Last updated: August 2026. By Ben B., founder of Embroidery Inc, Woodland CA. I run one of the two companies in this comparison, so read it knowing that. Every Custom Ink fact below comes from their own public pages as of August 2026, and I have been straight about where they beat us.
Custom Ink is the biggest name in custom apparel, and they earned it. We are a California embroidery shop that does one thing. If you are deciding between us for embroidered hats, polos, or jackets, the honest version is this: Custom Ink is built for breadth and hand-holding, we are built for embroidery depth and speed. The details below.
The short version
- Choose Custom Ink if you want one vendor for everything (printed tees, mugs, banners, and hats in one cart), live design help, and a household-name checkout. Plan on about two weeks standard delivery and premium all-inclusive pricing.
- Choose Embroidery Inc if the order is embroidered gear and you care what the stitching actually looks like before production. We sew your logo on a real test hat within 24 to 48 hours, you approve it or request changes, and the order ships 3 to 5 business days after approval. Most hats run $18 to $24 with embroidery included.
Side by side
| Embroidery Inc | Custom Ink | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum for embroidery | 1 piece, everything | Low or no minimums on many cap styles, varies by product |
| Proof before production | Your logo sewn on a real test hat, photos in 24 to 48 hours, unlimited revisions before you approve | Digital preview and design review |
| Standard turnaround | Ships 3 to 5 business days after proof approval | About two weeks standard; most embroidered orders run 10 to 12 day rush; 3 day super rush costs about 30% extra |
| Setup and digitizing | $30 including the sewn proof, free at 12+ items and on every reorder | Included in the all-inclusive item price |
| Hat pricing | Most hats $18 to $24 with embroidery included; Richardson 112 at $20 | Premium all-inclusive pricing, varies by style and quantity |
| Volume discounts | 5% at 12+, 10% at 24+, 15% at 48+ | Quantity pricing built into quotes |
| Where the embroidery happens | In-house, Woodland, California. All of it | Network production |
| Catalog | Apparel and headwear, deepest in hats (Richardson, Yupoong, Carhartt, The North Face, Nike, Brooks Brothers) | Enormous: apparel plus promo products, drinkware, signage and more |
| Reviews | 4.7+ verified on Reviews.io | 4.5 Google seller rating across 4,664 reviews |
Where Custom Ink genuinely wins
Three things, and they are real. First, range. If your event needs embroidered hats plus printed banners plus 300 koozies, Custom Ink handles the whole list in one order. We do not. Second, design services. Their design lab and support team are excellent if you do not have final artwork yet. Third, institutional comfort. When a procurement department wants a household name on the invoice, Custom Ink is that name.
Where we win
Embroidery is the whole business here, and it shows in three places. Speed: proof in 24 to 48 hours, ships 3 to 5 business days after approval, against roughly two weeks standard on their side. Certainty: you approve real stitches on a real hat before production, not a rendering, which matters most on first-run logos and small text (here is why sewn proofs beat digital mockups). Price on embroidered headwear: a $20 Richardson 112 with your logo included is hard to beat at the singles-to-48 range where most team orders actually live, and the digitizing fee disappears at 12 pieces or on any reorder.
The bottom line
If you need everything under one roof, use Custom Ink and you will be fine. If the job is embroidered hats or apparel and you want it stitched right, fast, and proven on the real product first, that is exactly what we built our shop to do. Start with one hat if you want to test us. There is no minimum.
FAQ
Is Custom Ink good for embroidered hats?
Yes, genuinely. Wide style selection and solid quality control. The trade-offs are standard delivery around two weeks, digital-only proofing, and premium pricing.
Who is cheaper for custom embroidered hats?
For most team-size orders we are: $18 to $24 per hat with embroidery included, plus volume discounts at 12, 24 and 48 pieces. Custom Ink prices vary by style and quantity, and their all-inclusive model tends to run higher per piece.
Who is faster?
For embroidery, we are: 24 to 48 hour proof, then 3 to 5 business days to ship after approval. Custom Ink states about two weeks standard, with rush options that add cost.
Does Custom Ink have minimums on embroidery?
Many of their embroidered cap styles have low or no minimums, and it varies by product. At Embroidery Inc the minimum is one piece on everything.
Does either company show a proof before production?
Both do, differently. Custom Ink reviews your design digitally. We embroider your logo on a real test hat and send photos before anything goes to production.
Ben B., founder of Embroidery Inc, Woodland CA