If you're considering having a logo, crest or design embroidered onto clothing, one of the first questions you're likely to ask is: how much does custom embroidery actually cost?
At Varsity 1827, our embroidery prices start from £4 per item, depending on the size and complexity of your design and the quantity you require.
We offer professional custom embroidery with no minimum order, so whether you need one embroidered sweatshirt, twelve polos for a small business or hundreds of garments for a club or organisation, we can help.
How much does embroidery cost?
We calculate embroidery prices primarily according to stitch count — the number of individual stitches required to reproduce your design.
Our current embroidery prices are:
| Stitch Count | 1–11 Items | 12+ Items |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5,000 stitches | £5 per item | £4 per item |
| 5,000–12,000 stitches | £8 per item | £7 per item |
| 12,000–25,000 stitches | £14 per item | £12 per item |
| Over 25,000 stitches | £28 per item | £25 per item |
These prices are for the embroidery itself and don't include the cost of the garment.
If you don't know the stitch count of your logo, don't worry — you don't need to. Simply send us your artwork and we can assess it for you.
What does stitch count mean?
Every embroidered design is constructed from thousands of individual stitches.
A relatively simple company logo or small wordmark might contain fewer than 5,000 stitches, while a detailed club or university crest could contain considerably more.
The greater the stitch count, the longer the design takes to embroider and the more thread it requires. That's why we use stitch count rather than simply the physical dimensions of the logo to determine the embroidery price.
Two logos measuring exactly the same size can have very different stitch counts.
For example, a simple embroidered wordmark measuring 8cm wide could require fewer than 5,000 stitches and cost £5 per garment for an order of up to 11 items.
A detailed crest of approximately the same dimensions might contain 8,000 stitches and therefore cost £8 per garment.
What size logo can I get for under 5,000 stitches?
There's no exact physical size because stitch count depends on the design.
Simple lettering and relatively uncomplicated logos can often be reproduced with surprisingly few stitches.
Detailed crests, filled areas, borders and intricate artwork require considerably more.
That's why the easiest way to find out how much your embroidery will cost is simply to send us your logo.
We can assess the artwork and tell you which pricing category it falls into.
Does ordering more garments make embroidery cheaper?
Yes.
For orders of more than 12 garments carrying the same embroidery, our per-item embroidery prices are lower.
For example, an under-5,000-stitch logo costs:
1–11 garments: £5 each
12+ garments: £4 each
For a 5,000–12,000-stitch design:
1–11 garments: £8 each
12+ garments: £7 each
This allows us to offer competitive pricing for clubs, societies, sports teams, businesses and other organisations while still being able to produce very small orders.
Is there a minimum order for embroidery?
No.
At Varsity 1827, there is no minimum order quantity for our embroidery service.
If you need one embroidered polo shirt, sweatshirt or jacket, that's absolutely fine.
Equally, if you're looking for 50, 100 or several hundred embroidered garments, we can handle larger production runs too.
From one garment to a complete collection.
What else affects the cost of embroidery?
While stitch count is the main factor determining the embroidery cost itself, there are a few other things to consider.
The garment
The prices above cover the embroidery. The garment is priced separately.
The overall cost will therefore depend on whether you choose a T-shirt, polo shirt, sweatshirt, quarter-zip, jacket, gilet, cap or another product.
We can source garments at different price points and help you find the right balance between quality and budget.
The number of embroidery positions
Our prices apply per embroidered design and position.
For example, if you'd like a company logo embroidered on the chest and individual initials embroidered on the sleeve, these are separate embroidery applications.
Likewise, a sports club might choose:
Club crest — left chest
Player initials — right chest
Sponsor — sleeve
We can quote for the complete garment once we know exactly what you require.
The complexity of your artwork
Complexity generally translates into stitch count.
Detailed crests, large filled areas and intricate designs require more stitches than simple lettering or minimalist logos.
However, we won't simplify your artwork unnecessarily simply to reduce the price. Our priority is producing embroidery that represents your logo properly and looks good on the finished garment.
What is embroidery digitisation?
Before your logo can be embroidered, the artwork needs to be converted into a specialist embroidery file.
This process is called digitisation.
Digitisation tells our embroidery machines exactly how to construct the design — including stitch types, direction, density and sequence.
It isn't simply an automated file conversion. How a design is digitised can have a significant impact on how good the finished embroidery looks.
Once your design has been digitised, we can retain the embroidery file for future orders, making it easy to reproduce the same design again.
Does using more colours increase the price?
Not necessarily.
Unlike some traditional printing methods, embroidery isn't generally priced according to the number of colours in your logo.
Stitch count is much more important.
A colourful club crest doesn't automatically need to be converted into a one-colour design to make it affordable.
Send us the original artwork and we'll advise you on the best way to reproduce it.
Is embroidery cheaper than printing?
It depends on what you're producing.
For a small company logo or club crest on a polo, quarter-zip or jacket, embroidery can be an excellent and cost-effective option.
For a very large design across the front or back of a T-shirt, DTF printing will often make more sense.
As we offer both embroidery and printing, we can advise on which process is most suitable rather than trying to make every design fit one particular method.
Is custom embroidery worth it?
For the right garment, we think so.
Embroidery gives a logo a distinctive texture and depth that printing can't completely replicate. It's also exceptionally durable.
That's why it's particularly popular for:
- Polo shirts
- Quarter-zips
- Sweatshirts
- Jackets and gilets
- Golf clothing
- Sports clubs
- University clubs and societies
- Corporate clothing
- Workwear
- Caps and hats
A well-executed embroidered logo can transform a relatively simple garment into something that looks considered, professional and built to last.
How do I get an exact embroidery price?
Simply send us:
- Your logo or artwork
- The number of garments you require
- What you'd like embroidered
- Where you'd like the embroidery positioned
Don't know the stitch count? That's our job.
And if you haven't chosen your garments yet, we can help with that too.
Tell us what you're trying to create and your approximate budget, and we can recommend suitable garments and decoration options.
Get a Custom Embroidery Quote
Whether you're ordering one garment or hundreds, Varsity 1827 offers professional custom embroidery with no minimum order.
Send us your artwork and a brief description of what you'd like to produce and we'll advise on the embroidery, garment and positioning before providing you with a quote.
From one garment to a complete collection.
