15 Oktober 2009

How to Choose a Perfect Personalized Gift?

Personalized Gifts can be classified in to Two major categories.

1) Digital gifts (delivered online),
2) Physical gifts (delivered offline)

Personalized Gifts which can be delivered Online are usually Gift Certificates, Virtual VISA/Master cards (VISA/Master Gift Cards) and e-Cards or digital greeting cards. Gift Certificates can be used to make purchases on a store, whereas Virtual VISA/Master Cards give the option of choosing any gift from any store that accepts VISA card. So when you compare Gift Cards with VISA/Master cards, the second one is always a good choice as it allows the receiver to choose the gift they like.

Personalized gifts which can be delivered offline are usually specialized t-shirts, mugs, keychains, mousepads and CD/DVDs.

Personalized T-Shirts usually comes with a Photo and/or name and/or a graphic of your choice. When you choose T-shirts as a gift, you should find a picture with more DPI and send it across to the Gift Store. Then they will customize your t-shirt and ship to you or to the address you have given in the order form. Usually the ordering process takes less than 2 minutes as you will just have to fill in the form, upload the picture and make the payment. The Store will take care of the rest.

When you choose Keychains, keep in mind that the printable space is very small, so send a close-up picture, so that at least it is is visible.

Personalized mugs also require some neat, high DPI close-up pictures, but in the case of Mousepads, you can have any high resolution image as the printable area is large.

To learn more about Personalized Gifts, visit http://www.special-gift.net

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Five Quick and Easy Ways to Get Cheaper Personalized Gifts and Promotional Products

Buying personalized gifts or promotional products is a minefield because the catalogue price and the price you pay are not always the same. It is all down to some hefty added costs to personalize promotional items or personalize gifts.

The extras to watch out for are (1) personalization, (2) origination, (3) extra colors and (4) artwork as well as (5) carriage and packing. It is always advisable to read the terms and conditions thoroughly before finalizing the deal. Make no mistake about it, additional costs are considerable but, here is the good news, they are all negotiable.

It is easy to get confused with all the terminology used in buying promotional products particularly when sales people use words like artwork, origination and personalization. It is arguable whether some sales people fully understand these terms. Let us clarify the meaning within the trade of these important terms.

Promotional product personalization usually refers to branding promotional gifts with a logo, contact details and/or a sales message although, in some cases, it will include a person's name. However, to the public, a personalized gift means just that; a personalized gift for a special occasion.

Origination is part of the personalization process and is sometimes misunderstood. It refers to the method used to brand the item such as a block, screen or transfer. The easiest way to imagine origination is to think in terms of potato printing. Here the potato is cut out with a design and then dunked in some paint and applied to a wall or paper. Using this method the potato is the origination in a similar way to using a rubber stamp. Following this parallel, think in terms of other forms of printing such as offset litho where a plate is prepared before printing. Alternatively, in screen-printing a screen is required for each color to be printed. In both cases, the plate and screen are origination.

Artwork is a further additional cost and causes some confusion in the buyer's mind. Some customers think a calling card or a letterhead is adequate artwork without realizing what is involved. The days of "cut and paste" are long gone and virtually all artwork is computer generated. However, somebody has to prepare the artwork and, whoever does it, the cost is considerable. On colored designs the manufacturer needs artwork color separated into CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow and black), or on occasions, RGB (red, green, blue).

Branding technology changes almost on a weekly basis and some marking processes now take the artwork straight from a computer without the need for any intermediate step. However, some inscribing processes will need the artwork prepared on a block, plate or screen.

Promotional product catalogues show prices for personalized gifts printed one color. However, if the logo has more than one color the costs will increase significantly. For instance if you choose a golf umbrella, priced in a catalogue as a one color one position print, and your logo has three colors, the cost will increase significantly for the two extra colors. Further, if you want the logo on four umbrella panels the extra cost will be considerable. In addition, you are not done yet because a screen-printed three-color design needs three screens; one for each color.

Most promotional products use a different personalization method but there are some promotional items personalized by more than one process. For example, promotional pens can be screen-printed, etched, embossed, pad printed or engraved.

You will save yourself a lot of money if you understand how much the personalization aspect of personalized gifts really costs. When you know and understand all the five extra charges, you are on your way to cheaper personalized gifts and promotional products.

Jack has been writing articles on sales and marketing in the personalized gift sector for nearly 4 years. Come visit his latest gift website which also helps people find the latest and best deals available in travel coffee mugs.

Tips for Finding Stylish Ladies Dresses

It seems that at times far too many people experience difficulties while choosing clothes that are appropriate for them? Is it so hard to find clothes that suit the occasion and the age? Why do so many people find it so difficult to dress him or herself adequately?

Lately, I visited a shareholder's dinner for the local hospital. I cannot even describe what I saw there! I was amazed by the clothes all people were wearing!

The shareholder's meeting included a dinner and an annual report of the hospital's financial situation. Over two hundred people were present at the shareholder's meeting. I was astonished to see that only about a half of them was wearing clothes, which are appropriate for the occasion. I even met women who were dressed as young girls. Probably, they have no mirrors at home!

Now, I'm going to read to all you women a short lecture about how to search for ladies dresses in a store. The regular stores are separated in sections. Lady's clothes are separated in two groups: there are a juniors' section which is meant for girls 19 years of age and under and then the misses' section that is meant for woman older than 19. All women that are under 19 years old must look for their ladies dresses in the misses' section.

Ladies dresses often follow the latest fashion, which changes from season to season. However, ladies dresses more often than not are in more classic styles. Ladies dresses usually have a simple design that suits many occasions. Ladies dresses must be modest and stylish in order to match a variety of events.

At the shareholder's meeting, I met women I met many women who were dresses excessively for that occasion. They probably had not realized that they were wearing ladies dresses, which were made to be worn at very formal or special occasions such as a wedding, opera or formal ball.

On the contrary, there were women who were dressed in their everyday clothes, sweaters, and jeans. What was going on there? I even saw people wearing blue jeans and T-shits. I appreciate people who try to express their personality through clothes but anyway I believe clothes have to fit the occasion.

Up to me, the ladies dresses that fitted the shareholder's meeting were those ladies dresses with stylish and simple design, which were complemented with refined accessories. The women who were wearing such ladies dresses had found a way to demonstrate their tasteful choice. They seemed to be self-assured and proud.

Contrariwise, women who were overdressed gave a sense of being unsure of themselves. Women who were trying show a youthful appearance were in fact leaving the impression of not caring.

I believe these women were not aware of how strong impression they may leave with their ladies dresses. I draw myself many conclusions. Based on ladies dresses choice, I can guess what a woman's character is. For example, if I see a woman dressed in her daughter's clothes, I think to myself that may be she is very desperate of losing her youth.

I will try to make her understand that if she had chosen an appropriate dress in the ladies dresses, she would convince everyone as well as herself that she is proud of what she had achieved. She may meet some very important people at this shareholder's dinner. They may judge her by her clothes. First impression is lasts long. Ladies dresses can help her leave a positive one.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning fashion. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Stylish Ladies Dresses

Morgan Hamilton - EzineArticles Expert Author

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