Embroidery Guide
Learn about the most common issues with embroidery files and how to avoid them
EMBROIDERY 101: How it Works
1. Flat embroidery
A technique where stitches are embroidered flat on the surface.
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2. Thread colors
All the available colors. See color codes below
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3. Tatami fill
Rows of run stitches. Used to fill large areas.
A technique where the embroidery is raised. Used mostly for big shapes.
4. Satin stitch outline
A long, straight embroidery stitch. Used to outline an object.
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5. Run stitch
A single line stitch. Used for small design details.
WHAT IS DIGITIZATION?
Digitization is a process that converts your design file to a format that supports embroidery. We decide on the types of stitches that will be the best for each design. Make sure to follow the guidelines because ultimately the type of stitch used will depend on your graphic.
THE MOST COMMON ISSUES WITH EMBROIDERY:
1. Text too small, lines too thin
Incorrect
Correct
Avoid using very small letters because the embroidered text might not be legible. Keep the text at least 0.25'' in height and at least 0.05'' thick.
The minimum recommended line thickness for the regular satin stitch is 0.05''. For thinner lines we’ll use run stitch (a single line of stitches).
You can measure the text in Illustrator either by using the measuring tool, or by converting the font point size to inches. You can do this by going to:
File > Preferences > Units > General > Inches
0.25'' is equivalent to approximately 36pt, and the letters will also have the necessary thickness. But this depends on the font. We recommend using simple fonts like Arial, Helvetica, Myriad pro.
2. Distressed or Textured Graphics
With distressed or textured graphics many details might be lost during embroidery depending on the texture size. For these files, we’ll only be able to use flat embroidery, and extremely thin parts are likely to be run stitched.
3. Negative Space Objects
Incorrect
Correct
These are the empty spaces in the artwork - the hat fabric showing through the design (but don’t mix it up with transparent background, which is alright!). This can cause several problems.
Avoid these issues by filling the negative spaces with another color.
If we receive a design with internal negative space we will have to fill it in and the final product may look different than the product in your store.
4. GRADIENTS
With standard embroidery, we can only embroider solid shapes and colors. Gradients won’t work because we can’t create smooth transitions from one color to another.
You’ll have to replace gradients with solid colors.
5. Photographic Images
It’s not possible to embroider photographic images as they are. Photographic images have to be recreated to include solid shapes and colors.
6. Side Embroidery
The area for side embroidery is smaller than in the front. Include up to 10 characters per line in your text to make sure that the final result looks great.
Available Thread Colors
Use only solid colors. Make sure that your embroidery file contains only these colors:
1801 White
#FFFFFF
1800 Black
#000000
1718 Grey
#96A1A8
1672 Old Gold
#A67843
1951 Gold
#FFCC00
1987 Orange
#E25C27
1910 Flamingo
#CC3366
1839 Red
#CC3333
1784 Maroon
#660000
1966 Navy
#333366
1842 Royal
#005397
1695 Aqua/Teal
#3399FF
1832 Purple
#6B5294
1751 Kelly Green
#01784E
1848 Kiwi Green
#7BA35A