EMBROIDERING ON GOLF SHIRTS
Digitizing and Embroidery Tips
WHEN TO CHOOSE EMBROIDERY
When adding a design or logo to a golf shirt (also called sport
shirt, polo or corporate casualwear), embroidery makes a powerful
statement. It adds depth and dimension to any garment and is often used
to designate a quality manufacturer or an upscale country club as well
as help build name recognition for a company, group or organization.
Golf shirts were literally designed for the golf course, cut with larger
chest sizes and different armhole angles to allow for extended arm
movements during a game of golf. In recent years, however, the golf
shirt has moved beyond the golf course to casual business events and
dinners out. Not just for men, golf shirts are also cut and styled for
women and have made an appearance in children’s attire. Embroidery, a
traditional choice for the versatile golf shirt, adds style and interest
and is always a quality choice.
LOCATION
Left and Right Chest - The industry standard is to have a logo on the
left chest and personalization, such as an employee’s or member’s name,
on the right chest. Make sure that designs are small enough to fit
comfortably in the space provided. This is especially important on
women’s apparel. Standard left chest placement on medium through extra
large shirts is 8” down from the shoulder seam and 4” over from center
of the shirt—measuring from the center of the of design. A logo on a
woman’s shirt may need to be reduced up to 10% to 15% in size to display
appropriately in the left chest area. The maximum width for a left chest
design on a golf shirt is about 4”. Less is usually better, even for a
shirt designed for men. (Be aware that as the logo or design is reduced
in size, the text sizes will also reduce and may become too small to
digitize properly. Re-designing the logo may be necessary to keep text
no less than 3/16” or ¼” in height.)
Sleeve – Adding a logo, design or slogan to the left sleeve adds variety
and interest as well as providing name recognition for a vendor or
business. A country club might want to add the name of a favorite golf
club or ball to its own embroidered golf shirt, for instance.
Collar – The back of the collar presents another opportunity to add a
unique design or message on a golf shirt
Back – below the collar (yoke area) can also add some variety to design
placement. One consideration for this area is to avoid designs that
could be irritating for the wearer due to backing. Certain designs that
require heavy backing may not be advisable.
FABRIC
Jacquard, bird’s-eye, herringbone, rugby’s, blended jersey, rough
grained pique, 100% combed cotton, cotton blend, fine-gauge pique,
peached twill, lyocell, tapestry, waffle weaves, polyester and today’s
micro fiber fabrics—all of these describe fabrics used in today’s golf
or polo shirts. Each fabric has its own characteristics and must be made
known to the digitizer before a design can be appropriately digitized
for the embroidery process. Pique, for example, will tend to bury thread
in its knap and requires larger sized text or an underlay of stitching
for small lettering or numbers. Also, keep in mind that thinner fabrics
may cost less, but may actually cost more in the long run due to
increased backing required for the sewout process. You may pay a bit
more for a quality fabric, but it may save you money in the sewout
process, last longer and provide a polished appearance that keeps your
customers coming back.
THREAD
With its vibrant colors and high sheen, the traditional choice of thread
for golf shirts is rayon. Keep in mind that a cooler temperature with
color-safe bleach will need to be used for shirts designed with rayon
thread to safeguard its color and sheen. Polyester may be a better
choice for shirts that will be washed in hot water with large amounts of
chlorine bleach.
Not all fabrics are created equal when it comes to determining an
appropriate stitch density level for your chosen thread, whether it’s
rayon, polyester, metallic or other specialized thread type. Make sure
you choose an experienced digitizer who is familiar with many different
types of fabrics and a variety of thread types. If, when a design is
sewn out, the fabric pulls and puckers, there’s a good chance the
density of the stitching is too heavy. If the fabric is showing through,
the stitch density is probably too low. Letting your digitizer know the
type of fabric in the shirt and specifying the type of thread preferred
will help them to provide you with a digitized tape that creates a
quality image and sews out well and easily—the first time.
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Letter size is an important consideration when creating a design for the
embroidery process. Script or serif fonts are not advisable for small
text. For best results, use capitalized letters in a sans serif font
such as Arial (for text under ½”). (Your digitizer can advise you if the
text in your design will sew out well at its original size.) The minimum
letter heights listed below are for sans serif, block letters, sewn in a
satin stitch. For large lettering, you may choose a fill stitch rather
than a satin stitch. This increases the stitch count in the letter area,
making the stitches smaller and more resistant to snagging and tears.
Suggested minimum Letter Height by Fabric:
Pique, Terry cloth, Fleece .…. 1/ 4”
Twill, Most other fabrics …… 3/16”
SEWOUT PROCESS
An important tip for the sewout process is to make sure the purchase
order is received by your embroiderer before the goods to be sewn reach
their shipping docks. If your purchase order doesn’t arrive first, your
items may wind up buried in a warehouse or shipping room, and you may
find yourself bumped back on their work schedule.
MARKETING IDEAS
If you’re customer comes to you and says, “I need embroidered golf
shirts for an upcoming company golf tournament,” you might suggest other
items to accompany the shirts at the event. Windbreakers and hats make
great souvenirs and are always appreciated by golfers. Embroidered golf
towels, umbrellas, golf bag covers and golf shoe bags can also help make
your customer’s tournament a memorable event that stands out from the
ordinary and creates long term advertising for your customer’s company.
Copyright 2005. Unauthorized Duplication Prohibited. Contact Fast Embroidery Tapes for permission.
