Want to put your logo front and centre? Then it’s time to invest in some quality uniform branding. Learn about the best methods for creating branded uniforms below to ensure your brand doesn’t fly under the radar.
Your branding is brilliant. You already know this – it’s eye-catching and it communicates who you are as a business. You’ve already got it on your website, on your storefront, and as part of your staff’s email signatures; it only makes sense to put it on your staff uniform as well.
There are so many benefits to quality uniform branding. By integrating your unique logo, tagline, or other brand imagery into a considered uniform range, you’re ensuring your team appears unified and stands out from competitors. You’re also maximizing the opportunity for brand awareness whenever your staff are wearing their uniform.
Knowing that your logo should be on your uniform is the easy part. Next you need to find out how best to get it on there. Logo embroidery? Screen printing branding? Heat Transfer sublimation?
Your logo size, design, placement and the garment material all affect which branding method will best work for your vision and budget. If you understand the strengths and benefits of the different uniform branding methods on offer, you can make an informed decision that will help you to create your perfect uniform.
We’ve created an overview for our approaches to branding your uniform with your logo, artwork, or tagline, but if you want some custom advice for your branding solution, speak to our experts!
Uniform Branding: Embroidery
Embroidery might seem like an old-fashioned approach to branding when compared to some digital options available, but its popularity has still endured because it has so many benefits.
Why Choose Uniform Embroidery?
A Professional, High Quality Finish
Embroidered designs are sewn into the fabric of your chosen garment using thread and needle. This method creates depth and texture for a professional finish that stands out on any garment. If you’re investing in a quality uniform for your staff, you want your logo to match. Choosing a high-quality embroidery logo guarantees a world-class final uniform range.
Long-lasting and Customizable Uniform Branding
Uniform embroidery is durable, versatile, and high-quality; embroidery thread is amazingly strong, so don’t be surprised if your embroidery outlasts even the garment it’s attached to. It’s also excellent at retaining colour through regular washes and wears, which makes it a great investment for a uniform that you want to last.
Add Your Logo to Almost Anything
The Total Image Group in-house embroidery team are experienced in capturing the details of logos on a variety of garments. Our embroidery creates a final product that is a high-quality representation of both your staff and your brand. Everything from thick fleeces and jackets to suiting, shirts and polos, as well as denim items, caps, or bags – all this and more can be embroidered!
Check out our in-house embroidery in action below!
Some Potential Drawbacks
Cost
The main cause for any hesitation when it comes to choosing embroidery is the price. Embroidery’s quality, as well as the time and labour required to create it, means that is pricier than some other branding options.
Limitations
Embroidery is a versatile method of branding, but it still has some limitations. For very detailed or very large designs, or artwork with a gradient colour, embroidery is far less effective.
Uniform Branding: Screen Printing
Screen printing is a branding technique that involves a woven mesh screen supporting an ink-blocking stencil. This creates open areas of mesh that will transfer ink onto the garment receiving the image. Screen printing often comes to mind when you think about t-shirt designs, but there are plenty more benefits to choosing screen printing.
Why Choose Uniform Screen Printing
Big and Bold…
Looking for something eye-catching to make a statement? Screen printing is the way to go. This technique allows you to print across a large area, with more intricate designs than embroidery can provide. If you’d like a big pattern on the front or back of a tee, a large logo on a promotional tote, or any other large artwork, screen printing will deliver.
…and Bright!
Screen printing colours are bright and eye-grabbing . You can opt for splashy hues and glitter, metallic and gradient colour effects that will really make your branding pop. As each new colour requires a new screen set up, it’s best to choose only few colours that can stand out in a simple design.
It can go where embroidery can’t
When material is too thin or lightweight, embroidery isn’t an option, but screen printing still is. Ideal for hi-vis workwear, shirts, or polos, screen printing will be able to transfer your logo or messaging onto most materials. Given screen printing is a more budget-friendly option for larger quanitites of product, it’s perfect for printing on promotional products. Think balloons, bags and water bottles and more!
Some Potential Drawbacks
More Wear and Tear
When compared to embroidery, screen printing is more susceptible to general wear and tear. This means that it’s much better suited to occasionally worn items, promotional products, or garments that are unsuitable for embroidery. That said, screen printing will still last a long time, especially if the garment is correctky washed and cared for.
Limited Garment Suitability
Screen printing just isn’t suitable for garments like suiting, heavy fleeces or shirts. Plus, whilst we guarantee that any screen printing we provide is of the highest quality, it doesn’t always communicate the most “professional” finish. For high-quality polos and shirts, screen-printing might be less appropriate than embriodery.
Most Suitable For Large Orders
The inital starting costs for screen printing can be quite high, especially if your design uses multiple colours. This means that screen-printing isn’t budget-friendly for small orders. As the screen-print works like a stencil, the larger your order, the lower your cost per garment.
Uniform Branding: Heat Transfer
Heat transfer, whether digital or vinyl, is a more recent uniform branding solution. It involves either cutting out the design in pieces of vinyl and using heat to press them to the fabric (vinyl) or using a digital print out made with a solvent ink which adheres to the garment when heat is applied (digital).
Why Choose Uniform Heat Transfer?
Vibrant and Complex
For complex designs that use lots of colours, heat transfer is your ideal option. You can create complicated graphics, bright imagery and even photos to be printed onto tshirts or promotional products. This, along with heat transfer’s low start up costs, allows you to easily customise individual products and add extra touches and high-quality imagery.
Budget-friendly for Small Orders
The simple set up of heat-transfer makes it a very cost-efficient option for small quantities of product. Say you wanted some custom shirts for your office touch footy comp, or are interested in a small run of promotional product to give out at a business conference – heat-transfer is the way to go.
Environmentally-Friendly
The process of heat-transfer requires very few chemicals, produces very little wastage, and doesn’t allow any dye to enter the water system, which can happen in other dyeing processes. Plus, a single print can be used on multiple garments.
The Drawbacks of Heat Transfer
Fast Fading
Whilst heat-transfer creates a vibrant initial garment, the transfer can be quick to break down or fade during normal wear and tear. This means that heat transfer is best applied to promotional product or items that you don’t need to last a long time.
Not Good For Larger Quantities
Because of the small start-up costs, heat-transfer is a cost-effective method for small runs of product. However, as you get into larger quantities, the cost per item is vastly higher than it would be with other methods of branding.
Promotional Product Branding
Are you looking to brand some promotional merchandise? Maybe you’re interested in some sustainable promotional products? We also offer pad printing, laser engraving, debossing, and digital wrap print for the wide variety of branded merchandise in our range. Get in touch with one of our experts to find out more about promotional products for your brand.
Now that you understand the different approaches, you’re ready to go forth and get uniform branding!
Are you currently looking at a branded uniform range? Keen to get some branded promotional merchandise out there? Speak to our team of experts who can create a custom branding solution for your business.
Book in a consultation call
Do you need help working out the best uniform range for you and your business? We can help! To ensure we direct you to the best person in our team to discuss your requirements – whether your uniform and promotional needs are now or in the future – let’s learn a bit more about you. We look forward to speaking soon!
