Denim

Denim is a warp-faced twill weave — the diagonal rib running across it comes from the weft yarn passing under two or more warp yarns before going back over, with the indigo-dyed warp dominating the face and the undyed white weft showing through on the back. Weight runs wide: lightweight denim shirting sits around 6 to 7 oz, while classic jean-weight denim runs 12 to 14.75 oz and up for jackets and heavier workwear pieces.

In decorated apparel, denim shows up mostly as work shirts, trucker-style jackets, and aprons meant for embroidered logos or sewn-on patches rather than screen printing — the diagonal twill texture and dark indigo color aren't a great surface for fine halftone detail, but they hold heavy stitching beautifully.

The twill's thickness and density mean denim needs a heavier embroidery needle, often a size 80 to 90, and a sturdier stabilizer than a knit tee, and dense fill stitches can pucker the fabric if the hoop tension isn't dialed in. For logos with a lot of detail, a lot of pros will spec a tackle-twill applique stitched to the denim instead of a dense fill, since it lies flatter over the heavier weave.

Customers sometimes expect a screen-printed logo on denim to look as crisp as it does on a cotton tee. The twill's raised diagonal texture breaks up fine print detail no matter how good the screen is — embroidery or a patch is almost always the better call.