The best fonts for embroidery on hats are bold, simple and made for thread. Block fonts like Block 2 are the most readable and stitch clean even at small sizes. College lettering gives a classic team look, and scripts like Script 5 add a personal touch when you give them a little more height. The key is matching the font to the size of your text.
Why embroidery fonts are different
Most fonts are drawn for screens and paper. Embroidery fonts are built for thread, with stroke widths and spacing that stitch cleanly. The lettering in our hat designer comes from Wilcom EmbroideryStudio’s embroidery font library, the same fonts we digitize with. What you see is close to what we stitch.
The best fonts for embroidery, by style
Block fonts: most readable
Block 2 is our go-to. It’s bold, clean and readable from across a parking lot. Block 1 is a lighter version, and Arial Rounded and Avant Garde give a softer, modern feel. All of these hold up at about 1/4 inch tall, the smallest we recommend.
Best for: business names, crew hats, phone numbers and websites.
College and slab fonts: classic and sporty
College gives that varsity jersey look. City Medium is a strong slab font, and Times Roman, Garamond and Centurion bring a more traditional, upscale feel. These need about 0.25 to 0.3 inch of height.
Best for: team hats, family reunions, schools and established brands.
Script fonts: personal and stylish
Script 5 and Free Style are friendly, readable scripts. Script 8, Lila and Handy Script have more flair. Edwardian Script and Formal Script are elegant, but their thin strokes need the most room. Scripts need about 0.35 to 0.5 inch, depending on the font.
Best for: names, gifts, weddings and casual brands.
Fun and specialty fonts
Flash is tall and punchy. Kids and Comics are playful. Stencil Block has a military, workwear feel, and Old English gives a bold, traditional look but needs about 0.45 inch of height.
Tips for picking a font
- Small text? Go block. Block fonts stay readable when space is tight.
- Script? Go bigger. Give scripts extra height so the thin connecting strokes stitch cleanly.
- Avoid all-caps scripts. Script capitals are ornate and hard to read in a row.
- Stick to one or two fonts. A bold font for the main line and a simple one for a second line looks clean.
- Try an arch. Our designer can curve text, which looks great over a logo or with college lettering.
Font questions
Can I use my brand’s font?
If your brand name is part of your logo, upload the logo as an image and we’ll stitch it as artwork. For typed text, choose from the embroidery fonts in the designer.
How do I know if my text is too small?
The designer shows the letter height and warns you if text is too small for its font. Our guide on design questions covers more.
Try the fonts on your hat
Open the hat designer, type your text and flip through the fonts. You’ll see each one on the hat, in your thread color, before you order.