How much does custom embroidery cost? Stitch count, digitizing and quantity
Embroidery prices look opaque until you see how they're built. Almost every quote, from a home embroiderer or a ten-head shop, comes down to four parts: the stitches, the digitizing, the item, and how many you want.
1. The stitches
Most embroiderers price by the 1,000 stitches, because stitch count tracks machine time and thread. Z Digitizing's pricing guide puts a typical rate at around $1 to $3 per 1,000 stitches, with high-volume work sometimes lower (Z Digitizing).
How many stitches is a design? It depends on size and how much of it is filled. ASI's worked example puts a solid 2 x 2 inch fill at about 5,648 to 6,917 stitches, depending on density (ASI). An outline or simple lettering at the same size uses a fraction of that.
So a design of 8,000 stitches at $2 per 1,000 is $16 of stitching per piece, the same worked example Z Digitizing uses.
2. Digitizing
A machine can't sew a PNG. Someone has to convert the artwork into a stitch file: stitch types, direction, density, order. That's digitizing, and it's charged once per design, commonly $10 to $75, with complex jacket backs at $65 to $150 or more (same source).
On one item, that fee is most of the bill. On 50 items, it nearly disappears. Z Digitizing's example: a $30 digitizing fee spread across 100 shirts adds $0.30 a shirt.
3. The item
If the maker supplies the blank (cap, polo, tote), that's on the bill too. Structured caps and heavy jackets are slower to hoop and sew; the same guide lists surcharges of about $1 to $2.50 for structured caps and $2 to $4 for heavy jackets. Sending your own item saves the blank but may carry a handling fee.
4. Quantity and deadline
Many shops discount by quantity tiers. The example tiers in Z Digitizing's guide are full price for 1 to 11 pieces, 15% off at 12 to 47 and 30% off at 48 to 143. A deadline inside 24 to 48 hours typically adds 25% to 50% to the total.
Putting it together
| Order | What dominates the price |
|---|---|
| 1 patch or 1 cap | Digitizing and setup |
| 6–11 shirts, left chest | Digitizing, then stitches and blanks |
| 24 caps | Stitches and blanks, with a tier discount |
| 1 jacket back | Digitizing and a high stitch count |
Two habits cut the bill on small orders. First, keep the design simple: outlines and open fills sew faster than solid blocks. Second, ask for the stitch file when you pay for digitizing, so a reorder doesn't pay for it twice.
Get a range, then real bids
Our free embroidery price calculator turns a stitch count and quantity into a range using the figures above. For the real number, post the job with your artwork. It's free, there's no minimum, and embroiderers bid on what they can actually see. The payment is held until the order arrives and you confirm delivery.