When you ask for a printed logo on workwear, there are several ways to do it. Each method has strengths depending on your design, the garment fabric and how many you are ordering. You do not need to choose yourself, but knowing the basics helps you understand a quote and ask the right questions.
Screen printing
Ink is pushed through a fine mesh screen onto the garment, with a separate screen for each colour. Screen printing produces a bold, hard-wearing print and is often good value on larger quantities of the same design, because the setup is shared across every garment. Designs with many colours or photographic detail need more screens, so they can cost more to set up.
DTF (direct to film) transfers
The design is printed in full colour onto a special film, then pressed onto the garment with heat. DTF handles detailed, multi-colour logos and works on a wide range of fabrics. Because there are no screens to set up, it can suit smaller quantities and designs with lots of colours.
Heat transfer vinyl
Coloured vinyl is cut to shape and pressed onto the garment. It suits simple, solid shapes and text, which makes it a common choice for names, initials and numbers. Very fine detail and complex multi-colour logos are better suited to other methods.
| Method | Often suits | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Screen print | Larger runs of the same design, bold logos | Setup per colour |
| DTF transfer | Detailed, full-colour logos, smaller runs | Works on many fabrics |
| Heat transfer vinyl | Names, numbers, simple text | Best for solid shapes |
What about embroidery?
Embroidery stitches your logo into the garment and is a popular choice for polos, fleeces, softshells and caps. Print tends to suit large back logos, t-shirts, hi-vis and waterproofs, where stitching can be less practical. See embroidery vs print and logo digitising explained.
Things that affect the choice
- Your artwork. The number of colours and level of detail. See our logo artwork files guide.
- The garment. Waterproofs, hi-vis and technical fabrics need a method suited to them. See hi-vis workwear.
- Quantity. Some methods are better value on large runs, others on small ones.
- Placement. Chest, back or sleeve. See our logo placement guide.
- Washing. Follow the care label to keep prints looking good. See our workwear care guide.
The short version
Screen print for bold logos on larger runs, DTF for detailed full-colour designs, vinyl for names and simple text, and embroidery for a classic stitched finish. Tell us what you need and we will recommend the right method for each garment.
