Which decoration method should I use?
It depends on your artwork, your fabric and your quantity. Embroidery for logos and a premium, durable feel on polos, caps and fleece. Screen printing for volume and solid colour — the cheapest and most durable above about 150 pieces with simple artwork. DTF for detail and full colour across mixed or dark fabrics at any quantity. DTG for photographic work on light cotton. Sublimation for all-over designs on polyester. Vinyl for names and numbers. Each has its own page with a full comparison, and the quote says which we would choose for your design.
Method by method
| Method | Best for | Quantity | Fabrics | Colours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embroidery | Logos; polos, caps, fleece, workwear | Any | Most; not thin jersey for dense designs | Thread colours free; priced by stitches |
| Screen printing | Bold, simple artwork at volume | 150+ | Most | Per colour, up to 8 |
| DTF | Full colour, small runs, mixed or dark fabrics | 50–200 | Almost any | Unlimited |
| DTG | Photographs on light cotton | 1–100 | Cotton only | Unlimited |
| Sublimation | All-over prints, sports kits | 50+ | Polyester only, light base | Unlimited |
| Vinyl | Names, numbers, one-offs | Any | Most | Per colour, 1–3 |
Three questions that settle most orders
How many colours? One to three at volume points to screens; four or more, or a photograph, points to a digital method. What fabric? Polyester rules out DTG and enables sublimation; cotton allows everything but sublimation. How many pieces? Under about 150, methods without setup — DTF, DTG — usually win; above it, screens usually do. Where the answers conflict, the quote shows two prices and you choose.
Combining methods
An embroidered chest logo with a printed back is common and works well; so does a puff-print wordmark with a flat embroidered detail. It adds handling, so it costs more per piece than either alone, and we tell you the difference on the quote.
Related questions
- Can I use more than one method on the same garment?
- Yes — it is common. It adds handling, so it costs a little more per piece, and the quote shows it.
- Which is cheapest?
- At 50 pieces with a simple design, DTF or a one-colour screen print; at 500, screen print by a wide margin. The calculator prices each.
- Which lasts longest?
- Embroidery outlasts the garment; screen print and DTF last its life if washed cold and inside out; sublimation cannot fade or crack because the dye is in the fibre.
- Which is softest?
- Water-based or discharge screen print on cotton, then DTG, then sublimation — which has no surface layer at all.
Where to go next
More questions on decoration
Can you print on dark garments?
Yes. DTF, screen printing, DTG and embroidery all work on dark and black garments. Sublimation is the exception — it only works on…
Can I have embroidery and printing on the same garment?
Yes, and it is common: an embroidered chest logo with a printed back, a puff-print wordmark with a flat embroidered detail, a sublimated…
How long will the print or embroidery last?
Properly cared for, longer than the garment. Decoration fails because of heat — hot washes and tumble drying — and abrasion, not age.…
Ask us the rest
Send the garment, the quantity and any date you are working to. A real price and a mockup come back, usually within a working day.
Get a quote