Custom Polos. Simplified.
Our 3-step process takes the complexity out of ordering custom embroidered polos for your team. We also offer a sublimation all over print polo line with a single piece minimum for sport teams and event crews.
Start Your Order
"The most streamlined B2B ordering experience we've ever encountered."
Two Ways to Make Your Polo
Fortera Apparel offers two production methods for custom polo shirts: embroidery (MOQ 20) and sublimation (MOQ 1). Both polos are cut and sewn for your order. The two minimums are not sales tactics. They reflect how each production process actually works on our factory floor.
Embroidery is our flagship process for corporate teams, hotels, country clubs, and restaurants that want a classic uniform standard. Sublimation is built for sport teams, esports squads, event staff, and brand activations that need bold full-color visuals or a single sample.
How Each Method Is Made
Plain English explanations of what happens on our production floor and why each method has the minimum order it does.
How Embroidered Polos Are Made (MOQ 20)
Every Fortera embroidered polo is cut and sewn from raw fabric rolls at our facility, not embroidered onto ready-made blank polos. When you place an embroidery order, the fabric roll comes off the shelf, gets laid across the cutting table, and our team marks up polo patterns (front panel, back panel, two sleeve panels, collar, cuffs, plackets) for every size in your order.
Before a single polo is stitched, your logo is digitized into an embroidery program: every stitch, color change and density is set for each logo position. The embroidery hoops and machine heads are then set up for each position on the polo. That setup takes nearly the same time whether you order 1 polo or 20.
Once panels are cut, the sewing step begins. Panels are stitched together on industrial sewing machines: shoulders, side seams, collar attachment, sleeve insertion, hem finishing, placket construction, and buttonhole formation. Each polo goes through 8 to 12 sewing stations before it is a finished garment.
After sewing, the embroidery step runs. Your logo file gets loaded onto the embroidery machine, threads are calibrated to your Pantone colors, and each polo is hooped and stitched one by one. Programming your logo and setting up the hoops for each position is the main reason embroidery has a minimum order.
This is why our embroidery minimum is 20 pieces per design. The stitch program, the hoop setup and a color-matched fabric batch take the same work for 1 polo as for 20. We cover that setup ourselves, so you never pay a setup or digitizing fee, and 20 pieces is the smallest batch where it works for both sides. Styles with a striped collar (two or more separated stripes) start at 50 pieces.
How Sublimation Polos Are Made (MOQ 1)
Sublimation is a different process entirely. Your design is printed digitally onto the fabric, 92% polyester / 8% spandex performance knit, and the printed fabric is then cut and sewn into your polo. A digital print needs no stitch program and no hoop setup, and every polo prints from the same file. That is why the minimum is 1.
When your sublimation order comes in, we print your design onto sublimation transfer paper, lay it on the polyester fabric, and run it through a heat press at around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Under that heat, the ink converts from solid directly to gas and bonds permanently with the polyester fibers. The dye becomes part of the fabric itself, not a layer sitting on top.
Each polo prints individually from the same digital file, so there is no setup that needs to be spread across 20 pieces. Order 1 polo as a sample or 1,000 for a tournament, and orders of more than 20 pieces get a better price per piece.
This is why sublimation ships from a single piece. Different production process, different economics, different math.
Which Method Is Right for Your Team?
A side-by-side look at both methods. Pick the one that matches how your team will actually wear the polo.
Embroidered Polo Shirts
Minimum order: 20 pieces per design
- Production method: Cut and sew, logo embroidered
- Best for: Corporate teams, hotels, country clubs, restaurants, established uniforms
- Logo coverage: Chest, sleeve, or collar (precision stitch)
- Color limit: Up to 4 thread colors per design
- Fabric: 65% cotton / 35% polyester (CVC)
- Fabric feel: Cotton softness with polyester structure
- Production time: 12 to 18 business days from approved mockup
- Wash durability: Reinforced stitch, holds up for years
Sublimated All Over Print Polos
Minimum order: 1 piece
- Production method: Fabric printed digitally, then cut and sewn
- Best for: Sport teams, esports, event staff, brand activations, samples
- Logo coverage: Full shirt (front, back, sleeves, collar)
- Color limit: Unlimited Pantone or HEX
- Fabric: 92% Polyester / 8% Spandex
- Fabric feel: Lightweight, moisture-wicking, stretch
- Production time: 12 to 18 business days from approved mockup
- Wash durability: Dye fused into fibers, will not crack or peel
Most of our customers order embroidery. The 20-piece minimum is the right size for a team that wears their uniform regularly: a hotel front desk, a service department, a country club staff, a restaurant crew. It is the order size where the embroidery setup works, the per-piece price becomes fair, and your team has spares for new hires and replacements.
For one-off events, sport tournaments, or a single sample, sublimation gives you the flexibility to order exactly what you need. Different production process, different math, same 12 to 18 business day delivery worldwide.
Precision at Scale.
From initial selection to final stitch, Fortera Apparel manages every detail of your brand's physical presence.
Choose Your Polo
Browse by fabric, style, or industry. See transparent pricing upfront. Embroidery minimum 20 pieces, sublimation minimum 1 piece.
Upload Your Logo
Upload during checkout or email later. We digitize for FREE (normally $50 value). Digital mockup before production starts.
We Handle the Rest
Hand-finished tailoring and embroidery at our Vietnam workshop, DTF printing at our Houston, Texas print facility. Quality check every order. Total 12 to 18 business days from approved mockup to delivery worldwide.
The Fortera Standards.
Every order includes our signature white-glove service, ensuring your team looks impeccable from day one.
Free Logo Digitizing
We convert your artwork into high-precision stitch data at no cost.
100% Remake Guarantee
If the delivered polos do not match the approved mockup, we remake the order at no cost.
Ships worldwide
Full tracking included. Transparent rates at checkout based on weight and destination.
Logo Cloud Storage
Your digitized logo is saved securely in our vault. One-click reorders for new hires or department updates.
Production Timeline
A transparent window into our manufacturing floor. Total 12 to 18 business days from approved mockup to delivery.
Within 24 hours
Digital mockup of your logo on the polo, delivered to your inbox for review.
Your approval
You approve the proof or request revisions at no charge. Production starts only after approval.
Business days 1-10
Hand-finished tailoring and embroidery at our Vietnam workshop, DTF printing at our Houston, Texas print facility. Individual quality inspection on every polo.
Business days 12-18
Delivered to your door with full tracking worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)?
Why is the minimum order 20 pieces for embroidered polos?
Why is the sublimation polo line single-piece minimum but embroidery is 20?
What logo formats do you accept?
Can I see what my logo will look like before production?
How long does production take?
Ready to Elevate Your Team?
Browse our embroidered polo collection for classic team uniforms, or check our sublimation polo line for bold full-color designs from a single piece.