5 Things to Consider When Designing Custom Hats

By LogoSportswear

A cool custom hat does more than look good — it protects the wearers outdoors and helps shield their heads from sunlight, all while helping people remember your brand. Employees also appreciate it when they get cool hats they can wear everywhere. Whether you're handing them out as giveaways, gearing up your staff for outdoor work, or hyping up your school's sports team, the right hat brings the whole outdoor look together.

Now, if you mix branding, style, comfort, and a little personality with your hat design, a simple cap can become a valuable accessory that people want to wear. Ready to make your custom hat stand out? Here are five important ideas to think about before you start designing.

The Custom Hat's Purpose

The first rule when designing a hat is to define its primary purpose. Will the hat be part of your business uniform, or is it a giveaway you hand to your loyal customers? Will you be presenting these hats as gifts to your clients? Or will you sell them in shops and retail stores as sports merchandise?

The hat's purpose will ultimately determine the designs you'll want to put on it. Whether it's a casual ball cap for outdoors, a beanie for cold weather, or even a commemorative token for milestones, their purpose and use will shape their design, colors, images, and styles.

Choosing the Best Hat Style

Speaking of styles, you should also check which type of hat will perfectly capture the use and message you want promoted with your design. At LogoSportswear, we offer custom hat printing for different headwear styles. Most of these have perks and uses; choosing one that works with your branding is key.

• Beanies keep the heat in and are a practical choice for those who work throughout fall and winter. You can also give these away as promotional freebies during the holidays.
• Trucker caps are a popular choice because of their easy adjustability and mesh back that keeps the head cool. They are perfect for employees out on the field during the summer or for your customers' everyday use in the warmer seasons.
• Twill caps combine fashion and function with a comfortable, lighter weight texture and a classic shape that fits most.
• Unstructured caps like dad caps provide flexibility and ease when adjusting the fit of the cap to your head.
• Bucket hats protect your face and eyes from the harsh sun. These are great for outdoor activities done in the daytime like fishing and hiking.
• Golf hats and caps are perfect for promoting sports apparel companies or brands sponsoring your event on the green. Your logo is embroidered on popular hat styles among golf players, like visors or mesh caps.
• Baseball caps are another popular style for both sports and everyday use. They are also highly customizable and can match any apparel.

Picking the Hat's Closure

Custom hat sizes are often determined by the type of closure built into them. The closure options are usually categorized into two types: non-adjustable and adjustable. As the name suggests, non-adjustable hats do not have closure. Meanwhile, the adjustable closures can be closed, and users can freely change the hat's size to make them fit better and more comfortably.

You can look at the backing designs you can add to your custom hats.

• A fitted closure is non-adjustable, meaning it comes in specific head sizes. You'll want to order S/M, L/XL variants for your customers or employees to choose from.
• Snapback closures come with buttons that can be snapped at the back. The snaps are typically made of plastic.
• Hook-and-loop caps are adjusted using their namesake's two parts. If a fastener is involved, you can simply press the two parts together.
• Self-fabric buckle hats have matching fabric straps and buckles, offering an easy-to-adjust fit for comfortable everyday wear.

Selecting the Right Hat Brand

Suppose you are looking for the best style and backing for your custom hats, only to find out it's quite a task. You can simply go for branded hats available on the market today.

If you're pressed for time and prefer to customize a brand known for its hats, you can choose the best style from these well-known apparel companies:

• Richardson hats and caps are a go-to for corporate groups and sports teams, thanks to their structured fit and professional look, which works well in many settings.
• New Era offers various styles, including snapbacks, mesh caps, and adjustable structured hats — perfect for events, uniforms, or everyday wear.
• Nike Sports' hats feature moisture-wicking Dri-FIT technology, making them ideal for athletes or staff working in hot weather who need to stay calm and comfortable.
• Adidas caps pair well with your custom design. Your logo will be placed right next to their globally recognized three-stripe branding for an instantly cool, athletic look.

Logo Placement for the Custom Hats

Most caps and hats showcase the logos using an embroidery method, converting your logo's details into stitch patterns showing a clean and professional three-dimensional decoration.

But where should the logos be placed? It all depends on the hat you want to present.

• If you want a custom hat that prominently shows your branding, go big with an embroidered logo at the center, where people can see and identify your branding. These designs are perfect for merchandising but are also great for employee uniforms who want to represent their brand proudly.
• If you want other custom designs to be displayed, you can also choose to be subtle and have a smaller logo size on the hat. Have the logo stitched near the back closure or at the brim. These mini logos don't take away from the hat's overall aesthetic but still offer guidance to customers who want to know which brand designed it.

Conclusion

Keeping up with these five tips is easy, especially if you have all the necessities down to design and customize your hats for sale or for merch. The important element always falls toward choosing the best options and planning ahead so you can easily print and distribute your hats to interested people.

If you are looking for a competent brand that will handle all your designs, embroidery and hat customization, LogoSportswear lets you create and preview your logo and design online with its custom hat designer. You can also upload elements from your computer and combine them straight on your browser. Start sourcing for the best hat today and see your design come to life.