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A side-by-side comparison of screen printing, DTG, embroidery, pad printing and laser engraving by typical run size, colour handling and the products each method suits.
Screen printing pushes ink through a mesh stencil and becomes cost-effective at runs of about 50 pieces and up. Each colour in screen printing needs its own screen, so per-colour setup drives the cost of small orders — which is why a five-colour logo on 40 pieces is rarely routed to screen.
Direct-to-garment (DTG) printing works like an inkjet printer for fabric and suits full-colour small runs. No screen has to be burned, so colour count does not add a setup cycle; the method is limited to garments and to substrates that accept inkjet ink.
Embroidery is priced by stitch count; a typical left-chest logo runs about 5,000 to 10,000 stitches. The price per unit therefore tracks the density and size of the design rather than the number of colours in it, which makes embroidery predictable for multi-colour logos.
On narrow screens, swipe or scroll the plate sideways.
Pad printing transfers a two-dimensional image onto three-dimensional objects such as pens and stress balls. A flat screen cannot conform to a curved surface, so pad printing is the standard route for small cylindrical or rounded giveaways, with one plate per colour.
Laser engraving removes the top layer of metal, glass or wood, so the mark is permanent and cannot wash off. It is the method of choice for hard goods where the item will be handled, washed or exposed for the life of the product.
Choosing between them comes down to three variables: run size, colour count and surface geometry. The table below sets the five methods against each other on those three axes.
Further reading