USB2U
Click4Assistance
Google-Translate-English to French Google-Translate-Dutch Google-Translate-English to German Google-Translate-English to Italian Google-Translate-English to Russian BETA Google-Translate-English to Spanish
Choose a Language
Get A Quote

Posts Tagged ‘Printed USB’

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Squeezing The Most From Your Promotional USB Flash Drive Budget

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

Advertising and marketing budgets have been hit hard over the last couple of years and whilst there are glimmers of the economy recovering its still early days and consequentially purse strings are still pulled relatively tight. That said businesses can’t afford to stand still and the need to advertise and promote your business and products is still of paramount importance but, where hard cash is being spent its critical that you squeeze as much as possible from your budget.

When it comes to buying promotional USB flash drives there are several factors that you should consider because they will help you to get the best possible “bang for buck”:

  • Don’t pay for unnecessary memory – USB flash drives are available in a wide range of sizes starting from 32MB all the way up to 64GB. Popular USB flash drive sizes are 1Gb – 2GB and these are normally ample for any corporate gifts or promotional give-aways. If you buy USB flash drives larger than this then the costs start to rise quite substantially. Similarly if you buy flash drives smaller than 1GB the price reduction is relatively small but more importantly the likelihood of the flash drive being used on an on-going basis is dramatically reduced. Without on-going use you don’t get the benefit of your brand being continually recalled or promoted.
  • Reduce the number of colours you want printed – Ink costs and each colour printed has a set-up cost associated
    Barclays USB Flash Drives

    Barclays USB Flash Drives

    with it. Whilst some suppliers might absorb some of these costs to secure your business its unlikely that they’ll swallow all of them. If you have a complex logo or a logo with 4 or more colours see if you can simplify it. Its not unusual for there to be various “complex” and “simple” versions of a company logo available because good designers understand that a logo will be used in a variety of way and so they plan ahead accordingly.

  • Plan ahead and order early – The vast majority of USB flash drives that are printed up with a company brand or logo are manufactured to order from factories in China. Despite the distances involved and the freight costs associated with shipping flash drives around the world it is still considerably cheaper to get flash drives this way. If you order flash drives at the last minute then you’ll pay a premium to get them printed locally and you’ll have far less choice in terms of memory size and style of memory stick.
  • Only buy gift boxes if you really need them – this speaks for itself but its worth checking that any price you are quoted does not include a charge for gift boxes (unless you want them). Most branded USB flash drives will come in individual “poly” bags or they’ll be in a free plain white box.
  • Pre-load any data during the manufacturing process – one of the best ways to offset the cost of buying branded USB flash drives is to pre-load them with your company sales brochures, media files, presentation files and so on – saving this data onto the flash drive means you won’t have to go to the expense of getting them printed. The trick though is to make sure you have the data ready early so that it can be loaded onto the flash drive at the point of manufacture (this is usually free). If you are late supplying your data then expect to pay a fee for it to be loaded post manufacture.
  • Get several quotes before ordering – we all have our own favourite or “preferred” supplier(s) but when you’re sourcing branded USB flash drives its definitely worth shopping around and getting several quotes. If you do choose a new supplier make sure you get a firm quote in writing, read any associated T & C’s and payment terms and make sure the price is a fully inclusive price. In particular watch out for print set up, print origination charges and high delivery charges!
  • Buying the cheapest USB flash drives can end up costly in the long run – before you just accept the cheapest price you are quoted its best to make sure you are comparing “apples with apples”. Some unscrupulous vendors will supply graded or re-cycled flash chips unless you specify “new”. Whilst most of these will work you can expect a much higher failure rate and much slower performance – not exactly what you want if you’re printing your brand on them! Choose your vendor carefully, check out their testimonials and if you’re at all concerned take references.
  • Avoid buying your USB flash drives during the peak demand periods – there are a couple of times of the year (every year) when the price of flash rockets and this has a knock on effect on the price of USB flash drives. The times to avoid if at all possible include the early run up to Christmas (late September and October) when many large manufacturers buy up flash chips for their Christmas manufacturing schedules and the time around Chinese New Year when there is a general scarcity in the market.
  • Share/Bookmark
Squeezing The Most From Your Promotional USB Flash Drive Budget

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in branded flash drive | Comments Off

Branded USB Memory Sticks The Preferred Choice Of Photographers

Friday, August 20th, 2010

One of the biggest changes to the photography industry over the last few years has been the move away from film to digital photography. A market that was up until a few years ago almost exclusively film based is now almost exclusively digital based.

Most professional photographers and “snappers” alike will today use digital cameras or mobile phones to take their images and once taken the images are easy to store, enhance, share and it’s easy to produce print from them. For many the real joy of and benefit of digital photography is the ability to share their photo’s with family and friends by uploading them onto sites like Flickr and Facebook.

The immediacy of digital photography and the ability to take literally thousands of images for barely any incremental cost has turned us all into a nation of “snappers” and “posters” but when it comes to photo’s of that “special event”, family portrait or portfolio photo’s then we still, in the main, turn to Professional Photographers. The ability to take “fun” and personal “snapshots” is within the grasp of all of us but photography, good photography is still an art and a profession that by definition is best left to the professionals.

USB Photographers

USB Flash Drive - Photographers

Growing number of Professional photographers now not only supply their clients with hard copy prints of their photographs but they also supply them with a whole collection or portfolio of shots on some form of digital medium. For the last couple of years the digital medium of choice has been a CD or DVD because these carry large amounts of data (photo’s) and they do so relatively cheaply. The downside of CD’s and DVD’s is that they are not really considered a great “keepsake” and they do little to promote the Photographer’s business or create any form of recall –in short they do the job but they are just not great adverts for the Photographer’s business.

With the continued fall in the price of USB memory sticks allied to their proven use as a promotional product more and more Professional Photographers are now starting to use them to hand out to their client. The client’s photographs are pre-loaded on the USB memory stick and the USB memory stick is branded (printed) to carry the logo, contact details and typically the web address of the photographer.

Branded USB memory sticks unlike CD’s or DVD’s have great perceived value, they enhance the service offering from the photographer and they more importantly work as an on-going sales “billboard” which in turn should generate more business for the photographer.

Just as we’ve seen a significant shift in way in which we all take photographs its likely that we’re on the cusp of a change in the way in which professional photographers supply their images to their clients

  • Share/Bookmark
Branded USB Memory Sticks The Preferred Choice Of Photographers

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Branded USB | Comments Off

You Can Have Barrels of Fun With These Branded USB Flash Drives

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

If you’re bored with standard rectangular USB flash drives and you’re looking for something a little different, something that will grab peoples attention and something that is robust and will take the knocks of everyday use then why not consider a USB Barrel.

Branded USB Barrels are not only great fun but also they look fantastic and they are incredibly tough. They are of course “miniature” versions of barrels but like regular barrels they are manufactured from wood and metal that gives them their inherent strength. The lid of the barrel has the USB connector and memory built into it and is held securely in place because its “screws” into the barrel when not in use. The metal base of the USB barrel is magnetised (we’re not really sure why) but I guess it could be handy if you need to pick up lots of paper clips or play with iron filings.

USB Barrels

USB Barrels

The real beauty of these barrels is that they look great and because of their strength they work really well on a keyrings. Some standard models of USB flash drives simply aren’t up to the daily punishment of being attached to a set of keys but the barrels will easily withstand the punishment.

Most people think drink companies and drink related brands when they think, about barrels or kegs but they are suitable for any brand and of course over the centuries barrels have been used to store and transport a wide range of products including tea, coffee and other commodities.

Branded USB Barrels, just like standard USB memory sticks come in a wide range of memory sizes starting at 128MB

USB Barrel

USB Barrel

and going all the way up to 16GB. There are two choices of wood colour/finish available and they can be engraved or printed. It’s also possible to pre-load the barrels with data before they are distributed. The data loading can be done during the manufacturing process to save you the time and heartache of doing it yourself.

If you’d like to see what you companies logo might look like printed on one of our USB barrels just email us over your logo and our designers will work up some concepts for you free of charge and with no obligation.

  • Share/Bookmark
You Can Have Barrels of Fun With These Branded USB Flash Drives

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in branded flash drive | Comments Off

Not Sure Whether To Buy A USB Pen or USB Flash Drive – Simple Buy Both!

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Many of our customers have very clear ideas about what they want from a branded USB memory stick and its not unusual for them to have very precise ideas on what model, colour and memory size will work best for them and their brand. Sometimes this is simply because they have purchased branded memory sticks before and simply want a repeat order or because they’ve seen other companies USB memory sticks and want something similar for themselves.

But, if you’re looking to order USB memory sticks with your logo printed or engraved on for the first time it can be daunting. Not only are there literally hundreds of different models and styles available including credit card versions, USB pens, leather memory sticks, USB keys and the usual range of “more standard” designs but every model comes in a range of different colours and in some cases a range of different finishes, i.e. glossy, rubberised, and metal.

Once you’ve settled on a short list its then a case of working out exactly what you want printed on the memory sticks, whether you should print on both sides, whether you should have the same design printed on both sides or perhaps have your logo on one side and your web URL and phone number on the other side. Decisions, decisions!

Of course for customers that are not quite sure what they want it helps that our in-house design team are on-hand to work up concepts and ideas. At USB2U we’ve always offered this service without charge and without any obligation because we want to make sure that you get not just an “ok” memory stick but a branded USB memory stick that looks fantastic and will do a great job at promoting your company. It’s a cliché but we want our customers to be “delighted” with the choice they’ve made and if that means going the extra mile to help them make the right decision then we’re happy to do it.

Branded Memory Sticks and Pens

Branded Memory Sticks and Pens

For some customers narrowing down the choice to one particularly USB memory stick is not always easy. One option is to go with multiple types or the same model but in a variety of colours. A great example of this is BASI (British Association of Snowsport Instructors) who eventually chose a Classic USB flash drive and a USB Pen with the pen being supplied in a really nice metal tin. Both of them look great and its easy to see why making a decision between the two would be tough. BASI were delighted with the results and were kind enough to say the following:

“Just a line to let you know that I have received the USB’s today and that I am delighted with the products. Thank you for your assistance with the order, and it has been a pleasure to deal with you.”

If you’re considering buying branded USB memory sticks and you’re not sure which model to choose then just give us a call. Our friendly sales team will talk you through the options and arrange a free no obligation mock-up(s) for you.

  • Share/Bookmark
Not Sure Whether To Buy A USB Pen or USB Flash Drive – Simple Buy Both!

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Branded Memory Sticks | Comments Off

How Many Branded USB Memory Sticks Does £500 Get You

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

If you’ve only got a relatively small budget for branded USB memory sticks and you want to know how far you can stretch it then there are some steps you can take to maximise your spend. There are also some pitfalls to be aware of when trying to “trim” costs so that you don’t end up with poorly finished sticks that are prone to failure.

Things to do to ensure you are getting value for money and that you don’t overspend unnecessarily include:

  1. Shop around. There are lots of companies offering to supply branded USB memory sticks these days so make sure you get at least a couple of quotes and make sure you get a fully inclusive price. Its perfectly acceptable for the actual carriage costs to get the sticks to you to be quoted separately but all other set-up costs, origination costs, data-loading costs etc. should be factored into the unit price when you are making comparisons.
  2. Don’t pay for lots of unnecessary memory. USB memory sticks come in various memory sizes starting at 64MB and going all the way up to 32GB. The most popular memory size for a promotional USB stick is between 512MB and 2GB. USB memory sticks of this size are large enough to carry your companies brochures, sales material and media files as well as being large enough for the recipient to use for the storage of their own data.

    If you are looking purely at “lowest cost” promotion giveaways then think about using a 64MB or 128MB stick. These will be the cheapest options. The downside is the usable memory on them won’t make them that attractive to the user because they’ll fill them pretty quickly but they still have a reasonably high perceived value and they’re useful for distributing your own information.

  3. Printing is expensive and consequently the more colours you want printed on the USB memory stick the more expensive it’s going to be. It’s worth considering reducing complex logo’s with lots of colours to a single or two-colour version. Single or two colour prints still look great you just need to be more careful about choosing a body colour for the memory stick that works with the logo.
  4. Don’t leave it to last minute to orders your branded USB memory sticks otherwise you’ll have to buy locally held and locally printed stock. Many USB suppliers will hold some local stock but you’ll have far less choice in terms of style and memory size and you’ll pay significantly more to get them printed locally rather than during the manufacturing process at the factory. A lead-time of around 10-14 days should be ample.
  5. Stick to the more popular factory designs like the Twister USB flash Drive or other “classic” models. You’ll pay a premium for wood, metal and custom USB flash drives.
USb Memory Stick

USB Memory Stick

In your search for value you should also be on the lookout for the following:

  1. Companies that offer a price that simply looks “too good to be true”. If one company’s price is significantly cheaper than the other quotes you’ve been given then it’s worth double-checking that you are not being offered Grade B (re-cycled) flash modules. It not uncommon for these to be passed off as “new” by some less reputable companies. The USB memory sticks will look and feel the same as the genuine article but Grade B chips are notoriously unreliable and tend to be very slow at transferring data.
  2. Make sure the suppliers you’re talking to have a contact phone number and a proven track record of delivery. If things don’t arrive on time or there is a subsequent problem with your order that you need to resolve then it’s important that you are able to get hold of them. With growing amounts of business conducted over the its increasingly difficult to know just how big or small the company you are dealing with actually is. Don’t be afraid to use resources like Google Earth, Companies House and other Trade bodies to check them out.
  3. Be aware that the price for USB memory sticks is volatile and driven by a number of factors including the currency markets, the supply/demand for flash chips around the world and Chinese Holidays! Because of this it’s important to get any price locked down and confirmed in writing.
Branded Memory Sticks

Branded Memory Sticks

As a general rule of thumb you should be able to buy around at least 165 USB Memory sticks that are supplied in a gift box with a 2-colour print. These will be USB sticks at the bottom end of the memory size but they should be supplied with new, Grade A flash chips and controllers.

  • Share/Bookmark
How Many Branded USB Memory Sticks Does £500 Get You

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Branded Memory Sticks | Comments Off

Printed USB Memory Sticks – Normal Service Resumed

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

We might be a little bit premature in announcing this but it looks (fingers crossed) as though the flights into the UK are now slowly getting back to normal and this includes the flights bringing our branded memory sticks from the factories in China to the UK.

The carriers we use, including TNT, DHL and UPS are all now getting flights into the UK again and by early next week all shipments should be back on track. We do “on-ship” orders on behalf of customers around the world and the only “problem child” country at the moment where we can’t guarantee deliveries at the moment is Sweden.

With the resumption of services we can now offer our usual lead times of 10 days for all printed memory sticks. So if

Wooden USB Flash Drive

Wooden USB Flash Drive

you have any requirements for branded, printed, engraved or custom USB flash drives then give us a call or complete the on-line enquiry form and we’ll get back to you in a flash!

If you do need printed memory sticks in a hurry and 10 days is too long for you then check out our RUSH service. Unlike lots of our competitors we hold blank stock of our most popular models in the UK and we can get these printed and delivered to you in as little as 48hrs. Again just call us if you want more details of this service.

In April we have a range of special offers on all orders for branded memory sticks including FREE data-loading (up to 100Mb), FREE gift-boxes and on certain models we’re also offering FREE pantone matching of the body shell of the memory stick.

  • Share/Bookmark
Printed USB Memory Sticks – Normal Service Resumed

Tags: ,
Posted in Branded Memory Sticks | Comments Off

Cheap Printed Flash Drives

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

If you’re searching the internet for a supplier of cheap printed USB flash drives then its worth just making sure that you understand the different responses such a search could generate.

Ask one supplier for cheap printed flash drives and they might construe this to mean you are willing to accept Grade B (recycled or refurbished flash chips) and that you’re not overly concerned about the fabrication standards and that you’re willing to put up with a “few failures”. Others might assume you have a budget to work to and will try and sell you smaller memory capacities to fit your budget.

If you are looking for the “best value” 1GB printed flash drives then you need to make sure when you ask for a price that you want:

  • New Grade A Chipset flash ideally from a named manufacturer, e.g Samung or Hynix
  • True 1GB of memory and not cheap substitute flash chips that are only 512MB but have been masked to appear as though they are 1GB
  • Good quality casings that won’t fall apart when first used
  • A high quality of print or engraving that won’t scratch off within a day or two
  • A fully inclusive price rather than a headline-grabbing price with lots of “extras” for print origination, print set-up, mock-ups, data loading, boxes, delivery etc.
  • USB flash drives that are fully compliant with the RoHS legislation (failure to comply could result in hefty fines for you)

Its not unheard of for suppliers to offer jaw-dropping prices for branded USB memory sticks only to then deliver

Printed USB Flash Drives

Printed USB Flash Drives

cheap, sub-standard products with a high failure rate and poor print. Often it’s these suppliers that are difficult to track down and take ownership of the problem when things go wrong.

When you’d buying promotional products that will carry your company’s brand its incredibly important that they uphold the brand values invested in your company. A cheap and nasty USB flash drive with poor print and a propensity to fail is not something you really want as an ambassador for your brand.

Of course some companies may have some genuine deals and offers and just be clearing stock and in these circumstance providing you can get clarity on the above points then you might just grab a bargain. But all too often the old adage of “If it’s sounds too good to be true then it probably isn’t true”.

Buying printed flash drives is no different to buying other things in life; be clear of what you want, research the pitfalls, get some comparative quotes, research the sellers, ideally get some references from previous customer and don’t always buy on price and price alone – particularly when the item in question is going to carry your brand on it!

  • Share/Bookmark
Cheap Printed Flash Drives

Tags: ,
Posted in branded flash drives | Comments Off

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!

  • Share/Bookmark
Common Mistakes When Supplying Artwork for Printed USB Memory Sticks

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Branded Memory Sticks | Comments Off

Looking For Inspiration – Consider Promotional USB Flash Drives

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Lets face it; if you’ve been tasked with coming up with a promotional giveaway for a forthcoming event, campaign or conference it’s never easy. After all trying to come up with something a little bit different that is relevant to the audience and more importantly is within budget can be a chore.

If the items in question have also got to be transported to the event then size and weight might also be an issue or at least something you need to consider. This is particularly true if the event is overseas where shipping costs might well exceed the actual cost of the items and then of course there is VAT and Duty to consider at the point of entry into the country – no one said it would be easy!

Promotional USB

If you’ve already exhausted the old favourites like printed pens, T-shirts, key rings, cups and mugs etc. then you’re task will be all the harder. Whilst these great favourites are good options you might consider printed USB flash drives.

Printed USB flash drives (also sometimes referred to as memory sticks or USB Pens) not only look fantastic when printed up with a company logo but they are incredibly popular with the recipients because they really are very useful and handy things to have.

Flash drives are available in a wide range of styles and memory sizes so you’re bound to find something to suit your taste and budget. If you want to go the extra mile you could even commission a fully bespoke flash drive that is manufactured in 3-D shape to reflect your company’s products. Just remember if you do go down the custom route to allow yourself a little longer when placing the order.

Promotional USB

One of the beauties of a printed USB flash drive is their compact size. Typically they will come “bulk supplied” so there is no excessive packaging to worry about. They are also incredibly light so if you do have to take them to an event venue you’re not looking at a huge logistics operation.

To really get the best value from a promotional USB flash drive you can pre-load them with your sales data sheets, price lists, web links and media files. If you’re really organised these files can be loaded for you by the factory during the manufacturing process. The cost of doing this is tiny and in some cases free but it does rely on you having the information and files ready when you place the order.

There are lots of companies now supplying promotional memory sticks so shop around to get the best deal but do buy from a reputable supplier with a proven track record because its all too easy to buy cheap/cheerful versions that are not quite what they seem and will have a high failure rate.

  • Share/Bookmark
Looking For Inspiration – Consider Promotional USB Flash Drives

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Printed USB, Promotional USB, promotional usb flash drives | Comments Off

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Share/Bookmark Subscribe