Search for logo socks in the UAE and most of the offers you will find are printed. That is not a problem in itself. Printing is quick and it handles photos. But a printed logo and a knitted logo are two different products, and they age in very different ways.
Here is how each one is made, how to tell them apart in your hand, and which one suits your order. Socks Up only knits. Every pair of our custom logo socks is knitted and we do not offer printed socks at all, so we will also be straight about when a print shop is the better choice.
How printed logo socks are made
Printing starts with a finished blank sock. The design is added afterwards, usually in one of three ways.
Sublimation. Heat turns a special ink into a gas that bonds with polyester fibres. It gives bright colour and photo detail, but it needs a light coloured, mostly polyester sock. When the sock stretches over a foot, the fibres open up and the light base can show through the design. Socks pressed flat for printing can also show pale lines along the sides.
Transfers and screen prints. A layer of ink or film sits on top of the fabric. Socks stretch every time they go on, and over time that layer can crack or peel.
Direct digital printing. Ink is printed straight onto the sock. Detail is good, and how well it holds up depends on the ink, the yarn and how the socks are washed.
How knitted logo socks are made
A knitted logo is made at the same time as the sock. The machine knits your design into the fabric stitch by stitch, and each colour in the design is its own yarn.
That has two results. The logo is part of the sock, so there is no layer on top to crack or peel, and it stretches with the fabric. And the design follows the rules of knitting: bold shapes and short words come out clean, while photos, gradients and hairline detail do not.
Colour works differently too. A printer mixes ink, while a knitted sock uses real yarn. We match your brand colours in cotton and polyester yarn and confirm the closest yarn match with you on the mock up before we knit the sample, with up to 5 colours per design. Very complex designs are not always possible, which is why we check every design first.
Side by side
| Printed | Knitted | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the design sits | On or in the surface of a blank sock | Built into the fabric |
| Photos and gradients | Yes | No, bold shapes and short text |
| Colours | Mixed from ink | Your brand colours matched in yarn, confirmed on the mock up |
| When stretched | Can thin out or show the base | Stretches with the sock |
| After many washes | Can fade, crack or peel, depending on the method | No print layer to wear off |
| Inside of the sock | Plain | The design shows in reverse |
| Best for | Photo novelties and very small runs | Logos people will wear for months |
How to tell them apart in 10 seconds
- Turn the sock inside out. A knitted design shows through in reverse, with the yarn of each colour carried along the inside. A printed sock is plain on the inside.
- Stretch the logo. A print thins out and can show pale gaps. A knitted logo stretches with the fabric.
- Look at the edges. Knitted edges step slightly, like pixels. Printed edges are smooth.
- Run a finger over it. A transfer or screen print feels like a layer on the surface. A knitted logo feels like the rest of the sock.
- Ask for a physical sample. None of these checks work on a mock up.
When printing is the better choice
- You need a photo, such as a face or a pet, and detail matters more than lifespan.
- You need only a few pairs, well under the 50 pairs per design that we knit.
- It is a one-day novelty that nobody expects to wear again.
Socks Up only knits and does not offer printed socks at all, so for these jobs a print shop is the right call. We would rather tell you that now.
When knitted is worth it
- Staff and uniform socks that get washed every week.
- Grip socks for play areas, nurseries and studios, which get washed constantly.
- Gifts and merchandise with your name on them, which should still look right in month six.
- Socks you sell under your own brand, where the product has to feel like a real sock and not a souvenir.
What a knitted order looks like with us
- 50 pairs per design minimum.
- Crew, quarter (also called half crew), ankle and kids sizes, including grip socks in a choice of more than five grip patterns.
- Your brand colours matched in cotton and polyester yarn, confirmed on the mock up before the sample.
- Design help included.
- Woven labels available as an extra.
- A knitted sample in about 3 working days, with the sample fee credited against your order.
- Production in 1 to 2 weeks after sample approval, delivered anywhere in the UAE.
- VAT invoice on request.
You can see designs we have knitted on our custom socks page. And if you are comparing suppliers, here are the questions to ask any socks manufacturer or supplier before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
Do knitted logos crack or peel?
No. The design is the yarn itself, so there is no printed layer on top to crack or peel.
Can you knit a photo onto a sock?
Photos do not knit well, because knitting works in stitches, much like low resolution pixels. We can help turn a photo idea into a simple graphic, and we will tell you honestly if a design will not work.
Why do printed and knitted quotes differ?
They are different processes. A print starts from a stock blank sock, while a knitted sock is made with your design in it from the first stitch. Always ask which method a quote is for, so you compare like with like.
Can knitted logo socks have grip on the sole?
Yes. The logo is knitted into the sock and the grip goes on the sole, in a choice of more than five grip patterns. Not every grip colour is possible, so we confirm it with your design.
Does Socks Up offer printed socks?
No. Socks Up only knits. If you need a photo printed on a sock, a print shop is the right choice.
What is the minimum for knitted logo socks?
50 pairs per design.
Get a quote in an hour
Send us your logo and roughly how many pairs you need on WhatsApp from our custom socks page, and get a quote within an hour during the day. Tell us where the socks are going, and we will tell you honestly whether knitted is the right choice.
Socks Up is an Emirati sock brand from Abu Dhabi, founded in 2019, with more than 100,000 pairs sold.
