What is balloon printing?
Balloon printing is quite simply the process of applying some form of graphic onto the exterior of a balloon. Balloon imprinting companies have been around for a long time, but modern printing techniques and new machinery are helping to increase the scope of what type of balloons can be printed on, and what logos may be applied.
Balloons can have multi-coloured designs printed onto their surfaces, and this can be increased by using smart designs and making use of the colour of the balloon itself. It is also possible to print onto both sides of any balloon, so no matter where folks are standing in relation to the balloon they ought to be able to see the printed images. Printing can be applied to both latex and foil balloons.
This article hopes to highlight just a few of the possible uses of personalised, branded balloons. I hope you find it useful.
Advantages
Balloons are great because they are not an overly pricey thing to get hold of. Even the more fancy balloons do not have to cost the Earth, and when you do a comparison of prices with many of the alternatives you can easily see the monetary benefits of printed balloons.
One of the most exciting things about using printed balloons at any kind of event is the great flexibility they offer. Modern balloon technology allows such a broad range of shapes, sizes and colours that you can really let your creativenessrun wild and allow your imaginative side to take over.
This versatility becomes even greater when you start using balloons together to create balloon strings or sculptures. You can intermix different coloured balloons to good effect and create bold patterns, or use different shapes and sizes of balloons to create eye-catching exhibits.
Another fantastic benefit of using balloons is that they are incredibly light. This makes them very easy to move around and to sculpt into various shapes. You will not need to hire moving men or forklift trucks to get them to where you need them to be! Another great advantage is that if you are going to fill them on location, many hundreds of balloons will fit into a handbag.
I have spoken with plenty of separate balloon wholesalers that always say custom printing is a market that keeps evolving.
For social events
Getting a set of your own, personalised, printed balloons for a social gathering always adds an extra element of fun and interest to what you are doing. Whether the function you are attending is a relatively formal affair, such as a grand dinner party, or a quite informal celebration, such as a stag or hen party, you will discover that printed balloons can really make the night stand out.
Wedding parties
Wedding parties are the perfect occasion for usingprinted balloons to add charm to your location. They are both formal and informal events at the same time, with a serious purpose but also a focus on having fun and savoring the day.
During the wedding meal, photo-taking or any other formal announcements, you can use some smart balloons printed to match your surroundings. Then when the partyreally starts you can use a collection of fun balloons with a personalised wedding message. Or how about balloons printed with either the bride or grooms photo to show which side of the family you are on?
Stag & hen nights
Stag and hen parties are usually fun occasions, and more often than not they will involve some form of dressing up or decoration. So why not make use of printed balloons as a way of “jazzing up” your night and really making your party stand out from the masses. Here are just a few ideas.
L-plate balloons. One of the more recognisable elements of a hen party is the bride to be donning driving L-plates on their outfit. It is a classic touch that usually makes the lucky lady stand out from her party of hens. But there is no reason to restrict yourself to decorating outfits. Why not print an L-plate on a good sized balloon and attach it to the bride to be.
Nickname balloons. Groups of men out on stag nights will often have their photos and nicknames used by their friends printed onto a t-shirt or top. But again, why stop at the outfits? You can print faces, nicknames, or just about any other funny facts onto personalised balloons and give them out to members of your stag party.
Decorating functions
Printed balloons at events do not have to be highly conspicuous or gaudy. Actually, you will find that there are several ways that you can organise printed balloons to create very elegant effects. At many formal events, such as award ceremonies or grand birthday parties, balloons can turn out to be an interesting piece of furniture rather than an outlandish assertion.
The fantastic flexibility that comes with using balloons at events means that they can be both promotional and ornamental. You might use a printed pattern on the balloons and then gather lots of them together to give the sense of dynamic wallpaper! Alternatively you could use the surface area of the balloons to print your company branding or information you want to get across to your guests. This way, your balloons can perform different tasks based on how far away the viewer is.
Rather than using regular air balloons try gas balloons which will ascend to stand out from the crowd.
For corporate events
Whilst many of us relate memories of balloons with birthday parties when we were youngsters, printed balloons can also be used in a more adult environment. The use of printed balloons can actually be very advantageous in the business world. While they are not an obvious option, there are innovative ways to use balloons for corporate purposes.
Exhibitions
Anybody who has had a stand at a corporate exhibition will know just how much competition there is for space and just how hard everyone attempts to bring potential customers in their direction. If you employ the standard strategies of marketing to your exhibition display you will discover that you need to spend plenty of time, and normally lots of money, to really stand out. But rather than just competing on the same playing field as your rivals, how about taking to the skies to get one over on them?
Advertising potential
If you are using helium filled balloons to help advertise your organisationthen you will be instantly at an advantage. As we all know, helium filled balloons are lighter than the air around them and will float upwards. With the right amount of string attached to the balloon you will be setting your corporate identity in a space beyond the reach of regular advertising. If your competitors are not doing the same, you will have that room to yourself.
Just like printing your logo or corporate message on carrier bags or other packaging, printing onto balloons offers a mobile marketing space that you do not have to carry around yourself. Every single time you give out a printed balloon to a visitor at the exhibition, you are effectively giving out a promotional item for your business that will be movingaround. Where ever that individual goes, your company branding will go too.
Another great benefit of using printed balloons as a corporate advertising application is the price tag. No matter what condition the economy may be in, firms are continually looking for the most cost-effective means to promote themselves, and printed balloons are certainly one of these techniques. For a relativelylow fee you can get hold of a good range of balloons, all printed with your customised message.
It is very important to note that using a 100 percent balloon-based solution as your marketing plan won’t always bring the results you are seeking. It is much better to use printed balloons as one part of your advertising campaign. Think of balloons as the exclamation mark at the end of your marketing sentence.
It is handy to find a local business for printing and B-Loony Chesham offer great products over a range of balloon shapes and colours.
Balloon printing options
There are two main types of balloon that can be printed on; latex balloons and also foil balloons.
Latex balloons are the most common type of balloon. They are the teardrop shaped balloons that are slightly rubbery in texture. They nowadays come in a wide range of colour possibilities, and you can even get balloons that are semi-transparent or have a metallic finish.
Foil balloons are actually made from mylar, and rather than being formed of one solitary piece of material they are more typically made by sealing two separate pieces together. This hemming process allows for a vast range of different designs, including stars and hearts. Combined with their glistening finish, foil balloons have become extremely popular for printing customised messages for special occasions.
The environmental impact
Balloons are a consumable product, and as such people are often concerned about the effect they have upon the environment. The good news is that balloons are in fact quite an environmentally friendly product and using them will not have a harmful effect on the planet. Many studies have been done that support this view.
Latex balloons are made of a substance called natural rubber latex (NRL) which is gathered from trees in tropical regions. The trees are simply tapped for their rubber rather than chopped down, and the cultivation of rubber tree plantations actually helps to avoid rainforest deforestation.
They are also biodegradable and can actually be used on the compost heap! Latex balloons will decay at different speeds according to the conditions they are left in, although testing has demonstrated that they will usually decompose entirely within 6 months. This is the same length of time as oak leaves take to decompose.
Get your own printed balloons
I hope this article will have highlighted a few of the situations that printed balloons are well suited to, and perhaps you are already thinking of an upcoming occasion where balloons would make a great party piece.
If you want to learn more about obtaining your own customised printed balloons, there are many businesses that are now providing balloon printing as a service. By exploring on-line you will be able to locate a balloon printing company that can help you out. Once you have seen how well balloons help to set off your party you will want to use them again and again!