Embroidery stitches your design into the fabric in thread, so it looks smart on golf shirts, caps, jackets, overalls and bags and keeps its look through years of washing. It is the usual choice for corporate wear, uniforms, school blazers and club kit. Embroidery is priced by the number of stitches, and each new design needs a once-off digitising setup. Tell us the garments, the quantity, the positions and the size of the design, and we pass it to embroiderers near you. Asking is free and you are under no obligation.
What embroidery suits
Embroidery works best on fabrics with some body: pique golf shirts, twill caps, fleece, soft shell and padded jackets, denim, canvas bags, towels and overalls. Common types:
- Flat embroidery: the usual left chest, sleeve or cap front design.
- 3D puff: raised stitching on caps for a bold look.
- Badges and patches: stitched separately, then sewn or ironed on.
- Names: a person's name on each garment, quoted per name.
For large designs, photos or thin cotton T-shirts, screen printing or DTF is usually better.
Embroidery positions and sizes
A left chest design is usually about 70 to 100 mm wide. A cap front is limited by the cap's panels, often about 50 to 60 mm high. Full back designs on jackets are possible but carry many more stitches, so they cost much more. Keep small text at a readable height, as tiny letters close up in thread. Choose thread colours close to your corporate colours; the embroiderer will match them from a thread chart. Ask whether the garment can be supplied by them or whether you bring your own, and remember that stretchy or very thin fabrics pucker.
Digitising, samples and care
Before stitching, your design is digitised: turned into a stitch file that tells the machine where each stitch goes. It is a once-off cost per design and size, and the file is kept for repeat orders. Send a clean vector file or a sharp image, and say the width you want. Always ask for a stitched sample before the full run, because thread looks different from print. Wash embroidered garments inside out and do not bleach. For bulk orders mixing print and stitching, see T-shirt printing.
What affects the price
The stitch count, the number of positions, the quantity and the garment set the price. Setup is spread over the run, so a small order costs more per item. Ask each embroiderer:
- What is the digitising fee, and is it charged again on reorders?
- What is the price per position at your quantity?
- Are the garments included, and which make and weight?
- Is there a minimum order and is VAT included?
What to include in your request
- Garment type, colour and sizes
- Number of garments
- Positions: chest, sleeve, back, cap
- Width of the design in millimetres
- Whether the design is already digitised
Embroidery for different clients
- Families and individuals: a monogram on towels, a name on a baby blanket or a gift jacket
- Small businesses and start-ups: golf shirts and caps for a plumber, a guesthouse or a small team
- Companies and offices: uniforms, overalls and jackets for mines, factories, banks and head offices
- Shops, restaurants and salons: staff golf shirts and aprons for restaurants, salons and franchise stores
- Events, conferences and clubs: caps and jackets for golf days, sports clubs, race crews and sponsors
- Schools, churches and NGOs: blazer badges, matric jackets, sports caps and church choir uniforms
- Government and municipalities: uniforms and reflective jackets for municipal teams and government departments
- Designers, agencies and resellers: contract stitching and digitising for promotional suppliers and clothing resellers
Frequently asked questions
How much does embroidery cost per garment?
Where can I find embroidery near me?
Is same day embroidery possible?
Can you embroider a photo or a detailed design?
Embroidery by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg