Clothing Brand Logo Ideas: 5 Styles That Print Well

The best clothing brand logo ideas are simple marks that still read when printed 3.5 inches wide on a chest or embroidered 2 inches wide on the back of a hat. Five styles cover almost every brand: a wordmark, a monogram, an emblem, a symbol and a mascot. Each one below is typeset in KickStart's Logos studio, with the sizes that decide whether it works on a garment.

• 3.5 inthe widest a left chest logo prints in KickStart
• 2 by 1 inthe embroidery area on the back of a hat
• 0.25 inPrintful's smallest embroidered letter

The 5 clothing brand logo styles at a glance

1. 1

   Wordmark

   The name in a strong typeface. Tees, hoodies, essentials.

2. 2

   Monogram

   One or two initials. Hats, chest marks, labels.

3. 3

   Emblem

   The name in a badge or crest. Clubs, teams, heritage.

4. 4

   Symbol

   A mark with no letters. Streetwear, sleeves, avatars.

5. 5

   Mascot

   A character or animal. Teams and playful brands.

1. Wordmark: the name in a strong typeface

A wordmark teaches people your name every time someone wears it, and it works on a chest, across a back, on a label and as your website header. Heavy and condensed capitals stay readable when small; thin spaced capitals look premium but need width. The catch is length: the more letters, the shorter each one prints.

Capital letter heights when the whole wordmark prints at that width, measured from the studio's typesetting. A condensed face nearly doubles letter height at the same width, which is why so many streetwear wordmarks are tall and narrow.

2. Monogram: initials that fit anywhere

One or two letters, often in a ring or a solid shape: the best answer for a hat front, a sleeve, a label or a profile picture. One-word names get one letter and two-word names get two; KickStart sets The Outdoor Club as OC. Keep rings at least 0.05 inches thick, Printful's minimum line for embroidery.

3. Emblem: the name inside a badge

A round badge, a woven label, a varsity arch or a crest feels like a club or a heritage brand, and suits patches, center chest prints and hats.

Keep the text on the ring to one short word, or none: a second line set small can read at 4 inches wide but not embroidered 2.25 inches tall on a hat.

4. Symbol: a mark with no letters

A shape or an object that fits where words do not, and becomes recognizable once people know your name. Good symbols are flat: solid shapes, one or two colors, no gradients and no thin lines. KickStart draws three flat marks from a strict brief, flattens each to at most five solid inks and sets your name in real type beside or below it.

5. Mascot: a character for teams and playful brands

A mascot carries the most detail, so it needs the most simplifying: bold outlines, a few flat colors and nothing smaller than the minimums below. KickStart draws mascots like symbols, as flat marks with your name in type.

How big your logo prints

These are the sizes KickStart's editor uses and the print areas Printful lists for the garments KickStart starts with:

Print your logo on paper at 3.5 inches wide, pin it to a shirt and look at it from across the room. If you cannot read it, simplify it before you order a sample.

Rules for print and embroidery

1. 1

   Start with one color

   If it works in black, it works in white and in thread

2. 2

   Keep it transparent

   Garments show any white box around a logo

3. 3

   Respect embroidery limits

   Up to 6 of Printful's 15 thread colors, lines at least 0.05 in

4. 4

   Make the file at print size

   150 DPI for prints, 300 DPI for embroidery

5. 5

   Use real typefaces

   Generated letters come out misspelled or uneven

Sources: Printful's design file guidelines and embroidery logo guide.

Make your logo in KickStart

Pick a style and six options appear, set in your brand's name and colors. Wordmarks, monograms and emblems are typeset from 11 licensed typefaces, so letters are always spelled and spaced correctly. The image model only draws symbol and mascot marks, never their letters.

Edit logo changes it by hand (one color, white or black, name beside or below, letter spacing) and exports a PNG, a 1080 pixel profile picture and a 512 pixel site icon. Settle the name first with how to name a clothing brand; the logo then carries into step 3 of how to start a clothing brand.

Questions about clothing brand logos

What makes a good clothing brand logo?

It reads a few inches wide, works in one color and fits where it is worn most. For most new brands: a short, heavy or condensed wordmark plus a monogram or symbol for hats.

What size should a logo be on a shirt?

A left chest logo is usually 3 to 3.5 inches wide; KickStart allows up to 4.5 inches at the center chest. A full front can use a 12 by 16 inch print area.

How many colors should a clothing logo have?

One or two. Every color has to survive printing and embroidery.

Can I use AI to make a clothing brand logo?

Use it for ideas and drawn marks, but set the letters in a real typeface, and check the result does not copy another brand's mark.

What file do I need to print my logo?

A PNG with a transparent background at print size. KickStart prepares print files from the logo and artwork you save.

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