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What Will Promotional Flashlights Be Like in 100 Years?

The history of flashlights (torches) according to Wikipedia, is only

Today’s Latest Promotional Flashlights

about 100 years old. The invention of the dry cell and the miniature incandescent bulb around 1899 made it all possible. Shortly after that, advertising specialty companies began putting their customers’ logos on them, creating the first promotional flashlight. But what will the promotional flashlights be like 100 years from now?

First, let’s look at the major developments in flashlights from 1899 till now, 2014:

Imprinting a company logo, using engraving and screen printing in color, so that a company can use flashlights to promote itself to customers.
Shock resistant case. This helped to protect the bulb and the glass lens from breaking when the flashlight is dropped.
Push button in addition to on/off switch. This feature made it possible to conserve energy, and to send Morse Code.
Belt clips, for convenience
Alkaline batteries, for long life
Rechargeable batteries, to save money
Laser engraving to make engraved flashlights with detailed logos
LED bulbs, for a brighter light
Electronic circuitry. This made it possible to program different features, such as reduced brightness mode, SOS mode, strobe mode.
Miniaturization, making it possible to make keylights.
Focus-able lens, for convenience.
Imprinting a company logo, using laser engraving to make engraved flashlights and screen printing for printing in color. The company can use flashlights to promote itself to customers.
Designs on the barrel, like the USA flag, camouflage, and various corporate colors.

So, what do you think another 100 years will do to change promotional flashlights? Here are some wild guesses.

Design changes: Could a flashlight be developed that attaches to your hand or fingers, and directs light to where you point?
Energy changes: How about the elimination of batteries. Let’s have a flashlight that gets its unending energy from the magnetic field that is always present all around us. It is free, and it never wears out.
Imprint changes: Besides screen printing and laser engraving, and full color imprinting, how about holographic printing? Imagine your logo in a 3 dimentional holograph that hovers above the torch.
Bulb changes: There is a new LED which is brighter, and is already used in some flashlights. Expect even brighter “light producing elements” in the future.
Ergonomic changes: Instead of a switch, why not have a flashlight controlled by thought waves? If you want it to turn on, it will. If you want it brighter or dimmer, just think it. Don’t laugh. Brain waves are real, and they produce a small electric current that is measurable by electroencephalograms.

Far out? Let me know what you think. And give me some of your own predictions, too. Thanks.

The Future of Promotional Flashlights

7 Things Your Competitors Can Teach You About Personalized Pens

When you order pens with your logo, and intend to pass them out to employees, customers, and trade show visitors, here are some important tactics. You should use these ideas to better promote your company.

Give a quality pen, not a cheap pen. A pen that doesn’t write, or breaks easily, will do you more harm than good.
Put your client’s name on the pen. He will appreciate it 10 times more than a pen with just your logo.
Order pens that utilize your own corporate colors. This keeps your image consistent.
Actually distribute your pens. Your advertising investment does you no good sitting in your drawer. You’d be surprised to hear some business owners say that they protect their pen supply because it cost them money.
Use personalized pens at trade shows to propagate your good will, company image, and corporate logo.
Use personalized pens when calling on prospects, to help make them become lifetime customers.
Give personalized pens to your employees to firm your relationship with them, and to strengthen your team.

Bic Clic Stic Pens — Color Options for Writing Instruments

Colors and More Colors

Writing instruments now come in a wide variety of colors. Your imprint colors can match the trim on the pens if you want. Your phone number can also be imprinted by itself, on the clip of some BIC pens. You can use your creativity to design a retractable pen or stick pen to reflect the tone of your company. If you need some help, just ask your promotional products distributor for ideas. They have the experience to develop what you are after.

Tips For Promoting Your Business With Personalised Pens:

At your trade show table, don’t just leave pens on your table and wait for prospects to pick one up, and expect the magic to start. Hold a few pens in your hand, and pass them out to people walking by. Now you are using the pen as an ice-breaker to start a conversation with a possible lifetime client.
Sales Calls: When you visit a prospect or client, always present them with a pen, or other promotional item. The average life of a business card is about 5 minutes. A good pen will last a lot longer, and promote good will, and is a useful instrument.
Employees: Don’t forget your employees. They can benefit from a sincere gift, like a pen from their boss. This will promote good will, and can be used to introduce a new department, or process. You can add a message on the pen, after your logo. You don’t need to wait till the yearly company picnic. A higher-priced gift pen can be personalized with the employee’s name, and given as a safety or service award.
Do you have more ideas? Please leave a comment here! Thanks.
Ambassador Pen with Laser Engraving

How to Solve the Biggest Problems With PERSONALIZED POCKET KNIVES

Laser Engraving on the Metal Bolster of a Knife

Personalizing pocket knives is an art, because it’s not the same as using a color office printer and printing on a piece of white paper. Knives present a unique set of obstacles such as:

Color of the material
Type of material (wood, metal, bone, synthetic)
Irregular surface contour
Required durability of the imprint

These problems are not usually a direct concern of the customer unless his company logo has a lot of detail or requires a color imprint. Each logo imprinting request is handled one at a time. When our art department receives your logo, the artist looks at these questions:

Does the logo contain too much detail
Does the imprint contain text smaller than 6 point
Are the lines in the imprint thinner than 1 point
Is a color imprint required

These problems can be solved by our art department or yours. A complex logo can be simplified to eliminate the detail problem. Small text can either be eliminated or re-arranged somehow. Thin lines can be broadened. A black and white version can be made of your logo if needed.

Most pocket knives are laser engraved on the metal blade, metal handle, metal bolster, or the wooden handle. Laser engraving doesn’t offer color. However, laser engraving on stainless steel looks black or dark. Laser engraving on anodized aluminum handles looks white. And if doing this same method on a blackened metal blade or handle will look white.

Some knives can be pad printed on a handle in color, or screen printed on a metal surface.

Case Knives can be personalized in a few different ways. If the handle is made of smooth bone, wood, or synthetic material (except Zytel), Case can imprint in these ways:

Laser engraving
Laser engraving with a 1-color fill.

Color added to laser engraving: Gold, white, silver, black, red, yellow, blue, or green.

Another imprinting option is Electro-etching, which looks dark on a stainless steel blade. This method of making personalized pocket knives is considered semi-permanent. It doesn’t go as deep into the metal as machine engraving and laser engraving. This leads to a final method of imprinting knives, which is machine engraving. This is like using the engraving machine that jewelers have to engrave your initials on a pendant. It is good for lettering only. It is permanent.

Most promotional items have their share of printing problems, but Pocketknives have a unique set of hurdles for the imprinter. That’s where Advantage-Advertising.com and Logo-Knives.com can use their experience to make your folding knife a cherished gift with your corporate logo.