Did you know that nearly 80% of successful embroiderers choose embroidery digitizing services to digitize designs for caps? Caps not only hold a significant place in the embroidery industry but also provide an exciting canvas for creative expression. Whether you’re considering it for your business or personal enjoyment, mastering the art of cap embroidery is worth your time and effort.
Embroidering on caps, or what some call “beanies” or “toques,” shares many similarities with embroidering on other fabric surfaces. However, this article will focus specifically on the intricacies of embroidering on caps.
Understanding Cap & Hat Terminology for Embroidery

Crown
- The crown of a cap consists of 4, 5, or 6 panels, with the 6-panel configuration being the most common, especially in baseball caps.
Visor (Brim)
- The visor, sometimes referred to as a brim, bill, or visor, can be flat with squared-off or round shapes, or it may be curved. Typically, it is constructed from plastic or cardboard and covered with fabric. Embroidering on the visor requires a cautious approach, considering the capabilities of your embroidery machine.
Button
- The button serves to hold the cap’s panels together and can be made of metal or plastic, often covered with fabric.
Buckram
- Buckram is the backing material located on the reverse side of the front panels. It serves to stiffen the twill fabric and provides a stable foundation for embroidery. Buckram can be made from stiffened cotton fabric or plastic mesh. When working with caps featuring plastic mesh buckram, it’s advisable to use less dense embroidery designs to avoid creating bulletproof areas that might damage threads or needles.
Sweatband
- The sweatband encircles the inside of the cap and serves to absorb moisture while protecting the cap’s exterior from stains. When embroidering, take care to flip the sweatband backward to avoid embroidering over it. Embroidering on the sweatband can make the cap uncomfortable, reduce its effectiveness in moisture absorption, and create overly dense areas.
Eyelets
- Eyelets are small, perforated holes on the top of the cap. They primarily serve as ventilation but can also serve as useful guides for positioning your embroidery designs.
- Closure: Closures can take the form of adjustable buckles, like Velcro, or fitted caps that come pre-sized and don’t require adjustments. The curved opening at the back of the cap provides an excellent space for adding names, team logos, or other personalized details, making it a compelling selling point.
In conclusion, caps offer a versatile and popular canvas for embroidery work. Understanding the various components and terminology associated with cap embroidery will help you produce high-quality, comfortable, and visually appealing embroidered caps, whether for commercial ventures or personal projects. So, why not explore the exciting world of cap embroidery?
Selecting the Right Cap for Embroidery
When it comes to embroidering caps, the choices are as diverse as they are abundant. Perusing a cap catalog or website reveals a staggering array of options, encompassing color combinations, materials, crown heights, bill styles, back closures, and more. While the world of headwear boasts hundreds of styles and manufacturers, most hats generally fall into one of three main categories:
OPF (One-piece front) Hats for Embroidery
OPF hats are often associated with the “trucker” or “farmer” style. These hats feature a single piece of foam laminated backing, providing structural support, with the rest of the hat being made of mesh material. Embroidering on OPF hats is usually straightforward, thanks to their laminated backing and absence of a center seam.
Varsity/Collegiate Hats for Embroidery
Varsity hats fit snugly to the head and lack the laminated backing on the front panel. Consequently, they may move slightly during embroidery, making proper hooping crucial.
Sports Caps for Embroidery
Sports caps reign as one of the most favored hat styles for embroidery. These caps feature a center seam down the middle of the front panel (often referred to as the “Bermuda triangle of embroidery”) and a laminated backing, providing structural integrity.
Embroidering Caps: A Closer Look
When embroidering caps, placement options are varied, with some areas suited for embroidery before the manufacturing process (e.g., the bill). However, there are numerous options for embroiderers to explore. Multi-needle embroidery machines are typically equipped to handle embroidery on the front, sides, back of the cap, and even in between these areas.
It’s important to note that embroidering hats on a single-needle or flatbed machine is exceptionally challenging. To facilitate cap embroidery, a cap frame and preferably a multi-needle embroidery machine, such as the ZSK embroidery machine, are essential tools. If you’re interested in discovering which machines we recommend, feel free to consult our article on “What is the Best Embroidery Machine for a Home Business.”
Front of the cap is the most commonly embroidered area. Even basic cap frames are designed to accommodate front-of-cap embroidery. Today, commercial embroidery machines often employ wide-angle cap …