Between Embroidery and Screen Printing

Often, people purchase garments with the intention of personalizing them. Whether it be a sports team wanting their logo printed on their team uniforms or an individual wanting their name printed on a garment, the two most common personalization methods people will encounter are embroidery and screen printing. Each one of these two methods have their own manufacturer advantages, and we will go over these advantages so as to help you in your decision of which to choose for your personalization needs.

Embroidery is the process of using a sewing or embroidery machine to stitch patterns on textiles using embroidery thread. Embroidery is the more expensive personalization method given the cost of the goods used in the process as well as the quality of the work. Embroidery is considered a higher quality process being that keeps its original form longer than screen printing. Because the embroidered pattern is stitched into the textile as opposed to just printed on, it does not get ruined after a large number of washes. With screen printing, you need to be more careful when washing the screen printed garment, since the printing can often wear off or start cracking after a large number of washes. Being that embroidery can be more expensive though, it is generally best to use embroidery for smaller logos/patterns so that it can remain cost-effective.

Screen printing is the process of using a machine to push ink through a mesh stencil, creating a pattern which sticks to the textile. It is the better method when you require great detail in your personalized logo or pattern. For example, if you require very small lettering or a faded look in your pattern, then you would be better off screening your textile. Being that embroidery uses thread to create the patterns or logos, it is limited in its visual capabilities. Screening is also generally preferred for larger patterns given that it is much more cost-effective as your pattern gets larger. The pricing of screen printing doesn't depend on the size of the pattern being printed as much as it does for the number of colors being printed into the pattern. With screen printing, the more colors being printed, the more expensive the pattern is to have printed.

So, a general guideline for deciding which printing method to use would be as follows. Embroidery is typically the preferred choice for smaller patterns, patterns which require the highest quality printing, and for patterns which contain a lot of colors. Screen printing is better this site for larger patterns due to its cost effectiveness, and it is the better method for patterns which require fine details.