Wholesale embroidery for the trade

Contract Embroidery Services

Wholesale contract embroidery for screen print shops, promotional products distributors, agencies and apparel brands. Flat and 3D puff embroidery on hats, polos, fleece and outerwear, stitched in-house in Grandville, Michigan and blind shipped anywhere in the U.S.

Apply for a contract account See program guidelines
Contract embroidery in production at Extreme Screen Prints in Grandville, Michigan
4.9★Google & Trustpilot rating
Since 2007Contract partner since 2012
22,000+ ft²In-house production facility
100% BlindUnbranded slips on every order
The basics

What is contract embroidery?

Contract embroidery is wholesale embroidery done on behalf of another business. A print shop, promo distributor or agency sells the order to its client, a contract embroiderer stitches it (often on garments the reseller supplies), then ships it unbranded so the reseller keeps the relationship and the margin.

It's also called wholesale embroidery, stitch-only embroidery or trade embroidery. For a screen printer without machines, or a distributor tired of juggling three decorators, a contract embroidery partner adds a high-margin decoration method without buying equipment, hiring operators or learning digitizing the hard way.

Who we work with

Built for businesses that resell decorated apparel

Our best contract partners are the ones who can't get this level of service from their current shop.

Screen Print Shops

Say yes to the hat and polo add-ons your customers ask for. Outsource embroidery and overflow without adding machines or headcount.

Promo Distributors

ASI, PPAI and SAGE distributors get trade pricing, formal-PO workflow and blind drop shipping straight to your client.

Agencies & Design Firms

Deliver branded merch and employee uniforms under your name while we handle production, finishing and fulfillment.

Apparel Brands

Retail-ready embroidered hats, fleece and cut-and-sew pieces, finished with tags and fold & bag, ready to hit the shelf.

Capabilities

What we stitch for contract clients

Embroidery is the most durable decoration in the industry. Done right, the logo outlasts the garment. We pair real production experience with clean digitizing so your first run looks as good as your sample.

Embroidery styles

  • Flat embroidery for left-chest logos, sleeves, back yokes and full backs
  • 3D puff embroidery for structured hat fronts and bold lettering
  • Embroidered patches sewn or heat-applied (custom patches)
  • Embroidery digitizing from your vector art, or bring your own DST
  • Mixed-media orders combining embroidery with screen printing on one PO

Garments & accessories

Products available for contract embroidery
CategoryCommon contract items
HeadwearSnapbacks, truckers, dad hats, flat brims, Flexfit, beanies (custom hats)
Corporate & workwearPolos, button-ups, work shirts, quarter-zips, aprons, safety apparel
FleeceHoodies, crewnecks, quarter-zips
OuterwearJackets, soft shells, windbreakers, vests
AccessoriesTotes, backpacks, duffels, drawstring bags
Retail apparelHeavyweight tees and fleece for streetwear and lifestyle brands
Why Extreme®

One contract partner for embroidery, print & finishing

Most contract embroiderers only stitch. Extreme® prints, embroiders, finishes and ships under one roof, so your whole order moves on one PO, one schedule and one invoice.

01

Blind shipping, always

Unbranded packing slips on every contract order and split shipping to multiple addresses. Your client only ever sees you.

02

Print + stitch on one PO

Screen printed tees and embroidered hats ship together. Four automatic ROQ® presses and in-house embroidery mean no extra vendor in the middle.

03

Retail-ready finishing

Neck tags, hem tags, hang tags and fold & bag with size stickers. See apparel finishing.

04

A real rep, not a ticket

In-house customer service reviews every PO and responds within one business day. Production issues get flagged before they become late orders.

05

Trade pricing you can quote from

A published Contract Price List by stitch count and quantity, so you can quote your client in minutes and protect your margin.

06

Fulfillment when you need it

Warehousing, pick & pack and company stores for repeat programs. See online stores.

How it works

How contract embroidery works at Extreme®

From application to delivery, the workflow is built around formal POs so nothing gets lost between your client and our floor.

Start your application

  1. Apply for a contract account

    Tell us about your business, typical order sizes and decoration mix. Approved accounts receive our Contract Price List.

  2. Submit a purchase order

    Include sizes and quantities, thread callouts, finished embroidery size, placement and a garment mock-up for each design.

  3. Send art & garments

    Send a DST with color sequence, or vector art for digitizing. Ship blanks from your supplier labeled with your PO number, or have us source them.

  4. Approve your sew-out

    We digitize, check counts on arrival and send a proof. Production is scheduled once art is approved and all goods are in.

  5. We stitch, finish & blind ship

    Orders are embroidered, quality checked, finished as requested and shipped with unbranded slips to you or straight to your client.

Program guidelines

Are we a good contract embroidery fit?

Clear guidelines keep pricing low and turnaround fast for every partner. Here's what we expect from contract clients.

RequirementDetails
Minimum order50 pieces per design
Average order sizeAbout 150 pieces per design
Order frequencyAt least 2 purchase orders per month
PricingQuoted from the provided Contract Price List
Purchase ordersFormal PO with sizes, quantities, placement, finished size and thread colors
ArtworkDST with color sequence, or print-ready vector art (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG) for digitizing
Mock-upsGarment mock-ups showing accurate embroidery size and placement
Supplied garmentsCounted, labeled with your PO and shipped direct from supplier. 2–3% overs recommended.
TurnaroundCurrently 5–7 business days after approval and receipt of goods, plus shipping. Rush available for a fee.

Not a reseller? Order embroidered apparel directly on our embroidery services page, or see wholesale screen printing for bulk-order pricing.

Pricing

How contract embroidery is priced

Contract embroidery is priced primarily by stitch count, the total number of stitches in a design. More detail or a larger footprint means more stitches, more machine time and a higher per-piece price.

  • Stitch count, the biggest price driver
  • Quantity, with price breaks as volume grows
  • Number of locations per garment
  • Digitizing, a one-time charge per new design
  • Specialty techniques like 3D puff
  • Finishing & shipping such as fold & bag or split ships
Download the Stitch Count Estimator

Typical stitch counts by placement

PlacementTypical sizeTypical stitches
Left chest3.5"–4" wide5,000–9,000
Hat front2"–2.5" tall5,000–10,000
Sleeve / cuff1"–3" wide2,000–5,000
Back yoke8"–10" wide8,000–15,000
Full back10"–12" wide25,000–60,000+

Industry ranges for planning only. Exact counts come from your digitized file.

Choosing a decoration

Contract embroidery vs. contract screen printing

Not sure which to quote? Here's how the two compare. We run both in-house, so you can mix them on one order.

EmbroideryScreen printing
Best forHats, polos, fleece, outerwear, uniformsTees, fleece, large graphics, full-color art
Look & feelRaised, textured, premiumSmooth to soft-hand, wide range of inks
DurabilityOften outlasts the garmentExcellent with proper curing
Priced byStitch count & quantityColors, locations & quantity
Detail limitsVery small text and gradients are limitedFine detail, halftones, simulated process
Learn moreEmbroidery servicesContract screen printing
Get answers

Contract embroidery FAQ

What is contract embroidery?

Contract embroidery is wholesale embroidery done on behalf of another business. A print shop, promotional products distributor or agency sells the order to its own client, and a contract embroiderer like Extreme Screen Prints stitches it, often on garments the reseller supplies, then ships it unbranded so the reseller keeps the client relationship.

Who can apply for contract embroidery?

Our contract program is open to promotional products distributors, marketing and design firms, apparel brands and fellow screen print shops that need embroidery capacity or overflow help. Approved contract clients order from our Contract Price List with formal purchase orders.

Can I supply my own garments?

Yes. Approved contract clients may supply garments. Goods should arrive counted and labeled with your PO number. Contract policies apply to customer-supplied goods, so we recommend ordering 2–3% overs on embroidered items.

Do you blind ship contract orders?

Yes. Every contract order ships with blind, unbranded packing slips, and split shipping to multiple addresses is available, so your client never sees our name.

How is contract embroidery priced?

Contract embroidery is priced by stitch count, quantity and number of locations, from our Contract Price List. Digitizing is a one-time charge per design. Use our free Stitch Count Estimator to plan costs before you quote your client.

What is the turnaround time?

Standard production is currently 5–7 business days after proof approval and receipt of all goods, plus 1–5 business days shipping in the U.S. Rush production is available for a fee when the schedule allows.

Can you screen print and embroider the same order?

Yes. We run screen printing and embroidery in-house in Grandville, Michigan, so a single purchase order can include printed tees and embroidered hats or polos, plus finishing like neck tags and fold & bag, shipped together.

What file do you need?

Send a DST file with its color sequence and thread callouts, or send vector artwork (AI, EPS, PDF or SVG) and we will digitize it. Include finished size, placement and garment mock-ups on every PO.

Do you offer 3D puff embroidery?

Yes. We offer flat embroidery and 3D puff embroidery, most popular on structured hats, for contract clients.

See all frequently asked questions →

Partner with Extreme®

Ready to add embroidery to your lineup?

Apply for a contract account and get our Contract Price List. A member of our in-house team will follow up within one business day.

Apply now Call (616) 202-1133
Extreme Screen Prints® · 3030 Sangra Ave SW, Suites 101-102, Grandville, MI 49418 · Serving resellers nationwide from the Grand Rapids area
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