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Best Custom Gifts of 2021

How does that saying go? It’s the thought that counts. That remains true, especially when it comes to gift-giving.

When you’re getting ready to buy birthday or holiday presents for your loved ones, it can sometimes be tricky. You can browse through busy stores or shop online, but nothing stands out more than a custom gift.

We’ve compiled a shortlist of this year’s best custom gifts so far. From custom phone cases to coasters, we’ll take you along on how quick and easy it is to make these items using our machines and supplies.

“Future Mrs.” Engagement Mugs

Love is in the air and the perfect engagement gift for that happy couple you know is a custom mug to celebrate their special day.

There are plenty of ways to personalize mugs, but the most popular and easiest is through white toner transfer printing.

What makes this application style unique is the use of white toner to create transfers that can be applied to dark-colored items, which is typically hard to do. This also gives you the freedom to use mugs of any color or style!

These compact, user-friendly printers are sold under the brand DigitalHeat FX.

There are a few steps to creating this popular gift with the DigitalHeat FX system.

With wedding season approaching in the spring, it’s no wonder why these engagement mugs are at the top of the list!

Custom Monogram Coasters

It’s no secret that coasters are a must-have item in the house to protect furniture, so why not make them worthy of display? Monogram coasters are the perfect gift for that friend who loves a subtle but personal touch in their household.

Here’s how to make these custom coasters with Triton Heat Transfer Vinyl and our DigitalHeat FX system:

One of the great things about items made with heat transfer vinyl is versatility. Vinyl comes in different colors and designs such as glitter and metallics. Now, you can kick those plain leather or cork coasters up a notch!

Custom Embroidered Wallets

Part of the gift giving process is trying to figure out whether or not the person you’re buying for is going to use your gift. This is where the next most popular custom gift comes in: personal embroidered wallets.

Wallets are one of the most practical ways to go when it comes to choosing a gift. Think about it, everyone needs one for their day-to-day use.

By adding a design like embroidered initials, it brings personality to a blank item that they will use for a long time.

To create this custom gift, we used our Avance 1501C Embroidery machine.

  • Import & select your design on touch screen
  • Spray your tearaway backing with Tempo Spray Adhesive
  • Place backing underneath the side you will be embroidering
  • Hoop your wallet using an embroidery grip
    Hoop your wallet using an embroidery grip
  • Press start

Embroidery gives a classic and unique look to any item, especially a custom wallet and ensures that no one else will have that same one.

Pet Portrait Mousepads

Another recent trend in custom gifts is pet portrait mousepads. This is ideal for any of your animal-loving friends or family members. We created these personalized mousepads using a process called sublimation.

Sublimation is the process of an image or design being vaporized onto a piece of garment. With specialty paper and ink, the design is printed and pressed onto the item of your choice, skipping past the liquid stage right into a gas.

 This method is mess-free, quick to learn, and is fade-resistant.

In order to accomplish this, we use the Sawgrass Virtuoso SG1000 and the Hotronix Fusion IQ Heat Press.

These mousepads are a great custom gift for the pet moms or pet dads in your life and are easy to make.

Photo Phone Cases

Custom phone cases have made their way onto this list simply because phone cases are an item that everyone uses.

 Printing your favorite photo of you and your best friend, significant other or family member onto a phone case is a great way to show how much you appreciate them.

We created these phone cases using the Compress iUV 600 printer.

UltraViolet (UV) printing is a unique technique of digital printing that uses UV light to dry or cure ink onto the item of your choice. The ink dries as soon as it’s applied, leaving no chance for evaporation and the release of toxic chemicals.

Here’s how we created custom photo phone cases using UV printing:

  • Choose a photo
  • Using your RIP software, print an outline of the phone case onto the bed of the printer
  • Place your photo into the appropriate frame in the RIP software & on the printer bed
  • Load your phone case on the printed outline on the printer bed
  • Press Print

Now, every time your loved one uses their phone they will be reminded of the time and effort it took to create this personalized gift.

You can never go wrong with custom gifts like the ones on this list to create a lasting impression on the people you love the most. Instead of gifting something you bought from the store, these personalized items are the perfect way to display your affection and appreciation.

If you’d like to know more information about the machines and systems we used to create these custom gifts, you can chat with one of our live pros at (855) 348- 4839.

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