Decoration guide

Find the Perfect Branding Method.

Every product deserves the right finish. Compare branding methods, understand their strengths and choose the best option for your product, logo and budget.

Method 01

Pad Printing

Fine detail on curved and irregular surfaces.

Colours: Up to 4 spot colours
Durability: Excellent
Lead time: 3–6 days

How it works

A silicone pad picks ink from an etched plate and transfers it onto irregular or curved surfaces.

Benefits

Fine detail, opaque coverage, low unit cost at scale.

Perfect for

Pens
Mugs & drinkware
Stress balls
Keyrings
Tech accessories

Not recommended

Photographic artwork
Large print areas
Textured fabric

Best for spot colours, small print area (typically <60mm).

Method 02

Screen Printing

Bold, opaque spot colours for apparel and flat goods.

Colours: Up to 8 spot colours
Durability: Excellent
Lead time: 3–6 days

How it works

Ink is pushed through a fine-mesh screen onto the substrate, one screen per colour.

Benefits

Vivid opaque colours, excellent wash durability.

Perfect for

T-shirts
Tote bags
Flat rigid substrates
Umbrellas

Not recommended

Photographic gradients
Very small text
Highly curved product

Setup cost per colour; not ideal for photographic detail.

Method 03

Laser Engraving

Permanent, tone-on-tone marking on metal and wood.

Colours: Substrate tone
Durability: Permanent
Lead time: 2–4 days

How it works

A focused laser removes or discolours a thin layer of substrate to reveal a permanent mark.

Benefits

Permanent, refined, premium tone-on-tone finish.

Perfect for

Drink bottles
Metal pens
Knives & tools
Bamboo & wood
Leather

Not recommended

Plastic
Fabric
Glass

No colour — final tone depends entirely on substrate.

Method 04

Digital Printing

Full-colour photographic detail with no setup fees.

Colours: Full CMYK
Durability: Very good
Lead time: 3–6 days

How it works

Full-colour direct print using CMYK inkjet technology, no setup screens required.

Benefits

Photographic detail, unlimited colours, no setup fee.

Perfect for

Apparel
Notebooks
Paper goods
Flat product

Not recommended

Dark substrates without underbase
Curved surfaces

Less opaque on dark substrates without underbase.

Method 05

UV Printing

High-resolution UV-cured print for hard substrates.

Colours: Full CMYK + white
Durability: Excellent
Lead time: 3–6 days

How it works

UV-curable inks are printed and instantly cured with ultraviolet light, bonding to hard substrates.

Benefits

Full CMYK + white ink, sharp resolution, scratch-resistant.

Perfect for

Drink bottles
Power banks
Hard cases
Glassware
Metal products

Not recommended

Fabric
Flexible surfaces
Stretch materials

Not suited to fabric or highly flexible surfaces.

Method 06

Sublimation

All-over dye print bonded into polyester fibres.

Colours: Full CMYK
Durability: Permanent
Lead time: 5–8 days

How it works

Dye is vaporised under heat and pressure, bonding into polyester fibres or coated substrates.

Benefits

Permanent full-colour, no hand-feel on fabric.

Perfect for

Polyester apparel
Mugs
Mousepads
Coated metal

Not recommended

Cotton
Dark fabrics
Uncoated metal

Requires polyester or specially-coated substrate.

Method 07

Embroidery

Premium threaded finish for apparel and headwear.

Colours: Up to 15 thread colours
Durability: Permanent
Lead time: 8–10 days

How it works

Threads are stitched directly into the fabric via a computerised embroidery head.

Benefits

Premium tactile finish, extremely durable.

Perfect for

Polos
Caps
Backpacks
Jackets
Structured apparel

Not recommended

Fine detail & small text
Gradients
Hard substrates

Not suitable for fine detail or gradients.

Method 08

Debossing

Refined recessed impression into leather and PU.

Colours: Substrate tone
Durability: Permanent
Lead time: 5–8 days

How it works

A heated die presses a recessed impression into leather, PU or paper.

Benefits

Elegant tone-on-tone, permanent, understated.

Perfect for

Notebooks
Leather journals
PU pouches

Not recommended

Colour artwork
Hard plastics
Thin fabric

No colour, requires firm substrate.

Method 09

Doming

Resin-domed printed decal with a glossy 3D finish.

Colours: Full CMYK
Durability: Excellent
Lead time: 6–9 days

How it works

A digitally printed decal is applied then coated in a clear resin dome for a glossy 3D finish.

Benefits

Full colour, premium tactile finish, scratch-resistant.

Perfect for

Keyrings
Badges
Hard promotional items

Not recommended

Fabric
Large print areas
Flexible product

Adds thickness — not suited to fabric.

Method 10

Transfer Printing

Heat-applied full-colour transfer for complex artwork.

Colours: Full CMYK
Durability: Very good
Lead time: 4–7 days

How it works

Artwork is printed onto a carrier film and heat-applied to the finished product.

Benefits

Full colour, works across many substrates.

Perfect for

Apparel with complex artwork
Small runs
Mixed substrates

Not recommended

Heat-sensitive materials
Heavily textured fabric

Slightly firmer hand-feel than direct-print.