Custom Embroidery — Premium Stitched Logos, Built to Last

1. Digitising your artwork into a stitch file

Embroidery machines don't read a JPEG or a PDF — they read a stitch file (commonly a .DST, .EMB or .PES format). Turning your logo into that file is called digitising, and it's a skilled craft, not an automatic export. A digitiser maps out the exact path the needle will travel: which areas are filled, the direction each block of stitches runs, where the thread jumps and trims, and how dense the stitching sits so it doesn't pucker the fabric. Good digitising is the single biggest factor in whether embroidery looks crisp or messy. It's a one-off cost per design — once your logo is digitised, the file is ours to keep on record and reuse on every future order.

2. Hooping and stabilising the garment

The garment is clamped between two rings — the hoop — to hold the fabric flat and taut while it's stitched. Underneath sits a stabiliser (also called backing): a non-woven material that supports the fabric so the stitches stay even and the design doesn't stretch or distort. Stretchy knits like polos get a cut-away stabiliser that stays in place permanently; stable wovens can use a tear-away that's removed after stitching. Caps run on a special curved cap frame. Getting the hooping and backing right is what keeps your logo looking square and flat through hundreds of washes.

3. Stitching the fill

The hoop moves under a fixed needle (or a bank of needles, each threaded with a different colour) while the needle drives up and down, locking each stitch against the bobbin thread below. The machine works through the design colour by colour, building up the fill. The three workhorse stitch types are:

• Satin stitch — long, glossy parallel stitches used for borders, lettering and thin shapes. It's the signature embroidered "sheen" you see on lettering edges.
• Fill (tatami) stitch — rows of shorter stitches that pack out larger solid areas efficiently, like the body of a crest or a filled icon.
• Running stitch — a single light line of stitches used for fine outlines, detail and as an underlay foundation beneath denser areas.

Thread is almost always polyester in commercial work — it's colourfast, bleach-resistant and tough, which matters for uniforms that get washed hard. Rayon thread has a softer, higher sheen and a slightly richer colour, favoured for premium fashion pieces where wash durability is less critical. We can match to a broad thread palette of up to up to 8 (pantone-matched) per design.

4. Finishing

Once stitching is complete, excess stabiliser is trimmed, any jump threads are clipped, and the piece is given a final press. The result is a sharp, dimensional logo that's literally woven into the garment — it won't crack, peel or fade because there's no surface coating to break down. It simply outlasts the garment.

If you want decoration that looks established, holds up to industrial laundering and works across a wildly varied garment range, nothing beats embroidery. It's our recommended finish for the jobs below.

Polos and corporate uniforms

A clean embroidered left-chest logo is the universal language of a professional uniform. It survives the daily wash cycle of hospitality, retail and trade staff without fading, and it reads as far more considered than a print. Across a staff team it delivers a consistent, branded look year after year.

Caps and beanies

Headwear is where embroidery genuinely has no rival. Curved-front caps, trucker caps, bucket hats and beanies are all stitched on dedicated frames, and the raised thread sits beautifully on the structured front panel. Prints on caps tend to crack along the curve — embroidery never does.

Jackets, softshells and workwear

Heavy canvas, fleece, softshell, puffer and hi-vis fabrics are awkward to print but ideal to embroider. The thread bites into thick material and looks premium on a back-of-collar, chest or sleeve placement — perfect for trade crews, security, and outdoor teams across Australia.

Left-chest sizing — the standard placement

The classic embroidered logo lives on the left chest. As a rule of thumb a left-chest logo sits around 70–100mm wide (roughly 7–10cm), centred about 18–20cm down from the shoulder seam and in from the placket. Caps run a front logo around 50–60mm wide to fit the panel. Bigger placements — a full back, jacket back or large sleeve — are absolutely possible, but stitch count climbs quickly with area, which is the main thing that drives embroidery cost upward.

What is the digitising fee and do I pay it every time?

Digitising is the one-off process of converting your logo into a machine-readable stitch file. You pay it once per design. We keep the file on record, so every reorder of the same logo skips setup entirely — you only pay for the garments and stitching.

How many colours can you embroider?

Up to up to 8 (pantone-matched) per design. Because thread is solid colour, each shade is a separate thread — embroidery is ideal for clean, defined logos rather than gradients or photographic artwork.

What's the minimum order for embroidery?

Our embroidery minimum is 25 pieces. Lower quantities are possible on request, but the one-off digitising setup makes very small runs less cost-effective per piece than printing.

Can you embroider caps, jackets and hi-vis?

Yes. Embroidery shines on structured caps, heavy jackets, softshells, fleece and technical or hi-vis fabrics — materials that surface prints often struggle with. Caps run on a dedicated curved frame for a clean front-panel result.

How long does embroidery take?

Typical turnaround is 5–7 business days · rush available from artwork approval, including digitising on a first run. Reorders are usually faster because the stitch file already exists. Need it sooner? Ask us about rush options when you request your quote.