We get it: embroidery proofs can look a bit… confusing. And you’re not alone! One of the top bits of feedback we get is that they’re not always easy to understand.
So, we’ve put together this simple, honest guide to walk you through everything step-by-step. Whether it’s your first custom Clothes2order order or your fiftieth, this will help make sense of all those stitches, sizes and colour codes. Let’s break it down.
First Things First: What You’re Looking At
When you open your proof, the first thing you’ll see is a design mock-up of your design.
This is basically a visual preview of how your design will look when it’s embroidered onto your chosen garment.
Just a heads-up: This is not a photo of the finished item — it’s a digital render. Because embroidery interacts with fabric (which pulls and stretches a bit), the final product might look slightly different. Totally normal.
We don’t provide garment-on previews, so make sure you’re happy with the size you picked when placing your order!
Your Order Details
At the top of your proof, you’ll find some key info:
- Your order number – the same one you received at checkout and on your invoice.
- Design name – whatever you named your design when you uploaded it.
If your order includes more than one embroidered design, you’ll get a separate proof for each.
And if you’ve got a mix of print and embroidery, don’t worry if there’s no print proof – we don’t send them, since print is done digitally and doesn’t require the same checks.
Embroidery Details: What You Should Double-Check
This is where things get a little technical – but don’t worry, here’s what actually matters to you:
- Stitch count – This is how many stitches your design will need.
If it’s over 25,000 stitches, it’s called a high stitch count, and that can slightly increase the cost. - Height & Width (in mm) – This is the actual size your design will be stitched at.
Make sure it looks right — once approved, we can’t resize it.
Sometimes, we may tweak the size slightly to fit the garment better (especially if there are seams or limited space). If there’s an issue with your artwork (like very tiny, unreadable details), we’ll always get in touch before your proof is sent.
- Colours – This tells you how many different thread colours we’ll be using.
FYI: Gradients aren’t possible in embroidery, so we simplify those into solid colours that match as closely as possible. - Colourway & Zoom – These are machine settings. You don’t need to worry about them.
The Colour Section: Matching Threads to Your Vision
This bit shows you how we’ll handle your design colours. It includes:
- Sequence – The order your colours will be embroidered in.
- Preview – A rough idea of what the thread colours will look like (just remember, screens can make colours look slightly different!).
- Stitch count per colour – So you can see how the thread usage breaks down.
- Code – Every colour is matched to a Madeira Classic 40 thread code. This is super useful — if you want to tweak a colour, just tell us the code you’d prefer instead.
- Name – Some colours have names (like Super White), but it’s always better to use the thread code when talking to us — it’s much more accurate.
You’ll get a Madeira thread guide with your proof to help you compare options if you want to make a change.
Before You Hit “Approve”
Here’s a quick checklist before you give us the go-ahead:
- ✅ Double-check your design size (height + width)
- ✅ Are you happy with the thread colours?
- ✅ Got a colour change? Just quote the thread code
- ✅ Understand it may look slightly different once stitched — because fabric has a mind of its own!
And if anything’s unclear, just give us a shout. We’re always happy to help.
Want more tips or need anymore help? Reach out to our friendly team.
