T-shirt embroidery is popular for branded merchandise, team uniforms, and personalised gifts. Unlike screen printing, embroidery adds texture, durability, and a premium feel to any garment. Here's how to create the perfect T-shirt embroidery design using SewFlow.
T-Shirt Embroidery Placement and Size Guide
| Placement | Standard Size | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Left chest | 80–100 mm wide | Most common position — logo or monogram |
| Centre chest | 150–250 mm wide | Bold statement pieces |
| Pocket area | 60–80 mm wide | On shirts with chest pockets |
| Back yoke | 200–300 mm wide | Large team or brand designs |
| Sleeve | 50–70 mm wide | Logo or small text |
| Lower hem | 50–80 mm wide | Brand details or small accent |
Creating Your T-Shirt Embroidery Design
- 1Decide on placement — left chest is most common for branded tees.
- 2For a logo or graphic, go to sewflow.com/image, upload your design, and set the width to match your placement.
- 3For a text design (team name, slogan), use sewflow.com/text.
- 4Choose JEF (Janome), DST (commercial), or PES (Brother) based on your machine.
- 5Preview the stitch pattern, then download.
- 6Hoop your T-shirt with a cut-away stabilizer for knit fabrics.
- 7Test stitch on a spare shirt before the full run.
Design your T-shirt embroidery file for free:
Open Image to Embroidery →Fabric Tip
T-shirts are knit fabrics that stretch. Always use a cut-away stabilizer (not tear-away) hooped with the shirt. This prevents the design from distorting or pulling the fabric. For very stretchy performance fabrics, add a topping (water-soluble film) over the embroidery area.