THE DETAILS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Your guide to thoughtful embroidery.
A good result begins with a few clear decisions: the garment, the artwork, the placement, and the thread colors. Use this guide to plan your order, then let our review process help resolve the details.
FROM FIRST IDEA TO FINAL PROOF
A clear path to your team’s apparel.
Embroidery builds a design with stitches. Its appearance depends on the artwork, its finished size, the thread, and the fabric beneath it. That is why every order receives a person’s review before payment is released.
01 · Choose the pieces
Start with the garments your team will wear. Compare the product features and size chart, then choose the colors and quantities for each size.
02 · Share the details
Add your artwork or identify a logo on file. Choose supported locations and tell us the dimensions, colors, and details that matter.
03 · Authorize and review
Enter your card when you submit your order. Square places a hold for the total. Staff review availability, artwork, placement and price; we collect payment only after staff confirmation and your final proof approval in Printavo.
04 · Approve the proof
Review the current final proof and explicitly approve it or request changes. Production requires both confirmed payment and approval of that proof.
Submitting an order does not reserve supplier stock or authorize production. Share event dates or delivery needs before proceeding so staff can discuss timing for your particular order.
A STRONG STARTING POINT
Prepare artwork that tells us what matters.
Upload the clearest original file you have. The store accepts JPG, PNG, WebP, and PDF files up to 12 MB. SVG uploads are not accepted. Avoid using a small screenshot when a larger original is available.
Simple shapes and clear lettering give staff a useful starting point. Tiny lettering, very fine lines, gradients, and photographic detail may need a size adjustment or simplification. There is no single lettering-size rule that guarantees a readable result on every garment.
Preparing a design for embroidery involves translating it into stitch instructions. Keep the original artwork and explain which elements must stay intact. Staff will discuss adjustments during review rather than relying on an automatic preview.
Include these details
- The exact logo version, wording, and spelling you want.
- Whether a white JPG background is part of the design or only the image background.
- Either your desired width or your desired height; staff proportions the other dimension. You can also request help choosing the size.
- Optional brand-color references and where each color belongs.
- Any detail that is essential to your brand, such as a small tagline.
Use a saved logo
Your account’s saved artwork can be reused. Choose the same primary design group for the same logo across garments; scaled versions for hats and shirts can belong to that group. Each additional embroidery location can carry its own artwork and instructions.
Send artwork later
You can identify artwork already on file or choose to send it later with clear notes. Missing artwork remains unresolved until staff receive and review it, and prevents the order from being released for payment.
THE RIGHT SIZE, IN THE RIGHT PLACE
Plan the finished size—not just the file size.
Artwork dimensions are measured in inches on the finished garment. Enter either your desired width or your desired height. Staff proportions the other dimension from the artwork and confirms both final dimensions. You can also choose “Help me choose the size.” A large image file is not a request for a large stitched logo.
APPAREL REQUEST LIMIT
4.5″ wide × 4.5″ tall
Both final dimensions must fit. An 8 × 2-inch design exceeds the 4.5-inch apparel width limit even though it is short.
HEADWEAR REQUEST LIMIT
6″ wide × 2.25″ tall
Both final dimensions must fit. A verified style or placement boundary may be smaller than this general headwear limit.
| Where it goes | Maximum request | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Apparel | Up to 4.5″ wide and 4.5″ tall | Both final dimensions must fit. A verified garment or placement boundary may be smaller. |
| Sleeves and other narrow areas | Use the selected location’s displayed limit | Sleeve requests can be narrower than the general apparel box. Seams and garment construction also need review. |
| Caps and knit hats | Up to 6″ wide and 2.25″ tall | Both final dimensions must fit. Verified front, side, or back boundaries may be smaller. |
| Other (describe) | Within the displayed apparel limit, subject to review | Describe exactly where you want the embroidery. This is a placement request that staff must confirm. |
On a small screen, scroll sideways to read all three columns. Keyboard users: focus the table and use the left and right arrow keys.
These are maximum request boundaries, not recommended sizes for every design. The selected product’s tighter boundary takes priority, and staff confirm the actual fit. A wider chest area does not automatically allow a wider embroidered logo.
Choose only the offered locations
Apparel can offer chest, sleeve, back-shoulder, back-yoke, and “Other (describe)” requests. Caps can offer front-center, front-panel, side, and back requests. Knit hats use a front placement when offered. The choices shown for your selected product are the ones you may request; different garments may offer fewer.
One embroidery location is required. You may choose up to five distinct supported locations overall, with fewer where a garment has fewer options. Selecting the same location twice is not supported.
Be specific about a special placement
For “Other (describe),” explain the requested area in the location instructions. For example, name the wearer’s side and the relationship to a collar, seam, or pocket. A description is required, and staff must confirm whether the request is suitable.
Fabric weight, stretch, seams, pockets, and access to the area can affect the result. A requested location or visible garment space is not a guarantee that the design can be stitched there.
COLOR IS A CONVERSATION
Bring your brand colors into the discussion.
Start with the artwork and the garment color together. A design that stands out on a light shirt can lose detail on a dark one. Tell us whether matching the brand reference or improving contrast is the priority, and point out any outlines or background shapes that must remain.
Have a PMS reference?
Include the complete reference, including its suffix, and the part of the logo it applies to: for example, “PMS 186 C — lettering.” A PMS reference is an optional target to review, not an automatic thread-color conversion.
No color code? That is fine.
Choose “Match my artwork as closely as possible” and describe anything important. Screens, printed references, and actual thread can differ. Staff review the closest available thread colors; an exact screen-to-thread or PMS match is not promised.
Approximate planning color families
Use these examples to describe a direction. They are approximate screen colors, not a supplier shade chart or a list of thread colors currently in stock. Staff confirms the actual thread and available shades for your order.
Navy & deep blue
Dark blue families to discuss alongside your garment and brand artwork.
Blue & teal
From brighter blues to blue-green tones; bring a reference for the direction you want.
Green
A useful family to describe with a sample or brand reference, since greens vary widely.
Red & burgundy
Tell us whether you want a brighter red or a deeper, darker tone.
Gold & orange
Warm color families; these planning examples do not indicate metallic thread.
Purple
Describe the balance of red and blue you see in your brand reference.
White & cream
Light-color families can look different against white, colored, or dark garments.
Gray & black
Neutral tones still need a contrast check against the garment you choose.
If color is critical, ask staff how to compare a physical thread reference before approving production. Do not select an exact shade solely from a screen swatch.
THE APPROVAL THAT COUNTS
Take a careful look at your final proof.
The product-page preview is an approximate placement overlay. It may be unavailable when the garment image or calibrated placement is missing. It does not show a finished stitch-out and does not authorize production.
Open the final proof from your account and explicitly approve that version in Printavo. You can request changes instead. A changed proof requires a new approval, and production stays blocked until both payment and the current proof approval are complete.
If you need to change an already confirmed order, contact staff before proceeding. A revised order may need renewed order confirmation, payment review, or proof approval.
Before you approve
- Check the correct artwork, wording, names, and spelling.
- Check the selected garment, its color, and each placement.
- Confirm the final width and height, including any simplified detail.
- Review the color instructions and contrast against the garment.
- Resolve every question with staff before selecting approve.
PLAN YOUR PRODUCTION TIME
Standard or rush.
Choose your production time.
Standard production: 10 business days. Standard production has no rush surcharge.
| Production time | Rush surcharge |
|---|---|
| 10 business days · standard | Included |
| 9 business days | +10% |
| 8 business days | +20% |
| 7 business days | +30% |
| 6 business days | +40% |
| 5 business days | +50% |
The rush percentage applies to discounted merchandise plus the Small order handling fee, before tax. For example, $200 in discounted merchandise plus a $75 Small order handling fee creates a $275 rush basis; a 10% rush surcharge is $27.50.
The production clock starts only after payment is confirmed and the current final proof is approved. Shipping transit time is additional and is excluded from these business-day production times.
Choose the production option when configuring your order. Share any event or delivery deadline with staff during review.
STRAIGHTFORWARD BY DESIGN
Know what goes into your price.
Your selected garment, size, color, embroidery locations, and eligible quantity determine the configured merchandise price. The live summary and table below use the store’s current pricing settings.
Your displayed item price includes one embroidery location. Each additional supported location adds $10 per item before quantity discounts. You can choose up to five distinct supported locations in total: one included plus up to four extras.
The quantity percentage applies to the full configured merchandise price, including additional locations. Quantity discounts do not apply to tax, the Small order handling fee, or rush surcharges.
Mixed SanMar styles, colors, and sizes with the same primary logo qualify together for quantity discounts, including scaled versions for hats and shirts. Different primary logos form separate groups.
| Eligible items | Merchandise discount |
|---|---|
| 12–23 | 2% |
| 24–35 | 4% |
| 36–47 | 6% |
| 48–59 | 8% |
| 60+ | 10% |
Discount exceptions: Quantity discounts are limited by supplier minimum prices on certain products, including some Carhartt and Tommy Bahama styles. Your estimate shows the actual savings.
No automatic digitizing, setup, stitch-count, or PMS surcharge is added. Any exceptional work needs staff review and your agreement. A submitted order retains its recorded pricing unless you agree to an explicit reviewed revision.
Small orders are welcome
There is no hard minimum. A style ordered in fewer than six pieces has a Small order handling fee of $75 per distinct embroidery location. Five pieces with two locations add a $150 Small order handling fee; six or more pieces of the same style have no Small order handling fee. Sizes and colors of the same style combine toward six pieces; different styles are counted separately. For a style below six pieces, each distinct selected embroidery location is counted once across that style’s configurations. The Small order handling fee is separate from shipping and is not reduced by quantity discounts.
Ground shipping & taxes
Eligible addresses in the 48 contiguous U.S. states receive free ground shipping. The separate Small order handling fee still applies. See Shipping & Discounts for the excluded destinations and complete details. Applicable taxes are calculated separately.
AFTER THE FINAL STITCH
Let the garment’s care label lead.
Check the care label for the exact style you ordered and follow any decoration-specific guidance provided with the order. Different fabrics and garment constructions need different care; a single washing temperature or drying method is not appropriate for every product.
Before using bleach, high heat, dry cleaning, or an iron around embroidery, confirm that the garment label and the decoration guidance allow it. If the instructions are unclear, contact staff before cleaning or pressing the piece.
Keep a useful order reference
Your account retains your order details and saved artwork. When asking about care, replacements, or a future order, identify the style and order so staff can work from the correct garment and design.
A new order still needs current availability, price, artwork, and placement review. Reusing a logo does not reserve the same garment or bypass the proof process.
LET’S WORK THROUGH THE DETAILS
Ready to plan your order?
Choose your apparel and share the details you already know. You can ask for help with sizing, artwork, colors, or a special placement during review.