Custom apparel looks simple from the outside: choose a shirt, add a logo, place an order. Behind the order form, though, sits a set of very different manufacturing processes, and the one you choose decides how the garment looks, how it feels, how many times it can be washed and what it costs. A team of forty with a one-color logo and a boutique selling twelve designs of five pieces each need entirely different answers.
Four methods account for most custom apparel in the United States: screen printing, direct-to-garment (DTG) printing, embroidery and heat transfer. Each has strengths that are real and weaknesses that sales pages seldom mention. This guide explains how each works, where it fits and how to match it to your order.
In brief
- Screen printing wins for large runs of simple artwork.
- Direct-to-garment suits small runs and detailed images.
- Embroidery gives a premium, durable look for polos and caps.
- Heat transfer suits names, numbers and specialty fabrics.
Screen printing
Screen printing pushes ink through a fine mesh stencil, one color at a time. Each color needs its own screen, which has to be prepared and aligned. Once the screens are set up, a press can print garments quickly, so the cost per shirt falls sharply as quantity rises.
Excellent durability and vivid, opaque colors, including on dark garments. Very cost-effective at larger quantities. Works well on cotton and many blends.
Setup cost for each color makes small runs expensive. Complex, multi-color or photographic artwork is costly or limited. Some inks leave a thicker feel on the fabric, especially in large solid areas.
Team uniforms, company events, school spirit wear and any order of roughly two dozen or more with simple artwork.
Direct-to-garment (DTG)
DTG works like a large inkjet printer for fabric. The garment is loaded into the machine and the design is printed directly on it. There are no screens, so setup is minimal and full-color artwork prints as easily as a single color.
Ideal for small quantities, many designs and photographic detail. Soft feel on light, 100 percent cotton garments. No color count charges.
Slower per shirt, so the unit cost does not fall as steeply with volume. Bright, opaque results on dark garments require a white underbase, which can affect feel and cost. Best results are on cotton; performance on polyester is limited. Colors on garments may fade differently from screen printing after many washes.
Online shops, custom one-offs, test runs and artwork with many colors.
Embroidery
Embroidery stitches thread into the garment according to a digital pattern. The design must first be “digitized,” meaning converted into stitch instructions, which usually carries a one-time fee.
A premium, durable look that suits polo shirts, caps, jackets and bags. Excellent longevity. Gives dimension and texture.
Fine detail and small text may not stitch cleanly. Priced by the number of stitches, so large designs become expensive. Unsuitable for very thin or stretchy fabrics. A heavy design can feel stiff.
Corporate apparel, uniforms, hats and left-chest logos.
Heat transfer
Heat transfer applies a printed film or vinyl to the garment using heat and pressure. Variants include cut vinyl, which is plotted and weeded from solid-color sheets, and printed transfers, which can reproduce full-color images.
Efficient for small runs, names and numbers, and for items that need personalization. Works on varied fabrics, including performance materials where other methods struggle.
Durability varies by material and application. Some films can crack, peel or feel plastic-like after repeated washing. Large designs may reduce breathability.
Sports jerseys with numbers and names, specialty fabrics and short-run personalization.
The four methods at a glance
- Best quantity. Screen printing: Medium to large. DTG: Small to medium. Embroidery: Any, small to large. Heat transfer: Small to medium.
- Setup cost. Screen printing: Per color. DTG: Low. Embroidery: Digitizing fee. Heat transfer: Low to moderate.
- Color complexity. Screen printing: Limited by color count. DTG: Excellent. Embroidery: Limited. Heat transfer: Good with printed film.
- Feel. Screen printing: Ink layer, varies. DTG: Soft on light cotton. Embroidery: Raised thread. Heat transfer: Film layer.
- Durability. Screen printing: Very high. DTG: Good. Embroidery: Very high. Heat transfer: Moderate to good.
- Typical garments. Screen printing: T-shirts, hoodies, bags. DTG: Cotton tees. Embroidery: Polos, caps, jackets. Heat transfer: Jerseys, performance wear.
Choose by order, not by trend
Start with the questions that actually decide the method.
- Large runs of one design favor screen printing. Many designs in small quantities favor DTG or transfers.
- One to three colors favors screen printing. Photographic art favors DTG.
- Cotton suits screen printing and DTG. Polyester and performance fabrics usually need transfers, specialty inks or embroidery. Ask the printer.
- A polished, professional appearance leans toward embroidery. A casual, fun look leans toward printing.
- Work uniforms laundered often need the most durable methods.
- Embroidery digitizing and screen setup add time. DTG and transfers can be faster on small orders.
Garment choices matter as much
A decoration method cannot rescue a poor garment. A thin, loosely woven shirt will show every ink layer and shrink out of shape after a few washes. Look at fabric weight, fiber content and fit. Ringspun cotton feels softer than basic open-end cotton. Blends can reduce shrinking and wrinkling. Order a sample of your preferred garment in the actual size and color before ordering in bulk.
Garment colors also affect the result. Light garments are easier and cheaper to print. Dark garments need extra steps. Some colors, such as neon and certain heathers, can cause trouble with certain methods, so check with your printer.
Artwork requirements
As with all printing, the quality of the file matters. Vector artwork is best for screen printing and embroidery; our guide to print-ready files explains the difference between vector and raster. For DTG, you generally need a high-resolution file at full print size. Text under a certain size may not stitch or print cleanly, so ask for the printer’s minimum.
Care and durability
You can extend the life of any decorated garment by washing it inside out in cool or warm water, avoiding bleach and high heat, and hanging dry or tumbling low. Printers often provide care instructions that you can pass on to employees or customers. We cannot make any promise about how a particular garment will wear, since that depends on fabric, method and care.
Costs to ask about
- Setup or screen fees per color.
- Digitizing fee for embroidery, often reusable on repeat orders.
- Charges for additional print locations such as a sleeve or back.
- Extra charges for dark garments or for oversize prints.
- Costs for names and numbers on each garment.
- Shipping, rush charges and minimum orders.
Request quotes in writing, and compare using the same specifications. Our guide to comparing print quotes explains how to line them up, and our overview of ordering promotional products covers minimums and price breaks that apply to apparel too.
We do not clear designs for trademark or copyright use. If your artwork uses logos, characters or phrases you do not own, ask a qualified attorney before printing.
The short version
Screen printing wins for large runs and simple art, DTG for small runs and detailed images, embroidery for premium durable logos and transfers for names, numbers and specialty fabrics. Match the method to quantity, artwork and fabric, order a sample and approve the proof before the full run.
Apparel myths
Myth: Embroidery is always the premium choice.
Reality: It looks upscale on polos and caps, but small text and fine detail do not stitch cleanly, and a large design is priced by the stitch.
Myth: DTG is just as cheap at any quantity.
Reality: It has little setup, but each shirt takes the same time, so the unit price falls far less steeply than screen printing as quantity grows.
Myth: Any shirt will do as long as the print is good.
Reality: A thin, loosely woven shirt will show every ink layer and lose its shape. Garment fabric and fit matter as much as the decoration.
