What is Digitizing for Embroidery?

On September 9, 2020   /   Artwork  
What is Digitizing for Embroidery?
Image to digitized design

What is Digitizing for Embroidery?

By Pete Apo

Digital files these days are everywhere and most things are in digital form. So what is digitizing for embroidery mean? If you have ever gone to an embroidery shop chances are that the shop has spoke about “getting your logo digitized”. This is a specialized term in the embroidery industry.

Some people may think that digitizing has to do with saving your file in a digital format. Others conclude that digitizing must mean having artwork vectorized. This is far from the reality. Digitizing is a highly specialized trade. Without proper experience an embroidery project can easily look and perform badly. If you have ever experienced embroidery that waves or curls, is hard to read, or the design elements don’t line up, this is likely a result of faulty digitizing.

The word digitize implies that artwork is somehow automatically turned into stitches. This is far from true. Most digitizing is time consuming and requires specialized software and experience. Most logos need several types of different stitches incorporated to produce one great looking and performing design. Any professional embroidery shop will likely have on staff a highly experienced digitizer to create a quality embroidery file needed to run an embroidery machine.

So what is digitizing for embroidery? Well simply put it is the manual placement of stitches and machine commands for a computerized embroidery machine to follow. You need a digitized embroidery file to have any embroidery done.

multi head embroidery machine

Why is digitizing experience important?

Most digitizers have spent a significant amount of time learning from embroidery production. They have come to know how embroidery and stitches affect different garments. What type of stitches work and don’t work. How to create layered and complex stitch effects. As well as creating embroidery patterns with the least amount of stitches or embroidery machine stops. The best digitizers are people who have spent time running a production team or an embroidery machine themselves. Since there is no official schools to learn embroidery digitizing, this is the most effective way to learn how an embroidery machine runs and what stitch layouts the machine likes best.

The mind of a digitizer

Digitizers are special because they must be artistic but also stick to a very regimented list of do’s and do not’s for embroidery. Embroidery machines are computerized sewing machines often running at 800 to 1,200 stitches per minute, and production managers are looking for anyway they can to speed up production time. Digitizers must be aware of this and make designs with minimum color changes, stitch counts, thread trims and stops. They do this all while making a quality embroidered piece that will perform well. To do this effectively a digitizer must make a map or list of what parts of the artwork will sew first, second and so on. They will also need to know how big the final design will be and what type of material it will be going on. For instance the process that a machine must take to successfully sew on the front of a baseball cap vs. a left chest polo shirt is quite different.

quality digitizing equals quality embroidery

Below are the important things that are considered when digitizing artwork:

Underlay Stitches

Underlay stitches are the stitch pattern that is sewn first under the design and will help keep the garment from bunching or curling when worn or washed. Though these stitches are not seen in the final design, this stage is critically important to production of a great performing sew-out. Some inexperienced digitizers or shops looking to save a few seconds in production, will leave out this step, but the effects will be noticeable over time.

Pull Compensation

Pull compensation describes the additional length that is added to the stitches to compensate for the natural push and pull of garments when they are embroidered. The natural flow and movement of fabrics responding to the tightening of thread is one of the major learning curves when becoming a digitizer and creating clean embroidered products.

Stitch Types

Stitch types are the different ways the machine sews over a certain area and will determine the finished look of the embroidery. Knowing the area and using the correct stitch type to use is important and necessary. Using the wrong stitch type for an area and not knowing the embroidery machines limitations can result in entire areas missing stitches or results numerous thread breaks, slowing production time. These problems can result in unfinished, messy or frayed sew-outs that can unravel over time. The basic embroidery stitch types are Fill Stitches, Satin Stitches, Run Stitches and Manual Stitches. Each of these types of stitches are used for particular reasons and each of them are widely used in the industry.

the basic stich types for embroidery
Embroidery Size

Embroidery size is exactly what it says and is considered first before any stitch is ever digitized. Artwork that will be embroidered at a left chest size vs. for a full back size will have to be set up differently because the areas the stitches will have to cover and the overall allowed length for each stitch.

Different Fabric Types

The kind of fabric must also be considered when preparing an embroidery piece. For instance a piece of heavy vinyl cloth vs. a lightly knit cotton will respond to stitches much differently and can handle only a certain density of stitches correctly.

Number of Colors

The number of colors in the design are important as well because embroidery machines all have different capacity for the numbers of threads it can hold thus limiting the number of colors that a design can have. Typical commercial embroidery machines range from 6 – 15 needles on each head which determine how many separate spools or colors can be in any design.

Order of Embroidery

The order of the embroidery must be considered for digitizing. Like underlay, fill stitches, then a final satin stitch to make a finished embroidery sew-out look nice.

The Benefits of Quality Digitizing

Looks Great- The first indication that you have quality digitizing is that the finished embroidery looks great. Some credit will have to go to the production staff for choosing the correct backing and monitoring the embroidery process successfully. However, the majority of the results come from a quality digitized file.

Performs Great- When the correct stitch pattern, density and other factors are picked throughout the process of digitization. The results will be a finished embroidery product that will not curl, wave, twist or have pullout threads over time. It will lay flat and handle being washed repeatedly without negative effects.

Sized Perfectly- If your embroidery is sized correctly it will be easily readable but also not overwhelm the product space.  The correct size will be adequate to perform the task the design is meant to and bring an elevated look to the finished product.

The Results of Poor Digitizing

Unreadable- If the text of any design is not easily readable, the digitization has failed. Embroidery has limits to what can and can not be done successfully. Making lettering too small or using the wrong technique for small lettering is a common mistake for an inexperienced digitizer. Also lazy digitizers will often use a pre-programmed font to auto generate stitches which can sometimes be a problem to readability, especially for small text.

Curled, Wavy or Twisted- If your design experiences these common effects, the chances are that the wrong stitch density or underlay was used in the digitizing process. These factors could also be a result of the production worker using the wrong material backing, however, the majority of the time it has to do with choices made during digitization.

Oversized or Undersized Design- As stated earlier an undersized design is a common mistake and can make text unreadable, but also over sizing a design is a sign of inexperience. With a lack of digitization skills a digitizer will sometimes oversize a design or text so it will be readable. This happens most for Left Chest and Cap Front embroidery. A quality production shop will inform a customer well before the digitization is performed that size or placement might be an issue. You should never be surprised upon the pick-up of your items that certain elements of your logo are oversized or are not sized up proportionately.

Open Fill or Satin Stitches- When the fill or satin stitches of a design are open you can see through the stitches to the fabric underneath. This happens when using a low density of stitches for a certain area.

Bad embroidery result

Conclusion

Embroidery is a good print method when used appropriately and digitized correctly. Embroidery can increase the value of items and bring an upscale look to an item. It is also durable and long lasting. I hope this article has given you some basic understanding to this question: What is digitizing for embroidery. I hope that it will inform you better when making decisions about getting embroidery done. I also hope that it sheds some light on what it takes to produce quality embroidery items and prepare you on what questions should be asked when speaking to an embroidery shop.

Sources:

Wikipedia – Machine Embroidery

What Is Embroidery Digitizing?

Embroidery / Digitizing Glossary

How to Digitize Your Logo for Embroidery

END ARTICLE

Pete Apo Owner Impact Northwest Picture
Pete Apo

Owner of Impact Northwest

Pete Apo is the owner of Impact Northwest located outside Eugene, Oregon in Creswell.  He has over 17+ years experience in the garment and promotional item printing industry and is founder of the clothing and product line The Rusty Hawaiian. Impact Northwest is a provider of custom screen print, embroidery, dye sublimation and promotional items to Lane County and the surrounding communities.

Pete@Impact-NW.com

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What is Vinyl Heat Transfer Printing? -The Basics.

On September 9, 2020   /   Printing  
What is Vinyl Heat Transfer Printing? -The Basics.
Peeling Heat Transfer Vinyl Print

What is Vinyl Heat Transfer Printing? -The Basics.

By Pete Apo

Heat transfer vinyl printing is one of the most cost-effective and simple ways to create custom-printed products. Most business owners intending to make printed t-shirts or other apparel will most likely start with this process. This method requires only a small investment to get started and requires less technical savvy than other printing methods.

While there are different variations of printing that call for a heat press to transfer images to products, like dye-sublimation printing, this article covers the heat transfer process using a single color vinyl material. Heat transfer vinyl printing, or HTV, uses vinyl polymer that comes on a roll or in flat sheets. It is usually a single color with an heat resistant backing. It can be heated with a heat press or iron. Heat transfer vinyl is cut, weeded and then heat pressed onto fabric.

In this article we will cover the basics of Heat Transfer Vinyl Printing including the printing process, general equipment needed, along with some helpful pros and cons of this printing method.

The Production Process

Although heat press vinyl can be cut by hand and applied by using an ordinary iron, this section will focus on heat transfer production printing found in many commercial print shops. The process starts with creating or converting artwork into vector format using vector software. Since heat press vinyl artwork is pressed onto fabric, it must be flipped on the horizontal axis, making it backwards when cut. The plotter or cutter cuts out the design on the vinyl. An electronic plotter will use a small knife guided by a computer using X and Y axis coordinates to cut complicated designs.

The next step is to remove the parts of the vinyl that are not part of the final design. This process is called “weeding.” With cut vinyl it is often tricky to discern which pieces must remain and which are to be weeded or taken out. Therefore it is critical to reference an image of the design you are weeding, which will help you to remove only the sections that will not be part of the final print. Once the vinyl is cut and weeded it can be positioned on the fabric.

Using the right temperature, pressure and duration of press is critical to the longevity of the print. So make sure that your heat press settings are following the specs given by the vinyl manufacturer. It is also important to note that different types of fabrics will require different temperature, pressure and time. Once you press the vinyl onto the fabric, you can remove the backing material. Depending on the vinyl specs this is either while the material is still hot or only after it has cooled. This is referred to as a “hot” vs. “cold” peel.

weeding heat transfer vinyl

Equipment Needed

The equipment that is needed for the basics of heat transfer vinyl printing are relatively inexpensive when compared to other commonly used printing methods. Only 4 major items are needed to print successfully with this method.

They are listed below:

Vector Software

When purchasing a plotter or cutter, the vendor usually supplies corresponding software capable of creating simple designs or at least turning regular raster images into cut-able designs. Initially it’s not necessary to purchase state-of-the-art vector software, like Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw, to begin making heat press designs. However if you want to expand in this industry it might be a good investment down the road, especially if you wish to create more complex designs. Most modern print shops use Illustrator or Corel Draw to import, re-size or create a design, then export the design to the plotter software, which reorients the file and sends it to the cutter.

Vinyl Plotter or Cutter

The plotter produces intricately cut designs on all different kinds of vinyl, not only on heat transfer vinyl but also on pressure sensitive vinyl used for sticker and decal production. Plotters come in various sizes with a range of functionality. Some are small desktop versions designed for the hobbyist, while other larger format stand-alone models are intended for medium and large scale production.

Consider the goal and scale of operation when choosing a plotter. The main focus should be on the size of prints you would like to produce. The crucial difference between cutters come down to print width, so decide on the maximum size you need your plotter to handle and make sure to do your research.

cutter or plotter for vinyl

Heat Press Machine

There are a huge variety of heat presses on the market, from manual to partly and fully automatic. The two items to be concerned about in a heat press are its temperature and pressure settings. Most machines will have these settings with built in adjustments. It is wise to check, before purchasing, that your machine is capable of performing the pressure and temperature settings that your vinyl specs demand.

If routine, large-scale production will be part of your operation, a timer with a release mechanism will prove essential. The timer automatically releases your press at a specified time, which prevents a garment from being over heated and possibly ruined. Conversely an automatic timer release will also prevent the press from being under heated which results in low print quality and an image that will peel off after a short period of time.

Heat Transfer Vinyl

A wide array of vinyl types are available for all kinds of applications and effects. A good rule of thumb is to purchase heat transfer vinyl standard stock rolls of basic colors for the application you are planning to specialize in. After you get basic colors in stock you can start exploring various other types of vinyl like:

  • Stretch vinyl for performance wear
  • Glitter heat transfer vinyl
  • Holographic and shiny heat transfer vinyl
  • Metallic heat transfer vinyl
  • Glow-in-the-dark heat transfer vinyl
  • Flock heat transfer vinyl
  • Shimmery and pearlescent heat transfer vinyl

Benefits of Heat Transfer Vinyl Printing

Relatively inexpensive compared with other forms of apparel printing like screen printing, embroidery, or dye-sublimation printing.

Low minimum quantities are required for most print shops. Typically, you will not be required to purchase a certain minimum quantity of items to place an order. For this reason heat transfer vinyl is widely used for applying names and numbers on team uniforms, where every jersey requires a separate print.

Quick turnaround time is possible for this type of printing because there is minimal setup time.

Cons of Heat Transfer Vinyl Printing

Print longevity is not as long as standard printing methods like screen printing, embroidery or dye-sublimation printing. Even when applied correctly and at the specified temperature, pressure and time, vinyl heat press will eventually crack and peel over time and with repeated washes.

Color limitations is a downside to heat transfer printing because the vinyl is typically applied one color at a time. It is possible to use heat press vinyl to apply multiple colors to a design by stacking several different layers of vinyl together, but this is not standard practice. Multi-layer application requires an experienced heat press technician, and even with the best execution these layers will add significant thickness and stiffness to the final print.

Large quantities are not recommended with this process, because the amount of cutting and weeding involved can be very time consuming and reduce your profit margin through labor costs. Screen printing is usually considered to be a better option for printing large quantities of the same design.

Conclusion

Beginners in the custom printing industry often use heat press as an easy foray into the business. It is relatively affordable, easy to set up, and in a short amount of time you have sell-able products. As a business grows however, other more versatile and reliable methods of printing should be incorporated into a print shop’s production. Most successful print shops have the capacity to produce heat transfer vinyl items and will pair this method with other forms of printing, like screen printing, embroidery or dye sublimation printing.

For instance, a local high school baseball team may request 24 sweatshirts with their team logo on the front, along with each player’s name and number on the back. The shop owner will most likely suggest screen printing the front of the sweatshirt, then adding the individually cut and heat pressed names and numbers on the back. Heat transfer printing lends itself well to one-off prints or items that require a lot of individual customization, but is not typically used for large-scale garment printing.

Vinyl Heat Tranfer on Jersey and Team Uniforms

Sources:

Wikipedia – Heat Transfer Vinyl

Heat Transfer Vinyl 101: An Introduction to HTV

The 5 Things You Need to Start a Heat Transfer Vinyl T-Shirt Business

END ARTICLE

Pete Apo Owner Impact Northwest Picture
Pete Apo

Owner of Impact Northwest

Pete Apo is the owner of Impact Northwest located outside Eugene, Oregon in Creswell.  He has over 17+ years experience in the garment and promotional item printing industry and is founder of the clothing and product line The Rusty Hawaiian. Impact Northwest is a provider of custom screen print, embroidery, dye sublimation and promotional items to Lane County and the surrounding communities.

Pete@Impact-NW.com

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What Is Custom Embroidery?

On September 8, 2020   /   Printing  
What Is Custom Embroidery?
The basics of embrodiery and its production

What Is Custom Embroidery?

By Pete Apo

What are the basics of custom embroidery and how does the process work? This article will cover the production process along with the pros and cons of embroidery for apparel and accessories.

Today, commercial embroidery is done with machines that contain computerized instructions and movements to produce precisely stitched designs. It is a very durable way to decorate fabric and if done properly can elevate the look of many apparel and accessory goods.

Custom Embroidery Production Machines

Custom embroidery production machines have several key variations as well as accessories that accommodate different stitch types and processes to decorate garments, fabric, and apparel. The two most important variations are the number of embroidery heads on a machine and the number of needles on each of those heads. The number of embroidery heads on a machine indicates the number of embroidered items that can be run at once, while the number of needles per head determines the number of different colors of thread that can be loaded and used for each design.

Commercial embroidery machines range from one to thirty heads and vary using six to fifteen needles per head. Most machines can be ordered based on a production shop’s production needs. Some add-on accessory items include chenille (hoop stitch style embroidery), embroidery patch cut-out systems, patch sewing, rhinestone setting, and laser positioning.

embroidery production machine

Production Machine Operation

It takes a skilled operator to run a multi-head embroidery machine. They must work quickly and always be moving to anticipate the next run of items. On large quantity runs an embroidery operator will already have prepared the next run of garments to be put onto the machine while a current run is being sewn. The operator must also be able to quickly fix any problems that stop the embroidery machine from the constant operation. With production, time is money. Here are a few common issues that slow down an embroidery production cycle:

  • Thread Breakage- Probably the most common and frustrating thing that can happen in an embroidery run is when the embroidered thread gets broken during stitching. Three main common things can contribute to this: 1) Digitizing error that results in stitches that are too close together or excessive stitch density. 2) Metal burrs on the needle or strike plate can develop and cut the thread. 3) The use of poor quality or old thread.
  • Thread Pullouts- This usually occurs when the machine starts again after a thread trim or color change, and the thread pulls out of the needle and has to be re-threaded.
  • Bobbin Replacement- The embroidery machine automatically stops when the bobbin runs out. Bobbin replacement is an essential part of embroidery production. The bobbin is the bottom thread that is sewn along with the top thread and can only be seen from the back of an embroidered patch. When running a large machine with several heads, an experienced production worker will replace all bobbins at once when the first one runs out, to alleviate other stops.
  • Bird Nesting or other tension-related problems- Bird nesting usually occurs when the bobbin or top thread tension gets too tight or too loose and creates a “birds nest” like a pile of extra thread. The extra thread needs to be cut away and the machine backed up to re-embroider that problem area. Problems with stitch quality due to thread tension slow down production.
Embroidery production floor and workers

Custom Embroidery Production Process

Embroidery for production is just like most types of production lines, in that the goal is always to produce more product, more quickly and for less money, all without compromising quality.

Here are the steps in the custom embroidery process:

Embroidery Digitizing

Once the customer has decided on the basics of the product, placement, colors, sizes, etc., and a project deposit is taken, the next step is embroidery digitizing. Using digitizing software (Wilcom or Pulse), an experienced digitizer will upload an image of the customer’s logo or design onto the program and size it. Next, he or she manually digitizes each section of the design and maps or programs each start point, thread trim, color change, and stitch type. The digitizer will also take into consideration the kind of fabric the design will be embroidered on.

Once the design is digitized, thread colorways are picked and a production printout is made for the production department to follow. An embroidery sample or test sew is ordered to make sure there are no problems with the design before production is started. Digitizing for embroidery takes years to master because there are so many factors that affect a quality embroidered garment. Often times lessons need to be learned by trial and error. Most professional shops will have an in-house digitizer who can manage and make changes to a design on-the-fly if needed.

Production Embroidery is Started

After the test sew is approved the production crew will prepare the product for custom embroidery. They will hoop each garment with backing (depending on the fabric and other factors) and load the hoops onto the machine to start. Hoops are an essential part of the embroidery process and they can either be a round, oval, square, or rectangle hoop with two parts: a bottom and top piece. The hoop can be tension-tightened depending on the thickness of the fabric.

The backing is also essential to a quality embroidered item. While there are several types of backing that are used it is most important to the performance and life of the embroidery that the correct backing be used for that type of garment. The right backing will help keep the embroidery from puckering or curling over time and gives a good foundation for each stitch.

Clean-Up and Quality Control

When the product is pulled from the machine and the hoop is removed, production proceeds to finish the product, inspect it and package it for delivery. In this step, they will remove the excess backing by tearing it away or cutting it off. They will trim any excess threads from the embroidery and sometimes use water or heat to finish the cleaning. Then the product is inspected for quality control and bagged or boxed as per customer specifications.

Pros of Custom Embroidery

Looks Great- A good looking embroidery design will make any shirt or product more appealing. A sales team with matching embroidered polo shirts have an edge of professionalism to their presentation.

Good Quality and Long Lasting- When done correctly embroidery can last as long as the item it is stitched on. If you make sure to use standard thread quality that does not succumb to fading or shrinking, embroidery will continue to last and still look great.

Versatile- Many products can be embroidered and other variations are constantly being innovated. There are many different thread types such as: fire resistant, metallic, multi-colored or rainbow, glow-in-the-dark, neon and just about any color you can think of.

Embroidery design with quality digitizing

Cons of Custom Embroidery

Digitizing Cost- The digitizing cost to start a file is only a one-time cost, but can be expensive depending on the embroidery shop you go to. It is not recommended to use a cheap digitizer that might cause your design to turn out poor. Since it is a one-time set-up cost it is good to do your research and find the right embroidery shop. Once you have a quality digitized logo you can use it profitably for years to come.

Cost By Stitch- Embroidery printing is one of the most expensive printing options available because of the embroidery machine cost and technical expertise involved. Whereas screen printing is charged based on quantity and the number of colors, embroidery is charged based on quantity and number of stitches. Embroidery becomes more costly as the logo size increases. The bigger the design, the more stitches are required to make it. That is why you see embroidery mostly limited to hat fronts and left chest logo size.

Complexity Limitations- Embroidery is created by sewing lots of stitches in a certain area and using colored thread for various effects. While it is possible to see amazing digitizing that creates extraordinary embroidered designs, this medium cannot be used to make photo-realistic prints. For photo-realistic prints, your best bet is Dye-Sublimation printing or Digital Garment Printing (DGP). Since it is difficult for the embroidery process to make complex color gradients, small complex shapes, and tiny readable lettering, it is better to utilize embroidery for printing simple designs or logos.

Placement and Fabric Limitations- Be mindful of certain natural limitations of your fabric or product if you wish to do embroidery. Embroidery needs to be able to be hooped, placed on a machine, and then have clearance to move freely during the process. Things like small openings over pockets or seams, as well as using thick material can be a problem for embroidery. An embroidery shop may be able to guide you ahead of time as you decide on which products to order.

Conclusion

Embroidery is an ancient art form that has come a long way with technological innovation. It can raise the quality and look of a product dramatically and create a lasting image that will impact the world. At the end of the day, however, it is only stitched thread on fabric, so complex and small designs can pose a problem for a clean embroidered look.

If you decide to do an embroidered project, speak with an experienced custom embroidery shop and get some samples of their past work so you can see their level of quality. Send your design to the shop and make sure that it can be embroidered in a way that you will be satisfied with. Sometimes because of the limitations of embroidery, some aspects of your design will be recommended to be made bigger or complex items removed or changed. Plan your project carefully and make sure embroidery is the right printing process for the goals of your business.

Sources:

Wikipedia – Embroidery

Embroidery Process – Step-by-step of the Embroidery Production Process

Design & Production Process

END ARTICLE

Pete Apo Owner Impact Northwest Picture
Pete Apo

Owner of Impact Northwest

Pete Apo is the owner of Impact Northwest located outside Eugene, Oregon in Creswell.  He has over 17+ years of experience in the garment and promotional item printing industry and is the founder of the clothing and product line The Rusty Hawaiian. Impact Northwest is a provider of custom screen print, embroidery, dye sublimation, and promotional items to Lane County and the surrounding communities.

Pete@Impact-NW.com

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