Short answer: The fabric decides. Embroidery on fleece and heavy sweatshirts, screen printing on cotton t-shirts and transfer printing on polyester jackets and vests give the best results. Transfer printing suits multi-colour or gradient logos; embroidery suits premium chest logos.
By fabric
| Product | Best result | Not recommended |
|---|---|---|
| T-shirt (cotton) | Screen printing | Large embroidery on fine jersey |
| Polo (piqué) | Embroidery | — |
| Sweatshirt, hoodie | Embroidery (chest), screen printing (back) | — |
| Fleece | Embroidery | Screen printing |
| Jacket, vest | Transfer printing | Screen printing on quilted surfaces |
By logo
- Few colours, flat logo: screen printing or embroidery.
- Many colours, gradients: transfer printing.
- Very fine lines and small text: transfer printing; embroidery may lose detail.
To try the technique on your own logo and product, use the design your product tool; to see real samples, request a sample box.