Category Archives: Updates

Why Rubber Ducks Are Taking Over Trade Shows (And Why Your Booth Needs Them)

Updates,
Rubber Ducks

Walk into any major trade show lately and you’ll spot a weird trend: grown professionals carrying around rubber ducks.

Not kidding.

Exhibitors figured out that nobody cares about another branded pen. Attendees have drawers full of those already. But a promotional rubber duck? That gets attention.

A tech company tried this last year. Their booth traffic jumped compared to previous events. People stopped, laughed, grabbed a duck, and snapped photos. Some posted to Instagram before they even left the booth. Free marketing that actually works.

Trade shows are expensive. You’re paying for floor space, booth design, travel, and staff time. Then you hand out forgettable swag that ends up in airport trash cans. Rubber ducks don’t get thrown away. People take them home. Kids play with them. They sit on desks. Your logo gets seen for months, maybe years.

The social media thing surprises people. One company tracked their duck giveaway during a conference. Posts kept popping up all week. Friends of attendees saw the photos. The reach extended way past the convention center, and it didn’t cost extra beyond the initial duck order.

You’re not stuck with plain yellow ducks either. Construction companies order ones wearing hard hats. Banks get ducks in tiny suits. Healthcare picks nurse ducks. Industry-specific designs stick in people’s minds better than generic items.

There’s a conversation thing you can’t ignore. An HR consultant said the ducks broke the ice better than any pitch. People would grab one, smile, and actually ask questions about her services. Other freebies? Attendees just took them and kept walking.

Shipping is easier than you’d think. Ducks pack efficiently and survive transport. You won’t deal with crushed boxes or broken items. Bulk pricing keeps costs reasonable, especially when you think about how long they last.

Major conventions caught on. Some added rubber duck-themed photo stations. What started as a quirky experiment became standard strategy for smart exhibitors.

Your next trade show is coming up. You could order more pens. Or you could stand out with something people actually want to take home.

Pretty obvious choice if you ask me.

New Report: Quirky Power of Custom Rubber Ducks

Updates

When it comes to promotional products, standing out can feel like an uphill battle. Pens, notepads, and tote bags are everywhere — but what if you could hand out something that’s fun, memorable, and truly unique? Enter the custom rubber duck.

These little yellow icons aren’t just bath toys anymore. They’ve evolved into powerful marketing tools that bring personality and playfulness to your brand like no other swag can. Whether you’re attending a trade show, hosting a client event, or running a direct mail campaign, custom rubber ducks grab attention and spark conversations.

What makes them so effective? For starters, their bright color and quirky shape make them impossible to ignore. When you add your logo or a personalized design, they become mini mascots that stick around on desks and shelves, offering ongoing brand exposure long after the event ends.

Plus, buying bulk rubber ducks is surprisingly affordable, letting you reach a wide audience without breaking the bank. And with a variety of styles — from classic yellow to glow-in-the-dark or holiday-themed — you can tailor your ducks to fit your brand’s personality perfectly.

If you want to make a splash with your next campaign, it’s time to consider custom rubber ducks. They’re playful, practical, and packed with potential to turn casual recipients into loyal fans.

Ready to learn more? Check out our full report on why custom rubber ducks are the promotional product you didn’t know you needed.

Save on Custom Promo Items with Garrett Specialties’ No Setup Fee Offer

Updates
Free Setup Promotional Products

When ordering custom promotional products, setup fees can add unexpected costs to your budget. Garrett Specialties helps businesses stretch their marketing dollars with a wide selection of high-quality items that come with no setup fees—meaning you pay only for the products and imprinting, not the equipment preparation.

A setup fee covers the time and labor needed to prepare machines for printing your logo or artwork on promotional items. These fees vary depending on the product and imprint method, and they can quickly increase the total cost of your order. Garrett Specialties removes this barrier by offering many popular products like pens, tote bags, drawstring backpacks, T-shirts, and office tools with free setup.

This no-setup fee option is ideal for businesses looking to maximize their budget without compromising on quality. Whether you’re ordering custom event giveaways, corporate holiday gifts, or personalized promotional goods, you can save money upfront while still receiving premium name-brand products.

Garrett Specialties continuously updates their collection to include the latest trends and best-sellers, all while maintaining budget-friendly pricing. Plus, their complimentary art and graphics services mean you get expert help creating the perfect proof without extra charges.

By choosing no-setup-fee promotional items, your marketing funds go further—letting you order more items or invest in higher-quality products. It’s a smart way to boost brand visibility and connect with customers through practical, eye-catching giveaways.

Explore Garrett Specialties’ full range of no setup fee products today and start saving: No Setup Fee Promotional Products.

Make your brand stand out without overspending!

Get Your Promotional Products Fast with Garrett Specialties’ Rush Service

Updates
24 Hour Promotional Items and 24 Hour Swag

When deadlines are tight and you need promotional products quickly, Garrett Specialties offers a dependable solution: their 24-hour Rush Service. This service helps businesses meet last-minute event and marketing deadlines without compromising quality.

Here’s how it works: place your order before 1:00 PM Central Time on a business day, and approve your art proof by 3:00 PM Eastern Time the same day. For a flat $35 fee, your order gets priority in production—no hidden costs or shortcuts. Orders placed after the cutoff or on weekends will ship the next business day, so planning ahead is still important.

Garrett Specialties’ Rush Service applies to many popular promotional products including apparel, pens, lanyards, water bottles, and more. Some items like ceramics, umbrellas, plush toys, and laser-engraved products have quantity limits, but overall it’s a flexible option for urgent needs.

This fast service is ideal for events like conferences, holiday parties, grand openings, and milestone celebrations where timing matters. Plus, you still get Garrett Specialties’ 360° Guarantee®, ensuring quality imprinting and customer satisfaction.

If you’ve faced the pressure of last-minute promotional orders, Garrett Specialties’ Rush Service makes it easier. It lets you deliver quality branded products on time—without the usual wait.

Check out the rush options and keep your marketing on track: Garrett Specialties Rush Service.

Garrett Specialties In the News: Corporate Gift Wrap Kits Streamline Holiday Prep

Updates

Garrett Specialties was recently featured in a widely distributed press release titled “Corporate Gift Wrap Kits Reducing Holiday Preparation Time for Businesses,” published across a network of leading news sites. The release highlights how businesses are turning to custom coordinated gift wrap kits to simplify their corporate gifting programs and maintain brand consistency during the busy holiday season.

As promotional product specialists, we’ve seen firsthand how traditional corporate gifting can become time-consuming and disorganized—especially when coordinating materials from multiple vendors. Our custom gift wrap kits solve this challenge by providing everything businesses need in one cohesive package, from branded wrapping paper to matching ribbons, bows, and tags.

The press release emphasizes that coordinated wrapping systems not only save time but also elevate brand presentation. Companies benefit from a professional, unified look across every package, reinforcing brand recognition and creating a memorable impression for clients and employees alike.

Retailers, e-commerce stores, and HR departments have found particular value in these solutions, using them to enhance customer experiences and streamline internal appreciation programs. The efficiency, consistency, and quality of these kits make them a smart investment for any organization aiming to deliver thoughtful, polished gifts this holiday season.

To read the full press release, visit Google News Results.

Master Your Next Trade Show: The Complete Success Playbook

Trade Shows, Updates

Trade shows can make or break your marketing goals. Are you maximizing every opportunity?

Our comprehensive Trade Show Success Playbook reveals proven strategies that turn booth visits into business wins. From selecting high-impact giveaways that prospects actually keep, to mastering engagement techniques that draw crowds, this guide covers everything first-time exhibitors and seasoned pros need.

Learn how to design magnetic booth experiences, capture qualified leads systematically, and execute follow-up that converts interest into sales. Based on industry research and real-world success stories, this playbook transforms trade show chaos into organized opportunity.

See the report today and start generating measurable ROI from every show.

The Truth About Trade Show Promotional Giveaways

Trade Shows,
Trade Show Ideas

Convention center dumpsters tell horror stories. Mountains of abandoned promotional items – stress balls, cheap pens, plastic trinkets – discarded before attendees even reach their cars. Meanwhile, certain booths watch their giveaways disappear fast, carried home with genuine enthusiasm.

What separates keepers from trash?

The Airport Test

Picture this: an attendee trudges through the airport after three exhausting conference days, dragging an overstuffed bag. What stays and what gets ditched at TSA? That’s your real measure of promotional success.

Items that survive the journey home share common traits. They solve actual problems. They’re compact enough to travel. Most importantly, they provide value beyond the logo plastered on them.

Beyond the Booth Bait

Companies moved past the “pile it high and watch it fly” mentality. Quality beats quantity every single time. A software executive mentioned keeping a branded phone charger from a 2020 conference – still using it today. That’s four years of daily brand exposure from one thoughtful giveaway.

The variety in promotional trade show items means finding perfect matches for your audience. Stress reliever toys work great for high-pressure industries like finance or healthcare. Rubik’s cubes appeal to problem-solvers and tech crowds who appreciate puzzles. Translucent notebooks offer a fresh take on the classic conference note-taking essential, while military style dog tags create memorable keepsakes for security, defense, or outdoor industry events.

Useful beats clever. Attendees don’t need another generic trinket, but they’ll treasure items that serve real purposes in their daily lives.

Timing Beats Randomness

Afternoon energy crashes hit hard during long conference days. Companies handing out branded energy bars or coffee sleeves become instant heroes. Late-day foot pain? Branded blister patches disappeared from one pharmaceutical booth faster than business cards.

Weather creates opportunities too. Unexpected rain makes branded umbrellas incredibly popular. Hot outdoor venues turn water bottles into premium giveaways.

ROI That Actually Travels

Promotional trade show giveaways work best when they extend the conference experience. Notebooks let people capture ideas long after presentations end. Portable chargers keep connections alive when phones die. Quality items create positive associations that last months or years.

A marketing consultant tracked responses from different promotional approaches. Recipients of useful giveaways showed 40% higher follow-up engagement compared to those who received standard promotional items.

The Memory Trigger Effect

Months later, when someone uses that branded item, they remember your booth, your conversation, your product. That coffee mug reminds them of your software demo every morning. The phone stand brings back thoughts of your service pitch during every video call.

Stop feeding the convention center trash cans. Choose giveaways that attendees actually want to take home, use, and remember you by.

Unlocking the Secrets of Imprinting Methods: How Your Logo Comes to Life

Updates

Ever wondered how your logo transforms from a digital file into a vibrant image on a promotional product? The magic lies in the imprinting method—the technique used to transfer your brand onto everything from T-shirts to metal pens. At GarrettSpecialties.com, knowing the ins and outs of these methods helps you choose the perfect fit for your promotional needs.

Screen Printing: Classic and Colorful

Screen printing, often called silk screening, is the go-to for apparel and many promotional items. Imagine a fabric stretched tight over a frame, with parts blocked out to create a stencil. Ink is pushed through the open areas, layer by layer, to build your image.

Each color requires its own screen and pass, so multi-color logos mean multiple steps. This method shines with bold, vibrant colors and is budget-friendly for large orders. It’s the classic choice for T-shirts, bags, and other fabric items.

Embroidery: Stitching Your Brand with Style

Embroidery adds texture and a premium feel by stitching your design directly onto fabric. Before the sewing machines get to work, your artwork undergoes “digitizing”—a process that converts images into stitch patterns.

This method suits logos with fewer colors and works wonders on hats, jackets, and patches. The result? Durable, professional branding that stands out with a tactile edge.

4 Color Process Printing: Photorealistic Precision

Want your logo to look exactly like the original artwork with gradients and complex colors? Four-color process printing breaks your image into cyan, magenta, yellow, and black layers—the same technology behind inkjet printers.

This method reproduces full-color images with smooth tones, ideal for detailed logos on items like mugs, mousepads, and more.

Sublimation: Vibrant and Permanent

Sublimation uses heat to turn ink into gas, which then bonds with special coated surfaces. The result is a soft-edged, full-color image that won’t crack or peel.

Perfect for polyester fabrics and specially coated items, sublimation delivers bright, durable prints on products like drinkware and apparel.

Engraving and Laser Engraving: Timeless Impressions

Engraving carves your logo into metal, wood, or plastic, creating a permanent mark. Laser engraving takes this a step further by using a laser beam to vaporize material with precision.

These methods offer a sophisticated, long-lasting branding solution for items like pens, awards, and plaques.

Pad Printing: Precision on Small Surfaces

Pad printing transfers ink from a recessed plate onto curved or irregular surfaces using a silicone pad. It’s ideal for small promotional products like keychains, pens, and USB drives.

This technique captures fine details on hard-to-print items, making sure your logo stays sharp.

Thermal Transfer, Hot Stamping, and More

Other imprinting methods include thermal transfer—using heat and pressure to move ink from a ribbon onto a product—and hot stamping, which impresses foil designs with heat.

Embossing and debossing create raised or recessed impressions, adding texture without ink. Decal transfers apply printed images to ceramics and glass, then fuse them with heat.

Choosing the Right Method

Selecting the best imprinting method depends on your product material, logo complexity, color needs, and budget. GarrettSpecialties.com’s experts can guide you toward the perfect match, ensuring your brand looks its best.

Final Thought

Your brand deserves to shine in every detail. Understanding imprinting methods empowers you to make smart choices that bring your logo to life—bold, beautiful, and built to last.

Decoding Imprint Areas and Printing Methods: What You Need to Know for Perfect Promotional Products

Updates
Garrett Specialties

Getting your logo just right on promotional products isn’t magic—it’s a blend of art, science, and precision. At GarrettSpecialties.com, understanding imprint areas and printing methods is key to ensuring your branded promotional items look sharp, professional, and make a lasting impression.

What Are Imprint Areas?

Imprint areas refer to the specific spaces on a product where your logo or artwork can be applied. These zones vary widely depending on the item’s size, shape, and material.

For example, a coffee mug usually has a rectangular imprint area on one or both sides, while a pen’s imprint area is a narrow strip along the barrel. Knowing these dimensions helps you design artwork that fits perfectly without distortion or cropping.

GarrettSpecialties.com provides detailed imprint area specifications for every product, often accompanied by templates or diagrams. This transparency helps avoid surprises and ensures your branding looks exactly as intended.

Common Printing Methods and Their Strengths

Different products require different printing techniques. Choosing the right method depends on the item’s material, the complexity of your logo, color requirements, and budget.

Screen Printing

Ideal for flat or slightly curved surfaces like tote bags, t-shirts, and mugs. Screen printing uses stencils to apply ink layer by layer. It’s cost-effective for large orders and vibrant with solid colors but less suited for intricate designs or gradients.

Digital Printing

Perfect for detailed, full-color artwork on products like journals, mousepads, or apparel. Digital printing reproduces complex images with smooth gradients but may have higher costs on smaller runs.

Pad Printing

Common for small, irregular surfaces such as pens, USB drives, or keychains. This method uses silicone pads to transfer ink precisely onto curved or uneven areas.

Embroidery

Adds texture and a premium feel to fabric items like hats, jackets, and bags. Embroidery stitches your logo directly onto the material, offering durability and a professional look, especially for logos with fewer colors.

Laser Engraving

Ideal for metal, glass, or wood products. This method etches your logo permanently into the surface, creating a sleek, subtle branding effect that won’t fade or wear off.

Matching Imprint Areas with Printing Methods

Not every printing method suits every imprint area. For example, embroidery works best on fabric with enough space for stitching, while pad printing excels on small, curved items with limited imprint zones.

GarrettSpecialties.com guides customers in selecting the best combinations, balancing aesthetics, durability, and cost.

Why It Matters

The right imprint area and printing method don’t just ensure your logo looks good—they influence how recipients perceive your brand. Crisp, clear, well-placed branding signals professionalism and attention to detail, boosting your company’s reputation.

Final Tips

  • Always request product samples or proofs before finalizing large orders.
  • Keep your logo files high-resolution and vector-based when possible.
  • Consult GarrettSpecialties.com’s experts to tailor your imprint choices to your specific needs.

Understanding imprint areas and printing methods transforms promotional products from generic giveaways into powerful brand ambassadors. When your logo fits perfectly and looks stunning, your marketing message hits home every time.

Understanding Setup Fees for Promotional Items (Including ‘No Setup Fee’ Special Items)

Updates,
Products with No Setup Fees

When ordering promotional products, one question often arises: why is there a setup fee? At GarrettSpecialties.com, transparency matters. Here’s a straightforward explanation of what setup fees cover and why they’re an important part of customizing your giveaways.

What Is a Setup Fee?

A setup fee covers the cost of preparing your logo or artwork for imprinting on each unique promotional item. This behind-the-scenes work ensures your brand looks crisp and consistent every time.

Each product has its own imprint area and printing method. Whether it’s screen printing, embroidery, laser engraving, or digital printing, the production team creates specific tools—like screens, plates, or digital files—to transfer your logo onto the item flawlessly.

Why Are Setup Fees Necessary?

Every new item ordered requires a fresh setup because imprinting processes vary by product. For example, applying a logo on a mug differs from printing on a tote bag or engraving a pen. Each demands its own unique preparation.

If your logo includes multiple colors or you want it printed in several locations on the same item, multiple setup fees may apply, since each color and location requires separate screens or files.

One Setup Fee Per Item

Ordering different products means different setup fees. Even if two items use the same printing method, they need separate setups because their imprint areas and production processes differ.

However, if you reorder the exact same item with the same logo and imprint specifications, GarrettSpecialties.com often waives the setup fee, making reorders simpler and more cost-effective.

Select Products with No Setup Fees

Good news: GarrettSpecialties.com offers a selection of products with no setup fees. These items are clearly marked with a special icon on the website, making it easy to find budget-friendly options that still deliver quality branding.

Setup Fees Are Separate from Artwork Fees

It’s important to note that setup fees cover the technical preparation for printing, not the design or modification of your artwork. If you need help creating or adjusting your logo, that’s a separate service.

How GarrettSpecialties.com Works for You

While setup fees are necessary, GarrettSpecialties.com strives to keep them affordable. By securely storing your artwork, we speed up reorders and minimize repeat fees. Our team is always ready to discuss your order details to find the most cost-effective imprint options.

Final Thoughts

Setup fees might seem like an added cost, but they guarantee your promotional products come out looking sharp and professional. Understanding their role helps you make informed decisions and get the best value from your branded items.

Have questions about setup fees or your order? GarrettSpecialties.com’s friendly support team is just a call or email away, ready to guide you every step of the way.