The single biggest factor in how fast and how well a logo gets digitized isn't the software. It's what the customer sends at the start. A clear file plus three or four details (size, placement, garment, thread colors) means the first stitch-out is usually the right one. A blurry phone photo with "make it fit the shirt" means guesswork, and guesswork means revisions.
Here's exactly what to send when you order digitizing, whether it's from us or any other digitizer, and why each item matters.
1. The best version of your artwork you can find
Digitizers don't trace pixels; we redraw the design as stitches by hand. But we can only redraw what we can see. In order of preference:
- Vector files (AI, EPS, SVG, or a vector PDF): the ideal. Edges are perfectly sharp at any size, and small details like registered marks or thin outlines are easy to read.
- High-resolution PNG or JPG: perfectly workable. Aim for the logo itself to be at least 1000 pixels wide, not a 1000-pixel image with a tiny logo in the corner.
- Screenshots, website logos, or social media profile images: usable for simple designs, but small text and fine lines often come through as mush.
- Photos of an existing embroidered garment or a sign: a last resort. Shoot straight on, in good light, with the logo filling the frame.
If the only file you have is low quality, send it anyway, along with a note about anything that's hard to read (the exact spelling of small text, for example). It's far better than the digitizer guessing.
2. The finished size, in inches or millimeters
Size is not a detail that can be decided later. Embroidery is built for a specific size: satin column widths, density, underlay and pull compensation are all set for the dimensions you'll actually stitch. That's why a design can only be resized within safe limits before it needs to be re-digitized.
Give the width or height you want (whichever is the limiting side) and the digitizer will scale the other proportionally. Some common starting points:
- Left chest: roughly 3 to 4 inches wide (see our left chest logo size guide)
- Cap front: usually about 2 to 2.25 inches tall, up to around 4.5 to 5 inches wide depending on the cap
- Sleeve: around 2 to 3 inches
- Jacket back: commonly 10 to 12 inches wide, limited by your largest hoop
If you'll stitch the same logo at two very different sizes (say left chest and jacket back), ask for two separate files. The small version may need simplified details; the big one may need different fill angles and more underlay.
3. What it's going on: garment and fabric
The same logo is digitized differently for a pique polo, a fleece hoodie, a structured cap, and a terry towel. Fabric type changes the underlay, density, and how much pull compensation is needed. Caps also change the stitch sequence, since cap designs should stitch from the center out and from the bottom up to keep the crown from shifting.
A short note like "black 5-panel structured cap" or "light performance polo, moisture wicking" tells the digitizer a lot.
4. Your machine's file format
Tell the digitizer which machine you'll stitch on, or which format you need. Brother and Baby Lock use PES, Janome uses JEF, Husqvarna Viking uses HUS or VP3, and most commercial multi-needle machines read DST. If you're not sure which applies to you, any digitizer can confirm it from your machine model.
5. Thread colors
A file doesn't carry real thread colors the way artwork carries ink colors; it carries color stops. Still, telling the digitizer your colors matters because it affects the order the colors stitch in, which areas overlap, and how many trims are needed. If you have brand colors, list them as Pantone numbers or thread chart codes (Madeira, Isacord, etc.). Also mention the garment color: white text on a black shirt may not need the same underlay or outline as dark text on white.
6. Anything you want changed or left out
Most logos were designed for print, not thread. Fine gradients, drop shadows, tiny taglines and hairline borders often don't stitch well at small sizes. A good digitizer will suggest simplifications, but it helps if you say up front what's essential and what can go. Common examples:
- "Drop the website URL under the logo for the left chest version."
- "The gradient can be one solid color."
- "Keep the tagline, but only on the jacket back file."
As a rule of thumb, text below about 0.25 inch (6 mm) in capital height starts to lose legibility. Our post on how small embroidery text can be explains why.
A copy-and-paste order checklist
- Artwork file (vector if you have it, otherwise the largest, clearest image)
- Finished width or height
- Placement (left chest, cap front, sleeve, back, etc.)
- Garment and fabric type, plus garment color
- Machine brand or file format needed
- Thread colors (Pantone or thread codes if you have them)
- Exact spelling of any small text, and anything to simplify or remove
Send those seven items and most designs can go straight from artwork to a clean stitch file without back-and-forth.
What happens after you send it
With our custom embroidery digitizing service, every design is digitized by hand, with no auto-conversion. Pricing is based on size: $10 for designs 6 inches or less and $20 for larger designs. Files are delivered by email within 12 hours, in the format you need, including EMB, DST, PES, JEF, XXX, VP3, SEW, HUS and more.
After delivery, size changes and small tweaks are free, and if the design doesn't stitch right on your machine, we re-digitize it until it does. You can read more about how our digitizing service works, or, if you just need a ready-made design rather than a logo, browse our machine embroidery designs.
Quick FAQ
Can you digitize from a photo or a screenshot?
Usually, yes. Because the design is redrawn by hand, a clear photo of a simple logo works fine. Very small text or fine detail may need you to confirm spelling or send a better reference.
Do I need to know the stitch count before ordering?
No. Stitch count comes out of the digitizing itself. If you want a rough idea for pricing your own jobs, a stitch count calculator can give you a ballpark figure.
What if I don't know the exact size yet?
Pick the size you'll use most often. Since size changes after delivery are free, you can ask for an adjusted version later instead of guessing now.
Ready to order? Send your artwork and the checklist above to our hand-digitized logo service and get your stitch file within 12 hours.