4 popular decoration methods used for making custom caps

Custom Caps are one of the most effective ways to get your brand out there in the public marketplace. They are versatile, add a professional touch to your brand, and come in various colors and styles to choose from.Customization also allows for ample creativity in design, logo or message you want your brand to share. When it comes to customizing wholesale custom hats, there are different methods of decoration or customization available to select from.To make this easier, we have broken down the four popular decoration methods used for making custom caps and hats.

Popular Decoration Methods Used

1. Embroidery

2. Screen Printing

3. Heat Transfer

4. Digital Printing

1. Custom Embroidered HatsEmbroidery is one of the classic techniques for customizing hats. Custom embroidered hats give your brand a greater perceived value by making it more unique, sophisticated and established. The first step for making embroidered hats is digitization of your artwork (logo, design or text). This is the technique of converting an artwork into a digital file that tells an embroidery machine how to stitch the design. From there, the appropriate thread colors are chosen, a sample stitch out is run, and once you approve it, your order is put on embroidery machines that read the final digitized file and embroider your artwork to its exact specifications.

Types of Embroidery used in making Custom caps

It is economical and is best suited for embroidered hats wholesale.

• 3D Puff embroidered hats: These custom embroidered hats have raised embroidery threads on the artwork giving it a three dimensional feel. It provides depth and dimension for the artwork, thus making the custom caps more stylish and sophisticated. It is done by placing a foam pad, or "puff" on the blank hats and then having the embroidery machine sew an outline of your artwork. Once this is complete, the excess puff around the outside of the embroidered outline is removed and you’ve got a 3D design. 3D embroidered hats require the artwork to consist of large, solid areas of color. Thin lines and small details cannot be embroidered using this method. It works great on custom trucker hats and other 6 panel hats and 5 panel hats.

Pros of using Embroidery in Custom caps

• Durability: It is often said that an embroidered logo will outlast the garment itself. Since this uses a thread to draw the details, it will withstand the harsh conditions of daily wear and constant washing.

• Color Quality: Since the threads used in embroidery are durable, the quality and sharpness of its colors will be maintained through the lifetime of the hat.

• Appearance: The intricate design on the hats evokes a smart and professional look when correctly done.

• Specifically suitable for certain materials: Embroidery is the best method of decoration for heavy materials like fleece or heavy cotton. Other methods like screen printing or digital printing are not an option for such materials.

• The product does not need to be laid flat like in printing, making embroidery suitable for any type of hats.

Cons of using Embroidery in Custom caps

• Design size & Stitch count: Price of decoration of an embroidered hat is based on the number of stitches in artwork. Therefore the bigger the artwork, the more expensive it is. For e.g., if you want your design across the full front of a hat, embroidery is often not the most cost effective decoration method.

• Usage of colors: The number of colors permissible for an artwork is often limited by the options given by the vendor who does the embroidery. Adding more colors will call for additional charges, thereby making the finished product expensive.

• Limitation in design intricacies: Small details in the artwork, like small lettering or fine details in the designs, will not be recognized easily when embroidered.

2. Screen PrintingScreen printing presses ink through a screen or a stencil in order to create a desired image directly onto a product. The result is the screen's image transferred to the print surface. The thicker the fabric, greater will be the amount of ink absorbed into the fibers of the hat and the more vibrant the print will remain over time. Hence blank foam trucker hats are a great choice for screen printed bulk custom hats. Wool and polyester are the best fabrics for screen printing. Also, 6 panel hats are not recommended for screen printing, since it has a center seam that will affect the result of the printing.

Pros of using Screen Printing in Custom caps

• Most cost-effective when you have to customize a large number of blank hats wholesale.
• Ink applied is thicker than that of digital printing, hence making the design more vibrant.

Cons of using Screen Printing in Custom caps

• Creating screens or stencils for small order sizes is not ideal and can be very expensive.

• More the number of colors in a design, higher the cost will be to print it.

3. Heat TransferHeat Transfer printing is the process of applying heat on a garment in order to create a design of some kind. When it comes to custom caps, heat transfer applies your artwork or design on the panels of the cap you selected. The best fabrics for heat transfer are cotton and leather. It would not be a good idea to apply it to some products such as acrylic ones, since it has the probability of melting. Like screen printing, heat transfer is also not recommended for 6-panel hats due to its center seam.

Pros of using Heat Transfer in Custom caps

• One of the faster decoration methods.

• Minimal usage of physical resources like thread or ink make heat transfers ideal for smaller order sizes and even for individual personalization.

• Allows for finer details and smaller text than embroidery.

Cons of using Heat Transfer in Custom caps

• Design does not last as long as that of embroidery or screen printing.

• Unable to iron on the printed area.

• Usage of more number of colors makes the method expensive.

4. Digital PrintingDigital printing or Direct to Garment printing (DTG) is a decoration method where an image is printed or affixed directly on the material. You can consider the process similar to printing a document from your computer. There are no restrictions on the number of colors to be used on the artwork hence high definition artwork involving an assortment of colors can be done economically and even in small quantities. Digital printing is used commonly for designs that contain gradients with higher details and are graphics heavy.

Pros of using Digital Printing in Custom caps

• Alternative to screen printing and heat transfer

• Easier set up than screen printing – no screen creation or color separation required.

• Ability to print more precise details in a broader range of colors.

• Best suited for small runs and not bulk custom caps.

Cons of using Digital Printing in Custom caps

• More expensive than screen printing for large orders.

• Certain Direct to Garment Machines can only print on 100% cotton fabric.

• Slower than screen printing for large orders.

• Fades over time.

Closing Thoughts: CapBargain is here for youWhether you give custom caps and hats to your employees to wear or use it as a giveaway for your clients or customers, they are an excellent and cost effective form of branding for your business. Now that you know the most common decoration methods and when to use them, you can start looking out for professional vendors to take care of your customization needs. CapBargain is a one stop destination for cheap blank caps wholesale along with premium quality customization across all the decoration methods– Embroidery, Screen Printing, Heat Transfer and Digital Printing. We have the professional expertise, proper equipment and experience to cater to all your custom caps and hats requirements. Our in-house design team will also help you create or edit your artwork for customization – logo, name, monogram or whatever you like.CapBargain has a no minimum policy- whether it is ‘n’ number of custom caps for a big fundraiser or just one monogrammed hat for a birthday, we’ve got you covered. You can visit our site https://capbargain.com or just give a call or leave a message for our friendly customer service team to help you out.

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