Which methods are used on apparel and fabric like tees and caps?

Garment screen printing applies ink to fabric with the screen printing method, and garment screen printing is mainly used to print the same design in large quantities, such as team tees.

How it works

Garment screen printing uses a frame, much like printmaking, and applies custom-mixed ink onto the fabric. After printing, heat treatment fixes the ink.

Color

Garment screen printing prints mixed spot-color inks one color at a time. Dark fabric needs a white base printed first for colors to come out vivid.

Good for

Garment screen printing is good for cotton tees, sweatshirts and hoodies, logos with one or a few colors, and large runs of the same design.

Avoid when

Avoid garment screen printing for photos or gradients and for small runs of many-color designs.

Durability

The wash durability of garment screen printing depends on the ink type and fabric, so for team wear that will be worn for a long time, share the care instructions as well (wash inside out at about 30℃, no machine drying).

Watch out for

Garment screen printing needs a screen for each color, and for O-SEAN apparel the decoration cost depends on the print size tier (small, medium, large).

Cost pattern

Garment screen printing has a fixed screen cost, so the unit price falls as quantity rises.

O-SEAN items

Most O-SEAN tees, sweatshirts, hoodies and outerwear, except polyester performance fabric, offer screen printing in three size tiers, small 2 to 10 cm, medium 10 to 20 cm and large 20 to 28 cm. The actual method is set through consultation based on the design and fabric.

Rubber-ink printing is screen printing with rubber-based ink, and rubber-ink printing forms a smooth, slightly thick layer on the fabric so colors look sharp.

How it works

Rubber-ink printing makes screens and prints the same way as screen printing, but uses a rubber-type ink that forms a film on top of the fabric instead of ink that soaks into the fabric.

Color

Rubber-ink printing uses opaque ink, so colors show well even on dark fabric. Rubber-ink printing needs a screen for each color, the same as screen printing.

Good for

Rubber-ink printing is good for canvas and cotton tote bags and for light-colored logos on dark fabric.

Avoid when

Avoid rubber-ink printing for photos or gradients and when the fabric's soft feel must stay unchanged.

Durability

Rubber-ink printing forms a film on the fabric surface, so colors stay vivid, but hard folding or long use can crack the print. How much rubber-ink printing cracks depends on the ink formula and fabric.

Watch out for

Rubber-ink printing can make the fabric stiff when the print area is large. Rubber-ink printing needs as many screens as there are colors.

Cost pattern

Rubber-ink printing has a fixed screen cost like screen printing, so the unit price falls as quantity rises.

O-SEAN items

The O-SEAN item that uses rubber-ink printing is the tote bag (two-color rubber-ink print).

Digital transfer outputs the design digitally on film or transfer paper and moves the design onto fabric with heat, and digital transfer can apply full-color designs without plates.

How it works

Digital transfer outputs the design digitally and moves the design onto fabric with heat. DTF prints ink and a white base on a special film, melts an adhesive powder onto the film and bonds the film to the fabric with a heat press, while sublimation turns dye into gas with heat so the dye soaks into polyester fibers and produces color.

Color

Digital transfer produces full color with no limit on the number of colors. Sublimation ink lets the base color show through, so sublimation colors come out properly only on light fabric.

Good for

Among digital transfer methods, DTF is good for a wide range of fabrics such as cotton, polyester and nylon and for dark garments, sublimation is good for 100% polyester uniform jerseys and sportswear, and both methods suit photos, gradients and many-color designs.

Avoid when

Sublimation does not suit cotton fabric or dark fabric, and DTF should be avoided when the fabric's original feel must stay, because the printed area can have a noticeable film layer.

Durability

Sublimation soaks the dye into the fiber and leaves no print layer on the surface, so the printed area does not peel. DTF bonds an ink layer onto the fabric, so DTF holds up well to repeated washing, but the printed area feels different from the fabric.

Watch out for

The choice between DTF and sublimation in digital transfer depends on the fabric content (cotton, polyester and nylon share). Sublimation colors weaken as the polyester share drops.

Cost pattern

Digital transfer needs no plates, so digital transfer suits small runs and the unit price changes little with quantity.

O-SEAN items

Most O-SEAN apparel offers heat transfer (printed on film and pressed on with heat and pressure), and the polyester quick-dry tee is printed by heat transfer. The uniform jersey (100% polyester) is made with full-color digital transfer.

Embroidery stitches a logo directly with thread, and embroidery is widely used on caps and uniforms because the raised thread gives the logo depth.

How it works

Embroidery converts the logo into stitch data that an embroidery machine can read, and the machine sews thread into the fabric to form the logo.

Color

Embroidery shows color through thread, so the number of colors is limited and gradients must be turned into solid areas. Thread colors are chosen from the supplier's color chart.

Good for

Embroidery is good for ball caps, bucket hats, chest logos on polo shirts, jackets and uniforms, and bold, simple logos.

Avoid when

Avoid embroidery for very small text and thin lines, photos or gradients, and thin, stretchy fabric.

Durability

Embroidery sews thread into the fabric, so embroidery holds up well to washing and the logo tends to keep its shape even if the thread wears a little.

Watch out for

Embroidery makes small text hard to read, so make the lettering large enough. Embroidery costs more for larger, denser logos because the stitch count rises.

Cost pattern

Embroidery has an upfront cost for creating the stitch data (digitizing), and after that the unit price follows the stitch count (logo size and density).

O-SEAN items

Among O-SEAN products, the ball cap and bucket hat are made with logo embroidery, and embroidery (2 to 8 cm) is available on all apparel. It suits garments that carry a small left-chest logo, such as polo shirts, coach jackets and fleece.

A woven label is a label with a logo made by weaving fine thread on a loom, and a woven label shows small text and detailed logos in a flat, soft form.

How it works

A woven label is made by weaving thin thread tightly so the logo and text form within the fabric itself. The finished label is sewn onto the garment or bag.

Color

A woven label shows color through thread and uses finer thread than embroidery, so finer detail is possible.

Good for

Woven labels are good for garment neck labels, brand labels on bags and pouches, and logos that include small text.

Avoid when

Avoid woven labels when a raised, textured look is needed.

Durability

A woven label has the logo woven in thread, so the logo does not peel like a print, and the flat, soft surface works well on areas that touch the skin.

Watch out for

Woven labels have a limit on the number of thread colors.

Cost pattern

A woven label is made separately and then sewn on, so label production and attachment costs both apply. The cost difference between woven labels and embroidery depends on the design and quantity.

O-SEAN items

A woven label (5 cm) is available on all apparel, and woven labels for other fabric products are set through consultation.

A patch is a logo made as a separate piece of fabric and attached to the product, so a logo can go on products that are hard to embroider directly.

How it works

A patch is a logo piece made separately by embroidery or weaving and attached to the product by sewing or heat bonding. An embroidered patch is stitched with thread on a base fabric, and a woven patch is woven from thread.

Color

A patch shows color through thread. An embroidered patch is thick and raised, and a woven patch is flat and detailed.

Good for

Patches are good for caps, jackets and bags, raised logos (embroidered patch) and detailed logos (woven patch).

Avoid when

Avoid patches for photo-like images with many colors.

Durability

A sewn-on patch lasts a long time, while a heat-bonded patch may lift at the edges depending on washing conditions.

Watch out for

An embroidered patch has limits on small text, so a flat, detailed woven patch suits logos with a lot of text.

Cost pattern

Making a patch and attaching it are charged separately. The price difference between embroidered and woven patches depends on design and quantity, so O-SEAN confirms the price with a quote for each design.

O-SEAN items

A patch (5 cm) is available on all apparel, and patches for other products such as caps are set through consultation.