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Technology

What are Custom Mouse Pads?

By R. Kayne
Updated May 17, 2024
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Mouse pads are quite common, and are often found everywhere from businesses to private homes. It's little wonder then, that companies recognized the humble mouse pad as great location for advertising. Located literally at the client's fingertips, the pad sits under a mouse that is often used for up to eight hours or more each day. In this way, custom mouse pads provide something of value to the customer, while serving the function of keeping a company name visible.

Custom mouse pads are commonly rubber or foam pads printed with a custom message, picture, and/or logo. High-resolution photographs can add ambiance to the advertising message. A cruise line might feature a picture of its star liner in an aqua blue Mediterranean Sea for their mouse pads, accompanied by a logo and phone number. They can be given freely to past clients who are potential future customers, and by reminding them daily of their wonderful vacations, the mouse pads encourage repeat business.

Companies that provide services might prefer mouse pads featuring a logo with the company maxim. When the client needs that service again, the company name will still be fresh in mind, thanks to it being always nearby. A small cafe or eatery located in an industrial park might even put its menu on mouse pads. They can be kept at the restaurant's front counter by the register to be sold to customers at cost, or given away as a bonus with large orders.

Custom mouse pads are also great for personal use. A family portrait can be transferred to one or more mouse pads to be given away as presents. A son's winning touchdown, a daughter's volleyball spike, or maybe a favorite car, pet or camping photo can all be printed on the pad to remind the user of good times, loved ones, or favorite hobbies while working throughout the day. Customized mouse pads can also jazz up a work area and add a touch of individuality to any workspace, be it at home or at the office.

Whether for advertising or for personal use, there are several companies that provide custom mouse pads. Prices range according to the type of pad, design, and quantity ordered. In most cases, artwork must be provided, but some companies will create designs for customers at an additional cost.

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Discussion Comments

By BoniJ — On Jul 23, 2011

If you would like to make your own mouse pad, you can easily do so at home on various websites. You can choose from 20 - 30 designs. If you want, you can download family photos, a scenery photo, a clever saying or whatever you want.

You can give them away to family and friends. If you own your own small business, they're a great way to stimulate interest in your company by giving them away to your favorite customers. They don't cost much at all. And you just use the software at the website to download the design.

By Bertie68 — On Jul 22, 2011

Using custom mouse pads as promotional advertising for a company is a great choice. Like this article says, most of us are at our computer up to eight hours a day. We look down at the mouse pad and the photo, logo, or message many times a day. It will surely get ingrained in our minds.

Local businesses could put their phone number and address on their promotional mouse pads. Dentists could put a big tooth and their phone number and address. I'm sure companies are using their imagination. It's a good way to advertise and creates good will with customers.

The custom mouse pad has more advertising value than a mug, a T-shirt, or a ball cap, in my opinion.

By cloudel — On Jul 22, 2011

@lighth0se33 - Yes, I ordered one for my friend, and it turned out fine. She loves ferrets, and I sneakily took a photo from her house of two of her ferrets wrapped into a ball. I uploaded it to the customized mouse pad site, and the finished product looked great.

It could have been because the image was high quality. It was rather large to begin with, and I scanned it in at a high resolution. It would probably be best if you could take the photo yourself with a good digital camera. The better the image you send to them, the better the pad will look.

By lighth0se33 — On Jul 22, 2011

I would like to get my sister a custom printed mouse pad for Christmas with a photo of her four dogs on it, but I am scared that the photo quality may not turn out great because of the material it will be printed on. Has anyone here ever gotten a personal photo transferred to a mouse pad? If so, how did the image turn out?

The site I thought of ordering from charges about $15 per custom pad. This is significantly more than a standard pad would cost, and I want to make sure I’m making a good investment in her gift.

By StarJo — On Jul 21, 2011

I am not one for standard appearances. I personalize and decorate every area of my cubicle, and my mousepad is no exception.

I prefer to decorate with an ocean theme. I found a custom mousepad online that looks as good as a photograph. It features tall, skinny palm trees on an island that fades into the sea. A mountain juts up into puffy clouds in the distance. Looking at it really takes me there.

I found another mousepad from the same company for my home desk. It also features an island, but this one has an orange sunset and black silhouettes of trees. I don’t think I will ever go back to solid, boring mousepads.

By Perdido — On Jul 20, 2011

I work right on the town square of a medium-sized city. My office is within five miles of probably around 40 restaurants, and many of these have started selling custom made mouse pads sporting their main menu items.

A group of coworkers and I frequently order lunch on busy days. We have amassed a collection of menu mouse pads from some of our favorite places. This way, we can just go to each other’s desks to decide what we want for our call-in lunch order.

I think it’s an excellent marketing technique on the restaurants’ part. When you start to get hungry, you have a list of food right there on your desk.

By ceilingcat — On Jul 20, 2011

@starrynight - I still use a mouse pad at home, but I think I use it more from sentimental feelings than anything else. I know I don't really need it!

But man, a few years ago mouse pads were definitely a huge thing. I remember one year a friend of mine and her family sent out a custom photo mouse pad as their Christmas card. Everyone thought they were very clever!

By starrynight — On Jul 19, 2011

I have a ton of custom mouse pads at home. It seemed like for awhile every business I went to wanted to give away a custom mouse pad. I must admit, it is a good idea.

The funny thing is, I never use mouse pads anymore! I know the used to be necessary, but now most mice are optic mice and they work on any flat surface.

Maybe companies out to start giving away custom wrist rests. I use one of those at my job every single day!

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