Knitted vs Printed Christmas Sweaters: Which Should You Buy?

Search for “ugly Christmas sweater” on any marketplace and you’ll get a mix of two very different things: genuinely knitted jumpers, and printed sweatshirts designed to look like knitted jumpers. The listings rarely make the difference clear. In fact, the word “knitted” appears in the titles of plenty of sweatshirts that are nothing of the kind.

After checking every sweater on this site photo by photo, roughly half turned out to be knitted and half printed. Neither is better – they suit different situations. Here’s how to tell them apart and choose.

How to tell from the photos

• Look at the texture. A real knit shows individual stitches – little V shapes – especially in close-ups. A printed sweatshirt is smooth, even when the print imitates stitches.
• Check the edges of the pattern. Knitted patterns have slightly stepped, pixel-like edges. Printed designs have perfectly smooth curves and photographic detail that no knitting machine could produce.
• Look at the cuffs and hem. Knits have ribbing that’s part of the garment. Sweatshirts have a separate ribbed band sewn on, and the body fabric is plain jersey or fleece.
• Photo-real images are always printed. Kittens, hairy chests, galaxy backgrounds and film stills can only be printed.

Every sweater on this site carries a “Knitted” or “Printed” badge on its page, so you don’t have to squint at the photos.

Same joke, two ways

The clearest way to see the difference is to compare the same reference made both ways. Here are three pairs from the catalogue – the knitted version first, then the printed one.

The knitted Christmas Vacation jumper works its quote into a traditional fair isle; the printed tees are lighter and made to be worn as a pair. The knitted leg lamp is a proper winter jumper with hidden details in the border; the sweatshirt is bolder and softer. The same goes for the Die Hard Nakatomi Plaza design.

When to choose knitted

• You’ll be outdoors – Christmas markets, carolling, walks to see the lights. Knits are much warmer.
• You want to wear it more than once. A good fair isle knit passes as ordinary winter knitwear through January.
• You want 3D extras. Tinsel, pom-poms, attached baubles and working lights almost always come on knitted sweaters.
• It’s for a photo. Knits look richer and more “Christmassy” in pictures.

When to choose printed

• You run warm, or the office heating is fierce. A sweatshirt is far more comfortable for a full day indoors.
• You want a specific joke or image. Detailed slogans, film stills, photographs and trompe-l’oeil costumes – fake Santa suits, fake cardigans over hairy chests – only work in print.
• Easy washing matters. Printed sweatshirts can usually go in the machine; many knits need gentler care.
• Budget. Printed designs are often cheaper, and softer against the skin for anyone who finds wool itchy.

A quick word on “3D” and “fake”

Marketplace listings often describe printed designs as “3D”, meaning a realistic image rather than anything raised. Genuinely three-dimensional sweaters – with tinsel, bells or cups stitched on – are a different thing, and our Ugliness Rating gives them an extra bauble. If you want real texture, look for words like “attached”, “tinsel” or “pom-pom” in our descriptions rather than “3D” in the title.

The short answer

Knitted for warmth, photos and wearing again. Printed for comfort, jokes and the washing machine. Browse our Sweatshirts & Hoodies for printed designs, or sort the whole catalogue and look for the “Knitted” badge.