Embroidery

Embroidery is the process of stitching a design onto an item with thread. 

Embroidery requires a pattern before we can sew out your graphic.  Once a pattern is made, it can usually be increased or decreased in size by approximately 15% before it starts to degrade.

Embroidery is great for people looking for just one item to hundreds or thousands of items. Unlike screen printing, embroidery colors can easily be modified at any time to accommodate different background colors.

Embroidery is charged by the number of stitches, not the number of colors in your design.  Larger designs with more solid-filled areas will cost more than logos with less fill.
 

Screen Printing
(also known as silk screening)

Screen Printing is the process of applying ink through a mesh screen (one color at a time) to achieve a graphic onto a product.

This technique for embellishment has been around for centuries.  "Screen Printing" is often used as a catch-all phrase by laymen to describe printing onto apparel.  However, this process has unique characteristics which set it off from other forms of printing.

Color separation is required for this type of process; this means if you have a three color graphic, each shirt in your order will be printed at least three separate times.  The more colors in your design, the more setup is required for your order.  Because each color in your design requires setup, the "sweet spot" for getting the best pricing is typically achieved by either ordering a high number of shirts or a low number of ink colors.

Digital Printing Info
(also known as Direct to Garment or DTG printing)

Digital printing is a relatively new technology for the apparel industry.  If you imagine how your home printer prints on paper, digital printing is very similar.  The great thing about this process is you can get full color designs without setup fees.  Common uses for this type of service are: photo shirts, memorial shirts, special event tees.

It's important to pick very light colored garments for this process because the color of the shirt will tint the colors in your graphic.  Also, the ink must always be darker than the shirt it is being printed on.  If you have white in your design, it's best to print on white shirts to achieve the best look.

Digital Printing is generally used for graphics with a high number of colors and a relatively low number of shirts.  While we can print from 1 to 200 or more items with this process, the best pricing is found when you order 24-48 shirts.

CAD Cut Printing/Heat Press Printing

The process of CAD cut imprinting is generally used for adding letters and numbers to team jerseys or t-shirts.  People often refer to this as heat pressed lettering.  It is occassionaly used when someone is looking for just a few shirts with a very basic design on the front (such as chunky text or shapes).  Designs must be bold in nature since thin lines and fine details do not work well with this technique.

CAD cut designs have a light vinyl feel to them which can be easily confused with screen printing by someone unfamiliar to the process.  Not all CAD materials will work on all products since some require very high heat to adhere to the garment.