What is balloon printing?
Balloon printing is quite simply the process of putting some kind of graphic onto the exterior of a balloon. Balloon printing companies have been around for a long time, but contemporary printing techniques and new machinery are helping to improve the scope of what type of balloons can be printed on, and what logos can be applied.
Balloons may have multi-coloured designs printed onto their surfaces, and this can be enhanced by using smart designs and making use of the colour of the balloon itself. It is likewise possible to print onto both sides of a balloon, so no matter where people are standing in relation to the balloon they should be able to see the printed images. Printing can be put on to both latex and foil balloons.
This article hopes to spotlight just a few of the possible uses of personalised, printed balloons.
Advantages
Balloons are great because they are not an overly expensive 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 quickly see the monetary benefits of branded balloons.
One of the more exciting things about using printed balloons at any kind of event is the great flexibility they offer. Today’s balloon technology allows such a wide range of styles, sizes and colours that you can really let your imaginationrun wild and let your creative side to take over. There are some limitations, but most people are surprised at what can be achieved with just balloons.
This flexibility becomes even greater when you start using balloons collectively to create balloon strings or sculptures. You can mix different coloured balloons to great effect and create bold patterns, or use different shapes and sizes of balloons to create eye-catching displays.
Another fantastic benefit of utilizing balloons is that they are incredibly lightweight. This makes them extremely easy to move about and to sculpt into various sculptures. You won’t need to hire moving men or forklift trucks to get them to where you need them to be! The other great advantage is that if you are going to fill them on location, many hundreds of balloons will fit into a handbag. This means they can easily be used to decorate even the most remote of locations.
Why not get creative and create your very own custom printed balloons to give as presents for family members or a loved one?
For social events
Getting a set of your own, customised, printed balloons at a social event always adds an extra factor of fun and interest to what you are doing. Whether the function you are attending is a reasonably formal affair, such as a grand dinner party, or a quite informal occasion, such as a stag or hen party, you will find that printed balloons can really make the night stand out.
Wedding parties
Wedding parties are the perfect occasion for utilizingprinted balloons to spruce up your setting. They are both formal and informal events at the same moment, with a serious intent but also a focus on having fun and savoring the day.
During the wedding meal, photo-taking or any other official announcements, you can use some smart balloons printed to complement your surroundings. Then when the partyreally begins you can use a collection of fun balloons having a personalised wedding message. Or how about balloons personalised with either the bride or grooms picture 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 entail some form of dressing up or adornment. So why not make use of printed balloons as a way of “jazzing up” your evening and really making your party stand out from the masses.
L-plate balloons. One of the more recognisable elements of a hen party is the bride to be wearing driving L-plates on their clothing. It is a classic touch that usually makes the lucky lady stand out from her group of hens. But there is no reason to limit yourself to embellishing outfits. Why not print an L-plate on a large balloon and attach it to the bride to be. Then everybody will easily know who to watch out for during the rest of the night!
Nickname balloons. Groups of men out on stag nights will frequently have their pictures and nicknames used by their good 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 hand them out to members of your stag party. You can even make a competition out of who manages to get their balloon safely through the night!
Decorating functions
Branded balloons at events do not have to be highly conspicuous or gaudy. In fact, you will find that there are several ways that you can organise printed balloons to create very stylish effects. At many formal events, such as award ceremonies or grand birthday parties, balloons can turn out to be an interesting piece of furniture as opposed to an outlandish statement.
The great flexibility that comes with employing balloons at events means that they can be both promotional and ornamental. You could use a printed pattern on the balloons and then gather lots of them together to give the impression of dynamic wallpaper! On the other hand you could use the surface area of the balloons to print your corporate branding or a message you want to get across to your guests.
To make your balloons really soar above others use helium gas cylinders that can inflate large quantities of plain or printed balloons.
For corporate events
Whilst many of us relate memories of balloons with birthday parties when we were children, printed balloons can also be used in a more adult environment. The use of printed balloons can actually be very advantageous in the commercial world. While they are not an obvious option, there are innovative ways to use balloons for business purposes.
Exhibitions
Anyone who has had a space at a corporate exhibition will know just how much competition there is for space and just how hard everybody 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 truly stand out. But rather than just contending on the same playing field as your competitors, 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 immediately 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 over and above the reach of regular advertising.
Just like printing your logo or corporate message onto carrier bags or other packaging, printing onto balloons provides a mobile marketing space that you don’t have to carry around yourself. Each and every time you hand out a printed balloon to a customer at the exhibition, you are effectually giving out a promotional item for your firm that will be relocatingaround.
Yet another great advantage of using printed balloons as a corporate advertising tool is the price. No matter what state the overall 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 methods. For a relativelylow price you can get hold of a good number of balloons, all printed with your customised message.
It is very important to note that using a 100 percent balloon-based treatment as your marketing plan will not always bring the results you are looking for. It is a great deal better to use printed balloons as one part of your advertising campaign.
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Balloon printing options
There are two primary types of balloon that can be printed on; latex balloons and foil balloons.
Latex balloons are the most common type of balloon. They are the teardrop shaped balloons that are somewhat rubbery in texture. They now come in a wide range of colour options, and you can actually get balloons that are semi-transparent or have a metallic surface finish. All latex balloons can be printed on but it is well worth bearing in mind the base colouring of the balloon when creating a design.
Foil balloons are in fact made from mylar, and rather than being formed of one solitary piece of material they are more commonly made by sealing two individual pieces together. This hemming procedure allows for a wide range of different shapes, including stars and hearts. Combined with their shiny finish, foil balloons have become extremely popular for printing personalised messages for special events.
The environmental impact
Balloons are a consumable item, therefore people are often worried about the effect they have on the environment. The good news is that balloons are in fact quite an eco friendly product and using them will not have a harmful effect on the natural world. Many experiments have been carried out that support this view.
Latex balloons are made of a material called natural rubber latex (NRL) which is gathered from trees in tropical locations. The trees are merely 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 even be used on the compost heap! Latex balloons will decay at different speeds according to the circumstances they are left in, although testing has shown that they will usually decompose entirely within 6 months. This is the same length of time as oak leaves need to decompose.
Get your own printed balloons
Hopefully this article will have pointed out a few of the scenarios that printed balloons are well matched to, and perhaps you are already thinking about an upcoming occasion where balloons would make a great party piece.
If you would like to find out more about obtaining your own customised printed balloons, there are many businesses that are now offering balloon printing as a service. By searching on-line you will be able to locate a balloon printing company that could help you out.