Hat Embroidery: Everything You Need To Know

1. Hat Embroidery

Can you embroider on a hat?

Yes, you can embroidery on a hat.

  Hats are actually one of the most popular genres of embroidered items in apparel and fashion field. Like polos, jackets,shirts, vests and towels, cap’s embroidery becomes a trend in modern times. A range of caps are combined with stitching art when it comes to embellishment and decoration, making cap embroidery a business with strong momentum for growth in new era. However, embroidering on a hat is not as easy as that on a normal piece of fabric. Hats got curves and seams, and some of them are made of tricky materials which can be challenging for putting a needle in and out of. So, to own your custom embroidery hat, there are some tips and tricks to notice. Let’s explore it!

2. Embroider With Machine

Have you got an embroidery machine? Designed for simplify embroidery process, it’s a good helper for every embroiderer.

  The ordinary embroidery machine can stitch designs on unstructured hats. While some hats are made of tough fabrics , a specially designed cap embroidery machine could be a better option.

2.1 Can you use an embroidery machine on a hat?

Yes, embroidering a hat on an embroidery machine is feasible. You can use a regular machine as well as a professional hat embroidery machine. Their hooping process differs while both can generate nice results for you.

2.2 What kind of embroidery machine do you need to do hats?

Hat embroidery machines and regular embroidery machines are both good options to do hats. Hat embroidery is an exquisite craft requires extra attention to detail. Therefore, hat embroidery was designed to unburden embroiderers. But the special machine is not the only option. A regular embroidery machine can produce high quality patterns on hats, too. This can be a bit trickier than embroidering a regular fabric though.

2.3 Can a regular embroidery machine embroider hats?

Yes, a regular embroidery machine can be used to embroider hats. With soft and unstructured hats, they are easy to use; With tougher and structured hats, it’s harder to get the job done. It needs you to make some extra efforts in the whole process. Is this way worth it? That depends on you.

 

3. Embroider With Hoop

3.1 Can you embroider a hat without a hoop?

No, a hoop is a must-have for any embroidery process, especially when embroidering a hat.

  Keeping the fabric taut before any needlework is indispensable, no matter in hand embroidery or machine embroidery. Most hats have curved surfaces and even multiple layers of fabrics, which doubles the difficulties of embroidering. So, never forget to use a hoop, it is designed to help you. And the results will tell you a difference.

3.2 Can I embroider a hat without a hat hoop?

Yes, embroidering a hat without a hat hoop is feasible. Some unstructured hats are not necessarily need to be hooped by a specific hat hoop. While other structured hats are highly requested and usually require a special hat hoop. However, the talented embroiderers do create some skills for hooping hats using ordinary hoops. It certainly costs more trouble than using a hat hoop, but many professionals do perform embroidery like this sometimes. It’s not a skill for everyone, some says it’s difficult. But it takes nothing to have a try.

3.3 How do you put an embroidery hoop on a hat?

To put a hoop on a hat, there are various ways depending on the type of your hat and the type of hoop. The method varies when the items change. But after all, there are some common things need to be done.

1. Prepare the hat

Make sure the area needs to be embroidered on is flat and clean. Ironing it is a good idea for removing wrinkles.

2. Prepare the hoop

You have to be careful with the hoop sizes. It should be large enough to accommodate the whole area where is to be embroidered on. At the same time, if it’s too large than the embroidery area, then the fixing effect cannot be good. You can use some hooping aid tools to optimize the hooping effect.

3. Add Stabilizer

Stabilizer is a necessity. The hats can be stretchy like any other fabrics as well. You can use one or two layers of stabilizer onto the hoop. For example, if the hat design requires keeping a certain shape, a heat-bonded or non-woven stabilizer may be good choice. If the hat design is  simple and does not require long-term maintenance of the shape of the embroidery pattern, a water-soluble stabilizer may be better. A bit of blasting spray may also be helpful.

4. Place the hat on the hoop & tighten the hoop

This process requires paying a lot of attention to details. Watching a video of instructions certainly helps you more. You can view all kinds of guiding videos on YouTube.

4. The Size of Hat Embroidery Pattern

4.1 How big can embroidery be on a hat?

The size of embroidery design on a hat mainly relies on the size of the empty space on the hat’s surface. A pattern that’s slightly smaller than this area is the biggest size allowed. Another tip for you, mind your selection of the design’s location. Generally speaking, the front, back and side of the hat can all be your choice to personalize your style, but in some occasions your might ruin the pattern by fail judgement. For example, when embroidering a snapback trucker hat, you have to keep the design away from the straps and holes in the back of the cap.

4.2 What size is embroidery for front of hat?

The size of around 1.75” is suitable for most of the front of hats. But it still varies from hats to hats, which requires a case-by-case analysis. The picture below could give you a more intuitive understanding:

 

4.3 Can you embroider a hat with 4 x 4 hoop?

Yes, hooping a hat with a hoop of 4 x 4 size is possible. This is a small-sized hoop which can be used upon most of embroidering materials. Actually, if you’re going to embroider a hat, a 4 x 4 hoop might be the best choice among mainstream options.

4.4 What is the best embroidery size for a hat?

There is no criteria to define which size is the best one for hat embroidery. It varies by the embroidery location, but after all there is limitation to the hat embroidery pattern. It can neither be too big nor too small to keep clarity of the pattern. Here is a chart of the standard embroidery logo size for referring to: ( Date comes from threadlogic.com)

5. FAQ

5.1 Do you need stabilizer for hat embroidery?

Yes, whatever fabrics you’re embroidering on, stabilizer is a necessity can’t be missed.

  When your embroidery subject is a hat, it can be stretchy like other fabrics as well. Especially for unstructured hats. Sometimes they are so soft and stretchy that two layers of stabilizers are used when embroidering.

5.2 What needle is best for embroidering hats?

The best needle for hat embroidery depends on fabric and complexity of design. Here are some tips for selecting a perfect needle for your hat embroidery work. Firstly, choose the right needle type. The ball point needles prevents the yarn from fraying. It can be used for knit fabrics like beanie hats. And sharp point needles are with sharp tips, which enables them to concentrate its strength and pierce through the fabric. They are best for hats and heavy fabrics.

  Next, you should choose the right needle sizes. 75/11 is a common size that can be used on almost any cloth, but 80/12 suits tougher fabrics better. Heavier fabrics require larger needles Then, it’s the needle material. Titanium needles are stronger and reduce needle breakage and bending, which makes it an ideal choice for piercing through caps. What’s more, needles must be changed regularly as it get dull pretty soon if used with high frequency. For best results, all tips above should be followed.

5.3 How long does it take to embroider a hat?

5-6 minutes. That’s the minimum time of finishing a simple design on a hat with machine runs at 3,000 stitches per minute. And your time for startup, which can take you about 10 to 15 min, is not included in that data. The model of machine, size and complexity of the design mainly decide the time period of embroidery a hat. Different machines has different embroidering speed, which varies from 600 to 1,200 stitches per minute (SPM). But remember, the fastest speed is not equal with the best embroidery speed. Setting the machine at a speed suitable for your embroidery items can optimize the outcome and prevent troubles like thread breaks. As to the sizes and complexity of the design, it’s easy to imagine. With a bigger or more delicate embroidery pattern, the job obviously takes longer time to finish. Because more area needs to be covered and longer distance the needle has to move across. Other factors influence as well. The number of colors is less of a problem but it does affect the embroidery efficiency. When the pattern has multiple colors, the machine will have to change the floss and trim, leading to an increase in time. Every color exchanging could cost around 12-20 minutes.

  One thing to notice, hat embroidery actually takes longer period compared with regular garment. This is because they can not be embroidered without being through some structural damage. So the embroidery must be performed with a slower speed to avoid as much damage as possible. The extra time is worth it though. By the way, if you’re going to embroider by hand, then it’s hard to presume the time it’ll cost. Because the results vary a lot depend on your experience and the type of embroidery method. And it certainly has a lower production rate than machine embroidery.

5.4 Can you embroider a hat on a single needle machine?

Yes, you can embroider a hat on a single-needle machine. The difference between a single needle machine and a multi needle machine only lies in the production rate. So, it really doesn’t matter whether your machine is equipped with one needle or 2 to 18 needles. As long as you don’t pursue the efficiency of getting your products finished, a single-needle embroidery machine is a nice option. It has many advantages as well, like easy to use for beginners and very cost-effective.

5.5 Can a Brother embroidery machine do hats?

Yes. Brother embroidery machines include a wide range of models. In fact, most of them are capable of embroidery hats just like embroidering regular fabrics. Although it’s recommended to have your accessory like needle and supplies like threads changed for ones more hat-friendly. Most hat genres such as baseball caps, beanies and snapback hats are all embroider-able using a Brother embroidery machine.

5.6 Can you embroider a hat without a hat hoop?

Yes, it’s feasible to embroider hats without a hat hoop. However, the process can be more complicated than embroidering using a cap frame. Normally hat embroidery is higher requested, thus the special hat hoop was created. But without that, there are other money-saving ways, too. You can embroider a hat without a hat hoop. Watch the below video for detailed instruction:

Conclusion

Caps are among the many clothing articles that embroiderers love most. The designs can not only differ your headwear from other people’s, but also add the perfect aesthetic flair to your outfit. So why not embark on the craft and learn how to embroider on your beloved caps? It can be a little harder than other garments such as hoodies and sweaters, but as long as you follow the guide step by step, you can embroider hats like a professional in no time. Wanna have your own customization? Act now!

  For more information on machine embroidery, watch our tutorials on YouTube and join our TikTok and Instagram community. We also provide high quality embroidery hoops including tubular hoops and magnetic hoops, you are very welcome to be our customers. Thanks for your support! Leave a comment, and feel free to inquire any questions regarding to the industry. We are always glad to help.