Your company brand is your business's identity -- it's what helps to set your business apart in a crowded marketplace. Major corporations spend massive amounts on branding each year, but odds are your company's budget is a lot smaller. So, what can you do?
One of the easiest solutions is making shirts for your company, such as custom polos. Shirts are an extremely cost-effective branding tool, even if they're only being used for company uniforms.
Why do custom polo shirts make a great company uniform?
First, polos have a strong work-casual vibe. Where normal custom printed shirts are far too casual for many companies, a dress shirt is often overboard. And custom polos are a strong choice for all levels of an organization -- from the CEO all the way down to the front desk.
Second, appearing organized is seen as a mark of professionalism. By having all your employees wear matching uniforms, you present a unified (or dare I say... uniform?!) appearance to the world. As a result, your team will seem more capable even without doing anything else.
Third, custom polo shirts (or any uniform) give the air of legitimacy. Whether salespeople or specialists, personalized polos identify employees as being part of an established company. (And it could give your company a little extra oomph at trade shows.)
Customizable polo shirts have a wide range of options -- including the fabric, the fit, the number of buttons, the button material, the locker patch, color blocks, stripes, the placket, various sewing features, and a split tail -- which can affect the look, comfort, and price. And with our huge selection of customized polos and other apparel, you might be wondering about the best choice for your organization.
The short answer is... it really depends.
However, the most popular fabric choice is a poly-cotton blend. That mix can vary depending on what you're looking for. A greater amount of polyester will mean less wrinkling and will give you some amount of moisture-wicking. Meanwhile, more cotton will provide greater warmth. And, if you want to hedge your bets, there's always the 50/50 cotton-polyester blend
If you want the feel of a full moisture-wicking fabric, you could go with a 100% polyester polo. Just keep in mind that that 100% polyester shirts may not be durable enough for strenuous work, such as construction. However, it can be something of a status symbol. Many CEOs and other executives are fans of 100% polyester polos.
Unsurprisingly, the choice of personalized polo shirts may largely come down to personal preference -- although if your competitors also use custom polo shirts, you'll probably want something as nice (if not a little nicer). Other than that, you might be thinking about prices.
A nicer placket will convey a higher-quality look (which, in turn, can make your company seem more impressive), but it adds to the price. Likewise, so does having additional buttons. Higher-end features make a lot of sense for salespeople and other employees who need to make a highly favorable impression.
However, you might not want to invest as much if you're using custom polos as work uniforms for waitstaff or retail clerks (although you may still want a split-tail so the polos tuck into their pants more easily or cleanly). In cases like those, you'll probably choose to limit the number of features to reduce your expenses, especially if you have high turnover.
Of course, there are other ways to keep your costs low, too -- while still making a great impression.
There's a lot you can put on custom polo shirts... but that doesn't you mean should put a lot on them. For business polos, the best option is usually just your business logo.
Company logo polo shirts are a convenient, intuitive option for businesses of all sizes. And all you really need is a left-chest logo. That's it.
The beauty of custom logo polo shirts is the simplicity.
Of course, if you want a little extra, you could put your company name (or logo) on the sleeve. This is a great option regardless of sleeve length -- it'll work on both short sleeve and long sleeve polos. And, if you're going with a long sleeve polo, you could even go with something a bit longer on the sleeve. (Although, once again, keep your industry standards in mind.)
The other great logo placement is the nape. However, it's a lower priority than the left-chest and sleeve.
So, what's the difference between screen printing and custom embroidery? At least three bucks in most cases.
Oh, did you want the practical differences?
The question of whether to get custom polo shirts embroidered or printed is mostly a matter of design, cost, and preference. Although polo embroidery CAN look more professional than custom printing, that largely comes down to industry norms. If your business is in a field where your competitors have embroidered polos, you might want embroidered shirts, too. Otherwise, you have a bit of flexibility.
Besides saving money, there are benefits to screen printing polos. It's a lot harder to convey fine detail with an embroidered logo (because an embroidery machine is like a jackhammer, slightly moving the shirt as it goes along) -- meaning you'd either need to simplify your design (removing more difficult elements) or accept the fact those details will be lost. That's less of an issue with a screen printed logo since you won't lose as much in the way of detail. However, fine details can still be an issue at times.
Meanwhile, embroidering a polo makes sense if your design has a lot of colors. Not only is it easier to create more colorful designs with embroidery, it's cheaper, too, since there's no added cost. (By contrast, the cost of screen printing a logo is influenced by the number of colors in a design.)
Although custom embroidery costs more than printing, it can make a lot of sense under some circumstances. For example, if you run a golf course, you might sell the shirts as well (although probably in a color other than the kind worn by employees). Under those circumstances, embroidered custom golf shirts might help you fetch a better price (and the added cost is more than passed along to the customer).
When you order polo shirts from Bolt Printing, you can expect a fast turnaround time -- after all, we have "Bolt" right in our name.
How fast? If you select a paid shipping option during checkout, our turnaround time on up to 100 polos is just TWO business days! (If it's over 100, it may take a bit longer -- just check with our customer care team members when you place your order. Odds are it'll still be very, very fast, though!)
With great prices, astounding turnaround times, incredible quality, AND topnotch service -- why would you order custom polos from anybody else?
Learn more about:
- Why Bolt Printing is the best place for custom polos
