Detail in Every Print. Accuracy in Every Press

Advantages

• Outlasts the garment it's stitched into
• The most premium finish available on fabric
• Your logo is digitised once and every reorder runs from the same file
• Twenty-five years of it, on eight machines, in our own building

Limitations

• Gradients can't be stitched, they have to be simplified
• Very small text and hairline detail fills in or drops out
• Colours match to the closest available thread, not to Pantone

Advantages

• Handles photographic and multi-colour artwork without a colour limit
• One setup regardless of how many colours are in the design
• Works across a wide range of fabric types
• No run size it doesn't suit, from a handful to a full team

Limitations

• Less economical for very large solid-colour areas at high volume

Advantages

• Rated to 60°C, so it holds up to commercial and industrial laundering
• Sharp enough for fine detail, broad enough for full-colour artwork
• No per-colour setup

Limitations

• Not available through most suppliers in Australia
• Worth the step up for hard-laundered uniforms; for most jobs DTF is the answer

Advantages

• The quickest route for a bold single-colour mark
• The standard method for individual names and numbers

Limitations

• Not for photographic artwork or gradients
• The design is physically cut, so artwork must be vector

Advantages

• Can't crack, peel or fade, because the print is in the fibre
• Edge-to-edge colour and panel designs are possible
• Sponsor logos can sit exactly where they need to

Limitations

• Polyester and poly-blends only, not cotton or natural fibres
• 2–6 weeks, usually 4–6 for fully custom cut-and-sew

Advantages

• Genuine plastisol ink, so it sits in the fibre rather than on top
• Spot colours matched to Pantone
• Softer in the hand than most transfers, and it stays that way

Limitations

• Each colour carries its own setup, so it wants volume behind it
• Spot colour rather than photographic: not for gradients or images
• For most jobs DTF gets you there faster and with less setup

Advantages

• Prints cleanly on curved and uneven products
• Sharp detail down to 0.4mm, with 5pt minimum text
• Close PMS matches on white and light-coloured products
• Metallic gold and silver inks available
• A white under-base can be laid down first on darker products
• Many products take up to six colours in a single pass

Limitations

• Halftones don't reproduce consistently
• Can't print variable data such as individual names
• On darker products, PMS matches are approximate
• Each colour carries its own setup
• Some inks need to cure before the product can ship
• Neon and fluorescent inks aren't available

Advantages

• Large print areas on flat products
• Close PMS matches on white and light-coloured products
• Most inks dry quickly, so orders can ship straight after printing
• Fluorescent, metallic gold and silver inks on select textiles
• Tight multi-colour registration, up to five colours on some products

Limitations

• PMS matches are approximate on darker products, where a white base usually helps
• Can't print variable data
• Each colour carries its own setup

Advantages

• Full colour, complex images and gradients all reproduce
• Variable data including individual names on select products
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours
• Dries instantly, so orders can ship immediately
• Select products can be cut to custom shapes
• Edge-to-edge branding on certain products

Limitations

• Metallic, neon and fluorescent colours aren't available
• White can't be printed on kraft, clear, silver or gold stock
• Can't print on dark substrates, as white ink can't go underneath

Advantages

• A white ink layer can be laid under the artwork, so dark products print well
• Variable data including individual names on select products
• Dries instantly, so orders can ship immediately
• Larger print areas on many products, and it can print close to the edge
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours

Limitations

• Metallic, neon and fluorescent colours can't be reproduced
• Branding areas are smaller on curved surfaces
• Larger print areas cost more

Advantages

• Ideal for large or complex full-colour gloss prints
• Dry and ready to ship as soon as it's printed
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours
• No loss of vibrancy on darker products

Limitations

• Production speed is limited, so lead times can run longer
• Metallic, neon and fluorescent colours can't be reproduced
• The print doesn't wrap fully, so there's a small gap where it starts and ends
• More expensive than most other options

Advantages

• Vivid full colour with a gloss finish
• Long-lasting, and resistant to scratching and fading
• Works on most hard surfaces
• Ideal for personalisation and variable data, including names and numbering
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours
• Ships straight after printing

Limitations

• Not suitable for soft or flexible products
• Metallic, neon and fluorescent colours can't be reproduced
• Detail is advised no finer than 0.8mm
• Not suitable for gradients fading out to transparency

Advantages

• Crisp, clear, high-definition artwork
• Durable and flexible, and hand washable
• A white layer can go under the artwork, so dark products print well
• Full colour images and approximate spot colour
• Matt finish that doesn't crack or fade with typical use
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours

Limitations

• Metallic, neon and fluorescent colours can't be reproduced
• Can't print variable data
• Detail advised no finer than 0.7mm

Advantages

• Vivid full-colour images, and closely matched spot colour branding
• Variable data including individual names
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours
• Edge-to-edge branding is achievable
• Can be cut to custom shapes

Limitations

• Metallic and neon or fluorescent colours aren't available
• White can't be printed on clear, silver or gold stock

Advantages

• Full colour, complex images and gradients all reproduce
• Variable data including names on select products
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours
• Dries instantly, so orders ship immediately
• Uses dye, so there's no ink build-up

Limitations

• Closely matched PMS, RGB, metallic and neon colours can't be produced
• Can't print on dark substrates, as white ink can't go underneath
• Edge-to-edge branding and large block colours aren't achievable

Advantages

• Higher perceived value than most other forms of branding
• The branding becomes part of the surface, and is permanent
• Large branding areas available on curved products
• Variable data including individual names on select products
• Ships straight after engraving

Limitations

• Fine detail can be lost on smaller products such as pens
• Single tone: you get the material's own colour, not your brand colour

Advantages

• Higher perceived value than most other forms of branding
• The branding becomes part of the product, and is permanent
• Ships as soon as heat pressing is finished
• Certain products produce a two-tone finish

Limitations

• Can be very subtle and harder to see, especially on textured materials
• Can't print variable data such as individual naming
• Minimum line thickness 0.4mm

Advantages

• A two-tone finish that stands out more than a plain deboss
• Higher perceived value than most other forms of branding
• The branding becomes part of the product, and is permanent
• Ships as soon as heat pressing is finished

Limitations

• Only available on certain products
• Can't print variable data such as individual naming
• Minimum line thickness 0.4mm

Advantages

• Higher perceived value than most other forms of branding
• The branding becomes part of the product, and is permanent
• Ships as soon as heat pressing is finished
• Certain products produce a two-tone, contrasting finish

Limitations

• Can't print variable data such as individual naming
• Large block artwork can produce an inconsistent result
• Minimum line thickness 0.4mm

Advantages

• Higher perceived value than most other forms of branding
• Ships as soon as printing is finished
• Offers variable data such as individual naming
• The foil stays flexible, so it suits soft-cover notebooks

Limitations

• Detailed artwork can get lost on textured substrates
• The foil inherits the texture of what it's applied to, so the finish varies between soft-touch PU and standard PU
• Minimum line thickness 0.4mm on smooth substrates, 1mm on textured

Advantages

• Much more affordable than real etching
• Can brand curved and uneven products
• A subtle finish with the higher perceived value of etching

Limitations

• Halftones can't be reproduced consistently
• Branding areas are smaller on curved surfaces
• Needs a curing period before the product can ship
• Can't print variable data

Advantages

• Durable, flexible and machine washable, with a soft-touch matte finish
• Water-based inks
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours
• Ships straight after printing
• Works across a wider range of products and positions than stitching
• Small prints come out far better than conventional embroidery manages

Limitations

• Pantone matching isn't available, artwork is matched to the closest thread colour with 3D shading that affects the outcome
• Not suitable for fine detail, bold larger artwork gives the most realistic result
• As the design gets smaller, stitch clarity and detail reduce
• Metallic colours aren't available

Advantages

• Durable, flexible and machine washable
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours
• Handles fine detail and clean edges

Advantages

• Full colour, and takes names, job titles and other variable data
• Low setup, which makes shorter runs viable
• Stays soft and comfortable after many washes

Advantages

• Raised 3D texture that stands out visually and physically
• A more premium, retail-style appearance
• Adds perceived value to branded merchandise

Limitations

• Single colour only
• Needs simple artwork with thicker line weights and generous spacing
• Fine lines, small text and gradients don't work

Limitations

• Polyester and poly-blends only

Advantages

• Vivid full-colour images, and closely matched spot colour branding
• A 3D effect that noticeably lifts the perceived value of a product
• Variable data including individual names on select products
• Edge-to-edge branding across the resin coated area
• One setup charge regardless of the number of colours

Limitations

• Larger print areas cost more
• White, metallic gold, silver and neon colours can't be printed
• The resin needs a day to cure before the product can ship

Advantages

• Full colour across the entire printable face
• Photographic images and fine detail reproduce cleanly
• Consistent colour across a long run

Limitations

• Only suits flat paper and card, not the product itself
• Plates carry a setup, so it suits volume rather than small runs
• Artwork needs to be supplied to the template

Limitations

• We print CMYK, so send Pantone references if brand colour is critical