Choosing the best medium for your design needs can be confusing, so let’s start by breaking down the pros and cons of screen printing, heat transfer, and embroidery.

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Screen Printing

What is it?

Screen-printing is a really common way to get your designs onto a product. You probably already have something with a screen-printed design in your closet! You might’ve gotten a free t-shirt at some event or bought one at a souvenir shop. Screen printing, also known as silk printing, uses mesh screens to press one color at a time onto the fabric. Each color requires its own mesh screen. This means that each color of the design is printed one at a time. 

Pros:

One benefit of screen printing is that it allows you to print intricate designs. If you want to add shading and layer colors, then screen printing would be perfect for your design needs! Another benefit is that screen printing can use cool inks, such metallic or glow-in-the-dark.

Cons:

One negative of screen printing is that each additional color in your design makes it more expensive. But don’t let this be a deal breaker for you! We can work with you to reduce costs by making some smart design choices to lower the amount of colors in your design.

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Heat Transfer

What is it?

Heat transfer is the process of printing a design onto a special type of paper and then using heat to transfer that design onto a t-shirt or another product. This means that full-colored and detailed images can be printed and then transferred onto your product.

Pros:

One benefit of heat transfer is that it allows you to print basically any design. Also, heat transfer can create a flatter look because everything is printed in one layer, rather than multiple like in screen printing. 

Cons:

A negative to heat transfers is that the designs can fade after many washes. The other downside to heat transfer is that large orders can get really expensive really quickly. This is due to the time-consuming nature of the heat transfer process, so heat transfers are really better suited for small orders. As always, please contact us if you have any questions. 

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Embroidery

What is it?

Embroidery is a great choice for company attire or designs that you may want to look more polished. Embroidery is the process of creating a design using thread, either by hand or by machine. With the embroidery technology we have nowadays, we are able to transfer any design onto the computer and create embroidery designs with the help of software. 

Pros:

Embroidery is good because it can be done on a variety of surfaces, including hats, blankets, and bags. It also creates a more high quality look for designs. 

Cons:

Unlike the other two printing methods, shading and other details are a bit more difficult to do with embroidery. If your design does contain these aspects, it usually means that you would have to tweak your design a bit. The other negative to embroidery is the cost. Embroidery requires more expensive materials, such as sourcing the right color and type of embroidery thread. It also takes more time than the other two methods.

 

Overall, we hope this guide was able to give you a quick overview about the different options you have for bringing your designs to life. Screen printing, heat transfer, and embroidery each have their own benefits and challenges. If you’re still unsure about which would work best for you, please get in touch with us! We’re always eager to help you out.