In embroidery, thread is your ink. It sets the color, the shine, the texture and how well the design survives the wash. Different threads suit different projects, from hand-stitched art to a logo sewn on a hundred work polos.
The common types of embroidery thread
Polyester
The workhorse of modern machine embroidery. Polyester thread is strong, colorfast and resists shrinking and fading, even through frequent washing. It has a clean sheen and comes in a huge color range. For uniforms, hats and anything washed often, it is a reliable choice.
Rayon
Rayon has a high, silky shine and rich, saturated color. It has long been popular for machine embroidery on fashion pieces where luster matters. It is softer than polyester but generally less resistant to harsh washing and bleach.
Stranded cotton
A favorite for hand embroidery. Stranded cotton, also called floss, is made of six loosely twisted strands that can be separated to change the thickness of the line. It has a soft, matte look and is easy to find in nearly any color.
Perle cotton
A non-divisible cotton thread that is thicker and more lustrous than stranded cotton. It comes in numbered weights and is often used for decorative hand stitches where the thread itself is a feature.
Silk
Luxurious, smooth and naturally lustrous. Silk is used for high-end and heirloom pieces. It is beautiful but delicate and expensive, so it is rarely the choice for everyday apparel.
Metallic
Metallic threads add flash: gold, silver and other metallic finishes, made from real metal or synthetic materials. They are great for accents, but they are stiffer and more delicate to stitch, so they suit simpler shapes and highlights rather than tiny detail.
Which thread is best for apparel?
For custom apparel, durability usually comes first. Hats get sun and sweat. Polos and work shirts get washed weekly. Jackets take abrasion. That is why polyester and rayon dominate machine embroidery on garments, while cotton and silk are more common in hand embroidery and craft work.
A good rule:
- Workwear, uniforms and hats: durable, colorfast thread such as polyester
- Fashion pieces where shine matters: rayon or a polyester with high sheen
- Statement accents: metallic, used sparingly
- Hand-stitched art: stranded or perle cotton, or silk
Does thread affect my design?
Yes. Thread has thickness, so it cannot reproduce detail as finely as ink. A few tips:
- Keep text readable. Very small letters can blur together in stitches.
- Limit colors. Every thread color is a change on the machine. Clean, bold logos look best.
- Think about the fabric. Thread choice and stitch density need to work with the garment. Learn more in what materials can be embroidered.
What else goes into machine embroidery?
Besides the top thread, machine embroidery uses a bobbin thread underneath to lock the stitches, and a stabilizer or backing to keep the fabric from puckering. Before any stitching, the logo is digitized: converted into a stitch file that tells the machine where every stitch goes, in what order and in which color.
Embroidery at TBSP
We embroider polos, hats, jackets and uniforms at our Los Angeles shop. Send your logo and we will review it before anything is stitched. Every order gets a free art check. See embroidery services, browse hats, or compare methods in embroidery vs screen printing.
Ready for a stitched logo? Get a free quote.