The Branding Playbook 📖

Your logo is about to live on a physical object, in the real world, on real fabric. Different rules apply.

Get these four things right and your branding will look exactly like it should.
Get them wrong and even a great logo can end up looking like an afterthought.

Artwork Files & Formats 💾

The file you send affects what we can do with it and how quickly we can do it. Give us the right file upfront and the job runs smoothly. Give us something tricky and we can usually still work with it, it just takes an extra steps and time.

✅ Vector files (AI or EPS) are always the ideal starting point. They scale to any size without losing quality and work across every branding method.

✅ Raster files (JPG, PNG, TIFF, PSD etc) are fine for many methods. DTG in particular works with raster natively. Embroidery converts everything into its own file format anyway, so raster is accepted there too.

✅ Outline your fonts before sending. If we don't have your exact font installed, our software substitutes something else. That "cool modern font" becomes Comic Sans faster than you'd think. Outlining locks the text as a shape, no surprises.

✅ Tell us where you want it and roughly how big. We'll help you refine it, but knowing your starting point saves a round of back-and-forth.

❌ Low res files, photos of old garments or scans or your business care are not ideal. But don't panic if that's all you have. We offer an artwork redraw service. Just flag it when you get in touch and we'll let you know what's involved.

Colour & Aesthetics 🎨

The goal isn't just getting your logo onto a garment. It's making the garment look like it was always meant to have your logo on it. Colour is where that either comes together or falls apart.

✅ Think about the whole garment, not just the logo. An orange trimmed polo with an orange logo doesn't just look branded it looks intentional. That's the difference between "we had some shirts made" and "this is our uniform."

✅ Use a Pantone code if colour accuracy matters to you. It's the universal colour reference system. Don't rely on your screen to judge it, screens lie and everyones screen is different. Check a physical swatch book.

✅ Vary the look occasionally. Same logo, different size or colour version. A small variation catches the eye again and creates a new memory association.

❌ Don't expect a perfect colour match across different branding methods. Embroidery thread, print ink and screen colours all look and behave differently. They also have different ranges in their respective colour gamuts. Close enough to read as your brand is the practical standard.

❌ Don't box your logo in. Putting a coloured rectangle behind your logo to solve a contrast problem looks like a cover-up, adds visual noise and in the case of embroidery, adds stitch count, which adds cost. Talk to us instead, there are better solutions.

The Possible vs The Practical 🥋

Every branding method has limits. Knowing them upfront saves you money and saves everyone from a disappointing result. The trick is matching the right method to the right artwork on the right product and that's exactly what we help you do.

✅ Match the method to the artwork. Got a photographic, full-colour design? Digital print. Clean bold logo? Embroidery or screen print. Not sure? Ask us before you commit.

✅ Think about placement in context. Consider what's actually visible when your team is working. not just how it looks on a hanger.

❌ Don't expect embroidery to handle gradients, fades or very fine detail. It's thread, not ink. Text needs to be at least 6mm tall or it turns to mush. Thin keylines around lettering add stitch count, add cost and usually look messy.

❌ Don't forget what goes over the top. If your staff wear bib aprons, a logo on the chest of the garment underneath is invisible the moment the apron goes on. Move it to the sleeve, shoulder, or somewhere the apron doesn't cover, or put the branding on the apron itself.

❌ Don't put social media handles or contact details on your standard branding. Your logo does the recognition work. Cramming a URL onto a chest logo creates clutter and dilutes the mark. The exception is a specific campaign where driving traffic to a link is the whole point.

Location, Location, Location ↔️ ↕️

Where your logo sits determines how often it gets seen and by whom. There's no single right answer, but there are smart defaults.

Branding Positions

Left chest - The classic for a reason. Sits in the eyeline during conversation and is the default first choice for most garments. A good way to remember this placement is that it sits above your heart, cute! ❤️ Works best for smaller, cleaner logos.

Right chest - Mainly used as a secondary front position. Common when there are two logos to place, when a garment feature like a chest pocket blocks the left side or when staff regularly wear a name badge or ID on the left. Also a common placement for personal names or titles.

Centre front chest - The billboard. Great for bold artwork on tees and hoodies where you want the design to do the talking.

Upper arm - Underused but effective, especially on long sleeves. Reads well when someone's working with their hands.

Centre back neck - The designer label spot. Best for a standalone symbols or icons. Subtle, but noticed.

Centre back - Maximum real estate. Best for staff whose backs face customers, bartenders, kitchen staff, tradespeople on site.

Bottom hem - Clean and understated. Works best for a wordmarks or simple text. The kind of branding that rewards people who look closely. 😉

Hooded garments - We place artwork below the hood when the hood is down. If your logo is tall, the folded hood can cover the top of it. Worth factoring in when choosing between logo versions.

Multi Positions - Sometimes more is more. If you have co-brands, sponsors or a specific look in mind you can always double, or triple down! 

✅ Need a specific or custom placement? Tell us before production starts. We just need to know ahead of time.

Which Branding Method Is Right For You? 🤔

Not sure where to start? Answer these three questions and you'll have a shortlist in seconds.

What does your artwork look like?

• Simple logo, bold text or clean icon → Embroidery, DTF or DTV
• Full colour, detailed, or photographic → DTG, DTF or Supacolour
• Something with a bit of sparkle or texture → DTV Specialty Media
• Text or logo on a hard product → UV Printing, DTO or Engraving

What are you putting it on?

• Clothing (cotton) → Embroidery, DTG, DTF, DTV or Supacolour
• Clothing (polyester or blends) → Embroidery, DTF or DTV
• Caps or headwear → Embroidery, DTF, DTV or Supacolour
• Promotional products (hard goods) → UV Printing, DTO or Engraving

How many are you ordering?

• Just one or a few, no artwork setup → Personal Name Embroidery or Sports Numbers
• 12 or more → Most methods available
  

Branding Methods At A Glance

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don't have a proper logo file?

That's OK, don't let that stop you.

• If all you have is a JPG, PNG, old photo of a shirt or a business card scan, we can still work with it
• It'll just need a redraw first, we offer a vector file creation service at a one-off fee
• Once it's done, that file is yours to keep and use anywhere
• Not sure whether your file qualifies as a proper vector? Send it through and we'll let you know

👉 View artwork setup fees

Can I see what my branding will look like before it goes into production?

Yes, and we won't start production until you've approved it.

• For new artwork, our standard setup includes either a physical sample on fabric or a digital mockup, depending on the branding method
• The digital mockup gives you an approximate visual of placement and colour on your garments
• The physical sample shows the actual branding on sampling fabric, an accurate representation of how the finished branding will look
• You can approve by email (we send photos of the complete samples), ask us to post the sample out or come and see it in person at our Moorabbin showroom
• If you want a digital preview before committing to an order, we also offer a mockup-only service with no order required

👉 View artwork setup fees

What happens if I want to change my branding on a reorder?

It depends on how much has changed and which branding method is involved.

• Simple adjustments, like switching a colour from black to white, may just be a production note and carry no charge
• More involved changes, like updating a date, resizing the artwork or tweaking a layout, typically require a new digital mockup fee
• A completely new design or a change of branding method triggers a full new setup fee
• Some methods have stricter requirements than others, Supacolour for example requires a new setup for any change at all, as new screens need to be created
• When in doubt, just ask us, we'll tell you exactly what's involved before anything is charged

How The Branding Setup Process Works 🎨

New to branding with us? Here's what to expect from first artwork submission through to production.

1. Send Us Your Artwork & Order Details

• Submit your artwork file along with your order, vector files are ideal, but we accept most formats
• Let us know about placement, approximate size and any specific colour requirements such as Pantone codes
• If you have a brand style guide, send that through too

2. We Review Your Artwork

• Our production team assesses your artwork for the chosen branding method
• We'll flag any issues, file quality, detail that won't translate, colours that need adjusting
• If a vector redraw is needed, we'll let you know before proceeding

3. Artwork Setup & Sampling

• Once your deposit is received, our Production team prepares your artwork for approval
• Depending on the method, this will be a physical sample on fabric, a digital mockup or both
• Allow around 5 business days for your artwork approval to be prepared

4. You Approve (Or Request Changes)

• We'll email you your sample or mockup for review
• One revision is included in the standard setup
• You can approve by email and in the case of when there is a physical samples, request the sample be posted out or come and view it in person at our showroom

5. Production Begins

• Once approved, your artwork is stored in our system for future use
• Production begins on your order immediately
• On repeat orders using the same approved artwork and method, steps 2–4 are skipped entirely, we go straight to production based on what you approved previously

👉 View artwork setup fees

Ready For The Next Step?

Each branding method has its own full write-up covering what it does well, where it has limits, file requirements and product page links.

👉 See: Branding Methods Explained

Ready to get down to business? We've got a full run down on what you need to do get your merch & uniform vision launched & underway.

👉 See: How To Get A Quote