Embroidery vs Print Workwear — We Do Both In-House. Here Is Our Honest Advice.
Most guides on this topic are written by people trying to sell you one method or the other. We do not have that problem as we produce both embroidery and print in-house at our South Woodham Ferrers facility, every single week, for businesses across Essex.
So when a client asks us which to choose (embroidery vs print workwear) we have no agenda. We just tell them what we have seen work, and what we have seen go wrong.
This is that conversation in writing.
Why our advice on this is different:
- We produce embroidery and print in-house so we see the results of both methods every day
- We have supplied branded workwear to Essex businesses for over 6 years
- We have seen every mistake made when the wrong method is chosen for the wrong garment
Want to see the quality in person? Visit our showroom
Table of Content
"Craftsmanship names an enduring, basic human impulse — the desire to do a job well for its own sake."
What Actually Happens When You Embroider a Garment
Most people picture embroidery as a simple process. You send the logo and it gets stitched on.
The reality is a little more involved and understanding it helps you see why embroidery produces results that print simply cannot replicate on certain garments.
Before a single stitch goes through fabric, your logo has to be digitised. This means converting your artwork into a stitch file that tells the machine exactly where each needle movement goes. Which direction, density, underlay, and path of every thread.
A well-digitised file produces crisp, clean embroidery. A poorly digitised one produces something that looks fine on screen and disappointing on a garment. At Brand It Essex we work with the industries best to digitise our logos. We then test everything before it goes into full production.
This level of hands on experience is why we can look at a logo and tell you immediately if it needs simplifying before it will stitch well.
Once we have the logo digitised, the garment is hooped securely in a frame that holds the fabric completely still while the machine works. The needle runs through the fabric repeatedly, building up the design from the base layer upward.
What you end up with is a logo that is physically part of the garment. Not just sitting on top of it.
That is why embroidery looks and feels the way it does. That raised, textured, three-dimensional finish is not a style choice. It is what thread does when it passes through fabric thousands of times.
What Actually Happens When You Print a Garment
Garment printing has changed significantly in the last few years. The old reputation of printed logos cracking and peeling after a handful of washes came from older methods that in most cases did not age particularly well.
Modern Direct to Film printing, which is what we use at Brand It Essex, is a completely different proposition.
DTF printing works by printing your design onto a special film, then heat-pressing it onto the garment. The result bonds directly to the fabric fibres rather than sitting as a layer on top. When it is done correctly on the right garment, a DTF print is genuinely durable, flexible, and capable of reproducing colours and detail that embroidery physically cannot.
The critical phrase there is on the right garment. Print and fabric need to work together. Get that combination right and a printed logo will look sharp and last well. Get it wrong and you will see the issues that gave print its old reputation lifting at the edges, colour fade, or a finish that looks promotional rather than professional.
At Brand It Essex we are open in the fact that we buy only the most premium transfers, from the industry leaders to ensure we are always providing the best quality prints available to our clients.
It is important to us that we ensure clients get premium in every element of their uniforms.
Further Readings
→ Why Embroidery Looks Better on Polos Than T-Shirts
→ Premium Workwear Brands Your Team Will Actually Want to Wear
When We Would Honestly Recommend Print Instead
When We Would Always Choose Embroidery
There are garments and situations where embroidery wins every time. These are not opinions they are things we see play out in production week after week.
Polo shirts.
The polo is the home territory of embroidery. The fabric weight, the knit structure, and the placement all work in embroidery's favour. A chest logo on a quality polo shirt from Tee jays, Nimbus or Cutter and Buck, stitched with proper digitising and backing looks like a genuinely premium branded garment.
A printed logo can of course be applied to a polo with an incredible finish but for that premium look and feel we always lean towards the embroidered finish.
Fleeces.
Now first up, most fleeces aren't actually suitable for a printed finish in the first place. The thick pile of the fabric tends to leave an unsuitable print surface on the majority of fleeces.
Aside from that these are worn constantly by trades teams, corporate staff, and outdoor workers across Essex.
They take a lot of punishment and often thrown in the back of vans, worn over other layers and washed frequently and embroidery handles all of that without changing.
Padded or Quilted Garments.
If asked we will often print on jackets and gilets for our clients but in some instances a print simply will not work due to the style of the item.
A heavily padded gilet or a quilted jacket will often have multiple stitches for the design, meaning any print would require going over the stitching which can cause the print to fail.
This is where embroidery can really shine allowing a full design to go over and padded design.
Anything going to a client-facing team.
When the garment is being worn in front of customers, embroidery creates an impression that print does not. It looks considered. It looks permanent. It looks like the business has invested in its appearance rather than knocked something together.
"A man who works with his hands is a labourer. A man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman."
This is the part some branded workwear suppliers will not tell you because many of them specialise in one method and have a reason to steer you toward it. At Brand It Essex we do not have that problem.
T-shirts.
Embroidery on a lightweight t-shirt causes puckering, meaning the fabric pulls around the stitching and distorts.
It also adds stiffness to a garment that is supposed to be comfortable and flexible.
For that reason print is quite often the right method for t-shirts and will always be advised if a garment weight falls below 175gsm.
DTF print reproduces a logo cleanly on cotton and polyester blends without affecting how the garment feels to wear.
Large back prints.
If you want a bold design across the back of a hoodie, jacket, or t-shirt, print is often the best choice to go for.
T-shirts will notice a significant weight and stiffness to the garment which can lead to discomfort from the wearer.
For mid and outer layers, a large embroidered design at that scale would require a high stitch count meaning the cost would be substantially higher.
A clean DTF back print delivers the visual impact you want without either of those downsides.
Hi-vis and waterproof outerwear.
This catches people out regularly. Embroidering through waterproof membrane fabric compromises the waterproofing at every needle entry point. It can also interfere with the reflective tape placement and compliance requirements on hi-vis garments. Print is the correct method here applied to the surface rather than through it.
This is something we will advise against regularly but when required we do have a few tricks up our sleeves to ensure items perform to the best of their abilities.
Promotional and event clothing.
If you are ordering t-shirts for a one-off event, a charity day, or a short-term campaign, print is the cost-effective and practical choice. Print gives you more flexibility with design size and colour and knowing the right print methods available means print on scale for large jobs can come in significantly cheaper.
"When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece."
Can You Use Both on the Same Order?
Yes and for many Essex businesses, this is actually the smartest approach. A mixed order using both methods is not a compromise. It is using the right technique for each garment rather than forcing one method across a uniform range that was never designed to work that way.
What is important to remember is that some logos will dictate the way they are branded due to the intricate details or maybe the gradients through the design.
Some garments will only allow for one method of branding due to the fabric or design.
However when applied correctly the result is a coherent uniform range that looks consistent from the outside while making practical sense from a production standpoint.
If you have a mixed garment range and are not sure which method to use on each piece, that is exactly the kind of conversation we have in our showroom every week. Bring your logo and your list of garments and we will work through it with you.
Our Honest Recommendation
Our Honest Take on Embroidery vs Print Workwear
There is no universally correct answer between embroidery and print and anyone who tells you otherwise is simplifying the decision in a way that may not serve you well.
What we can tell you is this. If you are looking for that professional look and feel for your uniform then I would always choose embroidery. It will look better, last longer, and send the right signal about your brand.
If you are ordering light-weight t-shirts, hi-vis, waterproof outerwear, promotional items or garments with large back designs, choose print.
Modern DTF printing is durable, clean, and far more suitable for those applications than embroidery.
And if you are not sure, do what our clients do. Come into the showroom. We will show you both on real garments, with your logo, so you can see the difference before you commit to anything.
Conclusion
- Embroidery is the right choice for polos, fleeces, and client-facing garments
- Print is the right choice for t-shirts, hi-vis, waterproof outerwear, and large back designs
- Both methods can be used across the same order and often should be
- Brand It Essex produces both in-house and can advise you on exactly which to use before you order
If you want to see the difference before you order, visit our showroom
The Author: James Bolingbroke
James is the founder and CEO of Brand It Essex Ltd.
His passion for quality clothing and workmanship has his name well known in the local Essex area as the destination for Premium Workwear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is embroidery always better than print for workwear?
No and anyone who tells you it is has not thought about the garment carefully enough. Embroidery is the right choice for structured garments like polos, fleeces, and softshells where durability and a premium finish matter. Print is the right choice for t-shirts, hi-vis, waterproof outerwear, and large designs. The method should follow the garment, not the other way around.
Will a printed logo on my workwear last as long as embroidery?
Modern Direct to Film printing is significantly more durable than older print methods. On the right garment, washed correctly, a DTF print will last well. Embroidery still has the edge on longevity for garments worn and washed daily over several years but for most applications, both methods have been known to outlast the garment itself if applied correctly.
Can I have embroidery on some garments and print on others in the same order?
Absolutely and for many businesses this is the right approach. We regularly produce mixed orders using embroidery on polos and softshells and print on t-shirts and hoodies within the same uniform range. The logo stays consistent and each method is matched to the garment it suits best.
How do I know which method is right for my logo?
Logos with fine detail, gradients, or multiple colours are often better suited to print. Simple, bold marks with clean lines embroider beautifully. If your logo has very small text anything under around 5mm in height, embroidery will likely blur the detail and print will give you a sharper result. Bring your logo to our showroom and we can show you exactly how it would look in both methods before you decide.
