10 Things You Need to Know When Ordering Embroidered Apparel

Polo available from PromoWithPurposeShop.com

PromoWithPurposeShop.com's BrandingWear collection features over 30 polo choices.

A polo shirt is a polo shirt. NOT! “Polo shirt” is just a term used to describe a knit shirt that goes over the head and has a collar. So it could be used to describe hundreds and hundreds of different shirts. In fact, even in our own BrandingWear collection on PromoWithPurposeShop.com there are 35+ mens and 20+ ladies styles. That’s a lot of different polos!

Adding to the number of styles to choose from, you also need to think about sizes, colors, embroidery, artwork to use… whew, that’s a lot of details! So let’s break down what information you really need when you are ordering branded apparel for your tradeshow personnel or even for everyday wear.

Type of Garment – Do you need polos or woven dress shirts? Either are used for tradeshow and event staff use, although polos tend to be the more comfortable choice.
Fabric – How comfortable a shirt or jacket feels is largely determined by the fabric and your group’s preferences. “Jersey” has a smooth surface and is used in both polos and T-shirts. “Pique” has a textured surface and is usually a bit heavier than jersey. “Jacquard” has a patterned surface that’s knitted in. There are also “performance” fabrics which are designed to release sweat and keep dry — good for golf outings and other warm weather events.
Mens, Ladies or Unisex Styles – While many women could wear a mens shirt, a ladies cut shirt has a more flattering fit. If you have a lot of women working at your show or in your office, it is suggested to order styles that have a ladies fit. Looks better for your marketing image, feels better for them.
Size – Usually branded wearables are sized in Small, Medium, Large, etc. which are comparable to the same size designations in retail. So do not expect a totally custom fit. If you think sizing may be an issue, order blank samples before ordering your decorated apparel. Even though the samples are non-returnable, if you have a large quantity or dollar value order, it’s worth it to be sure.
Quantity of Each Size – Get sizes in advance, don’t guess! Since I always encourage people to go greener with their promotions, this eliminates the waste of both material and dollars that comes with over-ordering or reordering when you don’t know sizes. Plus, by asking your recipients what size they want, it puts the onus on them for selecting a size.
Color of Garment – Easy, sort of. Again, if it’s critical to match up a shirt color with your logo or theme, might be wise to get a sample in advance to check.
Location of Embroidery – For polos, woven shirts and jackets, embroidering the logo on the left chest is typical. Why? Because you usually put your name or name tag on the right. (Ah, so that’s why.) Additional typical embroidery locations include the lower sleeve for polos and cuffs for long sleeve woven shirts. Note that cuff embroidery is facing upside down to the wearer so the customer can read it right side up. Other locations may be available, but it depends on the particular garment in question. Be aware, though, that embroidering in multiple or difficult locations can increase your cost dramatically.
Color of Embroidery – Usually you can have multiple color threads in the same logo for no additional charge. From the supplier we use for PromoWithPurposeShop.com, you can have up to 10 colors at no additional charge; your particular supplier’s maximum color limit may vary. If you have a particular PMS (Pantone Matching System) color that needs to be matched, it can be done, but it may involve additional fees.
Size of Embroidery – For polos, woven shirts, and jackets, around a 3″ x 3″ embroidered left chest logo area is typically a maximum. For polo lower sleeve and woven shirt cuffs, usually 1″ x 2″ is maximum (sometimes smaller). Other embroidery location sizes vary. However, always check before creating any design for embroidery.
Artwork – Though embroidery can emulate shading, remember that each shade in your artwork is a different thread. With shading in your logo, you’ll hit that 10 color thread color maximum in a hurry. Your logo artwork must be crisp, clean, non-gradient vector artwork to achieve the best embroidery possible. See a full discussion on artwork in my post What is Good Artwork for Imprinting? which applies for both ink and embroidered imprints.

The hats we feature in our BrandingWear collection offer a special imprint process called ImageLock which is a bold imprint that can be used in lieu of embroidery and saves money, too.

For bags, both embroidery and ink imprinting options are usually available. And for many leather-like bags, “debossing” which impresses your logo into the surface of the product, may also be available. See my post on 4 Greener Promotional Product Decorating Options for examples of debossing.

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