We work with clients on a regular basis who aren’t sure how to brand their products, or even what options there are. Considering Amazon is a wild west with so many generic products or copycat sellers, having a good logo that’s permanently affixed and somewhat difficult to copy is a great first start in protecting your brand.
In this post, I am going to discuss the many ways that logos can be affixed to products. I will go over the high level description of the methodology, the advantages/disadvantages, and cost of the type of logo application discussed.
Silk-screen printing
Principle: A printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along a line of contact. This caused the ink to web the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen printing back after the blade has passed.
Application: it can be printed on nearly all materials. For example, paper (calendar, poster, stickers, package); Plastic (kettle, speaker box); Wooden (utensil, handiwork ); Metal (keychain); Glass (glasses); Ceramic (mugs, dinner set); Textile (bags); Leather (stationery); Silicone (gloves) etc.
Advantage: 1. it is the cheapest and widest used among all logo printing. 2. Printing area can be as big as you want.
Cost: consists of mold cost and printing price.
Mold cost:
- Under 4 colors, it is about USD15/color. For example, it will be USD60/logo for 4 colors logo.
- On below, logos are more complicated and mold cost is not calculated by color again, it is by logo, so mold cost is varied by logos.
- Above 4 colors 2 Gradual color 2.2 logo involves pattern
Printing price: USD0.01-0.05/logo. It will be varied by logo.
The factory usually makes logo free for 2 or 3 color logos without a pattern when the order qty reaches MOQ.
Disadvantage:
- Usually used to make logo which colors are under 4, as above 4 colors there will be very difficult to make good color alignment.
- Can’t be printed on rough surfaces.
- Because of mold cost, it isn’t good for small orders or samples.
- It can be printed on textiles such as non-woven bags, but ink can’t be spread evenly on textiles so it is better to use another way for textiles (see below stitch logo).
Heat-transfer printing
Principle: Transfer a design to a substrate using an intermediate step. A design is printed in reverse on a special film (300Dpi). The printed film is then placed against the desired substrate and subject to high temperature.
Application: Same as silk-screen, it can be printed on nearly all materials, for example, paper; Plastic; Glass; Ceramic; Textile etc.
Advantage:
- No need to make a mold and no mold cost.
- Recommend to print complicated patterns. See below, when the logo is complicated it has to use heat transfer, not silk-screen.
- Printing quality is much better and can last for a very long time without color fade.
- Low waste, as it is printed by machine.
Cost: no mold cost. Logo cost is varied by logo(how big and how complicated ). The below logo on USB is about USD0.35/logo.
Disadvantages:
- Cost is much higher than silk-screen printing.
- Some material’s color will change after high temperature, for example when textile is white, it turn to be yellowish after heat-transfer’s high temperature.
- Printing area is varied by machines. Different machines have different printing size.
- Printing area is airtight/unbreathable.
Embroidery stitch logo
Application: Textile
Embroidery stitch logo is prices on a cost per thousand stitch basis.
Advantage:
- Three-dimensional superpower and colorful, which makes the product looks higher quality
- Washable and not easy to peel off
Disadvantage:
- There will be mold cost (not very high), so it isn’t good for low order quantity or samples.
- It is suitable for a logo which consists of words. Or the patterns which aren’t exquisite.
- The Stitch area is varied by different stitch machines.
Textile Woven label
A textile label means stitching a logo on a small patch of textile, then stitching the patch on products.
Application: For the products that you don’t want to make your logo obvious, or for those products that there isn’t good space to make a logo, such as gloves, bags, scarf etc.
Advantage: as it is small so it doesn’t affect the product’s appearance. Especially for some products where there isn’t space to make a logo, this is a very good choice.
Disadvantage: 1. With time, easy to peel off. 2. Unnoticed.
Emboss and deboss logo
Debossing produces a logo that’s pressed into the material and indented, while embossing produces a logo that is raised and slightly higher than the surface of the material.
Application: widely used on leather, paper, wood, metal, glass etc. Below engrave logo is one of embossed logos.
Advantage: it makes products look very higher quality and durable.
Disadvantage: can’t make color and unsuitable for exquisite pattern
Engrave logo
Application: widely used on leather, wood, metal, and glass. It can be also used for paper, plastic etc.
Logo effect is varied by materials, it is better to engrave on the product’s surface which is hard.
Advantage: it makes products look very higher quality and it is durable.
Disadvantage: expensive and can’t make the color. The logo area is varied by different machines.
Remarks: The difference between engraved and embossed logos, is that engraved logo is automatically made by an engraving machine. For embossing/debossing, the logo has to be made into a mold, then put the mold into the machine and the logo comes out after the machine’s high temperature.
Mold logo
Mold logo means the logo is made by molding. When factories make the product’s mold, they also make logos in the mold, so the logo comes out when the product is made. See the above pictures, first is the mold with the logo M in the middle, and the second is the product.
Application: plastic.
Advantage: it is inexpensive and durable.
Disadvantage: can’t make complicated logo and is only good for very large order quantities, as when a logo is made into a mold, it can’t be changed.
Crystal glue
Application: for promotional products such as USB, badge etc.
Advantage: It is inexpensive and beautiful, bright-colored.
Disadvantage: with time and high temperature, it is easy to peel off.
Gold/silver stamp
Gold/silver stamp makes metallic color effects, which makes products looks more valuable.
Application: Widely used on paper and leather. It can also be sued on textile, glass, wooden, plastic etc.
Advantage: make products looks more valuable.
Disadvantage: expensive. People usually use it on high-level products.
