Embroidering isn't easy

Ben Broidery
Aug 30, 2015
1 min read

In life it's easy to take things for granted - we all do it - and embroidering garments and headwear is no exception. So what really goes into embroidery?

Firstly you need a good machine, well maintained, well operated. Otherwise you're wasting your time. The investment you make here will repay you tenfold.

Next you need a good understanding of the product that you're embroidering, what's it made from? where is the embroidery positioned? What's behind the scenes - are there pockets or internal structures? Is there a access panel? How much backing and, if necessary, topping is required?

Thread and backing often gets overlooked - buy the best - cheap just gives you cheap back. We use Madeira thread and backing. I've been in to companies that use newspaper as backing - seriously.

Make sure you sample - 5 minutes of downtime can save £££ in ruined garments! If it's the first job - send the client a sample, get it approved, then you both know where you stand.

Post embroidery - we always clean our garments up. Steaming on darker garments removes hoop marks. A clean cloth and water spray is handy to remove chalk marks.

Packing - the most frequently overlooked element of the process, just chuck it in the box and get it out the door? Not at NEC! Send the garments out as you would wish to receive them - your client will thank you for it.