Who orders and why
HR teams order welcome kits for new employees. Marketing teams order branded notebooks and pens for events, trade shows and client gifts. Event organisers need lanyards, badges and conference notebooks for a fixed date. Promotional agencies buy on behalf of all of them. The brief is different each time, but the questions are the same: how many, for whom, by when and at what budget per kit. See our pages for corporate buyers and promo agencies.
What to include
A good kit has three to six items that people actually use. More items do not make it better; they make it heavier and slower to assemble.
| Kit level | Typical contents |
|---|---|
| Basic | A5 notebook, ballpoint pen, sticky notes with logo |
| Standard | Hardcover or PU notebook, metal or bamboo pen, sticky notes and flags, lanyard with ID holder |
| Premium | PU leather or linen notebook with foil logo, pen in gift box, desk organiser or pen pot, padfolio |
| Event | Conference notebook, pen, printed lanyard and badge holder, name badge |
Add items that fit the job: a planner for sales staff, a clipboard or padfolio for field teams, a desk organiser for office staff. Ready-made combinations are in gift sets; single items are in notebooks, pens, sticky notes, badges and lanyards and desk organisers.
Choosing the notebook
The notebook is usually the centre of the kit. A5 is the standard size. Choose the cover by brand style: PU leather with blind embossing or hot-foil looks formal, kraft with a one-colour print looks natural, printed hardcover allows full-colour designs. Inside, 80–100 gsm paper in lined or dotted ruling suits most users. Extras such as an elastic closure, ribbon and pen loop add value at low cost. Custom inside pages, for example company values, a welcome page or a calendar, are possible on larger orders.
Choosing the pen
A pen people keep has a smooth refill and a pleasant weight. Metal pens with laser engraving suit premium kits, bamboo or kraft pens suit a natural look, plastic pens with pad print suit large events. Ask for refills in standard size, so the pen can be refilled. Our blog has a separate guide that compares logo printing methods on pens.
Logo methods by item
- Notebook cover: hot-foil, blind embossing, laser engraving, screen or full-colour print.
- Pens: pad print, screen print, UV print, laser engraving.
- Sticky notes: full-colour print on the pad or the cover.
- Lanyards: printed or woven pattern, with your colours.
- Desk items: laser engraving on wood or bamboo, print on acrylic or PP.
- Box or sleeve: printed packaging that holds the kit together.
Each method adds a set-up cost per colour and position. Colours will not match exactly across materials, so approve all mock-ups together. Send vector artwork and Pantone references.
Packaging and assembly
Kits look finished in a printed box, a kraft box with a sticker, or a sleeve around notebook and pen. Decide whether the kit arrives assembled or as separate items. Assembled kits cost more but save your team time. For employee kits sent to several offices, ask for cartons labelled per destination. Kits often end up in employees’ homes or with clients, so we add GPSR data to items or packaging in any case.
Budget per kit
Set a budget per kit first and then choose items, not the other way round. The delivered cost includes the items, logo set-up per item, packaging, assembly, freight and delivery to your offices. A cheaper notebook and a better pen often work better than two average items. We give an itemised offer so you can swap items to fit the budget. See pricing.
Minimums and lead times
Branded items usually start at about 300 pieces per model, though some stock items with a simple logo can go lower. For small teams, a single order for the year often makes sense: order enough kits for expected hires and store them. Allow a sample of about 7–14 days, production of about 25–45 days and transit of about 25–45 days, about 8–12 weeks in total. For Christmas and year-end client gifts, order by September–October for November–December delivery. For events, work back from the date and add a buffer. Urgent small orders can go by air at about 7–12 days at higher cost.
Sustainability requests
Many companies ask for kraft, bamboo or recycled materials. We can source them and pass on the supplier’s material data. FSC or PEFC claims on paper are possible only where the manufacturer holds a valid chain-of-custody certificate for that product, on request, where available. We do not make environmental claims beyond the documents.
Mistakes to avoid
- Too many items, so the budget per item becomes too small for any of them to be good.
- A logo that is too large or in too many colours, which raises set-up cost and rarely looks better.
- Ordering after the event date is fixed but before the artwork is ready, which leaves no time for proofs.
- Dated planners in a welcome kit: they lose value after the first months. Undated planners last longer.
- Forgetting reorders: keep the specification, Pantone references and approved sample so the next batch matches.
How to brief us
- Number of kits and delivery date.
- Budget per kit, or a range.
- Items you want, or the purpose of the kit.
- Logo files and brand colours.
- Delivery addresses and whether kits arrive assembled.
Send us your brief and we return two or three kit options within 2 working days.
