Credit Card Flash Drives – Which Way Is Up
One of the big growth trends in 2010 was the sale of branded USB Flash Drives in the shape of a credit card. Part of the reason for the growth in sales of this particular promotional product has been the drive by the manufacturers to produce a USB credit card that is as thin as a standard bank or credit card. Early versions were relatively thick at around 4mm but the latest versions are now only 2mm thick.
When you consider that these 2mm thick USB credit card flash drives contain a USB connector, a flash memory module (up to 16GB) and a flash memory processor that’s some trick and just demonstrates the effect miniaturisation is having on everyday products.
But, its not just the reduction in thickness that has underpinned the demand for USB cards but a realisation that USB cards offers a much larger canvas to print on. Standard “rectangular” flash drives are relatively small and offer a print area of only 2-3cm whereas a credit card version offers a print area four times larger! This additional space allows for high quality printing of complex images, strap lines and web site addresses and important text like phone numbers and addresses can be printed in a font size that’s readable!
The shape and size of these cards means they also fit neatly into the wallets, bags and purses of anyone they are given to. Getting the USB card printed with your brand and contact details in a wallet/purse alongside bankcards that are used every day ensures that your brand gets lots of ongoing exposure and certainly more exposure than a regular USB
flash drives that is typically tossed into the bottom of a bag.
One of the things to consider if you do want to buy USB credit cards with your logo or design printed on is the orientation of the artwork. The standard way to print the reverse of a USB credit card is opposite to the way in which bankcards are printed. If you hold a USB credit card in your hand and rotate it from the bottom edge, the image on the reverse, as it comes into view, will be the correct way up. But, if you rotate the card from the right edge then the image that comes into view will be upside down. If you’re not sure take out any bankcard and hold it in your hand and flip it over or rotate it and see what happens to the image on the reverse of the card.
You can of course get your artwork printed on the reverse of a USB card the same way they print standard credit cards you just have to remember to ask your supplier.