9 ways to make your printed carrier bags stand out
If your business offers printed carrier bags to customers, then you could be sitting on a marketing goldmine. You are literally marketing your products or services wherever the customer takes your printed carrier bags – and all for the small cost of that bag! The question is – are you making the most of […]
How carrier bags revolutionised the shopping market
The modern lightweight carrier bag, dating back to the 1960’s, is the invention of Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin. Thulin, who worked for Celloplast, the well-established producer of cellulose film, developed a method of forming a simple one-piece bag by folding, welding and die-cutting a flat tube of plastic to produce a bag. This simple, […]
What’s in a brand? How to build a brand that carries
We all know that your brand is your name, your design, your identity; but there is so much more to it if you want to be a step ahead of your competitors. You need to build a brand that people recognise and become familiar with; then, your brand will become one of your company’s […]
Things to Think About When Designing Your Bag Artwork
You are ready to take a momentous marketing step and invest in printed bags for your business – great! We love welcoming new clients to the world of custom printed bags. Before you get ahead of yourself, there are lots of things to think about when designing artwork for your printed bags to ensure […]
Reusable printed bags: the unsung hero of the packaging world
How many different printed bags do you have at home? Quite a few I imagine. We use them to carry groceries, to carry our gym kit, to pack our children off to school each day, to store other bags (we all do it!) etc. We use printed bags so frequently and with such little […]
Which size bag is right for you?
If you’ve taken a look around our website you’ll know that we produce lots of printed bags in lots of styles and lots of sizes. Choice is great, but do you know which size bag is right for you? I spoke to the team here at The Printed Bag Shop and between us we’ve put […]
Our FREE Kindle Offer Is Continuing!
Because this promotion has been such a hit, we’ve decided to keep giving away a FREE Amazon Kindle with all orders worth over £800 (exc VAT) on an ongoing basis! The free gift we’re giving away is the Amazon Kindle Fire 7, a tablet with a 7″ display which includes Alexa voice control and 8gb […]
Design Trends for 2018
It’s looking like old is new again when it comes to design trends for 2018. While simple minimalist styles won’t disappear, graphic design trends from the past will put in an appearance again with some fresh modern twists. If you’re looking to be ‘on trend’ with your branding, we’ve picked out some of the design […]
Practical graphic design tips for small businesses
World Graphics Day, also known as World Design Day, takes place on 27th April every year. This day to celebrate the talents of Graphic Designers around the world was established by the International Council of Graphic Design Associates, which was founded on 27th April 1963. As well as celebrating the birthday of the International […]
Our Top Sports Goodie Bag Ideas
As it’s the day of the London Marathon, and with lots more sporting events coming up throughout the summer, we thought it the perfect time to tell you about our top sports goodie bag ideas. The London Marathon is a big, much publicised event, but all over the country there are fundraising sports events […]
Case Studies: Printed Bags for Coffee Shops
Did you know that today is the start of UK Coffee Week? It’s a nationwide celebration of coffee, uniting the industry with its customers in a fundraiser to help the communities that grow the coffee we love. The London Coffee Festival (12-15 April) kicks off UK Coffee Week (16-22 April) with 250 artisan coffee […]
£1 Million Milestone: An Interview with TPBS MD, Craig Smith
There’s a whiteboard on the wall in The Printed Bag Shop office. It sits between printed bags of all shapes, sizes and colours from previous customers – some you’d recognise, some you wouldn’t. Drawn on it is a thermometer, with revenue targets in place of temperatures. The whole thing is coloured in, with some […]
Is paper better than plastic for the environment?
With all the talk of plastic waste and the damage it is causing to our planet and the creatures on it, more and more businesses are looking to go plastic free, and are turning to paper alternatives instead. Whilst there are lot of long term benefits to choosing paper products, there are (perhaps surprisingly) […]
April Special Offer: FREE Amazon Kindle!
We’ve got a new special offer for you in April, and it’s one of our most popular free gifts returning! Similarly to last month, we’re giving away a FREE Amazon Kindle with all orders worth over £800 (exc VAT) that are approved between 9am Tuesday April 3rd and 5pm Monday April 30th! The free […]
Make the change from plastic to printed paper bags
Already this year we are seeing many of our long-term plastic bag customers looking to make the change from plastic to printed paper bags. As public awareness grows about the negative impact that plastic has on our oceans and environment thanks to stuff like BBC’s Blue Planet, more and more companies (and individuals) are […]
What Are Printing Plates?
We get questions from customers all the time about printing plates – what are they, why do we have to charge for them and when do you need to pay them? Printing plates are used to transfer images and text onto the surface you want to print on. Whether it’s printed bags, magazines, catalogues […]
What you need to know about the Spring Statement 2018
In this week’s Spring 2018 Statement, Chancellor Philip Hammond promised ‘our best days lie ahead of us.’ While economists say that the growth outlook is woeful, the Chancellor says that there is light at the end of the tunnel – but with a Brexit divorce bill of around £37bn, that is an extremely long […]
How can apprenticeships benefit small businesses?
Have you given much thought into the question – how can apprenticeships benefit small businesses? We have, and with National Apprenticeship Week 2018 starting today, what better time to share these benefits with you? Trades and skills have to be learned; without good apprenticeship and traineeship schemes, the country will find itself without these […]
March Special Offer: FREE Amazon Echo Dot!
We are back with a fantastic new special offer for you lucky lot, this time for the whole of March! Drum roll please… We are giving away a FREE Amazon Echo Dot with ALL orders worth over £800 (exc VAT) which are approved between 9am March 1st and 4pm March 30th. Yep, you heard […]
How Can SMEs Incorporate Fairtrade Into Their Business?
With Fairtrade Fortnight upon us, how can Fairtrade for SMEs be incorporated into your business? Fairtrade is not just about coffee and bananas, it’s about being a part of a fair trade supply chain. From the producer, to the distributor, to the consumer, there is an opportunity to be a part of this fantastic […]
Fairtrade Fortnight 2018: What is Fairtrade?
Here at The Printed Bag Shop we believe in fair trade, ensuring that we source all of our products as ethically as we can. But what is Fairtrade and what does it mean? The definition of Fairtrade from The World Fair Trade Organisation is this:- Fairtrade is a trading partnership, based on […]
Why Do Printed Laminated Bags Cost So Much?
Would you love to have laminated bags to hand over to your customers, but don’t get why they can cost so much more than other paper carrier bags? We are often asked ‘Why do laminated bags cost so much?’. The simple answer is – the laminated bags that we offer at The Printed Bag […]
February Prize Draw – Win A Hotel Chocolat Subscription!
How would you like a free delivery of delicious, luxurious chocolates right to your door, every month for the next 6 months? Thought you might! We are running a prize draw in the run up to Valentine’s Day which gives you, our customer, the chance to win a FREE 6 month subscription to Hotel […]
Ultraviolet: Pantone Colour of the Year 2018
It’s here; the Pantone Colour of the Year that will influence design, print and fashion for 2018. The Pantone Institute have announced that PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet is their Colour of the Year for 2018. A provocative yet thoughtful shade of purple that speaks of individuality, visionary thinking towards the future and the unknown, […]
Handwriting in Design: Why it works and how you can use it
In recognition of National Handwriting Day, we thought it fitting to bring you an article on the benefits of using handwriting in your business’s branding and design: why it works and how you can use it. The history of National Handwriting Day National Handwriting Day has been around over 40 years. It […]
PM’s 25 Year Plastic Plan To Eradicate Avoidable Waste
Last week, UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced a 25 year plastic plan which aims to eradicate avoidable plastic waste. It comes as part of a commitment the government is making to vastly improve our natural environment, and drastically reduce the impact of single use plastic on our oceans and landscapes. Saying “I think people […]
How colour consistency can vary between materials
The choice of colour you make for your branding is what differentiates you from your competitors, giving your company and products an identity that will stand out in the crowded marketplace. The big question is how do you keep this brand defining colour consistent across the different mediums it appears on? Your brand colours need […]
10 Marketing Tips For Promotional Merchandising Companies
We work with lots of promotional merchandise companies every day, providing them with high quality, bespoke printed bags and packaging for their clients – not to mention, we are a promotional merchandise company ourselves! You may be a pro at providing promo stuff to other businesses – but how well are you marketing yourselves? […]
3 core things to consider when updating your brand
Have you been thinking about updating your brand? With so many avenues for exposure these days, it’s even more important that you keep up with trends and maintain branding that can hold its own against your competitors, whether it’s on social media, Google searches, or trade shows and exhibitions. There are many aspects to a […]
Pantone’s Colour Report for Spring 2018
It’s time to check out the Pantone Fashion Colour Trend Report for Spring 2018! This year, the talented team at the Pantone Colour Institute have created a colour palette that encourages self-expression with 12 call-out shades and 4 seasonal classics. The colour on the catwalk is always a key indicator of the colour trends we […]
