Should you choose Embroidery or Heat Press Branding?

The Badger Team is often asked whether embroidery or heat press branding is best. Will heat press last as long as embroidery? Will embroidery look as sharp as heat press? This blog post will help you understand the pro’s and con’s of each branding type so you can decide which will be the most practical and economical solution for your company.

Firstly, what is the difference?

Through the process of embroidery, the logo is manufactured by sewing threads into the fabric. The actual sewing is carried out by computerised embroidery machines and is completely automated. The garments are physically “hooped” and loaded onto the embroidery machine before the logo is stitched onto the fabric. This means embroidered logos will generally last as long as the garment, no matter how many times you wash it!

Heat Pressing is a similar process to screen printing, however rather than your logo being printed directly onto fabric, the design is printed onto release paper first, then heat pressed onto the clothing. The heat press application process is much faster than embroidery, but the logo transfers must be manufactured first. Because heat press logos are held on by a strong adhesive, they generally outlast the garment.

Now you know the processes, which is better?

When considering which Signature Branding method to use for your organisation’s clothing, there are 3 things that you should consider:

• How complex is your logo design?
• What type garments are needing branding?
• How long do the garments last and how often will you be placing orders?

How complex is your logo design?

Because heat pressed logos are manufactured using latest technology printing machines, we are capable to print very intricate details. Small text and elements tend to be hard to embroider clearly, so heat press logos are often the best option in these cases.

What type of garments does your business use?

Embroidery is generally the best branding option for corporate office uniform such as business shirts, jumpers, softshell jackets etc. Embroidery tends to look more professional and classier on corporate items, and knitted corporate items, like cardigans, cannot be heat pressed. Corporate items can last up to 3 or 4 years, so embroidery is a good option and it can cope with a large number of washes.

For general workwear including hi-visibility shirts, vests, jumpers and jackets, heat pressing is recommended. These garments are often subject to harsh working conditions so tend to be replaced more regularly (every year or so). Heat press branding is the most economical branding method, so it makes sense to use it on high turn over items.

Badger recommends that freezer wear is heat pressed because of how thick the insulation is. Embroidered logos tend to ‘pucker’ the garments when they are thicker.

Order Frequency

Heat press printing requires a minimum initial set-up of 10 transfer release papers per order. If you are regularly ordering workwear, choosing heat pressed logos can help speed up delivery times, with most orders leaving within a week.

Embroidery has no minimum order run so once your logo is digitised, it is kept on file ready to embroider when needed. This makes it a good option for very small orders with customisation or branding.

Summary of Pro’s & Con’s of Embroidery and Heat Press Branding

If you are unsure which branding process will be best for your company, feel free to contact the Badger Team today. We’d love to hear from you!