Standard Bandannas are made of cotton and measure 22” x 22”.  Special purpose bandannas can be larger, smaller, or simple triangles instead of squares.  Solid color fabrics can be used for completely custom artwork, or in conjunction with Stock Borders including cowboy, western, pets, sports, ribbons, wedding, novelty and religious themes.  Paisleys are available with imprint areas in an open center or along the edge to accommodate your artwork.  Logos or organizational symbols can be converted into simple silhouettes that can be layered and repeated as a background in multiple colors or camouflage.

Everyday uses include scarf and head covering, sweat band, hair ribbon, blindfold, mask, breathing filter, handkerchief, arm sling, neck protection, earmuffs, bandage, flag, food covering, pouch, cleaning cloth, hot pad, dinner napkin, placemat, bib, hot/cold compress, trail marker, occupied sign, sports banner, car window shade, doll blanket, dog scarf, cat cape, game marker, racing flag, gift wrap and luggage marker.

Bandannas can be used to promote races, fun run, walks, grand openings, anniversaries, tradeshows, picnics, golf tournaments, groundbreakings, sports teams, organizations, or as product wrappers and mailers.  Or, they can be used to educate, inform or share information such as schedules, how-to-instructions, first aid, safety, campaign awareness, and health and wellness tips.  Bandannas can also be used as group or team identification.  Unlike paper, Bandannas are completely usable when wet which makes them the perfect media for maps of routes, tours, parks, conference room layouts, tradeshow floors, festival stages, zoos, campuses, facilities, hospital, convention hotels, theme parks, metro areas, trails, geographic areas, stadiums, golf courses, and open houses.  For double duty consider including schedules, travel times, safety information, historic information, fees, hours, website or QR codes.

There are two basic production methods for Bandannas used in the promotional products industry, Silkscreen and Rotary Press.  Silkscreen is ideal for projects ranging in quantity from 144 to 2500 pieces. Ink is applied to one side of the fabric which has already been dyed to color, cut and sewn in its final shape.  The fabric is the same color on both sides.  The ink sits on top of fabric and it can be felt when you rub your finger over the printed surface.  Silkscreen production does not allow for edge-to-edge printing.  For example, a 22” x 22” Bandanna will have an 18” x 18” imprint area.  The fabric color will affect the appearance of the imprint.  Flash printing that is typically done when printing dark color tee shirts cannot be done on Bandannas, so there is some degree of show through.  If PMS matching is critical it is best to use a white or natural bandanna.  Multi-color imprints become more economical as the quantity increases.  The silkscreen process can produce full color images using four color process printing on White fabric.

Rotary Press production becomes more feasible with quantities over 2500 pieces and offers faster timeframes, lower cost and more design/imprint options.  This production process begins with White fabric.  All colors in your design as well as the background color are printed on one side of the fabric and the ink colors are actually pushed through to the back of the fabric.  The back of the bandanna will have a “snowy” appearance which will be more noticeable on those with a dark background.  The ink is absorbed into the cloth which results in a softer feel and cannot be felt if you rub your hand over it.  Edge-to-edge printing is possible with Rotary Press production.  Four color process printing cannot be done with Rotary Press, but a similar effect can be achieved using multiple spot colors.

Please contact TheMarketPro when you are considering promotional products and decorated apparel so that we can provide the information you need to make the best possible purchasing decisions.  TheMarketPro can be reached at 800-905-0073 or sales@themarketpro.net .  Additional articles can be found at www.TheMarketPro.net in our “Going Green with Promotional Products” and “Coffee Break Reading” sections.

Source:  Information made available by Bandanna Promotions (formerly Caro-Line) which is the largest supplier of bandannas to the promotional products industry as well as being the largest US bandanna company and manufacturer of the Hav-A-Hank national brand.  www.bandannapromotions.com

Author:         Connie King

Published:    April 2012