Key takeaways
- Big catalog companies are built for large runs of one standard item.
- A local shop is built for mixed orders where the logo has to look the same on every piece.
- We laser engrave in-house, so plaques, tumblers and cutting boards don't leave the building.
- Closing gifts and awards can be personalized one at a time with a name, address or date.
- Approved organizations can get Net 15 or 30 terms, and tax exempt groups are handled on the ticket.
- Pickup in Hutto, local delivery or shipping.
Two different kinds of promo
Promo comes in two flavors.
The first is volume. A thousand pens for a trade show. Five hundred tote bags for a 5K. One item, one logo, one ship date. A big catalog company is built for this.
The second is a mix. Hats for the crew, a plaque for the top seller, koozies for the cookout and a tumbler with each client's name on it. That kind of order needs someone matching the logo and checking every piece. That is where a local shop fits.
Plenty of businesses use both. Pens in bulk from a catalog, and the gifts, awards and crew gear from a local shop.
When a catalog company is the right call
Order from a big promo catalog when:
- It is one standard item in a large quantity.
- Your logo is simple and you already have a clean vector file.
- It ships somewhere else, like a trade show across the country.
- Nothing needs a name on it. Every piece is the same.
That is a good use of a catalog. We won't pretend otherwise. The rest of this guide is about the orders that don't fit that box.
If you go that route, ask for a proof of the logo on the actual item and check the imprint size. A logo that looks fine on screen can shrink to a smudge on a pen barrel.
| Order | Promo catalog | Local shop |
|---|---|---|
| 1,000 of one pen | Good fit | Works too |
| Hats, plaques and koozies together | Several product lines | One ticket, one logo setup |
| Engraved awards or tumblers | Often sent out | Engraved in-house |
| Gifts with each client's name | Built for identical pieces | Personalized one at a time |
| Net terms for an organization | Varies | Net 15 or 30 once approved |
| Pick up and check before the event | Ships only | Pickup in Hutto |
One logo across hat, plaque and koozie
Your logo looks different on every material. Thread on a hat, a laser mark on wood, ink on a foam koozie and vinyl on a sign all handle color and fine detail in their own way.
If those come from different vendors, nobody is checking that they look like the same brand. The thin line in your logo vanishes in embroidery. The color shifts on the koozie. The plaque gets a stretched version.
When we make all of it, we set the logo up once for each method and compare. If a detail won't hold up in thread, we tell you and show a cleaner version at proof. See what we carry on the promotional products page, and our embroidery work for hats and jackets.
Engraving in-house
We laser engrave right here in Hutto. That covers the things people keep on a desk or a shelf:
- Plaques and awards
- Tumblers and drinkware
- Cutting boards and wood pieces
- Name badges and small signs
Because it doesn't ship out to a third party, a person checks the first piece before the rest run. If the logo is too fine for the material, we catch it on the first one, not the fiftieth.
Golf tournaments are a good example of a mixed order. Sponsor banners, hole signs, awards and cart koozies all carry the same logos. Our award set of 20 (a 14 inch golf ball printed on 3mm metal with a 4 inch base) is $495, and add on awards are $25 each. See the golf tournament page for the full package list.
Closing gifts, one at a time
Real estate agents and lenders know this one. A closing gift lands better when it has the buyer's name, the new address or the closing date on it.
Catalog promo is built for every piece being the same. Personalizing one at a time is a different job, and it is one we do every day. Send us a list with each name and detail. We engrave or print each piece and pack them so you can hand them out in order.
Teams at Keller Williams and RE/MAX print here, and closing gifts pair well with the rest of an agent's kit. The real estate print checklist covers signs, riders and cards. For year end gifts to past clients, see holiday client gifts and year end print.
Give yourself time. A list of 40 gifts with 40 names is a different job than 40 identical pieces, so send the list early. Timing is quoted on the ticket.
Net terms and tax exempt orders
Schools, churches, nonprofits and booster clubs order promo all year: field day prizes, volunteer gifts, sponsor thank yous.
We handle tax exempt organizations on the ticket. Approved organizations can get Net 15 or 30 terms, so the order doesn't sit waiting on someone's personal card. We take cash, check or card.
Businesses on a budget cycle like this too. One invoice covers the hats, the koozies and the plaques instead of three charges from three vendors.
School and church orders often need a number for a board or a principal to approve. We put the full order on one ticket, so there is one quote to sign off on.
Pickup in Hutto
Promo is often tied to a date. The tournament, the open house, the awards night.
With a local shop, you can pick up in Hutto, get local delivery or have it shipped. Pickup means you can open the box, check the order and count it before the event, not the morning of.
Our shop is at 201 Taylor St, Ste A, Hutto. We're open Tuesday to Thursday 9am to 4pm, and Monday and Friday by appointment. Timelines on promo items depend on the product and are quoted on the ticket.
Big pieces can ride along on the same order. Big Head prints ship free, and event tents ship FedEx with tracking.
What to send for a promo quote
- The item list, with a count for each.
- Your logo, ideally a vector file (AI, EPS, SVG or PDF).
- Names or details for anything personalized, in a spreadsheet, one row per piece.
- The date it needs to be in hand.
- A tax exempt form or PO, if your organization has one.
The job ticket takes 20 files at 100MB each. If the logo needs work, layout is $45 per hour and graphic design is $65 per hour. A new logo is $250 flat.
Check spelling on the name list before you send it. A typo on a laser mark is permanent.
How to decide
Use a catalog if it is one standard item in volume, the logo is simple, every piece is identical and it ships far away.
Use a local shop if the logo has to match across several items, anything needs engraving or a name, you want Net terms or tax exempt handling, or you want to pick it up and check it yourself.
Start a job ticket with the list of items, counts and the date you need them. Add your logo file. If it needs cleanup, we'll quote that on the ticket before anything runs.