Custom Embroidery , Screen Printing, Contract Direct to Garment Printing – ThreadPerfection

Utilizing the art of embroidery in the workplace in the form of embroidered polo business shirts is an economical, convenient, versatile method that provides benefits not only for the owner of the business, but also for the staff.
Because embroidering polo business shirts is so cost effective, the business owner has the opportunity to get more for his money. By being able to distribute more shirts, he can share his logo with many more people. In these tough economic times, businesses are getting more and more competitive and it is therefore even more crucial to share your logo anywhere possible. The convenience of embroidered polos doesn’t just stop at the monetary level, however. Business polo shirts come in a wide variety of styles, colors and sizes allowing everyone in your business to be not only included, but satisfied. Embroidery is also one of the most long lasting ways of transferring design to fabric. Even if the clothes are washed frequently and worn every day, the stitching can survive the tests of time.

A staff adorned with matching embroidered polos creates a uniform presence which emits the idea of organization, intelligence and professional expertise to customers. A polo shirt looks much more sophisticated, stylish and attractive versus a t-shirt, and is accepted in places with more affluent employees, clients, and potential customers. Also, because many people (including your customers) are visual learners, seeing your name and business logo will help them later to recall your organization and your name will stay fresh in their mind. Employers can also take advantage of the wide range of colors that can be used by color coding your different departments.

The organization of embroidered polos has multiple benefits for your staff as well. Because they will make your employees feel like a single, cooperative unit, embroidered polos help to build confidence and competency within your work force. By giving everyone matching polos, you also show that you care enough to provide them with professional looking clothes to wear and they won’t have to spend their own money on a uniform.
Custom embroidered polos have many uses. Just as they can be used to unite the players of a sports team, polos will unite the players of your team: our staff. Embroidered polos are seen everywhere from pubs to clubs and throughout many work industries. They are also useful for door to door businesses as they help establish authenticity and professionalism. Your polos can also be used purely as advertising. Hand them out during benefits which are important to the company such as the anniversary of the founding of your business, a celebration of a recent achievement, big trade shows, exhibitions, presentations, important negotiations, seminars etc. You can also send a polo shirt with your logo embroidered on it as a gift to your business partners, and new customers.

Everybody wants to know where you can get embroidery with no minimum quantities or fees.  Thread Perfection is one of the very few custom embroidery businesses that require no minimum for custom embroidered items. If you do not believe “Google” custom embroidery companies and look at their website’s or give them a call and let me know what you find out. Below is a couple of our top selling products you may be interested in for your custom embroidery needs.

So you ask, “How do you offer embroidery with no minimum quantity or no minimum fees.”  It’s very simple. We feel that our service along with quality will keep you coming back time after time. We are looking to build long lasting relationships with all of our customers whether you’re getting a shirt embroidered for a gift, outfitting a small business or a corporate giant such as UPS or FedEx. Surprising your top client or clients with custom embroidered apparel is another great way for our ” no minimum policy”. This will keep you from having all those extra items just lying around and not being used because you ordered 12 when you only needed 4. We also have thousands of stock pre-digitized designs which will be more than enough to choose from. Check out Dakota Collectibles here and see what you like. Don’t worry about the cost as we have purchased all these designs. If there is nothing there that fits your needs just contact us and let us know what you’re looking for and we will take care of the rest.

We look forward to working with you in the near future. Please contact us via telephone at our toll free number 1-877-778-1470 or just place your  order online with our easy ordering process.

Ordering custom embroidery online can be a very difficult and frustrating thing to do. This should not be the case, wouldn’t you agree? The main reasons for this are the many variables that calculate the cost for custom embroidery. It makes it almost impossible to calculate this online without some high dollar software and an I.T. team to maintain. We are going to break this down for you.

Typical Ways of Ordering Custom Embroidery Online

The most common methods of ordering embroidery online are through online t-shirt designers, filling out request a quote forms, download a printable form, print it, fill it out, then fax or mail it in to the place of business, or email your logo one day have it evaluated the next and then you may place your order. All these methods do work but some are more difficult than others. We here at Thread Perfection wanted to come up with a method that is easier than all those listed above

Online T-Shirt Designer Method

Ordering custom embroidery online  through one of the many online t-shirt designer’s are used mostly by customers looking to create a design. Don’t get me wrong these are very very nice. The only downside to this is for all those not so savvy  CPU users out there this can get a little tricky. With the t-shirt design studio calculating pricing may also be difficult. It is possible you may get a call that you were UNDER CHARGED. This software can also be very pricey which in return may be passed on to the customer. Somebody has to pay for it right?  Check out the online t-shirt designer below.

Request A Quote Method

Another common technique is a “request a quote form” that you fill out online and then send it on it’s way in which an estimate should be returned to you within 24-72  hours. This is an old school way but can be very effective. Actually we are in the process of setting this up on our website. Stay posted. Due to the  numerous amount of people online that do not feel that online transactions are secure this may not be a preferred method either. Do not worry about that with Thread Perfection as every transaction is secure here if online ordering is your way to go.

Download A Form, Print It, & Fax It Method

Another way is download and print off a form, fill it out , and then fax it off. This is typically a 24-72 hour process for most custom apparel companies.

Thread Perfection Method

Our team at Thread Perfection wanted to make ordering custom embroidery online a very SIMPLE process  and painless as possible. Our SOLUTION, a  1- page checkout process with all the  pricing built into the cost  to make it plain and simple. Below is screen shot of our top selling t-shirt for custom embroidery. As you can see you can do everything on this one page and all the fees are up front. What you see is what you get. After you pick your size, quantity, color, upload your image and hit ADD TO CART you will go to your shopping cart to check out. In the cart you will see a thumbnail of your logo so you do not make any mistakes uploading the wrong logo. This is located in  Image#2.

Checkout Page(Image #2)

There is nothing wrong with any of these methods above. Everybody is entitled to there opinion. We do believe our process is as easy as it gets if you already have your logo. If there is an easier way to order custom embroidery online we want to know. We strive to be the online leader for custom embroidery and we appreciate any feedback we receive.

What is Embroidery Digitizing?

Embroidery Digitizing is converting regular logo artwork into a format that embroidery software and machines can read. It is the placement of stitches to create a detailed logo that looks just as great in stitch form as it does on paper. Below is an example of a very detailed  logo design and then how it appears when it is digitized.

Original Logo

Digitized Version of This Logo

Why does it cost to have my logo digitized for embroidery?

Embroidery Software cost thousands of dollars to purchase and maintain. It is an art form that people study for a long time to get just right.  Just think of your logo as a regular image and then trying to create that image with thousands of small threads.  You have to lay each thread just right to get the effect of each individual logo that you creating. So when you look at it that way its not so easy is it.  There are several considerations to take into account for example the type of material you are embroidering onto.  Whether its leather, cotton, canvas and many more or whether it is thick or thin.  Whatever the case may be you have to digitize different for each one.

Why can’t you just take my digital image and print it?

Embroidery is nothing like screen printing or direct to garment printing.  Every time the needle drops a piece of thread into a garment it must be placed just perfectly to get the logo and the machine to look and run properly.  It is something that takes digitizer’s years of experience to perfect.  If you have an inexperienced digitizer you run the risk of the logo not having straight lines or even the lines not matching up properly as well as the machine not being able to run the design properly if you do not place the threads properly. You could get excessive amounts of thread breaks or even bunches of thread in the same place.  This can ruin the look of your logo as well as the quality of the embroidery. (and product)

Our digitizer has been in the business for well over 20 years and does a great job at small or large designs.  We can get some over the smallest of details into a logo that a not so experienced digitizer wouldn’t be able to do.

Screen printing vs. direct to garment printing is one of the biggest questions and debates in the promotional wear industry. These printing methods are most commonly used on t-shirts, sweatshirts, & jackets.  Screen printing has been around forever and direct to garment printing is fairly new. Each has its pros and cons just as anything else. We are going to break this down and let you decide which method you would prefer.

Screen Printing

Screen Printing is one of the most commonly used methods in apparel decorating and was first patented in 1907 in England by Samuel Simon Matthew Atere-Roberts. With screen printing there are setup fees unlike direct to garment printing. The fees are needed for setup due to a screen needing to be burned for each color in the design. Once the screens are burned there will be an ink charge for each color used in the design and for any dark items there is a white under base that needs printed first. Screen printing is best used for larger orders that do not require a very detailed design.

Pros of Screen Printing

• Cost effective & high quality
• Professional looking.
• Long lasting & durable.

Cons of Screen Printing

• Setup fees for customers.
• Minimum quantity orders are needed.
• Can not do just one shirt. (Nobody will do just one shirt.)

Below is an image of a basic screen printing press.

Direct to Garment Printing

• Direct to garment printing is the process of printing directly onto a garment or any other type of printable object such as a mouse pad or coaster to name a couple. Direct to garment printing is fairly new and a great option for small run orders. Unlike screen printing direct to garment printing typically has no setup fees which is why this is great and the only option for low run orders. The reason for this is to print a shirt or any other object all that has to be done is load the design on the CPU, send it to the printer, print it, and then cure it in the heat press. It is that simple. With direct to garment printing the color palette is unlimited which allows you to have anything printed with any colors. Therefore you could have a photo printed on a t-shirt and give it to grandma. Another bonus is name dropping on each item. This can not be done with screen printing since a screen would have to been burned for each name and this is just not feasible. Most direct to garment printers do not print white ink therefore your design/image must be printed on a light colored garment. With technology emerging, printing on dark shirts is now possible but due to the pricey nature of these machines there are not many out there. I am sure this will change as it always does with technology.

Pros for Direct to Garment Printing

• Specializes in low run orders.
• Can print one at a time.
• Prints full color prints that have intricate details.
• Designs are not felt on the garment.
• Garments are easily customizable and little tweaks may be made.

Cons of Direct to Garment Printing

• Many direct to garment printers do not print white ink therefore your garment will need to be printed on a light colored shirt. Some do print on dark colored shirts.
• They take longer to print than screen printing.
• Ink is a little more expensive than inks used for screen printing.

Below is an image of the Brother GT 541 Direct to Garment Printer which we use here.

3 Types of Printing Scenarios

Below are three scenarios you may encounter along. I will include an image for an example along with what is the best method.

Scenario A – Customer emails a photo of here fathers baby picture and wants this printed on 1 t-shirt that say “Happy 50^th Birthday Dad, We Love You”  or just any old photo with text on it Direct to Garment Printing will be used. (Create your own custom printed shirt here.)

Scenario B - Customer has a very basic logo design with about 4-8 colors and wants to order 12 of these on black t-shirts. Screen Printing will be used. (Check out our catalog out for a large selection of apparel.)

Scenario C - Customer has a very detailed logo and wants to have six printed on a white t-shirt along with a different name on each shirt. This is a prime example where only a direct to garment printer would get this done for you. . (Create your own custom printed shirt here.)

Thanks for reading this article. Hopefully we were able to help. Do you have anything you would like to add or any experiences with these two types of printing? We want to here from you.

We’re so excited to have launched our new blog here at Thread Perfection today.  We’ve been busy making new and improved updates to our website and thought we needed a place where we can share the latest news and connect directly with our friends and customers.  This blog will serve the purpose to allow us to keep you up to date on our products, services and much more.  We also hope to be a hub for small business owners to join in the conversation together to talk about marketing strategies to help grow your respective businesses.  We have many things planned here at Thread Perfection in the coming weeks, months and years and we’re glad you’ve taken the time to stop in and see what’s going on.

Welcome!

Embroidery and screen printing are the two most popular methods of customizing apparel and promotional items. Embroidery gives more of a high end look as screen printing gives a more relaxed and casual appearance. We will break down the difference of both along with the pros and cons of each to help you decide whats best for you?

Embroidery

Embroidery is the process where a machine stitches a particular design or text onto a product of choice.`Embroidery is typically used on golf shirts, woven’s,  jackets & coats, corporate wear, ball & knit caps, tote bags and much much more.

How is Embroidery Priced?

Embroidery on almost all occasions is priced based on a stitch count. This stitch count is usually broken down per thousand stitches and priced accordingly. Obviously all companies have different pricing strategies. There is a one time setup fee which in our world is called “digitizing.” Digitizing is when a design/logo is converted into a format that an embroidery machine can recognize and sew out. This should always be a one time fee unless the size or details change.

Pros  of  Embroidery

Pros

• Very professional looking.
• Last’s longer than screen printing.
• Discounts for quantity orders.
• Enhance your garment.
• Get your business noticed!

Cons

• Logo’s may need to be altered due to difficulty of showing shading with thread.
• Very small text is very difficult.
• Little more expensive than screen printing.

Screen Printing

Screen Printing (or serigraphy) is a printing technique that converts a graphic into a multi-layered film (one color per layer, up to four layers), which is then applied onto garments. Unlike Direct to Garment Printing,  Screen Printing can print white ink and is most cost effective when your design is a single color.  Screen Printing like embroidery is used on almost all type of garments and many types of fabrics.

How is Screen Printing Priced?

Screen Printing is priced based on the amount of colors used in the design that is being printed. For each color on the design a screen needs to be burned.  Each screen that is burned typically has an associated screen charge.  When there several amounts of colors in the design along with shading a four color process is needed, which requires four screens. the colors  cyan, magenta,  yellow, & black are used to reproduce all the colors needed in the design. The next charge will be a charge for ink per screen. Dark colored items cost a little bit more due to needing a white ink underbase. These are the most common ways your screen printing fees will be calculated.

Pros of Screen Printing

Pros

• Create high end products with shading and gradients.
• Fairly inexpensive for large discount items.
• Can recreate a very detailed  logo. This can not be done with embroidery.
• Large designs typically do not add to the cost.

Cons

• Fading or cracking may occur after several washings.
• Requires a minimum order due to setup time.
• Can not screen print on all types of materials.

Conclusion

Well that about sums up the basic differences between embroidery and screen printing. I hope this helps if not feel free to contact us directly and we will be able to take care of your needs. Please leave any additional comments that you may want to add that I could have left off.