How logo printing on business gifts actually works

One of the most common questions we hear when choosing a business gift: "can our logo actually go on this product, and how exactly will it look?" The answer depends on three things — the product's material, how colourful your logo is, and how long you need it to last.

Pad printing and screen printing

These are the two oldest and most widely used techniques for plastic and metal products. Pad printing suits uneven, curved surfaces (like pens), while screen printing suits flat areas (like bags and t-shirts). Both are economical for larger quantities, but limited in colour count — every additional colour adds to the cost.

Laser engraving

Engraving burns or etches the logo directly into the surface of the material (metal, wood, leather), so it won't rub off or fade. The one real limitation is that engraving is typically single-colour, dependent on the base material's own colour, so it doesn't suit detailed, multi-colour logos.

Embroidery

The standard choice for textiles — caps, t-shirts, backpacks. An embroidered logo looks more substantial and durable than a printed one, but it has a lower limit on fine detail (very thin lines or small text can blur together when embroidered).

Digital printing and sublimation

When a logo has many colours or gradients (like a photo or a complex graphic), digital printing is usually the only realistic option — the price doesn't depend on the number of colours, so a complex logo costs the same as a simple one. Sublimation works similarly but only on synthetic materials or specially prepared surfaces (like mugs).

How to choose without guessing wrong

The most practical approach is to check which techniques are actually available for a specific product, rather than trying to force a preferred technique onto any product. Our Decoration page shows every technique alongside a real, live count — pulled directly from the supplier's system — of how many products it can currently be applied to, so you know right away whether your idea is actually feasible, rather than finding out after you've already picked the product.