A Little Off Topic...

Hi everyone, I know this is a dye sub forum but just wondered if anyone knew much about promotional merchandise printing?
I'm talking about things like pens, usb sticks, balloons, ice scrapers and the like etc.

I know about pad printers etc but does anyone know of any other ways of producing these types of products? I stumbled across a franchise over the weekend called Recognition Express and it looks like they offer all types of digital print as well as promotional merchandise but I just wonder whether it's like a lot of franchises where you offer the service but just job it out to their 'preferred suppliers'

Any info on printing this type of stuff would be appreciated! :)

Yeah, promotional merchandise is our main business! :)

Pens you need a specific machine, which have a hopper and a moving rig, a gas curer and a bin. Or something in that vain. USB, icescrapers etc, you'll need a pad printer which looks more like a sewing machine! And garments you'll need a carousel. Come in 2, 4, 6, 8, 12-bed. For any of these you'll need a UV bed (??) to cure the screens and a wash room/area to clean out screens. Then theres inks.. whole different ball game!
Digital print-to-product is good but just as expensive to setup.

You'll find that 90% of promotional merch companies will sub out pretty much everything to a specialist. Whether that's screen/pad/digital, embroidery, foil blocking, blind embossing, etc. You'll also find that most product suppliers can provide you with prices for branding anyway, so unless you're looking to go mainstream on the printing then you'll be shelling out for a lot of equipment.

Are you going for the printing route, or selling the products? Or both?
J.

As well as Johnny you could try Listawood who advertise on here.

They sell sublimation blanks (as we all know) but they also do a lot of promotional merchandise which is either printed in house or if quantity and time allows in China

We don't really get asked a lot for it at the moment but would you be interested in wholesaling to us? Perhaps you could send me a price list or something?

Hi remlap3
if Johnny can't help you in a past life I used to use publicity pens in boston,Lincolnshire. They should be able to sort you

Steve, I can send you a hard back catalogue if you pm me your address?
J.