It’s always beneficial to build a strong foundation of the print choices available and understand where each fits in. The reason why is that the most common question is, “What do I use for X?”
When considering heat printing from a very high level, there are four main buckets of products
- Heat transfer vinyl
- Screen-printed transfers
- Digital transfers
- Specialty finishes and effects
While there are many choices, finishes, and styles within each, dispatching the work often comes down to having a solid understanding of the buckets. Consider these fast facts:
- Heat transfer vinyl is best when the logo is two or fewer colors and 24 or less in quantity.
- Screen-printed transfers are best when the logo is low in the number of colors and 24 or more in quantity.
- Digital transfers are best when the logo has three or more colors and can potentially be used at any quantity.
- Specialty finishes and effects is a category to explore. There are a lot of unique options available such as sublimated twill, dimensional logos, and patches that deliver looks beyond a standard logo.
With this baseline understanding, you can get a job within the right technology bucket and dig further into a specific product choice based on finish, feel, and fabric compatibility. While logo creation is flexible, not getting a job into the right bucket may leave you short on your profitability goals, priced out of the market, or overburdened with labor.
