Embroidery vs Screen Print: What Your Logo Needs

When it comes to putting your logo on a jersey, cap, or jacket, you'll typically choose between two processes: embroidery and screen printing. Each has specific requirements for your logo files, your color specification, and your design. Understanding the difference will save you time, money, and re-orders.

Embroidery

Embroidery stitches your logo directly into the fabric using colored thread. It creates a raised, textured effect with a premium, durable feel. You've seen it on polo shirts, caps, and team jackets.

Best for: Caps, polo shirts, jackets, track tops, professional or formal-looking applications.

Logo requirements:

• Simple shapes with clear outlines — fine details and gradients don't translate well to thread
• Minimum recommended size: about 25mm for the smallest dimension (smaller than this and fine details become illegible)
• Typically 4–8 thread colors maximum (more colors = more expensive)
• File: provide SVG or EPS. The embroidery shop will "digitize" your file into DST/PES/EMB stitching instructions
• Thread colors: specify Madeira or Isacord thread codes (converted from your Pantone colors)

Pricing: Digitizing fee $20–$80 (one-time, per design) + per-piece embroidery cost, typically $3–$8 per piece depending on stitch count.

Screen printing

Screen printing applies ink directly onto fabric through a mesh screen. Each color requires a separate screen, and the ink sits on top of the fabric rather than being stitched into it.

Best for: Jersey fronts and backs, t-shirts, high-volume orders, when you need vibrant color coverage on large areas.

Logo requirements:

• Vector file (SVG or EPS) with each color on a separate layer
• Solid color fills — no gradients or shadows (though simulated process printing can approximate gradients at higher cost)
• Pantone PMS codes for each color (the printer mixes ink to match)
• Specify the substrate color (jersey fabric color) — this affects ink choice

Pricing: Screen setup fee $20–$50 per color + per-piece printing. More economical at higher volumes (50+ pieces).

Sublimation printing

A third option for all-over prints and complex gradients. Sublimation prints directly onto polyester fabric using heat transfer, allowing full-color, photographic-quality designs. Popular for custom jerseys with complex patterns.

Requirements: 300dpi raster artwork at full print size, RGB color mode (not CMYK). Polyester fabric only.

How to prepare your logo for both processes

A well-prepared sports logo should be ready for both processes out of the box:

• Keep it clean — avoid thin strokes under 1pt and fine text under 8pt that won't survive embroidery digitization
• Solid fills only — save gradients and effects for digital applications, not production files
• Provide separated files — one version with each color on a separate layer makes both embroidery digitizing and screen printing setup much faster
• Specify all colors in Pantone + thread codes — include this in your brand guidelines document
• Light and dark variants — you need a white/light version of your logo for dark jerseys and a dark version for light backgrounds

Quick decision guide

• Cap or jacket logo → Embroidery
• Jersey front number → Screen print or tackle twill
• All-over jersey pattern → Sublimation
• T-shirts in bulk → Screen printing
• Small qty custom items → DTG (direct-to-garment) printing