Corporate Gifts Language: A Brief Translation of Industry Jargon

On our website and in our blogs you may come across language you’ve never seen before, especially if its your first time ordering corporate gifts. To help you out and prevent any confusion during the ordering process, I have put together this list of industry jargon, along with easy to understand definitions for each one.

Artwork

When we ask you to send us the artwork for your gift, all we mean is that you need to provide us with the design you want to feature on the item. This could be your logo, a strap line, your contact details or anything else you might want to have printed. It is completely up to you. We will advise if we think your choice is unsuitable for a particular type of gift and help you provide the right format.

Doming

In doming, clear epoxy is poured onto a printed label to create a high-end 3D finish

This is one of the techniques to brand a gift. It involves adding clear Epoxy resin to the surface of a design to make it three dimensional. A glossy finish will be achieved over a full colour design.

Embossing

Embossing is usually referred to both pressed in and raised designs

A branding process during which the logo or image is raised from the surface of the material to create a three-dimensional design. It is perfect for a subtle, high-end finish. Debossing is the opposite, where the design becomes imprinted into the material’s surface. Often we use "embossing" to refer to both of these techniques.

Foil blocking

Foil blocking adds metallic finish to your design

This is where coloured foil is stamped onto a surface for shimmery artwork that stands out. Usually silver and gold foils are used but other colours are also available.

Giveaway

A giveaway item is generally a low-cost, small product that is given away at no cost to the recipient, in order to generate awareness and positivity towards a brand.

Impression

We often talk about the numbers of impressions your gifts will create. This is just a quick way of saying the number of times your branding will be looked at. All types of advertising create impressions - for example a billboard would achieve large numbers of impressions for many different people, whereas promotional gifts would achieve more impressions on the same person - but usually over a longer period of time as the item is used repeatedly.

Pad Printing

Pad printing uses a soft silicone pad to transfer your artwork onto your corporate gift

For gifts that are awkward shapes - for example a spherical stress toy - pad printing is used as the "pad" naturally wraps itself round the gift for a neat, undistorted image.

Pantone

When choosing a colour for your gift, you might decide on blue. But this is not specific enough - there are different shades of blue. Unique pantone numbers have been assigned to every single colour out there, to ensure that the blue you get on your gift is exactly the same shade as that in your logo.

Recall

By giving out promotional items you are trying to generate recall. This means that you want people to remember your brand by your gift. The high numbers of impressions that are achieved by promotional gifts on individual people are good at creating recall. If you can't find the term you're confused about in this list, please tell us and we will amend the list to include it!