Yes, we can do rush orders. Please contact Customer Service for more information.

Please contact Customer Service for more information.

Yes, we sell undecorated merchandise.

Choose from a vast selection of apparel and accessories from casual and corporate wear to uniforms, hats and handbags! Browse the online catalogs in our apparel/promotional section. After you find something you like, contact us or use the online quote request form. It's that easy! We'll order the item(s) and embroider it with your custom logo or design.

We have over 10,000 Stock images in our library and there 1,000s more on the web.  Click here to see  some of our favorite suppliers.

We at Embroidery Classics offer contract embroidery as well as supply a vast range of apparel and promotional products. 

Yes, we embroider patches with a merrowed edge. Minimums of 25 are required.

Click here for more information.

For embroidery projects Our general guidelines are 3 to 3.75" wide for logos wider than they are tall for embroidered use on the left chest of shirts. If the logo is square, 1.5 to 2" on a side, and 2 to 2.5" in diameter for circular logos. For caps, 2.25" tall and 4" wide are size limits, and 1 to 1.25" tall and 4" wide for visors. Full back logos (we only recommend putting them on materials no lighter than a sweatshirt) up to 11" x 11".

It's important that we know what type of material you're going to want to have embroidered. For instance, t-shirt designs would have fewer stitches in them since the fabric is not as heavy as, say, denim, and simply can't hold as many stitches. If we're embroidering polyester fleece, the stitch type (and the 'underlay' stitches that you don't see on the finished product) will be different than on other materials. Fleece has 'loft', meaning that it's relatively thick and springy. If we don't use proper underlay stitching to 'squash' down the fleece where satin stitches will be placed, stitches can be 'lost' in the springy fleece (and not be seen). This could lead to bits of the fleece poking through the stitching. All that said, most of the time we can use one logo on many different types of fabrics, but it looks best when we know in advance which fabrics and items are to embroidered (even on future orders) and can digitize the logo for embroidery accordingly.

Plan on two weeks for your order from the date we receive your approval of the logo sew out and apparel order. This a standard time throughout the year. The weeks leading up to the Calgary Stampede are our busiest months, so plan on three weeks during these parts of the year. We may be able to meet your needs in less time than that. Let us know what your needs are and we'll let you know if we can help...

Digitizing, or punching, is the process of converting artwork into a digital code that can be read by today's advanced embroidery machines. This digital code provides the instructions to the embroidery machine's operating system which, in turn, tells the embroidery machine's frame how to sew the design. The word punching actually comes from the traditional jacquard embroidery machines. The instructions that told the machines frame how to move and sew the embroidered design came from a tape punched with holes. A skillful digitizing artist uses very specialized (and expensive) embroidery digitizing software to interpret your particular artwork design into a digital embroidery pattern. Digitizing is both a technical and a creative process. It's much more than most people might imagine - a lot of people think their design will just be 'scanned'. While the digitizer may begin with a scan or a graphic file, he has to tell the embroidery machine where to put each stitch, and what order to sew your design - including where to stop, trim the threads, and switch to a different color. Poor digitization WILL result in a poor-looking design. Saving a few dollars on a one-time digitizing fee and ending up with a poor-looking logo is no bargain. Some embroiderers tout their "free" digitizing. If you really look at their prices, the digitizing is simply built into the selling price of the item. That means on future orders, you'll be paying for the "free" digitizing with every order, instead of just once with us. If they say they have "FREE" embroidery, try sending them a shirt and see if it's really free (or once again built into their prices).

Digitizing fees are based on the number of stitches in the design. A larger design or one with more stitching (as compared to one with more unstitched areas) will cost more. That said, most left chest and cap designs fall in the $50.00 flat rate one-time fee.

No - Digitizing fees are a one-time thing. As long as you use the same logo, there are no further 'setup' fees for subsequent orders.

Embroidery costs are based on the number of stitches in the design and how many articles we're embroidering with the exact same logo (to include thread colors).

Just about anywhere you want. We have a variety of "hoops" that can handle tricky items.  Along with the standard locations (golf shirts etc) we can handle:

Logos can be resized a little bit (usually about 10%) without incurring an additional charge. Changing from a left chest size to a full back size would and require a completely new digitization of the logo. It can't just be "clicked and dragged" from one size to another. An example of why is in the Central Tool logo shown here. This is a left chest design. Click on the thumbnail picture to see a larger version. The stitching in the large "CTS" letters is called "satin" stitching. That is, the threads on the vertical portion of the large capital "T" go back-and-forth across the width of the letter. One stitch on the left side, the next stitch on the right side, the next stitch back on the left side, and so on. That works fine for a small logo. Using the exact same stitch type for a full back logo would create a stitch so long (across the width of the capital letter "T" again, for example) that it would be likely to snag and get pulled out. For a letter this size, we would use "tatami" stitching that would insert the needle into the fabric a number of times as it goes across the width of the letter as opposed to in one jump in the small logo. One stitch on the left side, a second stitch to the right of the first, but only partway across the width of the letter, a third stitch to the right of the second, but still not to the right side of the letter, and a fourth stitch that actually goes into the right side of the letter, and so on.

While no embroiderer can possibly match every Pantone color (there are over 1000 Pantone colors and not nearly that many thread colors), we understand the system and will work with you to ensure you are satisfied with the thread colors used for your logo.

Click here to go to our Pantone Color Key. 

You can use the same logo for shirts and caps, with some exceptions. First, cap logos can usually be no taller than 2.25" tall, while shirt logos may be taller. Second, cap logos need to stitch from "bottom up and middle out" meaning that the stitching needs to start at the bottom middle of the design and work towards the top and edges as it progresses. This is due to the fact that caps are gripped (hooped) differently than shirts (since a shirt is flat and a cap is curved). If the logo was initially digitized only for use on shirts and you want to put it on caps at a later date, we may need to edit the original file (usually for a small fee)  be able to embroider well on caps.

The essence of a good quality embroidery design is in the quality of the image itself. The design images can be sent as VECTOR images like Corel (AI) or Adobe (EPS) which are best; you can also send JPEG/JPG, WMF, EMF, BMP, GIF, TIF, or scanned images with a resolution equal or greater than 400 DPI. Your image should be sent in the actual size of the logo you wish to have digitized. If you are unable to size the image, please give us the dimensions and we will gladly resize it for you.

Clear artwork will allow us to give precision to the design and it is also important to let us know what type of fabric your logo will be applied to. With this knowledge we can make your logo come to life using the best techniques available.

Bitmap art gets blurry

Bitmap art is made from pixels. There are a set number of pixels (dots) in each inch of the image (the image’s DPI). The more dots per inch the higher the resolution of the image and the clearer it will be. Once an image is created with a certain number of dots per inch it can’t really be made any clearer.

Vector art stays crisp

Vector art isn’t made from pixels at all. It is made from lines and mathematical ratios. Because of this it doesn’t have a DPI. You can take a postage stamp sized vector image and blow it up to the size of a billboard and still have the same amount of detail.

Machines and programs for many processes require vector art for these reasons. It can be easily separated for silkscreen printing, the vector lines can be followed by vinyl cutting and engraving software.

Send an email to quotes@embroideryclassics.ca  or include the image as an attachment with your Quick Quote form. The image should be in a .bmp, .jpg, .gif, or .pdf file format. JPG is our preference. Tell us what size you want your logo to be and what you want to put it on (caps, shirts, fleece, etc.). No more than 3.75" x 2.00" is standard for logos wider than they are tall [or vice versa], or 2.50 inches on a side is standard for logos as wide as they are tall. Cap logos can be no taller than 2.25" or wider than 4.5". Visor logos can be no taller than 1.25" or wider than 4". Often, the limiting factor in a logo's size is small lettering or a thin, small part of the artwork. If we think something needs to be changed, we'll let you know. Email the file to us. 

Yes, for a married couple, the surname first letter is in the middle surrounded by the bride's first initial on the left and the groom's first initial on the right.

Here are some examples. "David St. John" (last name is two-part) "June Carter Cash" (two last names) and “Jane Smith-Brown" (last name is hyphenated)

The monograms would be:
      David St. John: DStJ
      June Carter Cash: JCC
      Jane Smith-Brown: JSB

A traditional monogram would have three letters with the last name initial in the middle and the first name initial to the left and middle name initial to the right: JSA. If choosing this style, then the last name initial is larger than the other two initials next to it.

However, nontraditional or contemporary monogram initials can also be arranged in the same order as the name or using double or single initials. Monogram examples for Jane Anne Smith

• Traditional: JSA (initial order: first, last, middle; the S should be larger than the J and A)
• Contemporary three initials: JAS (initial order: first, middle, last; letters all the same size)
• Two initials: JS (first and last)
• One initial: J or S (first or last)