Are you interested in becoming an election print partner with InkHive Printers? Well, we’ve got some essential rules that you need to know once you become a print partner. In this article, we’ll be discussing the importance of imprints for political campaign materials.

What is an Imprint?

An imprint is a text note that provides transparency around political campaigns. It states where election materials were produced and who they are promoting. Imprints are crucial in ensuring fair campaigns as political candidates need to disclose where they spend their campaign money. Failure to include an imprint could result in prosecution for non-compliance. Therefore, it’s essential for InkHive Printers to be aware of the rules around imprints if they want to become a candidate’s print supplier.

What Should an Imprint Include?

For political imprints, there are three names and addresses that must be included:

The printer (InkHive Printers)
The promoter (e.g., John Smith, 110 High Street, Airdrie)
The candidate (e.g., Jane Smith of 112 High Street, Airdrie)

Note that an email address is not acceptable as a valid address. There are exceptions, such as when the promoter is also the candidate, or when an advert is printed in a newspaper or magazine. When a document is single-sided, the imprint must appear somewhere on the face of the document. If it is multi-sided, the imprint must appear on either the first or last page of the document.

Why Do Printers Need to Know About Imprints?

It is a criminal offence not to include an imprint on political materials. Therefore, it’s crucial for InkHive Printers to be aware of the rules around imprints to avoid getting their clients in trouble. While the responsibility for including imprints lies with the candidate, they will expect InkHive Printers to be knowledgeable in this area. If they can prove themselves to be experts in this field, political clients will trust them more with their work, now and in the future.

For more advice on becoming an election print partner with InkHive Printers, head to our dedicated Election Collection Hub. We offer a variety of free resources to help you, including ideas on which products you should promote to get noticed.