Blog

Mar23

What a Long Island Business Card Printer Can Do for You

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

A quality Long Island business card printer can be invaluable when it comes to professional grade business cards. A business card is a tangible connection to your client base, and one of the most popular, long lasting marketing tools you will find.

Your business card represents you. Think of it as a small ambassador. You wouldn’t want your representative to be raggedy and worn looking, would you? Resist the temptation to print off your own cards from a template on cheap perforated card stock. Templates are fine for test driving your design and for temporary cards while you are waiting for your professional ones, but the DIY should stop there.

You need a well-designed, high quality card to present you and your company in the best possible light. A Long Island business card printer can create a unique customized card for you using materials that won’t crumple like a tissue, that is slick and professional looking, and that won’t instantly be delegated to the circular file.

Your business card has to convey pertinent information about you and your company, deliver contact information, and reinforce your brand - all in a tiny amount of space. What should be included on your card?

  • Your company name / logo.
  • Your name and position in the company.
  • Phone and fax numbers.
  • Physical address (optional).
  • Email address.
In many cases, putting the company name, logo, and marketing message on the back of the card is a good idea. However, the company name should be recapped (in small font) on the front of the card in case the recipient wants to Rolodex the card. Your Long Island business card printer can help you with the layout and design of your new business card if needed.

Your business card serves as a salesperson when you are absent; as a customer service link that allows access to you when needed; as a branding tool that communicates a message; as a reminder to encourage repeat business; and as a word of mouth marketing opportunity if you pass your cards out in batches of a dozen and ask your customers to pass them on.

While business cards can be obtained ‘for free’ online, the cards are usually of poor quality and contain advertising on the back of the card for the printing company which created it. This is tacky. The money you will save by going the cheap route will be lost anyway when your spammy looking business cards end up in the trash.

While bells and whistles like vertically printed, oversized, or oddly shaped business cards can make your card stand out, they don’t fit well in Rolodexes (which many people still use) and should be thought through carefully. Among certain crowds, a scanned business card database is becoming popular, so don’t completely write off the notion of a unique card.

Your Long Island business card printer may offer an special discount if you print business cards for all your employees at once. If not, you may still be able to make a bulk order and save considerably. Remember, if you are handing out cards a dozen at a time, you’ll need plenty of extras!

Mar20

Using a Lindenhurst Printer for Promo Items

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

Viking, your local Lindenhurst printer could be your next new best friend - by selling you stuff to give away! This may seem like a ridiculous statement - but it’s true. Think about it - if you saw a sign outside a store proclaiming “Free T-shirts!” you’d be intrigued - wouldn’t you? The word “free” has always been a great hook to get potential customers in the door and engaged with your brand.

What about the costs? Why spend money on custom printed shirts only to give them away? Isn’t that just like giving money away? Well, yes - but only if the money had your company name and logo on each dollar bill!

Fact: People love free stuff.

Fact: People wear free stuff to get their ‘free’ worth out of it!

Fact: every time someone wears their free stuff, other people see it.

People who see a ‘free t-shirt’ sign at an event will go out of their way to visit the booth and grab one. There is no such thing as too much free stuff! Even if they don’t recognize your company, they will stop to collect their freebie, and this can be a great introduction. This is where your Lindenhurst printer comes in. They can provide you with awesome stuff to give away to all those freebie seeking folks!

Decide what the goal of your free custom printed merchandise will be. Do you want to simply spin tightly rolled t-shirts or Frisbees into the crowd? Will you be handing out custom printed bags to special customers who show you their last receipt form shopping in your store? Are you handing out free calendars, key chains and pencils to any and everyone?

Free promotional items can serve a wide variety of purposes. They can be a source of information, a conversation starter, a simple introduction to your company or a not so subtle brand reminder. You can choose form a variety of targets - new customers, repeat customers, or potential customers. Every promotional item you send out into the world has great potential, so don’t be afraid to think big.

Your design should be carefully considered. For pencils, sometimes simply the name of the company with a phone number is best. For shirts and other apparel and accessories, you can have your logo and / or slogan embroidered. Your Lindenhurst printer can advise you on the suitability of your logo for printed products. Tiny text is usually problematic for small shirt logos, so be flexible. For printed mugs, consider adding a witty saying or pun to add interest.

Finally, place your order. You may want to exclusively do screenprinting or embroidery on shirts, or you may want to mix and match with simple printing of stock items such as calendars, notepads, pens, pencils, key chains and mouse pads.

Viking can provide you with the best pricing on your promotional materials. A custom printing order can be created that best fits your needs, and leave you with plenty of great customized merchandise to spread around as needed.

Mar12

Why Put Logos on Shirts?

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

Putting company names and logos on shirts has become a multi-billion dollar business. Company and promotional shirts are an easy and affordable way to increase brand recognition for your company name, products and services! Logos on shirts are easily visible to the public, and one shirt can create literally hundreds or even thousands of impressions during the life of the shirt. When your staff and favored customers wear corporate shirts with embroidered logos in your company colors, your message comes through loud and clear.

To maximize the effectiveness putting your company logo on shirts, shirt, you have to identify your goals. Logo shirts and other printed or embroidered merchandise should always be part of an overall marketing campaign, and will require a small but dedicated budget (which will have an impressive ROI compared to traditional forms of advertising.)

First, evaluate your marketing and promotional goals. The decide on a logo design - your company may already have one, but in order to put the logo on shirts it will have to meet specific design criteria - tiny letters, for example, may have to be enlarged and colors adapted for best contrast.

Next, look for shirts. Your local Long Island embroiderer will probably have suggestions, but you’ll need to factor in the use to which the shirt will be put (industries where shirts may be damaged or stained may indicate the need for cheaper shirts, since they will have to be replaced more often) as well as what colors are available in any given brand. Heavier knit polo shirts may be more appropriate for wear in a store or climate where the temperatures are cool and dry. Lighter weight shirts may be a better choice for hot and humid locations.

Finally, determine how many shirts you need. Discounts are usually available for larger orders (check with your Long Island embroiderer for batch pricing), and you’ll need to consider again what your turn-over expectations are for logo shirts used as company uniforms as well as how many you can expect to sell as promotional items.

For giveaway promotional embroidered logo shirts, You may want to purchase a single lot of value-priced shirts in a light-weight fabric and have embroidery done on just one part of the shirt in just one color. For more professional staff shirts, consider a heavier-weight shirt with stitched shoulder seams, an edged collar and turned cuffs, and have embroidery done on both the left breast, the back of the collar, and even the cuff. For fancy events, consider having long sleeve button down shirts embroidered with your logo and the names of your key staff members for an ultra professional look. Ask your Long Island embroiderer about specifics like set-up charges, minimum order requirements, return policies and shipping charges before you place your final order. If possible, visit the shop with your employees or have the shop owner fit each employee personally before ordering, as many brands differ in sizing.

Your logo embroidered shirts are an extension of your brand. Make sure they do your company justice!

Mar08

Fire Department Printing and Embroidery

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

For a fire department, printing custom items can be a way to customize firefighter apparel and accessories to unify the members of a firehouse and increase professional appearance. Firefighter spouses, family members, friends and other supporters can also proudly wear shirts and hats or carry bags bearing the insignia of their local department.

Fire department stationery can be used for standard in-house communications and anytime a missive needs to be sent out. Having custom stationery is wise for any business, and a fire department is no different. Other paper items can be printed as well - such as envelopes, memo pads, and calendars.

A few dozen printed coffee mugs can make the fire-house kitchen a cheery place. Other items such as thermoses, key-chains and lanyards are also well received. Squeeze balls to cut down on the stresses of the job and magnets to go on the fridge at home are other great options.

A fire uniform embroiderer can embellish uniforms for all members of any specific department with matching professional insignia for uniformity and team spirit. Custom embroidery options allow shirts, jackets and other items to be embroidered elegantly for long lasting effects.

Others can also take advantage of a skilled embroiderer or screenprinter - for example, fire department t-shirts are always popular, not only for firefighters, but anyone who wishes to wear a fire department tee to show support for their local firehouse. Caps, jackets and other apparel can also be customized.

Embroidered fire patches can be affixed to almost any item of apparel, and are also excellent for placement on bags, totes, duffels, carry-on luggage, etc. Choose between a fire dept patch that is significant to a individual house, order customized patches which can be re-created as needed, or consider memorial fire patches to honor 9-11 responders or local fallen heroes.

Volunteer fire departments can benefit from selling custom embroidered fire patches as a way to raise much needed funds. Other items such as fire dept tees, caps, jackets and totes can also be sold, as well as smaller printed items such as mugs, key-chains, mouse pads, fridge magnets, Frisbees and other items with the fire department information - these serve double duty as convenient items to have and use as well as a ready-to-hand reminder of how to reach the fire department if needed.

When fire department sponsored educational visits to schools or daycares are in order, a fire safety kit can be created and customized. Items in a typical fire kit can include the following as well as plenty of other items:

    Carry-all bags
  • Educational activity books
  • Crayon boxes
  • Candy packages
  • Bracelets
  • Stickers
  • Fire prevention checklists
  • Fire safety brochures
  • Junior firefighter hats
  • Calendars
  • Ribbons
  • Backpacks
Each child who received a fire safety kit can take it home and share what they learned with their family. There have been many cases reported of young children who alerted their loved ones of fire hazards thanks to information they learned form a fire kit and fire safety checklists!

Feb23

It's Leap Year – Consider Custom Printing Some Celebratory Giveaways!

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

Custom printing promotional items is an effective way to bring your business some visibility, especially when you incorporate holidays or other special days into the celebration. February 29th could be considered one of the most rare of special events – because it only takes place once every four years! This leap year, take advantage of your “extra” day and stage some celebratory giveaways with a leap year theme. It's as simple as custom printing some promotional items with a frog motif or other leap year imagery and your business logo.

One of the most common symbols used to represent the “leap” year is a leaping frog. Not only are frogs cute and appealing, but they are easy to incorporate into designs for custom printed t-shirts, hats and other custom printed items for the leap year. Try a design with a frog leaping over your business logo with a message that says “Happy February 29th!” Because of the frog association and its proximity to St. Patrick's Day, green is an ideal color for leap year clothing and merchandise. Green is also a perfect color for promotional giveaway items because of its neutrality and popularity with people of both genders.

When you're planning your leap year celebratory giveaways, try to come up with something unique and creative that will grab the attention of both new and loyal customers. You could give away goodie bags between certain hours on February 29th including custom printed shirts, pens and mugs, or you could keep it simple and include a small gift like a ball cap or bottle opener with each purchase all day long. A bigger, extra special gift for anyone who can prove they have a February 29th birthday is a nice touch to bring even more attention to your leap year giveaway.

Choosing the shop that is going to be custom printing your leap year merchandise is almost as important as planning the giveaway itself. Choose a company that will offer you the best price on the goods you need without sacrificing quality and reliability. Check around and go with a print shop that can offer you discounts on high volume orders. You can even save money by picking up your order instead of having it shipped, as long as you go with a Long Island print shop instead of an online or far away store. Getting the best deal on your custom printed promotional goods means that your returns on the advertising they provide you will be even better!

Celebrating leap year with custom printed shirts and other giveaway items is a unique way to promote your business while inspiring customer loyalty. Recipients of your promotional items will find themselves telling friends and family all about the free gift they received at your place of business and creating some valuable word of mouth. Have fun with your customized, creative leap year celebration and watch as it creates more visibility for your small or large business this February 29th.

Feb21

Fire Dept Fundraisers – Turn up the Heat With Fire Patches!

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

If you're looking for a way to raise some funds and morale for your local fire department, custom embroidered fire patches might be just the solution for you. These custom, collectable patches help members of the local community display their pride for the brave men and women who put their lives on the line for them daily, in addition to serving as an effective fund raising tool. Choose from specialty logos, 9-11 memorial designs and other important symbols to raise money at your next fire department fundraiser.

A barbecue, pot luck dinner or other casual event can serve as the perfect backdrop for a fire patch fundraiser. Choose something that will bring everyone together without costing a fortune to set up, and make sure to set up some simple games and activities for the children. After eating and spending time together, members of the community can choose to purchase custom fire patches that can be placed on shirts, hats or bags. Pick patch designs that will be meaningful to your local fire department, perhaps even honoring fallen heroes, EMS or specific local trucks.

If you want even more of a variety of items to sell at your fire department fundraiser, you can choose sweatshirts, bags, caps and more with fire patches already pre-applied. This makes the process of showing your fire department pride even easier, with garments and accessories that are instantly wearable. You can even supply custom printed t-shirts that family and friends can purchase to support a certain truck at the firehouse! Top it all off with some goodies for the kids such as bracelets, crayons and stickers displaying fire safety information, and you have everything you need for your fire department fundraiser.

When choosing a print shop to buy your custom fire patches from, it is important to take a few factors into consideration. You will want to choose a shop that offers a well-made product, but without breaking the bank. If saving money is your goal, you might want to consider choosing a local Long Island embroiderer. This can save you a bundle on shipping by allowing you to pick up your patches in person. Meanwhile, local shops can often offer you discounts that you won't be able to find at stores located online or across the country. Take the money you save on buying your patches and use it towards making a better fundraiser for your fire department and your community.

Fire departments depend on community support for the morale that makes them the local heroes that they are. Show your appreciation for your local fire fighters by holding a community fundraiser with fire patches, apparel and other products to raise money and support for your local fire department. Whether you want to cheer on your favorite truck in the firehouse, commemorate 9-11 or honor a fallen hero, embroidered fire patches are an effective way to pay homage to those who work hard in order to make the world a safer place for the rest of us.

Feb15

Target Customers with Custom Printed T-shirts

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

A custom printed t-shirt has the ability to immediately draw the attention of people who pass by. This is why shirts have become one of the most popular ways businesses choose to draw attention to their brands. If you want to bring your business more visibility through the use of custom t-shirts, you might feel overwhelmed at the number of options available. There's no need to worry, however – as long as you choose your print shop and your designs wisely, you should quickly be able to reap the benefits of using custom printed t-shirts in your small or large business.

First, decide what you want to do with your custom shirts. Some businesses choose to sell them in their stores, while others use the t-shirts as a promotional giveaway and a way to thank their customers. You may also want to give a handful to your employees that they can choose to wear either at work or outside of work. In each scenario, you probably want slightly different designs and styles of shirts. Shirts that are meant to be sold in stores should hold some appeal to customers outside of a simple logo.

An eye-catching design, witty saying or attractive artwork will make customers more likely to want to buy a t-shirt off the racks, if that is the intended purpose. Meanwhile, t-shirts meant to give away as a promotion don't need to be as flashy. After all, everyone likes a free gift! If a custom printed t-shirt is meant to be worn by employees, you will want it to be appropriate enough for work. No matter what the purpose of a t-shirt is, you want the logo or business name to be the centerpiece – so that even a casual glance will allow the average person to know what brand the t-shirt is representing. You will also want the t-shirts, not to mention any employee who is wearing them, to represent your business in a universally positive light.

When you're looking to target customers using custom printed t-shirts, who you choose to print them is just as important as the designs that you choose. Look for screen printers that offer a well-made, reliable product at a price that suits your budget and needs. Instead of going to a large national chain or an online store, you might want to choose a local Long Island print shop. This can save you the high cost of shipping on larger orders by allowing you to pick up your t-shirts in person, and a local shop might also might be able to offer you volume-based discounts and other savings that you won't be able to get from retailers from across the country or on the internet.

Custom printed t-shirts are just one of many ways to promote your business and attract customers with logo branded items. Custom shirts for your business can serve a wide variety of purposes, but you should carefully consider both the designs of the t-shirts and the shop that is going to print them before making any final decisions.

Feb09

Wholesale Embroidery Options for Small Businesses

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

Companies of all types can find a variety of benefits in wholesale embroidery purchases. From custom employee uniforms to promotional t-shirts and hats, having items embroidered with your logo improves the visibility of your business and creates an image of professionalism. If you are looking to purchase wholesale embroidery, you might find there are more than a few options to choose from. Keep your image and your bottom line in mind when choosing a company to do your custom printing and embroidery.

There are almost as many uses for custom embroidered products in business as there are businesses themselves. Many embroider golf or polo shirts with the company logo as a relaxed but clean-cut looking uniform shirt. Some companies sell hats or shirts with the company name and logo, and some choose to give them away as promotions. These are all cost-effective solutions that result in better company image, more visibility and more word-of-mouth. In fact, even the act of giving away free promotional merchandise can pay for itself by attracting more customers! To reap these benefits, it is important to find the right wholesale embroidery company.

More than a handful of large websites online offer options for custom wholesale embroidery. Ordering online from across the country or the world might be tempting because of low rates and the ease of simply ordering from your home or work computer. These online mega-stores might not be the great option they seem to be, however. They fill thousands of orders each day and can't replicate the personal touch of a local business. Plus, you might find you're spending a small fortune in shipping. If you use a Long Island print shop, however, you may be able to save the cost of shipping by picking up your order instead.

For your wholesale embroidery needs, you will want a company that will work with you on creating the design you want, and one that puts care into the quality of each garment. After all, you are choosing someone to make products that represent you and your company. You will also want to be able to buy as many custom embroidered products as possible without breaking the bank. The solution should be a perfect balance between well-made, reliable product and reasonable prices. The best Long Island shops should be able to offer you a well-made product in addition to offering volume-based discounts and other savings you are not likely to find anywhere else.

If you're looking to supply your small business with logo branded shirts, hats or uniform pieces, then it is important to try to find the right wholesale embroidery shop for your needs. When you find the embroiderer you want to work with, then it's as simple as choosing designs that suit the image and style of your business. Stick with flattering colors and make sure your logo is recognizable and sticks out. If you're buying uniforms, then make sure you have the right sizes to fit everyone on your team. Embroidered uniforms and promotional items are key to improving the visibility of your small business, so make sure you choose wisely to display your brand in the best possible light.

Feb06

Valentines Day Custom Printed Promotions

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

Whether your company is big or small, custom printing promotional items for giveaways can make a memorable impression. Turn Valentine's Day into a chance to increase the visibility of your brand and increase customer loyalty, through the use of promotional materials like custom printed bags and mugs, incorporating your business logo and Valentine-themed designs. Low cost per impression and high visibility make custom Valentine's Day gifts an effective way to encourage conversation and word of mouth surrounding your company. Hand them out as free gifts with purchase or come up with a creative giveaway, and before you know it you'll be exposing your logo to more people than ever before.

Throwing in a promotional item with purchase might seem like an excessive cost at first, but custom printed promotions serve as conversation pieces that will display your logo for all to see. Something as simple as a pink bag or cap with a Valentine's Day message from your company will make your customers feel appreciated, and they will enjoy telling their family and friends about the custom printed gifts they received and how valued they feel as customers of your business.

If you are considering taking advantage of the benefits custom printed promotions can provide to your company, then be sure to search around for the best deals on custom printing for this Valentine's Day. Viking, your local Long Island printer can provide you with discounts and a close relationship that may be lacking from printers across the country or abroad. Choosing a Long Island shop also means that you might be able to save a bundle in shipping costs by picking up your order in person – making a smart idea even smarter!

Come up with creative giveaways for your Valentine's Day custom printed promotions. Do you want to give out matching pink logo mugs to each couple that comes into the store, or maybe some bottle openers for that Valentine's Day bottle of wine? How about a special gift for the first ten customers of the day? Almost any item you can think of can display your logo. Even something as simple as a red and pink pen wishing your customers a happy Valentine's Day from your company – salespeople can give them away by the dozens, and any time a customer uses it they will notice whose logo is on the side.

Custom printing promotions should be a part of the advertising budget of any business, especially ones dependent on customer satisfaction and service. For just the nominal price of these items, you are exposing your brand and logo to those who would otherwise have never seen it, while showing your current clients how appreciated they are. Think of how many people your customer will pass on the street while wearing your pink Valentine's Day cap, or how your pens will be passed around and borrowed in your clients' offices. This kind of exposure makes the cost of custom printing more than worth the returns you will see for your business!

Jan25

Custom Printing - Hundreds of Options for Your Small Business

- posted by Mr. Shirt on

Giving your clients items which have been embellished with custom printing bodes well for a continued business relationship. The choices are almost endless - anything that can be printed can be turned into a showcase for your company name and / or logo. Figuring out what your clients would appreciate the most is a good idea, but almost anything free is welcomed with appreciation.

Your sales team is the natural starting point. Make sure anytime the meet with a client, a promotional item is offered that has been enhance with custom printing. Distribute pens, coffee mugs, mouse pads, and other items with a free hand - every time one of these items is picked up by anyone associated with your client, they will be reminded of the name of your company. You can include contact information such as phone and fax numbers, to make your company instantly reachable just by checking the number on any promotional item you may have given a specific client, This is a great way to increase repeat business!

Custom printing can give you a wide array of items to give away at your place of business, company parties, job fairs, trade shows, and quarterly sales meetings. Equip your staff with free custom printed shirts - and if they have kids, load their munchkins up with smaller sizes. Hats are another favorite custom printed item, as are book bags and totes. In fact, a custom printed tote filled with other items that have been subject to custom printing is a great giveaway to an important client and will make them feel valued.

Bumper stickers, flash drives, drink cozies, water bottle labels and even luxury items like mp3 players or wine bottle openers can benefit from custom printing. The more times your logo and / or company name is seen, the more chances it has to make an impression. Make sure all of your employees know they can have promos as well - this is one case where taking home a handful of custom pointed pens or the stray coffee mug can be written off as advertising!

Keeping custom printed items in stock regularly should be a given for small businesses, especially those in industries where one on one customer services is key to acquiring and keeping accounts. Almost anything that can be custom ordered can have your company logo on it, and custom printing companies will often give discounts for buying your items in bulk. Your employees, customers, and many other people may see or use one of your items before it has outlived its usefulness, so the investment is well worth the possible exposure. Custom printing can be your company’s best friend. Earmark a little of your advertising funds for a custom printing / promotional items budget, and see returns you never expected! The investment could pay dividends for years after the initial purchase.