How to Choose the Best Apparel Decoration Methods: Embroidery, Screen Printing & More

When outfitting your team or impressing your clients and customers, choosing the right branded apparel is where style meets strategy. Whether you're picking classic polos or trendy hoodies, how you decorate your apparel is just as important as the item itself. Today, we're breaking down the most popular decoration methods for your company's branded apparel.

 Embroidery: The Classic Choice 

Embroidery is more than likely the first idea people get when they're thinking of apparel decoration methods, and they're not wrong for thinking that. In our own terms, it's the 'gold standard' of branded apparel, perfect for that clean and professional look.

Pros:

• Durability: Embroidery lasts as long as the fabric does.
• Premium Look: It elevates your brand with a textured, high-end feel.
• Versatility: Embroidery works great on thicker fabrics like fleece, denim, knitwear, and head wear.

Cons:

• Cost: Embroidery typically can become more expensive for intricate designs and the number of colors your logo might have.
• Design Limitations: If your logo or designs have small text or are very detailed, embroidery wouldn't be the way to go.
• Color Match: Matching your brand's pantone color to a thread color can sometimes be difficult. There isn't always an exact match, but we here at SOLV always consult with you to find the best color match.

Screen Printing: Bold & Vibrant 

Screen printing is the go-to for high-volume orders that offers vibrant, long-lasting designs. It's perfect for those bold logos on t-shirts and hoodies, making it a constant crowd-pleasing apparel decoration method at events and giveaways.

Pros:

• Cost-Effective: If you plan on ordering in bulk, screen printing is your BFF.
• Vibrant Colors & Durability: It achieves bold, consistent designs that last a very long time.
• Soft Touch: Screen printing creates a softer product touch due to the ink penetrating the fabric, which is ideal for those full back designs.

Cons:

• Fabric Restrictions: Screen printing works best on flat, smooth fabrics so we here at SOLV wouldn't recommend it for all garment types out there.
• Not Ideal for Short Run: Due to the set-up time for the screens, it makes the pricing not effective for low quantity orders.
• Not Detail Friendly: If you have a design with a ton of details or is extremely complex. Our recommendation would be to simplify your design or limit your color palette to resolve this issue.
  • Pro Tip: When designing for screen print, work in layers when using Adobe Illustrator for each color you're using. It helps speed up the process of taking your design from digital to getting it printed on your shirt.

Heat Transfers (Vinyl or Digital): Custom & Colorful

Heat pressing can use either vinyl or digital transfer to create precise and customizable designs. It's a go-to for us here at SOLV since it tends to be perfect for short runs or one-off customizations.

Pros:

• Customization: If you want to personalize your garments with individual names, numbers, or event unique design elements! Heat Transfers are your new buddy.
• Versatile Materials: Heat Transfers work on a much wider range of fabrics compared to other decoration methods.
• Cost Effective: Due to the low set-up costs, Heat Transfers are the ideal use for small orders.

Cons:

• Durability: Heat transfers are far less durable than embroidery or screen printing. If you've ever had a design 'crack' on a t-shirt or hoodie, that's because it was decorated with heat transfers.
• Heat Limitations: Some fabrics may not hold up well under high temperatures when using a heat press. But don't worry, at SOLV, we'll let you know what fabrics can and cannot use heat transfers before decoration.
• Weight: Depending on the sizing of your heat transfer, it may feel heavier on the garment due to the decoration sitting on top of the fabric.

Sublimation: All-Over Awesomeness

This type of apparel decoration method prints your design directly into the fabric, resulting in crazy-cool, vibrant, all-over designs that won't ever crack or fade. Sublimation is perfect for athletic or performance wear and for poly-based fabrics.

Pros:

• No Fading or Cracking: Sublimation inks bond directly with the fabric, making it so that your apparel designs will always look good.
• All-Over Designs: Sublimation can quite literally design every inch of the fabric, making it perfect for those intricate designs and vibrant colors.
• Soft Touch: Since the ink is bonded directly to the fabric, you will never feel the decoration method, only the garment itself.

Cons:

• Fabric Restrictions: Sublimation requires 100% polyester fabric or polyester blends.
• Image Distortion: Sublimated images may appear distorted when the fabric is stretched.
• Garment Restrictions: Only white or very light colored garments can allow for sublimation printing. Sublimation will not work on a dark colored or black polyester or poly-blend fabrics with a lower the 65% polyester composition.

Direct-to-Garment (DTG): Photorealistic & Precise

Direct-to-Garment uses premiere inkjet technology to print designs directly onto the garment, making it a perfect decoration method for detailed, full color graphics. It's kind of the new-kid on the block.

Pros:

• Detailed Designs: DTG is the perfect decoration method for intricate logos and images.
• Low Set-Up Time: DTG is great for short-runs and quick turn times for custom orders.
• Soft Touch: Since the image or design is getting printed directly into the fabric, it feels light and soft in your hands.

Cons:

• Cost Per Unit: For higher quantity orders, DTG becomes very expensive, very quick.
• Fabric Limitations: We recommend only printing with DTG on 100% so that the image adheres to the fabric much better.

 Appliqué and Patches: Bring Back the Retro!

If your brand is looking for a texture or dimensional look, appliqué   and patches offer a creative and unique twist on classic branding. If you're looking for that outdoorsy or retro-inspired vibe, we got you!

Pros:

• Durability: Patches and appliqué's are built to last, as long as they get stitched onto your garment, your good to go
• Unique Aesthetic: These two decoration styles offer a cool texture and tactile element to your garment.
• Versatility: Beyond the placement and the types of products that patches & appliqué's can be placed on (i.e. hats, bags, jackets), they're also super versatile in types of finishes and textures (i.e. rubber, leather, classic embroidered, woven).

Cons:

• Cost: Due to the cost of additional materials, patches & appliqué's tend to run more expensive than other types of decoration methods.
  • Pro Tip: If you do buy appliques and patches in bulk to use across various items (bags, hats, blankets, etc.) it can significantly help alleviate the upfront cost of set-up fees.
• Style Preference: Patches & appliqué's are not always the best fit for every brand's aesthetic, but if used correctly it will definitely help your brand stand out for all the right reasons.

Making the Right Choice for Your Brand 

Choosing the right decoration method comes down to your brand's personality, budget, and goals. Want something rugged and long-lasting? Go for embroidery. Looking for vibrant, cost-effective tees? Screen printing is your MVP. Need something personal and unique? Heat transfer is the way to go. At SOLV, we’re here to help you find the perfect match for your brand. Check out our reference guides for choosing the right decoration method and locations.

Ready to brand your apparel the SOLV way?

Let's make something real, fun, and cool together. Get in touch today and explore the perfect method for your next apparel project.