Pathing Embroidery Designs Pathing is one of the most important elements to master in the process of digitizing. Quite simply, pathing means the order in which the design sews; what sews first and what sews second plus the progression of the design from first stitch to last. Efficient pathing is a design with the fewest […]
We’ve all been there: Customer calls multiple times, either changing their order, adding to it or just altering the design or placement. You can’t seem to get to “Final Answer” but they still want their job by the original deadline. Only that’s getting closer and closer….or worse, you’ve already started the job. Now what? You […]
Hats are a very popular item to embroider but a stinker on the production: Not all designs are created equal when the customer decides they want hats. For a little while now, I’ve seen more of a trend towards different placements that I want to address. Most hat jobs are the usual front design with […]
Warning: Somewhat of a rant coming down the pike) Sometimes, in the course of doing business, you have those days (or customers) that make you want to grab you keys, lock the door, get in the car and drive til the gas runs out without looking back. Of course you don’t but it isn’t because […]
All kidding aside, nobody wants to turn a customer away or tell them “No” but there are times when being honest about what they’re asking for is better than not being able to deliver a promised product. Those of us who have been in the industry for a while realize that customers really have no […]
Here’s how digitizing works with regard to formats. Embroidery software manufacturers are very proprietary so every software has a native format that can only be opened by someone with that same software. These native format files carry the program codes that define densities, trims, color breaks and a multitude of other functions that tell the […]
Have you ever heard the term “punching” in regards to machine embroidery? If you’ve been in this crazy business for a long while, you know exactly what this refers to. If you’ve only been in it for even 10 or 15 years, you may have heard the term but aren’t sure what it means. Less […]
People ask about lettering all the time. Minimum sizing, font styles, keyboard vs. digitized, are all valid questions. Here’s a quick primer on machine embroidered text. Most embroidery designs with lettering are company logos of some sort, which is mostly what commercial embroiders do. Lettering is important because it carries the pertinent information the client […]
Recently, Colorado passed some laws legalizing medical and recreational marijuana and we’re still figuring out, as a state, what it all means to local trade and living. Whether you are “for it” or “against it”, it affects everyone in some way or another and as a business owner, I’ve had to make some decisions myself. […]
Many embroiderers struggle with their pricing policies on several levels. What should my margins be? What is my competition charging? What garments/brands will I offer and what’s the most cost efficient way to get them in and turned around for my customer? Another often pondered dilemma is whether to accept garments supplied by the customer […]
