Most of our customers use decorated corporate apparel at some point, and most use embroidery for polos, dress shirts, caps and jackets. While most are familiar with printed pieces such as brochures, postcards and even promotional products, fewer are well-versed in the technical aspects of embroidery. Following are the questions we hear most frequently…
What is the difference between digitizing and punching?
The terms digitizing and punching are used interchangeably today to describe the computerized technique of turning a design image into an embroidery program. Back in the 70s and 80s logos were prepared for embroidery by enlarging them at least six times the original size and mounting them onto a white board with an X and Y axis. The operator would “punch” or mark points describing the graphic elements of the image. This data would be stored on paper tape and later on floppy disks to be read on mini-computers. Today operators scan the images and specialized embroidery software converts the design into a series of electronic commands (i.e., code or language) which can be manipulated and later transferred to the embroidery machine’s logic head for sewing. This conversion technique is best understood as representing an image by a discrete set of points and coordinates resulting in a digital (as opposed to analog) image. The term digitizing can be used in relation to music, photos, videos, audio and maps where the images or data are stored in a form suitable for transmission and computer processing. The most widely supported file format for embroidery is the DST file. The care and expertise used to digitize the design will become the principal determinant to the quality of the final result.
How many thread colors can we use?
Most commercial embroidery equipment can sew up to 12 colors per logo, but rarely does a logo require that many thread colors.
What kind of artwork do we need to submit for embroidery?
Typical vector artwork used for printing brochures or promotional products will work fine for embroidery. However, all vector artwork must be “digitized” in order to convert the image into the format required for embroidery equipment. There is usually a one time charge for this conversion process, and once digitized the files can be edited to some extent. For example, if you have already had your logo digitized and now you would like to add your web address, most times it will only require an edit charge instead of the entire digitizing charge.
Will the thread colors bleed or fade when the garment is washed?
If the garment is going to be washed at high temperatures or with heavy bleach thread selection can be an important decision. For this reason, most embroidery shops use polyester thread as their standard product as it is the most colorfast and has more tensile strength resulting in fewer breaks during the sewing process. Rayon thread which is brighter, softer and more vibrant, is readily available as well, and is used when a higher degree of luster and shine are desired. However, rayon thread is less colorfast, more delicate and breaks more easily. Rayon thread was more common back in the 70s and 80s, and was the reason that many shops at that time would recommend that embroidered garments be washed in color water.
What does “stitch count” mean?
The number of stitches required to sew a particular design will determine the speed at which it can be sewn and as a result the cost to have it sewn. In general, most designs sewn on the left chest position of a shirt are no more than 8000 to 10000 stitches. And, most embroidery rates are calculated based on those stitch counts. As a rule of thumb, most designs will require roughly 1000 stitches for every square inch of coverage.
Are there limitations to the logo or design that can be embroidered?
Working with threads, needles and fabrics is not the same as working with ink or toner on paper, and therefore the end result will be different. Very small elements in a logo design may need to be eliminated if not vital to the design or enlarged to adapt to the sewing process. There are minimum stitch sizes below which one cannot see within the design, or that are smaller than the actual thread itself. It is much more difficult to capture certain details, such as very small lettering and color gradients with thread than it is with ink and paper. Lettering is by far the most challenging part of the digitizing process. One of the common challenges is trying to fit a tagline onto a left chest or sleeve location. This cannot always be accomplished, and may result in the need to break the tagline into two lines or select a different location such as back of the cap or shirt back or sleeve. The minimum letter height can be dependent on the type of fabric being sewn. For example, letters cannot be smaller than ¼” for pique, terry cloth and fleece, and no smaller than 3/16” for twill. Many times lettering will need to be enlarged out of proportion to the rest of the logo for it to stitch successfully. It is standard practice to produce a sew-out of the design once it has been digitized for the customer’s approval prior to sewing the garments. Sew-outs can be viewed and stored electronically to save time and expense.
Are there limitations to the kind of garment or fabric that can be embroidered?
Mid to heavy weight fabrics typically carry embroidery best, such as twill, pique, denim, and fleece. However, thinner fabrics such as rayon or cotton tee shirts can accept embroidery, too. Extremely stretchy fabrics will not work quite as well. Just about any type of fabric can be embroidered if the proper stabilizer is used. It is important to know what fabric (pique, silk, leather, terrycloth, fleece, velour) or garment (shirt, cap, slippers, neckties, lingerie or tote bags) will be used for a project at the time of digitizing. For example, digitizing for the front center position of a cap will generally be done so that it sews outward from the center of the design. If a design has originally been digitized for use on a specific garment, it can at times be used on others even if not optimal. For instance, if a design has been digitized for shirt left chest position, it can sometimes (but not always) be used to embroider the front center of a cap. The most popular location for embroidery on shirts and jackets are left chest, right chest, sleeve and on the back below the collar. Depending upon the construction of the caps, most can be embroidered in front center, back center, left temple and right temple.
What are fabric stabilizers?
The layer of material placed beneath the top of the fabric to prevent wrinkles and to give additional body to the fabric to improve its ability to be sewn is called a stabilizer. There are several types of stabilizers including cut-away, tear-away, vinyl, nylon, water-soluble, heat-n-gone, adhesive, and open mesh.
What is “Keyboard Lettering”?
Most commercial embroidery software offer several basic fonts from which letters or words can be created. This feature is usually used when personalizing the garment with the wearer’s name or initials. These computerized fonts will produce a smooth flow of letters that are consistent in height and density.
What are “hoops” and “heads”?
The fabric and stabilizer are mounted onto a clamping device called a hoop which then is attached to the embroidery machine. Hoops can be made from wood, plastic or steel. The fabric is gripped tightly between the hoop’s inner and outer ring. Typically, a mechanical arm moves the hoop under the needle. The logic head of the embroidery machine houses the needle and threads. Commercial embroidery machines can have from one to 18 heads capable of sewing garments simultaneously.
How can I tell if embroidery is of good quality?
Learning the difference between excellent and mediocre embroidery takes time and practice. The stitches should cover the fabric completely and have smooth edges; the fabric should not pucker; the outline and detail should be precise; the underlay or stabilizer should be flat and well-placed beneath the garment; and, letter spacing should be clean and consistent.
Can we change thread colors to accommodate different garment colors?
Yes, this is standard within the industry and should not increase your embroidery cost. Most organizations choose to make simple modifications in their logo colors so that they show up well on the garment color. For example, if your logo colors are blue and black they will work fine when embroidering on white or light color garments. The black portion of the logo can be switched to white for embroidery on black garments, and so forth. Another way to approach choosing embroidery colors is called tone-on-tone where a logo can be stitched in thread colors very closely matching that of the garment. And, again, there should be no cost differential to make these color selections.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk further about your corporate wearables, please contact us at sales@themarketpro.net or 1-800-905-0073. We welcome the opportunity to provide all of your decorated wearables and promotional products. Please visit us at www.themarketpro.net when you have a chance where you can browse imprintable clothing and promotional products online, or read educational articles in our “Coffee Break Reading” or “Going Green with Promotional Products” sections.
Sources:
Embroidery 101, www.fastembtapes.com
Batts, Steven, How to Avoid Common Lettering Mistakes, Impressions Magazine and www.impressionsmag.com, April 1, 2009.
Batts, Steven, Embroidery Thread Basics, Impressions Magazine and www.impressionsmag.com, April 1, 2009.
Batts, Steven, The Four Law of Digitizing, Impressions Magazine and www.impressionsmag.com, April 13, 2009.
Wikipedia
Author: Connie King
Published: August 2009