Screen Printing vs. Embroidery: Which Is Better For Me?

What Is Screen Printing?

Before we jump into which option is best for you, let's get familiar with what screen printing really is. 

Also called silk screening, this printing process uses thick inks to paint your designs onto t-shirts, hoodies, and more. 

To do this, your designs will be uploaded and finalized in a special machine that designs a mesh, ink-blocking stencil to pour the ink through. After stretching and securing your material to prevent any errors, the machine then mixes and pours your unique ink onto the screen.

The ink is then swept and pressed across the material to absorb onto the shirt's surface. 



For each color, a new stencil and mesh are used to ensure no color bleeding or smudges happen. This leaves you with a crisp and clean design that is identical to your company's unique logo. 

What is Embroidery?

Embroidery is actually a very well-used and trusted method of 'apparel printing' that has been used for generations. Of course, as technology has evolved, the way this process happens has changed significantly. 

Traditionally, artists would hand stitch a design onto materials by using a needle and thread. While embroidery is still done with thread and needles, the process is now much faster by trusting machines to do the tricky stitch work.



Now, your design is uploaded onto a machine by an embroidery service that effortlessly stitches your logo exactly as it looks on paper. Each color is stitched in thread and in the end, you're left with a beautiful raised and textured look for your end design. 

Screen Printing vs Embroidery

Now that you know the difference between these two techniques, you can gain a better feel for which may be a better choice for your company. 



Here are some determining factors to consider:

Cost

Generally speaking, using an embroidery company tends to cost more than silk screening. This is because the process is much more finicky, dealing with thread and needles to do detailed work. 

While different colors may not impact the price of your design by much, a large design will drive your cost up quite a lot. This is due to the amount of stitching and accuracy required to pull it off well.

On the other hand, silk screening is quite affordable and ideal for companies that need large quantities of merchandise. Of course, one thing to consider with silk screening is that the more colors you use, the higher your price will be. 



This is because a new screen and stencil will need to be made and used for each color on your logo. 

Durability

Both embroidery and screen printing service results are incredibly durable and long-lasting. However, there are a few key differences in their wear. 

While extremely rare, there is a chance that your embroidery design may suffer damage to the stitching through improper washing or tough wear. Fortunately, this is the only way your logo could really suffer any damage with embroidery service. 

Because the thread is already colored, you won't have to worry about fading or 'worn out' looking apparel. 



If you choose a screen printing company, you will face the eventual cracking and fading of your design after long wear or improper washing. This may leave your employee's uniforms looking old and unprofessional. However, with proper washing, you're garments will look fresh and crisp for impressively long periods of time!

Material

This is perhaps the most important aspect to consider when choosing your printing method. 

If you are hoping to embroider thin or stretchy material, you may be in for a bit of a letdown. While embroidery is ideal for thick and dense materials, the needle and thread on thin materials may actually cause gathering and shrinking of the fabric around the design. 

As you can imagine, this produces a less than ideal result and is highly un-recommended by most embroiderers. Of course, each company is different and certain tricks and tools can be used if necessary. 

On the other hand, a screen printing company will have the best results with these thin and stretchy shirts, hoodies, and other products. 



The thick ink will soak better into these materials than thick and heavy options, so if you're going for a light and flexible look, silk screening is your solution!

Size

Last but not least, the size of your logo design will impact much more than just the price of your printing. 

While screen printing can be done in any size and shape, it's far more economical and logical for large designs. This method will effortlessly paint your design onto the front, back, side, or anywhere else on your fabric without running into issues that needle and thread may encounter.

Embroidery over large areas can be quite complicated and actually adds quite a bit of weight in thread to your garment. 



All in all, if your logo is set to take up the entire back of a t-shirt, it's best to steer clear of heavy thread and opt for silk screen magic instead. 

The Best Screen Printing Service for You

Whether screen printing or embroidery is the right choice for you, we've got the team and tech to get the job done right! From accurate designs to a reliable turnaround, you can trust your embroidery or screen printing design to be crisp and clean upon arrival. 

Ready to give your logo the exposure it deserves on any promotional product you can imagine? Get your free quote today to discover how Dynamic Designs can help you make your marketing merch dreams come true!