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When a customer asks about custom apparel, I start with how the garment will be used. For networking, sales, and other professional settings, I often recommend embroidery. The stitched texture, feel, and overall appearance can give a logo the professional look they want.

Choose the garment and placement together

HG customers choose embroidery for polos, scrub tops, uniforms, button-down shirts, jackets, and hats. Before moving ahead, we look at the artwork and the garment together.

We check the size of the text, the shape of the logo compared with the available space, and whether pockets or other garment features interfere with placement. A logo that works well on a screen may need adjustments to work in thread.

Keep small designs readable

Most of our embroidery work is hats and logos on polos or scrubs. These designs are typically no more than about 3.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall, depending on the garment and placement. That is a starting point for our common projects, not a guarantee that every design or hat will accommodate that size.

At a small size, fine lettering can become unreadable. Sometimes small text needs to be enlarged, simplified, or omitted so the finished design looks right.

What is digitizing?

Digitizing turns your logo into a thread pattern the embroidery machine can follow. It is an art of its own. HG works with an outside digitizing partner for this step; when the DST stitch file comes back, our hands-on testing begins.

Our current digitizing charge is $20. We will confirm the applicable charges when preparing your quote.

The work behind the sew-out

We typically spend a couple of hours and use our own materials to test the result before embroidering a customer's garments. Thread thickness and color can change the way a design looks, and every digitized design is different.

If a test does not look right, we send the file back to the digitizer with requested changes. Sometimes it is a density adjustment; a more complex logo can require several revisions and multiple sew-outs.

That work happens before the customer sees the finished test for approval. Once the customer approves the test, production can proceed.

Care for embroidered apparel

There is no single wash-and-dry rule for every embroidered item. Follow both the garment label and the care guidance for the specific thread, using a method suitable for both. Hats and specialty garments may need different treatment from a washable polo.

• Use a mild detergent and the washing temperature permitted for both garment and thread.
• Avoid bleach unless the garment and thread instructions specifically allow it.
• Do not wring embroidered items, leave them soaking, or leave them folded together while wet.
• Follow the applicable drying instructions rather than assuming every embroidered item can be hung or tumble dried.
• If ironing is allowed, protect the stitching by pressing from the reverse or between protective cloths, at a temperature safe for the garment and thread.

These recommendations draw on Madeira's washing guidance and thread-care guidance. Ask us if you are unsure how to care for your particular item.

What to bring for an embroidery quote

Show us the artwork, the size you would like the design to be, and the garment it will go on. Those three things give us a useful starting point for checking the design, placement, and next steps.

Explore custom apparel and embroidery at HG, or contact us about your project.