Garment Decoration Techniques

Textile printing machines and other options

Garment decoration or indeed textile decoration in general can be done in a variety of ways. The method chosen to decorate a specific garment will depend on a variety of factors, such as the number of colours in the design, the number of garments to be decorated per print run and the desired finish on the garment to name just a few.

It is important to think of both short term and more medium term requirements before choosing any textile printing machine, since the up front investment can vary considerably between the different printing techniques and crucially also between brands of equipment of the same type. Textile screen printing equipment is probably the most widely used method for garment decoration, but for short print runs a heat transfer system is the better solution, particularly where the design is complex and contain many colours.

Options include:

Screen Printing

Screen Printing Equipment IntroductionWith a wide variety of systems available from single colour desktop designs up to ten stations and ten colours, screen printing still offers one of the most widely used platforms for garment decoration in the market. All our systems are expandable and can grow with your business. (See more here)

Heat Transfer

Heat Transfer EquipmentIdeal for short runs, a heat press is often the choice of the start-up business that does not have the capital requirement for a screen printing solution or aims only to do very short runs in either full colour or single colour. The only choice for one-off prints. (See more here)

Garment Embossing

Garment Embossing SystemCreate a visually striking finish by embossing a wide variety of garment types. Parts of the image will appear raised and others lowered. No colour is added using this method. It is the ideal business for someone interested in doing work for the trade with few competitors in the market. (See more here)

Direct-to-Garment Printing

Direct-to-garment printerWhile direct-to-garment printing or DTG is also aimed at short runs and one-offs, the equipment is considerably more expensive and therefore not the domain of the low capital investment start-up business. The equipment is computer driven and should run as much as possible to avoid technical problems. (See more here)

Rhinestone Setting Machine

Rhinestone setting machinesRhinestones, sequins, nail heads and many more fashionable products can be put onto garments using a variety of machines. Depending on the level of complexity and variety of decorative products you wish to apply, the complexity and price of the machine will increase. (See more here)

Embroidery Equipment

Embroidery equipmentA wide variety of equipment is available from single head machines upwards. Systems are available that can be expanded by buying additional single head machines and linking them together. Embroidery machines are highly advanced and require significant capital investment. (See more here)

More about alternative textile decoration ideas

There are textile decoration techniques that are less well known and therefore offer some unique opportunities to the shrewd business owner. One such a textile decoration technique is garment embossing. Read more about it by following the link above. The emerging technology of direct to garment printing is becoming increasingly popular and offers creative minds interesting alternatives to traditional printing techniques, but there are some important considerations before deciding to buy one of these systems. We offer some helpful tips and techniques if you are considering DTG as an option for your business.


Embroidery is a very popular garment decoration technique and there is a lot of choice available if you are considering this option. Significant investment is the order of the day for multi-head embroidery machines, but there is a large, established market for embroidered products. A textile decoration technique that seems to be increasing in popularity at the moment is the use of rhinestones, sequins and nail heads to create the truly "bling" look. The equipment is highly advanced robotic machines and it is not the ideal territory for a new business start-up or business to business printing. This type of machine is most likely to be used by companies that produce a pre-print line and want to add extra interest to the shirt designs that they sell.