Learn More about Embroidery

Learn More about Embroidery

How does embroidery work?

 

Thanks to technology, embroidering a company logo or slogan on wearable merchandise is affordable and easy. It's also a great advertising method! Attractive logo wear can quickly become favorite clothing articles, and in some instances it could even turn into a fashion trend.

Embroidery cost is calculated using several factors, and the first is stitch count. One square inch of solid embroidery is equal to about 2,000 stitches, so the base cost of your project can be determined by the overall size of your artwork. [ENTER LINK TO EMBROIDERY PRICE SHEET] Of course, volume is also a consideration, which means that you could receive a discount for higher quantities. You should also expect a set-up fee for digitizing the artwork and programming the machines, but this fee is often waived on subsequent orders (and sometimes even if the same logo is embroidered on different products).

Embroidery works best with images that have limited colors and bold, recognizable images. You should thoroughly consider your color choices before approving the embroidery. If the artwork is designed using PMS (Pantone Matching System) colors, then thread may be matched exactly to the colors in the original art, but there are far more PMS colors for print than for thread. Unless the logo is planned in advance to be color-matched for thread work, an exact match may not exist; however, there is a good possibility that several close matches could be found because of the wide variety of colors available. Nearly every color in the spectrum is represented in thread, so any color design should be possible if it does not have to be an exact match.

Design size can vary, but it should ultimately be determined by the size of the area to be embroidered. Lettering—even on a pocket—should never be less than ¼ inch in height for readability. Designs can be sewn on t-shirts, polos, jackets, hats, or they can be sewn on other products like athletic bags, purses, totes, backpacks, luggage, towels, and virtually any other object that has a suitable size area.

The first steps of the embroidery process are fairly simple. First, the design or logo is digitized (DST or CND file), and then the machine is programmed and set up with the desired threads. The embroidery area is backed with a material stabilizer, which may be cut, torn, or sometimes soaked away after the process is finished. Once the sewing is complete, the extra backing is removed (unless it's water-soluble) leaving backing only under the stitching where it's needed. Then, each piece is loaded on to the sewing area by hand. The machine quickly sews the design and the operator removes the piece and loads the next. Finishing touches include clipping stray threads and cutting away extra backing. Finally, each item is inspected for stitch-quality and for damage.

Putting a company logo on embroidered clothing and everyday promotional items is like creating miniature billboards. Logo recognition grows each time a logo is seen, which means that wearable art is a very cost-effective addition to any advertising budget.

How does the embroidery machine know what to do?

The Embroidery machine uses the .dst file suffix. These DST files contain graphic files that are used by the software. The graphic designs are relayed to an embroidery machine to show the machine what embroidery design to create.  This file actually shows the embroidery machine where to start and stop the thread and even when to change color to create your logo just as it is designed.

How big can my logo be?

That is a question we often get asked when someone is interested in volume sales / custom logo from us at Bag King.  And it is a very good question. 

The answer of course is more complicated than it first appears but in this post I will try and explain what determines the size a logo can be on an item.  First of all, there is no real standard size for every embroidered logo.  And that is simply because every logo is different and must be treated differently.  However there are some guidelines that can help you understand how big a logo can be on your product.  Where the logo is going to be placed on the item be it a bag, t-shirt, or hat is the main thing that determines the size of the logo.  Your logo is held in place by an embroidery hoop on your product.  So the size of embroidery hoop that can fit on the item in the location you want is the biggest determining factor of how big your logo can be on your item.  Embroidery hoops come in many different sizes so there are lots of options.  The other factor that plays into the size a logo can be is the shape of the logo.  For example, we approach logos that are a circle shape differently than ones that are more horizontal or vertical.  By the nature of their shape, circle logos look bigger because the cover more area. If you have any questions of where an item can be embroidery please give us a call at  916-923-9530 and/or send an email to sales@bagking.com.

 

What do we need to make your product…

A high resolution image of your design.

What color/s do you want your logo to be? Is there a specific PMS color the image has to be?

When do you need you product by?

Where are you having it shipped to?

[ENTER LINK TO VOLUME SALES QUESTIONARE]

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