Screen Printing Vs Embroidery - Which Is Best?

Adding your business logo or branding to your uniform or workwear is a great way to bring a degree of pride and cohesiveness to any workplace or event. Screen printing and embroidery are the two main options available here in New Zealand when thinking about corporate branding.

Whether it’s team jackets, hoodies, t-shirts, sportswear or even accessories like bags and hats, both screen printing and embroidery will suit most branding requirements. But which one is right for your business? Let’s delve into the differences between screen printing and embroidery, along with the advantages and disadvantages of both, to help you decide.

What Is Screen Printing And How Does It Work?

Screen printing is the process of printing your designs onto fabric using ink and mesh screens. The screen printing process involves completing one colour at a time using mesh to transfer ink onto fabric. The newly printed garments are then passed through a dryer to cure the ink and make it stable enough for washing and wearing (each layer needs to be dried before working on the next one).

A separate mesh screen is required for all the different colours, which is reflected in the ‘layered’ design process (this is why designs with a lot of colours will cost more than their simpler single-coloured counterparts).

Screen printing is favoured for its versatility and consistency across bulk orders and its high-quality picture-style prints commonly used on tee-shirts for events, team uniforms, or event merchandise.

Advantages Of Screen Printing

• Suits larger images/designs
• Cost-effective for bulk orders (the more you print, the cheaper it is per unit)
• Works best on permeable fabrics (allows ink into the weave)
• Can handle more complicated designs
• Wider, more vibrant colour range
  

Disadvantages Of Screen Printing

• Can be expensive for smaller quantities (minimum order quantities are highly likely)
• More colours equals higher cost (each different colour means a new screen/layer of ink)
• Time-consuming printing method due to detail-oriented and intricate process
• Longevity/durability may be an issue with some fabrics (not all fabrics are suitable)

What Is Embroidery And How Does It Work?

Machine embroidery is an automated process where your logo or design is sewn directly into the fabric using needles and coloured thread. Computerised embroidery machines work in bulk with digitised designs to create sewn versions of your design.

Most commercial embroidery machines work with twelve or more sewing heads, each with up to fifteen needles, resulting in up to twelve garments being embroidered simultaneously with up to fifteen colours available for use in each design.

Embroidery is favoured for its durability and high-quality premium finish. It is a popular option for logos and smaller text-based designs or logos on merchandise that is going for a high-end finish, such as corporate gifts or team branding.

Advantages Of Embroidery

• Best for smaller designs
• Hardwearing and long lasting finish
• Premium look and feel with raised texture
• Suitable for thicker fabrics (hoodies, hats etc.)
• Able to be applied to a wide range of garments and fabrics

Disadvantages Of Embroidery

• Accuracy depends on the speed of the machine and the quality of the digitised file
• Limited colours available per design (limited by embroidery machine capabilities)
• Not suitable for large, detailed designs or intricate artwork
• Fabric choice is important (the density and texture of some fabrics can cause thread breakages, inconsistent stitch patterns or puckering)

Which Method Of Corporate Branding Is Cheaper?

One of the most common questions asked when comparing screen printing and embroidery is always - which method is cheaper? The answer to this question depends on two main factors: the design or logo you want to add and the number of items you want branded.

For example, for smaller logo-style designs or images less than 50mm x 50mm, and in quantities of less than 100, you will find embroidery will be the cheaper option. However, if you want a much larger, more complicated print in greater quantities (over 100 items), then screen printing is likely the way to go. This is because large images will end up too costly as they will use thousands of stitches to create using more thread and take more time to complete.

The main reason for the difference in costs between screen printing and embroidery is the setup costs. Embroidered logos are based on a one-off fee, which doesn’t vary much aside from the quantity required. Whereas screen printing costs are directly dependent on the number of colours you use (number of mesh screens needed). However, larger quantities help to alleviate this somewhat as the setup costs become less and less incidental the larger the quantity.

Which Method Of Branding Is Best?

When it comes to creating customised uniforms or workwear, the embroidery vs screen printing debate may just be dependent on the logistics. Both methods result in a professional and polished look, offer value for money, and work to promote your business in the desired way. This means your decision will come down to the following considerations:

• Quantity - The number of garments to be branded. Large quantities (over 100) are best suited to screen printing, the production process for embroidery can be much slower for large quantities.
• Size - The size of the image/design. Smaller designs are best suited to embroidery, while larger designs that cover the whole front or back of a tee shirt, for example, are best suited to screen printing.
• Durability - Embroidered materials tend to offer long-lasting durability and resistance to fading that even frequent washing won’t change, however frequent washing and daily wear and tear may cause colours to fade and the quality to diminish over time when choosing screen printing.
• Fabric - The type of fabric matters. For example, thicker, coarser fabrics are not well suited to screen printing, neither are stretchy fabrics, but these will be fine with embroidery. Meanwhile, waterproof fabrics will not respond well to embroidery (because you are putting holes in them!), these are better suited to screen-printed designs.
• Colours - How many colours are included in the design? The costs for screen printing directly correlate with the number of colours. Alternatively, embroidery relies on pre-existing thread colours, sometimes making matching the desired colour palette difficult.
• Design - How complicated the image is. More intricate designs are sometimes not suited to the screen printing process and are best for embroidery, where better consistency can be maintained across the board.

What Is Embroidery Best For?

In general, embroidery tends to be a popular choice for business shirts, polo shirts, hats and jackets. This is because embroidery is suitable for a wide array of fabrics, and its ability to capture details and maintain consistency is often perceived as being more high quality/prestigious, making it ideal for small logos, quotes, and text-based images.

What Is Screen Printing Best For?

Screen printing is commonly seen on t-shirts, hi-vis gear and other lightweight fabrics due to its less invasive application techniques and suitability for much larger areas. Its bold design capabilities make it a popular choice for striking graphics and memorable impressions.

 

Having considered the advantages and disadvantages of both embroidery and screen printing the time has come to decide which is the best option for your business! Still not sure? Contact the experts at Tradestaff Workwear, and we will help you figure out the best, most cost-effective branding option for your team!