Embellishment
Eleven print techniques, one controlled line.
Choosing the right print method decides how a graphic feels, how bold it reads and how many washes it survives. Because print and garment run in the same building at Eco Vira, registration, hand-feel and colour are held to the approved reference rather than handed to a third-party subcontractor. Below is what each technique does well, and where it is the wrong choice.
Screen Printing
Ink pushed through a tensioned mesh, one screen per colour, cured on a belt dryer to a fixed temperature. Advantages: the lowest unit cost at volume, the heaviest ink deposit for true opacity on dark cloth, and unmatched wash durability. Best used for bulk tee and hoodie programmes, corporate uniforms and bold flat-colour graphics of up to ten spot colours.
- Best for
- Bulk runs, bold graphics, uniforms
- Min order
- From 300 pcs
- Finish
- Matte or gloss, soft-hand water-based available
DTG (Direct to Garment)
Pigment inks jetted directly into pre-treated cotton fibre, with no screens, films or setup charges. Advantages: unlimited colours at a flat cost, photographic gradients and fine detail, and viable economics from a single piece. Best used for on-demand fulfilment, artwork-heavy capsules, sampling before a bulk screen run and short pre-order drops.
- Best for
- Short runs, on-demand, photographic art
- Min order
- From 1 pc
- Finish
- Soft-hand, breathable ink
DTF (Direct to Film)
Artwork printed to PET film, powdered with adhesive, cured and then heat-pressed onto the finished garment. Advantages: it bonds to cotton, polyester, blends and technical fabrics alike, needs no pre-treatment, and stretches with the cloth. Best used for mixed-fibre orders, small batches, awkward placements and repeat top-ups where re-screening is not economic.
- Best for
- Mixed-fibre orders, small batches
- Min order
- From 1 pc
- Finish
- Vibrant, stretchable transfer
Puff Printing
A blowing agent in the plastisol expands under the dryer, lifting the print into a soft, rounded relief. Advantages: instant tactile and visual impact, strong shelf presence at retail, and a premium perceived value at a modest cost uplift. Best used for chest and back logos, streetwear wordmarks and cap fronts — hold to bold, simple shapes, since fine serifs distort as the ink rises.
- Best for
- Logos, streetwear accents
- Min order
- From 300 pcs
- Finish
- Raised, glossy
Silicone Printing
A two-part silicone ink that cures into a flexible, rubber-like film chemically bonded to the fibre. Advantages: extreme elasticity without cracking, resistance to industrial laundering and chlorine, and a clean matte finish that will not yellow. Best used for performance sportswear, swimwear, compression garments and any programme where the print must outlive repeated high-temperature wash cycles.
- Best for
- Sportswear, performancewear, logos
- Min order
- From 500 pcs
- Finish
- Raised, rubberised, highly elastic
Reflective Printing
Glass-bead or micro-prismatic media that returns headlight and torchlight straight to its source. Advantages: measurable low-light visibility, a discreet grey appearance in daylight, and compatibility with screen and transfer application. Best used for workwear and hi-vis apparel, running and cycling kits, school and cadet uniforms, and safety-driven uniform manufacturer contracts with night-shift wearers.
- Best for
- Workwear, run clubs, safety apparel
- Min order
- From 300 pcs
- Finish
- Reflective under light
Foil Printing
Metallic foil heat-transferred onto a printed adhesive base, then trimmed to the artwork edge. Advantages: a genuine mirror finish no ink can imitate, gold, silver, holographic and custom tones, and a strong premium cue on limited runs. Best used for capsule collections, event and tour merchandise, festive drops and typographic marks where lift matters more than wash frequency.
- Best for
- Premium capsules, events
- Min order
- From 300 pcs
- Finish
- Metallic gold/silver/custom
High Density
Plastisol built up through a thick stencil into a sharp-edged, near-vertical relief that reads almost as embossing. Advantages: crisp raised edges rather than the soft dome of puff, a glossy tonal effect that works even in single colour, and heavy durability. Best used for statement brand marks, tonal logos on premium hoodies and detail accents that need to be felt as well as seen.
- Best for
- Logos, statement graphics
- Min order
- From 300 pcs
- Finish
- Thick, embossed
Discharge Printing
An activator removes the garment dye and re-deposits pigment in its place, so colour sits inside the fibre rather than on top of it. Advantages: zero hand-feel, full breathability, and a lived-in vintage character straight off the line. Best used for 100% cotton reactive-dyed tees and heritage or washed-look collections; results depend on the dyestuff, so we always strike off first.
- Best for
- 100% cotton, soft vintage looks
- Min order
- From 300 pcs
- Finish
- Soft, no-feel, garment-dyed look
Water Based
Pigment carried in water rather than PVC plasticiser, absorbed into the fabric and cured to a permeable film. Advantages: a genuinely soft hand, breathability across large print areas, no plastic sheen, and a lower-impact chemistry aligned with OEKO-TEX and retailer restricted-substance lists. Best used for retail fashion, organic cotton programmes and oversized front prints.
- Best for
- Retail fashion, breathable garments
- Min order
- From 500 pcs
- Finish
- Soft-hand, fully breathable
Glow Printing
Photoluminescent pigment charges under daylight or UV and re-emits over several hours in darkness. Advantages: a hidden second state to the artwork, strong novelty and gifting appeal, and combinability with standard plastisol layers. Best used for event and festival merchandise, children’s sleepwear graphics, Halloween drops and interactive brand activations.
- Best for
- Events, nightwear, novelty
- Min order
- From 300 pcs
- Finish
- Glows in low light
Standards
What every print leaves with.
- Up to 10 spot colours per placement, with halftone and simulated-process separation done in-house
- Digital strike-offs approved within 48 hours of artwork release, before any bulk screen is burned
- Pantone spot matching mixed to the actual production fabric, not to a paper reference
- Every technique cured to logged belt temperature and wash-tested to ISO 105-C06 before bulk release
- Print, embroidery and private-label trims combined in one line, so nothing leaves the building for finishing
- Placement, dimension and ink-deposit tolerances documented on an approved tech pack for every style
Not sure which technique fits? Send your artwork, the fabric and the price point you are targeting. As an apparel manufacturer running every method in-house we have no incentive to push one process over another — we will recommend the technique, flag any artwork that needs redrawing for production, and return a strike-off plan and costed sample before bulk.
Request a print sample