How Much Does It Cost to Embroider a Shirt? What Drives the Price
What actually drives the price — stitch count, the garment you pick, quantity, and a one-time digitizing fee — so you can read any embroidery quote you get.
Watch: 60-Second Pricing Breakdown
How Quantity Shapes Your Per-Piece Cost
Quantity can affect pricing, but the result depends on the product and partner quote. Compare the same garment, artwork, placements, and delivery terms across options.
1. Stitch Count — the Real Cost Driver
Stitch count is one common pricing input. Garment handling, placements, quantity, digitizing, and partner terms can also affect the quote.
- →Simple bold logo: often easier to reproduce at small sizes
- →Left-chest logo: a common placement that still needs an artwork review
- →Detailed logo: may require simplification or a larger placement
- →Large placement: can increase stitches, handling, and production time
Two logos at the same physical size can have very different stitch counts depending on fill density and detail. If you want to bring per-piece cost down, the fastest lever is simplifying your logo for embroidery. See logo digitizing 101 for how that works.
2. The Shirt Itself
The blank you pick is the other half of your number. Garments climb in cost from basic tees up to FR-rated workwear:
- →Basic work t-shirt (Gildan, Hanes): an economical workhorse blank — the value pick
- →Work polo (Port Authority K500, Red Kap): the everyday crew standard, a step up from a tee
- →Performance polo (Carhartt Force, Nike Dri-FIT): moisture-wicking and tougher — a premium blank
- →FR-rated work shirt (Bulwark, Carhartt FR): flame-resistant and the most expensive blank by a wide margin
For trade-specific recommendations — which shirt fits which crew — see electrical contractors, plumbing & HVAC, and general contractors.
3. Confirm Digitizing and File Terms
Digitizing converts logo artwork into a stitch file. Cost, file ownership, retention, delivery, and repeat-order fees depend on the selected production partner and quote.
A well-digitized file strongly affects embroidery quality. Poor digitizing can cause pulled stitches, bad registration, and blurry logos. Confirm file ownership, retention, and any repeat-order fees in the written quote.
4. Multiple Placements
A single left-chest logo is the base case. Each extra placement — right chest name, sleeve hit, back yoke — means re-hooping the shirt and a separate machine pass, so each one adds to your per-shirt cost. Common add-ons:
- →Right-chest name: a small per-shirt add-on (it's usually just text)
- →Sleeve hit: a small per-shirt add-on for one more pass
- →Back yoke logo: the biggest add-on — a larger hit means more stitches
5. Quantity Discounts
Quantity breaks, minimums, and small-order fees vary by product and production partner. Ask for the exact quantity options in writing. Our minimum-order guide explains which details to confirm.
How Long Does Embroidery Take?
Timing depends on product availability, artwork, digitizing, proof approval, quantity, partner capacity, and delivery. Bighorn confirms the proposed schedule in writing.
Embroidery vs Screen Printing — Which Is Cheaper?
Compare both methods against the same garment, artwork, placement, quantity, and deadline. The selected production partner should confirm compatibility and pricing for the exact order.
Full breakdown: Screen printing vs. embroidery for construction crews.
Where to Get Custom Embroidered Shirts in Las Vegas
Bighorn Threads manages embroidery programs for Las Vegas contractors and service businesses. Selected production partners handle digitizing and embroidery. Your quote confirms file retention, rush availability, pricing, and timing.
Three things to send for an accurate quote:
- Your logo (PDF, AI, PNG — any format works to start)
- Quantity and shirt type (or tell us your crew's use case)
- Placements needed (left chest only, or additional positions)
Get an embroidery quote in Las Vegas
Bighorn Threads coordinates embroidered work shirts and polos through selected production partners. FR garments require employer and manufacturer approval. Send your logo, product, quantity, and deadline for a current quote.
Get a Quote →Embroidery Pricing — Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to embroider a shirt?
Embroidery pricing depends on the artwork, estimated stitch count, garment, placements, quantity, digitizing, and production-partner terms. Send your logo, product, quantity, and deadline for a current quote.
What is the average cost to embroider a logo on a shirt?
There's no reliable average without the artwork and order details. The quote should identify the garment, decoration, placements, quantity, digitizing, and any applicable fees.
How much does custom embroidery cost for work shirts?
It depends on the exact garment, artwork, placement, quantity, and partner terms. Protective garments also require employer and manufacturer review before decoration. Send the approved product and logo for a current quote.
What is a digitizing fee for embroidery?
Digitizing converts logo artwork into a stitch file. The fee, ownership, retention, delivery, reuse, and repeat-order terms depend on the selected production partner. Confirm each term in writing.
How much does it cost to embroider 50 shirts?
Pricing for 50 shirts still depends on the garment, artwork, placements, digitizing, and current partner quote. Quantity can affect pricing, but no fixed discount or fee applies to every order.
Is embroidery cheaper than screen printing for work shirts?
The lower-cost method depends on artwork, quantity, garment, placements, and the selected partner. Compare written quotes for the same approved product and design rather than relying on a universal quantity threshold.
How long does embroidery take on a shirt?
Timing depends on garment availability, artwork, digitizing, proof approval, quantity, partner capacity, and delivery. Send the complete order and required date for a written schedule.
Where can I get custom embroidered shirts in Las Vegas?
Bighorn Threads coordinates embroidery through selected production partners for Las Vegas businesses. File retention, rush availability, pricing, and timing depend on the partner and final quote. Send your logo, product, quantity, and deadline.