One of the services which we’re able to provide that is becoming increasingly popular is garment embroidery but what does the process involve, what are the restrictions and how much does it cost? Read on to find out more.
What is garment embroidery?
In short it’s the process of sewing a design onto a piece of clothing or fabric. Much like screen printing the desired artwork needs to be supplied as a high resolution image file at the correct size before being digitised, which is means translating a design made out of pixels into one made out of thread. The end result is a file called a jacquard, this is stored on the machine so can therefore be easily re-used as many times as necessary. Embroidery machines use the jacquard as a template to stitch your artwork onto the garment. Unlike screen printing however the amount of time it takes to complete one garment depends on the number of stitches in a design rather than the colour count.
Which garments can be embroidered?
Embroidery works on most clothing with the exception of very thin t-shirts. The process is particularly well suited to items such as hats, caps, polos, sweatshirts and hoodies and the finish is extremely hardwearing which is why many companies use it for workwear and other garments that have to be laundered frequently. The minimum order for embroidery is 25 items.
What types of embroidery are there?
There are two main types of embroidery: flat stitch and 3D. As the name suggests flat stitch results in a more level finish which is achieved when individual stitches are made without crossing or looping the thread. 3D embroidery, sometimes referred to as 3D foam or 3D puff is a technique which allows the design to be raised from the surface by inserting a foam under the top stitch. This particular process is best suited to garments that don’t require a lot of washing such as hats or outerwear and designs which consist of fonts or more basic shapes.
How much does embroidery cost?
For each design there’s an initial set up fee of £50. This covers the cost of the digitisation process and setting the jacquard up on the machine. After that there’s a per item cost which varies depending on the price of the garment being used and the number of stitches in the design aka size of artwork. For an accurate quote drop us an email with your design attached stating its dimensions, garment type and quantity you will need to sales@3rdrailclothing.co.uk
