You’re probably familiar with it’s embroidery courtesy of your mom lovingly stitching your name into your underpants before being shipped off to summer camp. Maybe you have a totally adorable beach bag with your initials sewn to the front. Those are great starts but, at Jakprints, we’ve taken embroidery a few steps further. It makes apparel stand out (if you’re using 3D foam, it will literally stand out) and it’s a unique way to add continuity to your uniforms or personality to a baseball cap.
Keep reading to see how embroidery works and all of the specialty threads, effects and customizable apparel products we have for you to get creative with.
You made it, congratulations. Your band (or brand) is gaining a steady following both in the real world and on social media. Now the big question is, how take being a hobby that you pay for and make it a business that pays you to do what you love? The answer, the high holy merchandise. What better way to start reaping rewards than by giving your fans sweet swag they can show off everywhere they go?
These four items are the holy grail of custom merch. Define your brand with this stuff and you’ll be on your way to greatness.
Stickers: Some stickers are great hand outs, while others can double as money making products and advertisements. High quality Bumper Stickers or Full Color Vinyl Stickers last and look great. Kiss Cut Stickers and Sticker Packs make for unique collectibles that will really excite your fans. Cost on these will really depend on how complex your design is, starting simple you can get 1,000 bumper stickers for under $400 (one color) or put out an entire sticker pack which will cost about $7-$8 per pack.
Business cards are a fantastic way to get creative when promoting and marketing yourself. Sure, if you’re a Wall Street banker you’ll want to stick with a subtle off-white coloring, tasteful thickness, maybe even a watermark– but we think you’re looking for something a little more… cutting edge.
Sticker terminology can get pretty confusing with all of the different types of stickers, stocks and print methods. Use the following glossary to better understand stickers, labels and decals.
BASIC TERMINOLOGY
The most basic sticker terms are often thought of as interchangeable. The following are examples of how one might differentiate these terms based on their use.
Full Color Sticker
Pressure Sensitive Stock: This is the most technical way to refer to stickers or labels. It’s a general description of any paper or synthetic stocks that adhere to surface when pressed against it.
Stickers: When a pressure sensitive stock is used for decorative or branding purposes it is usually referred to as a sticker. They generally come individually cut.
Labels: When pressure sensitive stock is used to identify a product or contents of a package, indicate a destination on an item being shipped, or differentiate items for organizational purposes they are usually referred to as labels (i.e., mailing labels, size labels, beer labels, etc…). Labels come in individual sheets or on a roll.
Decals: When a pressure sensitive stock is used to decorate or brand an item for a extended periods of time they are usually referred to as decals. Decals usually come with an implication of permanence, so you’ll often find them being used for signage purposes. Decals are most often thought of as being unprinted cut vinyl, or screen printed.
Roll Labels/Stickers: Stickers and labels can be printed in a continuous line and then rolled onto core cylinders. The purpose of this is most often for machine labeling.
Stickers are one of the most diverse products we make. Its also one of our favorites! In fact, we love them so much that we have dedicated an entire wall in our lobby for them. This is where we stick all the fun and wacky stickers we come across, commemorated forever!
At Jakprints, we’re putting stickers to work. Check out how these companies are using some of the awesome stickers we’ve made this year so far!
Continue Reading…
In the 1800s the first stickers were used to label pharmaceuticals, but nowadays there’s probably a skateboarder in your neighborhood using one as a band-aid. With so many different kinds of stickers on the market, durability is often the determining characteristic when choosing the sticker or label that’s right for the job. Follow our guide to learn more about how different stickers stack up to each other.
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Breaking Down Sticker Life Expectancy:
1-2 Years Indoor – Paper Based Roll Labels
1-2 Years Outdoor – Vinyl/Synthetic Based Roll Labels
3-5 Years Outdoor – Full Color Stickers & Screen Printed Decals
Extended Use Indoor* – Full Color Stickers & Screen Printed Decals
* Extended Use is not clearly defined. Depending on the exposure to sunlight some stickers can last anywhere from 5 to 45 years.
Because we could.
This is the answer to the inevitable “why we did it” that you will ask. We were sitting around and wanted to really show the difference that paper stock can make. Sure, we could have pulled out our micrometer and made some charts. But, does the internet really need more infographs right now?
So, you think you should save a few bucks on your next business card order. Any of these sound familiar?
- “I’ll just go GarbageBusinessCards.net and get some of those free cards.”
- “Hey, can you grab me some of those perforated sheets down at Office Shack?”
- “Doesn’t the copy shop on the corner have clip art you can choose from?
We’ll level with you: Sure, we’d love if you printed your next business card order with Jakprints. But, this article isn’t a sales pitch. This is a motivational speech for investing in you and your business. You don’t have to buy an expensive business card to look good, you only need to avoid a card that looks cheap.
Here at Jakprints we love looking at all the great ideas that our customers come up with. Check out these phenomenal Business Cards that have crossed over our desk recently.
1. We love the look of this 16 pt. Soft Touch Business Card. The sleek design pairs perfectly with our Soft Touch coating — it gives paper a satin finish and a touchable, rubbery feel. Their use of gold foil stamping keeps it both simple and elegant. Every detail is covered in this design, even the slight rounded corners to soften the look of the final piece. Marvelous!
2. Our friends over at Inked Glass really wanted to make their artwork pop. With the use of a custom die line and neon green painted edges they definitely have a card you won’t forget.
It’s time to be depressed! Everyone gets excited about a nice, embossed Business Card. Hell, we’ve seen billions of cards and embossing still stops us in our tracks.
To produce an emboss, your graphic is etched into two copper plates: the Plate (male die) and the Counter (female die). Acids are involved with the etching, it’s seriously pretty awesome.
Your final print is then stamped between the plates. The dies complement each other so that when the stock is forced between them it causes the fibers to take their final, embossed shape. Debossing is a similar (and often misunderstood) process where the paper is stamped without the counter die. This results in recessed type and logos without the corresponding raised area on the reverse side.
Embossing works best with one-sided business cards, as your text and logos will appear backwards on the flip side. To avoid this subsequent effect, consider using organic textures or symmetrical patterns so that the areas that extend beyond the surface are viewable from both sides.
Keep in mind that type and other small design elements should be spaced further apart than normal, as the embossing can otherwise cause close shapes to merge together. On business card stock, use 2 pt. line weight, and at least a 10 pt. font for all text.
The plate and counter dies generally add about $100-250 to the cost of producing business cards, so double and triple check your spelling and make sure that your contact information is set in stone for the foreseeable future.
If possible, avoid making your name or phone number three-dimensional so you will be able to reuse the same embossing dies on re-orders, or if you have multiple sets of business cards to order for additional employees.
