Screen Print vs DTF
vs Embroidery:
Which Is Right for You?
Three methods. Very different results. Choosing the wrong one can cost you money, time, or quality. Here’s the plain-English guide to picking the right technique for your job — from someone who does all three in-house every day.
01
Screen Printing
screen printing is the original. Ink is pushed through a mesh screen directly onto the fabric — one screen per colour. It’s been the backbone of the garment printing industry for decades, and for good reason: the results are bold, vibrant, and built to last.
Each colour in your design requires a separate screen to be burned and set up, which is why screen printing has a setup cost. Once those screens are made though, the cost per unit drops significantly the more you print. That’s why it’s the go-to method for bulk orders.
How it works
Your design is separated into individual colours. Each colour gets its own screen. We then push ink through each screen in sequence — building up your design layer by layer on the garment. The ink is then cured with heat to lock it in permanently.
- Extremely durable — prints last for years
- Very cost-effective at 20+ units
- Vibrant, opaque colours on any garment colour
- Special effects available — glitter, puff, metallic
- Ideal for 100% cotton garments
- Industry standard for band merch, sports kits, workwear
- Setup cost per colour — not ideal for 1-off prints
- Colour count affects price
- Not suited to photographic or gradient artwork
- Minimum order usually 10–20 units
Real talk: If you’re ordering 50 t-shirts with a 2-colour logo for a company event, screen printing is almost certainly your cheapest and best-looking option. The per-unit cost at that volume is hard to beat.
02
DTF Printing
DTF — Direct to Film — is the newer kid on the block, and it’s changed the game for small-run, full-colour printing. Your design is printed onto a special film, powder adhesive is applied, and it’s then heat-pressed onto the garment. The result is a full-colour print with no minimum order and no colour limitations.
At ELP we run a Roland TY-300 DTF printer — one of the best in the industry. It handles everything from a single one-off print to a run of 50, with photographic quality and sharp edges every time.
How it works
We print your full-colour design directly onto a PET film. Adhesive powder is applied while the ink is still wet, then cured. The transfer is then heat-pressed onto your garment at precisely controlled temperature and pressure, bonding the design permanently to the fabric.
- Full colour — unlimited colours, photos, gradients
- No minimum order — even 1 item works
- No setup cost per colour
- Works on cotton, polyester, blends, nylon
- White ink included — great on dark garments
- Fast turnaround on small runs
- Per-unit cost is higher than screen print at bulk
- Slightly raised feel on the fabric vs screen print
- Very fine detail (under 1mm) can soften slightly
Real talk: Need 5 t-shirts for a stag do with a full-colour photo design? DTF is your answer. Screen printing wouldn’t be viable at that quantity — DTF delivers the same quality result without the setup cost.
03
Embroidery
Embroidery isn’t printing at all — it’s stitching. Your design is converted into a stitch file and then sewn directly into the fabric using industrial embroidery machines. The result is a raised, textured finish that looks and feels premium. It’s why embroidery is the first choice for corporate workwear, polo shirts, caps, and jackets.
At ELP we run a Tajima TMBP-S1501 embroidery machine — a professional-grade 15-needle unit. It handles everything from a small chest logo to a large back design with precision and consistency across every garment.
How it works
Your artwork is digitised — converted into a stitch programme that tells the machine exactly where to sew, in what direction, and with which thread colour. The machine then stitches the design directly into the fabric. We send you a digital stitch preview before we run anything, so you can approve it first.
- The most premium, professional finish
- Extremely durable — outlasts the garment itself
- Ideal for polo shirts, fleece, caps, jackets
- Looks sharp at small sizes (chest logos, badges)
- Feels high-end — great for client-facing workwear
- Digitising setup cost on first order
- Not suited to photographic or gradient artwork
- Fine detail and very small text can be tricky
- Not ideal for large back prints — cost increases with stitch count
Real talk: If you’re kitting out a team of 20 in branded polo shirts for a client-facing role, embroidery is the right call. It looks more expensive than it is, and it’ll still look sharp after 200 washes.
04
Side by Side
Still not sure? Here’s every key factor in one table.
| Factor | Screen Print | DTF | Embroidery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum order | 10–20 units | 1 unit | 1 unit |
| Full colour / photos | Not ideal | Yes | No |
| Cost at 50+ units | Cheapest | Mid | Mid |
| Cost for 1–5 units | Expensive | Best value | Reasonable |
| Durability | Excellent | Very good | Outstanding |
| Works on dark garments | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Gradients / blends | No | Yes | No |
| Premium / textured finish | No | No | Yes |
| Setup cost | Per colour | None | Digitising fee |
| Best garments | T-shirts, hoodies | All fabrics | Polos, caps, jackets |
| Turnaround | 3–7 days | Same / next day | 3–7 days |
05
How to Decide
Ask yourself these three questions
1. How many do you need?
Under 10 items — DTF or embroidery. 10–30 items — DTF or screen print depending on colour complexity. 30+ items — screen printing almost always wins on cost.
2. What does your design look like?
Bold logo in 1–4 colours — screen print. Full colour, photographic, or gradient — DTF. Text or simple icon for workwear — embroidery.
3. What’s the garment for?
Event t-shirts or merch — screen print or DTF. Client-facing staff uniforms — embroidery. Mixed fabric order (cotton and poly) — DTF.
Still not sure? Just send us your design and tell us roughly what you need. We’ll recommend the right method for your job — no obligation, no sales pitch. We’ve been doing this for over 20 years and we’d rather you get the right result than upsell you on the wrong process.
Email us at info@eastlondonprinters.com or call 0208 925 2537.
Ready to get started?
Same-day and next-day printing available. Based in Leytonstone, East London.