Frequently Asked Questions
Decorating custom printed towels with
logos and embroidered beach towels
We
get quite a few calls about custom printed towels for corporate
events and promotions. This FAQ has created to help answer most
of the questions involving the process of decorating various types
of towels and the associated costs that drive the job.
Why
use towels for promotions?
One
Size Fits All - No need to worry about sizes like apparel.
For Recognition - Makes a huge impact with a large logo on a beach
towel. Has the largest imprint area compared to most other promotional
products.
For Durability - Machine washable for endless use. When was the
last time you threw a towel away??
For Leisure - Towels are used when doing fun things such as swimming,
boating, golfing, ETC.
For Value - Variety of quality products offer a superior value.
For Style - Towels never go out of style.
Towel
styles and types
Fibers:
In
order for a towel to be absorbent it should contain materials that
will wick the water from your body. Cotton is a very good material
to do this and this is why we carry 100% cotton towels.
Egyptian or Pima cotton is a superior staple of cotton, it is a
stronger, longer and more absorbent fiber which tends to have a
softer feel to it. It commands a premium price due to these qualities.
Terry
Loop:
 This
is the most basic form of towel and comes from the term "Terrycloth",
terry toweling, terry, or simply toweling which is a fabric with
loops that can absorb large amounts of water. It is usually manufactured
by weaving on a dobby loom and is used to create item like wash
cloths and towels.
Terry
Velour:
This
term can be confusing because it is not synonymous with the dictionary
term. In the decorated towel industry it is a terry loop towel that
has been "sheared" on one or more sides to provide a more
flat surface for imprinting. It also gives the towel a more luxurious
"hand" or feel to the touch. Terry velour towels are generally
more expensive than terry loop towels.
Types
of Decoration
Screen
Printing:
This
decorating process involves printing the towel with ink. A separate
screen for each color is created. There
is usually a separate set up fee per color and there is usually
a run fee per towel per color. In order for the towel
to maintain a soft feel the ink needs to be water soluble and traditionally
only inks that are darker than the color of the towel are used for
visibility. With a few exceptions, white or lighter colors are not
generally used on color or darker towels.
Important
note: Set up fees usually run between $60.00 and $150.00 per
color, and $.50 to $1.80 per towel per color. Therefore
printing a small number of towels can be very expensive when calculating
the actual cost of the towel with set ups and run fees.
In most cases multiple run fees can be included in the cost of the
towel as quantities increase.
Woven
Jacquard:
This
is a custom woven process that actually weaves your customer's logo
into the towel. The process is more expensive and needs to be done
at the manufacturing level rather than aftermarket. In a number
of instances factories will have stock jacquard designs on hand
and then embroider a logo to provide a similar effect in a shorter
production time.
Fiber
Reactive Full Color Towels:
This
decoration model is similar to a multicolor printing process at
a manufacturing level. This process generally has a higher minimum,
from 500-1000 pieces, and traditionally takes 90-110 days. Recent
developments have decreased this process to 60-75 days with some
factories. Set up fees can be waived in some cases when
an order is fulfilled resulting in $1,500-$2,500 dollars in savings.
Towel
Weights
Important
note: The towel weight along with the towel size is a very important
factor in determining the plushness of a towel. A 13.5 lb. towel
means that there is 13.5 lbs of cotton for every dozen towels. In
contrast a 18.0 lb. towel has 18.0 lbs of cotton for every dozen
towels. If the 18.0 lb towel is a larger towel than the 13.5
lb. towel then the plushness of the two towels may actually be similar.
7-9
Lbs. Towels:
Promotional weight towel. Light weight and least expensive.
10-15 Lbs. Towels:
Mid weight towel. A little more expensive but clients will see this
towel as a higher perceived value.
18-22
Lbs. Towels:
Heavyweight towel. Considered highest quality and most expensive.
Luxury hotel towel quality.
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