In previous articles, we convinced you of the importance of custom company apparel and some things to consider when making your apparel selections. You also have many options when it comes to decoration. Many of the same areas you considered when selecting your apparel items pertain to your decoration choices as well. That is, you want to consider the purpose of the apparel, the image you want to convey, and the style that is a fit for your company.
How bold can you go?
The two most popular options for apparel embellishing are screen printing and embroidery, so it helps to have a basic understanding of the differences between them. While screen printing creates very crisp, sharp images by pressing ink through a screen, embroidery is generally perceived as a higher quality embellishment since it uses thread sewn into the garment and creates sort of a 3D look and feel. As a result, screen printing is often done big and bold while embroidery is more about being small and tasteful.
Besides the type and size of your decoration, the choice of colors will also affect the look of your artwork. For example, white printing on a royal blue shirt will stand out sharply, while navy blue printing on the same royal blue shirt will be more subtle.
Location, Location, Location
A standard left-chest logo isn’t the only place you can put your logo. There are many popular decoration locations for shirts and jackets these days, including collar, cuffs, bottom hem, shoulder, and yoke (back of neck). You can select one or more of these locations depending on the look you’re going for and the information you want to display. You may want various elements (company icon, web address, tagline, etc.) placed in separate locations or visible from different angles.
Less is more
Don’t get too carried away. Sometimes it can be tempting to turn a shirt into a brochure. You may want to include company name, logo, tagline, phone number, address, event name, year, etc. While apparel certainly can be used for effective promotion, including too much information can make it look cluttered, reduce readability, as well as add cost. Unless it’s for a specific promotional campaign that requires certain information, simpler is generally better.
Of course there are other decoration methods such as heat transfer, laser etching, debossing, and more. Multiple techniques can even be used in combination to create really striking effects. The best decoration options for you will depend on the garments, the type of artwork you want to display, and the look you are trying to achieve.
