintBox .ch (textiles); PromoBags.ch (textile carrier bags); PZ-WerbeartikelAG .ch (WA); QWebshop.ch (WA); ReProm.ch (WA, embroidery); Silverstar-Service.ch (WA); Shirtprint.ch (textiles); Syva-Swiss.ch (leather goods); Tombotto.ch (event articles); TopPrint.ch (WA); Trotzdem.ch (WA); Wepro.ch (printed special constructions); Werbeartikel-Polydono.ch (WA); Werbung24 .ch (WA); Werbeartikel-online.ch (WA); Wipex.ch (WA); ZFCollection.ch (WA); Zollinger-BW.ch (WA)
* no claim to completeness
Dieter Kleeberg