Screen printing, DTF or embroidery: the best way to put your logo on apparel

Amber Design Company · 6 November 2026 · 3 min read

The same logo can look cheap or premium depending on how it is applied. Here is a plain-English comparison of the three methods used for most corporate apparel.

Screen printing

Ink is pushed through a mesh screen onto the fabric, one screen per colour.

Good for: logos with a few solid colours, larger quantities, cotton tees.
Look and feel: bright, opaque colour that soaks into the fabric. Very durable when cured properly.
Watch out for: each extra colour needs another screen, so very multi-colour logos and photographs are better done another way.

DTF (direct-to-film) printing

The design is printed onto a film with a powder adhesive and heat-pressed onto the garment.

Good for: full-colour logos, gradients, fine detail, smaller quantities and mixed garments.
Look and feel: sharp and colourful. It sits on top of the fabric, so large solid areas can feel slightly heavier.
Watch out for: large prints on lightweight dri-fit can feel stiff. Keep big designs to cotton or heavier fabrics.

Embroidery

The logo is stitched with thread. Price depends on the logo's size and stitch count, not the number of colours.

Good for: polos, shirts, jackets, caps and hoodies, wherever you want a premium, long-lasting finish.
Look and feel: textured and classy. It does not fade or crack.
Watch out for: very small text and thin lines lose detail. Best kept to a left-chest or sleeve logo, roughly 3–4 inches wide.

Side by side

	Screen print	DTF	Embroidery
Multi-colour logos	OK, cost rises per colour	Excellent	Good, limited by thread colours
Fine detail	Good	Excellent	Limited
Premium feel	Medium	Medium	High
Best garments	Cotton tees, hoodies	Tees, polos, dri-fit (small prints)	Polos, shirts, jackets, caps

What it costs with us

Chest logo print: +₹75 per piece.
Front + back print: +₹150 per piece.
Embroidery: quoted from 100 pieces, based on your logo's size and stitch count.

You do not have to choose the method yourself. Send us your logo and we will recommend what suits the logo and the garment, then show you a mockup before anything is produced.

Quick recommendations

Event tees with a big back print: screen print or DTF on cotton.
Daily-wear polos for client-facing staff: embroidered left-chest logo.
Dri-fit polos on a budget: a small printed chest logo. For example, PrimoKnit Dri-fit Polo from ₹320 + ₹75.
Hoodies and jackets: embroidery on the chest, print on the back if you want a large graphic.

Send your logo as a vector file (AI, EPS, PDF or SVG) if you have one. A high-resolution PNG also works, and we will tell you if anything needs cleaning up.

Logo sizes and positions

Size matters as much as method. These are the usual starting points. We confirm them on your mockup.

Position	Typical width	Notes
Left chest	3–4 in	Classic for polos and shirts; works for print and embroidery
Centre front	8–11 in	Event tees and campaigns
Upper back	3–5 in	Small logo or website below the collar
Full back	10–11.5 in	Team names, event titles, large graphics
Sleeve	2–3 in	A second, subtle logo or a flag

Preparing your artwork

Use the original file. A logo copied from your website or a WhatsApp image is usually too low-resolution and prints blurry.
Have a one-colour version ready. White or black versions of your logo give you more garment colour options and are cheaper to screen print.
Convert fonts to outlines in vector files, so the lettering prints exactly as designed.
Mention your brand colours (Pantone or HEX) if exact colour matching is important.

Durability and care

Any properly applied method lasts well with sensible care: wash inside-out in cold or warm water, avoid bleach, and do not iron directly over a print. Embroidery is the most forgiving. Prints last longest on cotton and stable knits.