One of the first questions we get after a customer sends their logo is: should that be stitched or printed? We offer three ways to put a logo on workwear, embroidery, heat transfer vinyl (HTV) and DTF, and each one has jobs it does best.
Here's a plain-English guide to all three, so you know what to ask for. We don't do screen printing; we'd rather do three methods properly than offer a fourth that we don't specialise in.
Embroidery: Stitched Into The Fabric
Embroidery means your logo is stitched into the garment with thread. It looks premium, it sits well on a chest or sleeve, and it is built to cope with regular wear and washing, which is why it's our first recommendation for a logo on the front of a polo, jacket or hi-vis top.
Before anything is stitched, we turn your artwork into a stitch file by hand. That's called digitising, and it's done in-house and free, with no set-up fee. You can see how it works on our embroidery in Ramsgate page.
Embroidery is at its best with bold shapes, clear lettering and a handful of colours. It is less suited to photographs, soft gradients or very small, fine text, because thread has a thickness that paper and ink don't. Very thin, stretchy or mesh fabrics can also be tricky, so if you're unsure about a garment, ask us before you buy. And fleeces are embroidery only, so for a fleece the decision is already made.
HTV: Cut Vinyl, Heat-Pressed On
With heat transfer vinyl, your design is cut out of coloured vinyl and pressed onto the garment with heat. We cut and press it ourselves in Ramsgate. It gives a crisp, flat finish, and it's a very good fit for clean lettering, slogans, phone numbers and simple one or two colour logos.
It also suits big designs. A full-width back print would take a lot of stitching, but it can be a sensible price in vinyl, which is why our usual set-up is embroidery on the front and vinyl on the back. HTV is the one method we can price instantly online: try the HTV pricing calculator and you'll see a live price for your size and quantity. Same-day is available by request for up to 10 units, subject to us confirming we can fit it in.
Vinyl isn't the answer for photographs or designs with lots of shading, and, as above, it isn't offered on fleeces.
DTF: Full Colour And Fine Detail
DTF stands for direct-to-film. The design is printed in full colour onto a film, then heat-applied to the garment. It's the method to reach for when a design has fine detail, photographic elements or more colours than embroidery can practically stitch, such as a detailed illustrated logo, a multi-colour crest or a team photo.
To be upfront about how we do it: we don't print DTF in our own workshop. The transfers come from trusted UK suppliers and we heat-apply them to your garments here in Ramsgate. You can read more on our DTF printing in Thanet page. The finished print is flexible and made for regular washing, which suits workwear and uniforms that get worn hard.
A Quick Way To Choose
- A logo on the chest of a polo, shirt or jacket: embroidery.
- A name, slogan or phone number across the back: vinyl.
- A simple one or two colour design on a T-shirt or hoodie, or a tighter budget: vinyl.
- Lots of colours, shading or a photographic look: DTF.
- A fleece: embroidery only.
- A hard hat: a cold-applied printed sticker (UVDTF), because hard hats can't be embroidered or heat-pressed.
Plenty of customers use two methods at once. A plumber might have an embroidered logo on the chest and their phone number in vinyl across the back, all on the same polo.
Not Sure? Send Us The Logo
You don't need to decide before you get in touch. Send us your logo by email or WhatsApp, in any format, and we'll tell you honestly which method will look best, not just the one we'd rather sell. If you'd like a head start, see the supply your own garments page if you already have the kit.
Whichever you choose, digitising is free, there are no set-up fees, there's no minimum order and most jobs are ready in 48 hours. Volume discounts apply automatically: 5% off from 10 items, 10% off from 25 and 15% off from 50. A free trade account takes a further 10% off if you order regularly.
Questions
What's the difference between embroidery and vinyl printing?
Embroidery is stitched directly into the fabric, so it is durable and looks premium. It is what we recommend for logos on the front of a garment. Vinyl printing is heat-pressed on, which works well for larger designs, slogans or text on the back that would be too costly or too fine to stitch. We often combine both on the same garment.
Can you print a full-colour photo or a logo with lots of colours?
Yes, with DTF. Embroidery can't reproduce photographs or fine gradients, and vinyl works best with one or two flat colours. DTF is the method we use when a design has fine detail, photographic elements or more colours than embroidery can practically stitch.
Do you do screen printing?
No. We keep to the three methods we do well: embroidery, HTV vinyl and DTF. We would rather recommend the right one of those for your design than offer a method we don't specialise in.
Is DTF printed in your workshop?
The DTF transfers are sourced from trusted UK suppliers and then heat-applied to your garments here in Ramsgate. Embroidery and vinyl are done fully in-house.
Can I have embroidery on the front and vinyl on the back?
Yes, and it is our standard format: embroidery on the front for a neat, durable logo, and a vinyl print on the back for a slogan, contact details or a bigger design. We can also embroider both sides if your brand needs that.
Can fleeces or hard hats be vinyl printed?
Fleeces are embroidery only, so we don't offer vinyl or DTF on them. A hard hat can't be embroidered or heat-pressed either, so your logo goes on as a cold-applied printed sticker (UVDTF) instead.