How many times do you take a sip out of a mug with a company’s logo on it? Branding through custom printing is one of the most easily executed ways to get your company’s name out there. Custom printing ensconces a wide range of techniques, but they more or less all boil down to the same end goal: promote yourself! Whether it’s for personal or company needs, the use of custom printing on everything from stationary to pens to t-shirts can change the public’s perception of your brand for good. Here at Vegas Ink and Toner, we’ve got the rundown on everything you need to know when it comes to custom printing.
Custom printing extends far beyond a simple t-shirt
While shirts are one of the first things companies reach for to promote their brand, anything with your label on it can be just as effective. You can most likely recall the vivid yellow-and-green Subway logo on the last sandwich you had from there, right? It’s an excellent example of how a brand uses custom printing to promote themselves with little to no added cost. Your company can integrate printed products into everything from gift wrap to business cards; all you need is to be unique and recognizable, with a strong logo. Better yet, with Vegas Ink and Toner’s selection of printers and equipment, you can even do it yourself!
Prints and promotional products may not necessarily need high-resolution images
Before you rush out and slap your logo on everything in sight, take some time to finesse the details. Custom printing requires high-resolution images (for the most part; home printers may not need the same resolution as professional). A good standard for print quality is 300 DPI (dots per inch). The DPI measurement is used to determine how many dots of color cover each inch of a printed product. The higher the DPI, the more color is transferred to the product and the better resolution you’ll get for the end piece. This is especially important for screen printing, which is cheaper but similar to making a photocopy since it uses a stencil to transfer the image onto a product (creating a middleman, if you will). You lose detail of the image in the transfer to the product with screen printing, whereas with digital printing you can get away with a lower DPI as the image is transferred directly onto the product. This doesn’t mean screen printing is a worse choice than digital! Your needs may vary depending on what you’re hoping to accomplish (such as printing your single-color logo on a napkin versus creating a photorealistic billboard), so don’t be afraid to ask your local Las Vegas printing expert what they recommend!
Custom printing works best if CMYK coloring is used
Whether you’re printing at home or with a professional company, the type of colors used in your design is important. Computer screens show color using a mix of red, green, and blue (RGB), which gives a different display than what printers use (CMYK). CMYK stands for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black; anyone who’s ever replaced or recycled their printer cartridges will recognize these colors! Your printer uses ink and toner layered in the four CMYK colors to create an image, whereas your computer only uses three. Most home printers will automatically convert colors to CMYK once you hit ‘print’, but this can lead to disappointment when you realize your logo’s beautiful shade of blue isn’t the same when on stationary. To fix this, change the color setting in your design program to CMYK – this will keep the colors consistent from screen to product. Contact Vegas Ink and Toner at 702-850-7703 for immediate assistance on all your printing questions and needs!
