Embroidery Machine Guide

Embroidery design size chart

How big to make a design for each placement, and the smallest hoop that holds it.

Most placements fit a 4 × 4 in hoop: left chest, pockets, sleeves, caps and baby items. Towel names, totes and full-front shirt designs usually need 5 × 7 in or larger, and jacket backs need 8 × 12 in or a split design.

PlacementTypical sizeWidth rangeHeight rangeSmallest hoop
Left chest3.5 × 3 in (89 × 76 mm)3–4 in2–3.5 in4 × 4 in
Full front7.5 × 9 in (191 × 229 mm)5–10 in5–12 in8 × 12 in
Full back9 × 10 in (229 × 254 mm)6–12 in6–14 in9.5 × 14 in
Pocket3 × 2.5 in (76 × 64 mm)1.5–3.5 in1–3 in4 × 4 in
Sleeve3 × 3 in (76 × 76 mm)1.5–4 in1.5–8 in4 × 4 in
Cap front3.5 × 2 in (89 × 51 mm)2–5 in1–2.5 in4 × 4 in
Cap side and back2.5 × 1.5 in (64 × 38 mm)1.5–3.5 in0.75–2.25 in4 × 4 in
Beanie3 × 1.5 in (76 × 38 mm)2–4.5 in1–2 in4 × 4 in
Towel4.5 × 3.5 in (114 × 89 mm)3–8 in2–5 in5 × 7 in
Baby onesie3 × 3 in (76 × 76 mm)2–4.5 in2–4.5 in4 × 4 in
Baby bib3.5 × 3.5 in (89 × 89 mm)2.5–5 in2.5–5 in4 × 4 in
Tote bag6 × 6 in (152 × 152 mm)4–10 in3–10 in6 × 10 in
Pillow cover6 × 6 in (152 × 152 mm)3–10 in3–10 in6 × 10 in
Quilt block5 × 5 in (127 × 127 mm)3.5–8 in3.5–8 in5 × 7 in
Patch3 × 3 in (76 × 76 mm)2–5 in1.5–5 in4 × 4 in

Check a design on your machine Hoop sizes chart