Decoration methods matched to the sector

Method and industry | 10 pages

Method and sector pairings

Each page explains why this method suits this kind of buyer and what the minimum order becomes.

The same method behaves differently in different sectors. Silk screen gives clean repeatable colour on cotton for a charity run at 50 pieces. DTF prints full colour with no screen cost, which is why it suits a startup that needs one piece or a conference that needs 300 different items in a week. Embroidery suits a bank polo, where the mark has to survive a wash, and it starts at 25 pieces.

Pad printing handles the awkward surfaces that the other methods refuse: a utility pen, a key fob, a small curved surface, where a pad and a screen do the work. Laser engraving suits a luxury brand that wants a metal mark with no ink sitting on the surface, and it starts at 10 pieces.

Minimum order quantities differ sharply across these methods: embroidery at 25 pieces, DTF at 1, silk screen at 50, laser at 10 and UV print at 25. Lead times stay short here because most of the work is decoration on stock goods rather than a bespoke build, running 3 to 5 days on the fast routes and 4 to 6 weeks when the product itself is made to order.