What to choose? Embroidery or Silk Screen?

Both can be made for making logos, however, there are many companies that need, for example, to publicize their company’s website (mainly for those who have e-commerce), e-mail or telephone disclosure and this type of advertising generally it is done on the back of the shirt. In these cases, many customers choose to do it in silk-screen, as the embroidery has a size limit for texts and images and the cost is high for a large number of stitches to be used. You can check more details in the text below.

Embroidery x Silk

Embroidery

What is embroidery?

Embroidery is a way of creating, by hand or machine, designs and ornamental figures on a fabric, using, for this purpose, different types of tools such as needles, cotton, silk, wool, linen, metal threads, etc. ., so that the threads used form the desired design. 

Companies operating in the field of personalized t-shirts usually use computerized embroidery. The price of an embroidery is defined by the ratio between the number of stitches (which varies according to the size and filled area of ​​each part) and the number of pieces. The more stitches a design has, the higher its cost and the more pieces of the same design are embroidered, the lower the cost of applying the embroidery per piece.

The minimum order for embroidering a cool knit shirt or polo shirt is 12 pieces at Dallas Shirt printing. While we also do hat embroidery in Dallas.

To ensure a good result when finishing the embroidery, we must take into account the thickness and type of weft of the fabric, especially in cases of small letters. Very thin and/or highly elastic fabrics are not suitable for this type of finish, the use of Screen Printing or better known as Silk-Screen is more indicated. 

Large embroidery is not suitable for fine knit fabrics. 

Full Front occupies a large area on the front of the shirt and is suitable for jackets or sweatshirts.

Full Back (full back) occupies a large area of ​​the back of the shirt and are indicated for jackets and sweatshirts. For a personalized baby look t-shirt, for example, the application is from 18 to 20cm and in cases of standard modeling, the application varies from 20 to 30cm.

Left Chest (most used) or Right Chest the approximate maximum application is 10cm wide x 10cm high.

For the sleeves, there is a limitation in the application of 6cm x 4cm when the pieces are already closed.

These and other aspects will be considered whenever we start a project.

Silk-Screen

What is Silk Screen?

Serigraphy, silk-screen or screen printing is a printing process in which ink is poured, by pressing a squeegee or spatula, through a prepared screen. 

The  serigraphy process  consists of the  flow of ink  through the pressure of a  handle  or a  squeegee , all through a previously prepared silk screen . Therefore, the serigraphic matrix – the screen – is stretched on a frame and engraved using a  photosensitive emulsion  and placed on a photolithography. Subsequently, the screen is placed on a light table.

The  dark spots  on the photolith refer to the places where the screen will be  leaked , allowing the ink to pass through the fabric. On the other hand, the lighter points become  impermeable , making it impossible for ink to pass through.

Manual serigraphy is the oldest technique and one of the most used, The following steps are required for manual printing:

  • Place the part that will be stamped on a given base;
  • Arrange the frame on the screen, ensuring that it is not wrinkled, disturbing the design;
  • Deposit and spread the ink throughout the fabric using a spatula, pressing it through;
  • Remove excess paint;
  • Use the drying machine so that the silk dries faster.

The great advantage of silk-screening is that the price becomes very attractive for medium or large quantity productions.

Silk is very suitable for prints in dash colors. In less technical language, trace colors are those arts in which we can count the number of colors. We can cite as an example, the Coca-Cola logo that has only one color, Petrobras three colors, Google four colors. When we make shirts for these brands, we develop a screen for each of the colors. 

The silk-screen technique, in addition to being sustainable, has great durability in the print and has an excellent cost-benefit ratio for medium and large volumes.

So what’s the best option?

If you want something delicate and elegant, you can definitely bet on embroidery, but if you want something practical and light for your piece, choose silk-screen.

If even so, you were in doubt about which is the best process for your company, contact us and schedule a visit without commitment. We will understand your needs and recommend the best option.

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