About Textile Printing
Textile printing is the industrial application of patterns, logos or images onto fabrics and garments. Its history reaches back to block printing in ancient Egypt (~5th century) and India; today's industrial textile printing spans methods from millennia-old embroidery, through traditional screen printing (China, Song dynasty), to modern digital technologies such as DTG (since 2003) and DTF (since ~2018).
Facts:
- Historic methods: block printing (~500 AD), screen printing (China, ~10th c.), machine embroidery (1828)
- Modern main methods: screen printing, digital print (DTG), DTF, flex/flock, sublimation, embroidery
- Industry standards: OEKO-TEX (harmful-substance testing), GOTS (organic textiles), FESPA (industry association)
- Wikipedia: Textile printing (en.wikipedia.org)
- Industry association: FESPA — Federation of European Screen Printers Associations
- Harmful-substance standard: OEKO-TEX
Print methods
Digital print (DTG, Direct-to-Garment)
Inkjet printer directly onto the fabric. Photo-realistic, any colour, possible from 1 piece. Lifetime 50-80 washes. More in digital print.
DTF (Direct-to-Film)
Print onto special film, then transferred to fabric via heat press. Brilliant, versatile, possible on any material. Ideal from small quantities. Lifetime 60-80 washes.
Flex print
Coloured film cut by plotter and applied with heat press. Smooth look, maximum 2-3 colours per motif practical. Classic for sports jerseys with numbers.
Flock print
Like flex print but with flocked (velvet) surface. Premium feel, like velour. More for logos and lettering, less for photo motifs.
Laser engraving
Material is burned in by laser — not print, but engraving. Mostly on wood, leather or certain functional fabrics. Not suitable for classic cotton t-shirts.
Plotter print
Synonym for flex print. Plotter cuts the film, then it is pressed on.
Sublimation print
Ink is vaporised into the polyester fabric by heat (sublimated). Print "disappears into the fabric", no perceptible layer. Works only on polyester. Ideal for sports jerseys.
Screen printing
Ink is pressed through a screen (with motif cut out) onto the fabric. Robust, brilliant colours, cost-effective from 25-50 pieces. Lifetime 100+ washes. More in screen printing.
Transfer print
Generic term for all methods where a print is first created on a carrier material and then transferred. DTF belongs here as does classic transfer print.
Materials
Cotton
Classic natural fibre, breathable, comfortable. Standard for t-shirts and hoodies. Easy care. Printable with all methods except sublimation.
Organic cotton (GOTS)
Cotton from organic farming, GOTS certification (Global Organic Textile Standard) guarantees ecological and social standards. Example brands: Stanley/Stella, Continental Clothing.
Functional fabric
Generic term for technical textiles — breathable, fast drying, often with polyester content. For sport, workwear and outdoor.
Blended fabric
Mix of cotton and polyester (e.g. 50/50). Wrinkle resistant, dimensionally stable, often more affordable. Classic in workwear.
Modal
Cellulose fibre from beech wood. Very soft, flowing, light. Premium material for high-quality t-shirts and womenswear.
Polyester
Synthetic fibre, breathable with functional properties, fast drying. Printable with sublimation (uniquely). For sport and functional fabrics.
Embroidery terms
Coloreel
Modern embroidery process with real-time thread dyeing. Allows flowing colour gradients in a single thread. Premium variant.
Madeira thread
Embroidery thread brand, industry standard for embroidery. Tear and colour fast, available in over 400 colours.
Puff embroidery
Variant of embroidery where the motif rises plastically from the fabric. 3D effect, popular for caps and logos. (Note: sometimes incorrectly called "Punzierung" in German — that word originally means metal-stamping; the correct German term for puff embroidery is 3D-Stickerei.)
Stitch density
Number of stitches per square centimetre. High stitch density = premium embroidery, low = faster production. Standard for logo embroidery: 150-200 stitches/cm².
3D embroidery
Embroidery with foam underlay for a plastic effect. Classic on caps. Logo appears raised.
Pricing terms
Gross price
Sales price including VAT. In Germany usually 19% VAT.
Volume discount
Price reduction from a certain quantity. Typically from 25 pieces, further tiers at 50, 100, 250.
Minimum order quantity (MOQ)
Minimum order quantity. Lowest quantity from which a method is economic or feasible. With screen printing typically 25, with sublimation 25-50, with DTG 1.
Net price
Price excluding VAT. B2B standard.
Set-up cost
One-off cost for print preparation — for example films in screen printing or embroidery file creation. Independent of quantity. With higher quantities they spread across each piece, lowering the unit price.
Unit price
Price per piece including finishing and pro-rata set-up cost. With volume discounts it drops in stages.
Industry terms
Bridal party
Bachelorette crew of the bride. Typical occasion order of 6-15 shirts.
Crew wear
Uniform clothing for event crews, trade show teams, promotion staff. Mostly polos, t-shirts and caps in brand colours. More in trade shows and events crew wear.
Hi-vis
High visibility — fluorescent safety clothing with reflective strips, mandatory in many work areas (construction, logistics). Classic colours neon yellow and orange.
Merch
Short for merchandise — fan clothing from bands, influencers, brands. Mostly t-shirts, hoodies, caps. Print methods often screen print or DTF.
Promotional
Promotional clothing — textiles with logo for advertising purposes (trade show, promotion, scatter effect). Frequently in higher quantities with screen print.
Workwear
Work clothing with safety and functional requirements. Trousers, jackets, polos. Often with embroidered logo finishing.
How to use this glossary
If you don't understand a term in an enquiry or a quote — come back and look it up. For very specific topics (e.g. individual print methods) you find deeper explanations in our finishing hubs. For questions about which method fits: longest-lasting print helps further.
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Further Reading
- Textile printing — Wikipedia — history and method overview
- FESPA — European industry association with studies on all textile-printing methods
- OEKO-TEX International — harmful-substance standards for textiles and printing auxiliaries