Ladies and gentlemen...it's time for the fight of the year! In this corner, the current reigning champ of the promotional world, clap your hands for screen printing! And in this corner, vying for the championship belt, please welcome, embroidery!
Okay, so maybe it's not the most exciting match in the world, but these two imprint methods do impact the overall quality and look of your promotional items. Here's everything you need to know about screen printing vs. embroidery.
Screen printing is a customization process that uses plastisol ink. To create the design, the file is placed onto a mesh screen, covered in a green gel known as emulsion, and sealed via UV light.
You'll see screen printing used on many custom products including:
Graphic T-shirts 
Drinking Glasses 
Promotional Pens 
Stress Balls 
Personalized NotebooksThere are many advantages in using screen printing to customize your promotional items:
Customization is not always cheap, but you won't have to worry about that with screen printing. In fact, some items start at under $1 each.
Speed is the name of the game! The factories that decorate your items can get them screen printed at an insanely fast rate. Your order will be in your hands in about a week or less.
There's basically nothing screen printing can't do. It can be used to personalize a variety of materials including: fabric, plastic, wood, metal, glass, and ceramic.
A screen print can be scaled to fit any item, whether it's a small shot glass or a large yard sign. No matter what, the design will always be clean, crisp, and easy to see.
Once the ink is on your item, it's bonded for life! As long as you're mindful when washing, you won't have to worry about a screen print coming off.
Here are the disadvantages in using screen printing to customize your promotional items:
Ink doesn't tend to stick too well to heavy materials like 100% cotton or fleece. If you want a product made from either material, embroidery is a better option!
Depending on the product, you may end up paying more for a low minimum order of screen printed items. Keep this in mind when deciding on how many promotional products to order.
Unfortunately, you usually only get one ink color included in the cost for a screen printed order. You have to pay for every extra color you want in the design, which can add up really quickly.
If a screen printed shirt or plastic cup takes a beating in the washer or dishwasher, the design may end up cracking or chipping away. Avoid this issue by handwashing and keeping the screen print away from heat whenever possible.
You should use screen printing if you need custom promotional items in bulk. This imprint method is great if you're on a budget, and since it's versatile, you can order pretty much anything with a screen printed design on the front.
Think of screen printing like a cool tattoo. It will last for life as long as you take care of it properly! Prevent cracking on screen printed t-shirts, hoodies, and other garments by washing them inside out and then hanging them up to air dry afterward.
Plastisol ink can also be used on non-fabric items like ceramic coffee mugs, plastic cups, and pint glasses. Try to handwash whenever possible instead of putting these items in the dishwasher. With enough care, the image may fade, but it won't totally disappear!
Embroidery is a customization process that uses thread. Once the digital design is uploaded, a machine then stitches it directly onto the items.
You'll see embroidery used on many custom products including:
Baseball Hats 
Custom Blankets 
Beanie Hats 
Personalized Towels 
Customized BackpacksThere are many advantages in using embroidery to customize your promotional items:
You can order just a few embroidered items or order them in bulk if you need favors, gifts, or trade show giveaways. There is a quantity to fit anybody's needs!
It's not like a bunch of grandmothers in rocking chairs are sewing your design by hand. The machine can crank out an order of embroidered promotional products faster than you can say, "needlepoint." You can expect the order to be shipped within a week.
Good news! With embroidery, you will get 7 or 8 thread colors included in the price. Sometimes it's even more depending on which promotional products you're ordering!
There's a reason "stitched with love" is a common phrase. A design that's embroidered on a winter scarf or cozy sweatshirt looks more polished and refined than if it were created with ink printing.
You don't have to worry about embroidery coming undone any time soon. Just don't let your cat get at the thread, and you're good to go!
Here are the disadvantages in using embroidery to customize your promotional items:
A stylish look comes at a higher cost. Embroidery isn't as budget-friendly as printing in ink, so it may not be a good option for places with a small budget like mom & pop shops, schools, charities, or nonprofits.
Do you have a detailed logo or design that you want to print? Steer clear of embroidery! It can't capture all of the details and isn't able to produce gradients.
It's obviously not possible to embroider a custom candle or a wooden pencil. This imprint method is limited to only items made from fabric such as clothing, tablecloths, or warm fleece blankets.
Loose threads may get snagged and fall apart if you're not careful. Avoid this mishap by washing your embroidered garments inside of a mesh laundry bag or pillowcase.
You should use embroidery when you want promotional products that are a bit more special than your average swag. This imprint method is also a good choice if you're interested in items that are made from fleece or heavy cotton.
Embroidery will last forever! As long as the thread doesn't get snagged, and the factory does the job properly, you won't have to worry about the design falling apart over time.
To keep your design sharp, keep it away from kids, pets, nails, rocks, or anything jagged. You also should limit how often you wear embroidered clothing outdoors, especially if you're hiking, camping, or exercising. Embroidered items aren't delicate, but you still need to be smart and only wear or use them in the appropriate settings.
Embroidery is usually more expensive than screen printing, but that isn't always the case. The cost of screen printing may increase if you're placing a smaller order or if you're using multiple ink colors. Price varies from product to product, so do your homework!
Do you want to order custom items? Get your artwork, photo, or logo ready by vectorizing it ahead of time. This saves a step when the design is being screen printed or digitally embroidered onto an item.
Are you not sure what "vector" means? Don't worry about it! The best promotional products distributors will take care of this step for you, free of charge. If they don't, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction and find someone better (*cough* *cough*... Quality Logo Products®)!
Now that you know the pros and cons of embroidery vs. screen printing, it's time to finally decide which one is better. Drumroll please...the answer is it depends!
That may be an annoying verdict, but it's a truthful one. As a recap, here's everything you need to know about screen printing vs. embroidery.
Overall, there isn't a wrong choice when deciding between a screen print and embroidery. You're the best judge, so weigh the pros and cons, think about your budget, and if needed, ask a sales rep for their advice!
It doesn't happen often, but the battle of the century - embroidery vs. screen printing - ended in a tie. You have all the knowledge you need to make a decision before your next order of promotional items!
Quality Logo Products are experts on all things printed and promotional. Let our team of awesome, incredibly good looking, and fun promo nerds help you select awesome promotional swag today!
Alyssa is the Lead Copywriter at Quality Logo Products. As a promo expert, she's uncovered the world's first custom tote bag, interviewed the guy behind rock band ACDC's logo, and had a piece published by the Advertising Specialty Institute, a leader in the promotional products industry.
Contrado. (2021, April 21). What is Screen Printing? The Pros and Cons of Screen Printing. Retrieved from, https://www.contrado.com/blog/what-is-screen-printing/
Educator Pages. The Pros and Cons of Screen Printing. Retrieved from, https://educatorpages.com/site/lichengmachinery/pages/the-pros-and-cons-of-screen-printing