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Branded pens: how to choose and brand them

Short answer

Branded pens get kept when they write well and feel solid, so start with the refill and the barrel. Pad printing is a common way to put a logo on a plastic pen. Laser engraving gives metal and bamboo pens a permanent, premium mark. A pen that takes a standard refill can be refilled instead of thrown away.

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A tattooed hand gripping a bamboo pen with a silver cap printed with the Black Forest Labs logo
Black Forest Labs · Bamboo pen with a silver cap

Written and reviewed by The Go Swag team.Last reviewed 6 October 2026.

Best method
Pad printing on plastic barrels
Premium
Laser engraving on metal or bamboo
Check
Refill, weight and clip
Contents
  1. 01Choose
  2. 02Branding
  3. 03Occasions
  4. 04Brief it

Which branded pens to choose.

Pens are easy to give away and easy to lose. The ones that last are the ones people enjoy writing with.

Refill
The refill decides how the pen writes and whether it can live on. A ballpoint that takes the common ISO G2 “giant” format can be refilled with many brands’ refills.
Barrel material
Plastic is light and comes in every colour. Recycled plastic gives a plastic pen a better story. Aluminium and brass feel weighty and premium. Bamboo and wood are warm and natural, and engrave beautifully.
Weight and grip
A pen with some weight and a rubber or textured grip feels better to write with than a feather-light barrel. Pick one up before you choose, or ask for a sample.
Mechanism and clip
A click pen is quick to use; a twist pen looks smarter and won’t open in a bag. A sturdy metal clip survives a pocket, and it’s a good place for a small logo.
Ink and colour
Blue or black ink suits most offices. Gel and rollerball refills feel smoother; ballpoints are the everyday choice.

How to brand pens: the best decoration methods.

  1. Pad printing

    A soft silicone pad picks up ink from an etched plate and presses it onto the curved barrel. It’s a common choice for plastic pens: crisp, quick and good for one- or two-colour logos.

    Pad printing

  2. Laser engraving

    A laser marks the barrel itself. On a coated metal pen it removes the coating to reveal bright metal, much as it does on a coated bottle; on bamboo or wood it leaves a darker burn. There’s no ink to wear off.

  3. Full-colour digital print

    UV digital printing reproduces gradients and multi-colour logos on suitable barrels. It suits detailed artwork, though it wears faster than engraving on a pen that’s handled all day.

  4. Screen printing

    Less common on round barrels, but useful for flat clips and larger flat surfaces in a single, solid colour.

    Screen printing

Where the logo goes.

The barrel is the main space: the logo usually runs along it, reading from the clip towards the tip so it’s the right way up when the pen lies on a desk. The clip takes a small mark or a short word. On premium pens, a second engraving on the cap or the opposite side can carry a name or a date.

Artwork tips for pens.

  • Send vector artwork. Pad printing plates and engraving files are both made from vector artwork. Send an AI, EPS, PDF or SVG file.
  • Design for a narrow strip. A pen barrel is long and thin. A horizontal, single-line version of the logo works much better than a stacked one.
  • Keep detail bold. Fine lines and very small text fill in on a small curved surface. Thicken them or drop them.
  • Single colour for engraving. An engraved logo is the colour of the metal or wood underneath. Send a one-colour version. We confirm the specification for every order.

Making it last.

Printed logos on pens wear where fingers grip and clips rub, so keep the print away from the grip zone. Engraving has no ink to wear off.

Worth knowing

Schneider describes several of its ballpoint refills as “giant refill in ISO format G2” and waterproof according to the ink standard ISO 12757-2.

Source: Schneider, “Ballpoint pen refills”, accessed 6 October 2026. ⁠Source 1

Event pens and desk pens.

  • Events and conferences

    A light, pad-printed plastic or recycled pen suits larger numbers. Choose one that writes well, because a scratchy pen says the wrong thing.

    Event swag

  • Clients and new starters

    A weighty metal or bamboo pen with an engraved logo, paired with a notebook, makes a desk gift people keep.

    Client gifts

Brief your pens order.

Settle these before you order, then take the list to Select or to a call.

Before you order pens

Before you order pens

Shop online

Order it yourself in Select.

A straightforward order you place yourself: choose your pens, add your logo and order online, with UK delivery for now.

Shop Select (opens Go Swag Select, a separate site)

Managed

Have us run it.

For packed kits, many recipients or delivery outside the UK. We source and brand them, and send them with the rest of your programme.

Start your project

Questions about branded pens.

Laser engraved or printed pens?

Engrave metal, bamboo and wooden pens when you want a premium, permanent mark: it can’t rub off. Print plastic pens, or any pen where the logo needs your brand colour rather than the colour of the material. For client gifts, engraving is usually worth it.

Are pad-printed pens durable?

Yes, for everyday use, if the ink suits the barrel and is properly cured. Pad prints wear first where fingers grip and clips rub, so place the logo on the upper barrel or clip rather than the grip. For a pen people will carry for years, engraving lasts longer.

Which pens do people actually keep?

Pens that write smoothly and feel solid in the hand are more likely to stay on a desk. A metal or bamboo barrel, a reliable refill and a sturdy clip matter more than the logo.

Sources

2 sources
  1. 01Ballpoint pen refills (opens in a new tab) · Schneider, accessed 6 October 2026.Back to reference 1
  2. 02Laser engraving metal flasks (opens in a new tab) · Epilog Laser, accessed 6 October 2026.Back to reference 2

Related reading

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