Custom Hat FAQs

Whether you are looking to accessorize your favorite outfit or just cover up a bad hair day, adding a hat to your custom order can really bring your brand to the next level. Hats can attract a wider demographic of shoppers or be the final touch on the perfect staff uniform, so regardless of what you are looking for in a hat, chances are we have something that you'd love!

The blank hat you choose can make or break this piece de resistance; there are lots of different fits and styles of the blank hat themselves, and that doesn't even open up the question of how they can be decorated. If you're unsure about how to begin selecting your perfect hat, hopefully this guide will be of service!

Fit

Structured vs. unstructured? Put differently, does the hat stand up by itself when it's on a table? A structured hat is more common in snapback and trucker hats while an unstructured hat is more common in low profile dad hats.

Low profile vs. mid profile? This is the height of the crown of the hat, or how low it comes down on your head. While it sounds counter-intuitive, a low-profile hat doesn't come down as far on your head while a mid-profile sits right around the ears.

Number of panels? Count the spaces between the seams you see on the hat; most have six panels with a seam down the center of the crown but some have five panels by removing that center seam. This doesn't often affect the fit of the hat but we might make a recommendation on one or the other depending on your artwork.

Closure style? There are four primary closures; hook and loop, sliding buckle, snapback, and fitted. Similar to the number of panels, the closures don't affect the fit itself but it can affect price and availability. 

Decoration

Our default decoration method is classic embroidery, which is the most versatile. With the vast number of thread colors available and the thickness of a hat, most logos look great with a classic embroidery, but depending on the nature of your logo or the look you are trying to achieve, we might have a different recommendation. If you're unsure about what option is best for you, the technical differences between decoration, or anything in between, please keep reading!

Embroidery

• Minimum order: 10 units, better pricing at 25 pieces
• Pricing: generally around $13-$17 but can go up or down depending on hat and number of stitches
• Best used for: Simple logos or text with minimal intricacies

As stated above, embroidery is our default decoration method when it comes to hats and we'll always start with that unless you ask for something different off the bat. With dozens of color combinations and a fairly big decoration area, the classic threaded embroidery will check a lot of your boxes and can go on virtually any type of hat (or other garment!).

Leather Patches

• Minimum order: 25 pieces
• Pricing: generally $15 - $19
• Best used for: Bold, single color logos

Leather patches are one of the most popular requests at the moment. A timeless and classically simple look, leather patches do have some design restrictions and can't go on every hat type, but when it works, it works beautifully. Leather patches are available in three different colors, are mostly limited to standard geometric shapes (the faux leather patch offers some more flexibility) and are best utilized with logos that aren't busy or detailed as the etching can only get so small. 

Embroidered Patches

• Minimum order: 25 pieces
• Pricing: $$$
• Best used for: Designs that need to show a contrast in color or have large filled in elements

Embroidered patches are similar to embroidery in the texture and colors available, but might be less expensive depending on your project. Logos that require broad shapes and changes of color will cost more in embroidery because of the number of stitches required to fill the gap, so an embroidered patch might be just the solution. If you have a logo that requires even finer details, then the next one might be right for you.

Woven Patches

• Minimum order: 50 pieces
• Pricing: $$$
• Best used for: Designs that require intricate details like thin text or lines

Slightly different from an embroidered patch, a woven patch still uses a needle and thread but at a much smaller scale, making this a fantastic option for smaller elements in a design. Another great example is this hat from our friends over at Michigan Awesome; the license plate design has lots of small elements that would get muddled with a classic embroidery, so the woven patch is the perfect next step. 

Print-Stitch Patches

• Minimum order: 50 pieces
• Pricing: $$$$
• Best used for: Designs with the smallest details, usually graphic/non-text

When you have a logo with tiny elements (under a tenth of an inch) that need colors to keep the integrity of the design, the print-stitch patch might be your best bet. This is a hybrid patch that contains some embroidered elements and some digitally sublimated elements to give you the best of both worlds. In the image below, you'll see the border and "MEMBA" is embroidered but the graphic and small text and there are no concessions when it comes to the small details.

PVC Patches

• Minimum order: 50 pieces
• Pricing: $$$$$
• Best used for: Big, bold, and beautiful art

Arguably the coolest patch option available, the PVC patch can also be the most restrictive. Similar to the leather patch, this style requires simple and clean artwork to be effective because of the etching involved in creating the customization. Fine details are doable if they aren't crowded (see the spaced out "YACHTS" below) by other elements and this patch is only compatible with certain hat types, primarily those of the 5-panel variety.

Other Common Questions

• Can you screen print on hats? We don't screen print on hats given the smaller and curved decoration area, but we can always suggest alternative methods.
• How is embroidery pricing different? Like screen printing, there is a minimum order (10 of the same garment type in most cases) and we have price breaks at 25, 50, and 100 units, but unlike screen printing, embroidery is not priced by the number of colors. Embroidery is priced by the stitch count, so larger, denser designs will cost more even if they aren't necessarily big or colorful. 
• What type of fabrics are most hats?  The majority of hats use cotton as the primary fabric; unstructured and garment dyed hats use a cotton twill. Twill refers to the direction and weave in which the cotton is woven together; it creates a tight face that is durable and thick, which is perfect for embroidery. Most truckers are a cotton/polyester blend to help retain the shape and the mesh is polyester. Just like tees, there are other hats that are 100% performance polyester, moisture wicking, acrylic, you name it!
• How do I know which decoration is best for my design? If you're between a few methods, think about the smallest details of your design - what's their color scheme? Can they be rearranged or relocated? Are they even necessary? Not every design will work well with each decoration method, but by going through our guide here, hopefully you can make an educated guess!
• Do I have to use the same hat for every patch? There can be some flexibility depending on your decoration. We do have the ability to mix and match hat colors with the same patch style/design (for example, 25 navy hats and 25 gray hats with the same leather patch gets you the 50-unit price), but the joy of custom printing is that no job is ever the same so unfortunately there isn't a blanket answer.

 If this page has gotten you in a hat mood, contact us to start your order today!