A Mr. Land Shark from Baltimore, Maryland writes in and asks:
Q: I see you sell promotional products on your website. I can buy them online directly, why should I buy them from Curry Printing instead?
A: Well, Mr. Shark, I’m so glad you knocked on our door and inquired!
When you think about it, most promo products are simply some sort of ink on some type of media, just like we work with every day. Logos have to be examined for maximum quality and effectiveness, proofs have to be made or designs planned, appropriate quantities must be determined, items must be quality control checked, packed up and shipped. Pretty much what we do with every print job we produce.
It can be very tricky to order promo products online. For instance, how big should your logo/wording appear on a particular item? If you are looking at a proof of a pen imprint on your computer screen, the name “Johns Hopkins Hospital Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center” looks plenty big on your 24” monitor. Imagine your dismay when you receive custom engraved pens from your online seller and you need a microscope to see your organization’s information in the 1.5” imprint space on this expensive order! And who could argue, you saw and approved a proof!? Usually, these large and “cheap” online sellers don’t have the customer service resources we have to give you a head’s up that a logo or verbiage isn’t going to work well on a particular product.
Also, as printers, we are in a unique position in your world…we are the holders of the sacred logo files. We understand all of the unsavory terms like “outlines” and “ai” and “jpg.” How will you know which logo to send to which vendor to print properly on which product?
And, what about our knowledge of colors? We will be able to let you know that perhaps a dark purple ink isn’t going to look great on a black phone wallet. Or simply providing ideas and samples to you in general, like what products might go well with the items we print for you on a regular basis? No online manufacturer is going to know or care about that.
We can also advise you about what quantities to order. We can explain about set up costs and economies of scale. No website is going to ask questions like “what is your anticipated usage?”
Additionally, we have experience with shipping, and know that promo items usually cost quite a bit to send because of their bulkiness. Often online vendors don’t show the shipping cost and you get hit with a humungous and ugly surprise on your credit card. We handle all that for you, letting you know ahead of time what shipping costs will be. Sometimes, you might not even realize the products you ordered online are so cheap because they are made in China and will make their way to the US by slow boat from, well, you know. And if your event is in two weeks, there’s no way those gadgets will show up on time.
Also any risk with the job is ours to bear. If there is a problem with your order, it is up to US to take care of fixing it, not you.
We earn our keep as sellers of promotional products. We show you samples and make suggestions. We give you proofs that are realistically to scale and can make adjustments with revised images for your approval. We understand all artwork requirements and use files in the exact format required for excellent quality. We catch problems before the items are manufactured. We stay in touch with you about your schedule and alert you to any potential issues. We go through a thoughtful and detailed quality control check and pack your items rationally and conveniently. We double check quantities and make sure you get exactly what you ordered.
As with all of the products and services we provide, we BELIEVE in what we offer, we KNOW we are providing the best goods to our valued clients and we are WORTH every penny!
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