Save green ... on the green

Although the weather doesn't seem warm enough today, golf season is upon us! With charity events, corporate golf outings and tournaments, what are the most popular giveaways this year? Avid players will tell you, a golfer needs a lot of accessories to play the game (golf balls, tees, club cleaners etc). From golf tees to performance apparel, we can help you get everything you need for your event. Some of the hottest items for golfers this include tees, balls, multi-tools, water bottles and pocket towels.

Tees are available in numerous colors, with a screen printed logo about 1 1/2" wide. Packaged in groups of 10 (other quantities available), these tees start at $0.74 per package. Would you rather print your name on golf balls? Not a problem! We can get you Titleist, Wilson, Pinnacle, Top Flight, Nike and Callaway brand golf balls printed with your logo, and packaged singly or up to 12 per box. The average logo size for these balls would be 3/4" diameter.

Ever need a golf ball cleaner? This was voted the PGA Merchandise Show Award Winning Product because it is a safe and unique way to clean your golf ball on the green. Completely soak inside, wring out excess water and place flat in the pocket. The pocket stays bone dry! 

Not sure about the best promotional product for you? How about the deluxe golf knife,a chrome finished mutli-purpose golf knife with ergonomic styling. It features 6 tools: divot repair tool, spike wrench, bottle opener, screw driver and removable ball marker. Starting at $3.60 each, these multi-tools allow for two printing areas measuring up to 1" wide. 

Don't forget about the divot tool, golf club groove cleaner, multi-purpose brush (spike wrench and shoe horn), detachable divot key ring, ball marker, golf pouch, water bottle and golf club cover; and who wouldn't love a golf cooler, filled with towel, tees, divot repair tool, can holder and bottle opener! Add more items before the big event as well!

Promotional shoe bags are always a hit! Made of 600 denier nylon, this bag features a large main compartment for shoes, small side compartment for golf balls or shoe spikes, separate compartment for polish, shoe mitt etc., and a nylon webbed carrying handle. The imprint area is as large 7" x 3". This shoe bag is so versatile that your name will be staying with golfers for a long time!

Now that you have your promotional products all set, what are you going to wear?! From cotton to polyester, we can find a polo shirt that works for you. With moisture wicking capabilities, you will stay cool on the green all day. Brands available include Nike, Adidas, Port Authority, Reebok, ALO, all of which are available in women's styles. (Ladies you are all set!) Visors and caps are also available. 

Don't limit yourself! Stop in today to see what we can do for you! With so many items to choose from, we can make promotional items and apparel work on your budget! Mention this blog and we will save you an additional 5% off your golf promotion order!

Have a successful and safe golf season! We hope to see you on the green!

How is that t-shirt made?

Have you ever wondered how your t-shirt was made? Or why some printed shirts look different than others? Or why there are so many printing options when all I want is my logo on a shirt? There are several ways to make a t-shirt with benefits to each. I am sure the first thing that comes to mind is screen printing because this has been around "forever". Screen printing uses open areas of mesh screens (the open area being your logo) that allow plastisol ink to be squeegee-d onto a garment. Once the ink is on the shirt it is "flashed" (partially cured) and layered with another color, or run through a dryer to completely cure the ink.

A similar alternative to screen printing is heat pressing plastisol transfers utilizing the same type of inks. With this, the image is screened onto sheets of paper rather than directly onto the garment. The sheets are partially cured and then heat pressed onto the garment. With screen printing and plastisol transfers, these are best purchased in bulk. Typically the largest number of colors you would want to use is 6.

On that note, if you are looking for a full color print on a shirt you may consider a custom printed vinyl transfer. This type of transfer allows for full color reproduction of virtually any design and color (photos, gradients etc). These are printed on a large format printer with eco-solvent inks and then pressed onto the garment. This is a notable option for small quantities, intricate designs and numerous colors. The industry has brought out numerous specialty materials that give an added edge to your logo. These vinyl materials are printed directly onto, then pressed and include flock print (fuzzy & soft), glitter print, twill print (gives the look of a printed patch), reflective print, metallic print and puff print (actually puffs out on the shirt when exposed to the heat press). (The Niskayuna Fire logo's are full color prints on standard printable vinyl. The camouflage star is a camouflage image printed onto flock material and then embroidered onto a garment, and the"feeling lucky" is glitter print material before it has been weeded.)

For full color prints there is also sublimation and direct to garment printing. Sublimation uses specialty inks that when heated at high temperatures next to a polyester substrate, form a gas and adhere to the item. This is also used on mugs, tiles, fiber board and more. Although you can print unlimited colors, the catch is that it must be pressed onto a polyester fabric...so no cotton t-shirts with this! Direct to garment printing is fairly new to the industry and utilizes inkjet technology to print directly onto a garment (which is why it is called direct-to-garment...). The shirt is put onto a platen and run through the printer, which means unlimited colors...and cotton t-shirts!

If you have a single color design and you need a small quantity, an alternative is single color cad cut vinyl. Similar to the full color custom printed vinyl, this material is instead cut (versus printed) into the desired logo, weeded (the removal of the excess pieces) and pressed onto the garment. This is not recommended for complex, detailed designs as the weeding can be time consuming. (The Saratoga Stryders logo is white cad cut vinyl adhered to polyester track jerseys.)

So now you know why we ask so many questions when you come in and tell us you want your logo on a t-shirt! We are trying to match your logo with the best printing method to meet your needs. There are pros and cons to each printing method, and we will work with you to determine the best outcome for your logo.

As with any custom printed garment, follow the manufacturer's washing instructions. We recommend washing your shirts inside out for added life.