How to choose your promotional products supplier: the objective criteria
Choosing a promotional products supplier is not just about finding the lowest unit price. A successful branded merchandise order depends on a chain of steps: a price understood from the outset, a checked file, an approved mock-up, production started at the right time and a tracked parcel. Each link can derail the project. This guide gives you verifiable criteria, which you can apply to any supplier, so that you decide on facts rather than on an impression.
Clear prices before you even ask for a quote
The first criterion is simple: can you find out the price without waiting for someone to call you back? A supplier that displays its prices lets you build a budget in a few minutes, compare several products and present a costed proposal internally without depending on a sales rep.
You still need to know what that price includes. Always ask three questions:
- Is the price excluding or including VAT? In B2B, you compare amounts excl. VAT.
- Is the marking included? At VektoPrint, the product and the marking each have their own price, shown separately: you see what the item costs and what its marking costs.
- What makes the price change? Additional colours, a second marking area or a special process change the amount: a serious supplier says so clearly.
The volume pricing grid, shown on every product page of our catalogue, also shows you how the unit price changes with quantity. That is valuable information for choosing between two volumes.
A file check that measures instead of assuming
Most disappointments with a marked product come from the file, not the product. A blurred logo, a font replaced by another, a gradient turned into bands: these defects are decided before production. So ask how the supplier checks what you send.
A good check is based on measurements. It verifies that the file is genuinely vector, and not just given an .ai or .pdf extension that hides a photo. It calculates the resolution at the actual print size, from the exact dimensions of the marking area, instead of trusting the value written in the file, which is often wrong. It flags an overflow of the area or too many colours for the process.
Some questions are beyond a machine, however: text too small to remain legible, a dark logo placed on a dark textile. For these cases, a human check is essential: at VektoPrint, our team checks every print before manufacturing, at no extra cost. The basic rules are detailed in our frequently asked questions.
A proof at actual scale, which is binding
The proof is the preview of your marked product that you approve before production. It is the reference document in case of disagreement: what appears on the approved proof is what will be produced. A reliable supplier starts nothing without this approval.
Look at the form of the proof too. A rough montage does not tell you much. A proof generated on the real template of the marking area, at the right scale, shows you the actual size of your logo and its exact position. In our configurator, it appears immediately, without waiting for an exchange of e-mails.
Finally, check that it is easy to ask for a correction before approval, and that you know exactly when your agreement becomes final.
Lead times explained rather than promised
Be wary of a lead time announced before anyone even knows which product and which marking you want. Production time depends on the product and the process: a single promise for a whole catalogue cannot be accurate everywhere.
A transparent supplier tells you three things: when the lead time starts, how long production takes for this specific item, and how delivery works. With us, the lead time starts when the proof is approved, it is shown on every product page and repeated on the quote, and the parcel tracking is sent to you by e-mail. The steps are described on the lead times and delivery page and in our guide to the production lead time for promotional products.
Processes chosen for the product, not out of habit
A supplier that offers the same technique for everything deserves a question. Screen printing, pad printing, laser engraving, embroidery and digital printing each have their own materials and limits. The right contact guides you according to the material and shape of the product, and tells you frankly what will not work: a gradient in screen printing, for example, will be simplified into solid colours.
On our product pages, only the processes actually possible on the selected area are offered. To get an idea before choosing, the marking techniques page presents each process. A supplier that asks for your Pantone references for a solid-colour marking also shows that it takes your brand guidelines seriously.
Comparing two offers without getting it wrong
Two quotes can only be compared if they describe the same thing. Before deciding, align them on a common grid:
- same quantity and same model, colour included;
- same marking: process, number of colours, number of areas;
- same tax basis: everything excl. VAT;
- same starting point for the lead time: order or proof approval;
- same guarantees: file check, proof to approve, parcel tracking.
Finally, look at the practical terms: payment methods, the option to pay against a purchase order for a public body, a contact you can reach in writing. At VektoPrint, payment is by bank card, with a card pre-authorisation that is only charged once the proof is approved, and public bodies can pay against a purchase order. For any question before ordering, write to contact@vektoprint.com: a written answer is worth more than a verbal promise.
Questions fréquentes
Should you always choose the cheapest supplier?expand_more
No. First compare what each price includes: marking included or not, number of colours, file check, proof. A low price that excludes the marking or ends in a reprint costs more in the end.
How can I tell whether a supplier really checks my file?expand_more
Ask what it checks. A real check measures the resolution at the actual print size, detects a fake vector file and flags an overflow of the area. Simply receiving the file without any feedback is not a check.
Is the proof mandatory?expand_more
At VektoPrint, yes: production only starts after you approve the proof, and this document is binding. It is your best protection against a mistake in position, size or colour.
When does the announced lead time start?expand_more
With us, from the approval of the proof, never before. The production lead time depends on the product and the process; it is shown on every product page and repeated on your quote.
How can I contact VektoPrint before ordering?expand_more
By e-mail at contact@vektoprint.com. Specify the product, the quantity, the marking you have in mind and your preferred date: we will be able to give you a precise answer.