Desk Calendars vs. Wall Calendars: Which One's Right For You?
A custom calendar by any name works as well as a promotional tool. It doesn't really matter what you call these high quality pieces of marketing collateral, or does it? Here at PrintFirm, we print both types, but we've noticed that many of you don't realize there's more than 1 kind of calendar. That's ok because we're here to explain the difference between these items and help you choose which one would be the right tool for your advertising campaign.
What are Desk Calendars?
The word "desk" seems pretty self-explanatory in this case. Think of a calendar small enough to fit comfortably inside of your cubicle or office work station. The dimensions are 4" x 6", which is the same size as a standard folded greeting card. Due to the compact size, these are often used for decoration or to personalize your home or office space.
What are Wall Calendars?
Most of the time when people mention calendars, they're thinking of the kind you hang on the wall. These full color beauties come in 8.5" x 11" or 9" x 12" sizes, so they're much larger than the desktop version. They won't stand upright on their own, which means they need to be attached to another surface (wall, refrigerator, pin board, etc.).
Which One Should I Print?
That depends on your resources, goals, and target market. In this case, resources means the materials you will use to create the calendar design, mainly photos or other images. Any picture you want to have included in a professional printing project should be high resolution (300 dpi), but that's only part of the puzzle. If you have lots of full res. files from a pro photographer, then your choices aren't limited in any way; however, you might not have a bunch of top quality photos on hand. In that case, the desk calendar would be a better choice because you don't need big pictures to get the job done.
As far as your goals, ask yourself whether or not you want the calendar to be seen every day, essentially become a part of the recipient's daily routine. Reason being, a wall calendar probably isn't going to be checked daily, but a desk calendar needs to be turned every day instead of once a month. That means greater visibility for your brand, at least as far as people in the immediate vicinity.
The target market aspect of your strategy should be easy to figure out. Are you in the B2B or B2C space? For B2B businesses, a desk calendar would likely be a better fit. Your gift will be useful and practical in a corporate setting. Keep in mind that some employees don't have permission to put anything on the wall. Consumers don't have that problem, so a wall calendar would be fine for the home.
Whichever product you pick, be sure to download a free template first!
