Whilst the vast majority of printed USB flash drives are pretty robust and will brush off the knocks and bumps of everyday use, the logo that you get printed onto them will ultimately wear off and scratch over time.
Although most printed flash drives are protected with a lacquer, which the factory applies after the print process, this is not sufficient to give a life long guarantee. If the printed memory sticks are attached to a key ring then the wear and tear inflicted on the printed logo is going to be quite severe and again this will shorten the life of the printed logo.
Given that one of the key drivers for buying branded flash drives is to promote your brand the likely longevity of the print should a key consideration.
Realistically, no supplier is going to be able to give you any hard and fast warranties on just how long the print will stay on simply because no one can anticipate the environment in which they will be used. But allowing for fair wear and tear and “normal” usage if such a thing can be defined you should expect your printed logo to last for more than a few weeks. If the print does start to fail early on then go back to your supplier and ask for an explanation and a plan of action to deal with the issue.
If you’re anticipating that your branded flash drives might take some punishment once distributed to your clients then you might want to consider a model or style of flash drive where the printed logo fully protected under a layer of resin. The benefit of these resin coated sticks is that they support a full 4 colour print process and a clear layer of resin then “encases” the print not only giving it excellent protection but also making the finished product incredibly tactile.
The resin layer enhances the finished product and of course has the added benefit of protecting your logo or brand. So if you’re looking for a scratch resistant flash drive that offers greater protection and looks fantastic then consider something like the Express Flash Drive from USB2U
Phil is part of the team at USB2U. Launched in 2002 USB2U has now establised iteself as one of the leading supplier of branded flash drives and custom USB memory sticks in the UK. USB2U offer a free design and mock up service couple with great prices and outstanding customer support. Contact us today for a quote. We’d love to hear from you.