When adding your company logo to workwear or hi-vis clothing, one of the most common questions is:

Should I choose DTF printing or embroidery?

The answer depends on the garment, your logo, how the clothing will be used and the finish you're looking for.

At www.hivis.net, we offer both DTF (Direct to Film) printing and embroidery, allowing us to recommend the branding method that works best for your particular order rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Here’s our guide to choosing the right option.

What is DTF Printing?

DTF – or Direct to Film printing – is a modern method of transferring a digitally printed design onto a garment using heat.

Unlike traditional vinyl printing, DTF can reproduce full-colour logos, gradients, small details and complex designs without having to cut individual colours separately.

The result is a sharp, professional print that works particularly well across a huge range of workwear and hi-vis garments.

DTF is particularly good for:

• Full-colour company logos
• Detailed or intricate designs
• Logos containing gradients or multiple colours
• Larger back prints
• Staff names and individual personalisation
• Small and large order quantities
• Hi-vis vests, T-shirts, polos, sweatshirts and jackets
• Orders requiring a fast turnaround

Because the design is printed digitally, DTF is also extremely flexible when different names, job titles or other information needs to be added to individual garments.

What is Embroidery?

Embroidery creates your logo using coloured thread stitched directly into the garment.

It remains one of the most popular methods of branding professional workwear because it provides a smart, premium and extremely durable finish.

Embroidery is particularly effective for smaller company logos positioned on the left or right breast of garments.

Embroidery is particularly good for:

• Polo shirts
• Sweatshirts
• Fleeces
• Softshell jackets
• Corporate clothing
• Breast logos
• Simple and medium-detail logos
• Workwear where a premium appearance is important

For customer-facing employees, engineers, supervisors and management teams, an embroidered logo can give workwear a particularly professional appearance.

DTF versus Embroidery – What's the Difference?

Both methods produce professional results – they simply excel in different situations.

When Should I Choose DTF?

We would generally recommend DTF printing when the logo contains lots of colours, fine detail or needs to be printed at a larger size.

It is particularly effective for the back of workwear, where a larger company logo, telephone number, website address or additional wording may be required.

DTF is also ideal for lightweight garments such as hi-vis vests. Because embroidery involves repeatedly stitching through the material, it can sometimes be unnecessarily heavy for lightweight fabrics.

A printed logo keeps the garment lightweight while still providing excellent visibility.

When Should I Choose Embroidery?

If you're looking for a traditional, premium workwear finish, embroidery is difficult to beat.

An embroidered company logo on the breast of a polo shirt, sweatshirt, fleece or softshell jacket immediately creates a professional uniform appearance.

Embroidery also performs particularly well on thicker garments where the material provides a substantial base for the stitching.

For simple logos using a small number of colours, embroidery can look exceptionally smart.

What About Waterproof Clothing?

This is one area customers don't always consider.

Embroidery requires a needle to repeatedly penetrate the garment. On waterproof or weather-resistant clothing, this can potentially affect the integrity of the outer fabric.

Depending on the garment and logo position, DTF printing may therefore be the better option for waterproof jackets and certain outerwear, as the design is heat applied rather than stitched through the material.

Our team can advise on the most appropriate branding method for the particular garment you're ordering.

Can You Combine DTF and Embroidery?

Absolutely – and sometimes this gives the best result.

For example, a workwear uniform could have:

Embroidered company logo on the front breast

combined with:

Large DTF company logo and contact details across the back

This gives you the premium appearance of embroidery at the front with the flexibility and visibility of DTF printing on the back.

What About Hi-Vis Clothing?

DTF is an excellent option for many hi-vis garments, particularly hi-vis vests, waistcoats, T-shirts and lightweight clothing.

It allows large, highly visible company branding to be added without adding significant weight to the garment.

However, embroidery can still be a great choice for heavier hi-vis garments such as fleeces, sweatshirts and certain jackets.

It's also important that branding is positioned correctly and does not unnecessarily interfere with the garment's reflective tape or protective features.

Does the Complexity of My Logo Matter?

Yes – considerably.

A logo that looks simple on a computer screen may contain tiny lettering, fine lines, colour gradients or intricate details that aren't ideally suited to embroidery.

Embroidery physically recreates the design using thread, so extremely small details may need to be simplified.

DTF printing can reproduce much finer details and is therefore often the better choice for complex logos.

If you're unsure, send us your logo and we'll advise which process will produce the best result.

So, Which Should I Choose?

There's no single winner.

Choose DTF printing if you want:

• Detailed or full-colour logos
• Large back prints
• Branding on lightweight garments
• Individual names or personalisation
• Greater flexibility with complex artwork

Choose embroidery if you want:

• A premium, traditional appearance
• Small breast logos
• Branding on polos, fleeces and softshells
• An extremely durable stitched finish
• Smart corporate workwear

And in many cases, the best solution is to use both.

Let Us Help You Choose

Your workwear represents your business every time your employees arrive on site or meet a customer.

That's why getting the branding right matters.

At www.hivis.net, we supply a huge range of workwear and hi-vis clothing with in-house branding options including DTF printing and embroidery.

Simply choose your garments, send us your logo and our team can help recommend the branding method that will give you the best combination of appearance, durability and value.

Ready to get started? Browse our range of workwear and hi-vis clothing at hivis.net and add your branding requirements when ordering.