110% Price Beat Guarantee Free Shipping, Proofs & Samples 5-Star Service & Quality 24 Hour Delivery AvailableWe offer a variety of customization options to ensure your logo looks its best. Most items have multiple available methods and the price for each may vary. Some options like engraving or heat stamping will be the most durable but will not have the range of colors as traditional printing.
Below are the most common methods available and a chart to show the differences.
| Method | Typical Materials | Colors | Look and Feel | Most Common Items |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Printing | Cotton, poly, bags, drinkware | One to six spot colors | Bold, slightly raised ink | T-shirts, totes and mugs in volume |
| Embroidery | Polos, caps, jackets, bags | Up to 15 thread colors | Stitched, textured, premium | Uniforms, hats and outerwear |
| Pad Printing | Pens, curved and small items | One to four spot colors | Thin, crisp, smooth | Pens, stress balls, small plastics |
| Laser Engraving | Metal, wood, glass, leather | Tone on tone, no ink | Permanent, etched into the surface | Tumblers, awards, executive gifts |
| Full Color Digital | Flat and lightly curved items | Unlimited, photo quality | Smooth, fine detail | Photos, gradients, complex logos |
| Sublimation | White or light polyester | Unlimited, edge to edge | Dyed into the fabric, no feel | Jerseys, lanyards, blankets |
| Heat Transfer | Performance fabrics, nylon | Spot or full color | Smooth film on the surface | Names, numbers, athletic wear |
| Debossing and Embossing | Leather, leatherette, paper | No ink, or with foil | Pressed into or raised from the surface | Journals, padfolios, cards |
| Etching | Glass and crystal | Frosted, no ink | Matte, permanent | Glassware, awards |
| Foil Stamping | Paper, leatherette, napkins | Gold, silver and metallics | Shiny metallic finish | Cards, napkins, folders |
Screen printing, embroidery, pad printing and laser engraving cover most orders.
Ink is pushed through a mesh screen, one screen per color, onto the item. It is the most economical method for one to six color logos on larger runs, and the ink sits on the surface with a crisp edge.
The logo is digitized for thread and stitched into the fabric. It lasts the life of the garment and reads as premium, which is why it is the standard for polos, caps, jackets and bags.
A soft silicone pad picks ink up from an etched plate and presses it onto the item. Because the pad bends, it prints on curved and uneven surfaces that a screen cannot reach, which is how pens, stress balls, keychains and small plastics get their logos.
A laser removes the coating or burns the surface to mark the logo. There is no ink to wear off, so the logo lasts as long as the item. It is the standard for stainless drinkware, metal pens, awards and wood, and color can be added to the engraving on most models.
For curved items, photos, polyester, leather, glass and metallic finishes.
Also called 4-color process. Photos, blends, gradients and many-color logos print straight onto the item with no screens, which keeps small runs affordable.
Shop itemsHeat turns dye into a gas that bonds with polyester, so the design becomes part of the fabric. Full color edge to edge on white or light polyester only.
Shop itemsThe design is printed on a film and heat pressed onto the item. It suits nylon, performance fabrics and individual names and numbers.
Shop itemsA heated die presses the logo into the material (deboss) or raises it from behind (emboss). No ink, a premium look on leather and paper. Heat stamping adds color on most leather products.
Shop itemsSandblasting frosts the logo into glass or crystal for a permanent matte mark that suits glassware and awards.
Shop itemsA heated die presses metallic foil onto paper, leatherette or napkins for a gold, silver or colored metallic logo.
Shop itemsThe three questions customers ask most when choosing a method.
Choose screen printing for event and team tees, and embroidery for uniforms and anything meant to look premium.
Both use no ink. Debossing is the usual choice on journals and padfolios; embossing suits paper and stationery.
Choose heat transfer for small runs, names and synthetics, and screen printing for volume orders on cotton.
Four things that keep the proof right the first time.
AI, EPS or PDF files print sharpest. A high resolution PNG works for full color methods.
Each product page lists the imprint size. Fine text should stay above a tenth of an inch.
Every order gets a digital proof with your logo placed on the item before production.
Not sure which method fits your logo? Send the artwork and the item and we recommend one with your quote.
Get a Quote Call 1-866-476-2095Pad printing transfers ink from an etched plate to the item with a soft silicone pad, which lets it print on curved and uneven surfaces such as pens, stress balls and small plastic items. It handles one to four spot colors.
Embossing raises the logo from the surface and debossing presses it in. Neither uses ink. Debossing is the usual choice on leather and leatherette, embossing on paper and cards.
Screen printing suits large, colorful designs on t-shirts and costs less at volume. Embroidery suits small logos on polos, caps and jackets and lasts longer. Many orders use both.
Laser engraving, etching, debossing and sublimation do not wear off because the logo is part of the material. Embroidery is the most durable method on apparel.
Yes. Spot color methods such as screen and pad printing are matched to your Pantone number, and full color printing handles images, blends and gradients.
Same day, 24 hour and 2 day production on thousands of items.
Drives in any shape, plus data loading, locking and encryption.
Match your brand PMS color on the item and the imprint.
Custom packaging, swag boxes and shipping to every address.
