Pad printing

Category overview

We offer a wide range of branded merch in this category:

• pen
• keyring
• lighter
• mug
• USB drive
• power bank

Portugal e contexto europeu

Portugal and EU context. The standard IVA (VAT) rate in Portugal is 23% — applies to most merch products and gadgets. Reduced rates are 13% (intermediate, for food, beverages, accommodation) and 6% (reduced, for printed matter like books, notebooks, cultural brochures — this is the relevant rate for printed merch products). Since 2023 the e-Fatura system of Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira (AT) is mandatory for all B2B transactions — full integration with client financial systems (SAP, Primavera, PHC, Sage, Microsoft Dynamics). Portuguese remains the default language on invoices and labels, with English standard in international documents. CNPD (Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados) requires RGPD compliance when collecting employee data for merch programs (names, numbers, size preferences). GOTS, GRS, FSC, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and EU Ecolabel certificates are honoured across the EU — for products in food contact Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 also applies. pen, keyring, lighter categories fall under these regulations and we work in full compliance.

Preços e enquadramento

Pricing and financial framework. We quote in EUR with IVA 23% (standard rate) or 6% (reduced rate for printed matter per official list). For enterprise clients we offer framework agreements with volume discount tiers — from 5% at EUR 5,000 annually to 15% at EUR 50,000 annually. Payment by proforma invoice 50% deposit + 50% before dispatch for new clients; for recurring B2B clients payment terms 14-30 days. We accept SEPA bank transfers (EUR), payment cards via Stripe, MB WAY and Multibanco for Portuguese clients, deferred payments for the public sector. Invoices are issued in e-Fatura format since 2023 as mandatory. For pen, keyring, lighter categories the standard price tiers apply — 10-50 EUR net per piece for basic products, 50-200 EUR net for premium gifts.

Prazo de execução

Lead time. Standard cycle for pen, keyring, lighter — 5-8 working days (digital proofing + production + control + delivery). For projects with extensive personalisation (Pantone embroidery, debossing, name-personalised digital print) — 10-15 working days. For Asia imports (production + sea freight + customs clearance at Leixões or Lisboa) — 8-12 weeks. During the autumn season (September-November) and pre-Christmas period (November-December) timelines extend by 1-2 weeks. For recurring B2B clients we maintain a 10% warehouse buffer — we recommend quarterly planning ahead.

Planeamento sazonal

Seasonal planning. Portugal has strong B2B merch seasons — January-February (new year welcome, annual plans), April-May (Easter, Mother’s Day), June (end of school year, summer collection launches), September (back-to-school, trade shows), October-November (conferences, Q4 launches), December (Christmas, Black Friday). Onboarding programs for new employees are most often launched in January and September. For pen, keyring, lighter categories the customer campaign calendar should be synchronised 6-8 weeks ahead to avoid production and delivery delays.

Envio e logística

Shipping and logistics. Central warehouse in Lisboa (industrial zone). Shipping via CTT Expresso (national network, pickup points, economy option), DHL Portugal (domestic and international express up to 70 kg), DPD Portugal (tracking + delivery up to 31.5 kg), UPS Portugal (international express), GLS Portugal (European network), NACEX (urgent Iberian deliveries). Delivery time in mainland Portugal 24-48h, in the islands (Madeira and Azores) 2-4 days, in EU 3-5 days, outside EU 5-10 days. We deliver multi-address (e.g. to company branches in multiple cities) with individual packaging per address. For pen, keyring, lighter the standard packaging is cardboard boxes with paper filling for transport protection.

What it is

The pen technique is one of 13 decoration methods offered by Corp-Merch in Portugal — each method has its optimal material, batch and quality range. pen provides durable and aesthetic B2B merch decoration — withstands industrial washing, abrasion and UV exposure without colour or shape loss.

For B2B clients in Portugal we offer pen in variants matched to the brief — Pantone colours, ICC FOGRA39 profiles, AQL 1.0-2.5 control. pen requires digital proofing (PDF/X-1a) and a physical pre-production sample before launching the full run.

Portuguese and European production facilities in the pen technology offer different quality tiers — economy, mid and premium. Each project in pen technology passes AQL inspection — random 5-10% sample of the batch checked visually and dimensionally before packing.

pen is the most frequently ordered product in the pen category — popular in onboarding, event and loyalty programs in Portugal. keyring in the branded version is a standard element of welcome packs for new employees and enterprise clients in Lisboa.

lighter with the client logo works well in seasonal campaigns and ambassador programs — 5-8 week lead time. mug is available in Pantone-accurate variants, with certificates and premium gift or eco packaging.

USB drive accompanies Corp-Merch clients from the first brief to delivery, with a dedicated project owner. Selection of power bank in the pen category is based on client brief specifications, warehouse availability and campaign calendar.

When to order

Standard lead time for pen is 3-5 working days for proofing + 5-8 days for serial production with AQL control. Seasonal windows should be reserved early — Black Friday and Christmas require 6-8 weeks total.

For pen with multi-colour design (Pantone 4-6 colours) the cycle is 8-12 weeks. Express 24-72 hour turnaround is available for pen from the local Lisboa studio.

The July-August holiday period extends production by 1-2 weeks at partners. For pen with name personalisation production requires the names file — deliver 2 weeks before production date.

pen — summer collection available from March to August, 8 weeks ahead of first delivery. keyring — autumn collection launched in August-September, delivery October-November.

lighter — limited holiday edition, brief in October, delivery first half of December. mug — warehouse rotation quarterly; minimum reasonable execution time 4-6 weeks for pen.

USB drive — spring collection launched in January-February with delivery in March-April. Calendar of power bank is synchronised with the customer campaign calendar — brief 6-8 weeks before the premiere date.

Specification

Technical specification of pen — Pantone Coated/Uncoated for brand colours, ICC profiles for CMYK, min. 300 dpi for bitmaps. Screens and forms — screen-printing (120-180 mesh for textiles, 200-300 mesh for paper), DTG (Epson 1440 dpi), DTF (75 μm PET films).

Embroidery threads — Madeira Polyneon 40 (polyester, 401 colours), Coats Sylko (metallised gold/silver). Inks — Pantone Aqua screen-printing (water-based, eco-class), Plastisol (durable, intense colour), special (metallic, fluorescent).

Tests and certificates — OEKO-TEX Standard 100 for inks and textiles, GOTS for organic cotton, REACH, EN 71. Quality control — AQL 1.0-2.5, 100% visual inspection for premium details, 5-10% sampling for economy series.

Specification of pen — Pantone Coated/Uncoated for brand colours, min. 300 dpi for bitmaps, AI/EPS/SVG files for logo. Materials of keyring — OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certificates, optionally GOTS for organic cotton or GRS for recycled polyester.

Decoration of lighter — Pantone Aqua screen-printing (water-based inks), DTF, computer embroidery with Madeira Polyneon — AQL 1.0-2.5 control. Packaging of mug — cardboard boxes with paper or EPS filling; multi-language labels PT/EN/DE.

Dimensional tolerances of USB drive — ±2 mm for textiles, ±0.5 mm for gadgets, ±1 mm for premium packaging. Colour standards of power bank — Pantone Coated for glossy paper print, Pantone Uncoated for matte paper; ICC FOGRA39 profiles.

Common mistakes

Wrong file resolution — 72 dpi bitmaps look sharp on monitor but pixelate in production; minimum 300 dpi at 1:1. Wrong Pantone colours — Pantone Coated for glossy paper, Pantone Uncoated for matte paper.

Missing bleeds — files without 3-5 mm bleeds cause white edges in production. Too small elements — text below 6 pt is unreadable in screen-printing, lines thinner than 0.3 mm disappear in DTF.

Wrong colour encoding in PDF — RGB instead of CMYK causes colour shifts; conversion requires ICC FOGRA39 profile. Missing 3D mockup before production — client approves the visualisation but the final effect on the product differs.

For pen a frequent mistake is underestimating quantities — for seasonal campaigns order +10-15% buffer. For keyring a trap is choosing the wrong decoration technique — we always proof.

For lighter a mistake is missing size specification in the brief — recommend 30% S / 35% M / 25% L / 10% XL split. For mug an issue is overlooking certificates required by the end client.

For USB drive a risk is missing Plan B for delivery — keep an alternative address. For power bank the problem is brief submitted too late — minimum reasonable time is 4-6 weeks.

Execution process

Step 1 — technical brief: client provides the logo in vector (AI/EPS/SVG), material specification, quantities and decoration area. Step 2 — physical sample (pre-production sample): design studio prepares the production file, we produce 1-2 sample pieces in 3-5 working days.

Step 3 — serial production: after sample approval we launch full production (5-15 working days depending on technology and quantity). Step 4 — quality control: AQL 1.0-2.5 inspection (5-10% random sample), visual check, specification measurements.

Step 5 — packaging: product packed per brief guidelines (individual protective packaging for electronics, multi-pack for textiles). Step 6 — delivery and integration: integration with the client’s existing warehouse or direct delivery to regional branches.

pen — Step 1: detailed brief sent by client (goal, audience, quantities, budget, deadline). keyring — Step 2: Corp-Merch account manager prepares technical specification in 1-2 working days.

lighter — Step 3: detailed EUR quote with IVA 23% (or 6% for printed matter) sent within 2 working days. mug — Step 4: 2-3 physical samples sent in 3-5 working days for colour and quality approval.

USB drive — Step 5: digital PDF/X-1a proofing and physical pre-production sample before serial production. power bank — Step 6: serial production (5-15 working days), AQL 1.0-2.5 inspection, packaging and delivery from Lisboa warehouse.

Compliance and certificates

OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified inks — free of harmful substances for skin contact. Water-based inks (Pantone Aqua) without solvents, for ESG programs — certified for textiles and apparel.

Low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) inks per Directive 2004/42/EC — reduced emissions during production. REACH (Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006) compliance — authorised chemical substances, no SVHC (substances of very high concern).

RoHS (Directive 2011/65/EU) compliance for printed electronic components — restriction of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium. EN 71 (Toy Safety) — for merch products aimed at children or families.

pen is GDPR compliant — legal basis for processing employee data, limited retention, access and portability rights. keyring carries OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (Class I or II) certificate — suitable for skin-contact textiles.

lighter uses GOTS certified organic cotton — fully traceable supply chain from field to finished product. mug uses GRS recycled polyester with minimum 20% content — compatible with client ESG targets.

USB drive uses FSC certified paper and cardboard — responsible forest management and traceable chain of custody. power bank for food contact complies with Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 — declaration of conformity available.

Lifecycle

Short-term (1-3 months) — event campaigns, product launches, onboarding programs with dedicated decoration personalisation. Medium-term (3-12 months) — merch programs with quarterly catalogue rotation, ambassador programs with name personalisation.

Long-term (1-3 years) — framework agreements with fixed setups, screen-printing screen storage. Continuous improvement — Pantone colour calibration quarterly, replacement of worn screens.

Screen lifecycle management — screen-printing screens have a lifespan of 50,000-100,000 impressions. Sustainable lifecycle — transition from Plastisol to water-based inks, recycling of screens and PET films.

Short-term pen is used in event campaigns and product launches — 5-8 week lead time. Medium-term keyring powers onboarding and ambassador programs — quarterly rotation, 10% warehouse buffering.

Long-term lighter is part of loyalty programs — framework agreement with 5-15% volume discounts. mug in sustainable lifecycle — recycled materials (GRS, GOTS, FSC) and return program for used products.

USB drive — continuous improvement: catalogue updated quarterly, new eco collections every 6 months. power bank — after-sales support: claims processed in 3 working days, re-prints in 7-14 working days, returns of defective batches at our cost.

Frequently asked questions