monogrammed shirtsMonogrammed shirts are those which have overlapping letters, usually initials, on the shirt they are printed on. Monograms can be in the form of a script, or letters fashioned to appear as the logo of a business or company. Typically, these monogrammed shirts have their design on the shirt pocket, one of the sleeves, or on a noticeable place on the front or back of the shirt. Because monograms can be quite tricky to print, owing to their unique and special shapes, there are only certain printing techniques which can be used for them.

Traditionally, monograms are sewn or embroidered on shirts which produce an embossed and textured finish. This procedure takes quite a lot of time and, while the finished product looks great, it takes a lot of effort and skill to come up with highly appealing monograms on fabric. Today, with a wide array of printing methods to choose from, there can be more freedom and variety when it comes to the overall style that monogrammed shirts can have. Here are some printing methods for monograms on shirts:

  • Laser Applique – Laser applique is a great way to add texture and style to your shirt. Instead of applying the laser underneath, this style can give the letters more attention by bringing them onto the topmost layer of the shirt. The additional stitches on the outline of each perfectly laser-cut letter will also add more definition to the monogram. This is a great idea for those who want highly-noticeable monograms in bigger letters.
  • Screen Prints – Screen printers can transfer your monogram onto their screens by using special light-sensitive emulsions which will emulate the design you need. Fancy fonts or curly letters will not be hard to achieve through this technique. Plus, simpler monograms can be even easier to print using this more traditional method.
  • Vinyl Heat Transfer Prints – If you prefer something which has a bit of texture and visual appeal to it because of the material used, you can use vinyl heat transfer printing. This is ideal for simpler monograms, but if you go to a professional heat transfer shirt printer, they can come up with exact cuts on the vinyl sheets because they have the special equipment needed to create the precise cuts that your monogram needs.
  • Digital Prints – If your monogram has an additional image added to it or is quite a complicated design, you can definitely consider digital prints as the best option. Digital prints are practically limitless and you can have monograms printed out in almost any kind of design. You can experiment with colors and even the fanciest fonts set in much smaller sizes by having high-quality digital prints. The monogram can also be accompanied with a special background image or pattern print to make it even more eye-catching.

These are highly-effective printing techniques which can help you come up with the best-looking monograms you can imagine on your shirt. Would you consider these printing techniques as suitable alternatives to the more traditional embroidery techniques used for monogrammed shirts?