Branding your work?

[jdr999]

How many add a small company logo or a "printed by" tagline on the back of their work (school programs, greeting cards, etc)?
If you do, is this a standard practice or something you ask permission for each time?
And would you discount a job to add a small logo?

I think some of the online companies tag all their greeting cards no matter what.......

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Joe

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

I think it's gaudy and if a customer asks, I will say no (especially for the discount). The only thing we put our logo + printed by on is raffle tickets. There's no way to control how your brand is perceived once it leaves your store, in my opinion. We're a quick printer for what it's worth.

 

[Possumgal]

Take a look at all the printed advertising materials you get in the mail. Do any of them say who printed them? The only time I ever see a printer's logo on something is when it's printed gratis for some charity and the printer gets put in as one of the sponsors.

 

[WI-Flexo]

We personally do not add this, ever. But you may want to take a closer look at the printer marks inside flaps and seams of the consumer products you use. I think you may be surprised. There are very often indicators of who printed them (logo, company name, company icon etc.). You don't really notice them unless you are looking. Flexible packaging is big one that often includes die numbers, rev dates, plant numbers etc., you just don't notice as they are often hidden. Many that are not hidden are unsupported film wraps on PET bottles (water, soda). Take a look at the seam overlap where you can often see the trip mark and you will probably see a logo, number or some other identifier.

 

[dabob]

We did this on paper labels we printed to wrap around cans in the glue strip area . . . seems to be a pretty common practice in that segment . . . also on continuous register forms from places like Ennis bus forms

 

[davarino]

A serious question... does it seem to make any difference?

I have seen times that someone may have a similar product that they wish to market and will say things like "The only information I have is that it says 'RustCo Item 25437'". That's a really good starting point for reverse engineering.

Some of my friends like it from trade shops like Ennis because it becomes VERY easy to make a re-order. Of course it makes it very easy to "steal" a re-order away from another shop, too... but the trade shop still gets the work.

 

[wonderings]

Would never dream of doing that without a customers permission and would not give discounts to have our name on a finished product. Better ways to market yourself I think. We have added a small advertisement with something we have heavily discounted, but that has always been mixed with a bunch of other paid ads.

 

[Point918]

Quite common in folding carton business to place printers logo on a glue or tuck flap that is not visible once carton is erected and filled. Recent trend has moved away from that type of branding due to competitive pressures. What does remain is job #'s, die position #'s and various customer or printer codes. This allow traceability in the event of any issues with printing, cutting or glueing. Demands to reduce inventory create short runs which result in the same carton from 3 different print jobs on the retail shelf, being filled and being manufactured.

 

[gordo]

What I see most often is a union bug - most typically on government purchased printing.

 

[michaelejahn]

What I see most often is a union bug - most typically on government purchased printing.

Mainly because it is required !

http://www.docspopuli.org/articles/UnionBug.html

 

[gordo]

Mainly because it is required !

http://www.docspopuli.org/articles/UnionBug.html

I do not think it's required. It is optional if the print buyer/specifier wishes to make a - usually political - statement.

http://www.printing.org/Union-Label-Rules-A-Guide-for-Print-Buyers-and-Designers

AFAIK it cannot be put on a printed piece without the buyer's knowledge and permission and the buyer has the option to have it removed.

 

[michaelejahn]

I do not think it's required. It is optional if the print buyer/specifier wishes to make a - usually political - statement.

http://www.printing.org/Union-Label-Rules-A-Guide-for-Print-Buyers-and-Designers

I suppose i should have said "it is required by some customers and they will reject it if you forget to add that "

AFAIK it cannot be put on a printed piece without the buyer's knowledge and permission and the buyer has the option to have it removed.

Agreed.

 

[keith1]

The only time I've included company information is when I sponsor, or help sponsor something. Then my co. info is included with the other sponsors - no larger, no smaller. I don't think I've ever received any jobs from this, nor have I expected any.
I have been told by clients that I'm welcome to include company name, both for free and also if I were to discount the printing. I've always declined. To me it's just cheesy, tacky, you name it. And often the piece wouldn't be something I'd want my name on to begin with.
There's a place not far from me that prints a lot of broadsheet (18 x 24 i think, folded into 4) mailers for car lots. They include their name with the offer of a discount if a customer enlists them for a similar advertising package. To me there's just something distasteful about it.

 

[Craig]

Only if they want our Union Label or if it is a donation. We are talking about adding it to the hem of banners, but have not so far.

 

[Possumgal]

I've seen a customer ask to have "printed on recycled materials" printed on their booklets, but they wouldn't pay extra for the recycled stock. Wonder how much of that goes on.

 

[dabob]

I've seen a customer ask to have "printed on recycled materials" printed on their booklets, but they wouldn't pay extra for the recycled stock. Wonder how much of that goes on.

When a customer asks for something like that we tactfully suggest that they say printed on recyclable material/paper instead . . . . 8 out of 10 people will read what they expect . . . . which is recycled

 

[DannyB]

How many add a small company logo or a "printed by" tagline on the back of their work (school programs, greeting cards, etc)?
If you do, is this a standard practice or something you ask permission for each time?
And would you discount a job to add a small logo?

I think some of the online companies tag all their greeting cards no matter what.......

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Joe

The company I work for puts there logo on everything but we mostly only service schools as we are a school picture business. Most of the jobs we do for schools are free services that we provide to the school in exchange of there continued picture business. And the logo is usually small and in the bottom corner somewhere.