Embroidery
What is Embroidery?
Embroidery is the process of adding artwork to fabric through stitches. The stitches are very close together and can contain multiple colors and even a 3D look and feel. Embroidery artwork is loaded into a computer system that tells the needle and color of thread to go.
Considerations for Embroidery:
Artwork
Your image needs to be properly formatted in what’s called a .dst or .emb format. Read this page to learn about your artwork. It can be a bit difficult to get very small images or details, so make sure they are the right size.
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One thing to note on embroidery artwork, it’s not as simple as just stretching an image larger or smaller like you can with vectored artwork. An image can only be stretched to about 10% in either direction. If any sizing changes need to be made more than that, you could run into multiple digitizing fees per size. More Artwork Information.
Colors
With the nature of an embroidery machine being able to hold between 9 to 21 colors of thread, you can typically get close to the colors you want. Due to the nature of thread color, it may not be an exact color match, but it will be close.
Type of Fabric
Most fabric can be embroidered. The only thing that really may impact embroidery is if you use a really thin or stretchy type of fabric. Where the embroidery is applied may impact the weight or feel of the fabric of that location.
Number of Locations
Each embroidered location for your custom polo, dress shirt, or garment may requires a different size artwork file. The more locations you have will increase the cost of the embroidered item. Common locations include full front, full back, left and/or right chest, and left and/or right sleeve/pants.
Quantity
Having a low quantity of embroidery items printed is not necessarily the most cost effective way, however, it may be just what you need. The more you do, the less it is per item or garment.
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The same setup that goes into one item is the same for 100 items.
Stitches
The number of stitches will determine the total amount you spend on your embroidered image on your apparel. Typically, the initial price includes up to 6000 stitches, which will cover most logos on a polo or hat. If there is any space that needs to be filled in around the logo with color, meaning the apparel or hat color will not show through, your stitch count can add up pretty quick. Also, if you are going to go with a larger embroidery image, like a full back being around 10” x 10”, it will add to the cost.
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You can do On Demand Shirt printing with this method. This basically means, when you need one shirt, we can print it as there are no setup fees. We just need the artwork and colors.
Removing Embroidery From A Garment = Bad Idea
You can remove embroidery from a garment, however, there were be a lot of holes. Though you technically can embroider a new image where the previous one was, it’s not recommended as the garment will not look right and it will appear damaged. Also, the stitching may not hold up very well and your logo or image could look distorted.
Advantages and Disadvantages:
Pro's
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Durable & longevity
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All types of fabrics
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Minimum of 12
Con's
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Limited in sizing
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More threads and colors drive price up
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Longer production time
Ideal for the following:
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Hats & beanies
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Polo’s
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Hoodies & zip up hoodies
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Jackets & outwear
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Blankets