Screen Print, DTF or Embroidery?
Three ways to put a logo on a garment, and the right answer depends almost entirely on how many pieces you need and how many colors are in the artwork. Here is the honest version, including when the cheapest option is also the best one.
The short answer
| If you need… | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under 12 pieces | DTF | No screens to pay for |
| Over 25 pieces, 1 to 3 solid colors | Screen print | Cheapest per piece by a distance |
| A photo or a gradient | DTF | Screen printing lays down flat colors only |
| Polos, jackets, caps, bags | Embroidery | Looks right on a collar; print does not |
| Something that must last years | Embroidery | Thread outlives ink |
Screen printing
Ink pushed through a mesh screen, one screen per color. It is the cheapest method at volume and nothing else matches it for a solid, opaque print that survives a hundred washes.
The catch is setup. Each color needs its own screen, so a four-color design costs four times the setup of a one-color design, which is why our grid starts at 12 pieces and why the price per shirt falls off a cliff as quantity climbs. At 12 pieces a one-color front is $7.03 a shirt; at 500 it's $2.00. Same print.
DTF transfers
The design is printed onto film, then heat-pressed onto the garment. Full color, unlimited detail, no screens and therefore no minimum.
DTF is priced by the size of the transfer, so a small left chest costs less than a full front. The price barely changes with quantity, because the film does not get cheaper. Which is exactly why the two methods swap places: DTF wins on small runs, screen printing wins on big ones. Our designer shows you the exact price as you go.
DTF is also the honest answer for photographic artwork, gradients, or anything with more colors than you want to pay for screens. Our uploader will tell you if your file is one of those.
Embroidery
Stitched, not printed. It is the only thing that looks correct on a polo, a jacket, a cap or a bag, and it will outlast the garment.
Embroidery is priced by the size of the design; a left chest logo shows its price as you design. Your logo is turned into a stitch file first, and we keep that file on hand for every reorder.
What embroidery cannot do is fine detail. Thread has a physical width, so small text, hairlines and photographs do not survive. If your logo has type below about a quarter inch we will usually suggest simplifying it, and we will show you before we stitch 50 of them.
Where the crossover actually is
For a one-color full front, DTF is cheaper up to 25 pieces and screen printing is cheaper above that. For a four-color full front the crossover is higher, around 100 pieces, because you are paying for four screens. The builders price both instantly, so the reliable way to decide is to put your real numbers in and look.
Mixing methods on one order
Perfectly normal. A common order is embroidery on the left chest of the polos and screen printing on the tees, in one job with one proof and one invoice. You can also mix within a garment (an embroidered left chest and a printed back), and each location prices separately.
Ready to price it?
Everything in this guide is built into the builders. They will do the math for you and show a real number.
Price it three ways