There is no single price for digitizing a logo. Between a fully automatic file at a few euros and a manual job at $60, the gap is justified by time spent and the quality of the result.
Market ranges
| Service | Typical price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic online conversion | €0 – €5 | A file, sometimes usable on a simple logo |
| Per-file online digitizing shop | €10 – €25 | Manual cleanup, preview, one format |
| Independent digitizer | €20 – €60 | Custom work, revisions included |
| Physical shop, tricky fabric | €40 – €90 | Test stitch on scrap, adjustments |
| Monthly volume subscription | €20 – €150/month | Several files, priority queue |
Internationally, most providers charge $0.50 to $4 per 1,000 stitches, or a flat fee per design (often $15, $25 or $60 depending on complexity).
What pushes the price up
- Colour count. Each colour is another pass: past six, the work roughly doubles.
- Design size. A 25 mm logo demands detail that cannot be reproduced: it has to be simplified, which means judgement calls.
- Fabric type. A piqué polo and a knitted beanie are not digitized the same way.
- Small text. Below 4 mm tall, every letter needs reworking.
- Gradients. They do not exist in embroidery: they must be translated into flat areas.
What should never be charged extra
- The format: a file should ship in the format your machine reads, at no surcharge.
- The preview: it is part of quality control.
- Fixes for the digitizer's own mistake.
How to pay less
- Start from vector artwork (SVG, AI, vector PDF) rather than a JPG: less cleanup, fewer hours.
- Cut colours before sending: fewer machine passes.
- Accept simplification: an embroidered logo is not a print. Three colours and clean shapes beat a gradient.
- Pick the right size: 60 to 80 mm gives the best legibility-to-stitch ratio.
The calculation that actually matters
The file price is only part of the cost. Add:
- machine time (8,000 stitches ≈ 10 minutes per piece),
- spoiled garments when the file is bad,
- rework time if everything has to be redone.
A €5 file that breaks thread costs more than a €25 file that runs clean the first time.
In practice
With us, a file costs one credit — a 5-file pack from €19, under €4 per file — with preview, stitch count and dimensions before download. You can test it on your logo and judge the result.