How to Choose the Right Sweatshirt for Your Custom Embroidery Needs

There’s a lot to love about sweatshirts, with their textured fabrics that beckon to be touched and vibrant color schemes that stir up a myriad of emotions.

While sweatshirts are typically customized with screen printing, in recent years it has become more and more popular to adorn custom sweatshirts with embroidery.

The added texture and professionalism inherent in embroidery gives the sweatshirts extra appeal compared to a standard crew.

This is why, after more than 15 years, we’re still so excited at fancysweetstx to help business owners like yourself find the perfect sweatshirt for their embroidery needs.

As such, we‘ve gathered five critical considerations, including material, color, fit, and style. As we delve into these ideas, you’ll also learn:

• The best sweatshirt material for different embroidery styles
• The importance of color in complementing your embroidery design
• How different sweatshirt styles influence the appearance of your embroidery design
• How different fit profiles affect your embroidery stitches

1 - Be Deliberate With Your Sweatshirt Material

The material you choose for your custom sweatshirts can make a big difference on the final aesthetic on your embroidery design.

Different materials have various densities, thicknesses, and textures that factor into the overall appearance of your embroidery design.

Some of our most popular sweatshirts fabrics are:

• Pigment dyed sweatshirts
• French Terry sweatshirts
• Corded crew sweatshirts
• Heavyweight sweatshirts
• Fleece sweatshirts

All of these fabrics have their own advantages and everyone has their own personal style preferences. 

Understanding both will help you choose the best sweatshirt fabric for your custom embroidery project.

For instance, there are important differences between French Terry and corded sweatshirts. French Terry is a lightweight, soft and smooth fabric while corded sweatshirts are heavier and textured.

These differences are important for embroidery. On a surface like the corded sweatshirts you would not want thin, intricate embroidered design because it could get lost in the texture of the sweatshirt.

On a lightweight fabric like French Terry it's important to consider the weight of embroidery. A thick, heavy embroidered design that covers a large portion of the sweatshirt will weigh the fabric down.

2 - Be Color Conscious

You can never overstate the impact of color on complimenting your embroidery design.

It’s essential to select colors that truly captures the essence of your design and enhances its overall aesthetic. 

For instance, what is the subject matter and theme behind your embroidery design? What are your brand colors? Do you want something vibrant? Or understated? 

Different colors evoke various specific emotions and have symbolic meanings. Red, for instance, represents passion and energy, which worked perfectly for our Christ the King School Embroidered Sweatshirts.

The sweatshirts’ colors (red and black) provided a contrast to the embroidery that helped draw attention to the white cross logo and their school name.

Another application of apparel color that we love is the use of tone-on-tone style where the embroidery thread just a shade or two different than that of the sweatshirt. 

Recently, we explored this idea with our embroidered crews. It was a fun project that enabled us to get creative with dynamic colors, including green, blue, and pink, plus matching threads to complete the look.

The result? You be the judge.

“The color is very pretty and the embroidery on it is done really well.”
— Kristin, Verified Buyer

“I love love love the color and design of this sweater.”
— Emily, Verified Buyer

At fancysweetstx, each project we undertake is different. That's why we love to get as creative as possible and color is one of our favorite areas to explore.

Whether you’re looking to grab attention or something subtle and elegant, you’re sure to find something special from our collection of sweatshirts. 

Our blank sweatshirts offer endless opportunities for personalization with unique custom embroidery services that help you stand out.

Bonus Tip: Experiment with various color combinations to enhance the visual impact of your embroidered design and learn which colors your customers prefer.

3 - Consider Your Sweatshirt Style

For sweatshirts, the distinct styles stand out to make them unique: crewneck, hoodie, and zip-up. Each style shapes the overall look of your embroidery design, especially when it comes to placement considerations.

Crewneck sweatshirts and hoodies, for instance, provide a large canvas at the front for showcasing your embroidery design. Our embroidery machines allow us to embroider up to 12 inches wide.

Zip-up sweatshirts, both full zip and 1/4 zip, offer less room for your embroidery design because the zipper gets in the way. This leaves you with placement options to the sides of the zip lining, of which, the left chest is the most common. An additional placement option is either sleeve or on the back between the shoulders. 

Ultimately, the choice of sweatshirt style will depend on the desired look and function of the apparel. So, consider the type of design you want to embroider and the use of the sweatshirt (business, school, fashion, etc.).

The table below highlights the differences between three different styles of sweatshirts: crewneck, hoodie, and zip-up.

4 - Choose the Right Sweatshirt Fit

Choosing the right fit and size for your custom sweatshirts is essential to achieving the perfect embroidered design.

A well-fitted sweatshirt compeltes the full look. You want everything to fit together - fabric, colors, design, and fit.

When considering the fit of the sweatshirt, it's important to keep your target audience in mind. Do your customers want a fashionable oversized sweatshirt? Are your school sweatshirts for young students? Will your order consist of a lot of plus size (2X, 3X, 4X) sweatshirts?

The answers to these questions will have an impact on the embroidered design logo size and placement. If you have a lot of larger or smaller sizes in your order, you'll want to make sure the logo is proportional and doesn't look mismatched with the sweatshirt. 

Tip: Consider the thickness and size of your embroidery design when selecting the perfect fit for custom sweatshirts. Thicker and larger designs add bulk and require a heavyweight material to match to prevent the fabric from sagging or becoming distorted.

5 - Consider Your Embroidery Technique

Embroidery is a versatile method to enhance your custom sweatshirts.

While you rely on us at Jupmdoe to be the experts in embroidery, it never hurts to understand different techniques and how they may compliment your final design.

As such, there are various techniques to choose from, each with its own unique attributes that transform your sweatshirts into stylish promo products:

• Flat embroidery is the most common technique used in custom sweatshirts. It involves stitching the design directly onto the fabric. It’s great for simple and small designs and works well with various materials.
• 3D embroidery, on the other hand, adds dimensionality to the design with the use of foam padding. This technique is perfect for creating logos and wordmarks that need to stand out. It’s generally used with sturdy fabrics, such as fleece and heavyweight cotton.
• Applique is another exceptional technique used to make standout custom sweatshirts. It involves attaching fabric to create design elements, such as letters and numbers. 

That said, you must consider your desired visual impact when choosing between the above embroidery techniques.

3D embroidery creates bold and eye-catching designs, flat embroidery offers a more traditional and sleek look, while appliques provide a textured look. However, the best technique will depend on the aesthetic you’re looking to create for your project.

Still not decided? No problem, the experienced design team at fancysweetstx is always eager to help.

So tell us about your project and let’s get started on creating something special.

Craft Your Perfect Custom Sweatshirt With fancysweetstx

So there you have it—five considerations for choosing the right sweatshirt for your custom embroidery needs.

We understand that every detail matters and always take the time to understand your perfect material, embroidery style, colors, and fit. 

But sweatshirts aren’t all we do. We’ll also help you put your brand on T-shirts, hats, bags, and shirt clubs so you expand your visibility and make a lasting impression.

"I would recommend fancysweetstx to anyone who is looking for quality clothes and excellent customer service. My company has used fancysweetstx several different times to make T-shirts, Hoodies, and long sleeve T's as gifts for our customers/employees." 
— Matthew S., Verified Buyer

Contact us today to learn more about the endless opportunities for your brand.

Watch how our machines embroider items:

Limited design space (e.g., left chest, back)