Our Top 10 tips for buying USB flash drives printed with your logo on are:

1. Think carefully about which style of USB flash drive is right for your company and more importantly your brand/logo: There are hundreds if not thousands of different designs of USB flash drives on the market, most are manufactured from plastic but there are also USB drives available manufactured from leather, metal, cardboard or wood. The most popular promotional USB flash drive is the “Twister” because its relatively small, it has no cap to lose and it comes in a wide range of colours and it looks great printed.

Just because the majority are buying the “Twister” don’t just accept this as the de facto option for your company. Think about who you are going to give them to. For example Leather USB flash drives go down well with high net worth clients because of their perceived value, metal flash drives are a little more rugged/robust so might be better suited for students and USB wristbands are great for the youth market.

Twister Flash Drives

2. Choose the right memory capacity: Many people just buy the cheapest memory sticks they can find, which invariably means a low capacity flash drive with say 64MB or 128MB of memory. The problem with this is that there is a balance between choosing flash memory capacity based on your budget versus a higher level of memory that makes the flash drive more appealing to the recipient.

If one of the reasons for buying the flash drives is to get brand exposure and/or loyalty from repeated usage then you’ll fail in this objective if you give away flash drives with very little storage on them This can be exacerbated if you pre-load and “lock” your own company data onto the flash drives and in doing so use up a large proportion of the available storage space. Its all about balance – there’s no point paying for memory that you don’t need for your own data but you want people to use the flash drives and promote your product or company effectively. A good size to aim for is a 1GB or 2GB.

Leather USB

3. Choose the right logo to print onto the USB Sticks: If your company logo is complex, contains graduated colours and/or tints then you choice of USB drive will be limited to those that can support full colour printing. Unless you are printing onto a USB credit card the print area you’ll be working with is relatively small. Its not unusual for complex logo’s to be simplified before being printed onto a USB drive – this can either be done by reducing the number of colours or supplying a version with solid colours rather than tones/tints.

4. Select the right printing option: Typically flash drives are “spot printed” but they can also be laser engraved or embossed. Another option that’s growing in popularity is to use “Dome Stickers” – these stickers are not to be confused with “cheap and cheerful” stickers. Dome stickers look fantastic and the print on the sticker is protected under a layer of resin.

USB Credit Cards

5. Have your artwork available in the right format: Don’t expect great looking printed USB drives to be produced from images “grabbed” from your web site or supplied in Jpeg format. To get a really good quality print you need to supply your artwork in the highest resolution possible and ideally in .EPS or .AI format.

6. Think about your packaging needs: The default option with many suppliers of branded USB flash drives is to supply the printed drives in bulk (in trays or polythene bags). Some will offer “free” or discounted options for other gift box and most will offer a premium range of boxes including tin presentation boxes or frosted plastic boxes with magnetic clasps (both of which can be printed)

7. Do you need any accessories: Keyrings, carabineers and lanyards are a great option to “add value” to your printed USB flash drives by making it more them easier to carry.  Lanyards or carabineers can also be printed up to increase your brand exposure and if ordered at the same time as your flash drives will only add pennies to the unit cost.

USB_Boxes

8. Define your timeframes very clearly: Its critical that you both allow enough time for your USB drives and make it clear to any supplier exactly when you must have the drives delivered. The typical lead time for printed USB drives is 10 working days so use this as a general rule of thumb and ideally allow a couple of extra days to be on the safe side.

Some suppliers will offer a “rush” service where they print onto stock held locally but you will typically pay more for this and reduce your design options.

9. Cheapest isn’t always the best: If you get a quote for printed flash drives that seems “cheap” in comparison to others you may have had then make sure make sure the prices you are being quoted are for new, Grade A chips and not re-cycled or Grade B chips. Recycled, Grade B chips tend to be slower and have a much great failure rate which will reflect badly on your brand

10. Get references: In the highly competitive world of printed USB flash drives lots of companies “appear overnight” and claim to be experts. The reality is that they’re out to make a ‘quick buck’ from unsuspecting customers so don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials from companies they have supplied to. Pre and post sales support from designated account managers will help to ensure that whole process runs smoothly and you are provided with the correct information from the outset. Remember that guarantees on products are worthless if the company is not around to honour them.

Perhaps the news of the recent delivery of some excellent branded USB flash drives to Duston School has started to seep out. It wouldn’t be too surprising if this was the case because one of the reason USB sticks are popular as giveaways or as promotional items is that they create lots of interest and “chatter” which after all is exactly what you want if you are looking to promote something.

USB School Flash Drive

Clearly in the case of schools it’s less about the promotional benefits and more about providing teachers and students with a useful tool that can be used to save and carry data around on. Many schools now either provide their teachers and students with memory sticks at no cost or simply make them available to purchase at a heavily discounted price.

With the growing use of PC’s and white boards in the classroom it perhaps surprising that USB memory sticks have not found themselves onto the list of items every student must have when they start school. It wasn’t too long ago that calculators were the preserve of the few whilst everyone else struggled with slide rules and log-tables. Today of course calculators are cheap, plentiful and a core part of daily life at school. How long will it be before USB flash drives go the same way?

If you are considering buying branded USB flash drives for your school or university then get in touch with the team at USB2U. They always have lots of offers on like free data-loading, free gift boxes, free lanyards and every school or university immediately qualifies for 30-day trade terms.

Its always useful to talk your requirements through with one of the team at USB2U because memory sticks used in schools are typically subject to a fair amount of punishment so they can advise you on USB flash drives that are going to be robust enough to stand up the job. Equally if you’re concerned about the students losing them its possible to get each and every USB flash drive sequentially numbered so they can be “bound” to the student and returned in the event of loss.

So, get set for the start of the new academic year and order up your School USB flash drives now.

With the growing popularity of Branded USB Memory sticks, there are a number of providers springing up to support this. However, there is a hidden issue that any potential buyer needs to be aware of, that not all providers are that transparent with.

In essence there are 3 components to any Branded USB Memory sticks, the flash chip (the brains), the circuit board and the body of the USB Memory stick itself.

Whilst the circuit board and body are pretty standard across the industry, there is a wide variation of USB Flash chips. In summary these can be classified as follows:

Grade A: Original ‘branded’ USB flash chips

These flash chips are made by leading global brands such as Samsung, Hynix, Intel, Micro. They will print their name and unique series number on each chip.

These are tested to a high QA tolerance and come with a full warranty. They are the most reliable, but come at a premium price and are the most expensive USB Flash chips in the market.

Grade B: OEM flash chips

These USB flash chips are made from the main chip providers, but do not carry any branding or warranties. They are as reliable as the branded flash chips, but come at a discounted rate.

Grade C: Downgraded flash chips

There is a wastage of chips from the main manufactures, from a combination of the chip cutting process and QA failures. These are sold in bulk to third parties, who aim to recycle and sell on. There is a high failure rate on these USB Memory sticks, up to 40% in some instances. However the low price also reflects this.

Grade D: Masked chips

Finally we have fake / counterfeits USB Memory chips. This is when port quality chips are programmed to mask the real size of the memory. For example, a memory stick may show that it is 1Gb, but could actually be a 128Mb chip. The only way that a user would find out the problem exists is if they try to load data that is over the actual chip capacity. The prices offered are extremely low and reflect the cost of the actual chip set used.

So in summary, ensure the supplier informs you in writing what type of chip they are providing. If it is a mission critical or high profile project, it’s worth paying for Grade A branded chip. However, Grade B would suffice for most promotional campaigns.

One final point if the price for the USB Memory sticks sound too good to be true or out of sync with other quotes then there is a high probability of them being Grade C or D chips.

Next in the series- Tip 2 – The dangers of  loading data onto USB Memory sticks.

A memory stick is a great way to transport data but they can easily find the bottom of your pocket or bag. It is a good idea to remember that USB2U can provide a range of suitable accessories and packaging to help avoid losing that important little stick! There are many different options of accessories and packaging available such as, lanyards, key rings, carabiners and USB extension cables.

Lanyards

Lanyards are probably the most popular choice with many of our customers. They can be attached securely to the USB drive and placed around the users neck – a great idea to avoid losing vital data!. And while lanyards are typically worn around the neck, it’s not unusual for them to be hanging out of pockets or belt loops, wrapped around as wrist straps or attached to and hanging from many other things! Lanyards can also be branded with your logo or message.

Keyrings

Key Rings are also a useful accessory to consider. Like lanyards they can be attached to the USB drive and in turn attached to your keys meaning you will never be without your memory stick and data! They are available in different sizes and are more robust than lanyards.

Carabiners

Our carabiner’s are fast becoming a favourite. These function like a climber’s carabiner and can be attached to the hook of your branded USB. They’re also great for attaching onto bags or laptop cases. Unlike most small key rings they are also big enough to carry a brand or logo.

USB Extension Cables

USB extension cables are worth considering if your PC box is located under your desk. You simply plug the extension into the USB drive of your PC and feed the cable onto your desktop. You’ll never have to struggle to plug your branded USB drive underneath your desk again!

All of the above mentioned accessories can be supplied with your order of branded USB memory sticks and are available in different colours, shapes and sizes. If you are not sure about which would suit you best please contact USB2U where an Account Manager will be happy to discuss your options.

Anyone considering buying branded USB Memory sticks will typically deal with a local specialist rather than deal with the manufacturers in the Far East and of course being a little biased we’d suggest you use USB2U. As a specialist supplier of branded USB Memory sticks over the last 7 years we have an excellent track record of delivery some great USB solutions to thousands of large and small companies and schools in the UK.

USB2U (and hopefully other local suppliers of Branded USB Memory Sticks) manage the entire end-to-end process, but more importantly we ensure that the manufacturing process is fully audited and of a high quality.

So what should you be looking for when selecting a supplier? Of course price is important, but this alone should not be the primary driver. A small saving may be a false economy if end users start to experience problems when using the Branded Memory Sticks. Think of the reputational risk and the inconvenience of getting these replaced.

Whilst there is no substitute to full due-diligence, there are some simply things you can do to sort the wheat from the chaff when selecting a supplier.

•    First ensure there is a contact telephone number on the web site and speak to a representative.
•    Check they have a proven track record by contacting previous clients.
•    Ensure they only use new branded USB Flash Memory, e.g. Samsung.
•    Ensure they are working from a business premises. There is a growing trend for individuals pertaining to be companies, but working from home without the infrastructure to support you if things go wrong. An easy way to check this is by using Google Earth.
•    Finally do not pay for any part of the order until the goods are ready for despatch.

Once you have selected your supplier it’s worth understanding the manufacturing process. On the face of it you would assume that the manufacturing process for Branded USB Memory sticks would be simple. However, pulling back the veneer shows a complex and challenging process.

The vast majority of Branded Memory Sticks are manufactured in China and Taiwan.

There are 3 hardware components that make up a Branded Memory Stick:

•    The Flash Memory Chip, which comes in various memory sizes from 64Mb to 16Gb.
•    The PCBA Board which houses the Chip, Electronics and USB Connector
•    The casing that houses and protects the USB Memory Stick. These come in a myriad of shapes, materials and designs.

USB2U (or other local supplier) will be contracted to the factory that will purchase each of the above three components and then assemble them. A reputable and experienced factory will typically follow this process:

1.    They will purchase the Flash Memory Chips from companies such as Samsung, Hynix, Micron, Intel or other OEM brands. Ensure they do not use B grade or recycled flash memory (its common and worth checking).
2.    All flash memory chips are QA tested before attaching into the PCBA
3.    Any data that needs to be pre-loaded (presentation file, sales PDF’s etc) onto the USB Branded Memory Stick is typically loaded at this stage.
4.    The assembled units are then once again QA tested and a “screen grab” of the data and how its shown/structured on the memory stick will be sent to the client for sign-off.
5.    The factory will purchase the housing from dedicated housing manufactures. Again whilst certain models look the same from an image there are often difference in the type of material is used so it may be worth getting a physical sample
6.    The next step is for the factory to screen print, emboss or engrave logos onto the shell of the USB Memory Stick. This can be a long and drawn out process if completed by hard, however most of the larger factories have fully automated printing processes. A proof (often a photographic proof) will be sent to the client for signoff.
7.    The factory’s production line is then responsible for inserting the PCBA into the housing.
8.    Once the units have been assembled a full QA is again undertaken.
9.    Any accessories are added to the USB Branded Memory sticks, e.g. key rings.
10.    Finally they are packing into gift boxes or bubble bags.
11.    A courier picks up the goods, which need to be cleared through the originator’s and destination customs controls

This entire process can take between 7-14days

Once the Branded USB Memory Sticks arrive with your supplier they will then undertake their own QA process before despatching these to you.

Remember if you wish to purchase direct from the Far East, manufacturers are desperate to secure new business and will offer heavily discounted rates by cutting many of the quality corners mentioned above. They will expect money upfront before production commences and some of them will not be that forthcoming if things turn turtle…so buyers beware!

To help demystify the purchasing and manufacturing process here’s a glossary of terms, which should help.

Artwork: This needs to be provided so the USB Memory Stick can carry your logo and/or marketing message. There are many different file types in which artwork can be saved as. The preferred formats for the printers or factory because they provide the sharpest print are ai (adobe illustrator) or eps (photoshop) and, ideally, these should be in a vectorised format. Please see our Guidelines page for more info: Click here.

Auto Run: An autorun facility allows files to be run automatically as soon as the USB memory stick is inserted into a USB port on a PC. This is useful if you want to take the user directly to your own promotional video for example. A note of caution though – if you do want the recipient of your USB Memory stick use it over and over again “auto-run” files can be off putting as they won’t be able to access their data until they have waited for the autorun to run! For more information, please see our Data Load page: Click here.

Data Encryption: This is software that can be added to your Branded Memory Stick. It allows any data on the stick to be fully encrypted (scrambled). This means that if you lose the Memory Stick it would be very difficult for anyone to access the data held on it without the appropriate password. For more information, please see our Data Load page: Click here.

Data Load: If you have files or data that you want to provide the user with then this data can be loaded during the manufacturing process. The data can be supplied in any format with the most common data formats being MPEG’s, PDF’s and Powerpoint Presentations. Any loaded data can also be protected so that the user cannot delete it. For more information, please see our Data Load page: Click here.

Drive Partition: This creates two virtual “drives”. It can only be done during the manufacture process. One drive partition can hold data that cannot be deleted (protected) and the other can be for saving and storing data. For more information, please see our Data Load page: Click here.

Embossing: Sometimes knows as “stamping” this technique adds a logo onto Leather USB Flash Drives. Please refer to our Branding Options: Click here.

Engraving: This is the process of adding a logo onto metal USB Flash Drives. The results can be fantastic. Engraving is very durable and is the recommended option for branding on all metal cased USB Memory sticks. Please refer to our Branding Options: Click here.

Full Colour Print: A process that allows full photo quality print rather than simple “spot colour” print. Not available on all models of USB memory stick or from all suppliers but if done correctly the results can be stunning. Please refer to our Branding Options: Click here.

Silk Screen Printing: The most common method of printing onto USB Flash Drives. This option usually offers up to 4 colours to be printed to 1 position. Sometimes know as “Spot Print”. Please refer to our Branding Options: Click here.

Carabiner Keyrings: Also known as snap link, snap hook, D ring or ‘biner”. These function like a climber’s carabiner. Great for attaching onto bags or laptop cases. Unlike most small key rings they are also big enough to carry a brand or logo.

Lanyard: a cord with an attached hook that is used to hold the promotional USB Flash Drive. Sometimes know as neckties.
Memory: You would usually refer to the memory of a promotional USB Flash Drive simply as ‘memory’, but others terms use are ‘capacity’ and ‘storage.’

The memory sizes come in a range if different sizes. They double up as follows, 32Mb, 64Mb, 128Mb, 256Mb, 512Mb, 1Gb, 2Gb, 4Gb, 8Gb and 16Gb.

1GB of memory is the most popular size but its useful to know exactly how many files this would hold.

Some technical jargon:
•    1024KB (kilobyte) = 1MB (megabyte)
•    1024MB =1GB (gigabyte)
•    A good quality photo is about 100KB
•    An MP3 music file is about 3MB upwards
•    A document file can be anywhere from 25Kb upwards

Mock Up: An image illustrating the USB flash drive with your logo file. A further proof would be provided prior to production.

MOQ: Minimum Order Quantity

Pantone Reference: All colours have a specific reference will allows printers to match any logo colours. These 3 or 4 digit references must be provided with the artwork.

Proof: This is a visual of the chosen Flash Drive. It details the layout, size and colours in the logo. It is important that the proof is checked closely.

Tagging: This is the term used to label a drive letter on a USB memory stick. For example rather than having the generic ‘removable drive’ title, you could add a company name or short message.

USB: Universal Serial Bus. This is an industry standard introduced to allow peripherals to be used across all desktop and laptops.

USB Flash Drive: The most commonly used term but others include:USB memory stick, USB pen drive, USB key drive, USB jump drive, USB thumb drive and USB drive.

USB 2.0: The main primary difference between 2.0 and the previous standard of 1.1 is that the 2.0 USB Memory sticks are faster. USB 2.0 averages a data rate of 480 Mbps (megabits per second) while USB 1.1 only hits 12 Mbps, which make 2.0 about 40 time faster. All new memory sticks should be USB 2.0.