Thermochromic Ceramic Latte Mug with Heat Activated Color Change

The best branding method to use depends on your product and your branding design. Each of our branding methods has different attributes, and the price is dependent on various characteristics.

Pad Print

Pad Print uses ink and is priced by the number of colours in your design. For each colour in your branding, we make 1 plate (very much like a stencil). The fewer colours in your design, the fewer plates we need to make, and your price will be lower. Pad print is commonly used on small, non-flat products like golf balls, mugs or pens.

Wrap Screen Print

Wrap Screen Print uses ink and is priced by the number of colours in your design. For each colour in your branding, we make 1 screen (very much like a stencil). The fewer colours in your branding, the fewer screens we need to make, and your price will be lower. Wrap Screen Print is able to wrap around the product and is commonly used for large designs with a single print colour, on cylindrical products like drink bottles and coffee mugs.

Sublimation

Sublimation print uses heat to enable certain white products to be branded in full colour with a special dye that absorbs into the top layer of the product. Sublimation branding looks like a part of the product with no ink build-up.

Our account managers really know their stuff, so if you’re unsure which branding method is best suited for your design, then get in touch and we can help out.

Setup is the cost for us to prepare your design for the machinery on which your product will be branded, and to prepare the machine for your job. This can include screens, plates and digitisation costs along with mixing inks and changing machine jigs.

Different products within an order often cannot be printed on the same equipment. For example, an order for the same logo to be printed onto coffee mugs, pens and golf balls would require 3 separate setups.

A branding position refers to a location on your product where your logo will appear. For example, a product with a design on the front is a single branding position. This will be cheaper than the same product with a design on the front and back (two branding positions).

A 1 colour print price is the cost to print your design in a single colour. This does not include the product colour. Most logos of multiple colours can be modified to take them back to a single colour. One colour is the cheaper option for non-digital print because each colour requires additional setup and print costs. Black or white print count as colours.

Low Fire is our default process and the most common method for branding mugs. Your branding is pad printed, or screen printed directly onto the mug. The mugs are then oven-fired to set the ink and produce a long-lasting finish. Low Fire print is a faster process that also allows PMS colour matching. Low Fire is cost-effective and ideal for everyday use. This method is dishwasher-resistant*, microwave safe and scratch-resistant.

High Fire requires your branding to be screen printed onto a unique decal, cut, and placed onto your mug. Mugs are then kiln-fired at a very high temperature, at which point the unbranded portion of the decal melts away, leaving your branding set on the mug. High Fire printing is more time-consuming and expensive but produces a longer-lasting finish. High Fire is best suited for branding individual names and mugs required for commercial use. PMS colour matching is not available using this method, and only a limited number of ink colours are available. High Fire print is dishwasher-resistant*, microwave safe and scratch-resistant.

*To maximise the life of the print, handwashing is recommended. Metal scourers will scratch your print, and harsh detergents will fade or scratch your print finish over time. If using a dishwasher, liquid detergent is recommended over dishwashing tablets because tablets are more corrosive.