Facts about the bookmark: its origin
The bookmark originated in the ancient times. The first one appears in the history of man with the first alphabets.
It was made of highly valuable rigid material. It could have been bone, gold or wood, all finely worked.
It's in the Middle Ages that the bookmark takes the shape that we know today. Even before Gutenberg invented mobile printing in 1455, monks and prelates used this small tool to make it easier to read and study the sacred texts.
At the beginning they were simple pieces of cloth or ribbons attached to the cover of the books. This tradition is still in use today during public readings of holy books, during religious functions or ceremonies.
Only in the 19th century did the bookmark become the object we know today. It acquired its own specific character, and it broke into the habits of any reader. It turned into a way to communicate and convey closeness to the public.
Nowadays, you can get through all kinds of information with the bookmark. It can be a political thought, an advertising ad, or words of affection. It can be a simple gift to give together with a book, too, with a wish for those who receive it.
The diffusion of bookmarks
It's truly incredible to find out how this simple object has managed to cross the history of man unharmed. It's always been there and is still useful after centuries. Moreover, over time it's become an object of worship for many collectors. Some types are sought after a lot and have a very high market value.
Beside enthusiasts, each reader uses at least one bookmark. It's an indispensable accessory when reading a book. For this reason, it'll always be appreciated.
On HiGift you can find bookmarks of all shapes and colours and customise them according to your tastes and needs. In any case, by choosing them as corporate gifts or promotional products, you can count on their usefulness. Thanks to this feature they'll effectively sponsor your brand.
The relationship between the reader and the bookmark
Each of us has used one when reading a book, at least once in our lives. Some simply placed it in the pages, others considered it a companion of adventures.
There are readers who ask for a bookmark every time they buy a book. It's a small and practical product, which can be used several times. These features make it an effective tool if you want to spread commercial information of all kinds. That's why a personalised bookmark is an original and functional gift idea to promote your brand.
This is particularly true in view of the increasing popularity of books. It seems that people have re-discovered the pleasure to read recently. Science confirms it.
A survey carried out by Global English Editing has reported that reading trends have been increasing in recent years due to the pandemic.
It’s in this type of scenario that we must evaluate the potential of the printed bookmarks. Although they may seem insignificant, they’re actually powerful and incisive. Especially if used as corporate gifts for your employees or promotional products for your audience.
Customized bookmarks as a means of business communication
We can state without fear that the bookmark is an object dear to every reader. Then, considering the promising trend for the publishing world of the latest surveys, giving a personalised bookmark as a gift to your audience seems to be a winning move.
One of the great advantages is that this item can be used in several ways. For instance, by choosing it as a promotional product, you'll have the chance to make a business card out of it.
There are some people who fear that the amount of information may be excessive and that their personalised bookmark may be perceived as a mini flyer. To avoid this drawback, however, it'll be enough to find graphics that aren't aggressive, so that they'll make the writing look spacious and not too dense. Visual impact is critical when you customise your corporate gifts.
Using customized bookmarks as business cards can be an original idea, especially if it's well made. Your customers will be able to use it to mark the pages and always have your logo under their eyes.
Also, in case they want to contact you, they'll find all the information they need on their bookmark. An extra convenience that makes printed bookmarks used as business cards excellent promotional products.
Now think about those who buy a book online. Probably, they'll eventually forget about your store.
Offering a personalised bookmark with your own logo in the foreground allows you to remind the customer of your business. Moreover, your little corporate gift could become an attractive cross-selling product, especially if it's well done.
Another area in which printed bookmarks are appreciated is that of cultural events. We're talking about exhibitions and any type of occasion in which a large number of people are expected to participate.
In these contexts, it's impossible to attract the attention of all visitors. For this reason, distributing printed bookmarks will allow your company to reach a wider audience. Even those who won't notice your booth during the event will be able to take an interest in your brand by seeing your logo on their new bookmark once at home.
Another way to use printed bookmarks during events is as an entrance ticket.
One of the advantages of these corporate gifts is that they have low production costs. As a consequence, they’ll produce a very interesting profit margin.
How to design a personalised bookmark
Printed bookmarks are very simple-graphic corporate gifts. However, it's precisely for this reason that it's essential that the shape and the paper are designed with care.
First, you should consider the dimensions of your personalised bookmark. It'll be mostly within the pages of a book. The standard book formats are approximately 14 or 15 cm in length. So, the measurements of customized bookmarks must fall within a specific range:
- 5-8cm wide
- 12- 21 cm in length.
The choice of the paper is important as well. It must be thick, but it must never reach the weight of a cardboard. So, types ranging from 150 to 250 grams are suitable.
The other factor that plays its part is the finish. While a recycled paper doesn't need it, a coated paper would be more effective if it's laminated.
Customized bookmarks have two sides. We recommend using both for two reasons. First, the difference in the cost of printing is minimal. Secondly, it'll have a better effect on the public. Leaving the back empty will give the impression of a poorly structured corporate gift.
Still, the best way to customise the back is to leave it as simple as possible. A short information text and contact details will suffice. Name, website, e-mail and any telephone numbers and addresses are all you need to add to the back of your personalised bookmark.
The front is the part that will attract the most attention. The most common ways to customise it are:
- With an image
- With a sentence.
In the second case, it's important to choose colour, font and size carefully. If you don't want to go wrong, go for a simple style that's consistent with the aesthetics of your company.
