Before embroidering a logo on a polo or cap, you need it converted into an embroidery file (DST, PES…). That's the digitizer's job. If you hire a professional, here's what to expect — and how automated alternatives change the math.
Professional digitizer rates
- Simple logo (text + shape, under 5,000 stitches): $15–30.
- Medium logo (6,000–15,000 stitches): $30–60.
- Complex or large logo (gradients, fine detail): $60–120, sometimes more.
- Rush turnaround (24 h): a 25–50% surcharge is common.
- Edits after delivery: often billed, sometimes $10–20 per revision.
Typical turnaround ranges from 24 hours to 4 business days. Quality varies hugely between providers: a good digitizer optimizes color order, underlay and fill angles for your substrate (fabric, fleece, caps). It's a real craft, and the price reflects it.
Software: powerful but costly
Professional suites like Hatch (perpetual license: about $900 for the full tier in 2026, often split into monthly payments) or Wilcom require tens of hours of learning. Free options like Ink/Stitch require mastering Inkscape and embroidery logic. A great choice if you digitize daily; disproportionate for a few logos a month.
Automated online converters
Automated online services typically charge $2–10 per image, with very uneven results: many just fill pixel areas without managing density or underlay. That's where Brode differs: conversion is included in a monthly plan (there's a free tier), with calibrated embroidery settings — controlled density, systematic underlay, hole handling, cross-hatching for large surfaces (detailed comparison: Brode vs Ink/Stitch vs Hatch).
Which option for which use case?
- One very complex logo for a major client order: a good digitizer remains the safest option.
- Simple logos, motifs, text, or a regular flow: quality automated conversion becomes far more economical — near-zero marginal cost.
- Continuous creative work: software like Hatch or Ink/Stitch.
At $40 per digitized logo, a small business embroidering 20 designs a year spends $800 on digitizing alone. With a quality automated converter, that budget funds years of subscription.
Brode includes monthly embroidery conversions for free, no credit card required — the easiest way to test the results on your own files before deciding.