Guide · Choosing a method
Four methods, one question: which will make this garment look right, last, and cost what it should. We run all four under one roof in Bahrain, so there is no reason to steer you to the one we happen to own. Here is how we actually choose — by garment, by quantity and by artwork — with the trade-offs spelled out.
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| Embroidery | DTF | DTG | Screen print | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish | Raised thread, textured | Smooth film layer, slight sheen | In the fabric, no layer | Ink layer, matte or gloss |
| Hand feel | Stiff where stitched | Soft to slightly plasticised | Softest | Soft to heavy with coverage |
| Durability | Outlasts the garment | Very good; flexes, resists cracking | Good; fades slowly like the fabric | Very good at volume |
| Colour | Solid thread colours, 12–15 per design | Unlimited, vivid, opaque on dark | Unlimited, photographic; best on light cotton | Spot colours, one screen each; neon, metallic, puff inks |
| Fabrics | Almost anything that can be hooped | Cotton, polyester, blends, nylon, canvas | 100% cotton, high-cotton blends | Cotton, blends, polyester with the right ink |
| Detail limit | Text ≥ 4 mm, lines ≥ 1 mm, no gradients | Fine lines and small text, gradients | Photographs, gradients | Fine for vector; halftones for tone |
| Minimum | None | None | None | Pays off from about 50 pieces |
| Cost logic | Per position; one-time digitizing | Per print by size | Per print by size and dark/light | Per piece by colours, plus screens |
| Caps | Best | Flat-panel fronts only | No | Rarely |
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| Garment | First choice | Also works | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caps | Embroidery, flat or 3D puff | DTF on a flat-panel front | DTG | A curved, structured twill surface that thread handles and ink doesn't |
| T-shirts, 100% cotton | DTG for 1–50; screen print for 50+ | DTF | Large embroidery | Soft hand on cotton; thin jersey puckers under big stitched areas |
| T-shirts, polyester or blends | DTF | Screen print at volume | DTG | DTG ink needs cotton fibre to bond |
| Hoodies and sweatshirts | Embroidery for logos; DTG or DTF for artwork | Screen print for 50+ | — | Fleece takes bold embroidery; prints need a smooth face |
| Polos | Embroidery | DTF for small flat marks | DTG | Piqué texture breaks up a print; a stitched left-chest logo is the standard |
| Tote bags | Embroidery for logos; screen print for volume | DTF for full-face artwork | — | Heavy canvas suits thread and screens alike |
| Uniforms and workwear | Embroidery | Screen print for hi-vis and event tees | DTG on polyester hi-vis | Industrial laundering; thread survives it |
| Jackets, softshell and nylon | Embroidery or an embroidered patch | DTF | DTG | Synthetic shells; a patch avoids perforating a waterproof membrane |
| Towels and bathrobes | Embroidery | — | Any print | Pile fabric; print sinks and washes out |
| Sportswear and performance | DTF | Small embroidery with no-show backing | DTG | Light stretch polyester wants a thin, flexible transfer |
| Children's wear and babywear | DTG on cotton | DTF | Heavy embroidery | Soft hand; no stiff backing against skin |
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Embroidery and screen printing last the longest over hundreds of washes. DTF is highly elastic and resists cracking on stretch fabrics. DTG sits inside the fibres, so there is nothing to peel; it fades slowly, the way the garment does. All four want the same care: wash inside out, cold or warm, no bleach on prints or rayon thread, no iron directly on the decoration, and never on 3D puff.
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Embroidery is priced per position — front, left chest, sleeve — plus a one-time digitizing fee for a new logo (BHD 3.000–5.000 at Inkstitch) that is never charged again. DTF and DTG are priced per print by size, and DTG by light or dark garment; neither has a setup. Screen printing is priced per piece by the number of colours, plus screens, which is why it only wins from about fifty pieces. At Inkstitch, decoration on a garment you supply starts from BHD 1.500 for a print or a cap position and BHD 2.000 for a left-chest embroidered logo; garments included are quoted per job. Send the artwork, the garment and the quantity and we'll say which method, and why, with the price.
Questions
Embroidery, then screen printing. Thread is colourfast polyester stitched through the fabric, so it outlasts the garment; screen-print ink is cured into the fibres. DTF is very durable and flexible; DTG fades slowly with the fabric but has no layer to peel.
For one logo on a few pieces they cost about the same: embroidery from BHD 2.000 per left-chest logo plus one-time digitizing, a print from BHD 1.500. Printing is cheaper for large artwork; screen printing is cheapest of all from about fifty pieces of a flat design.
Different jobs. DTG gives the softest, most photographic print on 100% cotton. DTF works on any fabric, is more vivid on dark garments and stretches without cracking, with a slightly more noticeable surface. Cotton tee: DTG. Polyester, blends, hard wear or bright colour on black: DTF.
Embroidery — flat or 3D puff. Caps are curved and structured, which thread handles and ink doesn't. For a photographic design on a flat-panel cap, DTF is the alternative.
Embroidery for a logo or lettering, DTG or DTF for large artwork, and screen printing from about fifty pieces of one design. Many drops combine an embroidered chest logo with a printed back.
Embroidery for a logo you want to look premium, screen printing for hundreds of event bags, DTF for full-face artwork in smaller numbers. Heavy cotton canvas takes all three well.
Yes. DTF prints on polyester, blends and nylon; embroidery works on polyester knits with a ballpoint needle and no-show backing; screen printing needs the right ink. DTG does not bond to polyester.
Screen printing for a flat logo in one to three colours — the lowest price per piece — with a printed sample approved first. If the design is full-colour or photographic, DTF. For staff polos and caps in the same order, embroidery.
Artwork, garment and quantity on WhatsApp, and we'll tell you the method, the reason and the price the same working day.