What is the Difference between Screen Printing & Embroidery
When it comes to putting designs on fabrics, there are quite a few methods which have stood the test of time and are profusely used even today to create customized clothing items. Two of the processes which are extremely popular among manufacturing circles are screen printing and embroidery. Although significantly different in technique and approach, they have a lot in common when it comes to large scale design printing with fabric. For mass production and when fast and high quality results are desired, these are the two most used techniques for fabric printing projects. Although they have a lot in common, there are intrinsic differences between the two when it comes to overall technique, application and effect. Here is a closer look at the differences -
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Screen printing is essentially a mode of transferring ink or paint onto the surface of the fabric using a meshed screen and a frame and by developing stencils of the intended design onto the screen. The paint or ink used is the only thing that is applied to the fabric. On the other hand, embroidery involves the stitching of coloured thread onto the fabric using special fine needles using specifically designed machines.
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Screen printing is better suited to large designs, while embroidery is more effective with smaller designs like logos or themes.
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Pricing wise, it can be said that overall, embroidery costs a little more than screen printing. There are various ways in which the pricing for these techniques is determined, and the difference in cost is not substantial.
- While well done embroidery can look classier and have a better finish, certain things like small texts or colour shades cannot be recreated with embroidery. Screen printing, on the other hand, can effectively be used for these purposes, although the end result does not look as classy or elegant.