Your logo, stitched to last. Made in San Diego.
Custom embroidery, screen printing and branded apparel out of our own La Mesa shop for over 30 years. Upload your logo and see it on a polo, a cap or a jacket right now — before you spend a dollar.
- 5–10 day turnaround, with same-day rush available
- 20–25% more affordable than typical competitors
- No minimums — one piece or five hundred
Brands we decorate · trusted by San Diego
Crafted with precision. Built to last.
For over three decades Merlin Embroidery has served schools, businesses, nonprofits, first responders and trade crews across San Diego with custom embroidery, screen printing and branded apparel. Everything runs in-house in La Mesa — SWF industrial embroidery machines and an M&R automatic press — which is why we can hold a deadline other shops have to decline.
What we do best
From a single embroidered cap to a 500-piece uniform program, every stitch and every print is handled at our own shop.
Custom Embroidery
Your logo, stitched in thread that outlasts the garment. Embroidery is what we were built on, and it is still the thing we are best at.
Learn moreScreen Printing
Big graphics, big runs, bright colour. When the artwork needs to fill the front of the shirt, printing is the right tool.
Learn morePromotional & Team Gear
The hat, the bag, the jacket, the giveaway. Everything that puts your name in front of a crowd and keeps it there.
Learn moreSee your logo on the gear before you order
Upload your logo, pick the garment and the colour, and watch it land on the left chest in real time. Change the shirt from black to royal blue and look again. Download the mockup, or send it straight over with your quote request — no account, nothing to install.
- Any logo you already have — PNG, JPG, SVG or WEBP, straight off your desktop.
- Real placements — left chest, full front, sleeve, cap front, sized in inches.
- Embroidery or screen print — preview the finish that suits the job.
Know exactly what happens next
Three short videos from Kevin covering the three ways people come to us — a print job, an embroidery job, and a deadline that will not move. No jargon, no sales pitch, just what happens and when.
What to Expect When You Order a Print Job
90 secFrom the moment you send artwork to the moment the boxes are ready: what we need from you, what happens on press, and when it lands.
What to Expect When You Order an Embroidery Job
2 minDigitizing, the mock-up you approve, how the machines run your logo, and what 50-plus wash durability actually means.
What to Expect on a Rush Deadline
90 secHow we decide yes or no in two minutes, what we need from you to move fast, and how after-hours pickup works.
Two thousand years of tradition, one shop in La Mesa
Merlin Embroidery was founded and is owned by Kevin McClenahan. Every good embroiderer comes from a master digitizer, and Kevin was trained by a man who had been embroidering since the 1930s — who was himself trained by his father in the 1890s. That is a working line back to the nineteenth century, and it is still how we approach the craft.
The traditions behind it run deeper still. The Japanese lineage sits in our logo — the same tradition as robe decoration for the emperor. The European side comes down from Floriani, the Italian who designed and embroidered the gowns for the popes. When you understand where the craft comes from, you make different decisions about how a stitch should sit.
Read the full storyFind your people
Different customers need different things from a shop. Pick the one closest to you and see what we actually do for them.
Schools & Districts
Spirit wear, staff shirts, coaches’ jackets and club gear — from one campus or a whole district.
See what we doColleges & Universities
Departments, athletics, Greek life, alumni events and campus staff — usually all at once, usually on different timelines.
See what we doNonprofits & Community
Volunteer shirts, fundraiser tees, event caps — done for a budget that has to answer to somebody.
See what we doMilitary & Veterans
Unit gear, reunion apparel, veterans organization shirts and commemorative pieces — where the details are not decorative.
See what we doPolice, Fire & EMS
Department gear, association apparel, academy orders and off-duty wear — built to be worn hard.
See what we doContractors & Trades
Crew shirts, hi-vis, caps and jackets that look professional on a customer’s driveway and survive the job site.
See what we doCorporate & Business
Uniform programs, staff apparel, client gifts and trade-show gear that still match two years and three hires later.
See what we doSports Teams & Clubs
Uniforms, warm-ups, coaches’ gear, tournament caps and sponsor apparel — on the season’s schedule, not ours.
See what we doFive steps, no surprises
The same process whether it is one embroidered hat or a 500-piece uniform program.
Talk to a human
Call, text or send the form. You reach the shop, not a queue — and a lead never sits waiting.
Preview it
Free digital mock-up before a single stitch. Use the Mockup Studio yourself if you want to see it right now.
We digitize
Your artwork is prepared for the machine by hand, the way it should be, so it sews clean at any size.
Production
SWF industrial embroidery machines and an M&R automatic press, run in-house in La Mesa.
Pick up or ship
5–10 business days standard, rush available, after-hours pickup, and we ship anywhere.
What San Diego says
4.9 out of 5 from verified Google reviews.
“They worked on a last-minute order for baby shower blankets. Not only did they have great suggestions, they were on time. Highly recommend!”
“Precision embroidery and excellent customer service. Will definitely use Merlin again!”
“Fast turnaround and the quality was better than we expected. Our team gear looks sharp.”
Before you order
The questions we get asked most.
Rather just talk it through?
Most people do. Call the shop and you get a straight answer on whether we can hit your deadline — usually in under two minutes.
Ready for apparel that represents you?
Free design mock-up, honest pricing, and a straight answer on your deadline. No minimum is too small.