Custom Embroidered Hats — the Guide to Creating a Design and Embroidery File

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You know what’s beautiful? A crisp, concise bold message on a hat, the accessory that pulls your entire look together.

There’s no denying that a classic, sleek hat brings an entirely new level of badassery to a look, and certainly will add character to your ecommerce store product range.

We’ll go through the entire process of creating your own custom-embroidered hat from beginning to end — from choosing a hat type and making embroidery-friendly designs to creating an embroidery file and, perhaps, even ordering a sample hat for yourself. What’s more, there are some free downloadable embroidery graphics at the end to get you started.

Choose the right hat

You probably know that not everyone can pull off wearing a top hat. And, honestly, there’s no need — there are plenty of hat options for you to choose from. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones, and the reasons why it might be the right hat for you and your store.

Snapbacks

So, what exactly is a snapback? Well, the main thing you should know is that it’s one of the most popular hat types out there, so it’s well worth considering for your store or wardrobe.

Snapbacks are five or six panel hats with a wide, flat brim and an adjustable snap on the back (hence the name). Their ancestor is the baseball cap, but nowadays snapbacks have evolved into a symbol of urban culture and youth style.

And your designs should definitely take this association into account. What’s more, snapbacks usually have a high profile (more on that a bit later), which usually allows a higher design.

Dad hats

If youth culture is not your target audience, there’s a less in-your-eyes version — the dad hat. These caps usually have a rounded brim, and a lower profile for your designs.

This is a hat that’s a favorite with different types of people, and it’s definitely one of the biggest bestsellers here at Printful. So there’s no intrinsic target audience. Just pick the designs you like and get started.

Trucker caps

Trucker hats usually have a mesh paneling and a high dome area, as well as a flat brim. This cap actually has a fascinating history, since in the beginning they were mostly used as promotional hats given away for free at various events.

But since the early 2000s the cap has entered mainstream fashion circles. So while the correlation with a freebie has been broken, companies still tend to use trucker caps to promote their businesses. And that’s always a great opportunity for bulk orders!

Bucket hats

When the world got a little tired of the seemingly million types of baseball cap variations, they turned to… the fishermen community!

Yup, that’s right. The bucket hat started as an accessory to fisherman, but now has taken the world by storm and is worn by celebrities and models all over the world. What’s more, the trend is predicted to continue to rise in 2019 as well.

So if your customers like to mix it up a little, this is the go-to hat to put your custom embroidered designs on.

Beanies

For those of us living in the colder climates, comfort sometime has to take precedence over style. But why not have both? After all, that’s what beanies are for.

Beanies are warm, comfy, and you can really play with your designs throughout the year, since they make the perfect Christmas gift. Besides, you can always engage with your customers by starting the great “pom pom or no pom pom” debate.

Visors

Another sporting community favorite — the visor. Most often associated with tennis and other outdoor activities, this crownless hat is best known for its functionality, since it protects the face from the sun.

That’s why design-wise it makes sense to stick with sports-themed graphics which would appeal to outdoor activity enthusiasts.

Still not sure which hat to choose? In the end it all boils down to your own preferences, your brand image, and, perhaps most importantly, that type of hat that best suits your designs and target audience.

Make your designs embroidery-friendly

Or rather, how to design a super cool custom-embroidered hat.

Many store owners make the same mistake, over and over again. They take one of their designs (that maybe worked really well on t-shirts), and they try to put it on hats. But depending on the design, it can be a big mistake.

Embroidery is an entirely different beast compared to direct-to-garment printing. For that reason, it requires an entirely different approach to creating a successful design. Here are some key elements to keep in consideration when designing your custom hat embroidery designs.

As always, keep in mind that your designs have to follow our Acceptable Content Guidelines.

Go miminalist

A minimalistic design can have a striking impact. Simple designs are easy to embroider and have a finished look with nice, tight lines. For example, a basic design with minimal details can look striking with a white thread against a black cap.

It’s best to avoid small, detailed designs, as those are difficult to embroider. For flat embroidery, the minimum thickness for shapes is 0.05″ and the max is 0.5″. For 3D puff, the minimum thickness is 0.2″ and the maximum is 0.5″. There should also be a space of at least 0.5″ between multiple 3D objects.

Our mockup generator actually has a text tool that allows you to create text-based designs for flat embroidery straight in the generator. You can choose from more than 25 fonts, and the generator will warn you if the lines in your design become too small.

The main take-away? Use minimalist, bold designs with thick lines.

Take limited colors into account

When developing embroidery designs, you should note that the number of thread colors you use will impact the look of the hat.

If you choose to use multiple colors, make sure they have large enough details to be able to sew well. Like these letters and forms in this hat.

Keep in mind that there’s a limit to how many thread colors you can use. We offer 15 different colors, but you’re limited to 2 colors for 3D puff, 4 for flat embroidery, and 6 for a mix of partial and 3D puff.

Pick an embroidery type

You can choose to print your design using flat embroidery, 3D puff embroidery, or a mix of both (image courtesy of Rhinodillo Designs).

3D puff embroidery is when you see the raised embroidery threads. In the image above, it’s the white embroidery. It costs an extra $1.50 if you decide on this option.

Flat embroidery is when the thread lays flat on the hat. In the image above, it’s the red thread.

Partial 3D puff, however, is when a combination of both flat and 3D puff are used in one hat.

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Stick to symmetry

A good hat design has a good balance.

One rule of thumb is to have your design focused on the middle