Promotional Products: The Marketing Evolution!

Promotional products are generally inexpensive useful and / or fun items with the company's name, logo, message or offer imprinted on them and are often given away free. This form of marketing is sometimes called 'speciality advertising'.

A wide range of promotional products are manufactured today, including calendars, mugs, t-shirts, pens, coasters, key rings etc. The list comprises literally 1000's of products and if you look around your office, or home you'll probably find one.

With the advent of the Internet and social media, promotional products are often overlooked as part of a business marketing campaign. However, it's been shown that an effective promotional product campaign can boost a company's good will standing with it's customers by as much as 52%!

Smart marketers realize that promotional products can be very effective in reaching a specific target audience, which is one of the key objectives of marketing, whether online or offline.

 

Polmac (UK) Ltd Promotional Playing Card Boxes

Promotional products are designed to be useful, or fun because the goal is to keep them and the branding they represent in front of the customer/ prospect for as long as possible.

Promotional products work on the principle that if you give someone a gift, they'll feel the need to give something back in return. This could be customer loyalty, repeat business, testimonials and recommendations to other businesses.

The best promotional products are those that allow the customer/ prospect to interact with the item. Puzzles and playing cards are a good example of promotional products that allow good interaction.

Promotional products are often given away free at trade shows to draw people in and increase excitement and effectiveness.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies, custom made, wood presentation boxes including promotional boxes for a wide range of marketing products. They're beautifully made, versatile and terrific value, which means they help boost product sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Flock Fabric Linings: Tough, Durable & Visually Appealing!

Flock fabrics are made by adhering short, coloured nylon, rayon or polyester strands directly on to a flexible substrate such as paper, to provide a material that looks something like wallpaper when finished. 

Making The Flock Side Elements

The fine flock strands, which are usually between 0.25 mm - 0.5 mm in height, are electrically charged to keep them upright. This provides a tough, durable and visually appealing material with that classic ‘suede’ effect for which flock fabric is well known. 

Applying flock fabric linings is a craft skill which takes several years to perfect and is always undertaken by hand. The skill is similar to that of a tailor cutting fabrics for suits etc, although on a much smaller scale.

Adding The 'Flock Hinge' & Side Elements

 

Flock fabric linings are normally applied flat and glued to the inside surfaces of wooden boxes, using a glue gun. Glue guns work by inserting a clear glue rod into an appliance that looks a bit like a small electric drill. The glue is melted by an electrical heating element and is then discharged at the nozzle, using a trigger.

Individual pieces of flock fabric are first carefully cut with a sharp knife or scissors and stretched over the joint between the lids and the bases of the wood boxes. The flock fabric pieces are then stapled in position on both sides of the joint, providing  what is essentially a ‘flock hinge’. 

Adding The Final Flock Lined Base Element

Individual elements for the bases, lids and sides of the wooden boxes are then made up and comprise flock fabric stretched over and around stiff cardboard pieces that are carefully cut to size and glued in position, to provide a smooth, even finish.

The final inspection ensures the flock fabric linings are finished to the required high standards and the wood boxes function correctly. This may involve a degree of ‘fabric tucking’ which is usually undertaken with a sharp scalpel knife. 

The Finished Flock Lined Polmac Box

Polmac (UK) Ltd flock lined, wood presentation boxes are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value, which means they boost company branding and product sales.

http://www.polmacuk.com 

From Russia, The USA & Elsewhere With Love!

Caviar is fish roe or eggs, which is slightly salted. The salt helps to cure and preserve the caviar and is a  method that is still used today.

Female fish reproduce by laying eggs but not all fish roe is considered to be caviar. To a connisseur, however, real caviar comes only from the sturgeon.

 Large Sturgeon

The sturgeon is a saltwater fish but spawns in freshwater and is found in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea between Europe and Asia. It's also found in the Pacific Northwest and Southern Atlantic coasts of the USA.

The sturgeon can grow to over 3,000 pounds but usually the average weight is about 60 pounds. The flesh of the sturgeon is also highly prized.

Caviar from the beluga, osetra and sevruga sturgeon are the most highly prized. However, today 'caviar ' is also available from other fish varieties, such as salmon, lump fish and tuna.

Caviar

The word caviar comes from the Turkish word 'khavyar' which first appeared in print, in 1591 England. However, the sturgeon has been a part of the Middle Eastern and Eastern Europe diet for centuries.

Caviar was once reserved just for royalty but in early nineteenth century America, it was routinely served free of charge in saloons. The saltiness of caviar made people more thirsty and this increased beer sales, much as salted snacks in public houses do today.

Back then, America's waters were full of sturgeon and by the end of the nineteenth century the USA was the largest exporter of caviar in the world.

Polmac Caviar Box

However, during this period, a great deal of the caviar shipped to Europe was exported back to the USA and labelled as 'Russian caviar'. This was because higher prices could be charged for Russian caviar which was considered the best quality.

This kind of sharp practice continues today as can be seen from the recent European, horse meat scandal, where inferior and cheaper quality horse meat was substituted for beef..

Sturgeon stocks in the USA were decimated by over fishing, almost to the point of extinction and the sudden shortage in the early 1900's meant that prices rose sharply. The prices for premium quality caviar remain high today.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies custom made, wood presentation boxes for caviar and other premium quality food products. They're beautifully made, versatile and terrific value and are designed to boost company branding and sales!   

http://www.polmacuk.com

Hessian: The Fabric That Goes Marching On!

Hessian is a woven fabric, that's usually made from the fibres of the jute plant. However, sisal fibres may also be used, or combined with other vegetable fibres to make rope, nets, and other similar products. In the USA and Canada hessian is called 'burlap'.

The Jute Plant

Hessian has always been a coarse fabric but today it's being produced as a more refined material to make bags, rugs and other products and is known simply as jute. Because it's an eco-friendly material, it's becoming more popular.

It's not know exactly where the word 'burlap' came from but it's thought it could mean 'coarse piece of cloth', or something similar. The name 'hessian' however, comes from the uniforms of German soldiers who came from Hesse and were known as 'Hessians'.

Jute Fibres Drying In The Sun

Hessian has many uses including bags and sacks, known as 'gunny bags, that were used to ship goods such as tea and coffee.

Hessian is also used to wrap the exposed roots when transplanting trees and shrubs and to prevent soil erosion on steep slopes.

Hessian is rarely used today to make clothes but it was used in the past, in Christian communities, where individuals wore a "sackcloth" on Ash Wednesday, as a kind of 'penitence'.

Bunnahabhain Whisky Box With Hessian Fabric Lining

Hessian has been used by many artists in the past as a stretched surface for painting and in the 1968 Georgie Fame song 'The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde', there is a line that reads '...while Bonnie loaded dollars into the burlap bag'.

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses hessian fabrics extensively to line their custom made, wood presentation boxes, promotional boxes and gift boxes, where a more traditional, rustic quality is desired.

The hessian fabric is applied flat on the base and sides of our wooden boxes, or on moulded inserts, to the shape of the product/ s to be accommodated.

The lids are also lined with hessian fabric, on a foam base, to provide additional protection for the wood boxes inside, against impact damage in transit.

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To Mitre Or Not To Mitre? That Is The Question!

A wood mitre joint is made by bevelling two vertical panels together at 45 degrees, to form a 90 degree corner, with no end grain showing. This makes the mitre joint visually appealing and is just one of the traditional jointing methods used by Polmac (UK) Ltd to make custom made, wood presentation boxes, promotional boxes and gift boxes.

Inserting A 'Tongue' Into Mitre Joint Groove

Mitre joints, without additional strengthening are only slightly stronger than butt joints, because the ends are cut at 45 degrees and this creates a wider surface area for adhesive to be applied. This conceals the end grain, thus giving the corner joint an uninterrupted 'clean' appearance.

The best results for mitre joints are achieved by cutting the angle of the joint with a drop saw rather than a hand saw, as this creates neat and very straight edges. However, for consistent accuracy Polmac (UK) Ltd uses a special mitring machine.

Assembling Sides Of Box

Mitre joints don't require much holding strength. However, for making wooden boxes, additional strengthening is required.

After the panels are mitred, two narrow grooves are cut at the centre and the entire length of each mitred surface. Then, a wood 'tongue' is glued and tapped into one groove, leaving a protrusion of about 3 -4 mm depending on the thickness of the panels.

Tapping The Mitre Joints Together

The second panel is then glued and tapped into position creating a much stronger 'tongue & groove' joint. This process is repeated for the two remaining wood panels, creating the sides of the wood box.

The entire assembly, comprising four mitred panels is then placed in a special metal cramp that ensures the joints are tight and the assembly perfectly square, during the glue drying process.

Cramping Sides Of Box

When the glue has dried, the excess tongues are carefully removed and the top and bottom ends of the 'box' are sanded off to present a perfectly even surface ready for the base and lid panels to be glued into position.

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Screen Printing: A Printing Technique That's As Smooth As Silk!

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses a number of printing techniques, including screen printing, to print logos and text onto it's custom made wood presentation boxes, promotional boxes and gift boxes, when a more personalized finish is required.

Screen Printing: Using a Squeegee

Screen printing is a traditional ink printing technique, also known as silkscreen, serigraphy and serigraph that was developed in China about 2000 years ago. The Chinese used human hair stretched across a wooden frame as the screen and stencils made from leaves that were stuck together.

The process however was soon adopted by the Japanese and they used woven silk rather than human hair for the screen and various lacquers to make the stencils. It was in Japan that the name silk screen printing was derived.

Today, the design, or image is applied to a fine mesh screen usually made from synthetic polyester, with the blank areas coated in an impermeable substance.

Once set up, a 'fill blade' or 'squeegee' is moved by hand across the screen 'stencil' to force the ink through the openings in the mesh to the substrate below. 

The stencil openings determine what the printed image below will look like. The pressure of the squeegee stroke forces the screen down and as it recovers, the ink is left on the substrate.

Screen printing has always been popular for printing posters, signs and general stationery. However, there are now many other uses such as printing cd covers, t-shirts, vinyl labels and of course printing onto wooden boxes.

In screen printing, only one colour can be printed at a time, so several screens are needed to produce an image or design that has multi colours.

Screen printing has developed rapidly over the years. The basic technique remains the same but with innovation and the introduction of computers, it is barely recognizable as the technique the Chinese invented all those years ago.

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Storing & Curing Timber: An Essential Process!

Polmac (UK) Ltd Alder and Linden wood, rough sawn planks need to be 'cured' before they can be used to make our wood presentation boxes, promotional boxes and gift boxes. This is because freshly sawn timber, delivered straight from the mill has a high moisture content and will warp very quickly if used.

Cutting Logs In The Saw Mill

For most commercial uses, including manufacturing wood presentation packaging, the moisture content of the wood should be between 10 - 15 %. Freshly sawn timber can have a moisture content as high as 45 %.

Polmac uses a natural air curing process that is normally undertaken in an external covered area with open sides which allows plenty of natural air circulation between the planks.

75 x 50 mm battens are placed on the ground and the planks are arranged on top with spaces between. The battens are treated with a preservative to prevent dampness from the ground reaching the planks above. Each layer of planks is the same thickness to ensure the even distribution of weight.

Stack Of 'Air Cured' Timber Planks

Smaller untreated Pine or similar spacer battens or 'stickers' are then placed on top of the planks at approximately 400 - 450 mm centres. These spacer battens are usually no more than 25mm thick to restrict the air flow to prevent the timber planks from drying out too quickly.

The planks at the bottom of the stack are weighted down by the pressure of the planks above, and will be kept flat during the curing process. The top layers however, are only lightly weighted and are vulnerable to moisture movement.

Therefore, a thick 25mm plywood board is placed on top of the stack and then weighed down with concrete blocks or bricks. A thick 25mm plywood board is placed on top of the stack and then weighed down with concrete blocks or bricks. This distributes the weight evenly and prevents the top layers from warping and keeps them flat during the curing process.

The natural air curing process can take up to two and a half years and even after this period, some kiln drying may be necessary to achieve the right moisture content. The timber planks will now be ready to be taken inside the workshops for the manufacturing process to begin. The wood is now cut, shaped and jointed to make our wooden boxes.

Polmac custom made wood boxes and wood packaging products are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value and are designed to boost company branding and sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Herbs Have More Uses Than You May Think!

For thousands of years, people have used herbs for a wide variety of purposes including cooking, perfumes, disinfectants, medicinal remedies as well as currency. Herbs are of course still used extensively today, mainly for medicines.

Herb Basket

You may well have a few small jars or pots filled with herbs in your kitchen which you probably use to flavour and spice up your food! Cookery books are full of recipes that use herbs.

The herbs today come from all over the world and over the centuries we have learned how to use them from past chroniclers.

These chroniclers came from ancient Egypt, Sumaria and Greece. Hippocrates, the famous ancient Greek doctor regularly used herbal remedies and we also learned about herbs from the Druids well before the Romans invaded Britain!

Polmac Wooden Herb Pots For: Fortnum & Mason UK

In the Middle-Ages monks in Europe used herbs for medicines grown in their herb gardens. They used these medicines not only for themselves but also for local people and travelers passing through!

We know that people of all ages from many different countries used herbs because they wrote about them. In Britain for example, Nicholas Culpeper's book showed ordinary people how to prepare their own herbal remedies.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Pilgrim Fathers took herbs with them on their voyage to America. Then, over time native American herbs found their way back to Europe and other parts of world.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies wood presentation boxes and packaging for a wide range of premium quality food products, including herbs and spices.

Our wood boxes are custom made to order, at no extra cost and are truly eye-catching to boost company branding and sales.

http://www.polmacuk.com

The Ancient Art Of Using Antler & Horn For Knife Handles!

From prehistoric times to the present day, the tradition of using animal materials, such as bones, tusks and antlers is well established. There are even examples of people carving ivory in Babylon as early as 2300BC. If you were a boy scout you probably owned a hunting knife, with a bone, or antler handle, which you took on camping trips.

Red Deer Antler

Whether horn, bone, shell or ivory was used depended upon tradition, as well as appearance. However, it always seemed natural to take a roughly furrowed stag handle hunting knife on a hunting trip rather than a knife with a plain wooden handle.

Horns

 

Other materials such as elephant ivory and even mammoth ivory with it's rich brown, blue and red hues have been used for knife handles. However, ivory is a smooth solid material and is more often used for carving and engraving intricate shapes.

Another material used for knife handles is shell which has a wonderful iridescent finish and like ivory has been used as a more decorative rather than practical alternative. However, the natural angular shape of many antlers and horns makes them ideal for making knife handles.

The texture of antlers and horn materials also helps improve grip strength, which on a hunting trip is essential. Many horns, bones, and ivories become tacky when wet and so improve the grip when used.

The natural angular texture and variation in colour make antlers and horn handles visually appealing and provide a stunning contrast with a smooth polished steel blade.

Along with elephant and mammoth ivory, mastodon ivory, fossil walrus tusk and oosic are also sought after knife handle materials, including some types of shells, coral and pearl materials.

Many of these materials however, are rare and expensive and of course increase the value of the knife dramatically. They are highly sought after but regardless, there use is a moral and environmental question that should be addressed.

Elephant ivory is undoubtedly a limited resource and much of the stock available today has been obtained illegally. As the elephant is now an endangered species, it is extremely important to avoid using ivory for any purpose and source alternative materials, such as antler and horn from sustainable and managed stocks.

Polmac 3-Piece Dinner Set For: Abbeyhorn Ltd

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies wood presentation boxes and packaging, including boxes for knives and forks with antler, or horn handles. They are custom made to order which means they are manufactured to your exact requirements, at no extra cost.

Polmac customized wood boxes are supplied with clear lacquer finishes, to highlight the natural warmth and beauty of wood and with stunning natural wood and colour stain finishes. They are also supplied with beautiful flock or silk fabric internal linings on moulded inserts, if a more luxuriant finish if required.

Polmac custom made wooden boxes can be supplied with printed text and logos, using metallic foil blocking, laser engraving and silk screen printing techniques, for a more personalized finish and are designed to boost company branding and bottom-line sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Shaker Boxes - A Marriage Of Graceful Beauty & Utility!

Shaker boxes originated in the 18th Century Shaker communities in America and were made from thin wood veneers that were sourced locally. It was a time when form and function inevitably came together.

                                         

Polmac Shaker Boxes For: Fortnum & Mason UK

Wood veneers were bent to form 'pantry boxes' to store food items such as herbs, spices and tea. Soon handles were added to make the 'shaker boxes' easier to carry. The Shakers tended towards the utilitarian, so their shaker boxes were usually plain looking.

However since they followed the creed that form followed function, their creations were often graceful and beautiful as well as useful. However, this did not stop the development of the now familiar and more decorative 'swallow-tail' finger joints on the sides of shaker boxes.

 Shakers were devout people and these 'swallow-tails' often pointed to the right, it is thought, as a sign of moving towards God in the 'right direction'.

 

Shaker Boxes With 'Swallow-Tail' Jointing

Shakers generally made oval shaped shaker boxes and sold them to the wider community as 'nested sets', with looped handles, or 'dipper' handles that were used as a scoop for measuring dry foodstuffs.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies wood presentation boxes, including shaker boxes made from natural reed materials and thin gauge birch plywood. They are custom made to order which means they can be made to your exact requirements, at no extra cost.

Polmac shaker boxes are supplied with clear lacquer finishes, or stunning natural wood and colour stain finishes, to bring out the natural warmth and beauty of wood. If a more personalized finish is required, they can also be supplied with printed logos and text.

http://www.polmacuk.com

Port & Stilton - A Match Made In Heaven!

Many dessert wines, such as Sherry and Madeira combine extremely well with cheese, but Port and Stilton is the classic wine and cheese combination that many people find irresistible!

The Classic Port & Stilton Combination

Port is the red wine traditionally made in the Douro valley in Portugal. It's a fortified wine which means grape spirit is mixed in to halt the fermentation process, to make it sweeter and give it a slightly higher alcohol content This means it's usually served as a dessert or an after dinner drink.

There are many kinds of Port wine, including Ruby Port, Vintage Port and Tawny Port, known as 'Colheita', which has a wonderful, smooth, nutty taste. All these Ports go well with cheese and with Stilton cheese in particular!

Port and Stilton cheese go so well together because there is a nice balance between the sweetness of the wine and the pungent saltiness of the creamy blue cheese. The wonderful flavours mingle in the mouth and keep you coming back for more.

Port can be served on its own, or with other accompaniments, such as a dessert, or with some roasted salted nuts. Culinary heaven however, is a combination of a premium quality Port wine and a beautifully smooth creamy cheese, with just a hint of saltiness!

     Polmac Port & Stilton Box For: Fortnum & Mason UK

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies wood presentation boxes, including Port & Stilton boxes to many food and drink suppliers and retailers. They are custom made to order, which means they are manufactured to your exact requirements, at no extra cost.

Polamc Port & Stilton boxes can be supplied with company logos and text, in a range of different colours and styles, which means they can be personalized to boost your company branding and sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com

The Ancient & Venerable Art Of Cheese Making!

During the time of the Roman Empire, cheese was already part of people's diet and cheese making was a firmly established practice. Some wealthy Romans even had special kitchens just for making cheese.

Roman Cheese Making

The ancient Egyptians illustrated the art of cheese making on tomb walls dating back as far as 2000 BC. There's even archaeological evidence that people in Poland were making cheese 1000 years earlier than that!

The art of cheese making and cheese storage, to keep the cheese as fresh as possible, has been well established over the centuries.

If you purchase a top quality cheese, the last thing you want is to spoil it by storing it the wrong way. So, what's the best way to store cheese?

Well, firstly avoid storing your cheese in plastic wrappers. Wrapping cheese directly in plastic wrapping suffocates the cheese and suppresses the flavour. The plastic also has a bad, synthetic taste which tends to linger on the cheese and will completely spoil the taste.

Cheese is a living breathing organic food and suffocating it with plastic wrapping is bad practice and is probably the worst thing you can possibly do.

The best way to store your cheese is to use cheese paper. If you can't find cheese paper, try using parchment or waxed paper. Then wrap every thing loosely in plastic wrapping, or a plastic bag. This allows the cheese to breathe, to a degree, without drying it out.

When you decide to eat your cheese, it's a good idea to remove it from the fridge and allow it to stand for an hour or so before eating. This allows the cheese to breathe and draws out the flavour, which means you'll eat your cheese at it's very best.

Polmac Cheese Safe For: Harrods Ltd UK

In the summer months particularly, leaving your cheese out of the fridge will make it very attractive to flies that may contaminate it. A good way to avoid this is to use a 'cheese safe'

There are many styles of cheese safe but essentially it's a small box on legs with a hinged lid, secured by a catch and has open mesh, fly proof side panels, which allow the air to circulate freely inside. Sometimes a cheese board, made from beech wood is accommodated inside.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies cheese safes to a number of high-end food chains and retail stores. They're custom made to our customers exact requirements, at no extra cost and are made from unlacquered, food compatible, alder or linden wood.

All Polmac cheese safes can be overprinted with text, or logos, if a more personalized finish is required and are designed to boost company branding and sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Stunning Counter Top Display Stands Can Boost Your Add-On Product Sales!

Counter top display stands are ideal for putting on counters next to the till, for driving sales, in a low cost and planned way. They will help you make the most of your counter top display space and are used very effectively, in shops, restaurants and hotels, to display and market add-on merchandise.

Polmac, Custom-Made, Aromatherapy, Counter Top Display Stand

They are ideal for counter tops of nearly every shape and size and can include a variety of inner shelves and dividers, to hold a wide range of products.

High quality, counter top display stands can really increase your sales, at point of purchase. Well designed counter top display stands can be eye catching, or more subtle depending on the type of product/s you have and your target audience.

They can also offer excellent branding opportunities, so you can add a sales message and your logo, to maximize your branding impact.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies wood, counter top display stands, for a wide range of products and merchandise. They are custom-made to order, which means you can design your own counter top display units, to suit your exact requirements.

Alternatively, we can help you to design your counter top display stands, at no extra cost, using our specialized knowledge and expertise, to maximize your company branding and product sales!

Polmac wood, counter top display stands are supplied in clear lacquer finishes, to bring out the natural warmth and beauty of wood, beautiful natural wood and colour stains and stunning block paints in a wide range of vibrant colours.

They can also be personalized with printed text and logos, using screen printing, laser etching and metallic foil blocking techniques

Polmac (UK) Ltd will create effective, low cost, wood, display stands from your specifications, to make a stunning visual display, designed to boost your point of purchase sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Decorating Wood Boxes Using Traditional Craft Techniques!

Decorating wooden boxes by hand can be fun and very satisfying and there are many techniques and processes developed over the years that can be used to create visually stunning, decorative effects.

Pyrography is one of the traditional techniques used to provide special, decorative features, motifs and effects on wooden boxes and can also be used as a base for other decorations. 

                                Polmac Treasure Chests With Pyrographic Decorative Motifs 

 A hand held, electric pyrographic tool is used to literally burn decorative shapes onto wood, to create original patterns and textures that can then be over painted with natural wood and colour stains and / or block colours!

Metal strip inlay is a technique that uses flexible, thin gauge, corrugated, or plain brass or nickel plated metal strips, as lines to create patterns, shapes, decorative motifs and borders.

A thin groove is cut into the wood and the metal strips tapped in, flush with the surface of the wood. Any raised edges are then, ‘sanded’ off, on a special sanding machine, to provide a flush, even finish on the wood surface.

 

                          Polmac Stationery Boxes With Pyrographic & Metal Strip Inlay Motifs
 

Traditional hand carving techniques are also used to create textured areas, motifs and patterns, using special, hand carving tools!

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies decorated wood boxes that are custom-made to order, using traditional hand carving, metal strip inlay and pyrographic techniques. The boxes are finished using wood stains, as well as solid block colours, in a range of vibrant colours.  

You can choose an existing pattern, or alternatively, we can help you design your own decorated boxes, using our specialized knowledge and expertise, to maximize your company branding and product sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com 

 

Jackdaws Love Our Bright, Polished, Metal Clasps!

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies a vast array of customized, wood, presentation boxes with hinged lids, that are secured with metal clasps.

There are many types of clasps ... large, small, plain and decorative, made from different materials and finishes. The most popular clasps are made from pressed steel sheet, with a brass, or nickel plated finish, because they are elegant, durable and economical. 

Polmac Brass & Nickel Plated Clasps & Misc Fixings

However, metal clasps, with a black, or bronze effect finish, as well as solid, polished brass clasps are also used, although they are more expensive.

Brass and nickel plating on metal clasps, is used primarily as a decorative finish but does also provide excellent wear and corrosion resistance.

To protect the bright, polished brass or nickel plated finish, clasps can be supplied with a clear lacquer finish!

However, regardless of the type of clasps used, they must always perform one important function, which is to keep the lid tightly secured to the base and prevent the item/s inside from falling out.

Firstly, the metal clasps must be well made, with all the various parts functioning correctly.

Secondly, the clasps need to be physically fixed to the wooden boxes, using either metal screws, or special, serrated fixing pins.

Screw fixings are more expensive than pins, because they're more labour intensive. However, they are often used to fix larger clasps to larger wood boxes, where stronger and more robust, metal fixings are required.

However, for small, wooden boxes 8 - 10mm serrated pins are very effective and these are hammered home at a slight angle, to provide a secure and permanent fixing.

Polmac wood, presentation boxes with brass, or nickel plated, metal clasps are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value, which means that they boost bottom-line product sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Impress Your Clients With A Hamper Gift Box!

Many companies give their clients gift hampers chocked full of corporate goodies as a way of maintaining and enhancing the sales relationship, particularly during the festive season.

The 'Law of Reciprocity' states that if you give someone a gift, they'll feel obligated to give you something in return. This undoubtedly is a well tried and tested sales technique and it works!

Polmac Wood & Wicker Hamper Boxes For: Fortnum & Mason

Many online delicatessens and farm shops also use hampers to market their pre-picked produce, or even provide a 'pick your own' service for their customers.

Gift hampers are traditionally made from natural wicker and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. These can be open trays, baskets, or more usually in the shape of a small, flat 'suitcase' with hinged lids.

Wicker gift hampers may be the traditional choice but in the cut and thrust of the commercial world, it always pays to be different.

For example, a gift hamper can be made from a combination of wicker and wood, or from thin, flexible plywood in the shape of an elongated hat box, with a lift-off lid. 

Polmac, Personalized, Plywood Hamper Boxes

 

These 'hamper boxes' can be easily personalized, with a company logo, or text and are designed to impress.

Hampers can be filled with a wide variety of gifts, depending upon the company and can include fine wine, champagne, chocolates and packaged foodstuff.

They can be encapsulated with white satin fabric and / or clear cellophane (like the material used to wrap flowers) and tied with a coloured, ribbon bow, to provide that essential finishing touch.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies a large range of 'hamper boxes', as well as traditional wicker hampers, that are custom-made to our customers exact requirements. 

The hampers we make are delivered directly to our customers door and they fill them with wealth of wonderful products, for sale, or as gifts.

http://www.polmacuk.com

Metallic Foil Block Printing: Simple, Economic & Appealing!

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses a number of different printing methods to personalize our wood, presentation boxes and packaging. One of the most popular methods of printing onto wooden boxes, is metallic foil block printing, or hot stamping.

Polmac Metallic Printing Foils

Metallic Foil blocking is a printing process that uses a a heated die, that is stamped over coloured, metallic foils, making the foil adhere to the wood surface below, leaving a permanent imprint of the logo / text design.

Gold and silver metallic foils are extensively used, although a wide range of coloured and even patterned foils are also very popular.

Metallic, foil blocking machines, called 'hot foil stampers' use heat to transfer the metallic foil onto the wood surface below. For small runs, hot foil stampers can be hand operated. However, for larger commercial runs, power-operated, pneumatic machines are generally used!

Polmac Champagne Box For: Fortnum & Mason With Gold Foil Blocking Logo

Before the stamping process can begin, the metal die has to be manufactured, with the logo and / or text design, etched in reverse, onto the flat surface of the die. This process of etching a logo / text design onto the die, is computer operated, to ensure 100 % accuracy!

The metallic, foil blocking process is similar to 'potato printing' which you may have done as a child. With potato printing however, the potato 'die', is dipped in wet paint and then stamped onto paper.

Many Polmac boxes are printed with metallic, foil blocking logo / text designs, because it's the most economic method of printing onto wood boxes. However, metallic foil blocking is generally a single color stamping process. The exception is if a patterned foil is used!

Polmac wood, presentation boxes, with printed foil block logo / text designs are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value, which means they boost bottom-line, product sales.

http://www.polmacuk.com

Stains Can Be Beneficial Especially On Wood!

Making wood, presentation boxes from hardwoods such as Oak, Maple and Beech, can be expensive, so Polmac (UK) Ltd uses a range of beautiful, coloured wood stains, as an alternative. 

Polmac Wood Stain Finishes

These are applied to base woods such as Linden or Alder wood, as a more economic solution, whilst at the same time preserving the high quality finish that customers demand!

Light coloured woods, such as oak, pine, or ash can look dull with no wood staining, so it's used to highlight and compliment the wood grain, to provide a more vibrant finish.

Polmac wood stains are a mixture of dyes and pigments, mixed with water that can be applied with a brush, a sponge, or a spray gun.

The pigments lodge in the wood pores and the dyes are absorbed into the wood cells. This gives the wood a subtle, translucent quality, that oil based block colours cannot match.

Pigmented, wood stains are also more resistant to fading in direct sunlight and are easier to apply evenly than dyes alone.

Water-based wood stains, dry very quickly, so powered, spray guns are used before they becomes tacky. Using spray guns, also means that a perfectly even finish can be achieved and the job can be finished in one day. 

 Polmac Wood Stain Power Spraying

After the wood stain dries, a clear lacquer seal is applied, to preserve the finish and prevent finger marks remaining on the wood, when handled!

A wide range of colours are available, which means that wood stains are better for colour matching purposes, than oil based alternatives.

Many Polmac wood boxes are made from Linden and Alder wood, because the colour and texture of the wood is ideal for colour staining purposes!

Polmac, Linden and Alder wood, presentation boxes are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value, which means they boost bottom-line, product sales!

http://www.pomacuk.com 

Linden Trees Have Many Unusual Uses!

European Linden trees, are known in Britain as Lime trees and can be seen on many high streets. They like full sunlight and are similar to the American Linden tree, because they take years to develop a full, leaf canopy. 

Linden Tree Street Scene

European Linden trees have smaller leaves than the American variety, which can grow up to eight inches in length and five inches in width.

Linden wood is very popular with cabinet makers and for making boxes, because it has a straight grain and is a relatively soft wood! Linden wood is also ideal for making musical instruments, such as guitars and flutes.

Linden has many other unusual uses, including as an additive for...

Perfume
Medicine used to treat headaches, colds, coughs and fever
Flavourings for tea and oils
Hot baths, to alleviate stomach problems

Linden tree leaves used to be eaten raw, to induce sweating and reduce fevers. In some parts of the world, the ashes from burnt Linden wood was ingested to treat intestinal ailments, or applied directly to the skin to treat ulcers or edema.

Linden Tree Leaves & Fruit

The Vikings used Linden bark to build their shields and in the Middle Ages it was used to carve elaborate sculptures, as it is today.

Linden fruit contains a sticky substance that can damage car paint, so it's wise not to park your car next to a Linden tree. The Japanese weave Linden wood fibres into their clothing to give it more  texture. 

Polmac Linden Wood Cheese Safe For: Harrods Ltd - London

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies wood, presentation boxes, made from Linden wood, that are custom-made to our customers exact requirements. 

Many Polmac boxes are made from Linden wood, because it is easily worked by hand, has a beautiful colour and texture and is ideal for wood staining purposes!

Polmac, Linden wood boxes are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value, which means they boost bottom-line, product sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com 

The Silkworms Have Turned!

Real silk is made from a substance that thousands of small silkworms excrete naturally. Making real silk is very labour intensive and for this reason it is an expensive material and so a cheaper, synthetic silk fabric was developed.

Synthetic silk is commonly made from rayon, which is a man-made fibre, manufactured from cellulose. It can also be made from natural fibre, such as mercerized cotton.

Polmac Synthetic Silk Lining Fabrics

Synthetic silk has undergone many formulaic changes since it first appeared and over the years suppliers have become skilled at manufacturing a high quality, cheaper alternative to real silk.

Now, synthetic silk can be made from wool or cotton yarn, to provide that natural silk-like feel. There are many cloths made from synthetic silk, like women's blouses, dresses and lingerie and accessories, such as scarves and ties.

However, synthetic silk, with it's extensive, colour range, is also used to line wood, presentation boxes, as an alternative to flock and other 'velveteen' type fabric linings. 

Polmac Silver Tankard Box: Lined With Synthetic Red, Silk Fabric

Synthetic silk, just like it's more expensive cousin, has a 'loose' feel, so when used as a lining material for wood boxes, foam, or polystyrene, moulded inserts are provided as a substrate, support material.

Synthetic silk is stronger than real silk, although it is susceptible to water damage. Therefore, the fabric must be kept dry at all times.

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies wood, presentation boxes that have synthetic, silk, fabric linings, in a range of wonderful, vibrant colours. They're beautifully made, versatile and terrific value and provide that luxuriant 'feel', that many customers find irresistible!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Flock Fabric - A Beautiful Lining Material!

Coloured, flock fabrics with their wonderful, velvety surface, are used on a wide variety of everyday objects, such as in car glove boxes, packaging for perfumes and wood, presentation box linings...

Polmac Flock Fabrics

Consumers are always searching for something unusual and different, as are suppliers. A special item, or product will increase their market share and generate more business.

Flock fabrics, do provide something different, which is always a top priority for both consumers and suppliers and this has led to a recent upsurge in the their use. 

Flocking for decorative purposes has been used from the earliest times. In the Middle Ages, for example, fibre dust was attached to sticky surfaces. 

However, it was in the 1970s, with the advent of better technology and adhesives, that flocking became a much more popular decoration method.

Polmac Cutlery Box With Flock Lining

Flock fabrics are made by applying short, coloured fibres, usually nylon, rayon or polyester, directly  to a flexible substrate material, that has been coated with an adhesive. The adhesive must be as flexible and resistant to wear as the substrate.

The diameter of the individual flock strands are only about a thousandths of a centimetre, with lengths ranging from 0.25 - 5 mm.

The flock strands are electrically charged by a special machine, which causes them to stand up. The strands are then fixed at right angles to the substrate, providing a tough, durable material.

Polmac (UK) Ltd uses a range of vibrant, coloured, flock fabrics to line their wood, presentation boxes, transforming a simple bottle, or jar into a wonderful gift set, or luxurious presentation pack!

http://www.polmacuk.com

Spread The Word With Miniature Whisky Gift Sets!

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies custom-made, wood, whisky boxes to the Scottish whisky industry, for full size and 50ml miniature whisky.

Polmac, 5-Bottle, Miniature Gift Set For: The Gaelic Whiskies

 

If you're curious about 'Scotch' whisky, then I recommend you try a 'wee dram', because whatever you choose, you'll experience a beautifully, smooth and unique taste, that has endured and got better over the centuries...

The whisky industry in Scotland originated in the 15th Century when in 1494 the earliest record of distilling in Scotland was documented.

Since then, the whisky industry has developed to become a crucial part of Scottish cultural life and today is a huge, global industry, exporting to many countries around the world.

However, it was not until the late 1960's that the marketing potential of tourism to the Scottish whisky industry in general and distilleries, in particular, began to be realized.

It was not until the late 1960's that the marketing potential of tourism to the Scottish whisky industry in whisky and general distilleries, in particular, began to be realized.

Since then, many whisky distillery visitor centres have opened and they now make a significant contribution to the range of tourist attractions in Scotland.

An individual whisky miniature, or gift set is ideal for whisky visitor centres and the retail trade, because they can be used as gifts, samples or for promotional purposes.

A miniature is a small 50ml bottle of a whisky and is intended as a single shot and a range of whisky miniatures can be accommodated in a single gift set!

Sometimes miniature gift sets include a special drinking glass and a label, or loose scroll, describing the whisky inside.

In the USA, whisky miniatures are called 'Nips' and they're often found in hotel bars, trains and on planes, where serving from a full size bottle is impractical.

Polmac custom-made, wood, whisky boxes are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value. They're designed to reflect the premium quality whisky inside and so boost bottom-line whisky sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com

What's The Difference Between Scotch & Irish Whiskey?

Polmac (UK) Ltd supplies custom-made, wood, whiskey boxes, for premium quality, Scotch and Irish whiskey. If you're curious about these whiskies, then I recommend you to have a 'wee dram' and try both. However, you may ask yourself this question...

What's the difference between Irish whiskey and Scotch? The main difference is that, normally, Irish whiskey is distilled three times and Scotch whisky twice! 

Locke's Irish Whiskey Box With Scroll

Furthermore, many Scotch whiskies are peated and have a distinct smoky flavour, whilst Irish whiskey is typically un-peated. There are however exceptions and there many un-peated Scotch whiskies and some peaty Irish whiskies.

The Scotch and Irish whiskey brands are protected by law. Irish Whiskey must be distilled and aged in Ireland and have an alcohol content, no greater than 94.8 %, by volume, from a yeast-fermented mash of cereal grains.

Irish Whiskey must be aged for a minimum of 3 years in wooden barrels. Usually old Bourbon or Madeira barrels are used, to create the smooth, delicious flavour, for which Irish Whiskey is known. 

If Irish whiskey contains two or more distillates, it must be labeled as "blended"!

Irish whiskey can be described as a 'single pot still', 'single malt', 'single grain', and 'blended', However, there are no rules of production for single malt or single grain Irish whiskey, so the distilleries label the whiskey themselves!

Polmac (UK) Ltd, custom-made, wood, whiskey boxes are beautifully made, versatile and terrific value and are designed to reflect the premium quality whiskey inside, which means they boost product sales!

http://www.polmacuk.com