Buying Guide

Woven vs. printed throw blankets

Design built into the cloth or printed on its surface — a straight side-by-side from the people who make both.

The short answer

Choose woven jacquard for a simple mark, a larger run and a throw meant to be kept for years, because the design is made of yarn and cannot crack or peel. Choose printed cotton for photographic or complex artwork, small runs and designs that change often, because there is no loom set-up. Customized Throw Blankets makes both, with a minimum order of 12 and a free mockup within 24 hours.

Side by side

	Woven jacquard	Printed cotton
Construction	Loom-woven jacquard; the design is built from coloured yarn	Surface-printed woven cotton or cotton blend
Where the design sits	Both faces, with a colour-swapped version on the reverse	One face only
Durability	No surface layer, so nothing to crack, peel or lift in the wash	A surface layer that softens a little over years of washing; reactive and pigment printing, not a heat-applied film
Artwork limits	Colours limited to the yarns on the loom; fine photographic detail cannot be woven	Photographs, gradients, fine type and unlimited colours
Set-up	One-off loom set-up, quoted separately and held for reorders	No loom set-up
Minimum order	12 throws	12 throws
Best for	Universities, clubs, heritage brands and throws meant to be kept	Retail ranges, seasonal designs, campaigns and small runs

Where woven wins

A jacquard throw has no print on it at all. The design is constructed on the loom out of coloured yarns, so it exists all the way through the cloth and appears on the reverse as a colour-swapped version of the front. There is no layer sitting on the surface, so nothing cracks at a fold line or lifts after repeated washing. The trade is that colours are limited to the yarns loaded on the loom and the loom has to be set up for your design, which is quoted separately. See woven jacquard throws.

Where printed earns its place

Printing is what you use when the artwork cannot be woven: photographs, gradients, fine type, a hundred colours, or a design that changes every season. With no loom set-up, a run of twelve is as practical as a larger one. It is a surface layer, so it will soften a little over years of washing, which is why Customized Throw Blankets uses reactive and pigment printing rather than a heat-applied film that can stiffen and crack along the folds. See printed cotton throws.

The verdict

Pick woven when the design is a simple mark, the run is large and the throw is meant to last.

Pick printed when the artwork is photographic or complex, the run is small, or the design changes often.

Either way, the minimum order is 12, your free mockup arrives within 24 hours and the finished order ships in about 2 weeks. Send your artwork and quantity through the quote form and we will recommend woven or printed for your design.

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