Custom Embroidery Caps
Here are the best reasons to add your logo or message to a cap.
Everyone can wear them.
No need to mess with sizes (most of the time).
Lightweight and portable.
Feels more extravagant than a t-shirt giveaway.
Let's dig right in.
There are two really important facts about hats that won't change:
1. A hat's surface isn't flat.
2. The area to embellish on a cap is a small.
We want your custom embrodiery caps to be something you're proud to wear and to give to others to wear. Unless you're buying thousands of caps and have a few months to wait, chances are you'll be embroidering your logo or message on a finished cap.
This is where the "flat surface" and "small space" enter the conversation.
If you were going to draw a picture or write a note, you'd grab a pencil, a piece of paper, and look for a flat surface. Writing on a flat surface will likely make your message clearer and more legible.
Recognizing that our cap is not flat, we want to minimize illegibility issues that are more likely to occur because we are working on a curved surface.
The areas that we can embroider on a cap are small.
Most common area to add a logo or message is the front:
Average Max size is 4" x 2" (width by height).
This is what 4" x 2" area looks like on a cap.
It seems small when thinking of just the dimensions, but when
seen in real life the size is appropriate.
Before we can embroider onto the cap. We need to hold the cap as tightly in place as possible. We use a specialized frame that works specifically with our machines for this purpose.
cap secured in the specialized frame
Although the cap has been assembled on the frame correctly, there are parts that can't be secured tightly.
Looking at the picture below, notice the center of the cap at the base of the cap where the crown meets the bill. You can see the areas that begin to pucker.
front of the cap with frame
This area and the front center seam of the cap are the danger zones. For best results, it's important to limit small text that's located near the bill of the cap. When logos include small text positioned at the bottom of a design, it is necessary to reduce the overall height to 4" x 1.8".
Small details and thin lines that are positioned on or near the center seam can create legibility issues. In this area, we'd strongly advise against the use of thin outlines that surround small objects (text or images).
Once we have the caps secured into their frames, they are locked in place onto the embroidery machine.
hand is pictured at the top of the frame
cap is secured below the embroidery needles
Here's our advice for great looking hats that you will be proud to wear:
1.Understand physical limitations.
2.Be brief & make it bold.
3.Avoid small text.
4.Use additional locations, if extra space is needed. However, keep in mind it does cost more.
Here are some examples of do's and dont's for getting the best quality and best priced embroidery hat design:
Example 1 - Front of Cap
(left) Original "boltprinting & embroidery" company name embroidered on front of hat
= design is too detailed for a clean quality embroidery.
ltprinting & embroidery" is cleaner and better for(right) Simplified version of "bo embroidery.
Example 2 - Front of Cap
(left) Bolt 'Lightning' icon embroidered on front of hat
= design is large and expensive.
(middle) Reduced size of 'lightning' icon = good sized icon, less expensive than (left) option and is it still has an impact.
(right) Smallest size is the least expensive and also the most subtle.
Example 3 - Corner of Cap
(left) "boltprinting & embroidery" company name embroidered on corner of hat
= design is too large and detailed for the small area and expensive.
(middle) Bolt 'Lightning' icon = using the lightning bolt icon instead of the company name is definitely a better option, but this size is a bit large for the small area.
(right) Smaller size of the 'lightning' bolt icon is the best choice and also the least expensive.
Example 4 - Side of Cap
(left) "boltprinting & embroidery" company name embroidered on side of hat
= design is too large and detailed for the small area and expensive.
(middle) Bolt 'Lightning' icon = using the lightning bolt icon instead of the company name is definitely a better option, but this size is too large for the small area.
(right) Smaller size of the 'lightning' bolt icon is the best choice and also the least expensive.
Example 5 - Back of Cap
(left) Original "boltprinting" company name embroidered on back of hat
= design is too large and detailed for this area and expensive.
(middle) Simplified version of "boltprinting" is definitely a better option the than the original for embroidery on back of hat.
(right) Average size of the 'lightning' bolt icon is the best choice and also the least expensive.
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