Screen printing and embroidery are by far the most commonly used decoration techniques. They're familiar and affordable, but they have their limitations. Depending on the nature of your logo (including the number of colors and level of detail) and the type of garment or item to be decorated, another decoration technique might be more appropriate. Learn more about the alternatives below.

Sequin Embroidery
The addition of sequins lends sparkle and pizzazz to traditional embroidery. Use pearlescent, opaque or clear sequins in combination with colored thread for a unique look.
Recommended use: Ladies' garments



Screen Printing with Specialty Inks
Liquid foil/metallic ink and clear glitter ink are two easy ways to bump up the 'wow' factor of your screen printed design.
Recommended use: Concert tees and ladies' garments





Stain Imaging
Stain imaging is an eco-friendly decoration technique that requires no screens and uses about half of the chemicals of a standard screen printing job. Soft, dye-like stains interact with the color of the garment to create an all-over imprint with a weathered look and feel.
Recommended use: T-shirts and heavyweight apparel



Laser Etching
With laser etching, a laser is used either to remove a layer of fiber from the fabric or to remove the pigment dye on a non-piled (i.e. flat, smooth and with no upright loops) fabric. The laser can be adjusted in speed or intensity to achieve a deep or shallow cut. This decoration technique can be used on a variety of fabrics, but it is important to note that the color and type of fabric will affect the overall look. Notice the differences between fleece, suede and polyester below.
Recommended use: Tone-on-tone decoration for denim, fleece, polyester and suede







Laser Appliqué
Appliqué has been around for many years. In the past, fabric pieces were cut by hand and sewn onto the garment with either an embroidery machine or a commercial sewing machine. Today, a laser is used to cut away the fabric on the garment, eliminating the inaccuracies that come with hand placement. Tackle twill is commonly used for appliqué.
Recommended use: Sweatshirts and jackets




Reverse Appliqué
This technique of appliqué involves placing a piece of material on the back side of the garment fabric. A laser is then used to cut into the front side of the garment, exposing the appliqué beneath.
Recommended use: T-shirts and sweatshirts



Sublimated Transfer
A great option for highly detailed, full color art, sublimated transfer is a 4-color process decoration technique in which special inks are printed onto a transfer material. Through a combination of heat and pressure, the dyes on the transfer are turned into vapor and absorbed by the fabric. The result is a tattoo-like transfer that will last for many years and will not peel, crack or fade.
Recommended use: Multicolored or highly detailed logos on synthetic materials



Digital Printing
Digital printing is a 4-color process direct decoration technique for cotton apparel. An inkjet printer specifically made for the apparel industry is used to lay specially formulated inks so that they become part of the fabric and are soft to the touch. Digital printing is an excellent solution for low quantity orders.
Recommended use: Photographic art on cotton apparel



Patches
Decorative patches- whether woven, embroidered, sublimated or constructed of soft PVC- are sewn or heat-pressed onto the garment. Certain patches will have high minimums.
Recommended use: Jackets, caps and bags



Combined Techniques
Many decoration techniques can be combined for a unique look. In the example below, screen printing and embroidery lend depth and interest to the design.
Recommended use: Any and all apparel

We've written before about the number of decisions that go into printing a T-shirt. One of the more basic questions to answer is- what color shirt do you want?

White T-shirts are less expensive than colored T-shirts, so most people opt for the more economical option. Unfortunately, this is also the main reason so many of us own more white T-shirts than we can count on two hands.

Rather than default to white like everyone else, get creative with screen printing. If the colors of your imprint contain a commonly used T-shirt color, consider purchasing a colored shirt and allow the shirt’s color to show through the design. You'll achieve the look of an extra spot color, without the additional color run charge. In the example above, the yellow T-shirt has been printed with just two colors- red and blue. The white T-shirt has received three colors- red, blue and yellow- yet the overall effect is the same.

The money saved by printing two colors instead of three will help offset the difference in price between a white and colored shirt.

Have you ever taken a photography class? A common piece of advice given to novice photographers is to experiment with angles.

Repeatedly snapping photos from the same eye-level, frontal position can make for some dull shots. Getting low to the ground and shooting upwards or capturing a head shot from a side angle can greatly increase the visual interest of your work.

The same lesson holds true with promotional products. Unless you’re creating a fully custom piece, your artwork/logo is often confined to the item’s imprint area. When the art itself can’t be modified either (for instance, when adhering to very specific branding guidelines), a good trick is to experiment with angles.

In the example above, the water bottle affords a long, skinny imprint area. That’s not exactly conducive to printing a logo (Coca-Cola) that is wider than it is tall, huh? Rather than size down the logo to fit horizontally, rotate it to fit the space vertically. You make much better use of the imprint area, and the user will actually be able to read the imprint when drinking from the bottle.

Color is a crucial element of brand identity, and adopting a signature hue is one of the smartest things you can do for your organization. The effects are psychological, physiological and sociological. Signature colors attract attention, stick in your memory and carry positive or negative connotations that can make you feel happy or sad. Considering that the goal of most organizations is to attract and keep followers, the colors of your brand or logo are a powerful tool.

Consistency and repetition are supremely important to a powerful branding campaign. For optimal recognition, your logo should look exactly the same every time it's used (there are a few exceptions to this rule, and we will revisit the topic in a future post). With most everything being done on computers these days, consistency is easier said than done.

What you see on a computer monitor is rarely what the same image would look like printed. To eliminate misrepresentation, designers and printers rely on standardized color keys. The most widely-used standard is the Pantone Matching System (PMS).

Since it would be inefficient to stock thousands of ink colors, most specialty item printers carry a small set of standard colors and offer to custom mix specific PMS colors for an additional charge.

Is it an extra $30-50 out of your pocket? Yes.

Is it worth it? Absolutely.

If your logo's colors are distinctive, consider a PMS-match and remember that a blue is not a blue is not a blue. Take it from Sonic; we just love to match.

Deciding how to decorate an item can take as much effort as forming the message itself. When you have an abundance of options, virtual models that show different design methods can help souse out the extraordinary from the blase. This week's Print This, Not That exemplifies how useful a virtual proof can be. While "debossed leather" might sound fancier than a "polyurethane dome", for these Sonic Promos High Sierra backpacks, the plastic sure struck gold.