Logo design for workwear, 5 common mistakes

You have invested in great workwear and ordered branding, but the result disappoints. The logo is illegible, the colours are off, or the artwork looks nothing like it did on screen. Sadly this is more common than you think. Here are the five most widespread mistakes we see, and how to avoid them.

Mistake one: too much detail. A logo that looks fantastic on a website with thousands of pixels can become an illegible blob when shrunk to 8 centimetres on a chest. Thin lines, small letters and intricate detail disappear in embroidery and can blur in print. The fix is to have a simplified version of the logo specifically for workwear, with small details removed or streamlined.

Mistake two: the wrong file format. We regularly receive logos as low-resolution PNG or JPEG files pulled from a website. For embroidery we need a vector file (AI, EPS or SVG) to digitise the logo correctly. For print we need at least 300 dpi at actual size. Low-resolution files produce pixelated results. Make sure you have your logo available as a vector, it pays off in the long run.

Mistake three: ignoring the background colour. A logo designed for a white background often looks completely different on a dark jacket, and vice versa. Many companies forget to create colour versions for different backgrounds. You should have at least three versions: one for a light background, one for a dark background, and a single-colour version for special uses. This ensures the logo is always clearly visible and correctly reproduced.

Mistake four: the wrong placement. The logo is typically placed on the left chest, level with the pocket, at a width of 8 to 10 centimetres. Many people want it too high, too low or the wrong size. An oversized chest logo looks unprofessional, while one that is too small disappears. Back logos follow different rules, here the logo can be 25 to 35 centimetres wide and placed between the shoulder blades.

Mistake five: forgetting colour accuracy. Pantone colours ensure consistent reproduction across methods and materials. Without a Pantone reference, the red in your logo can come out anywhere from orange to burgundy depending on method and fabric. Make sure you have Pantone codes for every colour in your logo, and communicate them clearly to your branding supplier.

A bonus tip to finish: always order a sample before you approve a large run. A physical sample garment instantly reveals whether the logo looks good in practice. At Universe Profile we offer sample production so you can see and feel the result before we start the full order. It costs a little extra, but it can save you from expensive production errors.