Resources. Placement playbook

Where it goes.

Every print, stitch, and transfer has a home. This is the field guide, standard locations on tops, hats, bags, and aprons, plus the max sizes your art can fill before things get squirrelly. Use it when you build your quote, share it with your designer, save it for next time.

5
decoration methods
14
placement zones
5
max locations per garment
16×20
biggest single print (in)
Tops Hats & Caps Embroidery Bags & Totes Aprons Patches Quick reference By method
01. Tees, hoodies, polos, jackets

Placements on tops.

The bread-and-butter placements for screen printing, DTF, and heat transfer. Pick up to four locations per garment, most jobs land at one or two. The numbered map below matches what you'll see in our quote builder.

Standard placements

Front & back placement map

Numbered locations match the quote builder. Pick any combination. Each location is a separate print run.

T-shirt placement chart
Front + back · numbered zones · vector art coming
1
Full front
Centered torso, biggest canvas
2
Left chest
Most common logo spot
3
Right chest
Same size as left
4
Left sleeve
Wearer's left arm
5
Right sleeve
Wearer's right arm
6
Full back
Big graphics, team names
7
Neck label / yoke
Inside or outside collar
8
Left sleeve (back)
Visible from behind
9
Right sleeve (back)
Visible from behind
Max sizes

How big can it go?

Maximums for screen printing, DTF, and heat transfer. Embroidery sizes are smaller, see the embroidery section below.

T-shirt max print sizes
Dimensioned print boxes · vector art coming
Full front / back
Standard 11"×15" · Oversize 16"×20"
Left / right chest
4"×4"
Sleeves
3.5"×3.5"
Neck label
2"×2"

Note: Oversize prints (above 11"×15") require automatic press capacity and may add a small per-piece premium. Bigger than 16"×20"? It's a custom quote. We have presses that can print to 22"×26" for the right job.

02. Hats, caps, beanies

Placements on hats.

Caps have four real estate options: front panel, side panels, and back. Embroidery is the premium answer for structured caps; flat-bills can also take screen prints, DTF, or patches. Beanies are embroidery-only, knit fabric won't hold ink.

Standard placements

Cap placement map

Front panel is the headliner: sides and back are great for secondary logos, dates, or call-outs.

Cap placement chart
Front · side · back views · vector art coming
1
Hat front
The headliner, most logos go here
2
Side panel (L or R)
Secondary logo, dates, call-outs
3
Hat back
Above the closure strap
Max sizes

Cap size limits

Structured 6-panel caps clear less space than dad hats or trucker caps. These are the safe maximums by zone.

Cap max sizes
Embroidery + print dimensions · vector art coming

Heads up: Beanies are embroidery-only (the knit will distort under heat-press or screen ink). Foam-front trucker caps and unstructured 5-panel "dad" hats can take slightly larger fronts. We'll confirm based on the SKU you choose.

03. Stitch on cotton, fleece, twill, mesh

Embroidery placements.

Embroidery has tighter size limits than print, stitch counts climb fast, and dense fills on big areas warp the fabric. We keep zones small and crisp. Full-front and full-back embroidery is a custom quote (it gets expensive quickly).

Embroidery zones

Where stitches live

Chest, sleeves, nape, and hats: the spots that hold detail without warping the garment.

Embroidery placement zones
Chest · sleeves · nape · vector art coming
1
Left chest
3.5" × 3.5" max
2
Right chest
3.5" × 3.5" max
3
Left sleeve
3" × 1.5" max
4
Right sleeve
3" × 1.5" max
5
Nape / yoke
4" × 1", small wordmarks
6
Left sleeve (back)
3" × 1.5"
7
Right sleeve (back)
3" × 1.5"
Personalization

Names & numbers

Single-line embroidered personalization for staff uniforms, jerseys, and team kits.

Personalization example
Polo + stitched name preview · vector art coming
Name only
Single line · flat rate per piece
Name + title
Two lines · flat rate per piece
Placements
Left / right chest · Left / right sleeve
Fonts
Block · script · athletic, your pick
Upgrades
Metallic thread · 3D puff · Applique

Stitch count drives the price. Six brackets from text-only logos (5,000 stitches and under) up to dense fills (25,000+). Designs over 30,000 stitches route to a custom quote. More on embroidery →

04. Totes, backpacks, drawstring bags

Placements on bags.

Bags have two big canvases (front and back) plus a smaller pocket option. Screen printing and DTF own this category, embroidery works on canvas and cotton totes but skips synthetic or coated bags.

Bag placements

Tote & backpack placement map

Standard tote shown: the same logic applies to backpacks, drawstring bags, and pouches.

Tote bag placement chart
Front + back · vector art coming
1
Bag front
8"×10" std · 12"×14" oversize
2
Pocket
4"×4" std · up to 6"×6"
3
Bag back
8"×10" std · 12"×14" oversize
What works

Method picks for bags

01
Screen printing
Canvas, cotton, twill totes. Long-lasting, hand to it, perfect for runs over 72.
02
DTF transfers
Best for small runs, photo-real art, multi-color logos with no setup.
03
Embroidery
Works on cotton and canvas. Skip on poly, nylon, and laminated synthetics.
04
Patches
Sewn or heat-pressed onto bag fronts. Great with backpacks for a tactile, premium feel.
05. Aprons, smocks, work-wear

Placements on aprons.

Coffee shops, restaurants, craft markets, makers. Aprons have two reliable spots: the chest / bib, and the pocket band. We default embroidery for service uniforms (it survives the wash cycle better) but screen printing works too.

Apron placements

Chest & pocket map

Apron placement chart
Chest + pocket zones · vector art coming
06. Embroidered, woven, PVC, leather

Placements for patches.

Patches go almost anywhere a flat surface allows. Most patch jobs land on the left chest, sleeves, or back of a jacket, hat, or polo. Choose attachment based on whether they'll be removed (velcro), or stay put (sewn or heat-press).

Common patch placements

Where patches live

Same zones as embroidery: patches are a great alternative when stitch counts get high or you need rotatable / removable branding.

Patch placement examples
Chest · hat front · sleeve · vector art coming
1
Left chest
Most common, up to 4" × 4"
2
Hat front
Trucker, flat-bill, dad: up to 3" × 2.25"
3
Sleeve / upper arm
Service uniforms, scout-style, up to 4" × 4"
Back / yoke
Larger patches up to 10" × 12", biker, varsity, workwear

Attachment: Sewn (permanent, traditional), heat-press (faster, wash-tested), velcro hook-and-loop (removable for tactical, scout, and modular branding). More on patches →

07. At a glance

Quick reference.

Same info as above in a single scannable table, what fits where, max sizes, and which methods cover which placement.

Placement
Screen / DTF / Heat
Embroidery
Patches
Notes
Full front
11"× 15" / 16"× 20" os
Custom quote
Up to 8"× 8"
Biggest canvas on a top
Full back
11"× 15" / 16"× 20" os
Custom quote
Up to 10"× 12"
Team names, callouts
Left / right chest
4"× 4"
3.5"× 3.5"
Up to 4"× 4"
Standard logo spot
Neck label
2"× 2"
4"× 1" yoke
-
Inside or outside the collar
Sleeve (L / R)
3.5"× 3.5"
3"× 1.5"
Up to 4"× 4"
Visible from front + back
Hat front
2.25"× 4" / 2.5"× 6" os
2.25"× 2.25"
Up to 3"× 2.25"
The headliner
Hat side (L / R)
2.25"× 4"
2"× 0.75"
-
Secondary logo
Hat back
2.25"× 4"
4"× 0.75"
-
Above the closure
Bag front / back
8"× 10" / 12"× 14" os
6"× 6"
Up to 8"× 8"
Canvas / cotton only for embroidery
Bag pocket
4"× 4" / 6"× 6" os
3"× 3"
Up to 3"× 3"
Smaller secondary mark
Apron chest / bib
8"× 6"
5"× 3"
Up to 4"× 4"
Service uniforms, makers
Apron pocket
4"× 3"
3"× 3"
Up to 3"× 3"
Smaller second mark

"os" = oversize. Up to 4 locations per garment standard. Anything outside these boxes lands on a custom quote. We run it past production and write you back, no obligation.

08. Pick your method

By decoration method.

Each method has its own sweet spot. Tap any card to read the full breakdown, process, pricing logic, fabric notes, and turnaround.

Method 01

Screen Printing

Volume's gold standard. 5 locations max, up to 8 spot colors, no screen charges. Cotton, blends, AND poly.

Read the playbook
Method 02

Embroidery

Premium feel for hats, polos, jackets. Priced by stitch count. 6-piece minimum, ∞ durability.

Read the playbook
Method 03

DTF Transfers

Photo-real, full-color, just a 3-piece minimum. Great for small runs, samples, and complex art.

Read the playbook
Method 04

Heat Transfers

Names & numbers, individualization, durable performance fabric prints. 6-piece minimum.

Read the playbook
Method 05

Patches

Embroidered, woven, PVC, leather. Sewn or heat-pressed onto jackets, hats, bags, uniforms.

Read the playbook
More

Sublimation & Cut+Sew

All-over poly prints + fully custom garments built from scratch. By quote only.

All services

Know your placement? Start a quote.

Pick your blank, pick your placement, pick your method: we'll quote it in writing within one business day.

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