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In the custom clothing industry, choosing the right customization process is crucial. From flat to three-dimensional, color to texture, they can help your design become a reality and connect with users' emotions. Using different fabrics, grams, craftsmanship, usage scenarios, budgets, and even washing methods will all affect the impact and quality of the final product of your design. Whether you are a personal brand, apparel entrepreneur, or corporate purchasing manager, understanding the characteristics of different customs will help you make more professional choices.
In this article, AKCN will provide you with a comprehensive introduction to the 9 types of custom garment processes that are mainstream in the production process, including DTG direct printing, screen printing, chenille embroidery, plain embroidery, acid washing, and sun fading, based on the real cases we have produced. From flat pattern printing to three-dimensional embroidery, from washed and aged to sun fading, each process has its own scope and unique charm. By combining our real custom cases in T-shirts, Hoodies and other Streetwear, we will bring you an in-depth understanding of the characteristics and application of each process.
Table of Contents
1、Digital Direct Printing
When you need high-precision color illustrations on T-shirts or hoodies, such as an entire intricate pattern with color gradients, digital direct printing is the way to go. One of our partners, a health club, customized an angel statue T-shirt (Figure 1). Made of 260-gram heavy cotton, the winged angel statue was rendered using DTG technology with a red and purple electric lightning effect. The t-shirt's overall visual effect is impressive, with clear graphic details and rich color layers.DTG accurately reproduces the color gradients, fine lines, shadows, and text in the design's graphics. Plus, the T-shirt is printed with eco-friendly water-based ink, making it soft, breathable and visually appealing, making it an instant hit at the club. Digital direct printing technology is especially suitable for the introduction of limited edition model design, artistic expression and commercial value.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Process
Pros: High precision, colorful, eco-friendly, can do luminous effect, suitable for complex color patterns. And no need for plate making, suitable for small quantities of fast news.
Cons: Only suitable for cotton fabrics, dark-colored fabrics need a white ink base, the cost is slightly higher, and charged by area.
2、Screen Printing
You must have seen those colorful street-style sweatshirts or T-shirts with big logos on the street or in the store. We have customized graphic T-shirts for many brands (Figure 2-5) that use screen printing. Made from 220-360 gram cotton T-shirt fabric, with a bold logo or retro design elements, the finished product is not only colorful and thick, but the pattern is also very resistant to washing and wear. Suitable for large quantities of goods, making a brand staple style. But, I think you can also see from the case that the screen printing process can not make a gradient effect, and the pattern colors are not as rich as digital printing T-shirt patterns. So, screen printing apparel is particularly suitable for the launch of daily design styles or co-branded custom series, both for mass production to save costs, while the print quality is guaranteed.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Process
Pros: Saturated colors, washable and wear resistant, low cost for mass production.
Cons: Multi-color patterns require multi-layer plate manufacturing, and single-color patterns cannot be more than 5 kinds, so the cost of small orders will be high.
3、Chenille Embroidery
When it comes to street-inspired baseball jerseys, chenille embroidery, also known as towel embroidery, is a classic and highly dimensional decorative embroidery technique. We produced a series of intricate baseball jackets for a campus hipster brand (Figures 6-7).
The front lettering in Figure 6 is a typical chenille embroidery process with a thick terry structure used on the bottom. The towel's embroidered fabric and stitching lines use contrasting colors to enhance the layering and recognition of the design. The flame brain pattern in the center of the back is digitally printed and towel embroidered. The lower letters are plain computerized embroidery for greater contrast and cost savings.
The letters on the front of Figure 7 are also three-dimensional terry embroidery, with embroidered edge overlock stitching incorporated into the letters and high-density flat embroidery on the sleeves. The large letters on the back are embroidered with multi-layered patchwork terry embroidery, while the white floss with dark blue backing adds dimension and contrast. If you intend to launch the baseball jacket as a brand tide model, we suggest the fabric sewing surface we commonly use tweed / faux tweed + PU leather sleeves, suitable for towel embroidery attached, with firmness is high. The design can increase the exclusive logo/alphabet logo towel embroidery, keep the color design + three-dimensional text combination.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Process
Pros: Soft touch and good durability, strong sense of 3D, visual impact, can maximize the effect of highlighting the brand vision.
Cons: High cost, limited number of complex patterns, limited number of applicable fabrics, high technical requirements, and long delivery time.
4、Embroidery
Some brands do not need complex prints, just a small, subtle logo on the chest and cuffs, in which case embroidery is the most appropriate choice. We have used monochrome embroidery in our custom embroidered logo styles (Figure 8) for several clients, while adding a collar break and acid wash fading effect. It reflects the texture of the brand while maintaining the overall minimalist style, and is suitable for use as a staff uniform or base model for sampling.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Process
Pros: Durable, delicate, textured, suitable for logo patterns.
Cons: Not suitable for complex patterns and cannot create gradient color effect.
5、Acid Washed
Acid wash is commonly found on street style vintage T-shirts or pullover sweatshirts. We customized a retro acid-washed sweater for a branded store (Figure 9). The overall gray and black tone, as well as the colorful lettering, irregular acid-washed texture, and surface color, have a mottled feel, combined with multi-level printing, creating a strong sense of vintage street and unique visual effects. The sleeve and chest part of the pattern is also fused with acid wash effect, adding visual appeal and street atmosphere, making the whole sweatshirt a more colorful layer. Each finished texture is not the same and is naturally unique. Perfect for street trend brand collections and fall/winter heavyweight sweatshirt lines.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Process
Pros: Strong sense of antiquity, excellent sense of layering, vintage atmosphere.
Cons: Difficult to control consistency, high environmental standards. But we have vintage wash color cards for color reference, the same batch of garments' pickling effect is consistent, and the effect of different batches will remain similar, more than 90%.
6、 Sun-Faded
If you like the natural literary tone of the retro color sweater, we recommend trying the sun-faded process. We create a sun-faded sweater by exposing it to long-term ultraviolet light so that the entire sweater fades from the original dark gray to light gray and white (Figure 10). The natural fading of the color creates a unique visual language without any printing, making it ideal for lifestyle, outdoor or nature brands.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Process
Pros: Soft and natural, no artifice, full of the taste of life.
Cons: Long cycle time, difficult to control color, and high cost.
7、Puff Print
Puff printing is very popular in streetwear, it expands when the pattern is heated to create a three-dimensional effect. The 3D letter hoodie (Figure 11) we made for a trendy toy brand uses a thick sweater with red foam lettering, and the finished product has a raised pattern and soft feel, which is very visually impactful and perfect for the brand's main graphic or logo design on the back.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Process
Pros: Strong sense of dimension, special texture, soft touch.
Cons: Not suitable for large areas, and pattern details are limited.
8、Crackle Print
Crackle printing is a special aged effect where the printed ink naturally cracks after drying or washing, creating a unique textured effect. Figure 12's style embodies this cracked texture. The combination of the cracked pattern and the aged look on a dark base is perfect for rock, street or metal style apparel!
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Process
Pros: Unique visual effect, very old school.
Cons: Each batch of cracks is slightly different, not suitable for detailed patterns.
9、Silicone Print
Silicone printing is a kind of printing process with soft thickness, high temperature resistance, and is not easily prone to falling off, often used in sportswear or high-end street style. Our customized 3D silicone logo sweatshirt for Fitness Tide is reflected in the case of Figure 13. The pattern is thick to the touch and remains intact after washing, which is a combination of functionality and trendiness.
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Process
Pros: Strong elasticity, thick feel, high durability.
Cons: High cost, requirement for pattern thickness.
10、 Process Comparison Table
| Process Name | Cost | Color Reproduction | Durability | Suitable Pattern Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Direct Printing | Medium-high | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | Color illustration, photo style |
| Screen Printing | Low | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Large color block Logo, promotion style |
| Chenille Embroidery | High | ★★ | ★★★★★ | School uniforms, brand logos |
| Embroidery | Medium | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Corporate logo, simple pattern |
| Acid Washed | Medium | – | ★★★☆☆ | Cowboys, vintage hipsters |
| Sun-Faded | Medium | – | ★★★☆☆ | Literary/lifestyle clothing |
| Puff Print | Medium | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | Letters, brand logos |
| Crackle Print | Medium | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ | Retro logos, bold patterns |
| Silicone Print | Medium-high | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | Sports icons, 3D logos |
Conclusion: Choose the Customized Craftsmanship that Suits your Brand
The soul of the garment is the design, while the craftsmanship is the bearer of the soul. Each type of garment crafting process is part of the brand language. Different pattern styles, brand positioning, budgets, and wear scenarios will determine the most appropriate craft program for you. If you are looking for a high degree of illustration effect, DTG direct spray printing is the first choice; if you need to mass produce brand staples, screen printing is extremely cost effective; and if you want to create a high quality main visual, towel embroidery, silicone printing and other 3D processes can dramatically improve brand recognition.
As a professional custom streetwear manufacturer with more than 20 years of experience in apparel production, AKCN supports all of the above 9 mainstream processes and can suggest the best solution according to your product design and budget. We specialize in complex designs, serve street style customers such as trend brands, music labels, artist peripherals, and provide one-stop apparel solutions for street style brands, corporate groups, and artists.
Choosing the right process is the first step to creating a unique clothing brand. We help you, wear the design on your body.
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