Branded mouse pads: sizes, constructions and the wear factors that decide print method
The specification starts with size, because it decides the format of the artwork and the shipping cost. The most common B2B choice is the 300 × 400 mm standard pad, which fits a desk mat without taking over the keyboard space. The 800 × 400 mm extended pad is the format that goes under a keyboard as well as a mouse and is the one that shows a logo across its full width. The 900 × 400 mm XXL is a desk-dedicated mat rather than an accessory, and it is frequently bought as a workstation gift for analysts and developers. Construction is the second decision and it is a performance decision. A cloth pad is a woven polyester surface printed edge to edge, typically backed with 2 to 3 mm of natural rubber; it is the most forgiving surface for an optical or laser mouse and the most durable for full-colour artwork, because dye-sublimation fuses the image into the polyester rather than laying a film on top. A hard pad is a 3 to 4 mm plastic or PP body with a rubber underside; it feels more precise and travels better in a laptop bag, but printed films on a hard surface can delaminate at the edges after a year of daily use, so full-bleed dye-sublimation is only available on the cloth construction. Semi-hard and memory-foam pads sit between the two and cost more without changing the decoration route. The wear factor that decides print method is the sensor: an RGB optical mouse tracks differently across a woven surface than across plastic, and a screen-printed mark on cloth scuffs faster than a sublimated one because the ink sits proud of the weave. That is why photographic and gradient artwork should always go to dye-sublimation, while a single-colour flat logo at 200 units and above can go to screen print on cloth or to heat transfer at 3 200–4 800 AMD per unit for a 300 × 400 mm hard pad. Base grip matters as much as print: natural rubber gives the smoothest glide and holds on a laminate desk, while textured PVC grips harder on wood and on a glass-topped table and is the right choice for a mobile team. Edges decide the perceived quality — a stitched anti-fray edge on cloth and a rounded, sealed rim on a hard pad are what separate a merchandise mouse pad from a promotional giveaway, and both are worth specifying explicitly. Indicative AMD bands for Yerevan-delivered production run about 3 200–4 800 AMD per unit for a 300 × 400 mm hard pad at 500 pieces, 4 800–7 200 AMD for a 300 × 400 mm cloth pad with full dye-sublimation at 200 pieces, and 11 000–16 500 AMD for an 800 × 400 mm XXL cloth mat at 100 pieces. All figures include 20% VAT per Armenian tax law, and colour approval should be done on a printed sample, because an uncoated woven surface will not match a Pantone swatch on paper.
- Type
- Desktop merchandise — standard, extended and XXL desk mats
- Print method
- Dye-sublimation (full colour), screen print (1–4 colours), heat transfer (short runs), UV DTF on hard bases
- Typical order volume
- 50–1 000 pieces per size; XXL and extended usually 50–200
- Lead time
- 12–22 working days from artwork and print proof approval
- Payment rails
- Bank transfer in AMD, ArCa, Idram, Visa, Mastercard; 20% VAT included