USB Memory Stick
Printing and Engraving

How the Five Branding Methods Compare

Most buyers only need to answer two questions: what does the artwork look like, and what is the drive made of. The table below sets out where each method fits. Every product page on this site lists the methods available for that particular drive, together with its print area in millimetres, so you can check a specific style before you ask for a quote.

Which Method Suits Which USB Stick?

The material of the drive decides more than the artwork does. These are the combinations we produce most often, and the ones you will find listed on the product pages themselves.

• Plastic twisters and classic shells. The workhorses of promotional USB, and the most flexible to brand. The flat shell takes a screen print, a UV full colour print or an epoxy dome, and the metal swivel on a Twister USB stick can be laser engraved as well, so one drive can carry a printed logo on the body and an engraved web address on the clip.
• Credit card USB sticks. The largest print area in the range. A credit card USB is printed in UV full colour across the whole face, on both sides if you wish, which makes it the natural choice for photography, campaign artwork or a business card layout with contact details on the reverse.
• Metal USB sticks. Aluminium and alloy drives look their best laser engraved, where the mark is cut into the metal and picks up the light. Screen printing is available on the flat faces of most metal USB sticks for logos that need to appear in colour.
• Wooden and bamboo USB sticks. Laser engraving burns the logo into the grain for a natural, sustainable look, and it never wears. Lighter timbers also take a screen print or a full colour print for logos that need colour, which is why wood USB sticks list all three methods.
• Leather USB sticks. The leather wrap takes a screen print or a UV print, while the metal parts of a leather USB stick can be engraved, so a single drive can pair a printed logo with an engraved name for executive gifts.
• Crystal and glass USB sticks. These are engraved only. The laser etches the logo onto the glass for a clean, permanent mark that suits awards, executive gifts and premium presentation boxes.

Print Areas, Positions and Printing on Both Sides

The print area on most USB sticks is small, typically two to three centimetres across, and it is the single biggest factor in how a logo reads once it is on the drive. A design that looks generous on a letterhead can lose its strapline at that scale, so we size and position your artwork inside the real print area of your chosen drive and show you the result before it is made. Every product page states the print area for the drive in millimetres alongside its dimensions, and the print area for the front and the back can differ on styles with a clip, a cap or a swivel.

Two sided branding is available on the majority of the range. Credit card drives carry full colour artwork across both faces, twister and classic shells can be printed or engraved front and back, and many buyers put the logo on one side and a web address, campaign name or QR code on the other. Where a drive is being branded on both sides, the mock-up shows both sides.

Artwork, Pantone Matching and Your Free Proof

A vector file, meaning AI, EPS or a vector PDF, gives the sharpest print because it scales without losing its edges. That said, a surprising number of orders start with a JPEG grabbed from a website, and our studio can usually redraw a simple logo as vector artwork at no charge. If you have no logo file at all, tell us your wording, preferred font and colours and we will set the artwork from scratch. Our USB artwork guidelines cover file formats, print areas and colour in detail for those who want it.

Screen printed colours are Pantone matched, and the Pantone references appear on your proof so the printed result is defined by number rather than by how your monitor happens to render it. If the shell of the drive itself needs to be in your brand colour, we can supply Pantone matched USB drives with the body colour matched as well as the print.

Every quotation can come with a free visual mock-up: a JPG of your actual artwork on your chosen drive, at print size and position, that you can forward to a colleague or client for sign-off. Revisions are free, the mock-up is the production reference, and nothing goes to print until you have approved it in writing.

Free Branding, Low Minimums and Fast Turnaround

Branding is included on every drive we supply. There are no setup fees and no hidden charges, and your quotation shows a single unit price that already includes your logo, a free visual proof and, where you need it, up to 500MB of pre-loaded data. Orders start from 10 units, and the same methods are available whether you need a boxful for a sales team or a pallet for a national campaign.

Standard branded orders are dispatched in 5 to 10 working days from proof approval, or 3 to 5 on the Express Service. If your event is closer than that, our express USB sticks are printed from UK held stock and delivered in as little as 24 hours. Delivery is by DPD across the UK and DHL to more than 220 countries, and every drive is covered by our 10 year warranty.

To get a price, request a quick quote below with your logo and the drive style you have in mind, or browse the full range of USB sticks first. Your account manager replies with pricing and a mock-up, usually within one working hour.