Printing Techniques: How Will You Personalize Your Promotional Products?

When personalizing promotional gifts, it is always important to think about the different branding techniques that can be utilised to add your company name and logo to your products. Why is this important? Well, the print of your logo must be of good quality so that it is not destroyed during transport. You should also not forget about the quality of colours and the materials the gifts are made of, taking into consideration their shape as well. Also, make sure your company name (or any message or slogan) is legible. This depends entirely on the type of printing or branding in which you decide to invest. The choice, however, is, to put it mildly, huge.

Pad Printing

Pad printing is considered to be one of the most popular ways to personalize promotional products. This printing technique is suitable for use on almost all bases and forms of promotional gifts. However, the best results can be seen on synthetic materials. The design of the company is first applied to a metal plate by a photographic process and then transferred to a product with rubber pads of different shapes depending on the shape of the base itself. In most cases, multicolour printing is possible.

However, it is important to mention one thing – with ceramic products that have not been baked at high temperatures, it is difficult to ensure the durability of the logo print when using this technique. Unfortunately, the print may come off in the dishwasher. That is why screen printing is the most suitable technique for branding ceramic products.

Screen Printing

Screen printing is the process of squeezing ink through a stencilled mesh screen to create a specific design. This technique is extremely popular – even if this is your first time hearing the term “screen printing”, at some point you must have worn or used a product that has gone through this process without even realizing it.

Screen printing is an effective technique for creating bold canvases, posters and artwork, but the method is also often used to personalize fabrics and textiles. Therefore, it is great for creating all kinds of custom clothing and products.

Round Screen Printing

Round screen printing is a method of branding similar to screen printing, with the exception that the surface of the product is rounded or round (bottles, cups …). The device works on an axle system that moves the product under the mesh and at the same time rotates it by moving the mesh horizontally. Thus, the logo is printed all over the subject.

Digital Transfer

The technology of digital printing is evolving rapidly and the print quality of digital printing is constantly improving. Digital printing is the process of directly printing digital images on various media backgrounds. There is no need for a printing plate, and digital files (such as PDFs) can usually be sent directly to a digital printing press.

Digital printing differs from traditional analog printing methods, such as offset printing, in that digital printing machines do not require printing plates. This form of printing does not use a metal plate to transfer the image, but digital printing presses – these logos are printed directly on a media base.

Doming

In doming, a transparent epoxy resin is applied to the product, giving it a three-dimensional effect. It reminds us of a lens or a bubble, and the resin adds depth and extra brightness to the colours. The coating can be applied in liquid form in several different ways. After application, the polyurethane liquid flows to the edge of the label, then stops due to the surface tension of the liquid and solidifies into a transparent dome.
The ink is first applied by digital or similar printing. Once the ink has dried, the aforementioned liquid polyurethane material is applied.

Blind Printing

The so-called “blind stamps” were intended primarily for the decoration of books, and today we use this form of printing to personalize promotional products made of (mainly) paper and leather. Blind print can create a depression on a promotional product – but of course, this branding method requires the right material. This technique differs from otherwise similar foil stamping, in which the depression is usually filled with a thin layer of gold-coloured metal.

A blind stamp is unobtrusive, and often even a sharp eye is needed to notice its presence.

Laser Engraving

In the laser engraving technique, the object is simply engraved with the help of lasers. Using precise technology, even the smallest details can be added to the design.

Due to the timeless touch of elegance, this method of branding is popular mainly on wood products, but especially on ethnological products. Due to various processes, more precisely molecular changes, the wood also changes colour when using a laser, thus creating an even more striking end product.

Embroidery

Embroidery is considered a long-term craft in which decorative fabrics are created. This method of branding is especially popular when personalizing T-shirts, backpacks, strokes and similar promotional products. Embroidery may also include other materials such as beads and beads. A skilled hand can make a quality logo with the embroidery technique, and usually a wide range of thread or yarn colours is available.