There is seemingly no limit to the variety of USB flash drives that can be fabricated for individual companies, but do you know how the process is handled from start to finish? A quick walk-through of the process may help conceptualize the making of a customised USB drive for those who are considering this type of promotional gift item.

An original custom design begins with an idea, something you put on paper that becomes the initial model for the type of USB drive you have in mind. From there, the better suppliers will take your idea or rough sketch and turn it into more complete rendering using computer graphics.

The next step will probably involve a choice of materials and styles for your final product. Customised USB flash drives have advanced to the point that they can now be made from wood, plastic, metal, or leather.

When it comes to styles, there are capless drives, credit card drives, executive pen drives, those with twisting caps, drives shaped like bottles or laundry soap. There are even biometric drives that are programmed to accept one or more fingerprints as an extra measure of security.

As a client, you and your supplier should agree on the exact design and all terms of service and delivery before production begins. A wise buyer will consider the custom options carefully, in order to avoid a purchased item that doesn’t suit the nature or character of your business, or one that doesn’t represent your brand name well.

If your customised USB drive is a more formal type of corporate gift, you may want to consider packaging or accessories, which looks impressive to the recipient. There are lanyards or key chains that you can attach for convenience, or you can include a gift box or tin to add a distinctive touch to your token of appreciation to worthy customers.

Most vendors who supply USB drives will want as much lead time as possible when designing a custom piece for you. Few people realize that most of the initial work is done overseas, and so at least two different stages of production will often be required.

In the best scenario, deal only with vendors who assign sales support for your particular order, or at least someone you can turn to throughout the process if you need help or something goes wrong.

Some vendors are also better than others at offering the extra services some people require, like autorun capabilities, network or data security, and fulfillment issues that are a more complete service to buyers of customised USB devices. Setting up autorun programs for clients can include portable applications commonly accessed by end users who may not have lots of software at their user locations.

Programs like Mozilla Firefox, Adobe Acrobat, as well as open-source or freeware programs like Gimp, OpenOffice, and VLC Media Player are handy applications to include on your USB drives, particularly if you have catalogs, order forms, demonstration videos, or other types of media that require specific programs to run properly.