A company logo on a polo shirt, softshell or overall can look the same even when we use a different printing method. The fabric and the way the clothing is washed make a difference. At Unishore Workwear, we use DTF transfers, industrially washable transfers and embroidery-look transfers, among other options. For softshells, we use an additional protective layer against dye migration where needed.
Which option suits your workwear?
A transfer is a logo that we apply to clothing using a heat press. DTF describes how that transfer is made. Industrial washability describes the use it can withstand, while a softshell blocker protects against discolouration from the fabric. Alongside standard industrial transfers, industrially washable versions with a softshell blocker and reflective versions are available.
| Version | What do we use it for? | Maximum washing temperature for the logo | Tested wash cycles without degradation | Suitable for industrial laundering | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTF transfer | A company logo on printable workwear, including small orders. | 40 °C | 40–60 | No | We produce and apply the print in-house. Printing is available from a single garment. |
| Industrial transfer (standard) | Workwear sent to an industrial laundry. | 90–95 °C | Tested for up to 100 wash cycles without degradation | Yes | Not available to order online. Contact our sales team; we arrange the logos and apply them to your clothing. |
| Industrial transfer (softshell blocker) | Softshells whose fabric dye may migrate into the print. The blocker provides a protective layer against dye migration. | 90–95 °C | Tested for up to 100 wash cycles without degradation | Yes | Not available to order online. Contact our sales team; we arrange the logos and apply them to your clothing. |
| Industrial transfer (reflective) | A reflective company logo on workwear. | Maximum 60 °C | Tested for up to 100 wash cycles without degradation | Yes | Not available to order online. Contact our sales team; we arrange the logos and apply them to your clothing. |
| Embroidery-look transfer | A logo with an embroidered appearance on clothing you would rather not embroider, such as rainwear and winter jackets. | Maximum 90 °C | — | Yes | Printed imitation stitches, without thread passing through the outer fabric. Enquire with our sales team. |
| Embroidered logo | Including fleece jackets, which we do not print. | Maximum 95 °C | — | Yes | We embroider with Madeira Polyneon thread. This thread withstands boil washing and is suitable for industrial laundering. |
Our DTF logos have been tested for 40–60 wash cycles without degradation. Our industrial transfers, including softshell-blocker and reflective versions, have been tested for up to 100 wash cycles without degradation. These are test results, not a guarantee of the lifespan of every print. For DTF, standard industrial transfers and softshell-blocker transfers, we use water-based inks that meet OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100. This concerns the inks, not certification of the entire transfer or garment.
The garment care label always determines the washing process. The temperatures in the table apply to the logo. If the garment care label allows washing at a maximum of 40 °C, that remains the limit even if the print can withstand a higher temperature. For our standard industrial transfers and softshell-blocker transfers, the maximum washing temperature is 90–95 °C, depending on the version. For the reflective version, it is a maximum of 60 °C. Even when the logo is suitable for industrial laundering, the garment itself must also be suitable.
DTF: from transfer film to your clothing
DTF stands for Direct to Film. We print your logo onto transfer film. An adhesive layer and the heat and pressure of the transfer press bond the logo to the fabric. The design is therefore not printed directly onto the garment.
At Unishore Workwear, this takes place in-house. You can also have a single work shirt, an extra polo for a new colleague or a work jacket with a company logo printed. Logos that need to withstand industrial laundering or require a softshell blocker have a separate minimum logo quantity.
Industrial transfers for clothing sent to the laundry
If your workwear is washed industrially, the logo needs to withstand that too. We use industrially washable transfers for this purpose. These logos are usually ordered in batches of 50. We apply them to your clothing ourselves at Unishore Workwear. These industrial logos cannot be ordered online. Please contact our sales team for this service.
You do not have to order 50 garments at once. If you need ten logos now, we store the remaining logos free of charge for a future order. Unapplied logos have a shelf life of two years. This allows you to add the same logo to clothing for a new employee or replacement garments later.
The garment care label remains decisive for industrial laundering too. A logo that can be washed at 90–95 °C does not automatically make the clothing suitable for that temperature or an industrial washing process.
Softshell blocker: preserving your logo’s colour
With some fabrics, dye from the clothing can migrate into the logo over time. For example, a white part of the logo may become discoloured by the fabric beneath it. This is called dye migration. A softshell blocker forms a protective layer between the fabric and the logo to counteract this.
For softshells other than Helly Hansen, we use industrially washable logos with this type of blocker. These are produced in batches of 50; we also store any remaining logos free of charge. We print Helly Hansen softshell jackets with all the logo types we use at Unishore Workwear. These industrial logos cannot be ordered online. Please contact our sales team.
You will also find softshells labelled ‘printable’ in the shop. This does not automatically mean that a logo without a blocker is suitable. Printability and protection against dye migration are two different things.
Reflective industrial transfers
Alongside the standard version, we offer reflective industrial transfers. These give your workwear a reflective company logo that is also industrially washable, up to a maximum of 60 °C. These logos cannot be ordered online. Our sales team can help with your enquiry and the appropriate version.
Embroidery-look printing: an embroidered appearance
An embroidery-look transfer gives your logo the appearance of embroidery. The stitches are recreated in the design and applied to the clothing as a print.
The logo is applied using a transfer press, without an embroidery needle passing through the outer fabric. This is practical for clothing you would rather not embroider, such as rain jackets and winter jackets. Actual embroidery gives a logo the tactile texture of thread.
Our embroidery-look transfers are suitable for industrial washing up to 90 °C. They combine an embroidered appearance with the washability of an industrial logo. Our comparison of printing and embroidery shows the differences side by side. For an embroidery-look logo, contact our sales team.
A logo on fleece? We embroider it
We do not print fleece jackets: the heat press can flatten the fibres and change the texture. That does not mean your fleece has to go without a company logo. We can embroider it instead, using Madeira Polyneon thread, which withstands boil washing and industrial laundering up to 95 °C. The garment care label remains decisive here too. At Unishore Workwear, we do not print puffer jackets either.
Frequently asked questions about logos and transfers
Is an embroidery-look transfer the same as embroidery?
No. An embroidery-look transfer recreates the stitches in the design and applies them as a print. With embroidery, the logo is stitched into the fabric with real thread.
Does a two-year shelf life mean the print lasts two years?
No. The two years refer to the unapplied logos we store for you before applying them to clothing. This is not a timeframe for the lifespan of an applied logo.
Can my logo be a different size from the standard dimensions?
Yes, other dimensions are possible by arrangement. As a starting point, we use 10 cm wide or high on the chest, 8 cm wide or high on the sleeve and 25 cm wide or high on the back, where the garment allows. We make a round logo approximately 20% smaller. At the neck, just below the collar, we adapt the size to how subtle or prominent you want it to be. The digital proof shows the proposed placement and dimensions.
Further reading
Printed softshell jackets
Softshells with your company logo and guidance on suitable printing.
Embroidered workwear
An embroidered company logo as an alternative to printing.
