The decoration method matters more than most buyers realize. It determines what your logo can look like, how long it survives, what it costs, and how many you have to order.
Here is each one, what it is actually for, and where it goes wrong.
Screen printing
A typical screen print job
Gildan Softstyle Ringspun Adult T-Shirt
Spot colorsA screen per colorDurability 4/5
Best for: apparel and flat surfaces, medium to large runs, solid spot colors.
Ink pushed through a mesh stencil, one screen per color. Cheap per unit at volume, excellent durability, superb color accuracy with PMS matching.
Where it fails: photographs and gradients. Every color is another screen and another setup, so a full-color image becomes absurd fast. Small runs are poor value because setup dominates.
Quoting decoration
Send us your logo, the item you want it on, and your quantity, and we will tell you which of these methods suits that artwork and what each one costs for your run. Every quote includes a free virtual proof, and nothing goes to production until you approve it in writing.
Reply within 24 business hours · no order minimum — per-item minimums typically start around 100–250 pieces · setup charge waived above $500 in product · artwork kept on file two years, so an exact reorder carries no new setup charge
Get a quote on decoration or browse promotional products · call 1.888.452.0027, Mon–Fri 9–6 ET
Embroidery
A typical embroidery job
Classic 6-Panel Embroidered Trucker Cap
Priced by stitch countOne-time digitizingDurability 5/5
Best for: polos, caps, fleece, bags. Anything that should read as premium.
Thread stitched into fabric. Effectively permanent — it outlives the garment. Priced by stitch count, not color count, so a multi-color logo costs no more than a single-color one of the same size.
Where it fails: fine detail. Thread has a minimum resolution. Small text fills in, thin lines disappear, gradients are impossible. Large designs get heavy and stiff, and on light knits they pucker.
Direct-to-garment (DTG)
Best for: small runs, full-color artwork, photographs on cotton.
Inkjet straight onto fabric. No screens, so no setup — genuinely viable at quantity one.
Where it fails: cost at volume never improves much, so it loses badly to screen printing above a few hundred. Works best on 100% cotton, and colors on dark garments need a white underbase that changes the hand.
Heat transfer and DTF
Best for: small runs, individual names and numbers, mixed garment types.
Printed film heat-pressed onto the garment. Handles full color, works on blends and performance fabrics where DTG struggles.
Where it fails: durability is the weakest of the apparel methods. Sits on top of the fabric rather than in it, so it can crack or peel with heavy washing. You can usually feel it.
Sublimation
Best for: all-over prints, performance polyester, coated mugs and metal.
Dye turns to gas and bonds into the material. Zero hand — you cannot feel it at all — and it will not crack or fade.
Where it fails: polyester or specially coated surfaces only, and light colors only. You cannot sublimate onto a black cotton shirt. This is a hard physical limit, not a preference.
Laser engraving
Best for: metal, glass, wood, leather, acrylic. Awards, drinkware, executive gifts.
Burns or etches the surface. Permanent in the strongest sense — the material itself is changed.
Where it fails: single color only, whatever the material turns when lasered. No color choice at all. Photographs need converting to halftone line work.
Pad printing
Best for: small, curved or irregular surfaces. Pens, USB drives, stress balls.
A silicone pad lifts ink from an etched plate and presses it onto the object, conforming to shape.
Where it fails: tiny imprint areas. Simplify aggressively — most logos lose their tagline. Multi-color is possible but each color is another pass.
Deboss and emboss
A typical deboss job
Zippered Padfolio, Simulated Leather
No ink, no colorA die is requiredDurability 4/5
Best for: leather, faux leather, paper, some fabrics. Notebooks, padfolios, coasters.
Pressed into the material with a heated die. Understated and expensive-looking. No ink, so no color.
Where it fails: low contrast by nature. Fine detail flattens out. Needs a die, which is a real one-time cost.
Choosing quickly
The most expensive mistake in this business is the right logo on the right product with a method that can’t render it. Send the artwork and the item before you commit to anything.
Derek Capo, owner, CustomMark
Ready to price it? Send us the item and the decoration method you are weighing, the quantity, your in-hands date and your artwork file, and we’ll come back with real pricing. Start a quote or call 1.888.452.0027.