Printing VS Embroidery - Which one is better?

I get asked all the time from customers, is embroidery BETTER than screen printing. And the simple answer is no.

So which one should you choose?

It simply depends on the garment and what you're going for. This post is directed at the standard business owner customer who orders standard merch for uniform purposes. And my reasoning is based on many factors including pricing, quick turnaround, and general look of the merch.

T-Shirts and Hoodies are better screen printed

Hats, Jackets, and Polos are better embroidered.

Does this mean it has to be this way? Absolutely not. You can screen print hats. You can embroider T-Shirts. People do it all the time.

Screen printing and embroidery compliment eachother. Screen printing is done using ink. Embroidery is done using thread.

My employees all get merch of course. And when I do our merch I do the following:

T-Shirts: Screen printed left chest logo and Screen printed full back logo.

Hoodies: Screen Pronted full back logo and embroidered left chest logo

Baseball hats: Embroidered Logo

Beanie Hats: Embroidered Logo

Jackets: Embroidered left chest logo. Nothing on back.

From an operator standpoint. Let's talk details.

Screen printing:

Easier to achieve greater detail. Can Pantone match any color in the universe. More comfortable to wear on your body as the print is on the outside and not the inside.

Embroidery:

Less is more in terms of detail. Threads coke in a lot of colors, but not every color in the Pantone book. Uses backing and threads are on both sides of the garment, which would be uncomfortable on say, a t shirt.

If you have questions about screen printing or embroidery, feel free to reach out: WeMakeTShirts.net