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Business Gift: Merchandise
given by a business in goodwill, without obligation to its customers,
employees, friends and the like. Unlike promotional products,
the business gift often is not imprinted with the advertiser's
identification.
Cloisonne:
Metal emblems that are stamped from a die. A colored paste made
from ground glass is applied into the recessed areas of the
emblem. The emblem is then fired at 1400 degrees and polished
by stone and pumice to achieve brilliant color. Gullies and
ridges separate each individual color, so fine lines between
colors are difficult to achieve. This is considered a very high-quality
product, and is slightly more costly than other alternatives.
Used in emblematic jewelry and pins.
Cost Per Thousand (CPM):
The cost of reaching one thousand units of a media vehicle's
circulation or audience with a particular advertising unit.
Thus, the cost of an advertising unit divided by the circulation
or audience (however it is defined) of the media vehicle in
which it appears. Since promotional products are advertising
media, one can calculate their CPM just as one would in traditional
advertising.
Dealer Incentive:
Premium or other reward given by manufacturer to retailers or
distributors in return for a specified bulk purchase.
Debossing: The image
is depressed into a material such as paper, leather or suede,
so the image sits below the product surface. Ink may or may
not accompany the stamp (color stamping).
Decal Transfer: A water-soluble
decal, printed on an offset or letterset press, is submerged
in water and slid onto the product to be imprinted. The decal
is rubbed with a cloth or squeegee to remove any excess water
and air from between the product and the decal. The product
is then kiln-fired. Once fired, the decal becomes fused with
the glaze. Hairline registration and superior reproduction of
detail make it an excellent choice. This imprint withstands
washing very well. This method is labor intensive, since each
decal must be aligned and applied by hand. Used in when many
colors and tight registration are desired on less than perfect
porcelain, ceramic and glass products.
Die: A mold into which molten
metal, plastic or other material is forced to make a special
shape, such as pen barrels or rings. Also a tool made of very
hard material used to press a special shape into or onto a softer
material such as coins and emblems.
Die-casting: Molten
metal is injected into the cavity of a carved die (a mold).
Die Cutting: The use
of sharp steel blades to cut special shapes from printed sheets.
Die-Stamp: Steel plate
engraved with desired image used to “stamp” (apply) gold or
silver leaf.
Die-striking: A method
of producing emblems and other flat promotional products. A
blank, cut from a metal sheet, is struck with a hammer that
holds the die.
Die-Struck (Die-Stamp):
A die is used to press an image into a softer metal such as
brass or gold. The die is put into a press, and the press is
released and actually squeezes the metal into the recess of
the die making the imprint on the metal. The height of detail
is not as deep as casting; the letters and /images are
shorter. Fine detail and deep /images cannot be achieved
because the lines and gullies in the die may break during the
striking process. Used in metals such as medals, coins and belt
buckles.
Direct Premium: An item
given free with a purchase at the time of the purchase. Includes
on-packs, in-packs and container premiums as well as those given
separately.
Direct Response Advertising:
Advertising that seeks an immediate response from consumers
by mail or telephone usually outside established channels of
distribution. Direct response advertising may be carried by
mail, by the broadcast media or by the printed media.
Embedments:
Materials such as a product replica, for example, are suspended
in a clear substrate, usually poured acrylic or Lucite(r).
Embossing: Stamping
an image on a material, such as paper, leather or suede, so
the image rises above the surface of the object. As in debossing,
ink may or may not accompany the stamp.
Embroidery: A design
stitched onto a material through the use of high speed, computer
controlled sewing machines. The design is reproduced with tightly-stitched
thread. Embroidery is most commonly used on logo patches and
directly on some wearables. Fine detail is difficult to achieve.
Engraving: The cutting
or etching of designs or letters on metal, wood, glass or other
materials. There are three engraving techniques. hand-engraving,
hand-tracing, and computerized laser engraving. Engraving is
performed with a diamond point or rotary blade that cuts into
the surface of the product. Engraving offers a permanent imprint
that will not wear off because it is cut into the metal base.
Used in metals such as trophies, pens and nameplates.
Etching: The product
to be imaged is coated with a resist (a protective coating that
resists the acid). An image is exposed on the resist, usually
photographically, leaving bare metal and protected metal. The
acid attacks the exposed metal thus leaving the image etched
into the surface of the metal. Very fine lines can be reproduced
by this process and the only tooling is a piece of film, so
spec samples are easily-made.
Flexography:
A flexible rubber plate is wrapped around a cylinder for speed
and control. As the paper moves under the printing plate, it
is pressed against the printing plate by another roller, and
the ink is transferred onto the paper. A separate plate is needed
for each individual color. Typically done on less expensive
materials than screen printing. The inks are very thin and not
as durable as those used in screen printing.
Font: The collection
of a typeface including the lower case, caps, numbers and special
characters having unified design. This can be an important consideration
when copy includes foreign terms or names with special characters.
The different kinds and quantity of characters in a font will
vary according to the manufacturer of the typesetting system.
Four-Color Process:
The reproduction of full-color artwork through the combination
of four process ink colors - magenta (red), cyan (blue), yellow
and black - in specified intensities. Colors are separated into
individual color plates so that when printed in register, they
produce a full-color illustration. Four-color separations refer
specifically to the process colors: magenta, cyan, yellow and
black.
Fulfillment: The process
of packaging and shipping an order for a distributor. Fulfillment
may be performed by a supplier, a distributor or an independent
fulfillment house.
Glass Etching:
A process in which a piece of glass is covered with a template
that has a design cut out of it. The glass is then sandblasted
while the portion of the item not covered by the template is
protected. The template image is thus etched into the glass.
Halftone:
The reproduction of a continuous tone artwork (such as a photograph)
done by filtering light through a screen that converts the image
into a pattern of dots of varying size.
Heat Transfer Printing (Direct Transfer
Process): Image is screened on a transfer substrate
which is then laid directly on the material to be imprinted.
The image is then “transferred” from the substrate to the material
through the use of heat and pressure. Works best on cotton and
cotton blends.
Heat Transfer Printing (Sublimation):
A process in which a design is transferred to a synthetic fabric
by heat and pressure. The heat causes the inks to turn into
a gas so that they penetrate the fabric and combine with it
to form a permanent imprint.
Hot Stamping: Method
is which type or designs in the form of a relief die are impressed
with heat and pressure through metallic or pigmented foil onto
the printed surface. It is used to decorate fabric, leather,
paper, wood, hard rubber, coated metal and all types of plastic.
Hot stamping is a “dry” imprinting process meaning the object
can be handled immediately after the stamping without fear of
smearing the imprint.
Image Advertising:
Advertising designed to make its recipients feel more favorable
toward the advertiser by portraying the advertiser in a favorable
light.
Incentive: Reward for
a purchase or performance; as it applies to promotional products,
it could be, depending on the response required, an ad specialty,
premium or prize.
Ink Jet: A printer that
reproduces by projecting ink onto paper without the mechanical
impact of plates.
Laminated:
Coated with a clear plastic or two separate sheets of paper
joined together as a single sheet to provide a special thickness
or varying colors from side to side.
Laser Engraving: A process
in which an optically-read or stenciled art/copy is engraved
(burned) into a material by a laser beam. Wood is the most common
lasered material, but acrylic, some plastics, marble, leather
and paper are also used. Metal requires specialized lasers.
Lenticular Printing:
A process of creating multi-dimensional, animated or bi-view
effects by photographing with an extremely fine screen and placing
plastic made up of tiny lenses over the top. Sometimes called
xography.
Letterpress Printing:
The original method of mechanical printing, still used though
to a lesser extent, based on relief printing. In other words,
the ink is transferred from raised metal or rubber to the receiving
surface. Also called rubber-plate printing.
Litho (Lithography):
A generic term for printed material. Most typically used to
refer to offset printed paper that is intended to be mounted
to a display.
Logos/Trademarks: A
firm's registered symbol, outline, drawing, picture, brand,
abbreviation or unusual type style of letter, word or brand
name. Used in identifying and advertising and becomes recognized
as synonymous with that particular company, brand or service.
Offset Lithography (OFFset
Printing): A printing method in which an inked
image on a flat plate is transferred to a rubber surface before
being pressed on the printing surface. The plate surface is
treated to accept greasy ink in image areas that resist water
and to accept water in non-image areas while resisting ink.
In this method of printing, the ink is less likely to rub off
after an object is handled as often happens with letterpress
printing.
Overrun: An additional number
of products in excess of what was originally ordered. Five to
ten percent is generally considered customary and acceptable.
Pad Printing:
A recessed surface is covered with ink. The plate is wiped clean,
yet the ink remains in the recessed area of the plate. A silicone
pad presses against the plate and pulls the ink out of the recesses.
The pad then moves and presses directly against the product.
Pad printing is excellent for imprinting small, unusually-shaped
objects for which screen printing is not practical. Small watch
dials and cylinder shapes are some examples. This is not the
most highly-recommended process for imprinting large areas;
screen printing is better for large areas of ink coverage. Used
in plastics, paper, ceramics, glassware, wearables, leather
and vinyl.
Photo Etching (Metal):
Process in which an illustration and/or copy is imprinted into
metal, usually aluminum, by acid and then sealed by an anodizing
process. This is popular for awards and plaques.
Plate: An image carrier,
rubber or metal which transfers the ink to the printing surface.
Point-of-Purchase Advertising (POP):
Advertising materials - displays, cards, etc. - which are placed
within retail stores at the place where purchases are actually
made.
Pre-Production Proof:
A product imprinted with the specified design and copy of an
issued purchase order. Its purpose is to clarify the appearance
of the product and the imprint prior to manufacturing.
Premium: A product or
service offered free or at a reduced price if the recipient
performs some task, such as purchasing an item, meeting a sales
quota, etc. Usually consumer-related.
Promotional Products:
Useful items that can be imprinted with the name of a company
or individual and given free to the end user without obligation.
Puff Prints: A screening
process, using “puff inks.” After screening, the product is
exposed to heat. A chemical additive in the ink will cause the
ink to rise as it is heated to dry. This process must be used
on a cotton weave material where the ink has something to latch
on to. Therefore, it cannot be used on nylon. Used on wearables,
such as caps and hats, T-shirts.
Register / Registration:
Positioning of elements in printing so their /images
will be located precisely as desired on the printed sheet especially
with reference to applying additional colors.
Screen Process Printing:
A method in which image is transferred to the surface to be
printed by means of ink squeezed by a squeegee through a stenciled
screen stretched over a frame. Screens are treated with a light-sensitive
emulsion, and then the film positives are put in contact with
the screens and exposed to a strong light. The light hardens
the emulsion not covered by the film leaving a soft area on
the screen for the squeegee to force ink through. Screen printing
is capable of printing on irregular shaped objects. Glass, plastic,
fabric and wood are popular materials on which to screen print.
Also called “silk screening.”
Set Up and Running Charges:
Special charges added to certain products that are priced in
the catalog without printing included in the price. The set-up
charge covers the cost of preparing type for the copy on the
press; the running charge covers the actual printing.
Specialty Advertising:
Another, older name for promotional products.
Step and Repeat:
The same image is printed continuously in a pattern on the same
sheet of paper.
Thermography: A process
for imitating copperplate engraving, such as on calling cards,
by dusting the freshly printed ink surface with resin powder
which, when heated, fuses with the ink to form a slightly raised
surface. The finished product is very similar to embossed printing
in feel and appearance but is much less expensive.
Underrun: A number of
products less than what was originally ordered.
Information courtesy of Promotional Products Association
International
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