Embroidery guidelines

Choose your thread palette

Prepare embroidery artwork in RGB at 350 dpi or higher at the intended size. Our apparel and hat options support up to twelve thread colors; identify which color belongs to each design element. Thread colors are a physical palette, so a screen color is a guide rather than an exact match.

Simplify shapes and lettering

• Use solid areas and clear outlines instead of tiny details, fine lines, gradients or photo effects.
• Convert text to outlines in your working design before exporting so the intended letter shapes are preserved.
• For stitched lettering, aim for letters at least 0.25 inches high with strokes at least 0.05 inches thick. Check the actual dimensions rather than relying on font point size alone.
• Check the decoration area on the selected garment or hat. Embroidery does not need printed bleed. Keep details away from seams and let us review placement before production.

Export with a transparent background

A transparent PNG is useful for embroidery artwork. A white box that is part of the image can be interpreted as part of the design, so remove unwanted background shapes before exporting.

Our upload accepts PDF, PNG, JPG/JPEG and TIF/TIFF. Use an accepted format that preserves the appearance you want, and keep the original editable artwork.

Stitch count and proof review

Keep the design within a maximum of 10,000 stitches. If it is too complex, we may ask you to simplify it before production. Ask the team to review a detailed logo before committing to the order.

Send your original artwork rather than a pre-digitized stitch file. Review the artwork, decoration size, placement and colors on the proof before approval.

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