If you are unsure of the best method to use for your garments, please ask one of our staff for assistance.
Please be aware that not all logos and artwork are suitable for all print applications. Additionally not all fabrics are suitable for all print applications. Just because your artwork looks nice and pretty on your computer does not mean that it will look the same way as an embroidery or a screen print.
Embroidery
Embroidery is a method of applying your artwork or logo using stitches. The price of an embroidery is based on the total number of stitches used in the artwork. The more stitches the higher the embroidery cost. The number of colours in the design doesn’t effect the price. This makes embroidery a good option if your artwork has lots of colours. Embroidery is a low resolution method of branding. Consequently artwork which is intricate, has fine details or any form of shading is unsuitable for embroidery. Embroidery looks best with strong bold colours and basic lettering and shapes. Click Here to see some example embroideries.
Screen Print
Screen Printing as the name suggests is an ink based print application applied directly to your garment.
The price of screen printing is based solely on the number of colours in the artwork, therefore the more colours used the more expensive the print will be. Screen printing produces sharp,crisp looking artwork and is good for intricate designs. Many people incorrectly assume that all screen printing “washes off” over time. A good quality screen print will not do this. The reason why some prints wash off is:
1. they are transfers, not screen prints.
2. the print has been under cured.
3. the print has been over cured.
4. the inks that have been used are poor quality.
5. the garment itself is not suitable for screen printing
6. the garment has been subject to excessive heat (ie a clothes dryer, hot iron, hot water washing).
Cracking is another reason why some people are put off screen printing.
The above reasons also explain why some prints crack. However with cracked prints the garment selection also plays a part. In particular very stretchy fabric when over stretched will cause the print to crack no matter how well the print is applied. Consequently fabric selection is an important consideration when screen printing. We add stretch polymers to our inks to give our prints some flexibility in an effort to minimise cracking on problem fabrics.
If you are unsure what the best method is to apply your artwork please contact us as we are only too happy to discuss your requirements.