Your Embroidered Logo: Too Much Thread?

Your graphic artist designed a great logo for your new business. Its an oval-shaped gold seal with your business name in a nice, distinctive font.  Your logo looks great in print and online.  But, is it too much for embroidery?

Would it be better to use your business name without the oval seal? Possibly. You can include the seal but it will be a large patch of thread.  Patch-like logos look great on items like custom embroidered jackets but can be too much for lightweight apparel like polyester polos and woven shirts. What should you do? Consider having two versions of your embroidered design. Use the full design for heavier items and just your business name for more delicate items. That way your logo will always look good!

Your Embroidered Logo: Stitch Count?

What's "stitch count"? You've probably heard that term if you've shopped for custom embroidered items. It refers to the number of stitches in an embroidered design.  Many embroiderers price embroidery based on the stitch count. The greater the number of stitches, the higher the price.

Does having a large stitch count indicate a better quality design? Not necessarily. While having a high stitch count may be required to create the detail in a design it can also indicate an inferior, "bullet-proof" design that may be uncomfortable to wear and won't lie flat on the garment especially after the item is washed.

Can the type of item being embroidered effect the stitch count? Yes, items like plush towels may require a higher stitch count to provide good design coverage while light weight items like thin T-shirts may require a lower stitch count.

Your Embroidered Logo: Artwork Questions

Unsure about sending an artwork file to your embroiderer when you can't open the file? If you can't view a high resolution file then send a jpeg with it and include a note saying that the two files should be of the same design.


Wondering if you can "grab" an image from the internet to use as artwork for your embroidery set-up? Unless the logo is very simple the image is likely to be too pixelated to use.

Your Embroidered Logo: What Size?

Aprons:  You've decided to purchase custom embroidered aprons for your staff.  What size should your logo be?  If your logo is fairly big, say 8" wide, it will be easily seen and make a definite statement but the set-up cost can be expensive.  If you plan to have shirts embroidered with the same logo and you're on a limited budget then a left chest-sized logo that works for both aprons and shirts may be the best choice.

Names: You've decided to have each employee's name embroidered on their shirts.  What about the sizing? Your embroiderer will size the names to the proper size. But, if you have a specific size preference then your embroiderer should be happy to follow it.

Sleeve Logos: Sleeve logos are usually smaller than left chest sizes logos because of the curvature of the sleeve.  A detailed left chest logo may be 4" wide but that size is too wide for most sleeve logos to be seen at one glance. Often a sleeve version of left chest logo can be created by eliminating the tag line and slightly down-sizing the logo.

Hats: Hat logos are usually restricted to 2.25" - 2.5" high.  This sizing works fine for most horizontally orientated logos but may not work for a vertically orientated logo.  In that case the logo must either be simplified or rearranged to work for the available space.