Guide
How embroidery, screen printing, DTF, pad printing and laser engraving compare, and which decoration method suits your merch.
The decoration method changes how your logo looks, how long it lasts and what it costs. Here's how the common methods compare, and when to use each.
Thread stitched directly into the garment. It looks premium, lasts as long as the garment and suits polos, caps, jackets, beanies and workwear. Fine detail and very small text can be hard to reproduce, and pricing is usually based on stitch count, so a dense logo costs more than a simple one.
Use it for: uniforms, caps, corporate apparel and anything you want to feel premium.
Ink pushed through a mesh screen, one screen per colour. It gives bold, durable colour and gets cheaper per unit as quantity rises, which makes it the go-to for larger runs of tees and hoodies. Each extra colour adds a screen and a setup cost, so logos with many colours cost more.
Use it for: event tees, team runs and any order with volume and a few solid colours.
Your design is printed onto a film and heat pressed onto the garment. It handles full colour and fine detail with no per-colour setup, which suits smaller runs and complex artwork. The print sits on top of the fabric rather than in it.
Use it for: small runs, full-colour or photographic designs, and mixed sizes and colours.
Ink transferred from a silicone pad onto curved or uneven surfaces. It's the usual method for pens, drink bottles, tech and small hard goods.
Use it for: promotional products with small print areas.
A laser marks the surface of metal, wood or some plastics. It's permanent, subtle and premium, with no ink to wear off.
Use it for: metal drink bottles, premium gifts, tech and anything you want to look understated.
| Method | Best for | Look | Cost driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embroidery | Polos, caps, jackets | Premium, textured | Stitch count |
| Screen print | Larger apparel runs | Bold solid colour | Number of colours |
| DTF | Small runs, full colour | Detailed, full colour | Print size |
| Pad print | Pens, bottles, small goods | Crisp, small | Colours and positions |
| Laser engraving | Metal, wood, premium gifts | Subtle, permanent | Positions |
Where a product can be decorated more than one way, our quotes let you choose and the price updates as you do. Want to see your logo on it first? Every product comes with 2 free mockups. See how ordering works.
Good questions
Embroidery usually suits uniforms best: it looks premium and lasts as long as the garment. Print suits tees and large runs.
DTF (direct to film) prints your design onto a film that is heat pressed onto the garment. It handles full colour and fine detail with no per-colour setup, so it suits small runs and complex artwork.
Each colour needs its own screen and setup, so every extra colour adds cost. It gets cheaper per unit as quantity rises.
Yes. Where a product can be decorated more than one way, the quote lets you choose and the price updates as you do.
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