After choosing the promotional product that is right for your market and your budget, you now move on to the technical side of things. Promotional Advice is here to help you sort out the imprinting methods that you can use for your products. Items sold on distributor sites like Branders.com often list the manufacturer's recommended imprint methods. It is highly advisable that you follow these recommendations.

Some methods might not work for the specific product you've chosen. For instance, engraving is not applicable to apparel and other soft-surface products. The engraving machines won't be able to hold the product in place for the cutting process.

The next detail you have to attend to is ensuring your artwork is rendered as close to the original as possible. This process begins with preparing the image with a professional graphics software like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand or CorelDraw.

Here are some other things you should consider:

Vector vs. Raster

In the world of digital graphics, there are two general types of files: vector and raster files. Raster graphics, which are built on a grid of pixels, often become jagged when resized. As the vector format offers better scalability, they are often preferred by promo product vendors. JPEG and GIF are examples of raster files, while EPS is a type of vector.

Color information

The imprinting company also needs to know the correct color information. There are three basic color types that you need to have a firm grasp of. RGB, which stands for Red, Green and Blue, is the color space used for computers (monitors) and televisions. CMYK, stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, the color gamut that is more appropriate for the print process. Spot colors, also called pantone, are a special mix of colors outside of the CMYK range. Spot colors are usually used in logos and can have special characteristics (like day-glow or metallic sheen).

Size and resolution

Resolution is dictated by the number of dots per inch (dpi). While web-based graphics will look just fine on as low as 72dpi, the same is not true for imprinting. High resolution images, usually 300dpi and above, offer smooth, clean lines resulting in crisp images.

Work with a promotional products company that makes this process as easy for you as possible. Branders.com is one example of such. It offers you flexibility in file format types with support for .eps, .tif, .bmp, .pcx, .gif, .pict (limited support) and .jpg file formats. The company also has a design studio on its website that helps you provide accurate color information using the Verify Color field in the Pantone Matching System. Specialists are also on standby to provide you support for special imprinting requirements like traps, chokes and bleeds.