Materials, substrates and finishes
How materials, substrates and finishes work for corporate merch in Georgia: ceramic vs stainless steel mugs, PU vs leather notebooks, bamboo vs plastic, glass vs crystal, and what buyers should expect on price tier and MOQ.
Context
The material question for corporate merch in Georgia — what each substrate brings to the table, what it costs, how it decorates, and what the price tier and MOQ typically look like.
Corporate merch in Georgia is produced in Tbilisi — decoration in Saburtalo, Nadzaladevi and Gldani, dispatch across the country and abroad under DCFTA. The standard MOQ is 30 units; premium VIP programmes from 10 units; volume pricing above 500 units. Quotes are in GEL for Georgian-resident buyers (VAT 18% via RS.ge), EUR/USD for export.
Frequently asked questions
Ceramic mug vs stainless steel thermal mug — which is right?
Ceramic is the standard giveaway — 330 ml white ceramic mug, dishwasher-safe, silkscreen or wrap-print decoration, MOQ 30 units, from ~6 GEL per unit for the 100-unit tier. Stainless steel thermal is the premium choice — 450 ml double-wall, laser engraving or UV print, MOQ 30 units, from ~25 GEL. The ceramic is for everyday office and hospitality use; the thermal is for VIP and outdoor use.
PU leather vs real leather for notebooks?
PU (polyurethane) leather is the standard — it looks like leather, takes debossing and UV print, holds shape well, and is price-accessible (from ~10 GEL for an A5 notebook). Real leather is a premium tier — full-grain leather, debossed logo, hand-finished edges, from ~40 GEL. For ESG-sensitive buyers we offer recycled leather (bonded leather with recycled content) at a mid-tier price.
Bamboo vs plastic for eco-bags and pens?
Bamboo is the ESG-friendly choice — fast-growing, FSC-certified, takes laser engraving and UV print. Plastic (recycled PET or PP) is the price-accessible choice, takes silkscreen and DTF, and is dishwasher-safe. The price gap is significant — bamboo is typically 40–80% more expensive than recycled PET. Both are reusable; both reduce single-use plastic; both are accepted in our ESG reporting.
Glass vs crystal for drinkware and awards?
Soda-lime glass is the standard for wine glasses, beer mugs and tumblers; it takes pad printing, laser engraving and decals, and is price-accessible. Crystal (lead-free K9 crystal) is the premium choice for awards and VIP gifts — heavier, clearer, takes deep laser engraving, and ships with a premium gift box. Crystal is typically 3–5× the price of soda-lime glass.
Stainless steel vs aluminium for water bottles and flasks?
Stainless steel (typically 304 grade) is the standard for water bottles and flasks — durable, food-safe, takes laser engraving and UV print, dishwasher-safe. Aluminium is the lightweight alternative (typically 1.1A) — lighter to carry, takes silkscreen and UV print, but requires a food-safe liner. For corporate merch we recommend stainless for daily use and aluminium for travel and outdoor use.
Cotton vs polyester for t-shirts and hoodies?
Cotton is breathable and natural; polyester is durable and quick-dry. For everyday office and event wear 100% cotton (ring-spun, 180–200 gsm) is the standard. For sportswear, outdoor events, and travel wear 100% polyester or a 65/35 poly-cotton blend is the standard because it wicks moisture and resists wrinkles. We supply both and help the buyer choose based on use case and decoration method.
Additional context
In Georgia the standard decoration method depends on run size and audience. For textile orders above 100 units we recommend silkscreen (cotton, polo) or embroidery (premium). For short runs and complex artwork we recommend DTF or DTG. For hard goods we recommend laser engraving, UV print, pad printing, and debossing.
For cross-border orders we prepare the EUR.1 movement certificate under DCFTA, the CMR consignment note for road freight, and the RS.ge e-invoice for Georgian-resident buyers. Banking partners are Bank of Georgia and TBC Bank; for export we use the BOG correspondent network (Commerzbank, Citi, Raiffeisen).
Corp-Merch is an independent corporate merchandise vendor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government body, regional administration, municipality, public-sector buyer, or any event referenced on this page. References to procurement.gov.ge, RS.ge, the Partnership Fund, GITA, GNTA, the Georgian National Tourism Administration, Bank of Georgia, TBC Bank and other institutions on this page are factual descriptions of the procurement and business environment in which we sell, not endorsements or affiliations.
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