Embroidery sizes for chest, sleeve, back and caps
Ordering the file at the right size is half of a good looking embroidery. These are the widths the market uses most, as a starting point.
Left chest (polo, tee, lab coat)
A chest logo usually sits between 7 and 10 cm wide (about 2.75 to 4 in). Smaller on kids’ garments or very tall logos. Beyond 10 to 11 cm it starts reaching the side and folding on the body.
Sleeve
Between 6 and 8 cm wide (about 2.5 to 3 in), respecting the seam and the curve of the arm. Small flags and crests look good here.
Back
Between 20 and 28 cm wide (about 8 to 11 in) on adult garments. Large designs need attention to density: a full back in solid fill gets heavy and stiff. Use a more open fill.
Caps
On the front, height rules: usually up to 5.5 to 6 cm (about 2.25 in) high and up to 11 to 12 cm (about 4.5 in) wide, depending on the crown and the machine hoop. Side and back need much smaller designs.
Names and small letters
Below about 5 mm (0.2 in) of height, satin letters start to blur. Lab coat names usually sit between 8 and 10 cm wide, with the lettering redrawn for that size. If the artwork has a small phrase inside the logo, say so: sometimes it is better to enlarge or remove it.