Three Embroidery Types
| Type | Look | MOQ | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flat Embroidery | Classic, flat, crisp | ~100 pcs per color | Logos, text, everyday |
| 3D Puff Embroidery | Raised, padded, tactile | ~100 pcs per color | Streetwear, bold logos |
| Appliqué | Fabric patches, layered colour | ~100 pcs per color | Multi-colour, character art |
Fabric Suitability
- Stable, mid-to-heavy cloth (french terry, fleece, woven caps) embroiders cleanest.
- Light jersey can pucker — we add a backing to keep it flat.
- Very stretchy or thin fabric needs a stabiliser; we advise per design.
Stitch Limits & Artwork
When to Choose Embroidery
Choose embroidery when you want a premium, long-lasting mark — left-chest logos, caps, staff uniforms and gift pieces. It outlasts print through years of wear and washing, and it reads as higher value than a printed logo at retail.
Embroidery vs Print: When Each Wins
Embroidery reads as premium and survives far longer, but it suits solid logos and text better than photos. Print is the choice for full-colour art, gradients and all-over coverage. A simple rule: logo or text → embroidery; picture or many colours → print.
Stitch Count & Pricing
Embroidery is priced by stitch count, not ink area. A small left-chest logo may be 5,000–8,000 stitches; a large back design can exceed 30,000. More stitches means more machine time and a higher unit cost.
| Design size | Approx. stitches | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Small (left chest) | 5,000–8,000 | Brand logos |
| Medium | 10,000–18,000 | Caps, sleeves |
| Large (back) | 25,000–40,000 | Statement art |
Backing & Stabilisers
- A tear-away backing keeps light jersey flat during stitching and is removed after.
- A cut-away backing stays in the garment for stretchy or thin fabrics, preventing distortion over time.
- Caps and structured items use a fixed backing matched to the panel shape.
Sampling & File Specs
Send a vector logo (AI / EPS / PDF) with Pantone colours. We run a stitched sample to check size, density and thread colour before bulk — allow 3–7 days for the first embroidered sample.
- Keep fine detail above 2 mm; thinner lines break into loose threads.
- Limit to 1–4 thread colours for a clean, cost-efficient result.
Common Pitfalls
Placement Guide: Where Embroidery Actually Goes
Placement is the most frequently revised item on an embroidery order, and the most consequential. Get it right and the logo sits naturally on the body; get it slightly wrong and it reads as an afterthought. The table below gives the standard positions buyers converge on.
| Position | Reference point | Typical size |
|---|---|---|
| Left chest | Measured from the centre front, not from the placket edge | 7–9 cm wide |
| Centre chest | Centre front, horizontally centred | 20–28 cm wide |
| Back yoke / upper back | Measured down from the collar seam | 20–30 cm wide |
| Sleeve | Measured down from the shoulder seam; check left or right sleeve specifically | 6–8 cm wide |
| Cap front | Centred on the front panel curve, not on the flat fabric | 10–12 cm wide |
| Hood or cuff | Small-scale only — fine detail rarely survives here | 4–6 cm wide |
| Nape / inner label area | Centred below the collar seam | 3–5 cm wide |
Two placement details cause most reworks. First, the left chest is defined from the wearer's left, which is the viewer's right — confirm which convention your factory uses before approving. Second, a cap front is a curved surface; a logo centred on the flat fabric will look off-centre once the cap is formed.
Thread Colour and Colour Matching
Embroidery thread does not behave like ink. It has a sheen, it sits above the fabric surface, and it catches light — so a colour that matches perfectly in a swatch can look different once stitched. A few practical rules remove most of the surprises.
- Match thread to the Pantone reference, not to the fabric. Thread suppliers have their own numbering systems that map to Pantone; ask for that mapping rather than eyeballing a match.
- Expect sheen to shift the colour. Metallic and rayon threads read lighter than cotton thread in the same nominal colour. If the design is on a dark garment, check the thread against that background, not against white paper.
- Keep the palette small. One to four colours is the practical sweet spot — more colours mean more thread changes, which adds both cost and machine time.
- Avoid very fine colour transitions. Embroidery cannot reproduce gradients; a design that relies on a smooth fade will come back as visible steps.
- For tonal or subtle logos, a slightly lighter or darker thread than the garment often reads better than an exact match, because the stitch itself creates the contrast.
- Ask for a sewn sample, not a digital mock-up. A software visualisation cannot show sheen, stitch density or how the thread sits on that specific fabric.
- Check thread against the garment's own colour, in daylight. This is the single most reliable check and the one most often skipped.
FAQ
Can embroidery go on any fabric?
Almost any stable cloth works — cotton, fleece, french terry, caps, denim. Very thin or super-stretchy knits need a stabiliser, which we add so the result stays flat.
How many colours can embroidery use?
Technically many, but 1–4 colours look cleanest and keep cost down. Each extra colour adds a thread change and some machine time.
What is the minimum for embroidery?
About 100 pieces per colour as a single-colour start. Custom blank development follows OEM at 100–200 pieces per colour; a pre-production sample is recommended above 100 pieces.