Custom merch doesn’t have to pick a lane. One of the projects we’re most excited about right now is a roll call hoodie run we produced for Zelda Bakery — and it’s a great example of why combining embroidery and screenprinting on the same order can take a design from “nice” to “we need one of those.”
Zelda Bakery Roll Call Hoodies
Hoodies are still very much in the mix on our production floor, and this batch was built as roll call gear To finish the look, we topped it off with a pretzel embroidered cap, giving the whole set a playful, branded identity that feels custom from head to toe.
That combination — a printed hoodie paired with an embroidered cap — is exactly where these two techniques earn their keep together.
Screenprinting
Bold Color on Big Canvases
Screenprinting is still the go-to for large-format graphics on garments like hoodies and tees. It lays down bold, saturated color efficiently across a big surface area, which makes it ideal for:
- Full front or back graphics
- Multi-color logos and illustrations
- Large batch runs where cost-per-unit matters
- Designs that need punchy, flat color rather than texture
For the Zelda Bakery hoodies, screenprinting gave us the coverage and visual impact you want on a soft, wearable canvas — the kind of graphic that reads clearly from across a room.
Embroidery
Texture and Polish on Smaller Details
Embroidery does something screenprinting can’t: it adds dimension. Thread catches light differently than ink, and stitched detail gives a design a tactile, premium feel — which is exactly why the pretzel motif on the cap works so well embroidered rather than printed.
This is also where a great blank matters. The AS Colour Access Cap has become a heavy fan favourite in our shop, and it’s easy to see why — the structured profile and clean panels give embroidery digitizers a perfect surface to work with. Fine detail (like the twist of a pretzel) holds its shape and reads crisply, even at small sizes.
Embroidery tends to shine on:
- Caps, beanies, and small placements
- Logos that need a polished, retail-ready finish
- Left-chest branding on jackets and polos
- Designs where texture and durability matter as much as color
Why Pairing Them Works
When a hoodie and a cap ship together as a set — like the Zelda Bakery roll call gear — using screenprint on the hoodie and embroidery on the cap isn’t just a stylistic choice, it’s a practical one. Each technique is doing the job it’s best suited for:
- Screenprinting delivers a bold, cost-effective graphic across the large real estate of a hoodie.
- Embroidery delivers a durable, textured focal point on a smaller accessory piece.
The result is a cohesive set that still feels varied and considered, rather than a single technique stretched across every piece. It’s a strategy we recommend often: let the garment and the placement dictate the technique, rather than forcing one method to do everything.
Ready to Mix Techniques on Your Next Order?
Whether you’re outfitting a bakery team for roll call, building merch for an event, or just want a set that feels a little more custom, pairing screenprinting and embroidery is an easy way to get the best of both. Reach out and we’ll help you figure out which pieces should be printed, which should be stitched, and how to make the whole set feel intentional.