Monogram & Design Placement Article
This is a great we came across from Impressions Magazine.
Giving you a little insight on how we decide on placement for your personalized items.
Unfortunately, there are no hard-and-fast rules when it comes to embroidery sizing and placement. There are, however, some general guidelines you should follow when doing some of the more common placements. In addition, understanding how many of these guidelines were derived will help you establish your own guidelines for size and placement, or at least help you know what to look for when you are "eyeballing it."
Shirts
Standard left-chest location. Placement guidelines for adult sizes (small, medium and large) is around 8 inches down from the shoulder and 4 inches over from the center. If you look to see where this is located on the shirt, you will find it puts the logo vertically about midway down from where the sleeve is sewn into the body of the shirt and horizontally just to the right edge of the collar.
As shirts change sizes, measured guides attempt to maintain this position. For instance, as a shirt gets larger, the neck opening gets larger, pushing the logo farther from the center. The opening for the sleeve also is larger, which pushes the logo farther down the shirt. With a polo shirt, the placket changes in length with the shirt size as well. In general, the bottom of the design should stay above the bottom of a three-button placket.
Pocket shirt placement. Pocket shirts are easier to deal with than other shirts. The pocket provides a fixed reference point for placement, rather than measuring down and over. The bottom of a design is usually positioned .25 /1/2 inch to 1 inch above the pocket. This leaves enough space to prevent anything placed in the pocket from obstructing the view of the design.
Shirts
Standard left-chest location. Placement guidelines for adult sizes (small, medium and large) is around 8 inches down from the shoulder and 4 inches over from the center. If you look to see where this is located on the shirt, you will find it puts the logo vertically about midway down from where the sleeve is sewn into the body of the shirt and horizontally just to the right edge of the collar.
As shirts change sizes, measured guides attempt to maintain this position. For instance, as a shirt gets larger, the neck opening gets larger, pushing the logo farther from the center. The opening for the sleeve also is larger, which pushes the logo farther down the shirt. With a polo shirt, the placket changes in length with the shirt size as well. In general, the bottom of the design should stay above the bottom of a three-button placket.
Pocket shirt placement. Pocket shirts are easier to deal with than other shirts. The pocket provides a fixed reference point for placement, rather than measuring down and over. The bottom of a design is usually positioned .25 /1/2 inch to 1 inch above the pocket. This leaves enough space to prevent anything placed in the pocket from obstructing the view of the design.
Pocket shirts are one of the sources for guidelines used for sizing of left- and right-chest logos. The general guideline is that logos should be no more than 4 inches wide. This is because pockets are usually around 4 inches wide and logos shouldn't extend past the width of the pocket.
Sealed with a handshake. Have you ever wondered why the left side is the dominant placement for embroidery? It is quite simple really. It is all based on a handshake. You see, when you shake hands with someone, your right arm covers the right side of your chest as you reach across to shake the other person's hand. However, the left side is still fully visible, not to mention that the pocket on a shirt is usually on the left side. Now as to why the pocket is on the left, I can only surmise that it's easier for a right-handed person to pull something out of a pocket on the left side than on the right.
Of course, the left chest is not the only place to put a logo on a shirt. Many times, both sides of the chest will have embroidery, often a logo and the individual's name. Typically, the company logo goes on the left chest, and the name goes on the right.
On the Sleeve. One of the more popular placements today is on the sleeve of short-sleeve shirts. The logo is either the same size or slightly smaller as it would be if it were a left-chest design. The placement puts the bottom of the design about 1/2 inch above the cuff on the sleeve, centered with the shoulder seam. As far as which sleeve it goes on, that is really up to the customer. Most of the ones I see are on the left sleeve, but either one or both are acceptable.
Sleeve logo placement is particularly popular for shirts that are used as giveaways. The logic behind this trend is two-fold. First, if you have a shirt with a logo on the left chest you may be likely to wear it except at certain places, whereas if it was on the less-conspicuous sleeve location, you may be more likely to wear it even on a Saturday evening.
AROUND THE CAP
Front and center. The sizing on the front has more to do with the physical limitations of a cap than it does with any etiquette. On most caps, you are lucky to squeeze out 21/4 inches of height. Generally, for the front placement, you don't go any wider than the front two panels, but usually designs are well short of that.
Around the back. On the back of caps, it really depends on the type of cap as to how the back design will be placed. Usually, embroidery on the back of caps is lettering or a small symbol. If it is a fitted cap, you put the design just off the bottom of the cap. I usually sew right through the cap band.
For caps with size adjusters and an opening at the back, the design goes just over the opening. If it is text, it is normally arched around the opening. The sizing is pretty small as it often being framed in a 12 cm (5 inch) hoop.
On the sides. Placement for sides of caps is the center of the side panel. If it is a logo, it is often 1/2 inch to 1 inch or so off the bottom of the cap. However, when doing just lettering on the side of a cap (i.e., a Web address), that is placed right along the bottom of the cap.
Contirbuted By: Steven Batts, a consultant with 15 years experience in the embroidery industry.
Sealed with a handshake. Have you ever wondered why the left side is the dominant placement for embroidery? It is quite simple really. It is all based on a handshake. You see, when you shake hands with someone, your right arm covers the right side of your chest as you reach across to shake the other person's hand. However, the left side is still fully visible, not to mention that the pocket on a shirt is usually on the left side. Now as to why the pocket is on the left, I can only surmise that it's easier for a right-handed person to pull something out of a pocket on the left side than on the right.
Of course, the left chest is not the only place to put a logo on a shirt. Many times, both sides of the chest will have embroidery, often a logo and the individual's name. Typically, the company logo goes on the left chest, and the name goes on the right.
On the Sleeve. One of the more popular placements today is on the sleeve of short-sleeve shirts. The logo is either the same size or slightly smaller as it would be if it were a left-chest design. The placement puts the bottom of the design about 1/2 inch above the cuff on the sleeve, centered with the shoulder seam. As far as which sleeve it goes on, that is really up to the customer. Most of the ones I see are on the left sleeve, but either one or both are acceptable.
Sleeve logo placement is particularly popular for shirts that are used as giveaways. The logic behind this trend is two-fold. First, if you have a shirt with a logo on the left chest you may be likely to wear it except at certain places, whereas if it was on the less-conspicuous sleeve location, you may be more likely to wear it even on a Saturday evening.
AROUND THE CAP
Front and center. The sizing on the front has more to do with the physical limitations of a cap than it does with any etiquette. On most caps, you are lucky to squeeze out 21/4 inches of height. Generally, for the front placement, you don't go any wider than the front two panels, but usually designs are well short of that.
Around the back. On the back of caps, it really depends on the type of cap as to how the back design will be placed. Usually, embroidery on the back of caps is lettering or a small symbol. If it is a fitted cap, you put the design just off the bottom of the cap. I usually sew right through the cap band.
For caps with size adjusters and an opening at the back, the design goes just over the opening. If it is text, it is normally arched around the opening. The sizing is pretty small as it often being framed in a 12 cm (5 inch) hoop.
On the sides. Placement for sides of caps is the center of the side panel. If it is a logo, it is often 1/2 inch to 1 inch or so off the bottom of the cap. However, when doing just lettering on the side of a cap (i.e., a Web address), that is placed right along the bottom of the cap.
Contirbuted By: Steven Batts, a consultant with 15 years experience in the embroidery industry.
