Which Printing Technique to Choose for Your Promotional Products?

When it comes to branding your promotional gifts, it is very important to consider the different printing techniques that can be used when putting your company’s name and logo on the products. Why is that so? Well, for one, you want the imprint to be of high quality, so it doesn’t come off during transport. Of course, you can’t forget about the quality of colours, and the type of material your promotional products are made of – the same goes for their shape. You’ll also want to make sure the name of your company (or whatever message you’re planning to convey) to be readable, which depends entirely on the type of printing you decide to invest in. And there are plenty to choose from.  

Screen Printing Technique

This printing technique can only be used on flat surfaces, and is especially suitable for textiles and polyester products such as umbrellas or bags. How does it work, you ask? Here’s your answer – a design is transferred to a mesh that has a light-sensitive top layer. A blocking stencil makes it impossible for the ultraviolet light to illuminate the screen, and in these places, the design shape is formed. Whatever item is to be printed is put under the mesh and imprinted by pressing the colour through. 

Round screen printing is a variation of screen printing and is suitable for products that are not flat. It can therefore be used to print words or logos on items such as ballpoint pens.

Screen Printing Transfer Technique

Using the screen printing transfer technique, the design is printed through mesh on special transfer paper, and then transferred to the product with a temperature press.

It is a variation of the original screen printing technique, only it is much easier to print very intricate details as well as multiple colours – with the addition of an adhesive, it can also be used to achieve a very high absorption of these colours into the base material. This type of printing is especially suitable for ceramic products, which are normally baked at a temperature higher than 700°C (1290°F). During the firing process, the pores in the ceramic open and stain the colour. Once the product has cooled, the paint cannot be removed by any of the usual ceramic cleaning and washing processes.

Pad Printing Technique

This printing technique is appropriate to use with almost all substrates and shapes of promotional gifts. However, it brings best results when used on gifts made from synthetic materials. The design is first applied to a metal plate with a photographic process and then transferred to the product with a rubber pads, which are differently shaped depending on the form of the substrates. In most cases, it is possible to for the logos to be multicoloured. 

It is important to note one thing, however – when it comes to ceramic products that are not baked at high temperature, it is hard to guarantee the durability of the print when using the pad printing technique. More often than not, unfortunately, the print may comSe off in the dishwasher. For this reason, ceramic materials are best imprinted with the screen printing transfer technique.

Embroidery Technique

Using this technique, the logo is sewn onto the product. It is most suitable for branding apparel, such as hats, shirts, jackets or bags. The price of embroidery depends on the number of stitches and the size of the logo. The number of colours for embroidery normally does not affect the price, but it is limited. With this technique, your promotional products are given a unique and classy look.

There are many more printing techniques a company can choose from to brand their promotional products. One of these is laser engraving, a branding method where the logo is incised into a hard surface. The laser beam is controlled digitally through a computer, which makes sure the end result is of high quality. The colour of the logo produced naturally depends on the substrate and the lower layers of the workpiece.

Digital stickers are another form of product branding – the logo is printed digitally on a self-adhesive foil. If necessary, the label is also computer-cut and then glued to the surface of the article. Trim shapes are in most cases only possible on designs that allow one cut.

Another technique, which is used mainly on leather products, is called blind printing. Embossing the logo makes it stand out and ultimately gives the product a beautiful and unique effect. Doming, on the other hand, is a combination of a logo print on a sticker and a two-component epoxy resin that gives the logo a bubble-like appearance – it is most often used to brand keychains, bottle openers, USB sticks, and pin badges. The resin itself is crystal clear, protects the bottom image from scratches, and gives it an extra dimension.

Of course, there are many other printing techniques that have not been listed in this article, such as digital printing and digital transfer. Whatever your promotional products are made of, you are sure to find the most suitable technique of branding them with your company’s name and logo.