You want your appearance to reflect who you are. You want to show off your individuality. And what better way to do that than with some unique art on your custom logo hats? When you make your own hat you have lots of options available, but there’s nothing that gives you the freedom that making your own logo does. And there’s no better place for Joliet to design it than Hat.Co.
You don’t need to be a drawing expert to get started. All you have to bring is an idea, and we’ll help you convert the art for your custom hat. Ready to make your hat? You can talk to a team member at (636) 926-2777, conctact us online, or get to work in our design studio to start designing today.
Today, you can read about why custom logos are important for hats in Joliet, IL, logo application methods and the advantages of each, pro tips to guide you while creating, and other things to keep in mind while designing your hat/logo combination. You can jump ahead with the links below:
- Reasons People in Joliet, IL Get Custom Logo Hats
- 3 Custom Logo Design Pro Tips for Joliet, IL, Hats
- Custom Logo Hats — Art Options
- What Else To Consider When Designing a Custom Logo
- Start Designing Custom Logo Hats
Reasons People in Joliet, IL Get Custom Logo Hats
There are few better ways to give your brand exposure than by using custom logo hats, whether it’s for your Joliet, IL, company, a family, or just to show off your personal uniqueness. Depending on your circumstances, you could be thinking about just using some existing artwork, but your existing logo may not fit as well as you initially hope.
Hats (in contrast to shirts) have unique aspects that are important to consider. You’ll want to take the time to think about the following:
- What the design will look like when it’s shrunk down to hat-sized
- The location(s) where you’ll put the logo
- The style of hat and the material it will be made of
- Whether your design is fairly detailed or simpler
In the next section, we’ll go over some advice to make the best custom logo hats, but before you get started there, it’s important to realize that a current design may not be the right fit for your next custom hat. At Hat.Co, we can help either create a new logo from scratch or convert an existing one to fit Joliet, IL, style perfectly.
Bonus: Beyond self-expression for its own sake, custom designs are an excellent way to show off the uniqueness of a special occasion and make a keepsake to remember it by.
3 Custom Logo Design Pro Tips for Joliet, IL, Hats
Want to make the ultimate custom logo hats in Joliet, IL? Keep in mind the below pro tips:
Custom Logo Hats Pro Tip 1: Use a Bold, Simple Logo
Whatever kind of design you’re going for, keep the medium in mind: Hats. Hats are attention-grabbing in Joliet, IL, but don’t give you as big of a canvas as a billboard or even a custom shirt. This is all the more reason to make your design stand out.
Strong designs with large shapes are good fits for hats. If someone sees your custom logo hat from a distance, you want them to be able to distinguish details of the design.
Custom Logo Hats Pro Tip 2: Avoid Fine Details
Finely detailed art can be incredible, but only in the right medium. A design that looks great on a poster can lose its aesthetic when it’s shrunk down. Because of this, existing logos aren’t always a good fit on hats.
This ties back into the advice above — a more straightforward, brilliant design keeps things understandible and separates your hat from the rest in Joliet, IL.
Custom Logo Hats Pro Tip 3: Think About Adding a Rear Design
You already know that the front of the hat isn’t the biggest display area. However, one way you can get more out of your hat is by adding a logo on the back.
When customizing, many people overlook the back of the hat, which is something you can turn to your advantage. With a back logo, you can add something specific to an event, give exposure to a secondary logo, or add a slogan.
Joliet, IL, Custom Logo Hats — Artwork Options
Either before or after you design the logo, you’ll need to pick a way to put it onto the hats. The four main logo application methods are Embroidery, Patches, Screen Printing, and Direct-to-Film(DTF)/Heat Transfer. Each method has its place, and we’re discussing them in detail below to help you figure out the best one for your custom logo hats:
DTF/Heat Transfer:
DTF/Heat transfer is a game-changer for custom logo hats. Custom hat designers can express themselves like never before with this method. If you choose DTF/Heat Transfer for your logo, you can look forward to the following:
- Accessible pricing, especially for lower quantities
- Very high number of color options and unique finishes, such as flock finishes
- Rapid turnarounds, for help when you need your custom hats ASAP
Screen Printing:
Screen Printing is the traditional way for putting a custom logo on your hat. As you would expect, this method consists of applying ink onto your hat in your design, while using screens to prevent it from going anywhere it’s not supposed to. Here are some of the advantages of screen printing:
- Designs are long-lasting when properly cared for
- Bold, vivid hues can be applied to give your design an extra pop
- Scales well, as there is a low per-unit cost
Embroidery:
Embroidery does away with the inks of DTF and Screen printing, and instead uses colored thread to create your design. This thread is sewn into the fabric of your hat, creating a one-of-a-kind effect for your logo and giving it texture. Here are the main advantages of embroidery:
- A 3-D, distinctive effect that increases your logo’s distinctiveness from the Joliet, IL crowd
- A classic look with a lot of history behind it
- Long-lasting logos, since the design is integrated into the hat
Patches:
Patches, the final artwork option for your custom logo hats, put your logo on a separate piece of apparel that is then affixed to your hat. Patches come in all shapes, sizes, and materials, giving you a lot to pick from there as well. Custom logo hats in Joliet, IL use patches for the following reasons:
- Custom patches come in many different types
- The most durable and long-lasting logo option
- Patches can also be ordered standalone if you want to put your logo on more things
Because different hat designers in Joliet, IL have different needs, there’s no universally correct answer for how to get your design on your hat. Custom logo hats are, by design, unique. And you should go with a method that will make your logo stand out. If you’re unsure of which technique will work best with your logo, give us a call, and we’ll help you find an answer that works best for you. And as an added bonus, we preserve your design so you can reorder the same custom hat later and/or get matching swag.
Other Hat Customization Aspects to Keep in Mind
You’ve finished designing the logo — good work! But it’s just as significant to pick a good hat to put it on. It’s critical to give your design a cohesive base, and that starts with the style and color of the hat itself:
Hat Styles:
While many hat styles can be customized in Joliet, IL, different purposes work best with different types. A custom dad hat has a very different feel to a custom fitted hat. Below, you can read an overview of the major hat styles available in Joliet and a bit about each of them:
- Baseball Caps: These hats are good all-arounders with lots of history, and it’s hard to go wrong with them.
- Trucker Hats: Trucker hats feature a large, padded front panel which displays screen printing and DTF well, but the mesh rear isn’t as convenient for logos.
- Snapback Hats: Snapbacks have large fronts like trucker hats, but also have able space for extra design elements in back.
- Dad Hats: The unstructured nature of a dad hat makes embroidery a good fit, with its timeless look and pliable nature.
- Flexfit Hats: Patches are great fits for flexfits, as both are designed to stand up to activity and the elements.
- Beanie Hats: Without a brim, beanies are pliable and flexible, and are worn outside. While any style can work well on a beanie, the two most popular styles are embroidery and patches.
Color Theory:
Looking into color theory can be beneficial for both your logo and the hat itself. The fabric behind the design will either boost or hamper it. Using the right background color will give you a major advantage.
You don’t need a full art degree to pick out your colors, though. Complementary color schemes will help your logo pop. Complementary colors stand out more when placed next to each other, giving your logo some extra boldness.
One last piece of color advice — look for a color wheel to get an idea of whether colors will work together before you start designing. When you start with the colors, you won’t have to make extensive revisions later to make everything fit together.
Design and Create Custom Logo Hats in Joliet, IL, with Hat.Co
Many Joliet, IL residents are looking to make custom logo hats. If that includes you, you want to work with the best to ensure a fast turnaround time without compromising quality. Hat.Co is ready for your project. We’ve been in the custom apparel industry for over 50 years, and we offer extensive design and support tools to help you along the way.
If you need custom logo hats, or if you want to explore more of what hat options are out there, we’re ready to help right away. Talk to a team member at (636) 926-2777 or request a quote online today to get started.