What methods (techniques) to use for customizing hats? What kind of wholesale hats are good for Screen Printing ( or Embroidery or Heat printing )?

1) What methods (techniques) to use for customizing hats?

-Embroidery

Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with a needle and thread or yarn.For embroidery the best options are natural fabrics; for it needs a well-built surface that can support the embroidery equipment. Silk, cotton, acrylic and weave are good examples of surfaces that it can support. Not to forget, 6-panel hats are usually the best types of hats for embroidery.

-Screen printing

Screen printing presses ink through a screen in order to create a desired image. Generally the thicker the fabric, the more screen fabric ink will be absorbed into the fibers and the more vibrant the print will remain over time so materials like polyester and wool are great options. 5-panel hats are usually the best types of hats for screen printing. It is usually not recommended for 6-panel hats because the design might be affected by the panels.

-Heat printing

Heat printing is the process of applying heat on a substrate in order to create a design of some kind. For heat printing the best options are cotton and leather. It would not be a good idea to apply to it to some products such as acrylic ones, since it has the probability of melting. It is usually not recommended for 6-panel hats.

2) What kind of hats are good for Screen Printing ( or Embroidery or Heat printing )?

There are some popular hats for sale at BuckWholesale.com and what custom methods are good for them.

 2801- Blank Foam Trucker Hat

 The foam front in a trucker hat is highly absorbent, serving both as a sweat guard for the wearer as well as an ideal surface for airbrush artists and other hat customizes.Featuring six rows of stitching, a pre-curved bill and an adjustable plastic snap back closure this 100% polyester hat is ideal for screen printing. 

 2004- Dad hats

This polo dad hat comes with fabric strap with antique brass slide buckle closure. Being easy to dye and very breathable this 100% cotton fits the correct design for embroidery. Screen printing might not be a good idea because it is 6 panel which might distort the desired image. 

2001- Baseball hat

This basic baseball hat is 100% Acrylic, with six panels, a pre-curved visor and a velcro adjustable closure. This hat is appropriately designed for embroidery. It might not be a good idea to use heat printing on this kind of hat since acrylic is a heat-sensitive material.

0001-Beanies

Beanies are winter caps that come without a visor and go around the head. They are made of triangular sections of cloth that are seamed together at the sides and are connected by a button at the crown. The most appropriate method for designing this 100% acrylic product is embroidery.

2007-Snapback

This snapback hat is a 6-panel hat with a wide flat brim. Sometimes it can be 5-panel which becomes more suitable for screen printing. It comes with an adjustable snap on the back which makes it perfect to fit any kind of head. One size fits most people. Snapback hats are suitable for embroidery. 

Screen printing is not as suitable unless it is a 5-panel snapback.

018- Pigmented Dad Hat

This is a low profile unstructured pigment dyed dad hat. It has a self-fabric strap with a brass snap buckle and a sewn grommet. Just like other full-cotton and 6-panel hats this is most appropriate for embroidery.

5-panel Snapback

This blank snapbacks is made of acrylic and it has 5 panels. It is suited for embroidery and also for screen printing. Heat printing would not be a good idea since it could melt the hat.

Distressed Dad Hats

Being easy to dye and very breathable this 100% cotton distressed dad hat fits the ideal hat for embroidery. Screen printing might not be a good idea because this is a 6-panel hat which might distort the desired image. 

Flat Bill Trucker Hats

This flat bill trucker hat has a plastic snap and 6 panels. The front, which is the area where the printing goes is made of cotton and therefore the most appropriate method would be embroidery. Heat printing could be done but since it is 6 panel it is not recommended.