Screen print vs. DTG vs. embroidery: decorating your apparel

How your logo or artwork goes onto a garment affects its cost, look, feel and how it survives washing. Screen printing, DTG and embroidery each win in different situations, and choosing the wrong one usually shows up as a price problem on a small run or a quality problem after the tenth wash. Here is how each works, what it needs from you, and how to choose.

How does screen printing work?

Screen printing pushes ink through a fine mesh screen onto the fabric. Each colour needs its own screen, printed in turn, and the ink is then cured with heat. On dark garments, a white underbase is usually printed first so the colours on top stay bright, which adds a screen and a step.

• Best for: logos and graphics with a limited number of solid colours, on medium to large runs.
• Cost behaviour: a setup cost per colour and per design, then a low cost per piece. The more pieces share the setup, the cheaper each one gets.
• Feel: plastisol inks sit on the surface and feel slightly raised; water-based and discharge inks soak into the fibres and feel softer. Discharge inks work by removing the garment’s dye, so they suit dyed cotton and do not work on polyester.
• Limits: photographic images need halftones or simulated process printing, which takes skill. Print size is limited by the press and platen, and oversized or all-over prints need specialist equipment.

What is DTG printing, and when does it make sense?

In DTG (direct-to-garment) printing, an inkjet printer sprays water-based pigment ink straight onto the garment, in full colour, with no screens. Dark garments need a pretreatment first and a white ink layer under the colours. It makes sense for detailed, full-colour designs on small runs, and works best on high-cotton fabric.

• Best for: detailed, full-colour or photographic designs on small runs, samples and one-offs.
• Cost behaviour: almost no setup, and a flat cost per piece that barely falls with volume.
• Feel: soft on light garments; on dark garments the white layer can feel heavier.
• Limits: works best on high-cotton fabric; results on polyester and many blends are weaker. Durability depends on pretreatment, curing and wash care, and a poorly cured print fades fast.

How does embroidery work on garments?

Thread is stitched into the fabric by a multi-head machine, following a stitch file made from your artwork. A backing (stabiliser) behind the fabric keeps the design flat. After a one-off digitising charge, the price is driven mainly by stitch count, and embroidery gives the most durable finish of the three methods.

• Best for: logos on polos, sweatshirts, caps and workwear, where a premium, durable finish matters.
• Cost behaviour: a one-off digitising charge per design and size, then a price driven mainly by stitch count. Large filled areas cost far more than a small outlined logo.
• Feel: raised and textured; a large design can make fabric stiff.
• Limits: very fine detail and very small text do not stitch cleanly, and gradients have to be simplified. Light single jersey can pucker under dense embroidery, so heavier fabrics such as piqué and fleece usually take it better. Our piqué and jersey polos.

How do screen print, DTG and embroidery compare?

Screen printing suits medium to large runs with a limited number of colours, and its cost per piece falls as volume grows. DTG suits one-offs and small runs of full-colour or photographic art, at a flat cost per piece. Embroidery suits any run size, is priced by stitch count and is the most durable.

What are heat transfers and appliqué?

Heat transfers print the design onto a carrier film, which is then pressed onto the garment; they are useful for short runs and personalisation. Appliqué sews a cut piece of fabric onto the garment, often with an embroidered edge, giving a large, textured design without the stiffness and stitch count of solid embroidery.

Direct-to-film (DTF) transfers print full colour and work on a wider range of fabrics than DTG, including many blends and polyester; screen-printed transfers are common for names and numbers. Because the transfer sits on the fabric surface as a film, feel and long-term durability depend on the product and the press settings. For appliqué, collegiate lettering and large chest logos are typical.

Which fabric problems should you plan for when decorating?

The main ones are dye migration on polyester, which can turn a white print pink or grey; the extra underbase or pretreatment that dark garments need; surface fibre dulling a print; blends printing differently from 100% cotton; and shrinkage distorting a print after decoration. Most are managed through ink choice, fabric choice and an approved strike-off.

• Polyester dye migration. Dyed polyester can bleed into the ink during curing, turning a white print pink or grey, sometimes weeks later. Ask for low-bleed inks and a blocker underbase on polyester and high-polyester blends, and approve a strike-off.
• Dark garments. Screen prints need a white underbase; DTG needs pretreatment and white ink. Both add cost and change the feel.
• Surface fibre. Fibre ends on the fabric surface can poke through a print and dull it. Combed cotton gives a smoother, sharper print surface. Why combing matters for print.
• Blend behaviour. Tri-blends and CVC print differently from 100% cotton, which can be the look you want. Choosing a base fabric by print result.
• Shrinkage. A garment that shrinks after printing distorts the print. Use compacted fabric with a written shrinkage tolerance.

What artwork files does each method need?

Screen printing needs vector files with fonts converted to outlines, plus a Pantone reference for each ink colour. DTG needs a high-resolution PNG with a transparent background at print size. Embroidery needs vector or high-resolution artwork with thread colour references. Every method also needs a placement mock-up showing size and position.

Size and placement belong in your tech pack, with a tolerance.

How should decorated garments be washed?

Decoration changes the care label. Printed garments generally last longer washed inside out at a cool temperature, without high-heat tumble drying, and ironed away from the print. Embroidered garments tolerate more but should not be bleached. Wash-test the approved strike-off or sample before bulk, and put the care instructions for the finished, decorated garment on the label.

Which should you choose?

Choose screen print for a bold logo with few colours on a run of hundreds or more, DTG or DTF transfers for full-colour art on small runs, and embroidery for logos on polos, uniforms, sweatshirts or caps where durability matters. Appliqué suits large textured lettering, and heat transfers suit names and numbers.

• Bold logo or graphic, few colours, a run of hundreds or more: screen print.
• Full-colour or photographic art, small runs or many designs: DTG on high-cotton garments, or DTF transfers on blends.
• Logo on polos, uniforms, sweatshirts or caps, where durability and a premium look matter: embroidery.
• Large, textured chest lettering: appliqué.
• Names and numbers on a team or uniform order: heat transfers.
• Polyester or performance fabric: screen print with low-bleed inks, or transfers designed for polyester; test before bulk.

Do you print and embroider in-house?

No. We don’t run print or embroidery machines in-house. Screen print, embroidery and appliqué are arranged through trusted partner decorators near Gaindakot and coordinated by our team, within the lead time we quote. We handle the artwork, strike-offs and approvals with you and check decorated garments when they come back to our floor, so you still deal with one supplier.

The minimum for garments is 200 pieces per style and colour, with 1,000 pieces in total per order. See our capabilities, or send us your artwork and quantities.