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Common Mistakes When Supplying Artwork for Printed USB Memory Sticks

Friday, March 12th, 2010

The phrase “Garbage in, Garbage out” was commonly used in the early days by computing programmers as a mantra to remind themselves that computers will process whatever data you load into them and return a result. Whether the result it returns is correct or not depends, to a large degree, on the quality of the data presented to the computer.

Vector Guidelines

The expression can be applied equally to many other walks of life including the print industry. If you print an item using low quality artwork, particularly artwork that has been digitally compressed then the printed results will be very poor.

Today most digital cameras and web pages use compressed images with the most popular format being JPEG (named after the Joint Photographic Experts Group who created the standard). JPEG images are typically compressed to a ration of 10:1, in other words as much as 90% of the image content is removed or lost during the compression process. This process is known as “lossy” and as the name implies when an original image is converted into a JPEG file many of the original elements of the image cannot be recovered. To the naked eye, particularly when viewed on a web page, there will be no perceptible difference to the image pre and post compression.

Compressed JPEG image files are ideal for web pages because they are smaller and therefore load more quickly but they are rarely suitable for print work because the printers will be unable to create sharp images, crisp lines or graduated colours.

If you try and use a JPEG image to print a memory stick then the end results are likely to be “blotchy” and “blurred” and most professional suppliers will simply reject the artwork preferring instead not to produce inferior products.

When ordering printed memory sticks its recommended that you supply artwork in one of the following formats:

File Formats

EPS (Encapsulated Postscript)
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
RAW (Raw Image Formats)
Vector File Formats

These image formats will allow your logo, design or artwork to be rendered properly, printed correctly and printed to sharpness you would expect. What you cannot do is take a poor JPEG image (that you have for example simply “grabbed from a web page”) and convert it to an EPS file.

If in any doubt talk to the suppliers designer or get your designer or design agency to talk directly to the suppliers designer. Its worth spending the time in the early stages of your order to get it right rather than be disappointed with the results when the printed memory sticks arrive on your desk!

Common Mistakes When Supplying Artwork for Printed USB Memory Sticks

Tags: Branded Memory Sticks, Printed USB, Printed USB Memory Sticks, USB Artwork
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Branded Memory Sticks – Looking Forward to 2010

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Branded Memory Sticks have quickly established themselves as one of the key promotional items in the Sales & Promotion sector. Their popularity stems from several key factors including their inherent usefulness, their ability to carry a brand or logo extremely well, their small, portable size and their cost. Coupled with this the typical repeated used of the product ensures good brand promotion and visibility and the ability to load sales data and media files onto the memory stick helps justify their use.

Twister USB

As marketing and advertising budgets in a “post economic meltdown world” were slashed the demand for branded memory sticks and printed USB flash drives continued unabated. The early predictions of “doom and gloom” in the sector failed to materialise and although there have been periods of price volatility throughout the year this has not dissuaded customers from pushing ahead with their projects.

Towards the end of 2009 several key trends emerged which are likely to continue into 2010:

	Custom Memory Sticks also referred to as bespoke USB flash drives will become more popular because the historic minimum order quantities and relatively high initial tooling and mould set-up costs have been all but removed. As a result it is now possible to get a fully customised USB memory stick in a shape/design that is unique to your company, brand or product for pretty much the same price that you would pay for a simple printed memory stick
	Twister USB Sticks will continue to dominate the branded range of memory sticks. During 2009 the cap less “twister” style of memory stick accounted for over 60% of all orders where a standard factory design/mould was used. In 2010 their on-going dominance looks assured not least because its now possible to pantone match the body colour of the twister memory stick to any primary colour from a design/logo.
	Photo Quality Printing is now possible on many branded memory sticks and for very little additional cost. Historically it was only possible to “spot print” onto a memory stick and you paid for each colour printed. This was not only expensive but ruled out many complex logos or designs. Today many factories offer full photographic reproduction and with costs tumbling its likely this will become the de facto standard in future.
	Smaller Print Runs of 50 pieces or less are now much more affordable bringing printed USB memory sticks into the reach of many smaller companies. The willingness of factories to support smaller batches of printed sticks is also likely to see them used for smaller conferences and seminars.
	Continued Price Volatility will make it difficult to forward predict prices or get firm quotes that last more than a few days. Because the factories price in $ (USD) companies buying from outside of the US need to factor in exchange rate fluctuations plus supply/demand price related increases on the core flash memory components. Good advice is to try and avoid the Chinese New Year period and the run up to Christmas when the volatility is at its worst.

The one thing that does seem clear it that branded and promotional USB drives are going to be with us for sometime to come and that their popularity continues to grow. As far as memory sticks are concerned it seems that you can’t get too much of a good thing!

Branded Memory Sticks – Looking Forward to 2010

Tags: Customised USB Memory Stick, Printed USB Memory Sticks, Promotional USB Drives
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Top 10 Tips For Buying USB Memory Sticks Printed with your Logo On

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

USB Memory sticks printed with your logo on are incredibly popular at the moment but there are a few golden rules to consider when sourcing them. Here’s our starter for ten:

USB Twister

Be clear about what logo you want printed on the Printed USB sticks. In many cases you’re not going to have a huge amount of choice about which logo or brand to use particularly if you’re printing your corporate logo and you have clearly defined brand rules and guidelines to adhere to. But, there’s no doubt about it that some logo’s work better than others. Because of the relatively small amount of space the logo will be printed on a complicated or over fussy logo will not reproduce well. Try to use simple logos with strong colours that have a good visual impact. It may be necessary to adapt an existing logo to get the best effect.

Printed USB

USB Artwork

Prepare the right artwork: Don’t expect to be able to use the low-resolution images from your company’s web site for printing. To get a great finish its essential that you make available to your supplier images in the highest resolution possible. Vector shape logos are preferred because they never lose any sharpness irrespective of how big or small you make them. Vector logos will typically be saved as .EPS or .AI files. If you have an in-house designer they’ll understand what’s needed.
Select a memory stick that works with your logo: Sounds obvious really but some logos look better on certain style Printed USB Flash Drive than others. A popular option at the moment is to go for a model where the main body shell can be pantone matched to one of the primary colours from your logo. The end result when this is done looks fantastic because it looks as though the flash drive has been specifically designed for you. If you’re not sure what the best option is then ask your supplier to work up a range of “mock-ups” for you. They should be happy to do this for you and at no cost.

USB Chic

Printing is not the only option: Until recently spot printing was the only option available but now slightly more complex logos with colour blending can be accommodated using digital print technology. On metal-cased memory sticks you could also consider laser engraving. This is a professional looking, long lasting option.

USB Memory Sizes

Don’t skimp on the memory size: Whilst cost will of course be a determining factor its important to get the balance right between choosing the correct capacity and the budget available for your logo USB memory sticks. Low capacity memory sticks that don’t offer much on-going use to the recipient. They are “ok” if you’re just using them to distribute data but if you want them to have a life beyond the initial distribution its important you give the user a reason to carry them around. A memory stick with little or no real or perceived storage will just end up in the back of a drawer.
Data to load? Get it ready early: If you have data that you want to load onto your logo branded memory sticks then try if at all possible to get it ready early. This way the data can be loaded during the manufacturing process for just a few pennies per stick. It’ll save hours of pain and heartache of doing it in-house or further cost if you have to have the data professionally loaded after they have been manufactured.

Packaging Accessories

Don’t forget the packaging and accessories: If cost is a real issue or if the memory sticks are just promotional giveaways then you probably won’t want to run to the additional cost of presentation boxes or lanyards. But there’s no doubt about it that a good quality presentation tin or box coupled with a neck strap (lanyard) really raises the overall look of the end product and if you want to go the extra mile you can print your logo onto the gift box and embroider your logo into the lanyard.
Allow enough time: Some supplier can provide printed memory sticks in a couple of days but you’ll be very limited in terms of choice, colour and the number of colours that can be printed. Ideally allow at least 14 days and this way you’ll be able to choose from a very comprehensive range and you’ll even have enough time for the sticks to be pantone matched. Remember the memory sticks are all produced in China so as well as the production time(s) the lead time of 14 days is to allow for the shipment of the finished product to you.
9. Don’t always buy the cheapest Printed USB’s: There are many horror stories of memory sticks being supplied with “used” or Grade “B” memory chips inside. Some factories also disguise smaller capacity chips and sell them as larger memory sizes. If you’ve been offered a price that no-one else can match or get close to then its time to ask some hard questions and make sure that chips are brand new, does the price include a warranty, if so how comprehensive is it? Finally, does the price include all of the costs, i.e. Artwork setup, production and delivery.
Go with the right supplier: There are far too many people trying to make a ‘quick buck’ from unsuspecting customers looking to buy logo USB sticks so make sure you undertake proper due diligence. Get testimonials; check it’s a “real” business and not operating “side of desk” somewhere. Make sure they are a registered company and have QA processes and warranty policies in place.