Imprinted promotional items
The cost of imprinted promotional products and items
The cost for producing imprinted promotional products and items depends on a number of factors. These include the method to be used for imprinting the products, the base price of the products, the quantity of items to be reprinted. The design also bears additional premium on the total cost for imprinting. The more elaborate the design, the more expensive the imprinting service gets.
There are six common methods of imprinting depending on the types of materials of the promotional product. These methods of imprining are:
SILK SCREENING. Silk screening is used mostly on T-shirts, mugs, bags, and pens. This is a technique that can be applied to any material that cannot be run on a printing press. Silk screening costs about $35 to $40 for each screen color used.
OFFSET LITHOGRAPHY. This is a modern method for printing on a variety of print materials such as calendars, note pads, day planners, and posters. The cost for offset lithography depends on the complexity of the job. Plate charges normally run from $25 to $200 per color.
LASER ENGRAVING. Used for imprinting wood or metal items, laser engraving is ideal for pens, desk sets, metal cardholders, etc. The cost varies from $50 to $100 depending on the specifications of the order.
BALL PRINTING. For items with uneven surfaces such as gadgets and tools, ball printing may be the best option. It is very flexible and costs about the same amount as laser engraving.
EMBROIDERY. For promotional apparel and other garment accessories such as towels, embroidery is an elegant way of imprinting a company's name or logo. Tape charges range from about $100 to $200.
ETCHING AND ENGRAVING. This requires excellent workmanship to achieve an elegant finish of a company's imprint. Etching is done with the use of chemicals. It can be used on various materials as glass, metal, or wood. The costs vary depending on the depth and area of the etching or engraving.
Regular orders for imprinted promotional products and items normally run for about three weeks although there are some simple tasks that can be finished in one day. Some suppliers take rush orders that take about one to three days but you should be ready to pay an additional amount of about 20 to 25 percent.
Fortunately, producing promotional products and items is no longer that complicated as in earlier times. Developments in technology now allow the entire process to be completed faster and in a more cost-effective way.
Aside from choosing the right method of imprinting that is best suited for your promotional product, it is also important to choose the right supplier to do the job for you. There are a number of professional promotional consultants that can help you source the right supplier. You can also search the Internet for more information.
Depending on how big is your promotional campaign, you can deal with promotion agencies, deal directly with wholesalers and manufacturers, or go through middlemen whom you feel have better contacts and expertise than you do.
Promotion agencies would normally be your one-stop shop for your promotional requirements. They have the expertise to handle the different steps in a promotional campaign including the selection and manufacture of imprinted promotional products and items. However, promotion agencies would usually command steep prices for their services.
You can opt to deal directly with wholesalers who normally keep a stock of a variety of items. You can choose from their offerings and simply customize the items according to your needs.
For specific items that you want to customize, you can deal directly with the manufacturers. Most of these manufacturers would be willing to customize their products for your requirements.