Pad printing

Category overview

We offer a wide range of branded merch in this category:

• pen
• keyring
• lighter
• mug
• USB drive
• power bank

Česko a EU kontext

Czech and EU context. The standard VAT rate of 21% applies to merch products and gadgets in Česko — 12% for selected services and goods (e.g. printed publications), 0% for exports outside the EU. From January 2025 mandatory e-faktura (ISDOC) applies to all B2B transactions — full integration with client financial systems (SAP, Pohoda, Money S3, ABRA). Czech remains the default language on invoices and labels, English standard in international documents. ÚOOÚ (Office for Personal Data Protection) requires GDPR and Personal Data Protection Act 101/2000 Coll. compliance when collecting employee data for merch programs (names, numbers, size preferences). GOTS, GRS, FSC, OEKO-TEX Standard 100, EU Ecolabel certificates are honoured across the EU — for products in food contact Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 also applies. pen, keyring, lighter categories fall under these regulations and we work in full compliance.

Cenotvorba a rámce

Pricing and financial framework. We quote in CZK or EUR with 21% VAT (standard rate). For enterprise clients we offer framework agreements with volume discount tiers — from 5% at CZK 100,000 annually to 15% at CZK 1,000,000 annually. Payment by proforma invoice 50% deposit + 50% before dispatch for new clients; for recurring B2B clients payment terms 14-30 days. We accept SEPA bank transfers (CZK and EUR), payment cards via Stripe, deferred payments for the public sector. Invoices are issued in ISDOC format from January 2025 as mandatory. For pen, keyring, lighter categories the standard price tiers apply — 250-1,250 CZK net per piece for basic products, 1,250-5,000 CZK net for premium gifts.

Dodací lhůty

Lead time. Standard cycle for pen, keyring, lighter — 5-8 working days (digital proofing + production + control + delivery). For projects with extensive personalisation (Pantone embroidery, debossing, name-personalised digital print) — 10-15 working days. For Asia imports (production + sea freight + customs clearance at Hamburg or Bremerhaven) — 8-12 weeks. During the autumn season (September-November) and pre-Christmas period (November-December) timelines extend by 1-2 weeks. For recurring B2B clients we maintain a 10% warehouse buffer — we recommend quarterly planning ahead.

Sezónní plánování

Seasonal planning. Česko has strong B2B merch seasons — January-February (new year welcome, annual plans), April-May (Easter, Mother’s Day), June (end of school year, summer collection launches), September (back-to-school, trade shows), October-November (conferences, Q4 launches), December (Christmas, Black Friday). Onboarding programs for new employees are most often launched in January and September. For pen, keyring, lighter categories the customer campaign calendar should be synchronised 6-8 weeks ahead to avoid production and delivery delays.

Doprava a logistika

Shipping and logistics. Central warehouse in Praha (Praha 10 - Hostivař). Shipping via Česká pošta (Balík do ruky, Balík na poštu, EMS), PPL (24h delivery within ČR), Zásilkovna (pickup points across ČR), GLS Česko, DHL Česko (domestic and international express), DPD Česko, UPS Česko, FedEx (international Express 1-3 days). Delivery time in Česko 24-48h, in EU 3-5 days, outside EU 5-10 days. We deliver multi-address (e.g. to company branches in Praha, Brno, Ostrava, Plzeň, Liberec, Olomouc, České Budějovice, Hradec Králové) with individual packaging per address. For pen, keyring, lighter the standard packaging is cardboard boxes with paper filling for transport protection.

What it is

The pen technique is one of 13 decoration methods offered by Corp-Merch in Česko — each method has its optimal material, batch and quality range. pen provides durable and aesthetic B2B merch decoration — withstands industrial washing, abrasion and UV exposure without colour or shape loss.

For B2B clients in Česko we offer pen in variants matched to the brief — Pantone colours, ICC FOGRA39 profiles, AQL 1.0-2.5 control. pen requires digital proofing (PDF/X-1a) and a physical pre-production sample before launching the full run.

Czech and European production facilities in the pen technology offer different quality tiers — economy, mid and premium. Each project in pen technology passes AQL inspection — random 5-10% sample of the batch checked visually and dimensionally before packing.

pen in the eco version (water-based inks, no solvents) meets ESG requirements of brands with CSRD reporting. For recurring B2B clients in pen technology we maintain a 10% ready-stock buffer for re-prints and loyalty programs.

The pen technique is one of 13 decoration methods offered by Corp-Merch in Česko — each method has its optimal material, batch and quality range. pen is the most frequently ordered product in the pen category — popular in onboarding, event and loyalty programs in Česko.

keyring in the branded version is a standard element of welcome packs for new employees and enterprise clients in Praha. lighter with the client logo works well in seasonal campaigns and ambassador programs — 5-8 week lead time.

mug is available in Pantone-accurate variants, with certificates and premium gift or eco packaging. USB drive accompanies Corp-Merch clients from the first brief to delivery, with a dedicated project owner.

Selection of power bank in the pen category is based on client brief specifications, warehouse availability and campaign calendar.

When to order

Standard lead time for pen is 3-5 working days for proofing + 5-8 days for serial production with AQL control. Seasonal windows should be reserved early — Black Friday and Christmas require 6-8 weeks total.

For pen with multi-colour design (Pantone 4-6 colours) the cycle is 8-12 weeks. Express 24-72 hour turnaround is available for pen from the local Praha studio.

The July-August holiday period extends production by 1-2 weeks at partners. For pen with name personalisation production requires the names file — deliver 2 weeks before production date.

The proofing cycle for pen is 2-3 working days (digital mockup PDF/X-1a) + 3-5 days for a physical sample. Quarterly quality audits at partner facilities happen once per quarter.

Standard lead time for pen is 3-5 working days for proofing + 5-8 days for serial production with AQL control. pen — summer collection available from March to August, 8 weeks ahead of first delivery.

keyring — autumn collection launched in August-September, delivery October-November. lighter — limited holiday edition, brief in October, delivery first half of December.

mug — warehouse rotation quarterly; minimum reasonable execution time 4-6 weeks for pen. USB drive — spring collection launched in January-February with delivery in March-April.

Calendar of power bank is synchronised with the customer campaign calendar — brief 6-8 weeks before the premiere date.

Specification

Technical specification of pen — Pantone Coated/Uncoated for brand colours, ICC profiles for CMYK, min. 300 dpi for bitmaps. Screens and forms — screen-printing (120-180 mesh for textiles, 200-300 mesh for paper), DTG (Epson 1440 dpi), DTF (75 μm PET films).

Embroidery threads — Madeira Polyneon 40 (polyester, 401 colours), Coats Sylko (metallised gold/silver). Inks — Pantone Aqua screen-printing (water-based, eco-class), Plastisol (durable, intense colour), special (metallic, fluorescent).

Tests and certificates — OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for inks and textiles, GOTS for organic cotton, REACH, EN 71. Quality control — AQL 1.0-2.5, 100% visual inspection for premium details, 5-10% sampling for economy series.

Production files — Adobe Illustrator (AI) or EPS with Pantone colours, PDF/X-1a for proofing, 3D mockup for client approval. Personalisation — serial numbering (UV print), QR codes (screen-printing or sticker), name variants from CSV/Excel database.

Technical specification of pen — Pantone Coated/Uncoated for brand colours, ICC profiles for CMYK, min. 300 dpi for bitmaps. Specification of pen — Pantone Coated/Uncoated for brand colours, min. 300 dpi for bitmaps, AI/EPS/SVG files for logo.

Materials of keyring — OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificates, optional GOTS for organic cotton or GRS for recycled polyester. Decoration of lighter — Pantone Aqua screen-printing (water-based inks), DTF, embroidery with Madeira Polyneon threads — AQL 1.0-2.5 control.

Packaging of mug — cardboard boxes with paper filling or EPS; multilingual labels CS/EN/DE. Logistics of USB drive — Praha (Hostivař) warehouse, shipping via Česká pošta (Balík), PPL, Zásilkovna, GLS, DHL, DPD, UPS, FedEx.

Documentation of power bank — 21% VAT invoice in CZK in ISDOC format (mandatory from January 2025), CMR for international transport.

Common mistakes

Wrong file resolution — 72 dpi bitmaps look sharp on monitor but pixelate in production; minimum 300 dpi at 1:1. Wrong Pantone colours — Pantone Coated for glossy paper, Pantone Uncoated for matte paper.

Missing bleeds — files without 3-5 mm bleeds cause white edges in production. Too small elements — text below 6 pt is unreadable in screen-printing, lines thinner than 0.3 mm disappear in DTF.

Wrong colour encoding in PDF — RGB instead of CMYK causes colour shifts; conversion requires ICC FOGRA39 profile. Missing 3D mockup before production — client approves the visualisation but the end effect on the product differs.

Order without a physical sample — a material sample with logo reveals colour, size and positioning problems. Missing technical specification in brief — without material weight, colour count and decoration area the vendor cannot quote correctly.

Wrong file resolution — 72 dpi bitmaps look sharp on monitor but pixelate in production; minimum 300 dpi at 1:1. Brief submitted too late for pen — submit the order at least 6 weeks before the event.

Wrong choice of keyring — not all decoration techniques work on every material; we recommend a sample. Underestimating volume of lighter — order with 10% buffer, a re-print after approval costs 40-80% more.

Pantone colour confusion on mug — Pantone Coated for glossy, Pantone Uncoated for matte paper. Ignoring certificates on USB drive — OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for skin-contact textiles.

Seasonality overlooked for power bank — Christmas, Mikuláš and Black Friday require 6-8 weeks lead time.

Execution process

File intake — AI/EPS/PDF check with Pantone colours, dimensions and 300 dpi resolution. Mockup preparation — digital design on a product mockup for client approval.

Matrix / form production — screen-printing, DTG, DTF or die production for debossing. Printing / marking — production in a controlled environment with ongoing quality control.

AQL control — 5-10% sampling of the batch per AQL 1.0-2.5 criteria. Drying and fixing — UV drying for UV print, thermo-fixing for sublimation, cooling for pad printing.

Final inspection — 100% visual inspection for premium orders, sampling for economy series. Dispatch — packing and preparation for transport via contracted carriers.

File intake — AI/EPS/PDF check with Pantone colours, dimensions and 300 dpi resolution. Process for pen — brief → product selection → digital design → physical sample → approval → production → control → delivery.

keyring starts with the client's brand manual review and Pantone colour definition. For lighter we prepare 2-3 design variants for client selection.

After approval of mug we launch production at the partner facility with ongoing AQL control. USB drive goes through 100% visual inspection for premium orders, sampling for economy series.

Dispatch of power bank goes via contracted carriers (Česká pošta / PPL / Zásilkovna / GLS / DHL / DPD / UPS / FedEx).

Compliance and certificates

Inks used in pen screen-printing — Pantone Aqua water-based (eco-class, OEKO-TEX), Plastisol (durable, intense colour). REACH compliance (EU Regulation 1907/2006) — no SVHC above 0.1% w/w.

RoHS compliance for electronics — limits on lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB, PBDE. OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for decorated textiles — class I or II depending on use.

GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) for organic cotton — full traceability from field to finished product. GRS (Global Recycled Standard) for recycled polyester — minimum 20% recycled content, full supply chain traceability.

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) for paper and wood — certified renewable sources, full chain of custody. 21% VAT invoice in CZK — from January 2025 mandatory ISDOC; all invoices for B2B clients are in ISDOC.

Inks used in pen screen-printing — Pantone Aqua water-based (eco-class, OEKO-TEX), Plastisol (durable, intense colour). pen is supplied with OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificate for skin contact (class I or II).

REACH compliance for keyring — no SVHC above 0.1% w/w. RoHS for lighter in case of electronics — heavy metal limits.

GOTS certification for organic cotton in mug — full traceability. GRS for recycled polyester in USB drive — minimum 20% recycled content.

21% VAT invoice for power bank — from January 2025 mandatory ISDOC format.

Lifecycle

Short-term (1-3 months) — event campaigns, product launches, onboarding programs with dedicated decoration personalisation. Medium-term (3-12 months) — merch programs with quarterly catalogue rotation, ambassador programs with name personalisation.

Long-term (1-3 years) — framework agreements with fixed setups, screen-printing screen storage. Continuous improvement — Pantone colour calibration quarterly, replacement of worn screens.

Screen lifecycle management — screen-printing screens have a lifespan of 50,000-100,000 impressions. Sustainable lifecycle — transition from Plastisol to water-based inks, recycling of screens and PET films.

After-sales support — colour, quality and durability claims processed in 3 working days. Evaluation and reporting — for enterprise clients quarterly Pantone usage and AQL results reports.

Short-term (1-3 months) — event campaigns, product launches, onboarding programs with dedicated decoration personalisation. Short-term pen is used in event campaigns and product launches — 5-8 week lead time.

Medium-term keyring powers onboarding and ambassador programs — quarterly rotation, 10% warehouse buffering. Long-term lighter is part of loyalty programs — framework agreement with 5-15% volume discounts.

mug in sustainable lifecycle — recycled materials (GRS, GOTS, FSC) and return program for used products. USB drive — continuous improvement: catalogue updated quarterly, new eco collections every 6 months.

power bank — after-sales support: claims processed in 3 working days, re-prints in 7-14 working days, returns of defective batches at our cost.

Frequently asked questions