Print Methods Explained

There is no single best way to print merch. The right method depends on your artwork, the garment, the quantity and how the item will be used — a photographic design on a white tee and a two-colour logo on a fleece hoodie call for different processes. This page explains the common methods in plain terms so you can follow the conversation. When you request a quote we recommend the method that suits your specific job and tell you why, rather than pushing everything through one process.

Screen printing

Best for: bold designs with a small number of flat colours, in larger quantities.

Ink is pushed through a stencil, one screen per colour. The result is thick, opaque and extremely durable, which is why it has been the standard for band and team merch for decades. The trade-off is setup: each colour needs its own screen, so it becomes economical at volume and expensive for small runs or full-colour artwork.

Direct to garment (DTG)

Best for: detailed or full-colour artwork, photographs, gradients, and small quantities.

Ink is printed straight into the fabric like a very large inkjet printer. There is no per-colour setup, so a hundred-colour design costs the same as a one-colour design and a single shirt is viable. The print sits soft in the fabric. It performs best on cotton and on lighter garments.

Direct to film (DTF)

Best for: vivid colour on dark or blended fabrics, and garments DTG struggles with.

The design is printed onto a film, then heat-pressed onto the garment. It holds bright colour on dark polyester and blends where other methods dull, and it works across a wider range of fabrics. The print sits slightly on top of the fabric rather than in it.

Embroidery

Best for: polos, quarter zips, fleece, hats and anything that needs to read as premium.

The design is stitched into the garment with thread. It is the most durable option and immediately reads as higher-end, which is why corporate and staff wear leans on it. Fine detail and very small text are the limitation — thread cannot resolve a hairline. Logos usually need adapting for stitch.

Sublimation

Best for: polyester garments and hard goods like mugs, towels and drinkware.

Dye is turned into gas and bonded into the material, so the design becomes part of the item rather than sitting on it. There is no texture and effectively nothing to crack or peel. It requires polyester or a specially coated surface, and it cannot print white.

Vinyl and stickers

Best for: stickers, decals and simple shapes.

Cut vinyl gives crisp edges and strong colour for logos and lettering, and printed vinyl stickers handle full-colour artwork. Durable outdoors, which is why they end up on water bottles, laptops and truck windows.

How we choose

We look at four things: how many colours are in your artwork, what the garment is made of, how many pieces you need, and how the item will be used and washed. Then we recommend the method that gives the best result for that combination and tell you the trade-off honestly — including when a cheaper method would look just as good.