Custom Sweatshirt Design Guide

Custom design sweatshirts make excellent promotional products, workwear, and thank-you gifts, while providing excellent ROI. Like other outerwear, custom logo sweatshirts generate an average of 6,100 impressions throughout their lifetime, with 70 percent of customers keeping custom design sweatshirts for over a year. 

Before you order custom sweatshirts, there are some essential elements to consider. The quality and make of the sweatshirt itself are important: well-made sweatshirts from recognizable brands make the most impact on your audience. You also need to choose how to customize your sweatshirt. In most cases, this means choosing between embroidered and screen-printed logos. 

Embroidery and Custom Design Sweatshirts

If you need to emphasize quality and professionalism with your custom logo sweatshirts, embroidery is your ideal customization option. Embroidered logos are long-lasting, eye-catching, and look terrific. Depending on your preferences, Triple Crown Products can embroider your logo on the left or right of the sweatshirt chest, above a sleeve cuff, on the upper arm, on the yoke of the sweatshirt, or, for an exceptionally striking piece of customized outerwear, the full back. 

When ordering embroidered custom sweatshirts, keep the following in mind: 

• Shading and color gradients on printed logos don’t translate well into embroidery. Check with the Triple Crown Products art service to see if your existing logo will look good when embroidered. If not, consider using a variant on your logo which uses solid colors. 
• Text size on embroidered logos should not be too small. Small text can become unreadable when stitched, so any text must be at least 0.25” tall when embroidered.
• Large embroidered custom design sweatshirts add weight to the garment and work best with heavier sweatshirt fabrics.
• Embroidery is better than screen printing if your logo has eight or more colors. 

Embroidery is an ideal choice for employee uniforms or for promotional gifts where you need to impress gift recipients with your dedication to high-quality, long-lasting goods. 

Screen Printing Custom Logo Sweatshirts

Screen printing is another popular choice for custom design sweatshirts. Less expensive than embroidery, screen printing produces crisp, clear logos. Large screen-printed logos on the front or back of a sweatshirt display your brand without the added weight of embroidered logos, making large screen-printed images perfect for lighter fabrics. 

Consider the following before you order custom sweatshirts with screen-printed logos:

• Screen printing looks best with logos containing seven colors or less. 
• The fewer colors in your logo, the more cost-efficient screen-printing is, as a different screen is used to dye the sweatshirt with each color.
• Screen printing is an ideal choice if you need to order custom sweatshirts in large quantities.
• Screen printing works best on fabrics without additional textures. Avoid using sweatshirts with ribbed materials. 

Screen printing is ideal for large-scale promotions, as the cost per item is less than for embroidery, and once the printing screens are assembled, they can be used for your entire order.

Choosing Custom Design Sweatshirts

To make custom logo sweatshirts, you need to choose a hoodie that fits your marketing needs and, of course, your budget. Below are six sweatshirt hoodie options for your next promotional project, ranked from Good to Better to Best.

Good: Jerzees Pullover Sweatshirt

Made from a 50/50 cotton/polyester blend and Nublend® pill-resistant fleece, the NuBlend Midweight 8 oz. Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt by Jerzees comes in various colors at a price well-suited for bulk promotional orders.

Good: Jerzees Full-Zip Hooded Sweatshirt

Another good choice for bulk order custom sweatshirts when cost is a factor, the Jerzees full-zip hooded sweatshirt boasts a high stitch density for smooth printing and a single-ply hood.

Better: Unisex Eco Tri Jersey Full Zip Hoodie

Made from Royal Apparel’s new eco triblend of RPET recycled polyester, combed ring spun organic cotton, and rayon, the Unisex Eco Tri Jersey Full Zip Hoodie by Royal Apparel is sustainable, eco-friendly, and incredibly comfortable. 

Better: Unisex Eco Triblend Fleece Pullover Hoodie

The Unisex Eco Triblend Fleece Pullover Hoodie by Royal Apparel is made with the same eco triblend as the Eco Tri Jersey Full Zip Hoodie, with a kangaroo pocket, rib sleeve cuffs, and double-layer hoodie for extra warmth. 

Best: Under Armour Double Threat Hoodie 

Made from a 80/20 cotton/polyester blend with moisture wicking material, the Men's Hustle Pullover Hooded Sweatshirt by Under Armour is a high-quality option ideal for special promotional gifts. The hoody’s moisture transportation system wicks sweat away from the body to keep the wearer dry and comfortable.

Best: Carhartt Midweight Hooded Sweatshirt

Made from a 10.5-oz 50/50 cotton/polyester blend, the Carhartt Midweight Hooded Sweatshirt boasts minimal shrinkage and pilling for long-lasting custom screen printing. An exceptional garment with spandex-reinforced rib-knit cuffs and waistband, this sturdy hoodie is an excellent choice as either a promotional gift or an employee reward.