Three methods, three jobs.
Screen print. Ink pushed through a mesh screen onto the garment. Best for medium-to-large quantities, designs with 1-4 colors, and t-shirts. Soft hand (sits on the fabric, doesn't add weight). Holds up to 50+ washes if cured right. Cost-efficient at quantity — the more you print, the cheaper per unit. Not great for tiny detail or photo-realistic work.
Vinyl (heat transfer). Cut from sheets of colored vinyl and pressed onto the garment with heat. Best for small quantities (1-12 shirts), names and numbers, sports jerseys, single-color logos. Slightly stiffer hand than screen print — you can feel it. Lasts 30-50 washes depending on quality. Cost-efficient at small volume because there's no screen setup.
"T-shirts get screen-printed. Polos get embroidered. Don't put thread on a thin tee."
Embroidery. Stitched directly into the fabric with thread. Best for polos, hats, jackets, fleece, and any premium garment where you want a visible craft mark. Won't crack or peel. Lasts as long as the garment. Adds weight and stiffness — not ideal for thin tees. Most expensive of the three but also the most durable.
What we tell customers. T-shirts, screen print. Single shirts and number-on-back, vinyl. Polos, hats, jackets, fleece — embroidery. Mixing methods on a single order is fine — embroidered logo on the polo, screen print on the matching tee.
All three are in-house at the custom printing shop. Bring the file or the napkin sketch.