Embroidery
How-to Guide
Got questions? We got answers. Whether your new to the world of embroidery or a seasoned veteran, follow along with our comprehensive guide and you'll be ordering custom hats in no time.
Embroidery Guidelines
WHAT CAN BE EMBROIDERED (AND WHAT JUST WON'T WORK)
Why Embroidery Is Different
Unlike digital prints or screen printing, embroidery is stitch-based. That means we’re working with needles, threads, and tension, not pixels. While this makes for premium, textured results, it also comes with some limitations on detail and complexity.
What Works Well
Bold, Simple Logos
Think clean lines, strong shapes, and limited detail.
Ideal: Thick fonts, blocky icons, and minimalist branding.
✔ A simple mountain outline
✔ “SNAG” in bold sans serif
✔ Cartoon-style icons with thick outlines
Text Over 0.25” Tall
Tiny type is the enemy of legibility. We require a minimum text height of 0.25 inches (6.5mm).
- Use sans serif fonts
- Avoid overly condensed styles
- Keep it short and sweet
Solid Color Areas
Embroidery shines with strong contrast and solid fills. We use high-quality threads, but gradients, shadows, and small color details just don’t stitch well.
Ideal logos are 6 colors or less. We recommend no more than 8 colors, with a maximum of 12 for larger designs.
Size It Right
On hats, your embroidery area is limited. Here’s what you’re working with:
- Front Center: 5” W x 2.25” H
- Side (Left or Right): 1.75” W x 2.5” H
- Back Arch: 4” W x 1.75” H
For apparel, you have a little more room for creativity:
- Left Chest: 4.25” W × 4.25” H
- Full Chest: 8.5” W × 8.5” H
Sleeves and other placements are dependent on the garment selected and are not customizable directly online. Please request a quote for custom placement options.
What Doesn't Work
Photographic Images
We can't stress this enough. Embroidery can’t mimic photo realism. That iPhone picture you took of your dog is cute... But ask ChatGPT to turn it into a logo for you. Or consider having us print it instead. Keep in mind, printing isn't the best for fabrics like corduroy.
Avoid:
- Photos
- Low-resolution images
- Realistic designs
Tiny Text or Details
The logo above has ultra-fine details and the text "VINTAGE DESIGN" is too small to embroider.
Stitches need room to breathe. Ultra-fine lines will either disappear, fray, or become illegible.
Avoid:
- Text under 0.25" tall
- Intricate shading
- Hairline outlines
- Detailed illustrations (like cityscapes or blueprints)
Excessively Complex Logos
If your logo has 12 layers of overlapping objects, 17 colors, and a gradient dragon... you're gonna need a new design.
We promise we're not turning it down because it's hard. We're turning it down because it won't translate.
Avoid:
- More than 8 colors
- Excessive layering
- Gradients
Design & Checkout
After selecting your preferred blank and colorway, you'll be able to upload your logo and design directly online.
Custom logo uploads require a minimum of 12pc. There's no minimum on our pre-existing designs or adding custom text from our font and thread color options.
The Digitizing Begins
Embroidery digitizing is a handcrafted process that recreates artwork using thread and stitched patterns.
Our design team may recommend alternative decoration methods such as printing or woven patches for highly detailed logos, make minor adjustments to artwork to ensure the best possible stitched result while preserving design integrity, or suggest alternative hat styles or fabric options that are best suited for your logo.
Proof For Review
For custom logo orders, we'll send you a digital copy of your new embroidered logo with selected thread colors and exact sizing for your review. If you'd like to see it on an actual cap first, you can choose to have our team make a physical sample. We'll then email over a photo of the actual embroidery or ship it to you if you'd like.
An additional $29 charge applies for a physical sample.
Custom Embroidery Policy
We take pride in our ability to create the custom merch of your dreams. However, due to some restrictions with embroideries and logos, sometimes we might be unable to create something your satisfied with.
Before submitting your order:
PLEASE REFER TO OUR EMBROIDERY POLICY FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING PROOFING & NON-REFUNDABLE DEPOSITS.
Getting Started
So you've got a logo you think will embroider well? You promise it's not shot on iPhone? Nicely done.
We make it easy to customize various headwear and apparel options directly online using our SNAG Customizer™.
While it's a pretty sweet tool, there are a few limitations. So don't be afraid to request a quote the old fashioned way and let our team help you out.