We partner with the best silk-screening and embroidery contractors in the business. Their dedication to excellence and the quality of their work is one of the many reasons we continue to grow our apparel business. We never compromise on quality, and we use only the best printing inks and embroidery threads.
Custom Silk-screening
A screen is prepared by exposing a film to a screen covered in a layer of light-sensitive emulsion and, after processing, the resulting image is a clear area on the screen which allows the ink through. Most t-shirts are screen printed, and very high-quality results are obtained. Designs may be printed in CMYK/four-color process, or with multiple spot colors. Pricing is based on the number of colors and locations of each design. A separate screen is required for each color of your design. Screens are washed and reused for new designs, meaning re-set charges may apply for repeat orders. This process requires EPS vector artwork of your design or logo, or we will create a custom design for your special occasion.
Custom Embroidery
The first step for custom embroidery is to program or “digitize” your design. For this procedure we can use a simple jpeg of your design, or a design we create for you, which is programmed into a computer code our embroidery machines can understand. Digitizing programs the computer to know where to start and end the design, when to switch colors, what size the design should be and the number of stitches.
Please view pictures of this special equipment and many designs we’ve created for our clients.
Embroidery size and details
Size matters. It may not be possible to embroider an extremely detailed logo/design in a very small amount of space. Set-ups and running charges are based on the number of stitches in a logo or design. A few simple rules of thumb to determine number of stitches are – for a simple logo add 1000 stitches per square inch, and add another 500 to 1000 for over stitching and more complex designs. Exact counts can only be determined after a design is programmed.
Text size
The smallest text that can be embroidered is approximately .03” (6mm) high, depending on the typeface you choose, and the fabric of the garment. For example, due to the looseness of the weave, a pique knit polo requires slightly larger text than a twill or denim shirt with a tighter weave. A single line of text usually has about 20 characters and spaces before it is split into two or more lines.
Left Chest/ Right Chest
The size of the design should not exceed 4 inches wide to keep it from sliding to the armpit area. The recommended height is up to 3.5 inches.
Left/Right Sleeve – Back of the neck below the collar (“name drop”)
Embroidery space is usually limited to 3” wide on sleeves, which may vary depending on banded or hemmed sleeves. “Name drop” can be 4” w x 3.5” h.
Full Front / Full Back
For best appearance, we recommend the embroidery size to be up to 10.5 inches high and up to 10.5 inches wide. In some cases it may be best to use an appliqué for a larger design as it will save stitches and prevent puckering.
Headwear
Embroidery size on hats should be 2 to 2.5 inches high and 4.5 inches wide in the front. We recommend a maximum height of 2.25 inches high for headwear. Smaller sizes are recommended for visors. The design may be 4.5 inches wide and embroidery may be done on the side and back of a cap, which have less design space.
Thread colors and Gradient Designs
PMS ink colors and embroidery threads can usually be matched quite closely, although PMS imprinting colors are ink based and threads are material based. Logos or designs with gradient color fades cannot be embroidered; as all threads are a single color, and any switches from one color to another will result is a clearly defined change, rather than the gradual change of an ink printed gradient.