How To Save Money On Your Custom Printed Tent (A Beginner’s Guide): Part 2

Now that you understand Tip #1 discussed in Part 1, we can dive right into tips 2-6 on how to save on your next custom printed canopy.

Tip #2: When it Comes to Your Tent Logo, Keep It Simple

Have a simple version of your logo that is just 1 or 2 colors.  Small pieces of color in the logo, fades or drop shadows cannot be seen from a distance.  Why waste your marketing budget on tent details that won’t attract the eye of your potential customers?

 Tip #3: Color Choice Matters

Select a canopy fabric color that is the same as one of your logo colors. If your logo is a blue star with a red moon in the center, then you can go from a two-color print to a one-color print by selecting a red canopy top and only printing the blue star. Simply “drop out” to the red canopy fabric for the red moon  

 Tip #4: Know Where You’re Using

If you’re going to be using the canopy mostly indoors, or just a few times a year, tell your supplier. There are different levels of steel strength and aluminum. The assumption may be that you need the tent for consistent outdoor use.

 Tip # 5: Bundle Buy

If you’ll be using more than one printed tent over the course of the year, you should consider buying them at the same time - so everything is printed at once. The savings are significant! Because your artwork is already converted to print-ready format, take advantage and have your vendor quote you for additional products you’re considering, such as table covers, bow flags and banners. At the very least, you’ll have an understanding of other promotional items available.

Tip #6: Order Early

Avoid rush charges and overnight fees by ordering your custom tents at least 3 weeks before your event. The overnight fees charged by shipping companies are exorbitant on even small packages. Rush shipping a 70 lb. packaged tent? Not a way to save.

Tip #7: Ask for Help

Ask for advice before you design.  If you have a logo and an idea of what you’d like, call one of our design experts for advice.  They can quote you for a range of custom tent options and create a layout for no charge. If you’re thinking about purchasing a custom canopy tent, asking for help is the best place to begin!

MVP Visuals is a supplier of custom printed trade show table covers and displays.

How To Save Money On Your Custom Printed Tent (A Beginner’s Guide): Part 1

Custom printed canopy tents are super popular these days for events and trade shows and serve as an excellent branding opportunity. But are you overspending during the planning process? Let’s find out!

Here are a few pointers to save money on your next canopy tent order.         

Tip #1: Understand the Print Methods

Since the print is a large part of the overall cost, let’s discuss the print process first. Canopy tents can be printed in two different ways:

1.      Screen Printed

2.      Digitally Printed

Due to the advances in digital printing technology over the years, the pricing for 4 color process digital printing has come down significantly. However, a 1 or 2 color screen print could still be less expensive depending on your design. The bottom line: how you design your tent will impact the price.  

Screen Print

A screen print is when the printer is actually taking ink and pulling it over a screen with film of your logo cut out on it.  For a spot color screen print, you need to create a new screen for every color. For example: if you have a 2-color logo tent, two separate screens will be created. Once the screen is built, the cost of running the ink over the screen is small in comparison to the cost of building the screen. So if you have a 2-color logo, and would like two different sizes of that logo printed, the total number of screens created is 4. As a result, we’d recommend screen printing when using the same logo (at the same size) in as many locations as possible.

Digital Print

The digital process uses a formula of ink with the four colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK) to “build” the color.  Because the dots are printed right on the material, it’s necessary to start with a white substrate, or base material.  So any time you’d like your printed tent to be a color other than white (or our 22 stock colors), it requires “full coverage printing” – meaning the entire tent has to be dyed. We’d recommend asking in advance what stock colors are available. As a result, digital printing is more cost effective in two areas: when there are 2+ colors on more than 1 peak or valance or when there are 3+ colors anywhere.

We’ll always help you through the order process, but hopefully this gives you a head start. Now that we’ve covered the canopy tent print process, you’re ready for the additional tips in our next post!

MVP Visuals is a supplier of trade show table covers and