How to Order 100 Custom Embroidered Polos for Your Company

Start With How the Polos Will Be Used

Before selecting a polo, determine who will wear it and where it will be used.

A sales team meeting customers may need a different polo than warehouse employees, maintenance crews, restaurant managers, medical staff, or corporate office employees.

• Indoor or outdoor use
• Hot or cold working conditions
• Frequency of wear
• Employee movement and physical activity
• Customer-facing vs. back-of-house employees
• Desired brand appearance
• Expected wash frequency

The best company polo is not always the most expensive option. It is the polo that fits the employee, work environment, brand image, and expected use.

Choose the Right Polo for Your Company

Businesses can choose from value, performance, workwear, corporate, and premium polo options.

Performance Polos

Performance polos are designed for moisture management and active workplaces. These can work well for sales teams, technicians, hospitality employees, outdoor staff, and companies that want a modern uniform.

Traditional Pique Polos

Traditional pique polos offer a classic company-uniform appearance and work across a wide range of industries, departments, and professional environments.

Work Polos

Work polos are built for employees who need durability, frequent laundering, and apparel that can handle demanding environments while maintaining consistent company branding.

Corporate and Premium Polos

Premium corporate polos can be appropriate for executives, sales teams, client-facing employees, corporate gifts, and higher-end company apparel programs.

Your company does not have to use the same polo for every department. A business may use a premium polo for management and sales while selecting a durable performance polo for field employees.

The important part is keeping the branding consistent.

Determine Your Size Breakdown Before Ordering

For a 100-piece order, do not simply divide the quantity equally among sizes. Use actual employee sizing whenever possible.

A company may need a breakdown such as:

• 8 Small
• 22 Medium
• 32 Large
• 24 XL
• 10 2XL
• 4 3XL

Your actual breakdown will depend on your workforce.

Companies should also consider ordering additional pieces for:

• New hires
• Employee replacements
• Damaged garments
• Size exchanges
• Seasonal employees
• Future staff additions

Ordering a small amount of additional inventory can prevent the company from placing repeated small orders later.

Decide Where the Company Logo Will Be Embroidered

The most common placement for business polos is the left chest. It provides a professional appearance without overpowering the garment.

Additional placements can include:

• Right chest
• Sleeve
• Back neck
• Upper back
• Employee name
• Department name
• Job title

Every additional embroidery location adds production work, so businesses should decide whether each placement contributes meaningful value. A simple left-chest company logo is often enough for a professional uniform.

Prepare Your Logo for Embroidery

A digital image is not automatically ready for commercial embroidery. The logo normally must be converted into an embroidery production file through a process called digitizing.

Digitizing determines how the embroidery machine will reproduce the artwork, including:

• Stitch direction
• Stitch density
• Underlay
• Thread sequence
• Small lettering
• Borders
• Detail
• Fabric compensation

A poorly digitized logo can produce poor embroidery even on an expensive polo. The embroidery file should be built specifically for the garment and logo placement being produced.

Keep Small Details in Mind

Embroidery uses thread, not ink. Extremely small lettering, thin lines, gradients, shadows, and highly detailed artwork may need to be simplified.

This does not mean your branding has to lose its identity. It means the artwork must be translated into a format that performs correctly when stitched.

A professional decorator should identify potential production problems before the full order is produced.

Decide Whether Employees Need Names or Titles

A 100-piece company order may include the same logo on every polo while also requiring individual personalization.

Individual names, departments, numbers, and job titles are separate personalization elements because every garment may require different information.

Businesses should prepare an accurate employee list before production and verify spelling carefully. Once personalization is embroidered, correcting a misspelled employee name may require replacing the garment.

Understand What Determines Embroidery Pricing

The price of 100 embroidered polos is not determined by the blank garment alone.

Factors that can affect the final price include:

• Polo brand
• Garment style
• Quantity
• Logo size
• Stitch count
• Number of embroidery locations
• Individual names or titles
• Special embroidery techniques
• Rush turnaround
• Shipping requirements

This is why two companies ordering 100 polos may receive very different quotes. They may technically be ordering the same quantity while purchasing completely different finished products.

Compare Finished Product Cost, Not Blank Cost

A common mistake is comparing the retail price of an undecorated polo with the price of a completed custom uniform.

They are not the same product.

A blank polo becomes company apparel only after sourcing, artwork preparation, decoration, quality control, organization, and fulfillment.

For business purchasing, compare the complete finished product rather than focusing only on the blank garment price.

Decide Whether Inkdnylon Should Source the Polos

Businesses generally have two purchasing routes.

Inkdnylon-Supplied Apparel

Inkdnylon can source the garments and complete the decoration. This creates one purchasing process for the apparel and embroidery.

It can also make repeat ordering easier because the product, logo, decoration specifications, and previous production information can remain connected to the company account.

Customer-Supplied Apparel

Businesses that already have garments may be able to submit them for eligible decoration services. Customer-supplied orders operate differently because the customer owns the garments before production begins.

The appropriate option depends on how your company purchases apparel and how much control you want over sourcing.

Build the First Order for Future Reorders

A good 100-piece order should make the second order easier.

Document:

• Polo brand
• Style number
• Garment color
• Thread colors
• Logo placement
• Logo dimensions
• Employee personalization format
• Size breakdown
• Department requirements

Once these specifications are established, future orders become much more consistent. Instead of rebuilding the order every time, your company can reorder from an approved program.

Consider an Approved Apparel Program

Businesses with regular hiring, multiple departments, or multiple locations may benefit from standardizing their apparel.

Instead of allowing managers to choose different garments independently, establish an approved group of products.

Every product can still carry the same company branding. This gives employees clothing appropriate for their role while maintaining a consistent brand identity.

Companies With Multiple Locations Should Centralize the Program

If your business operates several locations, allowing every location to source its own uniforms can create inconsistencies.

You may end up with:

• Different logo sizes
• Different garment colors
• Different polo brands
• Different thread colors
• Different decoration quality
• Different pricing

A centralized supplier and approved product program helps keep company apparel consistent across locations.

Think Beyond the First 100 Polos

Your initial order may be 100 pieces, but the real value comes from creating a system that can support future purchases.

• Employee onboarding
• Replacement uniforms
• Seasonal orders
• Management apparel
• New departments
• New locations
• Jackets
• Caps
• Bags
• Promotional products
• Private company stores

The first order establishes the production standard. Future orders extend the program.

Before Requesting Your Quote

Have the following information ready:

• Total quantity
• Preferred polo brand or style
• Garment color
• Size breakdown
• Company logo
• Logo placement
• Number of embroidery locations
• Employee names or titles, if applicable
• Desired completion date
• Pickup or shipping requirements

If you do not know which polo to choose, start with your workforce, budget, and intended use. The product can then be selected around those requirements.