How to prepare a logo for embroidery

Published October 16, 2026

A logo drawn for a screen goes through two filters when it becomes thread. The needle can't draw anything thinner than a column of thread, and the fabric moves under the stitches. Most of the problems this causes are visible before anyone digitizes anything, as long as you look at the logo at the size it will be stitched. This guide covers what to check and what to change; the checklist at the end sums it up.

Start with the stitched size

Every other decision depends on the finished width. A logo that works at 90 mm can lose its text at 50 mm. Decide the width first; the guide on embroidered logos for a business has the usual sizes by garment and placement. On logotoembroidery, the stitched width goes from 20 to 90 mm.

A simple test: print the logo on paper at real size and look at it from arm's length. If you have to squint to read something, thread won't make it any clearer.

Text: big enough and bold enough

• Height. As a rule of thumb, capital letters about 5 to 6 mm tall, in a bold sans-serif, are the practical floor for lettering in satin stitch. Thin, condensed or script fonts need more.
• Weight. Hairline serifs and very thin strokes don't survive. A bolder weight of the same typeface usually does.
• Spacing. Tight letter spacing makes letters run into each other once the thread spreads. Open it up a little.
• Small print. Taglines, websites and "Est. 1998" are the first things to drop from the embroidered version. Keep the name and the symbol.

On logotoembroidery, when text won't read at the width you chose, the result says so, and tells you from which width it comes out whole.

Lines and fine details

• About 1 mm is the narrowest satin column. Below that, a line can only be sewn as a single running stitch, which looks thinner and lighter than in the artwork.
• Thin outlines around shapes: thicken them to 1 mm or more at the final size, or remove them.
• Tiny dots, sparkles and textures turn into knots of thread. Remove them or make them bigger.
• Large solid areas are fine, but they add stitches and stiffness. A big filled box behind the logo makes the patch heavy; often an outline is enough.

Leave room between shapes

Thread spreads, and the edges of each shape are stitched slightly wider than drawn to make up for the fabric pulling in. A narrow gap between two shapes, such as the inside of an "e" or a thin white line separating two colors, can close up. Give gaps roughly the same width you'd give a line: 1 mm or more at the final size. In the See details view, logotoembroidery marks with red dots what can't be stitched, so you can see where the problem is.

Colors: fewer and flat

• Each color is a thread change, by hand on a single-needle machine. Two to four colors is a comfortable target; logotoembroidery works with 2 to 6 threads (4 by default) and merges the closest shades when there are more.
• No gradients, shadows, glows or transparency. Thread is either there or it isn't. Replace a gradient with one or two flat shades, and remove drop shadows.
• Thread colors come from real thread. A brand color is matched to the closest available thread, and the thread list shows which one stands in for each color.
• Try the logo in one color. If it still reads, it will survive embroidery. Contrast against the garment is covered in the business guide.

Background

A white or colored rectangle around the logo is usually not meant to be stitched: the fabric is the background. Upload the logo on a transparent or plain single-color background so it's clear what is logo and what isn't. A badge or shield that is part of the design is different: that's a filled shape and will be stitched.

The artwork file

• Best: the original vector (SVG) or a large PNG exported from it, with flat colors and sharp edges. On logotoembroidery an SVG is converted to an image in your browser before it's processed.
• JPG: works, but compression leaves blotches around the edges. Export it large and at high quality.
• Screenshots and small web images: blurry edges and mixed colors where shapes meet. Ask whoever designed the logo for the original file.
• A phone photo of a printed logo: it's accepted, but the result is only an approximation in solid colors. For a clean file, start from flat artwork. Photographs of people or scenes aren't what this service is for.

Make a compact version for small spots

Many brands have a compact mark: initials, a symbol, the name without the tagline. For sleeves, cap sides and small pockets, use that version instead of shrinking the full logo until it stops reading.

Checklist before you upload

• I know the stitched width, and the logo is between 20 and 90 mm wide.
• At that width, capital letters are at least about 5 to 6 mm tall, in a bold font.
• Lines and outlines are 1 mm or thicker, or they're gone.
• Gaps between shapes are 1 mm or wider.
• No gradients, shadows, glows or transparency.
• Six colors or fewer, ideally two to four.
• The logo still reads in a single color.
• The background is transparent or one plain color.
• The file is the original artwork, large, with sharp edges.
• There's a compact version for spots under about 50 mm.

After the upload

The preview shows the real stitches, so you'll see whether anything is lost. If it is, the usual fixes are making the logo bigger, dropping the detail that's too fine, or merging two colors; all three can be done in Adjust the design. The full process, from upload to test stitch-out, is in the guide on how to convert a logo to an embroidery file.

Frequently asked questions

What's the smallest text that can be embroidered?

As a rule of thumb, capital letters about 5 to 6 mm tall in a bold sans-serif. Thin or script fonts need more, and so do textured fabrics like fleece or towels.

Can embroidery reproduce a gradient?

Not as a gradient. It can suggest one with two or three flat shades of thread, but the simplest option is a single solid color.

Do I need a vector file?

No. A large, clean PNG works. The vector is just the best source to export that PNG from.

Why did a thin outline come out dotted or disappear?

Under about 1 mm it can't be a satin column, so it becomes a single line of running stitch, or it gets lost in the fabric. Thicken it or remove it.

How many colors should an embroidered logo have?

Two to four is comfortable. Up to six works on logotoembroidery; every extra color is one more thread change per piece.

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