On bad hair days, you probably have a go-to baseball cap that you like to throw on your head. It’s not uncommon to have a favorite, and more than likely, the hat you reach for has some kind of design printed across the front.
Branded hats are everywhere – in the dugout at baseball games, sitting on shelves at gift shops, and even in the crowd at political rallies. Do you need some of your own? Make sure they look amazing with these design tips!
Why Do You Need Custom Hats?
You’re not just buying custom hats in bulk because you feel like it. Which of these sounds the most like you?
Sports Teams
Any outdoor sport, from baseball to volleyball, can get a ton of use from custom hats. Whether you go with visors, snapbacks, or trucker hats, your athletes will appreciate keeping the sun out of their eyes.
Employee Uniforms
Do you manage a bar or restaurant? Your servers can wear hats as part of their uniforms. It can be baseball caps with black-and-white umpire shirts and face paint for a sports pub, or fedoras and suspenders for a bratwurst diner!
Clothing Stores
Trendy clothing stores, like Forever 21 and H&M, sell unique hats to their customers. These can be personalized with anything from tacos to kitties to the name of the stores!
Nonprofit Swag
If you’re hosting an outdoor fundraiser, your volunteers may start feeling sweaty as they work. Make sure everyone feels way breezier by handing out lightweight visors or safari hats.
Gift Shops
Tourist attractions often keep custom hats in their gift shops. Resorts, amusement parks, and zoos can get a ton of brand exposure every time one of their visitors wears one on the weekends.
Holiday Gifts
Bring a smile to everyone on your list! Personalized gifts for the holidays are always a win, and you can really make the custom hats special by printing a photo, inside joke, or monogrammed initials on the front.
Winter Events
Whether you run a ski lodge or are hosting a snowman building competition, you can’t go wrong with knit beanies. They’re easy items to sell for extra profit, or to give away for free when someone signs up for your event.
Custom hats are excellent gifts and giveaways for a ton of situations. People will always appreciate receiving one, especially if the hat looks stylish!
Tips for Customizing Hats
The time has come for you to embrace your inner artist and customize hats! You’ll get amazing hats by following these tips:
- Choose the right style.
- Pick a good hat color.
- Use embroidery for the design.
- Pair your hats with other apparel items.
Tip #1: Choose the Right Style
Surprisingly, there are over 100 different types of hats that exist in the universe! That number can seem overwhelming, which is why it helps to narrow down your options.
You can print a custom design on any of these styles:
Baseball Caps
Snapbacks
Visors
Trucker Hats
Beanies
Outdoor Hats
Fedoras
Bucket Hats
Felt Santa Hats
Now that you’ve picked a style, it’s time to figure out how you want your hats to look. Let’s say you’ve settled on beanie hats. Ask yourself:
- Do I want pom poms on the top?
- Do I want the bottom to be cuffed or uncuffed?
- Do I want a pattern like stripes, plaid, or camo?
- Do I want a knit beanie or one made of cotton?
Brainstorm ahead of time so you come ready with a game plan. This will ultimately make your life easier when you’re shopping online for custom hats.
Tip #2: Pick a Good Color
Now that you know which style you want to go with, the next step is you to choose the color of your hats. There are a ton of great options!
Basic Color
Maroon, purple, green, orange, blue…hats come in every color in the rainbow! You can match your logo, or opt for a favorite color if you’re giving out the hats as gifts.
Multi-Color
It can be tough to settle on just one color. So why not include as many as you can? Look for an eye-pleasing combo like black and white, or an ombre effect with various shades of blue.
Neutral
The color of the hat shouldn’t clash with the colors in your design. If you have a super bright logo that you’re printing, choose a hat in a neutral color like white, black, brown, or beige.
Pastel
Pastel hats are pretty and delicate. With their soft tone, they’re particularly wonderful giveaways for spring events like farmer’s markets and Easter egg hunts.
Bright
Be bold by choosing a hat that’s extra bright. Neon caps are impossible to miss and are especially great for runners and kids at campgrounds or field trips.
Pattern
Whether you go with polka dots or tiger stripes, your hats will look trendy if you choose a cool pattern. They’re sure to stand out on any hat rack and are unique enough to never end up in the Goodwill donation pile!
Picking the right color is part of the fun when it comes to customizing hats. Go with a color or pattern that catches your eye. It also doesn’t hurt to match your business or event colors!
Tip #3: Use Embroidery for the Design
Screen-printing is awesome, but if you want your hats to look refined and high-end, it’s a good idea to use embroidery for the design instead. Most hats come with 7 to 8 thread colors included for free!
Embroider any of the following onto your hats:
Logo
A picture is worth a thousand words! Your logo represents your business, so it’ll do all the talking if you print it alone on your hats.
Text
Try to use only between 5 and 10 characters. You don’t have room to write a novel, and you want the message to be clear at first glance anyways.
Simple Graphic
Schools can print their mascots, while Italian restaurants can print a cute clipart image of a pizza slice. The sky’s the limit!
Design + Text
As long as you have a small, simple logo and a short business name, you can squeeze both onto the hat. Stack one on top of the other, or print them side by side.
Monogram
Are you looking for wedding favors or gifts for your family reunion? You can get everyone’s initials on embroidered hats!
Pick a handful of thread colors and stick with a simple image or word to go across the front. You should be able to decipher what’s on the hats at a fast glance, so less is more.
Tip #4: Pair Your Hats With Other Apparel
You may as well go the extra mile and complete the entire outfit! Add your design or logo to other apparel items such as:
Why Should You Customize Hats?
Custom gifts are always special because they’re personal and one-of-a-kind. Apparel in particular, like hats, jackets, and t-shirts, will be worn time and time again, making it a great idea for everyone on your list.
The wonderful thing about hats in particular is they’re not limited by seasons. You can wear baseball caps in the summer, beanies in the winter, and a bunch of other hats in the months in between. Plus, people don’t have as many hats as they have other clothing items. This makes these gifts stand out from everything else!
Do you want custom hats in bulk? Order them online with Quality Logo Products®!
The Bottom Line
Congratulations – you’re ready to customize hats! It’ll be worth the effort when you see everyone’s faces light up when they get one of their own. From snapbacks to fedoras, you can’t go wrong with these trendy, personalized gifts!
Quality Logo Products®
are experts on all things printed and promotional. Let our team of awesome, incredibly good looking, and fun promo nerds help you select awesome promotional swag today!
