Custom Embroidery: A Guide to Logo & Clothing Embroidery

Embroidery is one of the most popular ways to add a logo, name or design to clothing and it's our most popular branding method at House of Uniforms.

From a simple company logo on a polo shirt to employee names on scrubs, embroidered workwear, caps and even raised 3D designs, embroidery can create a professional finish that becomes part of the garment rather than sitting on top of it.

At House of Uniforms, we produce custom embroidery in-house at our Moorabbin, Melbourne facility, using commercial embroidery equipment across a huge range of uniforms, workwear, clothing, headwear and accessories.

But embroidery isn't automatically the best choice for every garment or every logo. Fabric, artwork, size, fine detail and how the product will be used all matter.

This guide explains how embroidery works, what can be embroidered, how your logo is prepared and when we'd recommend embroidery or something else.

How Does Machine Embroidery Work?

Commercial embroidery uses computer-controlled embroidery machines to stitch a design directly into a garment or product using coloured thread.

Before we can embroider your logo, the artwork needs to be converted into an embroidery file. This process is usually called digitising.

Digitising isn't simply converting a JPG into another file format. The design has to be interpreted for embroidery, including the direction and type of stitches, stitch density, sequence and how different areas of the design interact.

Once the embroidery file has been created, the garment is prepared and stabilised where required, positioned in the machine and stitched using the appropriate thread colours.

The result is branding with genuine texture and dimension because the design is physically stitched into the product.

Why Choose Embroidery for a Logo?

Embroidery has a distinctive appearance that works particularly well for uniforms, workwear and professional clothing.

Unlike a printed design, embroidery is created with thread, giving the finished logo texture and a slightly raised appearance. It can look particularly good on structured garments such as polo shirts, business shirts, jackets, chef uniforms and caps.

It's also well suited to garments that will be worn and washed regularly.

That doesn't mean embroidery is automatically more "premium" than printing or that it should be used on everything. A lightweight singlet, highly detailed photographic design or very fine artwork may be much better suited to a print method.

The best branding method is the one that suits the garment, artwork and intended use.

What Can Be Embroidered?

A huge variety of garments and products can be embroidered, including:

• polo shirts
• business shirts
• workwear
• jackets and vests
• hoodies and jumpers
• scrubs and healthcare uniforms
• chef jackets and hospitality uniforms
• caps and selected headwear
• bags
• towels and selected accessories

However, the fact that a needle can physically pass through something doesn't necessarily mean we recommend embroidering it.

Fabric weight, stretch, construction, waterproof membranes, seams and the available embroidery area can all influence whether embroidery is suitable.

When you're shopping on our website, check the Branding Options on the individual product page. If embroidery is listed, we've identified it as an available branding method for that product.

Logo Embroidery

Logo embroidery is one of the most common types of custom branding we produce.

Company logos, club emblems, team branding and other designs can be converted into embroidery files and stitched directly onto suitable garments and products.

Simple artwork often translates beautifully into embroidery, but complicated designs sometimes need to be adjusted.

Very fine lines, tiny lettering, subtle gradients and photographic details that work perfectly on a screen don't always translate directly into thread.

That's where good embroidery digitising becomes important. The objective isn't simply to copy every pixel of the original file, it's to create an embroidered version that still looks recognisably and professionally like your brand.

Embroidered Uniforms & Workwear

Embroidery and uniforms are natural partners.

We regularly use embroidery across polo shirts, business shirts, workwear, jackets, healthcare uniforms, hospitality clothing and other team apparel.

For businesses, an embroidered logo can create consistency across several different garments. A team might wear polos during warmer weather, jackets through winter and business shirts for customer-facing roles while retaining the same embroidered branding across the uniform range.

The garments don't have to be identical for the team to look coordinated.

Embroidered Polo Shirts

Polo shirts are one of the garments most commonly paired with embroidery.

The relatively stable fabric and structured shape of many polos provide a good base for an embroidered company or team logo, which is why embroidered polo shirts have become such a staple of workplace uniforms.

Logo embroidery is commonly positioned on the chest, although the best size and placement will depend on the polo and the design.

With hundreds of men's, women's, unisex and kids' polos available, you can also choose coordinating styles rather than putting an entire team into one identical garment.

Embroidered Business Shirts

Embroidery can provide a subtle way to brand business and corporate shirts without overwhelming the garment.

Small chest logos are a common choice, while personal names or roles can also be added where appropriate.

The fabric and construction of the shirt matter, particularly with lightweight materials, so branding size and stitch density need to suit the garment rather than simply using the largest possible version of the logo.

Embroidered Jackets, Hoodies & Fleece

Jackets, hoodies, jumpers and fleece garments can provide excellent surfaces for embroidery, particularly when the fabric has enough structure to support the design.

Different outerwear fabrics behave differently, however. A dense softshell jacket, sweatshirt fleece and polar fleece aren't the same embroidery surface.

Very textured fleece can partially obscure fine embroidery detail, while waterproof garments may require extra consideration because embroidery needles physically penetrate the fabric.

We'll consider the product construction before recommending the branding method and placement.

Embroidered Scrubs & Healthcare Uniforms

Embroidery is one of our most popular branding choices for medical scrubs and healthcare uniforms.

A clinic, practice or healthcare business can add its logo to suitable scrub tops, while individual team members can also add their name, role or department.

For example:
Sarah — RN
Dr Smith — Emergency
Emma — Physiotherapist

Logo embroidery and personal-name embroidery can be used together to create a professional uniform while still making individual staff easy to identify.

Embroidered Chef & Hospitality Uniforms

For chef jackets and many hospitality garments, embroidery is generally our preferred branding method.

An embroidered logo suits the structured appearance of a chef jacket and avoids adding a large printed surface to a garment designed for a working kitchen environment.

Personal-name embroidery can also be added to suitable garments for chefs and other hospitality staff.

Cap & Hat Embroidery

Caps require a slightly different approach from embroidering a flat garment.

The curved surface, panels, seams and structure of the cap all influence how an embroidered design is produced and positioned.

Artwork also needs to suit the available embroidery area. Tall, narrow logos or designs containing tiny text may need adjustment to reproduce well on a cap.

Standard embroidery can create a clean, relatively flat stitched logo, while designs requiring a more pronounced raised appearance may suit 3D embroidery.

What is 3D Embroidery?

3D embroidery, sometimes called 3D puff embroidery, creates a raised design by stitching over a special foam layer placed beneath the thread.

The result is much more dimensional than conventional embroidery and is particularly popular on caps and structured headwear.

However, 3D embroidery has different artwork requirements from standard embroidery. Fine detail and very small text don't work well because the design needs enough width and structure to create the raised effect.

3D embroidery is best suited to bold artwork on firm, structured products rather than lightweight garments.

Personal Name Embroidery

Embroidery doesn't have to mean a company logo.

Personal name embroidery allows individual names, job titles, departments or other short text to be added to suitable garments.

It's particularly popular across healthcare, hospitality, trades, corporate uniforms, clubs and teams where individual identification is useful.

Personal name embroidery can be used on its own or alongside an embroidered company logo.

House of Uniforms offers different personal-name embroidery options depending on the size and amount of text required.

Specialist Embroidery Options

Standard logo and name embroidery cover most jobs, but we also offer several specialist options.

Flame-Retardant Embroidery

For selected garments where flame-resistant performance is important, ordinary embroidery thread may not be appropriate.

Our Flame-Retardant Embroidery service is designed for suitable protective garments where the branding needs to be considered alongside the performance requirements of the clothing.

Glow-in-the-Dark Embroidery

For something less conventional, glow-in-the-dark embroidery uses specialist thread to create embroidered elements that can glow after exposure to light.

It's a niche option, admittedly, but that's the point!

What is Embroidery Digitising?

Before a logo can be embroidered, it needs to be digitised.

Digitising converts artwork into instructions an embroidery machine can follow.

A digitised file tells the machine things such as:

• where stitches should go
• which stitch types to use
• the direction of the stitching
• stitch density
• the order in which different areas are embroidered
• when thread colours need to change

Good digitising is an important part of good embroidery.

Two embroidery files created from exactly the same logo will produce different results depending on how they've been digitised.

Once your logo has been correctly set up for embroidery, the embroidery file can generally be reused for future orders using the same design and appropriate sizing.

What is Stitch Count?

Stitch count is the approximate number of individual stitches required to produce an embroidered design.

A small, simple logo might require relatively few stitches, while a large or highly detailed design can require considerably more.

Stitch count matters because it affects both production time and embroidery cost.

This is why embroidery isn't normally priced simply by saying "a chest logo costs X". Two logos occupying roughly the same physical space can have very different stitch counts.

A simple outlined design and a dense, fully stitched badge are completely different embroidery jobs.

How Much Does Custom Embroidery Cost?

The cost of custom embroidery depends on several factors, including:

the size of the design, stitch count, quantity, artwork setup and the garment or product being embroidered.

New logos generally need to be digitised before production, while repeat orders can reuse an existing embroidery file where the artwork and requirements remain the same.

Larger or denser designs take longer to stitch and therefore generally cost more than smaller, simpler embroidery.

Can Embroidery Match My Brand Colours?

Embroidery uses coloured thread rather than digitally mixing ink, so colours are selected from available embroidery thread ranges.

We choose thread colours to provide the closest suitable match to your artwork and brand colours.

If colour matching is particularly important, provide your Pantone or brand colour information when supplying your artwork so it can be considered during setup.

Because thread reflects light differently from printed ink or a computer screen, an embroidered colour won't necessarily appear identical to the same colour printed on paper or displayed digitally.

Can Any Logo Be Embroidered?

Almost any logo can be adapted for embroidery, but that doesn't mean every piece of artwork should be reproduced stitch-for-pixel exactly as supplied.

Embroidery has physical limitations.

Very small text, extremely thin lines, subtle gradients, shadows and photographic detail can be difficult or impossible to reproduce effectively with thread.

Sometimes simplifying an element slightly produces a much better embroidered logo.

If your design contains detail that embroidery can't reproduce well, we'll discuss the options with you.

How Small Can Embroidered Text Be?

Very small lettering is one of the most common problems with embroidery artwork.

Thread has physical thickness, so letters need enough space for their shapes and gaps to remain visible once stitched.

The minimum practical size depends on the font, letter shape, fabric, thread and overall design rather than one universal measurement. But generally a minimum text height of 5mm is required - that said different fonts may need to be bigger.

If text is too small to embroider cleanly, we may recommend increasing its size, simplifying the design or using another branding method.

How Large Should an Embroidered Logo Be?

Bigger isn't automatically better.

The right embroidery size depends on the garment, placement and proportions of the artwork.

A logo that looks perfectly balanced on the chest of a jacket may overwhelm a women's polo or simply not fit well on a cap.

We consider the available branding area and the garment itself rather than applying one standard logo size to everything.

Where Can a Logo Be Embroidered?

The most common placement for uniform embroidery is the left or right chest, but other locations can be possible depending on the product.

Caps, sleeves, backs, bags and other products each have their own available branding areas.

Seams, pockets, zips, linings and garment construction can limit where an embroidery machine can physically access the product.

The available branding positions shown for individual products on our website are a useful starting point.

Can Waterproof Clothing Be Embroidered?

Yes but it requires consideration.

Embroidery works by repeatedly passing a needle through the fabric. On a waterproof garment, those needle penetrations can affect the integrity of the waterproof layer in the embroidered area.

That doesn't automatically mean a waterproof jacket can't be embroidered, but waterproof performance and branding requirements need to be considered together.

Check the available Branding Options on the individual product or ask us before ordering if maintaining waterproof performance is particularly important.

Embroidery vs Printing: Which is Better?

Neither.

Embroidery and printing produce completely different results and suit different garments and artwork.

Embroidery provides texture and dimension and works particularly well on structured garments, uniforms, polos, jackets, caps and many workwear styles.

Printing can be better for lightweight fabrics, large artwork, gradients, photographic detail and designs containing very fine elements.

For example, we frequently recommend embroidery for a polo shirts or chef jackets, while a lightweight sports singlet may be better suited to a print method.

Because we offer multiple decoration methods, we can recommend the method that suits the job rather than trying to make every logo fit the same machine.

How Durable is Embroidery?

Embroidery is well suited to garments that will be worn and laundered regularly because the design is stitched directly into the product.

However, no garment or branding method is indestructible.

The lifespan of an embroidered garment depends on the garment itself, the embroidery, how frequently it's worn and how it's washed and cared for.

Always follow the care instructions supplied with your garment and avoid treatments that aren't recommended for the fabric or decoration.

Custom Embroidery in Melbourne

We provide custom embroidery from our production facility in Moorabbin, Melbourne, where embroidery forms a major part of our in-house branding operation.

We embroider clothing and products for businesses, trades, healthcare teams, hospitality venues, clubs, organisations and individuals across Melbourne and Australia.

Being able to combine the garment and embroidery under one roof (and if needed printing as well) also means we're looking at the complete job not simply receiving a random item and being asked to put stitches into it.

Our showroom carries thousands of garment samples, so Melbourne customers can also compare suitable clothing and uniform options before deciding what they want embroidered.

Choosing Embroidery or Another Branding Method

You don't need to decide whether your logo should be embroidered before talking to us.

That's our job.

We offer embroidery, DTG, DTF, Supacolour, Digital Transfers and other specialist branding methods, so we can consider the garment, fabric, artwork, quantity and finished appearance before recommending a process.

Sometimes embroidery will be the obvious choice.

Sometimes we'll tell you your logo will look better printed.

The goal isn't to sell you the branding method that happens to be nearest to us at the time.

It's to get your branding right.

Custom Embroidery FAQs

What is custom embroidery?

Custom embroidery uses computer-controlled embroidery equipment to stitch your logo, name or design directly into a suitable garment or product using coloured thread.

Do you offer custom embroidery in Melbourne?

Yes. House of Uniforms provides custom embroidery from our Moorabbin, Melbourne production facility, with embroidered uniforms, clothing and other products delivered throughout Australia.

Can you embroider my company logo?

Yes. Logo embroidery is one of our most popular branding services. Your artwork is digitised into an embroidery file before being stitched onto suitable garments or products.

What clothing can be embroidered?

Most polo shirts, business shirts, jackets, hoodies, jumpers, workwear garments, scrubs, chef uniforms and other clothing can be embroidered. Caps, bags, towels and selected accessories can also be suitable.

Can you embroider polo shirts?

Yes. Polo shirts are one of the most popular garments for logo embroidery because many polo fabrics and constructions provide a good base for stitched branding.

Can you embroider work uniforms?

Yes. We embroider uniforms and workwear for businesses across a wide range of industries, including trades, office, healthcare, hospitality, clubs and teams.

Can you embroider names onto clothing?

Yes. Our Personal Name Embroidery options can be used to add names, roles, departments or other short text to suitable garments.

Can you embroider caps and hats?

Yes. Most caps can be embroidered, although the curved shape and construction of headwear requires different setup from flat garments. Standard and 3D embroidery options are available on suitable styles.

What is 3D embroidery?

3D embroidery uses foam beneath the stitching to create a raised, dimensional design. It's particularly popular for bold logos on structured caps.

What is embroidery digitising?

Digitising is the process of converting artwork into specialised instructions that tell an embroidery machine how to stitch the design, including stitch type, direction, density, sequence and thread changes.

How much does embroidery cost?

Embroidery pricing depends on factors including stitch count, logo size, quantity, setup and the product being embroidered. Send us an email with your artwork and we can provide a price for you.

Is embroidery better than printing?

Not necessarily. Embroidery is particularly well suited to many uniforms, polos, jackets and caps, while printing may be better for lightweight fabrics, large designs, gradients and highly detailed artwork.

Can every logo be embroidered?

Most logos can be adapted for embroidery, but very fine text, thin lines, gradients and photographic details may need to be simplified or reproduced using another branding method.

How long does embroidery last?

Embroidery is designed for regular wear and laundering and is generally a durable branding method. Its lifespan will depend on the garment, use and care, so always follow the supplied washing instructions.

Can you embroider one item?

Minimum quantities can vary depending on the type of embroidery and whether the artwork is new or already set up. Check the relevant embroidery service page for current ordering requirements.

Do you deliver embroidered clothing Australia wide?

Yes. Although our embroidery operation is based in Moorabbin, Melbourne, we supply embroidered uniforms and clothing to customers throughout Australia.

Do you embroider on items that I supply myself?

Unfortunately, no, we only embroider on items that have been purchased from us.