Decoration Techniques - Stitches 'n' Print - Personalised clothing, photogifts & promotional goods

Stitches 'n' Print
Quality Personalised Clothing & Photogifts
01529 298232
Search
Go to content

Main menu:

Decoration Techniques

Products > Decoration Methods
SnP uses different decoration or branding methods depending on the type of object to be personalised.  Other factors such as colour and quantity are also taken into account.  The 4 main methods used are;

  • Embroidery
  • Transfer Printing
  • Fabric Vinyl Pressing
  • Dye Sublimation Transfer Printing

Generally the first 3 methods are used to decorate garments/fabrics of all sizes, colours, material types and thicknesses.  The personalisation will last & look good for differing lengths of time depending on the use, number of washes and care taken with each garment.  Embroidery will often outlive the garment itself as it uses tough, colour fast threads.  Transfers on the other hand need to be looked after and will fade and spoil with use in sunlight and with washing & ironing. Vinyl is similar to transfers but is usually used for lettering, so there is little noticeable fading as there are no detailed images.

Dye Sublimation or Dyesub printing actually transfers special inks into polyester materials to make a very vibrant, long lasting, full colour personalisation, that is very durable.  The polyester can be the object itself, such as polyester fabric T-Shirts etc., or a special coating applied to all types of material.  The image therefore becomes embedded into the object and lasts for years - even in daylight. The coatings are very durable - the duraglaze mugs we use are guaranteed to 2000 washes in a dishwasher. If you look at the Photogifts page or website you will be able to see the vast array of giftware that can be personalised using this method. It is only suitable to use this method on white or light coloured materials but the advantage is that any design that can be sent to the special printer, will result in a high resolution, full colour, long lasting personalisation of the object.


We can help choose the best method for garment personalisation, but ultimately the choice is yours depending on the size, colour and complexity of the design and where it will be used. Here is a quick guide to Embroidery vs Transfer;

Embroidery: Use up to 15 coloured threads in each design (there will be a £10 digitising fee for complex designs), usually small 100mm squares or standard lettering up to 75mm high in a large range of fonts or typefaces. Lead time is up to 2 weeks (some garments can take up to an hour on a machine to stitch) but the product will last a long time.

Transfers: There are many types of transfer depending mainly on the colour and material of the garment and the ink type to be used (i.e. Light & Dark Tranfers for Inkjet or laser printers).  Artwork created on a PC is printed onto the appropriate transfer paper, using the appropriate ink or toner. The image is then transferred to the object using a heat press for the appropriate temperature, time and pressure combination for the item to be decorated.  This method gives full flexibility in terms of the artwork that can be used and is a very quick process lasting less than 5 minutes for most items.  The image is not as durable and colour fast as embroidery or dyesub printing but lead times are less than a week.

We also now have a hot foil printer which enables us to produce a colourful selection of ribbons, sashes, name tapes and lanyards in house.  Quantities can be as little as one offs up to hundreds.  The ribbons come in a range of widths up to 4 inches and many striking colours and can be personalised with a variety of plain & metallic foils - both simple graphics and text can be used.
Put a name tape in your kids school kit, make special sashes for Hen Nights, personalised ribbons for your special day or lanyards that help you not to lose memory sticks, keys etc.
 
78 Southgate, Sleaford, NG34 7RL                   snpadmin@snpmail.co.uk
Copyright 2015. All rights reserved.
Back to content | Back to main menu