How Much Does Embroidery Digitizing Cost? What You Actually Pay For

If you've asked three digitizers for a price, you've probably got three very different answers. That's normal, and it doesn't always mean one of them is ripping you off. Here's what's behind the numbers.

What drives the price

Design size. A big design needs more stitches and more planning than a small one.

Complexity. A one-color text logo is quick. A detailed mascot with shading, tiny lettering and ten colors takes real time to build properly.

The garment. Caps, towels, stretchy knits and thick jackets all need different setups, and that planning is part of the work.

The artwork you send. Clean artwork is faster to work from. A blurry screenshot may need to be redrawn first.

Two common ways shops charge

1. Per stitch count. Some shops charge per 1,000 stitches. The catch is that you often won't know the price until the design is finished. 2. By design size. Others set a price based on how big the finished design is. You know your cost up front.

We use the second model. At EMBROI IT, designs up to 5 inches, which covers the usual left-chest logo, start at $10, and larger designs are $25. Current rates are always on our embroidery pricing page.

Cheaper isn't always cheaper

A very low price can cost you more in the end. A badly digitized file can be packed with unnecessary stitches, which makes it slower to sew, harder on the garment and more likely to pucker or break thread. Wasted machine time and ruined garments cost more than a few dollars saved on the file.

Questions worth asking before you order

• What file format will I get, and can I choose?
• Is the price fixed, or can it change after you see my artwork?
• What happens if the design needs a small fix after a test sew?
• Do I need to create an account just to order?

You'll notice we don't require an account. Upload your logo, pick your size and format, and send it through the order form.

The short version

Price should be clear before you commit, the file should sew cleanly on the first run, and you should be able to talk to a real person if something's off. Everything else is negotiable.