When you're investing in promotional umbrellas, you need some specialty gear to supply your business space with tools for using these great accessories. From issues of visibility and functional use to keeping umbrellas in good condition long-term, a few handy items will help out.

Getting promo umbrella tools online can really maximize your purchase and shopping for these items on the web can be very efficient. Buyers can look for:

1. Anti-theft devices for promotional or personalized umbrellas to keep them from disappearing when the business is empty, during closed hours.

2. Sturdy stands and other devices for fitting customized umbrellas into a patio setup or other parts for opening and closing them.

3. Materials and parts for longevity in keeping company umbrellas functioning over a long period of time and a diverse weather condition.

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Find mounts and sturdy parts for promotional umbrellas

One aspect of buying for promotional umbrellas is getting hardware that will keep promotional umbrellas standing up and fitting into your outdoor furniture arrangement. Wobbly umbrellas are a real hassle to anyone working or sitting around them, and a good initial buy can prevent this scenario.

I recommend: Find specialized umbrella mounts for fitting your umbrella tables into a brick or other setup at iFurn. Or get plastic mounts and a lot of online resources from the Giant Umbrella Company.

Find anti-theft tools for promotional umbrellas

Another good purchase is a simple cable or other lock to make sure staff can keep the custom logo umbrellas secure when you have closed down for the night or weekend. For seasonal businesses, they may also come in handy for further securing imprinted umbrellas and other gear within a facility or closet.

I recommend: This simple lock from Overstock.com can fit the bill for securing your outdoor umbrellas and other furniture. The Fulton lock key system from Outdoor Superstore will protect your umbrellas when you're not around, ensuring a good return on your original purchase.

Find replacement parts for promotional umbrellas

Your custom umbrellas will eventually wear out, and having a connection to fix them is important. Whether it's the canopy that has torn or faded, or the frame, you can find these replacement supplies for promotional umbrellas online from providers who outfit businesses with the tools for keeping custom printed umbrellas in decent condition.

I recommend: Get replacement frames and canopies for your umbrellas at Shade USA. Find sources for more patio umbrella parts at Patio-Umbrellas.org for making sure you have what you need to keep these items durable for the long haul.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  These are just the basics for taking care of unique items like promotional umbrellas. Look to find a comprehensive solution for all your outdoor gear, especially for a seasonal business where everything is moved into storage annually.

Some promotional gifts get tucked away in the back of the closet and forgotten. A promotional umbrella is too useful to meet that fate. Most people will keep it handy for their own use, or give it to a family member. Promotional umbrellas can multiply your brand's exposure. The person holding the promotional umbrella will be reminded of your generosity every time it rains, and others will see your logo as they pass on the sidewalk. Tips for selecting a promotional umbrella: 

1. An umbrella's size is determined by its arc, which is the width across the top of the umbrella when it's open. An umbrella with a 48-inch arc will protect two people standing close together.
2. Consider your customers' lifestyle when selecting promotional umbrellas. There are umbrellas designed for golfers, backpackers and even pets.
3. Before deciding on a particular umbrella, request a sample. Most promotional umbrella suppliers will send you a sample at no charge.

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Promotional umbrellas for everyday use

If your corporate-gift list includes people of various interests and tastes, you can't miss with a basic, all-purpose promotional umbrella.

I recommend: Good candidates include The Executive Folding umbrella from Branders.com, economical mini promotional umbrellas such as the Super Mini umbrellas from Name Builders and the selection of quality promotional umbrellas from Absorbent, Ink.

Family friendly promotional umbrellas

Is your target market family oriented? Consider promotional umbrellas that keep the whole family in mind.

I recommend: Umbrellas for children from PromoPeddlers include plastic protectors to cover sharp areas of the umbrella. Find pink and blue promotional umbrellas that can be attached to baby strollers at Identity-Links.com. Let your message do double duty by imprinting it on a double umbrella, designed for, yes, two people. Finally, don't forget Fido and other four-legged pets. You'll find a pet promotional umbrella at World Premium Promotions.

Promotional umbrellas for the outdoorsy type

Customers who are outdoors as much as they are indoors will appreciate promotional umbrellas that let them stay active, rain or shine.

I recommend: A Nike umbrella with an auto-open feature and a 62-inch arc, will protect golfers from an unexpected drenching. Backpack-toting hikers and businesspeople alike will make use of a promotional umbrella that is designed to slip into a backpack. Walkers, hikers and others who love the outdoors might appreciate an umbrella hat that keeps their hands free.

Harsh weather promotional umbrellas

Who wants to struggle with an umbrella when the wind is whipping and the rain is pounding? Become a hero by giving customers a promotional umbrella that holds up in messy conditions.

I recommend: A 43-inch arc umbrella from 4imprint provides one-touch opening and closing, and folds down to a mere 10 inches. Say goodbye to umbrellas that blow inside out. The Gustbuster Umbrella is built to withstand 60 mph winds. No one likes to contend with water that drips from the edges of their umbrella. This Drip Guard Umbrella eliminates that problem.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To speed the production of your custom-printed umbrellas, select a vendor that allows you to upload your camera-ready artwork to them.
• •  At your next trade show, install one of your promotional umbrellas on a table at your booth that is reserved for customer meetings.
• •  If your promotional gift recipients include customers in warm climates who might use the umbrella as protection from the sun, look for an umbrella with a canvas canopy or a UV-coated canopy.

In a lot of different businesses that profit from passive advertising, promotional business umbrellas can be a powerful tool. Imagine your logo bouncing off of a brightly colored umbrella at the café table of a beach resort or outdoor restaurant, and you have just one of the situations where a promo umbrella reaches out and gets public attention in a big way.

Making the most of promotional umbrellas means getting a great product with a quality imprint of your best logo and message content, and keeping it fresh and visible to the public. With a few basic considerations, you can maximize your ad power with these handy and visible items in a business space, from a permanent table to a roving cart or other piece of equipment. Managers can think about:

1. How to get solid, precision graphics printed on promotional custom umbrellas.

2. How to keep colors their best and freshen up displays for maximum ad power with company umbrellas.

3. How to arrange custom printed umbrellas or maintain a display to keep it visible long-term.

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Get quality printing for promotional umbrellas

Your imprint is the first step in getting the most out of promotional umbrellas. Runny designs, spotty printing or mis-shapen letters will be the first tip-off that your program is going wrong. The best campaigns that run on the backs of promotional umbrellas rely on superior inking and clean, crisp imagery.

I recommend: Talk to the M.J. Graphics about getting quality imprints for rain or sun. You can also ask the experts at 4 All Promos about what designs will be crisp and clean on your umbrella imprints.

Look for promotional umbrellas that won't fade

Fading is a major enemy of a promotional umbrellas ad campaign. You'll need to look for the materials and printing solutions that will stay bright in the hot sun and have great longevity despite any kind of local weather.

I recommend: With screen printed promotional and personalized umbrellas from Promo Colors, you can be sure your colors won't fade with time. Get more no-fade solutions from sites like Shade USA, for logo umbrellas in durable materials that won't wash out.

Think about placement and installation for promotional umbrellas

Another point in getting the most out of your custom printed promotional umbrellas is in making sure they are anchored to your space and in the best possible spot to attract attention. Online companies can help with both of these concerns, getting you great hardware for propping up imprinted umbrellas and helping out with overall retail design.

I recommend: The Bahama Umbrella site will sell you sturdy, efficient mounting installations to make sure your umbrellas stay in place. Get a range of outdoor design and stands from Umbrella Source.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Build your outdoor promotional umbrellas setups to scale. Think about how many logoed umbrellas you need to get visibility and avoid over-building your space. You need to balance your goal for attractive design with functional aspects like how people can access your space.

Using umbrellas as a promotional item is a great way to tell clients you appreciate them. When you learn some promotional umbrellas key terms, you gain a broader understanding of your options in promotions.

Learning the processes and history behind promotional umbrellas key terms keeps you well-informed on product specifications. It makes you look more professional to other industry experts when you work with a variety of promotional umbrella designs.

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Promotional umbrella

This is the term used for an umbrella that carries an advertisement or logo highlighting a particular business or concept.

I recommend: Branders.com offers images of promotional umbrellas of various styles.

Cloisonne

Cloisonne refers to a process in which a metal emblem is stamped onto a high-quality product. Ground glass creates a colored paste that workers apply to the emblem in the recessed areas. Artists then fire and polish the product to highlight the color. Some businesses use this process on umbrella handles for high-quality promotional gifts.

I recommend: All Products Online offers a brief history of Cloisonne and offers metal to use in this art form.

Decal transfer

Similar to a temporary tattoo, some businesses use decal transfers on their umbrellas and other promotional products. Artists print decals on a letterset press and submerge them in water, then slide them onto the final product. Once it is removed from the water, the umbrella (or other product) is fired in a kiln, fusing the decal with a glaze.

I recommend: Heinrich Ceramic Decal details the decal transfer and firing process.

Engraving

A popular method of creating promotional products, engraving uses a cutting process to etch designs, logos and words onto wood or metal.

I recommend: Sterling & Burke offers machine engraving on their umbrellas.

Flexography

Flexography uses thin ink and flexible rubber plates under a printing plate to transfer color onto paper or material. One downside to this method is that the colors are short-lived due to the thinness of the ink.

I recommend: The Flexographic Technical Association offers seminars, training opportunities and forums in the art of flexography.

Thermography

Thermography copies engravings by dusting resin powder on a printed ink surface then heating it. The powder heats until it fuses with the ink forming a partially raised surface. The result looks and feels like embossed printing.

I recommend: Certified Infrared details the science behind the thermography process.