Swipe to the left

What Should You Print on a Promotional Pen?

By Sonam S. September 12, 2026 15 Views No comments

A pen barrel is narrow, so every element you add competes for space. Decide the one thing the pen must say, then add only what earns its place. This applies to PrintOnline's Custom Plastic Pen and to metal pens.

Logo

Your logo is the anchor. Use a simplified, single-line version where you can.

Company name

If your logo is an icon only, add the company name beside it so the pen still names you.

Website

A short web address is the most useful single line of text on a pen: easy to read, easy to act on.

Phone

Useful for trades, clinics and service businesses where people call rather than browse.

QR code

Think hard before putting a QR code on a pen, and in most cases don't. The UMA Metal Pen's print area is 30 x 5.5 mm. A QR code is square, so the tallest one that fits is 5.5 mm across, which is well below the size most phone cameras will read reliably, and it would consume the full height of the print area, leaving nowhere for your logo.

Plastic barrels give you a little more room, but the shape problem is the same: a pen's print area is a long thin strip and a QR code wants a square. If a code is genuinely essential, ask PrintOnline for the exact print area of your chosen pen first, make the code as large and high-contrast as that area allows, and test-scan the physical proof rather than the on-screen artwork. A short web address is almost always the better use of the space.

Social media

One handle, not several. Pick the platform your customers actually use.

Slogan

Short or skip it. A long slogan forces the logo smaller.

Campaign

For a launch or event pen, a campaign line or hashtag can replace the slogan. Plan quantities in how many pens to order for an exhibition.

Print area limitations

For the UMA Metal Pen, the print area is confirmed: 30 x 5.5 mm, next to the clip. For the plastic pens, the available area depends on the pen model and the printing method, so PrintOnline asks you to upload your artwork during ordering and lets the production team confirm it fits.

Either way, 30 x 5.5 mm is the useful number to hold in your head. It is about the size of a grain of rice stretched out. Lay your logo into a box that shape before you commit to a design, and you will immediately see which elements have to go.

Logo simplification

Remove fine lines, small text and gradients before you send artwork. This helps both methods, and matters most for screen printing. See screen vs UV printing.

Artwork preparation

Send vector artwork (PDF, AI or EPS) where you have it, with the colours you need named. Approve the proof before production starts.

Order custom promotional pens from PrintOnline.