Best practice for personalising backpacks and school bags

A five-step guide to embroidering backpacks

As autumn rolls around, schools, academies, and colleges all welcome their newest pupils, all preferably adorned in newly branded uniforms and backpacks. Many challenges come with embroidering shirts and bags, and so in this column, ETC Supplies marketing executive, Daniel Horgan, offers five pieces of advice to get the best results from your efforts.

With the school summer holidays at an end, it’s officially the start of the back-to-school season. For embroidery professionals, this marks one of the busiest times of year, with high demand for personalised backpacks, book bags and gym sacks. Whether you’re working with school logos or custom names, ensuring the right techniques and materials makes all the difference. ETC Supplies is here to help guide you through this potentially tricky embroidery process.

1. Understand bag structure and fabric

Backpacks and school bags are often made from robust materials like nylon, polyester, or canvas, many of which are water-resistant and multi-layered. These features can make hooping and stabilising a challenge. Always inspect the bag to find flat, obstruction-free areas for embroidery. The upper front panel is usually the best option, avoiding seams and zips where possible.

Tip: Always run a test stitch on a similar material to ensure the right tension and needle setup.

2. Stabilise with the right backing

Stabilising is crucial for clean, long-lasting embroidery. ETC Supplies recommends using a woven fusible embroidery backing. This option helps maintain the integrity of the embroidery through daily wear and repeated washing.

3. Needles for tough fabrics

For school bags, use a sharp-point embroidery needle. These penetrate tough, coated fabrics more effectively than finer needles, helping to avoid skipped stitches or thread breakage.

4. Durable threads for daily use

School bags see a lot of action, so your thread needs to be both strong and colourfast. ETC Supplies recommends Durak Polysoft threads for all bag embroidery. This high-quality polyester thread delivers a smooth finish while offering excellent durability, UV resistance, and vibrant colour retention – essential for items that will be outdoors and in frequent use.

Note: Always match your bobbin thread weight and colour appropriately to avoid tension imbalance and visibility through the top stitching.

5. Adhesive and finishing tips

If hooping is difficult, a temporary spray adhesive can help secure the backing to the fabric before hooping. Once stitching is complete, trim away excess backing and lightly steam the area to remove hoop marks or slight puckering.

Embroidering school bags is a profitable seasonal opportunity, and with the right setup, it can also be highly efficient. By using our recommended products and following proper stabilisation and stitching techniques, you’ll ensure a clean, professional finish every time.