| In the promotional merchandise market, promotional | | | | versatility in the factory. |
| pens and other writing instruments are one of the | | | | For jobs where the pen will not fit onto either of |
| biggest selling products. There are many different | | | | these machine types, you may find that a pad print |
| techniques used in branding these items, and I hope | | | | is the only option. Take as an example, a pen that |
| to outline the most common of those methods here | | | | has a curved or tapered barrel, this will have to be |
| for you. | | | | pad printed. There are many different types of pad |
| When looking for a promotional pen you may come | | | | printing machines, but the basic principle remains the |
| across many different terms and methods people | | | | same - an image is etched onto a metal plate which |
| use for describing how the pen will be personalised. | | | | also holds the ink, this image is then transferred onto |
| The most common, and probably the most versatile | | | | a silicone rubber pad which then transfers the image |
| method is that of screen printing. Screen print is | | | | onto the item, giving the end result of a printed pen. |
| basically a technique that uses a woven mesh to | | | | This method is quite slow compared to screen |
| support an ink-blocking stencil. The stencil on the | | | | printing, but it gives another more versatile method |
| screen is the only area of the screen that allows ink | | | | of creating personalised pens. The pad printing |
| to pass through the very fine mesh. A "squeegee" | | | | method is also used when printing onto the clip of |
| then moves across the screen as the promotional | | | | some suitable promotional pens. This is done with a |
| pen is offered up to the screen by the machine, | | | | rudimentary hand press machine, where the pen is |
| pushing the ink through the stencil and onto the body | | | | placed in a "jig" to hold it in place, and the screen is |
| of your pen. Using this method it is possible to print | | | | connected to a hinge and manually brought down |
| multiple colours in close registration onto the body of | | | | onto the pen clip, then the "squeegee" is manually |
| a pen, at a cost effective rate. There are generally, | | | | pressed onto the screen transferring the image. Now |
| two types of machine used for screen printing onto | | | | some specialist pen printers have automatic pad |
| promotional pens; the first is an automatic machine | | | | printing machines that allow a pad print onto the clip |
| which allows high volume capacity. The second | | | | of your promotional pen. |
| machine is a semi-automatic that is manually fed by | | | | Making sure that the right print method is selected |
| the printer, and the action moving the pen to the | | | | when choosing the correct printed pens for your |
| screen is controlled by the operator each time. This | | | | business is an important factor that is often |
| method is far slower, but allows for a far more | | | | overlooked. After all....promotional pens carry your |
| accurate registration on multi-colour print jobs. These | | | | company image, brand, logo or any other |
| two machine types are vital to any supplier of | | | | information... making sure that the right printing |
| promotional pens, as it gives them a great level of | | | | method is used will help get your message noticed. |