Apparel decoration has come a long way since the days of screen printing (did you know screen printing was first used by the Chinese nearly 2,000 years ago!) and basic embroidery. While both screen printing and embroidery are the foundations of decorating in the promotional products industry, technology has improved and expanded capabilities of these processes. Over the next few blog posts, I will be explaining apparel decoration techniques.

Screen printing is the process of moving ink through a mesh or ’screen’ that has been stretched on a frame, wit a stencil. The stencil openings determine the image; the ink fills the openings which creates a desired design. Screen printing is most popular on t-shirts and nylon fabrics. Costs that are associated with screen printing: screen charges depend on how many colors you are printing and the run charge which is based on a combination of the quantity of shirts you are decorating and the number of colors in the artwork being printed. Other costs you may have when using screen printing are flash color charges (depends on color of apparel item.)

Digital Printing on fabrics uses a specialized ink jet printer. This process works great for detailed, colorful artwork. The inks are specially formulated for fabric so they appear to blend into the fabric rather than sit on top of it like most screen printed artwork does. Digital printing works best on cotton fabrics. The only downside to digital printing is that PMS color matches are not available. The inks are CMYK, so matching a specific PMS cannot be done. CMYK colors are very close to PMS colors but an exact match is never guaranteed.

Discharge printing is a process used to print lighter colors onto darker background fabrics. It works by removing the dye in the garment and replacing it with ink. This technique works really well if you want your design to look distressed or vintage. 100% cotton shirts can only be used for discharge printing because blended fabric shirts do not work with the discharge chemical used in the dying process. Discharge is a very retail looking printing method and works best on black, brown, navy, charcoal, and forest green colored t-shirts.

By Jessica Matase

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If you’re looking for a useful and inexpensive promotion this summer, I have just the product for you. “The CORE” is a small cord managing device. It is intended mainly for headphones, however it can also be used for cell phone cords and headsets.

The round device has a place to wrap the cord of your headphones around the center and slots to secure the ends of the headphones - much like thread on a spool. This handy object keeps messy wires and cords to a minimum and allows for easy storage in a purse or pocket. When you want to use your headphones again, you simply unravel. It only takes seconds, and no time is wasted dealing with knots.

I constantly carry my CORE in my bag. When I bring it with me, I am not only keeping myself organized - I’m advertising the company that gave it to me, because their brand is on it! The CORE comes in a variety of colors (many of which will match your iPod), is easily personalized with your company logo on either end, and is generally available for around $5.00 per piece, making this multi-use device the perfect promotion!

Call us today and place your order!

By Kathleen Booth

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Promo products are an easy way for small businesses to get their name out there without needing big marketing budgets. Think about it. There is something you already give to your customers that you could take to the next step and brand.

For example, stores who put customer purchases in shopping bags (like what, 99% of stores do that right?!) Well, I can’t tell you how many small boutiques or salons that I’ve been to and purchased from just use plain kraft shopping bags. Shame on you! You are missing a cheap and fabulous marketing opportunity. Why are branded shopping bags such a good idea? Because your customer transforms into a (free!) walking billboard everywhere they carry the bag to. Plus, most bags are reused so say hello to maximum brand exposure. If you really want to take your bag game up to the next level, consider buying non-woven totes to put purchases in. Steve Madden does this and I think its genius. The bags are shopping bag size so they are larger than traditional grocery shopping bags and have longer straps, so you can put the bag over your shoulder (so much more convenient for marathon shopping sprees.) Plus if my bag isn’t full of shoe boxes I stuff the other shopping bags into the Steve Madden bag. I didn’t really need another reason to shop at Steve Madden, but the bags are certainly icing on the cake.

Replacing run of the mill items with promo products makes a difference. If you don’t believe me, next time you are at the mall keep an eye out for the Steve Madden bags, they’ll be the ones carrying someone else’s brand.

By Jessica Matase

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a huge supporter of keeping the arts in public schools. My life is a reflection of being exposed to art and music from grade school through my college years. Reduced funding for the arts is becoming all too common, leaving schools with tough decisions to make - fundraise privately to keep the programs, or cut them all together?

Often not recognized are the effects that art, music, and theatre education have on students’ academics. There have been multitudes of surveys and studies (most conducted by The Arts Education Partnership and Americans for the Arts) that prove arts education positively influences classroom academics.

About five months ago, I became involved as a Volunteer with the Annapolis Parks and Recreation Department’s afterschool program at Eastport Elementary School near Quintain Marketing’s headquarters in Annapolis, Maryland. Every Wednesday, we’d spend time with the kids in the program working on projects - ranging from coffee filter flowers in pots for Mother’s Day, to paper airplanes modeled after the Blue Angels’ Boeing F/A -18 Hornets (in honor of Naval Academy Commissioning Week).

It’s been a win-win situation because I enjoy coming up with ideas for projects and seeing how the kids take those ideas and run with them, while the kids love creating artwork. Volunteering has been a refreshing way to break up the work day. I’ve found that taking a break from the office for an hour or so to volunteer really helps me refocus on my work.

I’m also very fortunate to work for a company that allows employees paid time off to give back to our community. I’m even more thankful that, this year when a local corporation turned down the opportunity, Quintain Marketing stepped in to sponsor the Afterschool Program’s end of the year party. At the pirate-themed party the kids decorated t-shirts, played pirate charades, and did other fun activities. The kids also created pirate scene murals that we hung up around the classroom for decoration. It was a great way to wrap up the school year and a great way for my company to contribute to the community! And check out the fantastic thank you cards that the kids made for me (for volunteering) and for Quintain Marketing (for sponsoring the party)!

I also want to take the opportunity to note that Eastport Elementary is a fully-funded Title 1 School that has overcome major redistricting and administration changes in the past few years. Without the great administration and staff, Eastport may have ended up as a school lacking arts programs. But thankfully, this is not the case and as soon as you walk into the building, you will notice that the arts are all alive and well at Eastport Elementary. At a recent volunteer appreciation event held by the school, each class performed a song, dance, or made artwork as a ‘thank you’ to the volunteers (including myself). It was truly a magnificent production and was enjoyed not only by the volunteers, but the students as well.

My advice to everyone is to get involved in your community and volunteer. Whether you teach something you love or lend a helping hand, you’ll make a difference (even if you don’t realize it)!

By Jessica Matase

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Annapolis, MD June 18, 2009-

Quintain Marketing announced today that it has subscribed to the Promotional Products Association International’s (PPAI) Code of Conduct. The Code is a comprehensive document that voluntarily commits PPAI members to operating in a responsible manner. It addresses such workplace issues as conditions, environment, labor, hours and wages, and product safety.

“When we started Quintain Marketing, we made a commitment to doing business in an environmentally and socially responsible manner,” explained Kathleen Booth, Quintain Marketing’s Owner and CEO. “We developed a Sustainability Policy last year, and now the PPAI Code of Conduct has helped us to spell out the policies and procedures we have put in place to ensure that both we and our clients comply with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and California’s Proposition 65.”

About the Promotional Products Association International
Promotional Products Association International is the only international not-for-profit trade association for the promotional products industry. The Association offers education, technology, tradeshows, business products and services, mentoring, technology and legislative support to its more than 7,400 global member companies. For more information, see www.ppai.org.

About Quintain Marketing
Quintain Marketing is a promotional strategy consulting firm located in Annapolis, MD, and offering unique, creative and high quality branded products, dimensional marketing, and web-based employee and customer gifting and incentive programs.

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By Kathleen Booth

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