Articles: keyrings

A keyring looks like a trinket, yet it is one of the few giveaways somebody carries every single day. Keys get picked up several times a day, and whatever hangs beside them is seen just as often. Hence the two questions that keep coming back here: which model to choose and what to put on it.

Matching the model to the recipient

The same keyring behaves differently in a workshop, in a hotel and on a trade fair stand. Before you start looking at catalogue photos, settle a few points.

• Who receives it - a customer, a member of staff or a guest taking it home across the country.
• What it will hold - house keys, a locker card, a tag clipped to workwear.
• Material - metal, plastic, wood or leather change how the same idea is read.
• An extra function - a bottle opener, a small measure or a trolley token keeps the item in daily use.
• How the mark is applied - printing or engraving decides how the logo looks after months in a pocket.

Designing on a small surface

A keyring is often called a miniature business card, and the comparison explains a lot. There is very little room, so whatever fits comfortably beats anything that has to be shrunk. Usually the mark alone, or the mark with a short name, is enough. An address and a full list of services belong on other materials. If you want to add a web address or a phone number, print the design at its real size and check that it reads without effort. The reverse deserves a thought too - it often stays empty, though it holds a short line or contact details.

A good place to begin is the piece on matching models to industries, since it narrows the choice to a handful of sensible options. After that it is easier to sit down with the design and see how your mark behaves at a genuinely small size.