There is no single best method in textile printing; quantity, colour count and fabric decide which one is right. The same logo is printed differently on fifty shirts and on five hundred — and that is cost arithmetic, not a quality preference.
Quantity and colour count decide the method
Screen printing needs a separate screen for every colour. That means you divide the setup cost by the quantity: as volume rises the unit price falls quickly, while on a short run the setup makes the job pointless. Digital methods have no screens, so the unit price is nearly independent of quantity — cheap on short runs and still expensive on long ones.
The practical rule: few units and many colours means digital; many units and few colours means screen.
Screen printing
Ink is pushed through a screen onto the fabric. Colours come out solid, wash durability is high, and at volume the unit cost drops to its lowest. In return it has limits: because each colour needs its own screen, it does not suit designs with photographs or soft colour transitions. Most event shirts, staff uniforms and promotional work are produced this way.
DTF and digital transfer
In DTF (direct-to-film) the design is printed onto a special film, coated with powdered adhesive and transferred to the fabric with heat. There is no limit on colour count; photographs, gradients and fine detail all print. Because it also works on fabrics other than cotton, it is the usual choice for polyester sportswear. The print forms a thin layer on top of the fabric, so it can be felt by hand — noticeably so on designs that cover very large areas.
Embroidery
Worked in thread, this is not printing but part of the fabric. On corporate shirts, polos, caps and bags it is the most durable and the most formal-looking option, and it does not fade in the wash. Its limit is detail: fine lines, small type and colour transitions do not survive in thread. A logo is usually simplified for embroidery — shadows, gradients and hairline strokes are removed.
Preparing a logo for textile
The first requirement is a vector file. A textile design may be printed small on a chest and large on a back; a non-vector logo breaks up at the edges when scaled. The second is knowing the colour count: working out the real number of colours before requesting a screen-printing quote avoids a surprise in the price. The third is the garment colour — light colours on dark fabric need a white underbase printed first, which affects both cost and feel.
A sample before the bulk run
The colour on your screen and the colour that reaches the fabric are not the same. The garment's own colour shows through, its texture absorbs ink, and on a dark shirt the white underbase shifts the shade. Printing a single sample before committing to a hundred pieces is the only reliable way to see that difference.
Three things to check on the sample: did the colour land as expected on that fabric, does the print sit in the right place once the garment is worn, and what happens after one wash. The third is usually skipped, and the problem then surfaces after delivery.
Wash durability and the size problem
Whichever method is used, washing the garment inside out at a low temperature extends its life, and an iron should never go directly onto the print. Another detail that is often missed is size: a print of fixed dimensions covers the chest on a small shirt and looks lost on an XXL. On bulk orders, scaling the print by size group is what makes the batch look consistent when seen together.