Embroidery

Available thread colours

With standard embroidery there is a limited selection of thread colours. Each design can use up to six thread colours. If a colour is not available in our thread range we will select the closest match. For example, where printed custom T-shirts use 'Sky Grey' we use a standard grey for embroidery, which is slightly darker, as a light grey thread is not available.

That said, there are instances where the closest thread colour differs so noticeably from the required colour that we do not offer it as a selection in the customisation tool. For example, the closest thread match for the "Sky" used on our printed custom T-shirts is a bright green. Because it is so visually inaccurate, we have removed it as a colour option from the tool as it would yield a disappointing result.

Borders

For some design elements, such as a fin flash, we add a small border around the edge that closely matches the garment colour. This helps the fin flash retain its original shape on the sleeve.

Size of Design Elements and Text

As the embroidery process uses needle and thread, there is a finite amount of detail we can reproduce and very small text and fine details do not stitch clearly and can become unreadable. Examples include small wing, tail, waist or nose guns that may appear in print but not in embroidery.

Additionally, the lack of fine detail in embroidery can cause some aircraft types to lose distinguishing features, so they may at first glance appear similar. For example, a top-down silhouette of a Spitfire may resemble a Hawker Tempest, and a Lancaster may resemble a Halifax, despite us using detailed artwork for each aircraft.