Though it’s dwindling in some locations in the United States, COVID-19 continues to linger as a drag on supplies chains. The good news is proactive thinking can ensure your embroidery decorating business keeps moving forward.
While embroidered and woven patches have similarities, there are differences to be aware of when choosing the best one for your particular decorated apparel application.
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Whether it has been sewn on or heat sealed, it is both cost effective and makes all the sense in the world to remove an old emblem and replace or adhere it to another article of clothing.
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When the weather is warm, savvy embroiderers turn their thoughts to jackets and gear up to make some masterpieces. Wait… what??
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With this month’s On Design, we travel deep into the jungles of Central Mexico, harkening back to an ancient time where the Aztecs roamed the earth whilst building a formidable empire.
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Typically seen in home décor, holiday gear, performance costumes and more, the embroidery metallic thread used for apparel decoration adds a sparkly sheen and pop of color to all kinds of projects
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With summer right around the corner, this month’s featured design brings some heat, surf and fun in the sun.
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Embroidering caps on commercial embroidery machines can cause struggles and stress. Most cap styles are unique in their shape and the way they are made. Here, let’s consider different cap styles and ways to hoop them, as well as different types of cap frames that are available.
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You almost can’t glance at your newsfeed or check social media without seeing something about the importance of finding balance.
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Embroidery is a creative, fun and expressive way to personalize bulky items, including bags and luggage, to create a one-of-a-kind, timeless piece.
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Stabilizers, also known as backings, always should be used during machine embroidery.
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While the saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” may be true, it begs the question: Who is the mother of innovation?
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Embroidering on headwear typically presents challenges that can scare away some embroiderers, even those who have years of experience.
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“Paws” was created by Quality Punch, a Torrance, California-based embroidery-digitizing and vector-art supplier.
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Embroidering on fashionable fabrics — especially the thin varieties, such as tri-blends — is a little less forgiving than when it’s done on heavier fabrics.
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Embroidering on thin fabrics such as performancewear and tri-blend garments can scare away some embroiderers.
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Regardless of which fashion trends are prevalent in the market in any given year, placket shirts always remain a staple for embroiderers.
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As an embroiderer, you must consider many aspects when it comes to lettering on headwear. From 3-D puff to outlined text, the game changes when embroidery is done on a cap.
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Although hand embroidery and appliqué have been around for millennia, computerized machine embroidery is only about 40 years old.
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Does the market drive or support buying habits? In a “chicken-or-the-egg” sort of conundrum, do eco-friendly concerns originate at the buying level or at the root of manufacturing?
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Impressions gives apparel decorators from around the world an opportunity to submit their most impressive work, compete alongside their peers and show off their talents to the industry in its annual Impressions Awards decorating competition.
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From the runways of New York Fashion Week to the halls of Comic-Con, embroidery is a pastime that consumers and crafters are embracing, as personalization in clothing, costumes and gifts continues to rise in popularity.
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When you first start off as an embroiderer in the decorated apparel industry, you learn that there are many elements that go into mastering your craft and producing a beautiful design
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Have you ever watched an auto-racing pit crew change a tire? There’s no wasted movement because the most efficient procedure has been identified and is followed each time.
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Embroidery continues to maintain its popularity as a reigning imprinting option for company branding.
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While you may have mastered twills and tees, other fabrics on the other hand, may still present a challenge. We are going to focus on digitizing and embroidering on the more difficult types of fabric.
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The ability to transform a certain effect to a “special effect” is exemplified by the work of artist Stephen Wilson. He balances art, craft and fashion in mixed media using embroidery for his signature statement.
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In embroidery, there is nothing more beautiful than a monogram. In fact, because of its luxury, a monogram on a man’s shirt cuff became a symbol of hope during the Great Depression. And, at a time of economic disaster, this small luxury kept our industry alive.
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Impressions gives apparel decorators from around the world the opportunity to submit their most impressive work, compete alongside their peers and show off their talents to the industry in its annual Impressions Awards decorating competition.
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If you’ve ever struggled with machine embroidery, there may be numerous reasons why — including not having the proper tools for some jobs.
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Congratulations! The 10-year-old, 12-head embroidery machine that you opened your decorating business with is still running.
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I have an advantage when it comes to understanding the importance of embroidery troubleshooting. I sit 10 yards and a staircase away from a customer sales support team that answers questions and provides helpful solutions for embroiderers.
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Embroidering caps on commercial embroidery machines can cause struggles and stress. Most cap styles are unique in their shape and the way they are made.
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Although you may have only been doing embroidery for a short time, you probably have learned some tricks through trial and error.
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Stock-design companies provide a tremendous service to those embroiderers who don’t do their own digitizing, as well as those who do but may need a starting point.
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Growth and change often go hand in hand, and the latter isn’t always easy or smooth. Deciding whether revenue supports the extra expense of adding a new employee to your shop is a big decision; the smaller the shop, the bigger the decision.
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There’s more to sports apparel than meets the eye. Sure, the team gets the most attention, but behind the scenes, practice happens before those players and uniforms ever hit the field or court on game day.
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It’s past midnight and you’re still awake as your embroidery machine hums away. At this point, you must face the following inevitable truth: It’ll probably take all night to finish that large order.
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There are two kinds of file types for digitizing an embroidery design for apparel decoration: outline (or parent) files and expanded (or machine) files. Outline files are specific to a software. Expanded files are more generic and can be read by embroidery machines.
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Hardly anyone thinks of T-shirts as delicate — they make bold statements, and are ubiquitous, affordable, easily laundered and even disposable. But in the embroidery world, a T-shirt’s lightweight knit renders it a delicate fabric.
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Create an efficient space and keep your business running smoothly
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Each year, Impressions invites decorators from around the world to enter their most impressive work, compete alongside their peers and show off their talents to the industry in the Impressions Awards decorating competition.
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Let’s say you just finished an embroidery job — a left-chest logo stitched on shirts and hats — and now the customer wants jackets. What’s more, he wants the same logo on a jacket back.
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When a vintage style meets an innovative performance fabric, the possibilities for the garment can soar. When tasked with embroidering a design on such a garment, imaginations can be difficult to contain.
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Understanding what to do before a design goes to the digitizer
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Make the right choices when embroidering fleecewear for first-rate results
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Learn the ins and outs of embroidering garments in this popular apparel category.
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Follow these easy steps for designing and creating unique embellishments.
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There recently has been a virtual explosion of personalization, including monograms, in many decorating disciplines.
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A step-by-step guide for turning embroidery designs into patches
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How and when to adjust corners in a digitized design
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Appliqué may be a fancy-sounding word complete with an accent mark, but the process is nothing more than simply sewing a piece of fabric on top of another and adding a neat border of stitches.
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Appliqué may be a fancy-sounding word complete with an accent mark, but the process is nothing more than simply sewing a piece of fabric on top of another and adding a neat border of stitches.
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Strategies for digitizing faces and silhouettes
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One of the greatest benefits of using embroidery on garments, totes, caps or home décor is the phrase, “No minimums.”
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A recent video from Stahls’ TV, explores how to create sew files for the appliqué process using Twill Stitch Pro PLUS software.
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Attention to detail is everything when you want to digitize realistically
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Approach is everything when you want to digitize realistically
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When it comes to getting the biggest bang for your embroidery buck, the right backing or topping makes the difference between a ho-hum product and results that truly pop.
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During the past few years, there have been some interesting developments in the embroidery machines and supplies arena.
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Whether you are a digitizer, shop owner or salesman, it is good to know the basics of embroidering on caps
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As most embroiderers inevitably discover, some customers expect you to
take a symbol they have chosen, add lettering and create a logo. This
leads to a certain amount of freedom to choose the ideal font.
Experienced embroiderers know when a design will result in a quality sewout, and their customers will be happy with the results. But embroidering on headwear presents a special set of challenges, which leads many embroiderers to avoid these projects.
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Of all the positive business decisions you make daily, mastering the ability to provide amazing detail, infinitesimal lettering and artistic shading should be among them.
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If you are baking a cake and forget to add the eggs, you won’t get the desired results. The same goes for your embroidered orders. Forgetting just one thing could result in the loss of a good customer.
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When you think of the many apparel options that are available for embellishment, a traditional Japanese kimono probably doesn’t immediately come to mind.
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Follow these steps to pick the best software for your embroidery business
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Monogramming has surged in popularity during the past few years and now has become a fashion statement similar to the way it was in the 1950s…
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We all have bought something and — upon opening it — wondered how it ever left the manufacturer that way.
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All habits — both good and bad — become magnified when expanding from operating singlehead embroidery equipment to a multihead configuration.
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You’ve probably heard it before, but the following old adage always rings true: Change is the only constant you can count on.
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When you create a digitized design, it is important to know what will happen with the stitches in your sewout.
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Caps are a staple of the embroidery business, so it makes sense to take the time to learn how to sew them well.
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When I opened my Internet browser two weeks before Christmas, I was stunned to see the term “monogram” was the No. 1 trending topic.
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Creating stock designs gives you the freedom to express yourself and the process can be rewarding. However, there are restrictions to that freedom.
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We all know that 40 weight is the embroiderer’s every day, go-to, general-purpose embroidery thread. But if you are looking to turn out designs that are unique, customized and considered beyond the norm, it’s important to know the other thread types that are at your disposal.
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One of the most untapped technologies in the decorated apparel industry is the embroidery laser.
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As embroiderers, we experiment with all kinds of materials to create special effects. From 3-D embroidery foam to appliqué and Mylar-enhanced creations, we go all out to add glamour and interest to our embroidery.
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Is the thought of embroidering on today’s popular performancewear sending you running in the opposite direction? There are reasons — billions of them — to master embroidering on this sometimes slippery, shiny, stretchy, skinny stuff.
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As an apparel decorator, you probably see bling in tasteful touches, as
well as in excess. You may even be feeling the pressure to add a little
shine to your offerings for customers.
Now that it’s evident that jackets can be as profitable — if not more so — than the “normal” stuff most embroiderers sew, let’s look at the challenges of working with jackets.
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An easy way to introduce more color and add variety to an appliqué design is by using multicolored thread.
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If you’ve been embroidering for a while, you may have wondered, “If I’m so busy, why aren’t I rich?”
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The larger your embroidery operation, the more you need a defined training program. Having your new-hires learn by “on-the-job osmosis” usually results in uneven job skills, an unpredictable time frame to develop trainees and no way to measure progress and retention.
Full StoryA structured training curriculum increases the odds that a newer employee can help in most areas where assistance may be needed more quickly.
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There’s a lot to consider when deciding on the best place for your embroidery business.
A node is a designer’s best friend in many programs. Many embroidery software programs also use nodes to create and define aspects of a shape.
If your customers seek a high-quality, classic look, embroidery should be your preferred decoration method.
In embroidery, no detail is more important than lettering. Your designs are labels for your customers and they must be able to read those labels — even the small print.
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You may think you know a lot about your embroidery machine. After all, you probably get good production from it. But we’re here to make you better.
This year’s offering of embroidery machines and supplies doesn’t disappoint, with machines that are lighter, faster and more efficient than ever.
This year marked the 35th annual Impressions Awards, and it represents our showcase of the industry’s best designs from decorators of all sizes and experience levels.
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Learning to deal with the nuances of metallic thread can make your life as an embroiderer a little easier.
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Correct hooping may be the most important part of the embroidery process. Here are 10 ways to get it right!
I’ve been around this industry for a number of years and, during that time, I have had the opportunity to make as many mistakes as humanly possible.
Are you looking for ways to save stitches but still produce top-notch embroidery with a good profit margin? Then appliqué may be the answer to your challenge.
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By choosing one of these four ways to create data for stitching lettering, it’s possible to strike a balance between style and substance.
In this Tech Tips Newsletter, we will be working with an array of new denim products from American Apparel to create embroidered looks your customers will love.
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10 necessities can help provide you with the right tools to make for an enjoyable embroidery business.
In the final installment of this two-part series, contributing writer Deborah Jones shares her findings as she revisits an embroidery company that has retooled aspects of its embroidery operation to make it more functional and efficient.
In responding to the various online forums, I am finding that one of the biggest topics in question is puffy letters.
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An embroiderer for more than 25 years, Connie Smith shows you how to make the most of a small space, transforming a 5′ x 8′ storage room into a productive workspace.
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Two categories of embroidery machines exist that now are worthy to compete for consideration as your business’ singlehead, multi-needle equipment choice.
There are two great mysteries that digitizers must solve to build the perfect design: underlay and push-pull compensation.
Where do you think you can improve when it comes to your embroidery’s quality? Chances are good that you can correct many bothersome issues simply by using your shop’s embroidery software system.
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Although the terms “blending” and “shading” often are interchanged, there is a difference. You can blend colors without shading, but you cannot shade an object without blending colors.
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In this two-part series, contributing writer Deborah Jones visits with an embroidery company that has retooled aspects of its operation to make it more functional and efficient.
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To successfully blend colors, you must know how to mix colors.
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It’s one thing to be a great embroiderer, but you also must have strong sales to keep your business alive.
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Finding new and clever ways to bring in new customers is a challenge.
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Appliqué on fleece, like any appliqué, is a fairly straightforward process. The two variances when compared to “normal” embroidery are the placement line in the design and getting the fabric cutout to fit inside that placement line.
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Oiling your commercial embroidery machine is crucial to upkeep.
Full StoryThere are different types of fibers used for bobbins, including cotton and polyester.
Full StoryThis video, courtesy of MESA Distributors, shows its Highland HM1501 15-needle embroidery machine in action.
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Bobbin tension is very important to an efficient embroidery operation. This video shows how to set bobbin tension on an L sized bobbin.
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