September 08, 2020
5 Ideas for Better Masks
Try these tips and tricks for designing and selling the new promo staple.
Custom masks have become an important part of most people’s wardrobes during the coronavirus pandemic. To meet the demand, distributors and decorators in the promo industry have been experimenting with the best ways to decorate these essential items. Here are some tips and tricks for better face masks.
Advanced Impressions in Colorado Springs, CO, invested in a dye sublimation printer so it could create fun and unique masks designs to sell online.
1. Get creative with sublimation. The desire to provide custom masks to customers actually inspired Advanced Impressions (asi/109006) in Colorado Springs, CO, to invest in some new equipment. The distributor purchased a dye sublimation printer to decorate the new product category, according to Vice President Tom Heun. “We had been talking about getting into small-scale sublimation anyway to have more control of the one-off items we source for our webstores,” he says. “We figured this was good timing.” A mask with an outer layer of polyester is a perfect candidate for dye sublimation. (Typically, poly masks have an inner layer of cotton – as well as a pocket for optional filter – to increase their effectiveness at blocking droplets.)
A sublimated mask allows for bright and bold decoration, since it can print a full spectrum of colors across the full mask that won’t impede breathing. Many decorators are having fun with sublimation, transforming the lower half of a wearer’s face into an animal, cartoon character, celebrity or even copying the wearer’s own visage. As Halloween approaches, expect even more light-hearted facial fare.
Pithy Tees created this mask for an ice cream shop. The kid’s version has the logo front and center, which works since the logo design has a transparent background and few solid shapes.
2. Don’t block airflow. If you’re screen printing a mask, it’s usually best to put a logo or decoration on the left side of the mask so the plastisol ink doesn’t obstruct breathing. An exception to this rule would be if the logo being used has a transparent background and is made up of lines, rather than an abundance of solid shapes, says Mandy Buoni of Pithy Tees in West Chester, PA. Buoni created a mask for an ice cream store and was able to put the decoration in the middle of the mask because of how open the logo was.
3. Be unique with tie-dye. “If you’re selling masks to the general public, they want stuff that’s a little more signature,” Buoni says. Since the pandemic began, she’s sold hundreds of tie-dyed masks. Buoni actually tie-dyes the masks herself by hand, a labor-intensive task that nonetheless adds value to a one-off product.
4. Try heat transfers. Another good option for decorating masks are heat transfers, which allow you to quickly create custom designs without tying up a lot of inventory. High-quality transfers are durable, flexible and detailed. Buoni is able to turn around masks in a day or two, using “stretchy, but not shiny” water-based transfers from a supplier she recently discovered. “That’s been a game changer,” she says.
Health kits with custom masks are a great way to show employee and customer appreciation.
5. Pitch “mask packs.” Rather than coming up with one perfect mask design for a business, Nic Thomassen, creative director of Top 40 distributor Kotis Design (asi/244898) in Seattle, WA, suggests creating two different designs “so the user has options when it comes to the look.” One mask could be a staid and straightforward single-color logo on the side of the face. The other mask could be a bold front-and-center mascot or a fun, all-over print or pattern. After all, most people will need to have more than one mask in their wardrobe, and are likely to appreciate the opportunity to change up their look based on the venue. Pair the masks with a mesh laundry bag (for easy washing and reuse) and custom kitting to create a high-value experience.
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