Branding methods for products

The branding method is the link between the product and the logo. It affects cost, lead time, artwork requirements, colour accuracy, durability and how the finished item feels.

The right method depends on the item surface, the logo detail, the quantity, the deadline and the finish you want people to notice. A method that works on a flat notebook may not work on a curved bottle or textured jacket.

The methods, and where each one fits

Embroidery suits caps, polos, jackets, bags and other textiles. It has depth and it lasts, though very fine text and tight detail can be a struggle.

Screen printing handles flat areas and simple artwork well. Every colour adds setup, so it rewards the right logo and quantity together. Pad printing covers the small and curved items, pens and some drinkware, where a silicone pad lifts the artwork onto the surface.

Digital print takes on complex or full-colour artwork where the product allows it. Transfers and sublimation work nicely on apparel and coated products, each with its own material and artwork limits. Engraving, debossing, hot stamping and foil give you something more permanent, or more subtle, on the right materials.

• Embroidery: apparel, caps, bags, jackets and uniforms.
• Screen print: flat areas, tees, totes and some hard goods.
• Pad print: pens, curved products and small branding areas.
• Digital print: full-colour artwork on flat or gently curved surfaces.
• Transfers: apparel and textured fabrics where direct print struggles.
• Sublimation: white or coated surfaces, where the design becomes part of the material.
• Engraving, debossing and foil: metal, leather-look, wood, notebooks and gift surfaces.

What your artwork needs to be

Most supplier branding notes ask for editable vector artwork with the fonts converted to outlines. Bitmap artwork is possible for some digital methods, but it has to be high resolution at the actual print size, not at thumbnail size.

Colour matching has limits worth knowing about. A PMS match sits closer on light products than dark ones. Metallic, neon and white all reproduce differently depending on the method. On dark products you often need an underbase laid down before the logo colour goes on at all.

• Vector artwork is preferred for most production methods.
• Outline your fonts before sending artwork for production.
• Fine text and fine lines need checking before embroidery, pad print or foil.
• Dark products change how colour matching behaves.
• Curved surfaces shrink the branding area you actually get.

Asking a method to do the wrong job

Almost every branding problem is the same problem: a method being asked to do something it was never built for. Small text in embroidery. A large wrap on a curved item. Full-colour artwork on a method designed for spot colours. A logo sitting across a seam or a zip.

The other trap is assuming every product takes the same logo size. Supplier pages show a preferred branding area, which is a guide rather than a promise. It still has to be checked against your actual artwork and your actual quantity.