The need-to-know on logos

When thinking about branding, there’s perhaps no element more important than a logo. It’s the distillation of everything your brand is about, and for many consumers will be the first thing they encounter. (For more on brand identity, head here.) And so it’s with good reason, then, that perfecting a logo is of great importance to many brands when they’re starting out – or when they’re undertaking a brand refresh.

If you want to create custom merch that features your logo, and you want to do it in a way that really allows the logo to shine, then there’s arguably no better way to do it than with embroidery. Whether it’s a t-shirt, a baseball cap or a polo shirt, there’s something about a logo simply rendered in embroidery that suggests class and quality.

Here’s our guide to the key tips to consider for logo embroidery. 

Five tips for getting perfect logo embroidery

1. Keep it simple

Embroidery is a more complicated process than screen printing, and this has implications for the kinds of designs it’s best suited for. Broadly speaking, the more simple the better. If your business’ logo is very complicated or detailed, it’s worth considering creating a simplified version to use for logo embroidery. Bold, uncluttered designs with thick lines are the way to go.

If you feel that’s a compromise you’re not able to make, then not to worry: you can use an alternative method, such as screen printing or direct-to-garment printing (DTG). (These options aren’t available on caps or hats, however, on which it’s only possible to use embroidery.)

2. Want to go classic or make a statement?

In terms of shirts, the polo shirt is the classic garment for logo embroidery. And with good reason: it looks simple and classy, and the material is well-suited to embroidery. (To see some killer examples of the embroidered polo shirt, head here.) 

However, a less common option is the embroidered t-shirt, and it’s for this reason that it might be worth considering. If you want to look a little different, or stand out from the crowd, then think about t-shirt embroidery.

3. Thinking about t-shirt embroidery? Keep it small 

If you do settle on t-shirt embroidery, it’s important to be extra careful about your design. Compared to the likes of caps or polo shirts, t-shirts are thin, and so you won’t get a good result if your design is overly big or complicated. (For some examples of brands with awesome embroidered t-shirts, head here.)

If you want to opt away from the classic polo, but you want to splash your logo on the garment in a bigger way, then custom hoodies could be the way to go. The material is thicker, so is better suited to big, embroidered designs.

4. It’s all about the placement

Whichever garment you choose for logo embroidery, it’s important to think about where you decide to place it. You could go for the obvious choose: the breast on a polo shirt, or front and centre on a personalised cap. 

There’s nothing wrong with the classic placement, but it’s always worth looking at all of your options. Do you want to have a more subtle placement on the side of a cap, for example, or choose a custom hoodie so you can have a big logo spread across the back

5. Colour is key

Remember that unlike with printing, the colour of embroidery has a more dynamic quality. This means you can actually be much more creative with it: you could weave together different tones for a textured shade that changes with the light, or use a thread the same colour as your fabric for a subtle decal that can feel very rich and elegant. This works especially well when the fabric is a bright colour, as the fabric and thread will both reflect light differently.

If you have a colour, or palette of colours associated with your brand, use this as an opportunity to play around with them in the colour of your embroidery and how it interacts with the fabric of the garment. 

Want to create your own merch with logo embroidery? ICON Printing offer fast turnaround printing and embroidery on a range of garments, counting a number of clients ranging from such as WeWork to Boiler Room and the Tate. Get a quote in 2 minutes online.