1

PLAN THE DESIGN.

What’s the size of the design you’ve been asked to embroider? And what is its application? Will it appear on a cap, or the left chest on a pique sports shirt? Size the design appropriately. If height is the biggest consideration, you may need to create more than one design, digitized correctly, to accommodate your client.

2

BRING SOMETHING UNIQUE TO THE LOGO.

Experiment with the many different thread types available. Metallic threads can offer bling or, in this case, refined elegance, while matte finished threads offer clarity. If you’re doing caps, size the logo to the max, but add an interesting element or two. In this case, mixing a 45-weight metallic thread with a thin 60-weight rayon allowed the letters to get small enough and added an element of sparkle for a tone-on-tone effect.

3

PREPARE THE ARTWORK.

Thicken up all elements to meet the 1mm criteria for satin stitches. Eliminate extraneous elements if possible. Measure all elements, lettering and columns. Go as wide as you can while maintaining serifs in any small lettering. Letters shouldn’t go smaller than 6mm if you’re using 40-weight thread, but you can go down to 4mm with 60-weight.

4

CONSIDER SPECIAL ELEMENTS.

On most caps, designs should be set to sew from the center, out and from the bottom, up. An exception to this rule would be determined by the target material governing which part of the design to sew first. With this logo on a knit shirt, the lily and word “Red” sew left to right; “Vineyards” sews right to the left. The flower is sewn by itself. The sequence would be a different consideration for caps. Always test-sew on the actual item to be embroidered, or on fabric as similar as possible, to see the results.

ABOUT THE LOGO:

Rich Medcraft, owner of StitchWise Embroidery Design in Eagle Point, OR, and a founding member of Madeira USA’s NAMES (National Association of Madeira Embroidery Specialists) advisory board, created this unique, high-end logo on knit for his client using Madeira USA’s 40-weight rayon, 45-weight smooth metallic and 60-weight rayon

5

EMBROIDER YOUR UNIQUE DESIGN.

Add a final element for maximum effect – here, the lily petals sew in overlapping satin stitches (remember, the maximum width for satin stitch is 8mm), in different directions, which gives it more dimension than a standard fill. A color-matching metallic is used for the inside of the petals, giving the logo an enhanced appearance. The red flower is 40-weight and the outline 60-weight to give a crisp look. Matching dye lots ensure consistent colors. This last step keeps you ahead of your competition and sets your work apart from every other embroiderer in town.

Product Hub
Find the latest in quality products, must-know trends and fresh ideas for upcoming end-buyer campaigns.