Embroidery is the most durable way to put a logo on textile: the design is made of thread, it is part of the fabric, and it can neither crack nor fade. But not every logo can be embroidered — and that is best discovered before production, not after.
From logo to embroidery file
An embroidery machine cannot read an image file. Your logo therefore has to be digitised: a technician translates it into stitch commands — direction, sequence, stitch type, underlay. That is manual work, done once per logo. After that the file stays with us and every further order skips the step.
During digitising the artwork is often adjusted slightly: very fine detail is simplified and gaps widened a fraction so stitches do not run into each other. A well-digitised logo looks better on fabric than a literal one-to-one translation.
What embroiders well — and what does not
- Works well: clear shapes, confident lines, type from about 4 mm high, 1–8 colours.
- Does not work: gradients, shadows, transparency, lines under 1 mm, very small type.
- Borderline: fine serif typefaces and detailed crests — possible, but only above a certain size.
If your logo falls into that last group we look at it first and tell you honestly at what size it comes out cleanly. Sometimes the better answer is a simplified textile version alongside the original for print.
What it costs
Price follows stitch count, not area. A typical chest logo runs 5,000–9,000 stitches; a large back design can pass 30,000. Digitising is charged once. From the second order onwards that line disappears — which is why embroidery pays off especially on clothing that gets reordered regularly.
Common questions
How small can embroidered text be?
As a rule of thumb, 4 mm letter height for simple typefaces. Below that the stitches merge and the text becomes unreadable. For serif faces, closer to 5–6 mm.
Can every garment be embroidered?
Almost. The exceptions are very thin, highly stretchy technical fabrics and waterproof membranes, where the needle would destroy the function. On those we use transfer printing.
How long does digitising take?
Usually one to two working days. You then receive a preview, and production only starts after your approval.
The most rewarding carriers are polo shirts, jackets and caps.