The logo sits on three different surfaces
"Put our logo on it" can mean three separate jobs on the same product: a mark on the metal body, a mark on a plastic or leather case, and a mark on the retail box. Each surface takes a different method, and each method has a different minimum line thickness. A logo that reads cleanly on a business card can disappear on a 4 mm anodised edge. On anodised aluminium, the common approach is to remove the colour layer so the raw metal shows through. That gives a mark in the colour of the aluminium, not in the colour of your brand, and it is why a full-colour logo usually becomes a one-colour mark on a metal holder. On a painted or plastic surface, printing sits on top of the material and can carry more than one colour, but it also sits where a thumb and a car vent will rub it. On a moulded part, the mark is cut into the tool and appears in the same material as the part — durable, but only worth doing when the volume justifies a tool. Which of these a particular model can take is a sampling question, not a catalogue question. Ask it with the model code in front of you, because the answer changes with wall thickness, curvature and the finish already on the part.
The file set that avoids a second proof
A supplier cannot quote a logo from a picture of a logo. Send a file that was drawn, not photographed:
| What to send | Why it matters | The mistake we see most |
|---|---|---|
| Vector master: AI, EPS, SVG, or a PDF with text converted to outlines | Scales to any size without jagged edges | A PNG or a screenshot lifted from a website |
| One-colour black version | The version that works for engraving and for a single-colour print | Only a full-colour gradient version exists |
| Reversed white version | Needed on dark anodised or black cases | White is faked by putting the logo on a white box |
| Pantone reference for each colour | Gives the printer a target that does not drift | "Blue" with no number |
| Minimum line weight and smallest readable size | Decides whether the mark survives at 8 mm wide | Thin script that fills in at production size |
| Clear space around the mark | Keeps the logo off edges, holes and curves | Logo pushed to the edge of a curved case |
| Fonts converted to outlines | Stops a substitute font appearing on the proof | An editable file with a font we do not have |
The five choices that move the quotation
Two buyers can ask for "the same logo" and get very different numbers. The difference is almost always in these five choices, and none of them is a secret:
- Method. Engraving, printing and a moulded-in mark have different set-up work. The method follows the surface and the finish, not the other way round.
- Number of colours. One colour is one pass. Each extra colour adds a pass, a alignment step and a chance for the colours to drift apart.
- Placement. A flat centre panel is straightforward. A curved edge, a recess or a surface interrupted by a magnet or a hinge is not.
- Number of variants. A logo on one black model is one set-up. The same logo on four colours, or on two models, is four set-ups even when the artwork is identical.
- Packaging. Printing the logo on the retail box is a separate print job with its own artwork, its own proof and its own minimum order at the printer.
Ask for the quotation to list these five lines separately. A single number with no breakdown cannot tell you whether the cost is in the tool, the print or the packing, and it cannot be compared with another supplier's number.
From file to gold sample, in six steps
This is the sequence we run, with the clock starting only when the step before it is closed:
- File check. We open the vector file, confirm it is complete, and reply with any line-weight or colour question in one message rather than five.
- Digital proof. You receive a layout showing the mark at its real size on the actual model, with the placement dimension and the colour reference. Approve it in writing, not in a chat sticker.
- Physical sample. Sampling takes 7-10 working days after the artwork is confirmed. The sample carries the real mark on the real surface — this is the step that catches a logo which looked fine flat and disappears on a curve.
- Written approval. Approve the sample against the proof, with photos of the front, the mark at close range and the packaging. Keep this sample; it is the only object that settles what "approved" meant three months later.
- Mass production. 7-12 days after sample approval, for any of the 21 models already on tooling, at 50 pcs per model including your logo, colour and retail packaging.
- Packing and final inspection. 3-5 days, then FOB Shenzhen.
If the sample is not right, change one variable per round. A colour change, a size change and a placement change in the same round make it impossible to know which one fixed the problem — and each round costs another 7-10 working days.
Who owns the logo, and who checks it
A factory can print a mark; it cannot give you the right to use it. Before artwork goes to a proof, we ask the buyer to confirm in writing that the logo and any other artwork supplied are owned by the buyer or licensed to the buyer for this product and this market. That confirmation is not a legal opinion and it does not replace a trademark search — it is a record of who supplied what. We do not run a trademark clearance for your market, and we do not tell you a mark is available. Searching a national register is the brand owner's job, or the job of an IP professional the brand owner appoints. What we can do is stop: if artwork is recognisably another company's mark, or if a buyer asks us to reproduce a branded product, we decline and say why. For buyers developing a new shape rather than printing on a stock one, we sign an NDA before drawings or artwork are shared. Our own registered rights are 8 granted patents with CNIPA (5 design patents and 3 utility models), registered trademark no. 80143576 (Class 9) and copyright registration 国作登字-2024-F-00271084 — useful to check, and separate from the question of whether your mark is clear to use.
What to put in the first email
One email with these eight items gets a usable answer instead of a round of questions:
- Model code, or a photo of the model you want to match
- Quantity per model, and whether the order is one model or several
- Vector logo file, plus a one-colour version
- Placement: a photo with the position marked, or a dimension from an edge
- Colour reference: Pantone number, or a physical sample we can match
- Packaging: plain bag, plain box, or printed box with your artwork
- Destination market, and any labelling or language requirement on the pack
- The date you need the goods, not the date you plan to order
Send those and the reply is a method recommendation, a sampling date and a quotation broken into the five lines above. If a detail is missing, we will say which one is missing rather than guess and quote against the wrong thing.
Need a price for your own model?
Send us your drawing or a reference photo. You will get unit price, sampling time and shipping cost within one working day.
Frequently asked questions
Can you print a full-colour logo on an aluminium holder?
Usually not in full colour. On anodised aluminium the mark is normally cut through the colour so the metal shows, which gives a one-colour result in the aluminium's tone. Multi-colour work is a question for the printed or moulded parts, and the answer depends on the model.
What file format do you need for our logo?
A vector master — AI, EPS, SVG, or a PDF with the text converted to outlines — plus a one-colour black version and a reversed white version. A PNG or a screenshot is not enough for production, although we can use the largest one you have as the basis for a redraw.
How small can the logo be?
It depends on the method and the line weight, not on the artwork alone. Thin strokes fill in first. Send the smallest size you intend to use and we will confirm whether it holds at that size during the file check, before any proof is made.
How long does a custom-logo sample take?
7-10 working days after the artwork is confirmed. The clock starts when the file and the placement are both fixed, not when the first email arrives.
What is the minimum order for a custom logo?
50 pcs per model, including your logo, colour and retail packaging, on any of the 21 models already on tooling. A new shape needs a new mould and is quoted as a separate project.
Do you check whether our logo infringes someone else's trademark?
No. We ask you to confirm in writing that you own or are licensed to use the artwork, and we decline jobs that reproduce another company's branded product. A trademark search for your market is your responsibility or your IP adviser's.
Logo approval rarely travels alone: the custom packaging guide covers the box artwork that ships with it, and why sampling runs late covers the delays that start with an unfinished file.
Models mentioned in this guide