CompanyHats

Getting your logo ready for embroidery

Thread can't do everything ink can. Logos with bold shapes and clean lines stitch best. When you upload, we check your file against these rules automatically, but a quick look here helps.

Minimum letter height
0.25"About 36 pt in a simple font. Smaller letters blur together.
Minimum line thickness
0.05"Thinner lines become a single run stitch or drop out.
Thread colors, standard
6Need more, or gradients? Choose unlimited color embroidery.
Max stitches per hat logo
15,000Big filled areas and backgrounds push past this.

Files we accept

AI, EPS, SVG, PDF, or a high-resolution PNG or JPG (at least 1,200 pixels wide). Vector files give the cleanest result. If you can, use a transparent background (PNG, SVG or vector) instead of a white box. With a JPG, we'll leave the background off and stitch just your logo.

What to avoid with standard embroidery

  • Tiny text and hairlines. Anything under 1/16" rarely survives. Thicken lines and enlarge small text, or drop it.
  • Gradients and photos. Standard thread is solid color only. Replace gradients with solid colors, or choose unlimited color.
  • Solid backgrounds. A filled box behind your logo can blow past the stitch limit. Remove it, or expect the logo to shrink by up to half.
  • Distressed or textured art. Fine texture gets lost. These designs can only be stitched flat, and thin parts become run stitches.
  • Lots of negative space. Open areas where the hat shows through can make edges uneven. Filling them with a color helps.

3D puff

Puff raises the stitching off the hat, and it needs bold shapes to do it. Keep every stroke between 0.2" and 0.5" wide. Script and calligraphy fonts won't puff.

Unlimited color embroidery

  • Can blend colors and stitch gradients. Gradients that run side to side look better than circular ones.
  • Keep details at least 0.86" (20 mm) wide. Small details can shift color slightly.
  • Neon and metallic colors come out duller, since the thread is dyed with CMYK inks.
  • Keep artwork clear of the center seam on the front of the hat.

Side and back logos

These areas are smaller than the front. Keep side text to about 10 characters per line, and save detailed artwork for the front.

What digitizing is

Before a logo can be embroidered, a digitizer converts it into a stitch file and picks the best stitch types for your design. That's a one-time $6.50 for a front logo or $2.95 for a back or side logo. Flat, 3D puff, and unlimited color each need their own file. Reorder the exact same file with the same embroidery type and you won't pay again. A redrawn version of a logo counts as a new design.

Used an AI image generator?

Don't assume it followed these rules, even if you asked it to. Give it a quick check, or request a proof at checkout.

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