Personalise your promotional gifts successfully – advertising with a personal touch

Laser engraving – for durability

Material is removed from the product surface using a laser; therefore, this personalisation technique is used for products made of metal (for example, pens).

Screen printing – for strong, vivid colours

A stencil and a screen are required for this personalisation technique. The ink is pressed through a fine mesh screen with a blade or squeegee on to the product. This technique is used often for textiles and is characterised by its high wash-resistance and colour brilliance.

Pad printing – a real all-rounder

The printing ink is transferred via an elastic stamp (usually a silicone pad) to the product. This technique is usually used for plastic products.

Digital printing – for colour explosions

The printing machines are connected with a computer for digital printing. The computer sends the digital printing data to the printing machines. This makes it possible for designs or logos with complex colour gradients to be printed. Single or full-colour digital printing is used often for plastic products and wall calendars.

Transfer printing – water, heat & sun resistant

Transfer printing is a method that uses an engraved copper or steel plate from which a monochrome print on paper is taken. This is then transferred by pressing it onto the product to be printed. This technique is used on enamels or ceramics, such as mugs.

Embroidery – the most elegant way to personalise textiles

High-quality embroidery is very precise, durable, washable and light resistant. At ADLER, up to six embroidery colours are included in the price. This personalisation method is used for textiles, bags and caps.

Hot stamping – your imprint in gold or silver

A stamp is created especially for your logo and then transferred to the product surface using pre-dried ink or foils in gold and silver. This technique is used often for pocket calendars.

Doming – for a unique 3-D effect

First, a foil is digitally printed with the desired design and cut to create stickers. These are then covered with an acrylic coating that protects the design from discoloration and fading. Doming is resistant to light, heat, water and scratches. Thanks to the domed surface, your advertising message becomes a real 3-D eye-catcher. This technique is often used on magnets and key rings.

What is a set up charge?

This charge depends on the respective personalisation technique and covers all of the set up costs for the machines and the creation of personalisation instruments such as for example, a stamp or a screen.

What is the logo charge?

This charge is incurred for any graphic work that is necessary. We will check your logo and rework it, if required. Your logo is not available as a printable file? No problem. Our graphic designers can rework any kind of artwork, even your letterhead or your business card and create a high-resolution graphic for your unique personalisation.

Laser Engraving

Laser engraving is a highly durable personalisation technique. It all begins with your unique artwork that is programmed into the engraving machine’s computer. The computer controls the laser, calculates its movement patterns and tells the laser when to engrave and when to stop. The result is thus, very precise and efficient. The laser temperature and area of imprint are calibrated on the laser engraving machine. Then the laser converts light into energy and directs it onto the item to be engraved creating depth patterns on its surface.

These patterns in the form of your logo or company name are very durable and won’t fade or become less discernible over time. Laser engraving is the preferred method of personalisation for metallic promotional products such as metal pens, USB sticks, powerbanks or metal key rings.

Generally, laser engraving is one of the most popular personalisation techniques, not only in the field of promotional products. It is a very economical way of imprinting products and offers a wide range of design options that will make your promotional gift even more unique.

Screen Printing

Screen printing is a so-called “direct printing” method. As the name suggests, a screen is required for this type of printing. As a matter of fact, both a screen and a stencil are created for every individual colour of the desired design, because every colour must be printed separately. The screen itself is made of a piece of mesh stretched over a frame. A stencil is created by blocking off parts of the screen in the negative image of the design to be printed. As soon as the screen (for a one-colour print) or screens (for a multi-colour print) have been made and stencilled, they are locked into the printing machine. Printing ink is poured onto the screen with the stencil and then a thin layer of ink is spread over the screen with a blade or squeegee, in order to then seep through the logoed portion of the mesh and onto the promotional product located below the screen. After printing, the personalised products are left to dry.

Screen printing is primarily used for personalising textiles because it allows printers to apply various layers of colour in different thicknesses and thus, create fine details. The graphics created using screen printing are very durable, the colours vivid and the print is even. In addition to printed T-shirts, polos or totes, screen printing can also be used on plastic pens, lighters and other products resulting in brilliantly coloured personalisations that are highly wash resistant.

Pad Printing

Pad printing lets you put your “stamp” on promotional products!

The personalisation technique known as “pad printing” is a so-called “indirect” offset printing process. “Indirect” because first, an image plate or cliché is created into which the desired motif is either chemically etched or laser engraved. The function of this image plate is to hold ink in the etched cavity. An ink spreader pushes a pool of ink over the plate and then removes all excess ink filling only the image with ink. Next, a silicone transfer pad that is nothing more than an elastic stamp is pressed down onto the printing plate causing the ink to lift from the etched artwork onto the pad. The transfer pad is then pressed onto the promotional gift transferring the ink from the plate to the gift.

The advantage of this personalisation technique is that the stamp is made of silicone and is thus, highly elastic. Thanks to its deformability, the silicone stamp can be used to print on all kinds of surfaces: flat, spherical, concave or convex. No matter the surface, the pad can easily adjust itself to the product’s form. Pad printing is suitable for plastic product of all types, such as piggy banks, weather stations, office accessories, stress balls or plastic pens and much, much more.

The personalisation technique is certainly one of the most complicated, but the first-class results are definitely worth the effort.

Digital Printing

Digital printing is also known as “4-colour process”, “full colour process” or “CMYK printing”. For this personalisation technique, the printing machine is connected to a computer. The digital printing data for your unique design is loaded into the digital printing machine, without having to create a screen or stamp beforehand. The items to be printed are put into a custom framework, fed into the printing machine and your design is printed on them. Digital printing machines are capable of printing multiple colours at once and the colour choices are virtually limitless! After printing, the machine then dries the inks on your products with UV light making them colourfast and very durable.

This personalisation technique is only suited for flat surfaces, in contrast to Pad Printing. However, the resulting colours are brilliant! With digital printing, it is also possible to print designs or logos with complex colour gradients.

Digital prints tend to look best when printed on white surfaces. The most popular products for digital printing are classic T-shirts, wall calendars and plastic pens. A digitally printed personalisation is always a real eye-catcher!

Transfer Printing

During heat transfer printing, your design is printed onto a substrate (your promotional product) by applying heat and pressure. First, the design is digitally printed backwards onto transfer paper using a special ink. This paper is then placed against the desired product and subjected to high temperature (up to 230° C) and pressure for a short period of time. After the product has cooled, the paper is peeled away and the image will have transferred to the product. Due to the high temperature and pressure, the print result is not only highly durable, but also water, heat and UV-resistant.

Heat transfer printing is used often for personalising mugs and cups, because the printed design is dishwasher-safe. That means your personalisation will keep its brilliant colours for a long time to come.

However, it is also well suited for textiles because for example, a custom tote can easily be washed at higher temperatures if the heat transfer technique was used to personalise it.

Embroidery

Embroidery is probably the most high-quality way to personalise textiles. First-class embroidery is very detailed and precise. In addition, this personalisation technique is extremely durable, as well as wash and light resistant. At ADLER, we offer an impressive selection of embroidery colours, while up to six colours are included in the price.

Custom corporate apparel with an embroidered logo is the perfect way to represent your company professionally, strengthen your team’s spirit and increase employee loyalty. A professional, uniform look lets your customers know immediately who they can turn to for help.

We embroider all kinds of textiles such as polo shirts, jackets, vests, sweatshirts or business shirts and are sure you will find the one that fits your branch and your requirements. Simply send us your desired personalisation, such as your logo or company name or upload it via our website. If your design isn’t already available in the required format, we will be happy to rework it for you and convert it to a rich, embroidery-ready format. When the design for your personalisation is final, it is then transferred to the embroidery machines where it is embroidered onto the corporate apparel you selected.

Embroidered corporate apparel is your company’s textile business card for a professional and elegant appearance.

Hot Foil Stamping

Hot foil stamping is a personalisation technique that lets your logo shine! First, a metal or silicone stamp is created of your logo. Then a special foil is transferred to your selected product at high temperatures using the stamp. Different foil types can be used, depending on the desired effect. The slightly raised stamp with your design, for example your logo or company name, is heated before the printing process begins and then brought into contact with the special foil. The foil melts on contact with the stamp. As soon as the stamp is pressed onto the promotional product, the foil adheres permanently to the product.

Hot foil stamping produces an especially high-quality, elegant effect. This personalisation technique is only suitable for products that are resistant to heat and pressure, such as pocket diaries or monthly planners with faux leather covers.

A hot foil stamp is the perfect way to upgrade your promotional gift with a brilliant and durable personalisation.

Doming

First, a foil is digitally printed with your unique design. In a second step, the foil is cut to create stickers in the respective shape (round, oval, square, etc.). These stickers are then coated with a crystal clear, polyurethane resin. The result is a decorative domed surface of approximately 1.5 to 2 mm in height that is then hardened using ultraviolet light.

Thanks to its glossy, transparent appearance, doming is a personalisation technique that will really make your brand stand out. In addition, the domed surface gives the design below it a unique 3-D, magnifying effect. Doming will make your personalisation, be it your company name or logo, resistant to light, heat, water and scratches and thus prevents discolouration, fading or abrasion.

Promotional gifts such as key rings, magnets or nametags are often personalised using the doming technique giving them a very upscale look. Doming is a personalisation technique that will really make your logo or unique advertising message pop!