Promotional mouse mats have quickly become one of the most popular promotional items in the gift market. Computers are essential in the workplace these days, and along with the computer, another essential is the humble mouse mat. It's important to create an attractive design for your promotional mouse mats. If your design doesn't look good, the recipients of your gifts might just end up throwing them away, and your promotional idea suddenly becomes wasted potential.

Your mouse mat design should include certain essential information. If you have a company logo or slogan, use this as the starting point for your design. Include your company name and contact information, and then stop right there. Adding too much information will only make it more difficult for people to see what's important. Just include the essentials, then let the mouse mat speak for itself.

The next step is selecting a color scheme. Let your company logo dictate the colors you choose, and again, keep it simple. Choose colors that complement your logo, or simply go for darker neutral tones. Avoid large blocks of light color whenever possible-mouse mats tend to attract dirt, and they can be difficult to clean effectively. Complicated designs and loud colors can not only look unattractive, they also detract from your message. Always keep your number one priority in mind when creating your design-getting people use your mouse mats, and to remember your company and your products.

Another important point to consider is that your mouse mats will be used by many different people, in different places of business-and your single design must look good in all of them. Remember, too, that the more colors you add to your design, the more expensive it will be to print. Limiting yourself to two or three complementing colors not only looks better, it's more cost-effective too.

Bring all these elements together with a well-thought-out design that really makes your logo stand out. Use simple, bold fonts-sans serif is best-and make sure your design has plenty of empty space, rather than taking up the entire mat with writing. If your mouse mat design is too cluttered, nobody will take the time to read it.

If you have the time to spare, create two or three designs then ask advice from work colleagues, friends and family. Ask them which design they find the most appealing, and why. Get opinions from as many people as possible, to ensure your design will appeal to a broad cross-section of people, then use the information you gain to build on your design and make it as effective as you possibly can. Take as much time as you need for the design process-if you're spending the money on promotional items you know how important advertising is to your business, and once the mats are printed you can't go back and change them. Promotional mouse mats are a great way to advertise your business, but they're only good as long as people use them!

For more information on mouse mats, promotional items, promotional products and business gifts, check out the leading online suppliers today!