 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Embroidery 101
Embroidery adds the professional look you need to project in today's competitive market. The following will take you the steps in reaching a classy embroidered garment.
Step 1-Artwork Stage
During this stage of the embroidery process, our artists go to work creating
innovative custom designs to fit each client's needs. They size the artwork
to fit the desired garment, and then the client is contacted to finalize
the design size, colors, and overall appearance. Once finalized, the design
is sent to the embroidery department.
Photo 1-Our artist goes
to work on the computer.
Step 2-Digitizing
The embroidery process begins with an idea or a
piece of artwork. That artwork then has to be "digitized" which
is the specialized process of converting 2 dimensional artwork into stitches
or thread. Contrary to popular opinion, you cannot take a particular format
of art such as a jpeg, tif, eps, bmp, and convert it to an embroidery
tape. The digitizer has to actually recreate the artwork using stitches,
meaning, the digitizer is programming the sewing machine to sew a specific
design, in a specific color, with a specific type of stitch. This is the
process known as digitizing. Also, because embroidery is 3 dimensional,
some exciting effects can be included to "spruce up" a normally
flat piece of artwork.
Photo 1- Artwork being digitized
on the computer. Photo 2-Enlarged logo that's been digitized.
Step 3-Production
Once the artwork has been digitized, it is then
ready to be put into production. Production embroidery is a very
hands on process. Before the sewing can begin, specific thread colors
must be loaded by hand into the machines. A spool of thread for each color
for each sewing head must be loaded. The machine itself is programmed
by the operator to sew the design in a particular color sequence and a
particular sewing speed. The garments must then be "hooped"
individually, again by hand, and then loaded into the machine. Once the
design has completed sewing, the garment is taken off the machine, un-hooped,
and then sent to the next step in the production process.
Photo 1-A Hooped Shirt. Photo
2-Early stage of an embroidered garment. Photo
3 -Continuing the logo, the red is almost finished! Photo
4-White coming over the red. Photo 5-A completed
embroidered piece! It took 25 minutes to put this logo on the shirt. The
sewing time depends on the stitch count.
Step 4-Finishing
After the garments have been sewn, they go through a finishing process.
During this step, the garments are inspected for quality, individually
trimmed of excess backing material and excess threads, then folded and
packaged ready for shipping to the end user.
Photo 1-Trimming
the loose threads. Photo 2-Boxing the garment.