Influencing Identity - Page 53 of 56 - by Coller Industries Incorporated

Donation Spotlight: Bethesda Thrift Shop

Recently, we had the opportunity to make a product donation to Bethesda Thrift Shop in Minnetonka, MN. Bethesda Thrift Shop is a non-profit organization that is affiliated with Bethesda Lutheran Communities. This dates back to 1904 (Wow, that is incredible!) and is based in Watertown, WI. We got a chance to talk briefly with Pat Bellefeuille, who is a store manager there. Pat was able to give us some insight into what Bethesda is all about.

“Bethesda has 21 thrift shops in eight states that rely on more than 3,000 volunteers who donate over 260,000 hours each year. 100% of our net profit goes to support our mission.” Pat’s store will be celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this Feb. It was started in 1993 and was run by all volunteers for the first 17 years.

name tags-nameplates-nametags-ribbons-lanyards-shipping — Bethesda Thrift Shop’s building.

When we asked if Bethesda Thrift Shop has a mission statement Pat responded:

“Our mission is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through services that share the good news of Jesus Christ.”

We were able to donate some of our Mighty Badges, and their accessories to the people at Bethesda Thrift. When asked what they would be used for we received a heartfelt answer.

“The name badges were are given as a way to recognize the many hours our volunteers have volunteered. We have some people who have badges with as many as 18,000 hours on them, and many who have 4,000 or more hours. At the end of each year we total the hours for each volunteer, when a they reach 500 hours of volunteering they get their first badge, when they have 1,000 hours they get another one and so on. These badges are worn with much pride by those who have earned them. They are presented at the Volunteer Appreciation Banquet we have each spring. These name badges mean a lot to our volunteers as this is about the only recognition that they get for their many years and hours of selfless service.”

In 2010 they moved from their small store in Hopkins to a much larger 17,000 sq. ft. store in Minnetonka, MN. At that time a full time manager was hired with two assistants and three part time cashiers to allow the store to be open seven days a week. In support of their mission they also have three people with disabilities who are paid staff. The current staff of about 200 volunteers includes about a dozen people with disabilities some of whom have been volunteering there for five years or more.

What a fantastic organization! They certainly deserve our continued support. Visit their website by clicking the link below, or go and visit them at their store.

Bethesda Thrift Shop
4749 County Road 101
Minnetonka, MN 55345

Vinyl Badge Holders Are Awesome!

One of our unsung heroes here at Coller Industries, Inc. are the vinyl badge holders. They are quite versatile, and are appropriate for almost any situation. They would be perfect for a conference, or a reunion! They are clear vinyl with your choice of fastener on the back. Once you fill them with paper or card stock they become a name badge!

We have several sizes to choose from. Our two most popular sizes are 2.25×3.5, and 3×4. The sizes listed are horizontal, but we also have vertical, and many more sizes to choose from.

We also offer sheets of card stock with perforated edges that match the size of the badges. We have several colors, and we are confident that our material is the best out there. We also offer templates for the printing process so it goes smoothly and easily.

You can print virtually anything on the badges from names to logos to photos. So long as you have the printer capabilities the possibilities are vast.

We also have a large variety of fasteners you can choose from. Our most popular fasteners are our magnets, however you can also choose from a pin, a clip, a double clutch, or a pin/clip combo.

We would love to help with your event! Give us a call or click the link below!

Find Your Bags with Luggage Tags

Creativity and name tags sometimes go hand in hand. Here is an interesting and creative way to use our tags. With every creative idea, there are a few things to consider when designing your custom luggage tags.

Choose between full color or engraved and with or without a logo. Customize your order. Typical elements of luggage tags include your first name, address in case your bag is lost and a phone number to notify you if someone locates your bag.

Name tags made into luggage tags with custom text and graphics.

Full color luggage tags have the option of printing a colorful image or saying on one side. This means that your contact information can be on the opposite side.

Custom engraved tags only have the option of being one sided. So, a logo or image might take up too much space if you want to include all your information. Custom Engraved tags also have the option of selecting a custom shape for another way to make them stand out.

To attach the tag to your bag, you will want to select the punched slot option on the order page. You may also enter into your order comments that you would like these to be luggage tags. Another option would be to let a customer service representative or designer know what you would like.

Full color tags will require the artwork you supply to be submitted with your order. Finished products can be attached to bags with your own chain, ribbon, elastic loop, zip tie or other fastener.

For additional help or questions about how to set up your own custom luggage tags, contact a customer service agent. They will be happy to assist you through this process.

SHOP ENGRAVED

Full color name tag examples with logos and names.

SHOP FULL COLOR

Halloween Decorations

name tags-nameplates-nametags-ribbons-lanyards-shipping
With Halloween just around the corner, many people are scrambling for ideas for their costumes and decorations. Some costumes, such as those that mimic uniforms work well with a name tag as an accessory. The inclusion of a name tag can be a cost effective method of turning some plain clothing into a costume.

We’ve seen quite a few Halloween name tags come through over the years. Here are a few examples we put together. Something like a “Beware of Monsters” sign could be used year after year for your decorations.

The sky is the limit for the tags and signs you could create. Let us help you make a more memorable Halloween this year.

Get yours today!

Vector Art: Meet Your New Best Friend!

Most of the products we offer require vector art to include your logo or custom graphic. But many people have never heard the term and don’t know what it means. A common misconception is that JPEG or PDF files can be vector files, but we’ll break it down so you can tell the difference.

JPEG vs. Vector

JPEG:

Most cameras save photos as JPEGs, but if you open a JPEG image and zoom in, you will see tiny squares of color called pixels. If you make the image bigger, the pixels get bigger until they are clearly visible to the naked eye. Images where the pixels are individually visible are referred to as pixelated.

Basic shapes and colors use these pixels, placed in a grid in thousands of different colors. The result when you zoom out is the complete image that you see. To make curves in your image, pixels on a grid create a jagged look.

Vector:

There is no grid of colored squares like in JPEGs. Instead, the online shapes making up the image are mathematically plotted by the computer program. Then, the program has been told what color (or colors) to fill that outline with. The image is very smooth and high quality. Vector artwork isn’t restricted to a grid to make curves in your image, so the curves are genuine and smooth.

Why do we require vector art?

The key here is the type of process being used to create the image. Laser engraving, hot stamping, and ribbon imprinting share a single fact: the process is 100% there or not there at all.

With laser engraving, for example, the laser burns the plastic or metal, removing the top layer in that spot to reveal a different-colored layer beneath. The laser has either burned, or it hasn’t; there are no half-burned areas.

Now, remember how those JPEGs are made up of squares of color? A curve on a black shape might appear smoother to our eyes by having some of the pixels towards the edges be shades of gray rather than full black. But the laser can’t do that. So those gray squares will be burnt just the same as the black, red, blue and all the other squares. And you end up with something that probably doesn’t look much like your logo.

But vector art can tell the laser exactly where the edges of your shape are so that the laser knows just how to get your image onto your product, filling in the outlines as it goes. The same is true for hot stamping and ribbon imprinting, which both use metal dies; either the color foil is stamped on in a spot or it is not.

How do you create vector art?

Two of the most popular programs are Adobe Illustrator and CorelDraw. Vector art files most commonly end in .eps or .ai, although there are some exceptions. We do have a few options for those customers who do not have vector artwork files of their graphics. And we also can take most images and create vector artwork for them for a small fee. (And you get to keep the file for future use!)

Information courtesy of Melanie Bunch, Graphic Artist. To learn more about name tags and our processes, review our Art Requirements.

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