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If you have never ordered embroidered workwear before, the process can feel unclear. What artwork do you need to send? How long will it take? What is the minimum order? This guide walks through every step, so you know exactly what to expect when ordering embroidered workwear from BR Apparel in Bradford.
Step 1: Choose Your Garments
The first step is deciding which garments you want embroidered. At BR Apparel we supply over 30 garment brands from our Bradford showroom, including Uneek, Portwest, Regatta Professional, AWDis, Gildan, Pro RTX and more. You can browse the full range on our brands page.
Not sure which garment to choose? Visit our Bradford showroom and see the full range in person. We will advise you on which fabric and style works best for your sector and how it holds embroidery.
Key things to decide at this stage:
- Garment type: polo shirt, T-shirt, hoodie, fleece, softshell jacket or hi-vis?
- Brand: Uneek, Portwest, Regatta, AWDis or one of our other 30+ brands?
- Quantity: minimum 6 items for embroidery, and sizes can be mixed
- Colours: most brands offer a wide colour range to match your brand
Step 2: Send Us Your Logo
Once you have chosen your garments, we need your logo to create the embroidery digitisation. Here is what works best:
- Vector file (AI, EPS or SVG): the best format, gives the cleanest result
- High resolution PNG or PDF: 300dpi minimum, transparent background preferred
- Avoid low resolution JPEGs, as these cannot be digitised cleanly
If you only have a low resolution version of your logo, we can redraw it as a vector for a one-off artwork charge from £10. This is worth doing. It improves the embroidery result significantly and means you have a clean vector file for future use.
Step 3: Digitisation and Visual Proof
Digitisation is the process of converting your logo into an embroidery file, a stitch by stitch programme that the machine reads to reproduce your logo in thread. At BR Apparel the one-off digitising charge is £15 per design. Once digitised, there is no setup charge on any reorder of the same design.
For orders of 12 or more items, we provide a free visual proof, a digital preview of how your logo will look embroidered on the garment. For orders under 12 items, a visual proof is available for £5 (up to 3 garments) or £10 (up to 8 garments).
We will not start embroidering until you have approved the proof. The turnaround clock starts from the date of your approval.
Step 4: Production
Once you have approved the proof, we load your garments onto our Tajima 8-head embroidery machine and begin production. The machine runs multiple heads simultaneously, so a batch of 50 polo shirts is typically completed in a single session.
Embroidery pricing at BR Apparel for a simple chest logo:
| Quantity | Simple logo | Medium logo | Complex logo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 item | £10.00 | £15.00 | £20.00 |
| 2 to 5 items | £6.00 | £8.00 | £10.00 |
| 6 to 24 items | £4.00 | £5.00 | £6.00 |
| 25 to 99 items | £3.00 | £4.00 | £5.00 |
| 100 to 249 items | £2.75 | £3.75 | £4.75 |
| 250 to 999 items | £2.50 | £3.50 | £4.50 |
Prices are per garment, excluding VAT, plus the £15 one-off digitising charge per new design.
Step 5: Delivery
Standard turnaround is 4 to 5 working days from artwork approval. This covers production and quality checking before dispatch. Orders are delivered to your address by courier, or you can collect from our Bradford showroom.
For reorders of an existing design, the process is even simpler, as the digitisation is already complete and your artwork is held on file.
What About DTF Printing?
Embroidery is the most popular choice for workwear because it is durable, professional looking and survives repeated washing. However, DTF (Direct to Film) printing is sometimes a better option, particularly for full colour, detailed logos or large back print areas where embroidery would be impractical. Our guide to embroidery vs printed logos covers the differences in detail.
We offer both services in-house at Bradford. Not sure which is right for your logo? We will advise you when you get in touch, or visit the showroom and we will show you examples of both.
Ready to Get Started?
Call us on 01274 491410, send us your requirements online or visit our Bradford showroom at Unit 2 Great Russell Court, Fieldhead Business Centre, BD7 1JZ. We will give you a quote within 24 hours of receiving your logo and garment requirements.