Your Custom ApparelSupply Destination
Sign In
Need Help?800-891-1094
What if you had an embroidery expert who compressed their tips and tricks, best practices, hard work, and dedication into a few short chapters?
So the next time you’re working on a job, you could just pull them up on your phone, skim through the whole thing in a few minutes and leave with a good dose of knowledge.
Lucky for you, we’ve got just the article for you!
You see, here at Colman and Company, we’re holding onto a few embroidery secrets we have learned over the years and we want to spread the knowledge.
So, let’s start with the first secret, having the right embroidery machine.
As the title probably gives away, the first secret is about embroidery machines.
Any professional or long time embroidery expert will tell you that every embroiderer needs to be equipped with a good sewing machine from the start.
That is after all, the heart and soul of the business. It’s the work of a machine that produces the final products you sell today!
But it goes beyond that! Investing into a good embroidery machine saves time, space, and resources — all while making money for you at the same time.
That’s why we recommend Avancé embroidery machines!
This is pretty a serious piece of machinery in a convenient form factor that meets customer needs at a price that is very favorable compared to its competition.
Plus, when you purchase one these embroidery machines from us you get free training and support with embroidery professionals who have been in the business for over 10 years.
So, if you want to be serious in business, get yourself an Avancé 1201C or Avancé 1501C embroidery machine.
Now, you are probably dying to know the second secret, so let’s move on.
Now we’ve come to the second secret, which brings us to the topic of accessories.
The first thing that needs to be said is that accessories are just as important as your sewing machine.
What’s great about having the right accessories is that they have the ability to extend the use of your embroidery machine.
Let’s talk about a few examples.
Allied Gridlock Hoops – Most of the time, you want your designs lined up perfectly, without getting a single inch of offset.
This is where Allied Gridlock Hoops come into play. These special hoops allow you to adjust the position of the fabric for the best sewing results because of the built in gridlines.
These hoops are extremely easy to set-up and use.
You simply pick a spot where you want your design to go, secure the hoop around that area, tighten a few screws, and that’s it! Now you’re ready to embroider!
And with all that, you’ll be glad to know that hoops are available in different sizes.
We offer tons, from large hoops to little ones.
It doesn’t end here though, there is one more accessory I want to tell you about, Tempo Spray.
Tempo Spray – This little bottle of adhesive is a savior of sorts to many embroiderers. What Tempo Spray does is quite simple. It prevents the shifting between backing and fabric.
Here’s how it works! Take the bottle in your hand, hold it about 4”-5” inches away from the backing and spray!
Doing so will coat the backing in spray adhesive. When you’ve finished spraying the thin layer, simply place the fabric down on it and you’re done.
Now you’ve got yourself a combination that won’t wrinkle and won’t buckle when hooped.
If your design has just come out of Photoshop, Illustrator, or any other graphics application, your embroidery machine won’t be able to read that.
You need to digitize that design. You can think about digitizing as a set of instructions that come along with your design file.
It’s the language your embroidery machines understands.
So, when you load up the design in your embroidery machine, the machine can read the “instructions” and understand how to sow out the design from point A to Z.
Not everyone knows how to digitize and not everyone knows that something like that is even required before sewing out.
That’s where ColDesi Graphics comes in. A team of digitizing professionals will convert designs into production-ready files that can be loaded into your embroidery machine.
Plus, it usually only takes 24 hours for a design to be digitized using ColDesi Graphics!
Keep in mind, not every brand of embroidery machine accepts the same file formats.
For the Avancé line of commercial embroidery machines at ColDesi, DST files are compatible.
Make sure to double-check what type of file format your machine accepts before you order.
Now let’s move on to the next secret.
If there’s one thing you’ll take away from this post…let it be this. The more and more lines of text you squeeze into your design, the more unreadable it becomes!
Have you ever had a client who insists you jam more text into a design? And the end result was not exactly what they were hoping to see. The text was so small you would have needed a jeweler’s loupe to read it.
The rule of thumb is to keep the font at a minimum size so the text is readable.
To help you with that, some embroidery machines or digitizing software come with an instruction manual where you can find this information.
If you’re outsourcing your digitizing, then this is something the digitizing company should know.
Speaking of sizes, did you know there are recommended measurements for logos?
Let’s talk about that next.
BIf you’re unsure of what the standard logo sizing is for hats and other items, we’ll go over it below.
Hats – When embroidering on hats, you want the logo to be the perfect size.
Not too big, not too small, but just the right proportions for it to look right.
So, after trial and error, we have found the perfect formula!
You should probably note that it’s good practice to keep logos 5” inches in width and 2.5” inches in height!
If you want something bigger, I’ve got bad news for you — you run the risk of getting a massive distortion on your logo.
You know where else you find logos? On shirts…
Shirts – You can slap a fresh logo on the front of the shirt! And suddenly that shirt becomes an ad for a handyman who can fix your boiler.
One of the most common embroidery jobs on shirts like polos is a left chest logo.
These always look best if you keep them between 3.5-4″ inches in width and no higher than 4” inches tall.
If you’re going to be embroidering a full-front logo for your client, like on a sweatshirt, you’ll want to set the size of that logo within the 6″ inch by 6″ inch range.
If the logo will go on the back of the shirt, stick to these measurements: 11″ inches in width and 11″ inches in height!
Knowing this will make each job easier and easier for you and your team. Plus, it can guarantee a nice, crisp logo every time.
We’ve let you in to our industry secrets and tips but it’s up to you to decide whether to implement them into your embroidery business.
And if you already use these tricks, you’re one step ahead of the game!
To learn more about embroidery and how to get started in the business, call (877) 458-5575 and chat with one of our pros!
