Oh Boy

[WildWestDesigns]

Yesterday, a member of my embroidery trade group received a customer supplied DST file and this client wanted it to be stitched out on the moister wickering polyester polo shirts.

Now, this was a design that was 13k+ stitches sold for the flat rate of $10.

She stitched it out and noticed that it was very hard, what we call "bulletproof embroidery". She sent the stitch file and the thread chart over to me to take a look at it. I noticed a few things right off the bat.

1. They had bumped up the density settings too high. There was over 1k extra stitches in one object alone compared to what I would have done for the same design for the same fabric.

2. Sequencing was off. For what the pattern was going to go on and the design itself, there was at least 2 extra trims due to color changes that didn't need to be there.

2A. This goes into sequencing as well, but I had noticed that there were 17 trims within the color blocks when there really only needed to be 6 for that particular design. Each trim takes anywhere from 6-10 seconds before the machine starts stitching again. At best you are looking at a few extra minutes per garment that didn't need to be there. Now that may not matter much for one or two, but if you are doing a good run, that adds up to time that you aren't making money.

The thing to take away from this is that just because you get a cheap design, doesn't mean that it won't cost you in the long run with regard to production.

Oh (and some of y'all will get a kick out of this), the software that they were using, while 2 generations old, was at one time the top of the line Wilcom software. I know what that particular level of software is capable of, so this can't be attributed to limitations of the software even though it is an older version.

 

[john1]

I have NO idea what you just said...... lol.

x2 lol

 

[Fanaticus]

Google Translate : The client supplied file sucked. (because whoever did it is an idiot)

 

[John in Cali]

If I understand it correctly, it would be like a plot file of a circle with thousands of nodes around the perimeter. Instead of just one movement of the carriage to complete the circle, the carriage head would bounce up and down a thousand times and take forever to complete. I have rushed with provided files like that. A real head slapper.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Google Translate : The client supplied file sucked. (because whoever did it is an idiot)

Pretty much.

If I understand it correctly, it would be like a plot file of a circle with thousands of nodes around the perimeter. Instead of just one movement of the carriage to complete the circle, the carriage head would bounce up and down a thousand times and take forever to complete. I have rushed with provided files like that. A real head slapper.

Yes, it would be along those lines.

 

[Mosh]

LOL @ Pat

 

[binki]

Yeah, we don't like emb on moisture wicking shirts for that reason. The stitching will not register right if not done with a lot of care. We always sew out on scrap material that matches what we are going to end up on.

Solid graphics on thin material just sucks. We often add heavy stabilizer to help out but if the design is not digitized for a thin and stretch material the only choice is to redo it.

For those that don't know, bullet proof embroidery can be shot with a .38 and the bullet will just bounce off. It is like Kevlar on Superman.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Yeah, we don't like emb on moisture wicking shirts for that reason.

It's really not that bad at all, if you are just familiar with the limitations. Whoever did it, probably just figured regular picque shirts and if they got the cheap stuff, you do have to bump up the density for those. Or change underlay.

The stitching will not register right if not done with a lot of care. We always sew out on scrap material that matches what we are going to end up on.

I always stitch out on scrap material if I'm concerned about a pattern. Always try to match the scrap material of what it's going on. If it's going on caps, I will use a denim material.

One thing that just makes me laugh is the stock embroidery design places have their designs stitched out on stabilizer. Stabilizer itself makes crap look good. Needs to be on fabric.

Solid graphics on thin material just sucks. We often add heavy stabilizer to help out but if the design is not digitized for a thin and stretch material the only choice is to redo it.

Several ways around it depending on how you are setup. Tension on the thread, smaller needle, slower speed etc.

Will we add a med. cutaway with a light tearaway.

One thing to be really concerned with this fabric is the "spoon effect". If the stitch angle is the same angle as the weave and it isn't stabilized properly, the center will cave in and the edges will curve upward creating a spoon.

 

[Suz]

Yeah, we don't like emb on moisture wicking shirts for that reason. The stitching will not register right if not done with a lot of care.

For those that don't know, bullet proof embroidery can be shot with a .38 and the bullet will just bounce off. It is like Kevlar on Superman.

Binki, I like that! LOL!:ROFLMAO:

 

[Dennis422]

Performance backing helps a bit when embroidering on Moisture wicking shirts.
You can get it from Gunold or Sew Many Parts web store.

 

[Gino]

Did I understand you to say, you have the ability to make bullet-proof vests for the sign industry ??

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Performance backing helps a bit when embroidering on Moisture wicking shirts.
You can get it from Gunold or Sew Many Parts web store.

Nothing helps more then having the design setup correctly for this application. Sure you can use all kinds of stabilizer to offset whatever needs to be offset by a design made for picque (more often the case) that the cheap customer wants to use on performance fabric as well.

Not all designs will have this problem, so due to the design itself can go on a multitude of garments and they will all look good, but it never fails that it will happen on the ones that really need their own patterns for garments that vary greatly in physical characteristics.