Buyer guide
Six ways of putting a logo on a garment, what each is best at and where each fails, and the approvals that stop a decoration surprise at bulk.
In short
Screen printing suits simple, few-colour designs in volume. Embroidery suits small and medium logos on structured fabric and is the most durable look. DTF prints complex, multi-colour artwork on many fabrics. Heat transfer vinyl suits one or two colours on short runs. Sublimation works only on polyester and light colours. Direct-to-garment printing suits cotton in small runs. Approve a strike-off or sew-out on the real fabric, and wash it.
9 min read
Written by the AHM International product development team
Updated October 2026. Every worked figure is checked by automated tests.
The methods side by side
General properties of each process. Cost and durability depend on the fabric, the artwork and the supplier, so none is stated as a number.
| Method | How it works | Best for | Limits | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen printing | Ink is pressed through a mesh stencil, one screen per colour | Simple artwork in a few flat colours, medium and large runs | Each colour adds a screen and set-up; photographic artwork needs another method; dye can migrate from polyester | Number of colours, run length, garment colour (underbase) |
| Machine embroidery | A design is stitched with thread through a backing | Logos on polos, caps, aprons and jackets; the most durable and premium look | No photographic detail; heavy on light fabric; fine detail needs a minimum size | Stitch count, number of thread colours, digitising |
| DTF (direct-to-film) | Artwork is printed on film, coated with adhesive powder and heat-pressed | Full-colour, detailed artwork on cotton, blends and polyester, with no screens | Can feel like a layer on the surface; performance depends on the film and process | Size and number of transfers |
| Heat transfer vinyl | Solid-colour vinyl is cut and pressed on | One or two colours, names and numbers, very short runs | Heavy over large areas; stretch fabrics can crack it; no fine gradients | Size, colour count, weeding time |
| Sublimation | Dye is turned to gas by heat and bonds into polyester fibre | Full-colour, all-over designs on white or light polyester | Not on cotton or dark fabric; the garment must be polyester-based | Size and run; set-up is small |
| Direct-to-garment (DTG) | An inkjet printer applies ink directly to the garment | Detailed, many-colour artwork on cotton, small runs | Best on cotton and light colours, a pre-treatment is often needed on dark; slower than screen printing at volume | Size and ink coverage |
Matching method to garment
- Aprons and uniforms washed often
- Embroidery and well-made screen prints are the usual choices; any transfer should have wash-tested evidence for the laundering it will get.
- Polo shirts and jackets
- Embroidery for small chest logos on pique and structured fabrics; the stitch density and backing should suit the fabric.
- Performance polyester
- Sublimation for all-over designs on light fabric; a low-bleed ink for screen printing to avoid dye migration; a transfer for dark polyester.
- T-shirts and promotional runs
- Screen printing for simple art at volume; DTG or DTF where the design is detailed and the run is small.
- Names and numbers
- Heat transfer vinyl is common for short runs of individual marks.
Artwork and approvals
- 01
Supply vector artwork
A logo as vector art (for example an editable PDF or SVG) prints and digitises cleanly; a low-resolution image does not.
- 02
Specify colours
Give Pantone or other reference colours, not a screen colour, and say what tolerance is acceptable.
- 03
Specify placement
The logo's size, and its position measured from a fixed point such as the collar seam or the pocket edge, in millimetres.
- 04
Approve a strike-off or sew-out
A printed strike-off or an embroidered sew-out on the real fabric shows colour, size and hand before bulk is run.
- 05
Wash a sample
Wash the approved sample under the program's laundering conditions and inspect it. Wash durability is a property to test, not to assume.
Embroidery details worth knowing
- Digitising
- The process of turning artwork into stitch instructions. The quality of the digitising decides how the logo looks, and is a one-time cost per design.
- Stitch count
- The number of stitches in a design. It drives sewing time and cost, and a dense design on light fabric can pucker.
- Thread
- Polyester thread is widely used for garments that are laundered often because it is colourfast and durable; rayon has more sheen. Specify which.
- Backing
- A stabiliser behind the fabric that keeps the stitching flat. The type should suit the fabric.
Work the numbers
Try it on your own fabric.
Related questions
Neither is better in general. Embroidery is more durable and premium for small logos on structured fabric; screen printing is more economical for simple designs in volume and for large areas.
Direct-to-film: artwork is printed onto a film, coated with adhesive powder and pressed onto the garment with heat. It handles full colour and fine detail on many fabrics.
No. Sublimation dyes bond to polyester, so cotton does not hold the print. It also works only on white or light fabric.
It depends on the process and the laundering. Embroidery is generally the most durable look, but any method should be wash-tested on the real fabric before bulk.
Send one specification and we will apply exactly this thinking to your style. Construction, materials and commercial FOB costing.