Machine Embroidery is a technique where a sewing machine or specialized embroidery machine creates patterns on fabric based on a preprogrammed design that is created in embroidery software, this is called digitizing. Embroidery can be done on a wide variety of materials and items. Simple designs I will digitize myself. More complex I will purchase or pay someone to digitize. If the image is specific to the client the cost of digitizing may be added to the total cost of the item.

Heat transfer vinyl is a specialty vinyl made to use on apparel or other cloth material. You can create images using certain software that then connects to a cutting machine that will cut the image into the vinyl. You then have to weed out the unused vinyl to reveal your image. Then you press the vinyl onto the material using a heat press. This process takes a lot longer then sublimation or even embroidery. What I like about HTV is there are so many fun options. Glitter, metallic, reflective, shinny, glow in the dark, UV changing, puff, strip flock, and then trusty old matte finish. You can create some fun and colorful designs and this is a great option for the designs that are more simple and not too many colors. HTV can pretty much be used on any cloth material. But I primarily do it on cotton and cotton blends. HTV is what got me started in all of this.-

DTF is a special ink that is printed onto a film. Then it is heat pressed onto the apparel. DTF does print white and can be applied to any color and any material shirt. This option is perfect for detailed images that require many colors. I do send out for DTF as I don't have the space currently for a DTF printer. This can cause a delay in getting your order so make sure to give me plenty of time to order. DTF does come in glitter, iridescent, glow in the dark, thermal...It is a fun way to customize your shirts. I do recommend that you wash in cold water and hang to dry as DTF can eventually crack and peel. But you should get at least 100-150 washes from each shirt.

Sublimation printing is a digital printing process that uses heat and pressure to transfer dye onto different materials. Here's the full process: You print a design onto special transfer paper using sublimation inks. Then, you place the paper onto a product and heat it with a heat press. Materials used for Sublimation are usually high percentage polyester (and lighter colors are best). Since sublimation is pretty much like using your desk top printer (it isn't so don't do that) it does not print white. White is the absence of color so if the image you want to use has white in it, where ever it is white will actually be the color of the background (shirt). This is why you'll see a lot of people sublimating on bleach splattered shirts so that they have the white background for those images that have white details. A couple other ways for me to achieve white on colored material is to use either a glitter HTV (yes it has to be glitter HTV because that has plastic in it - polyester is made from plastic). Or it has to be a special HTV meant for sublimation. This can increase the cost of the image I'm producing as there is added materials and time. Sublimation is a great way to get detailed and colorful images on clothing or other sublimation friendly items and it usually lasts longer then HTV and doesn't create a heavy feel to the apparel that HTV can cause. It is really one of my favorite techniques.