The bulk embroidery order checklist: 12 things to confirm before you pay a deposit

A 200-shirt order can go wrong in 30 different ways: shirts arrive in the wrong sizes, the logo is positioned too low, the deadline slips, the per-unit price quietly grows, the colours do not match the brand kit. Almost every one of those failures can be prevented by 15 minutes of careful confirmation before any money changes hands.

Use this checklist for any order above roughly 50 garments. Send it to your provider as a written brief and ask them to confirm each line in writing.

Before quoting

1. Garment style, brand, colour and exact size breakdown (e.g. 10×S, 30×M, 50×L, 20×XL).
2. Fabric weight (e.g. 180gsm cotton tee vs 220gsm polo) — heavier fabric stitches differently.
3. Logo placement, with measurements from the seam or shoulder, not vague descriptions.
4. Finished logo size in millimetres, not pixels or percentages.
5. Pantone or hex colour references for every thread colour.

Before paying a deposit

1. Written total including digitizing, garments, stitching, packaging and any delivery charge.
2. Per-unit price stated separately so you know what a top-up order will cost.
3. Sew-out sample requirement: one physical sample, on the actual fabric, photographed before bulk runs.
4. Production deadline in writing, with a contingency date that absorbs delays.
5. Sizing tolerance and ruin allowance — what happens if 2% of garments come out flawed?
6. Payment terms: deposit percentage, balance due on delivery vs on approval.
7. Who owns the digitized stitch file after delivery (the answer should be you).

Why each line matters

Size breakdown

Embroidery shops rarely stock garments. They order them in from a wholesaler once your deposit clears. If the wholesaler is short on XL, the shop will either delay the whole order or substitute another brand. Naming the brand and size in writing pushes that conversation up front.

Logo placement in millimetres

"Left chest, standard" is not a measurement. A left-chest logo can sit anywhere from 90 mm to 160 mm down from the shoulder seam depending on garment size and operator habit. State a number (e.g. 100 mm down, 90 mm in from the centre placket) and ask for a photo of the first sample with a tape measure visible.

Sew-out sample on actual fabric

A sample stitched on a scrap of fabric is not a sample. It must be on the same garment, same colour, same wash state, photographed in daylight. This catches thread-colour clashes (e.g. navy thread on charcoal cotton looks black) before you commit to a full run.

Ownership of the stitch file

If the provider keeps your stitch file, you are locked in. Pay for digitizing once, get the .DST/.EMB file, and store it. Your second supplier — for the day you need one — will thank you.