Wear Tested – The "Not for Polo-Wearing Women" Polo

I am NOT a polo-person. No, not someone who plays polo, but one of many women who don't like wearing polos. Being in this industry, I see a lot of polos. I see a lot of polos I think look nice. But try as I might, whenever I put one on, I just feel like I should be headed out to the golf course. It's just not a shirt style I find fits with MY style.

However, I did just recently try out a new style from Sanmar, that I can truthfully say, is now one of my favorite shirts. Never did I think I'd have a polo that made it's way not only out of my closet, but one I would find myself wanting to wear almost weekly.


What made the difference? A few key things:

L558 Fine Stripe Ladies Polo

• It doesn't scream "POLO SHIRT." The raglan sleeves with ruching give it style women will appreciate. It's not a man's shirt.

• The fabric is soft, light, but not too light, and stretchy.

• It's got a contoured silhouette so no more boxy men's look.

• The fine stripes give it a rich look.

• A self fabric collar make it dressier looking than your typical ribbed collar.

• Its longer length hits just right and doesn't ride up.

• Looks great with dressier pants or jeans.

K558 Fine Stripe Men's Polo

This style also comes with a companion men's style, which looks and performs just as well. The combination of the two would make a great addition to any employee apparel program or purchases you might have coming up. When buying corporate apparel, you want your employees to look great and feel good about what they are wearing. This definitely fits both of those needs.


For a little more creative touch, think about decorating a small icon on the collar or sleeve in a tone-on-tone thread, instead of the usual left chest. Keeping the decoration professional yet unobtrusive ensures the item will be worn more than just around the office.




Check out all the available colors and more details:  Click here for More Info

Charge Ahead – Mobile Power Banks

One of the most popular products this year is mobile device chargers or power banks. It seem almost every supplier in our industry has added a variety of chargers, all with different price points and mAh levels.

And what the heck is an mAh?

Milliampere hours, or mAh, is the standard measurement of battery capacity. The more mAh a battery has, the longer it will run. Likewise, the higher the mAh number on the portable charger, the more it will be able to charge.

So what is a good mAh amount for a charger? Well, it all depends on what you need or want to charge. Here's some mAh levels for some common devices:

iPhone 5S: 1570

Galaxy S3: 2100

Galaxy Note: 2500

iPad Air: 8820

iPad 3: 11,560

With this in mind, now look at the mAh level on the charger:

2200 mAh: Can fully charge an iPhone or a Galaxy S3

4400 mAh: Can fully charge the above and a Galaxy Note, with charge left over

5200 mAh: Fully charges all the above and about 60% of an iPad 3

11,000 mAh: Fully charge most all devices, or charge more than one device at a time

So, which device is right for you? It depends on how you want to use it. Do you just need enough power to charge your device for a couple hours before you can get to an electrical source? Do you need to be able to charge multiple devices at the same time or before recharging the power bank? Do you want the device to display the amount of charging capacity left? Do you need multiple inputs?

Once you narrow down how you will use your power bank, then it's just a matter of selecting the charger to fit your needs.

When it comes to electronics, we like to stick with suppliers who will back up their product.

Click the link below to view just a few of the power banks available. Call us for more specific pricing and options though, as this is an ever-changing category.

Power Banks Link

Embroider It Right

We work with a lot of embroidery orders, and getting the art right can sometimes be a bit tricky. Artwork for embroidery tends to have more restrictions than other types of imprints, so care to detail is a must.

Here's a quick overview of the basic requirements for embroidery:

• Start with a good, clean vector file whenever possible.
• Vector files are artwork which was created in Illustrator or Corel
• The smallest text should be a minimum of 1/4" tall
• Text may need to be stretched to reach this minimum height, or stacked and enlarged
• Keep graphics simple, not a lot of fine detail
• Fine detail is difficult to reproduce, so keep lines at least 2pts wide
• Do not use gradients whenever possible
• Gradients cannot be reproduced as smoothly as they appear on the computer

If you are unsure if your artwork will work for embroidery, just shoot it over to us and we'll review it. We've worked with hundreds of artwork files for embroidery and will be able to let you know if your artwork will reproduce well, or if it needs to be altered for best stitching results.

Opening Illustrator Files in Older Versions

It can be costly to keep up on the latest versions of all your software. If you're like us, you don't automatically upgrade as soon as a new version comes out. However, if you have to work with files someone else has created in a newer version, it can cause some problems if you don't upgrade.

I just came across a neat little trick if you're dealing with this situation in Illustrator. We've started receiving files created in CS6, while we currently are running CS5. Now if the files are saved as PDF's instead of EPS or AI format, it's not an issue. They will open up fine in CS5. However, if they are EPS or AI, they won't open. This can cause some lost time and also some frustration on both sides, trying to get files in a different format.

However, instead of requesting a new file format, here's a simple work around:

Create a new document in Illustrator, then place the newer version file. It will bring in the outlines and elements from the newer version. You may need to remove a clipping path or two, but all the elements will be there, available for editing.

Next time you run into this situation, give it a try!

Congratulations Rachel - T.A.S.

Congrats to our Rachel Valdez for achieving the industry's Trained Advertising Specialist designation, T.A.S. In order to receive this designation, she completed a set of required courses spanning a wide range of areas covering promotional product sales, service, artwork, decorating, safety, product and business topics.

Education and continuing training for our staff is a high priority at The Creative J. It is our focus to be as educated and knowledgable about all aspects of our industry so that we can provide our customers with the most up to date and informed information possible.

2013 Best Boss Award – PPB Magazine

I was surprised to open my email about a month ago and find that I had been selected as one of 2013 Best Boss Awards by Promotional Products Business magazine.

We truly have a special group of people here at The Creative J. Without the dedication and caring they all give to me and each other, what we do and how well we do it certainly would not be possible. I am forever grateful to all of them for their continued support and all the FUN we have working together each day. Thank you – Val, Rachel, Risa, Lindsey & Jeff – for everything you have done and are for me!

To read more about this and the common themes they found with the 2013 award recipients, click here:  2013 PPB Best Boss Awards – Top Secrets of Savvy Supervisors.

Creative Bag Imprinting Ideas

Bags are a common promotional item businesses are buying these days. Be it die cut plastic bags, recyclable grocery bags, coolers or totes, you see them everywhere you go. And because they are an item that gets used and reused, it's a great advertising vehicle for your logo.

But, problem is, since you do see them everywhere, we tend to not pay attention to them as much since most bags utilize the most basic decorating – a one color imprint centered on the front panel.

To really help your message and your brand stand out, how about trying some more creative and unique decorating methods? With just a little creative twist, what was once a plain looking bag will now stand out and help show off your brand.

So here's just a few ideas on how you can make your next bag project unique:

Full Color Imprinting:

Going from a simple one color imprint to a full color logo or even photo, can make a big impact. Look at these two examples – which one demands more attention? Upgrading to a full color doesn't always add a lot to the price of the item either. In most cases, it's just a bit over $1 with no additional set up charges.

In addition, by utilizing a full color imprint, you've just opened the possibilities for imprint content. How about a map of the event? Or, a schedule of events? Photos of your product? The possibilities are endless and you've created a marketing piece that really promotes  your brand or product, instead of just displaying your logo.

Custom Design

If you've got a large quantity (minimums vary, but usually over 3000 pieces), the opportunity for a completely unique and custom design is wide open. All aspects of the bag can be designed from scratch and present a great way to really stand out. From selecting materials to imprint colors and locations, the options are endless. It's a great way to create a bag that will be memorable and will be used time and time again, presenting your message each time it's used.

Unique Imprint Locations

Another option for a unique look is to place your imprint in non-standard locations. Depending on the bag supplier, your options may include handle imprints, imprinting inside the bag and on the gussets. Combining multiple imprints and locations on the same bag can truly provide a custom look.

These are just a few ideas for getting creative with bags. If you've got an occasion coming up where a bag is part of your marketing plans, give us a call and we'll present you with some creative, custom ideas that will make your bag get noticed.