Creating the ideal custom printed umbrella for your brand isn’t tough or complicated, but you do have to take the right steps. It starts with an idea, but after that becomes more collaborative with a process that involves you and a vendor.
At the end of that process, you should have a marketing tool that represents your brand’s quality and assurance. So, without further explanation, here are the steps involved.
Step 1: Planning Phase
So, you’ve a great idea, what’s next? The answer is the initial consultation phase, where you (the client) and the umbrella supplier discuss how you are going to go about the process.
With that, both of you will likely discuss the following:
- Your Objectives: What do you want to get from the promotional products? Who are they for and where do you plan to use them? This will help enlighten the producer on the type that best suit your company’s needs.
- Quantity and Budget: Alongside your objectives, you will also have to set out how much you have to spend and how many umbrellas are required. This will also dictate how both of you proceed.
- Timeline: Is your order time sensitive? The umbrellas may be for a certain campaign or event, so if time is of the essence, then it is important to say so.
- Design Ideas: You may already have a design in mind, or you could want the provider to help with this. Neither is a problem, it’s just important to discuss it at the outset.
During this stage, Hfbrolly team often draws on our 30+ years of experience to suggest the best umbrella model or print method based on a client’s needs.
Step 2: Design and Artwork Preparation
Once you set out your plan with the producer, the next step is to put the design in place. You may already have a design, or you might work together to come up with one you, the customer, are happy with.
- Providing Logos/Graphics: High-resolution or vector files ensure crisp printing, so any images should be sent in this format. If you have brand guidelines (colors, fonts, placement rules), make sure the umbrella maker is aware of them.
- Design Mockups: If you have chosen a quality supplier, they will likely supply you with digital mock-ups as part of the process. If there are any issues here, they can be corrected with ease.
- Approval: Once the design looks perfect, you’ll give formal approval. At this point, it’s wise to double-check every detail – as the old saying goes, ‘measure twice, cut once!’.
Step 3: Printing and Production
Step three is potentially the most exciting step, outside of when you receive the finished product. It is when the custom umbrellas for business are printed and assembled.
- Printing the Canopy Panels: Once the design approved, your supplier will print your logo/design onto the umbrella fabric.
- Quality Check of Prints: After printing, there’s usually a quality check. The team will verify that the colours look as they should, and everything is in its right place.
- Operational Testing: The umbrella is then tested to ensure it opens and closes properly, and that there are no defects like misaligned panels or loose parts.
Step 4: Quality Control and Packaging
Before the umbrellas get shipped out, a good supplier will do a final quality control check:
- Here is where the finished umbrellas will be looked at, to ensure the logo is printed correctly, and the colours are as they should be. Mechanical function will also be re-checked.
- This is usually done through a random selection, catching any issues before shipping. If your order is large, often a random selection is thoroughly inspected, but any reputable supplier wants you to have a good experience, so they aim to catch any issues on their end.
- If an issue is found, the manufacturer will correct the issues before shipment.
If quality control is passed, the umbrellas are then prepared for shipping:
- This is where your items are packed. Here, steps are taken to ensure they arrive with you without any damage done to them.
Step 5: The Delivery of Your Umbrellas
With everything boxed up, the final step is getting the umbrellas to you:
- Delivery Time: A good manufacturer will give you an estimate of the exact time they will arrive. Experienced exporters like Hfbrolly will guide you through everything that needs to be taken care of at this stage. This may be different from client to client, depending on where they are based.
- Receiving the Goods: It’s good practice to inspect a few umbrellas when they arrive to ensure they match what was ordered. If any issues somehow slipped through, immediately inform your supplier – reputable ones will work with you to make it right.
Your custom printed umbrellas are now in your hands. It’s time to distribute them to happy employees, clients, and prospects. If there are any issues throughout the journey from step one to five, make sure you make your voice heard, as communication is always key!
Conclusion: From Concept to Canopy – A Collaborative Journey
If everything has gone right, you’ve gone from just an idea and a logo to, through collaboration with a skilled supplier, a finished product that carries your logo and will act as a billboard for your company wherever it goes.
Understanding each step – from initial consultation and design, through careful printing and assembly, to the final quality checks – gives you an insight into how much care goes into producing a quality umbrella. It’s not just a tool for keeping off the rain, but an opportunity to get brand recognition that reaches both near and far.
Working with a partner like Hfbrolly makes this process smooth and even educational. We will guide you at each step, offering professional advice and the perspective of a company that has seen it all before!
Therefore, your next step should be contacting us and finding out how we can help you make a marketing move that you won’t regret.
