Last updated: August 2026. By Ben B., founder of Embroidery Inc, Woodland CA. Prices in this guide are our live catalog numbers, pulled August 31, 2026, with embroidery included. Product pages are always the final word.
Custom embroidery pricing confuses people because there's no single sticker price. You're really paying for two things: the blank item, and the stitching. Once you see how those break down, it's easy to predict what an order will cost. Here's the whole picture, with real numbers.
The two parts of every embroidery price
1. The item. A blank cap, polo, or jacket has its own price, the same as buying it undecorated. A basic dad hat starts cheap; a Carhartt jacket is a lot more. This is usually the bigger part of the cost.
2. The decoration. On top of the item, you pay to stitch your logo. At Embroidery Inc the standard front or left-chest embroidery is already included in every listed price, so what you see on the product page is what the finished piece costs. The one extra line you'll ever see is the setup fee below.
Real prices, by category (ours, August 2026)
| Category | Starting at | Typical range | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hats | $18 | $18 to $28.75 (20 of 26 styles are $24 or less) | Richardson 112: $20 with your logo |
| Beanies | $18.75 | $18.75 to $28 | Richardson R18 cuffed: $18.75 |
| Polos | $24 | most $24 to $46 | premium brands like Brooks Brothers run higher |
| Jackets | $42 | commonly $45 to $90 | premium outerwear (The North Face, lined Carhartt) $140 and up |
The hat-by-hat version, every model with its price, is in the complete hat price list.
What is the digitizing (setup) fee?
Before a machine can stitch your logo, your artwork has to be turned into a stitch file. That's digitizing, and it's a one-time cost per logo, not per item. At Embroidery Inc it's a flat $30, and unlike most setup fees it includes your logo sewn on a real test hat with photos for your approval within 24 to 48 hours, before production. It's waived on orders of 12 or more, and you never pay it again on reorders of the same logo. Some shops advertise free setup and bundle the cost into higher per-piece pricing instead; either way it's a one-time thing, and ours buys a physical proof, not a rendering. Here's why that difference matters.
What drives the price up or down
- Quantity. The biggest factor. Our discounts are automatic: 5% off at 12 items, 10% at 24, 15% at 48, and the digitizing fee disappears at 12. Twelve $20 hats cost $228 total ($19 each); forty-eight cost $816 ($17 each). Full worked math: the bulk pricing guide.
- Stitch count. A big or detailed logo takes more stitches and more time than a simple one. Standard front and left-chest logos are built into our listed prices; oversized designs cost more anywhere.
- The garment. A premium jacket costs more to start with than a basic cap. That's the item half of the price doing its thing.
- Number of locations. A logo on the front plus text on the back is two jobs, not one.
- 3D puff. Raised foam embroidery runs slightly more than flat stitching. See what puff embroidery is.
Worked examples (live prices)
| Order | Math | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Richardson 112, new logo | $20 + $30 digitizing w/ sewn proof | $50.00 |
| Same hat, reorder | $20, file on record | $20.00 |
| 12 hats for a crew | 12 x $20, minus 5%, fee waived | $228.00 ($19.00 each) |
| 24 polos from $24 | 24 x $24, minus 10% | $518.40 ($21.60 each) |
| 48 hats | 48 x $20, minus 15% | $816.00 ($17.00 each) |
Watch for these
High minimums (we have none, and one popular shop requires 6 pieces for embroidered hats), digital mockups instead of a real stitched proof, and vague pricing that only shows up after you commit. Clear pricing and a sample before production are how you avoid surprises. For how embroidery compares to other decoration methods on cost, see embroidery vs screen printing; for vendor-by-vendor fees and minimums, see the honest company comparison.
FAQ
How much does custom embroidery cost per item?
At Embroidery Inc, embroidery is included in the listed price: hats $18 to $28.75, polos mostly $24 to $46, jackets commonly $45 to $90. The only add-on is the one-time $30 digitizing fee, waived at 12+ items and on reorders.
Is embroidery priced per stitch?
Wholesale contract embroidery often is (per thousand stitches). Retail custom shops like ours fold a standard logo into the item price, which is simpler to compare. Very large or complex designs cost more anywhere because they run longer.
What does the $30 digitizing fee cover?
Hand-converting your artwork to a stitch file plus sewing it on a real test hat and sending photos for approval within 24 to 48 hours. One-time per logo; free at 12+ items and on all reorders.
How do quantity discounts work?
Automatically at checkout: 5% off at 12 items, 10% at 24, 15% at 48. Mixed carts count together, so 6 hats and 6 polos reach the first tier.
Is cheap embroidery worth it?
Below roughly $15 a hat you're usually looking at printing, not stitching. With embroidery, the blank quality and the digitizing decide how the logo looks and lasts, which is why we proof on a real hat before production.
Browse hats, polos, or jackets to see live prices, then add your logo to get your total, or estimate it first with the embroidery cost calculator.
Ben B., founder of Embroidery Inc, Woodland CA